Champagne Cake

Wow! Can you believe it is almost 2013? The new year brings a time for reflection and new starts. As I reflect on the past year I realize how much I enjoy sharing my sweet creations and adventures with you. I hope you all have enjoyed the past few months of Sweet Tooth Saturdays and are excited to see what I have in store for the new year.

For Christmas I received a very unique dessert book...

He he he. The cakes in this book look and sound so delicious. I will try and share more recipes from this book with you this year. 

Since it is the new year, I found a very fitting cake...

Champagne Cake

Cake Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 egg whites

2 cups champagne

Let's get started. Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Mix in the vanilla and egg whites one at a time.

In a separate bowl combined the flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat in flour mixture and champagne in three alternating additions. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture to prevent curdling. 

Pour batter into 2 greased and floured cake pans. (9 inch)

Bake for 35 mins or until done.

While the cakes are baking work on your champagne frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup champagne

1/4 cup whole milk

1 Tbs vanilla extract

Beat the butter for 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, champagne, milk and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Once the cakes have cooled, frost and decorate how ever you would like. 

I hope your new year starts off Sweet & Sparkly!

See you next Saturday :)

 

Fondant

Hello my fellow sweet toothers. I'm sorry I had to make you wait a day. Yesterday was a very family fun Fifth Saturday before Santa arrives. As a family we had a very special occasion to celebrate. Unfortunately I was very busy with cookie and cake pop orders for Christmas this weekend too. I have already shared those recipes with you in past posts. With everything going on and not enough hours in the day, I did not have time to do something Christmas themed for this weeks Sweet Tooth Saturday....I'm sorry! Like I said though we had a celebration yesterday and you can not have a celebration with out something sweet!

Are you all addicted to Pintrest? I am! :) I found this cake and cupcake idea there.

The cake and cupcakes are covered in fondant. Fondant and I have become very close pals over the  past few years. It all started with powdered sugar and melted marshmallows alllll over my counter tops. Let's just say it was not a nice and neat first experiment. I have perfected the process and truly enjoy working with the homemade fondant. Try it for yourself. I won't lie...it requires a little patience.

Ingredients:
1 bag of mini marshmallows
1 2lb bag of powdered sugar
3tsp of water

In a microwavable safe bowl add the marshmallows and water. Microwave in 1 minute intervals stirring in between until melted.

In a large mixing bowl sprinkle a little powdered sugar. Add the melted marshmallows to the bowl.

With a large wooden spoon mix in the powdered sugar. *This is where the patience comes in. It takes some time.

Eventually it will form into a play dough like consistency.

Next grease your hands with crisco and kneed the dough on a powdered sugar surface. You may have to keep sprinkling with powdered sugar.

Stop by during the spring and summer for wedding season and I will document the steps for you.

Like I said it takes time but I think it is well worth the effort.

Happy Sweet Tooth Sunday ;)

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Hi everyone! Happy 4th Sweet Saturday before Santa arrives. Is your shopping done? I still have a few things to grab. I should probably be out today, facing the crowds and finishing up. Nah! I'd rather be in the kitchen fixing something sweet to share with you. That is exactly what I did. I feel like today's sweet treat would be something served at the North Pole...you know, where Santa lives :).

The Santa Clause

 

He is drinking hot chocolate but they might also serve...

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

3oz of chocolate

2 tsp store bought hot chocolate mix

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

3 cups ice

Place the chocolate in the top of a double broiler over simmering water.

Once melted add the cocoa mix and sugar. Mix to combined and remove from heat.

Slowly add a 1/2 cup of milk. Stir to combined all ingredients and let cool to room temperature. 

Once cooled, add the remaining cup of milk and the chocolate mixture to a blender with 3 cups of ice.

Blend and serve in a glass topped with whipped cream and Christmas sprinkles of course!   

Sip in front of the Christmas tree...possibly wrapped in a blanket...it's a cold one :)

Here is what I did with the dog bone cinnamon ornaments from last week.

