April 2025 Sally’s Baking Challenge

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This month SallysBakingAddiction Baking Challenge is Caramel Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints. She always gives an alternate recipe for those (raises hand and waves) who do not resonate with the main challenge recipe. The alternate is a Mini No-Bake Cheesecake, (my choice.)

These are plain mini cheesecakes with a graham cracker biscuit base topped with berries, a mint leaf, and strawberry sauce. Sally’s picture displayed a blackberry on top but unfortunately someone all all my blackberries. (Raises hand a waves again.) They are easy to make and delicious.

Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes – Sally

INGREDIENTS
Graham Cracker Crust
• 240 g (2 c) graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheet graham crackers)
• 67 g (⅓ c) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 113 g (½ c; 8 Tbl; 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
• 240 (1 c) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
• 452 g (16 oz) RT full-fat brick cream cheese
• 67 g (⅓ c) granulated sugar
• 30 g (2 Tbl) RT sour cream
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
optional: your desired toppings (see recipe Note)

METHOD

  1. Line two standard 12-count muffin pans with cupcake liners. Make sure you have room in your refrigerator for both pans. (You refrigerate them in step 6.)
  2. Use a food processor to pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Mixture will have the consistency of wet sand. Spoon 1 ½ Tablespoons of the crust mixture into each cupcake liner and use the back of the spoon to pack it down tightly.
  3. Bake the crusts for 5 minutes in a 350°F (177°C) oven. The crusts are a little sturdier this way. Let the warm crusts cool for 10 minutes before adding the filling on top.
  4. Place metal stand mixer bowl and whisk in freezer for 30 minutes before proceeding. Whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
  5. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
  6. With a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
  7. Use piping bag to transfer the filling on top of the crusts. Pipe about 2 Tablespoons of filling over each crust. Fit your piping bag with a large star or round piping tip, then transfer the filling to the bag and pipe. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the tops so they are flat.
  8. Refrigerate the mini cheesecakes in the pans for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. If refrigerating for longer than 3 hours, cover with plastic wrap.
  9. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve with optional toppings (see recipe Note). The cheesecakes begin to soften and stick to the liners after about 30–60 minutes at room temperature.
  10. Cover and store leftover mini cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
    NOTES
  11. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The mini cheesecakes can be made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving, as noted in step 6. Another way to prep these mini no-bake cheesecakes is to freeze them. Refrigerate them as directed in step 6, then remove them from the muffin pan (keep the liners on them) and line in a single layer in a large freezer-friendly container. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
  12. Optional Toppings: Right before serving, you can add toppings to the mini cheesecakes. You can also add the following toppings after the cheesecakes have chilled in the refrigerator for just 1–2 hours (step 6), then store the topped cheesecakes in the refrigerator for the remaining time. Use 3/4 cup strawberry sauce divided over each chilled mini cheesecake. (Spoon about 1/2 Tablespoon over each.) And/or use 1 cup mixed berries, plus a few mint leaves, divided over each for additional garnish. Instead of strawberry sauce, try the same amount of lemon curd, apple butter, or your favorite fruit preserves. You can also top with chocolate ganache. I recommend spooning a little over each mini cheesecake before refrigerating so the ganache can set up too.
  13. Lemon Juice: Lemon juice brightens up the flavor. This cheesecake does not taste like lemon. For lemon flavored mini no-bake cheesecakes, replace the sour cream with 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (in addition to the 1 teaspoon lemon juice that it already calls for) and add 2 teaspoons lemon zest.
  14. Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring the cream cheese and sour cream to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients guarantee a smooth cheesecake filling. Beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake filling. (The heavy cream, however, MUST be cold in order to whip into stiff peaks.)

Strawberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) warm water
• 1 lb strawberries, hulled and sliced in half (you can use frozen; don’t thaw)
• Zest and juice from 1/2 small lemon
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

METHOD

  1. Whisk the cornstarch and water together until all the cornstarch has dissolved. (I just use a fork to mix—very easy.)
  2. Place the cornstarch mixture, along with the rest of the ingredients, into a small saucepan over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir the mixture as it cooks. Break up some of the strawberries as you stir. For smoother sauce blend the strawberries in advance.
  3. Bring it to a simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, remove pan from the heat and allow to cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools. I strained the mixture with a fine mesh strainer and ended up with a cup of clear sauce.
  4. You can serve the sauce warm before it cools completely if desired, or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Strawberry topping will be thick after refrigeration, so microwave for 15 seconds or warm on the stove to thin out, if desired.

