Monthly Archives: May 2011

Experimental Sunday – Braeburn Apple Tart Tatin

By Sharon | Recipes , Tips

We have a friend staying with us that has never really cooked.  As we were watching the Master Class episode of Masterchef New Zealand they made this Tart Tatin and it seemed like something easy for our friend to tackle in the kitchen.  After all, she’s been watching me bake for the past couple of weeks and we did puff pastry while she was here.

Josh Emmet tells us that Gordon Ramsay taught him how to make this dish.  This is the image of what ours came out like.  It needs to be darker but we’ll discuss that in the rest of the article.Continue reading

Turtle Shaped Cake

By Sharon | Specialty Cakes , Tips

For our friend Faith’s 2nd birthday she was really into turtles so her party theme was turtles. We thought a lot about how to shape this cake and make it look real.

This was our first cake using Rice Krispy treats to shape parts of the body. They worked really well.

This was also our first time using isomalt. Isomalt is the popular name for Isomaltitol which is a sugar substitute made from beet sugar. Here’s some great information from Make Your Own Molds. We selected this to give a realistic wave and water look. I found it very easy to work with and found it at our local cake decorating supply.Continue reading

Baking Methods – The Muffin Method

By Sharon | Tips

One of the most commonly used methods of mixing batters is the muffin method.  Not mixing your batter correctly could lead to finished baked goods that are tough or don’t raise properly when in the oven.  This method is almost always used in muffins and quick breads.

When a recipe calls for the muffin method most people tend to over beat or over mix their batter thinking they need to get it all smooth.  So, it gets mixed until all the lumps are gone.  When any recipe calls for the muffin method don’t do this!  Below are the steps for any recipe of muffins or any recipe that calls for the muffin method of mixing.  Following these steps will give you perfectly risen and tender muffins every time if you have the ingredients right.

Continue reading

Raspberry Limeade

By Sharon | Recipes

Angel has submitted her recipe and picture from the Freeze-Dried Fruit Powder Challenge. This Raspberry Limeade is a wonderful and refreshing way to create a drink with all natural ingredients and a good serving of real fruit. If you add 50% plain seltzer or soda water to the completed Limeade it’s like having a soda. This would be great for the kids who always want to drink a soda.

Thank you Angel for putting the recipe together for us.

Continue reading

Classic Puff Pastry

By Sharon | Recipes , Tips

Puff Pastry is one of those things that is just better made from scratch than bought in the freezer section of the grocery store.  It seems a little intimidating to make with all the steps and the time it takes to make it but is really just a matter of repeating steps over again.

I made my puff pastry recipe to do an appetizer for a wine tasting so I baked it into little squares.Continue reading