Great simple gifts for all our puppy loves :).

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday!

Cinnamon Ornaments

Happy 3rd Sweet Saturday before Santa arrives! Today's post is not edible but sure smells sweet!

Cinnamon Ornaments

Ingredients:

3/4 cup apple sauce

1 bottle ground cinnamon (4.12 oz)

That's it! Very simple :)

In a bowl mix together the apple sauce and cinnamon until a smooth dough forms. 

Place the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and roll out. 

Next use your selected holiday cookie cutters. Be sure to make a hole in the top for ribbon. I used a straw to make the hole. 

Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 200 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.

Even though these are not edible they will sure make your house smell great while baking. Also, I'm sure Santa will love the smell of them on the tree while he is placing presents under it. Do you see the dog bones on my cookie sheet? Stop by next week to see how they turned out.

I hope you are having a very sweet Saturday! See you next week :)

Cake Pops

Today is Santa's 2nd Sweet Saturday before Christmas! Have you seen or eaten one of the newest craze? Cake Pops! A few years ago I stumbled across this amazing blog, Bakerella. She has definitely sparked my creative juices with her amazing Cake Pops.

Today I made red velvet cake pops, dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with holiday cheer!

I love how they are bit size and soooo yummy! Stop by Bakerella's blog for instructions and to look at all her amazing Cake Pop ideas....I think Santa will like them too ;)

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday!

Sugar Cookies

Today we are kicking off the 1st of Santa's 6 Sweet Saturdays before Christmas. With Santa's favorite sweet of all, sugar cookie cut outs.

Ingredients:
1lb of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
6 cps all-purposed flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Combine the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. (I halved the recipe).

Whisk together dry ingredients and stir into butter mixture until just blended. Divide dough into thirds, pat each portion into a flat disk and wrap well with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least and hour and up to 24 hours.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Use cut outs of your choice. Place on parchment lned baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 5-7 mins.

Cool on rack and ice.

I used powdered sugar and milk for the icing. About a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1-2 Tbs of milk.

Santa is sure to love these!

Happy Sweet Tooth Saturday.

Grandma's Pumpkin Roll

Hello my fellow sweet toothers! I hope your Saturday is off to a sweet start. Mine is definitely off to one, while I sit here and eat today's post. Mmmmm so yummy! It is also hard to believe I have never tasted this before. I always went for the pies and turkey cut-out cookies at Thanksgiving. I know I know you are sitting there with anticipation as to what I could be eating. The next sweetest thing that could adorn your Thanksgiving table. The very thing that will WOW your family and friends. OK OK I'll share...

Grandma's Pumpkin Roll

I will admit I was a little scared to try this. I always thought how do they roll this? It looks so complicated! I had to have a little pep talk with myself and remind myself that I am always down for an adventure and that I had plenty of ingredients if I happened to mess up. So I mustered up the courage and embarked on my first pumpkin roll adventure. 

Come on take the leap of faith with me...I promise it will not disappoint :)

Ingredients:

For the cake:

¼ CUP POWDERED SUGAR (TO SPRINKLE ON TOWEL)

¾ CUP FLOUR

½ TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

½ TEASPOON BAKING SODA

½ TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON

½ TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES

¼ TEASPOON SALT

3 LARGE EGGS

1 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR

2/3 CUP PIMPKIN

1 CUP WALNUTS (OPTIONAL)...of course I used Hazel Nuts :)

For the filling:

1 PACKAGE (8 OUNCE) CREAM CHEESE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1 CUP POWDERED SUGAR, SIFTED

6 TABLESPOONS BUTTER, SOFTENED

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

POWDERED SUIGAR (FOR DECORATING)

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES. GREASE 15X10 INCH JELLY-ROLL PAN;

LINE WITH WAX PAPER. GREASE AND FLOUR PAPER.

COMBINE FLOUR,

BAKING POWDER, BAKING SODA, CINNAMON, CLOVES AND SALT IN SMALL

BOWL.