Is This The Train to Baltimore M’Lady?

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I don’t bake for hire. It’s a hobby for me. But, when a once-neighbor asked me to make Lady Baltimore cupcakes as a surprise for his wife’s birthday (they were one of her favorites but not available near here) I was intrigued. I told him I don’t bake for “hire” but as I had never heard of Lady Baltimore cupcakes I couldn’t resist.

Lady Baltimore cake (or cupcakes in this case) is a light, delicate white cake, hollowed out and filled with a mixture of slivered almond flakes, raisins and figs bound with Italian meringue frosting. It (they) are frosted with more of the Italian meringue frosting and topped with a few almond slivers.

Current reports are they are delicious. Still waiting for reviews from the QC Cadre.

Cupcakes in various stages of production
Finished Lady Baltimore cupcakes.

Lady Baltimore Cupcakes

(makes 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
• 3 c cake flour
• 1½ cup sugar
• 3 ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp of salt
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted RT butter, cut into small pieces
• 6 egg whites
• 1 cup whole milk (2% + 1 Tbl heavy cream)
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
For the filling:
• 9 tablespoons slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
• 6 tablespoons golden raisins, coarsely chopped
• 6 dried California or Turkish figs, chopped
• 1/3 c fig jam
• ¾ cup Italian meringue frosting
Frosting:
• 3 ¾ cups Italian meringue frosting

METHOD

  1. Heat an oven to 350⁰ F. Line 24 wells of a muffin pan with paper liners and set the pan aside.
  2. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a mixer (or a large bowl) and mix to combine (mixer: lowest speed; by hand: whisk). Add the butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 2 minutes.
  3. Whisk the egg whites, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl, then pour it into the mixer bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
  4. Evenly distribute the batter among the lined muffin tins and bake until the edge of the cupcakes are light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 14-16 minutes.
  5. Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove them from the pan and let them completely cool on the rack.
  6. Mix the filling ingredients in a bowl.
  7. Use a small paring knife to cut an inverted cone out of the top of the cupcake. Flip the cone over and slice it so that you have a ¼” thick disk of cake. Reserve the disk and discard the rest of the cone. If necessary, use a small spoon to scoop out some of the cake to make the hole larger.
  8. Use a small spoon to evenly distribute the filling among the cupcakes. Place the reserved cake disk on top of the filling and press down on it to seal the cupcake.
  9. Frost the cupcakes with the Italian meringue frosting.

Dark Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes

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I am a big berry buff and when I saw this recipe I knew I would make these.

I followed the recipe exactly on my first bake, but made changes the second time around. Mainly, I swapped the blackberry buttercream for a blackberry meringue frosting. I used some purple food coloring and added some freeze dried blackberry powder. Blackberry is not an overpowering flavor but this added just enough to complement the dark chocolate cupcake.

Dark Chocolate Blackberry Cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
• 1 c AP flour
• ½ c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ c unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ c brown sugar
• 2 large RT eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ c buttermilk (milk with ½ Tbl lemon juice)
• ½ c hot water
• ½ c mashed, fresh blackberries
Blackberry Italian Meringue
• 3 egg whites room temperature
• 2/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 Tbl freeze dried blackberry powder

METHOD

  1. Wash 2 c fresh blackberries in cold water
  2. Blend cleaned blackberries until totally broken down.
  3. Add 1 Tbl sugar and blend again.
  4. Separate into ¼ c and ½ c portions. Set both portions aside. (Use any leftover on ice cream or in a margarita, etc.)
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with liners.
  6. In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
  7. In another bowl, mix melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, then stir in ½ c mashed blackberries.
  8. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk, mixing gently. Stir in hot water until just combined.
  9. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
  10. For the frosting, beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, ¼ c blackberry puree, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy, adding cream if needed. Be sure the frosting is thick enough to hold its shape after piping.
  11. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Italian Meringue Method

