It's getting hot in here!

Hello friends!

It has been a while since I made a blog post, but that doesn't mean I haven't stopped baking!

I have even contemplated making candy! One of my readers passed along a cool this link on the basics of candy making.

Candy making is hard! It's complicated and some would even say... dangerous.

Thermometers and hot sugar = serious business.

Last week, I made these cupcakes using a thermometer.

Thermometer? Yup, these little cakes are covered in an Italian Meringue frosting.  It was perfect for piping flowers. I know frosting isn't the same as candy... but the whole process certainly got me sweating in the kitchen!

Italian Buttercream Recipe

Makes about 4 1/2 cups (enough to fill and ice an 8-inch cake)

Ingredients
Italian Meringue:
3/4 cup sugar
5 large egg whites

Italian Buttercream:
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a small heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup water and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 230°F.

2. While the sugar is heating up, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until frothy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat the meringue until medium peaks form.

3. Continue heating the sugar mixture until it reaches soft-ball stage, 240°F. Reduce the mixer speed to low and pour the soft-ball-stage sugar into the meringue in a slow, steady stream. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until the meringue cools to room temperature and holds a stiff peak, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Exchange the mixer's whisk attachment for the paddle attachment and reduce the speed to medium. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, until all of the butter has been incorporated and the buttercream is thick, fluffy, and very smooth. Add the vanilla extract and beat briefly to incorporate. Use the buttercream immediately or cover and refrigerate it up to 3 weeks.

Cooks' note:
Before using cold buttercream, let it soften at room temperature for 30 minutes then transfer it to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until fluffy and soft enough to spread.

Adapted from here!

Peanut Butter Tofu Skor Cookies.

I had a block of extra firm tofu that needed to be used up and after making that Avocado Butter-less Bread, I was feeling somewhat adventurous.

I decided to make some cookies. I guess I was just riding out that wave of curiosity.

And to my surprise, the cookies turned out and tasted like normal peanut butter cookies!

The tofu replaced the egg in the recipe. Very vegan friendly.

Don't worry, there is plenty of gluten so living in Toronto hasn't changed my baking style completely.... not yet at least.

I kind of forget to write down the baking temperature and time... so proceed with caution if you decide to try this...

Peanut Butter and Jam Muffins.

I made these a while ago. They were average.

The recipe was for peanut butter banana muffins, but I decided it would be neat if they were PB and J instead.

Peanut Butter and Jam Muffins

I think the muffins were not as moist because I didn't incorporate the jam in the same way as the original recipe; instead of mixing it directly into the batter, I just spooned it into the muffin tin.

Not a total flop, but definitely not a home run.

Banana Pork Wontons.

I had some extra meat stuff when I made these BANANA MEATBALLS so I made wontons!

Bought some wonton wrappers and I started to wrap. Used cold water to seal up the sides.

Some wontons looked like bundles... and others were like tents.

Whatt??? There isn't any butter or oil in this Avocado Chocolate Banana Bread?!?

I think I'm on to something - a total money saver and a nutrition increaser.

Or maybe not...

Maybe I'll eat more of it because it is justifiable, but I'm actually decreasing my health with the sugar intake...

Whatever.

Let me just tell you about what I think is totally amazing: Avocados.

Yes, avocados are amazing.

I'm probably the last person to realize it, but I didn't really enjoy eating them so I didn't eat them, and plus I'm not a trendy hipster who will eat avocados like they just might go out of style tomorrow.

So, you must be wondering how I'm eating them if even I could enjoy them.

I bake them... into yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmy treats!!!

Instead of using oil or butter in this banana bread, I added puréed/blended avocados.

And it's cheaper than butter!

Avocado Chocolate Banana Bread

Just so you know, I made the same cake last week and used olive oil (1/3 cup), instead of avocados.

I also used blueberries, rather than chocolate chips.

Wicked cool, huh?

Blueberry Banana Crumble Bread

Banana Meatballs.

The other day, I went to buy bananas in Chinatown.

There was a giant sign warning me not to take apart the banana bundles so I didn't.

As a result of that experience, I usually buy the whole bundle, regardless of where I go grocery shopping.

I can only eat so many bananas until the inevitable  "bruising and browning" start.

Usually I default to frozen bananas or banana bread, but I wanted to do something different.

So I made meatballs.

Yes, BANANANANANANANANA MEATBALLSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

You are probably thinking that the idea of adding a banana into meatballs is really wild, but.. it's not.