 BEAT EGGS AND GRANULATED SUGAR IN A LARGE MIXER BOWL UNTIL THICK.

 BEAT IN PUMPKIN.

 STIR IN FLOUR MIXTURE. SPREAD EVENLY INTO PREPARED PAN.

 SPRINKLE WITH NUTS.

 BAKE FOR 13 TO 15 MINUTES OR UNTIL TOP OF CAKE SPRINGS BACK WHEN TOUCHED.

WHILE THE CAKE IS BAKING, SPRINKLE A THIN, COTTON KITCHEN TOWEL WITH POWDERED SUGAR.

 WHEN THE CAKE IS DONE BAKING.

IMMEDIATELY LOOSEN AND TURN CAKE ONTO PREPARED TOWEL. CAREFULLY PEEL

OFF PAPER.

ROLL UP CAKE AND TOWEL TOGETHER, STARTING WITH NARROW END. COOL ON WIRE RACK.

 WHILE THE CAKE IS COOLING, WORK ON THE FILLING.

BEAT CREAM CHEESE, 1 CUP POWDERED SUGAR, BUTTER AND VANILLA IN A SMALL MIXER BOWL UNTIL SMOOTH.

WHEN THE CAKE HAS COOLED, UNROLL AND SPREAD WITH THE CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE.

  REROLL CAKE. WRAP IN PLASTIC WRAP AND REFRIGERATE AT LEAST ONE HOUR.

 ONCE CHILLED, DUST WITH POWDERED SUGAR, SLICE, SERVE AND ENJOY!

Thanks for the recipe Grandma. It is a keeper! 

I hope you all try this for your Thanksgiving dinner. Stop by next week when I kick of Santa's 6 Sweet Saturdays before Christmas!

Adventure #4

Halloween is over, not my favorite holiday but I have come to enjoy it more over the past few years due to the "Mr. Mr."(a little 5 year old sweet heart) in my life. It is so fun to see everything through his eyes. So we have 52 days until my favorite holiday and this weekend I was kicking it off in style.

When I was young and living in Canton, Ohio I would look forward to November because that meant Christmas open houses. My mom, grandma and I would wear our selves out on Saturday's going from store to store and gazing at all their Christmas decor. So that is exactly what we did today. It was a blast!

We definitely worked up an appetite looking at tree after tree of holiday inspiration. What better place to have lunch and of course a sweet treat than Heggy's in Canton, Ohio.

A little background:

Heggy's Candy Company was founded by Ben Heggy in 1923. The family owned and operated business has created a reputation of amazing hand crafted chocolates and candies over the past 9 decades. Heggy's remains one of the premiere candy companies in America.

Today we ate at their 1950's diner.

Immediately when you walk in you are welcomed by the amazing smell of their roasted nuts.

Then an endless selection of their hand crafted chocolates and candies. My personal favorite is their chocolate covered raisins. So So good! I sometimes keep eating them until I get a belly ache. OK I lied, the majority of the time :).

My mom decided she would get a selection of chocolates for her lunch. I know I have told you before she would eat candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner! OK I'm lying she did have soup and then right to the chocolate for her sweet treat.

My grandma and I went for their Ice cream. The turtle sundae and chocolate shake. Mmmmm, so delicious! That turtle sundae is to die for. I highly recommend it if you are ever in Canton and have a sweet tooth. They make their own hot fudge. Amazing!

 Here are a few more pictures of the inside.

It was a great lunch and sweet treat! It was also fun to hear my grandma's stories of coming to Heggy's as a kid after school with her friends. I have also been there many times as a kid and my parents are always surprising my brother and I with treats from Heggy's now that we live in Columbus. It has truly stood the test of time and is a wonderful land mark in Canton.

Stop by their website to look around and maybe order some sweet treats of your own.

http://www.heggys.com/heggys.html

Hope your Saturday was as sweet as mine!