  1. Wipe down all tools with white vinegar.
  2. Place sugar and water mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes. Do not stir it at all during this time. The mixture will look cloudy.
  3. Gently stir the mixture for 1 minute. There should be little to no granules of sugar left at this point.
  4. Once the mixture begins to bubble from the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes, place the digital thermometer in the pot and increase to medium-high heat. Do not stir it at all after this.
  5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form.
  6. Allow the sugar mixture to come to a boil and watch carefully. Once it reaches 230 °F turn stand mixer on highest speed to whip egg whites to peaks.
  7. 7. Once the sugar syrup reaches 240 °F, remove from heat and remove the probe. This takes about 4- 6 minutes.
  8. Allow the boiling to come to a slow bubble before moving on.
  9. Slowly pour sugar syrup (steady stream) into whisked egg whites. Avoid the whisk attachment or it will fling your mixture all over the bowl.
  10. Add 1 Tbl blackberry powdered and ~ 3 drops purple food coloring
  11. Allow mixture to whisk for another 3-5 minutes until the mixer bowl is cool/room temperature to the touch.

We Have A Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

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Sorry, no chicken or dinner here,

FB posted this Rustic No Knead Rosemary Garlic Bread by Jacques Pepin. I made a few changes to the method (as if I know more than M. Pepin.)

I followed the ingredients as published and the bread was fantastic, but next time I will increase the amount of garlic. All changes have been incorporated in the recipe below.

I did a stretch and fold before shaping the loaf, This is a 100% hydration bread and has little structure before baking, i.e it is very soft, wet, and hard to handle.. There was no reference to scoring the bread, but on reviewing the published photo realized it was scored with large cross cuts. (Next time, which will be very soon.)

My baking time was also much longer (nearly double) what was published. My modifications are incorporated below.)

Rustic No Knead Rosemary Garlic Bread – Jacques Pepin

INGREDIENTS
• 360g (3 c) AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 355g(1 ½ c) warm water (about 105-115⁰ F)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbl olive oil
• 1 Tbl chopped fresh rosemary
• ¼ c grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast.
  2. Add the warm water, minced garlic, and olive oil to the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 12-18 hours.
  4. Preheat oven and prepare dough: Preheat oven to 450⁰ F .
  5. Sprinkle a light coating of flour around the edge of the bread and use your fingers to lightly tuck the flour into the edge of the dough. With floured fingers (you may need to re-flour your fingers after each time you touch the bread) stretch and fold the bread, turning 90⁰ and repeat a total of 10-12 stretch and folds to make the dough firmer and easier to handle. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a loaf.
  6. Lightly oil a 10-inch cast iron skillet or coat with nonstick spray, sprinkle with cornmeal. Score a large cross in the bread with a lame or sharp knife.
  7. Place the loaf in the skillet for 30-40 minutes, checking the internal temperature every 5 minutes after the first 20, or until golden brown and cooked through.
  8. While the bread is still warm, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped rosemary and Parmesan cheese.
  9. Let the bread cool slightly before slicing and serving. Try this with an oil and vinegar dip.

3.141592654…

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Traditionally we have pizza on Pi Day, but other, more important obligations interfered with tradition. Instead, I made Berry Hand Pies (Blueberry and Raspberry) and while not pizza, they didn’t disappoint.

Berry hand pies are a piece of cake. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

You Can Take The Boy Out Of Vermont…

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I saw this recipe on FB and was, of course, compelled to make a loaf.

It’s a pretty easy bake and results in a very nice tasting bread with a good whole wheat crumb and texture. Next time will double the amount of maple syrup (costly, but worth it) or add the maple sugar to the top (I didn’t have any.)

Vermont Maple Oatmeal Bread


INGREDIENTS
• 1 ¼ cups boiling water
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup (78g) maple syrup or ½ cup maple sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon maple flavor optional
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
METHOD

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water, oats, maple syrup (or maple sugar), butter, salt, cinnamon, and maple flavor if using. Stir and let cool to lukewarm.
  2. Once cooled, add yeast, whole wheat flour, and all-purpose flour. Stir until a rough dough forms.
  3. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes by hand or 7 minutes with a machine.
  4. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes until puffy and nearly doubled in size.
  5. Gently deflate the dough and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place in a lightly greased 8 ½” x 4 ½” loaf pan.
  6. Cover and let the loaf rise until it crowns about 1 inch over the rim of the pan, about 60 to 90 minutes.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  8. If desired, brush the top with water and sprinkle with maple sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting with foil after 15 minutes to prevent over-browning. The interior should reach 190°F (88°C).
  9. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
    NOTES
  10. For a more pronounced maple flavor, increase the maple syrup slightly and reduce the water accordingly.
  11. This bread is excellent toasted with butter or cream cheese. – Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or freeze for longer storage.