To me, bananas have a tropical flavour... just like pineapples, and people add pineapples to tons of stuff:

smoothies, pizza, sweet and sour pork, and....... even meatballs!

It was a little risky, not because I made up the recipe, BUT because I had never made meatballs before and I was still getting use to the oven in my place.

The meatballs turned out well!

They were tasty and the banana flavour was subtle.

I had some extra meat, so I'll let you know what I did with it another time.

What to do with eleven yolks?

This was from a while ago and I just forgot to post it up.

My friend made an angel cake and had 11 egg yolks left over.

I had a feeling that he didn't have enough time to make something neat and didn't want to eat a giant high in cholesterol omelette, so he gave the yolks to me.

I didn't know what to do 11 yolks, but thank goodness for Google.

I found this site, which lists recipes by the number of yolks in the recipe.

One yolk, two yolk, three yolk..... four. Very Dr. Seuss.

Unfortunately, nine and eleven yolk recipes are are harder to find.

I just improvised and used a twelve yolk recipe.

Lower in cholesterol than the normal 12 yolk recipe. A very good selling point.

There were two recipes that used 12 yolks: a Gold Cake and a Daffodil Cake.

I used the Gold Cake Recipe, but modified it by adding lavender. Still a flowery cake.

Chewy Chocolate Lavender Cookies

I recently moved to a new city and I just realized that I haven't blogged in over a month. .

I have been baking or trying to at least, but every time that I decided to make something, I realized that I was missing something. Mildly frustrating.

For instance, I tried to make Pineapple Muffins... but half way through making a mess in the kitchen, I realized that I didn't have butter or oil. I compromised and used yogurt... because that was the only potential substitute.

It wasn't a total success.. or a failure... The muffins just had a weird gummy texture... like the texture that you get from adding too much protein powder to muffins... yeah, I'm sure everyone can relate with that example.

Today, I was set on sticking to a recipe and I tried not to go "off the grid". I wanted to test out a cookie recipe that included corn starch...

For me to follow this recipe, I had to pick up the baking essentials: butter, brown sugar, apparently corn starch, and a baking tray.

Yes!!! A NEW TRAY!!!  I was very excited to test out a new tray. Ah, I love buying new bake ware. It's like buying a new pair of shoes. Just amazing.

Chewy Chocolate Lavender Cookies

The cookies turned out well, but of course, I had to get creative. I added lavender... I wonder if anyone will notice that the cookies taste like SUMMER!!

Oh, I also baked the cookies for 9 minutes (vs 11 minutes) because I'm still getting use to the oven, which runs a little hotter than my previous oven... I think.

High Rising Muffins: The Banana Chocolate Version

SURPRISE... I made muffins again...

It seems that all I do is make cupcakes and muffins. I guess the muffin liners appeal to me. Less clean up.

I wanted to make some of those nice high rise muffins. You know, like the ones at Starbucks and Second Cup?

Maybe it's because I've been looking at some new housing situations. I'm really digging those high rise apartments.

Nice view. Who wouldn't want that?

Banana Chocolate Muffins

I found out that there are three things that may help to make a muffin to rise higher:

1. A super hot oven temperature. 
I'm talking like 400-425, maybe even 450 degrees F.

I baked my muffins for 8 min at 425F, then I dropped the temperature down to 350F for another 8 or so, until done.

2. A scoopable batter.
Yeah, I know scoopable isn't a word, but it's my blog. All I mean is that the batter shouldn't be runny or pourable.

It must be thick-ish. I used my normal Banana Muffin Recipe, but I added some coco powder (~1/2 cup) to thicken up the batter.

I've used this so many times... but I can't seem to remember if the batter actually needed the coco powder... I think it was borderline pourable and that is why I added it.

3. Fill the muffin pan almost to the top.
None of this 3/4 full business. Half or 2/3 fullness is for cupcakes and we are making muffins.

Overall, I think it turned out pretty well. In fact, I will probably do these three things every time I make muffins.

The only down side would be that it may take a little bit longer for the oven to preheat. Yeah, bummer.

I also found that I made fewer muffins... which wasn't a surprise since I filled them higher. Not a bad thing, but just something to keep in mind if you decide to do these three things... do it...

Strawberry Muffins.

I made some strawberry muffins.

It turned out fine, considering the recipe was titled Whole Wheat Apple Oat Muffins and I didn't use any apples.

Strawberry Muffins

If I would make it again, I would pat the strawberries dry before adding them into the recipe.

Actually, if I would make it again, I would just follow the recipe and use apples, instead of strawberries.