Recovering From a Disaster

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Not often, but on rare occasion I have a baking disaster. Yesterday I wanted blueberry muffins and unfortunately used an old recipe. Apparently, there was a major error in the recipe as after two attempts I binned the results (along with the recipe) and headed to my go-to baker, Sally McKenny. (“Binned” is a term from GBBO where whatever didn’t work is tossed in the trash.)

I wisely turned to Sally’s blueberry muffin recipe and they were overwhelmingly endorsed by the QC Cadre. (For any who do not know, the QC Cadre is composed of a number of my neighbors who volunteered to sample and review my bakes.)

If you can ignore the dropped berry scones and artisan no-knead rolls in the background, here are the blueberry muffins. I cannot recommend them strongly enough.

80 Is The New…

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Today is the 80th birthday of one of our good friends, and golf buddy. She asked me to make cupcakes for the 15 guests coming to her bowling/birthday party. I decided to make cupcakes using my Extreme Chocolate Cake recipe with Italian Meringue frosting, because that combination is my fav. I did ask her what her favorite color is, and pink was among her answer, so I made a bi-color frosting.

My notes in my recipe said the recipe would make 36 cupcakes, but of the 3 different sizes of cakes in the recipe, it didn’t say which one made the 36. I decided to go with the medium size cake (10” round.) Well long story shorter, that made 54 cupcakes. I have since modified the recipe.

The cupcakes are soft and delicious and the meringue isn’t too sweet and pairs nicely.

Homemade Rough Puff Pastry

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I really think every pastry baker needs to know how to make puff pastry. The easiest version is rough puff, which I made a couple of days ago. It is as easy, delicious, flakey and buttery as the Daring Gourmet claims ( find her recipe here: daringgourmet.com).

I had some issues turning and rolling to develop a smooth pastry, but after 8 turns it looked pretty good. Kept in the fridge for a couple of days and rolled out to about 1/8th inch thick this morning it looked great. I cut 3” circles, filled them with a cream cheese, sugar, white chocolate chip mixture and topped with a small raspberry. The edges were egg washed, folded and crimped with a fork before coating the top with more egg wash and sparkling sugar.

Actually, I both over-filled and under-sealed them so they are a mess. (See step #5 regarding my disregard of my own advice.) That in no way affects their taste. Using a 4” cutter might help. As advertised the puff pastry was excellent, the filling (my recipe) was likewise excellent, but then, the combination of chocolate and raspberries is hard to beat.

Ignore the artisan bread in the background. I had to heat up the oven anyway so why not?

Berry Hand Pie

INGREDIENTS
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but cool.
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoons granulated sugar or decorating sugar
• ¼ cup white chocolate chips
• 3 ounces berries
• 2 tablespoons coarse white sugar or decorating sugar

METHOD

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl with a fork.
  2. Stir the cream cheese and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the white chocolate chips.
  3. Cut large berries in half.
  4. Sprinkle the flour on the work surface. Unfold the pastry sheet on the work surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a ~12-inch square. Using a round cutter, cut into as many 3 -inch circles as you can. (Try a 4” cutter and settle for fewer, better looking pastries.)
  5. Brush the edges of the pastry circles with the egg mixture. Place about ½ tablespoon cream cheese mixture in the center of each. (Don’t overfill.) Top each with about one small or two halves of a large berry. Fold the circles in half, pinching the edges together. Crimp both edges with a fork. If you don’t seal them adequately or have to much filling it will leak out of the sides of the finished pastry.
  6. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the coarse sugar. Using a sharp knife cut small slits in the tops of the filled pastries. Place the pastries onto a silicone or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Is Baking Really a Hobby?

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Often I bake for an event or occasion. Sometimes I see a recipe online and want to duplicate it. Sometimes I like to immerse myself in a bake to occupy my mind so I don’t think about anything else. Today was one of those days.

This recipe, upside down key lime pie, is from Sally of Sallys Baking Addiction.. It is delicious and my opinion is shared by the QC Cadre (i.e. neighbors.)

The graham cracker crumble is the perfect crunch for the pie filling just as the sweet meringue balances the tartness off the key lime.

I am sorry, but I cannot write my normal, snarky, quirky pander today. Perhaps I will return to it one day, but not today.

The recipe can be found at sallysbakingaddicton.com