Comfort Food

Comfort Food fondant on the cake? cool cake decorations

The Cupcake Revolution

Culture: Desserts of the World!

Pizza for dessert: exciting recipes

May 2012 issue 1, volume 1

comfortfood.com

A cup of this, a cup of that...

Everyone knows what cupcakes are, but how in the world did they come about?

The cupcake evolved in the United States in the 19th century, and it was revolutionary because of the amount of time it saved in the kitchen.

There was a shift from weighing out ingredients when baking to measuring out ingredients. According to the Food Timeline Web, food historians have yet to pinpoint exactly where the name of the cupcake originated. There are two theories: one, the cakes were originally cooked in cups. And two, the ingredients used to make the cupcakes were measured out by the cup.

In the beginning, cupcakes were sometimes called “number� cakes, because they were easy to remember by the measurements of ingredients it took to create them: One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs, one cup of milk, and one spoonful of soda. Clearly, cupcakes today have expanded to a wide variety of ingredients, measurements, shapes, and decorations - but this was one of the first recipes for making what we know today as cupcakes.

Cupcakes were convenient because they cooked much quicker than larger cakes. When baking was down in hearth ovens, it would take a long time to bake a cake, and the final product would often be burned. Muffin tins, also called gem pans, were popular around the turn of the 20th century, so people started created cupcakes in tins.

One food historian, Andrew Smith, claims the first cupcake recipe was published in 1876, but we may never know the name of the first person to prepare this yummy treat! Since their creation, cupcakes have become a pop culture trend in the culinary world.

They have spawned dozens of bakeries devoted entirely to them! Though chocolate and vinella remain the favorites of the world, there are many other flavores such as lemon meringue and strawberry. Not to mention the spunkey designs people come up with to decorate them! Now that you know where their from, go out and get yourself a delicious cup cake!

Strawberry’s all summer long Looking for an Easy Strawberry Pizza Dessert Recipe?

This simple Strawberry Pizza Recipe is one of the best tasting summer time desserts you can make.

How to make?

For the filling: 12 ounces of cream cheese 3/4 cups sugar 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3-4 cups sliced strawberries 1/4 cup agave syrup For the crust: 2 1/4 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 3 tablespoons milk

y s a E & Fresh g n i t a E r e m m u S

Directions

Fresh, juicy, red strawberries. Finally, they’re back in season!

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts.

• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

• On a floured surface, roll dough into a 13-in. circle.

Transfer to an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan. Build up edges slightly.

• Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool completely.

Fondant , an easy

way to make adorable decorations at home Steps

Ingredients 1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup shortening 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar

step 1 Prepare cake by lightly covering with buttercream icing. step 2 Before rolling out fondant, knead it until it is a workable consistency. If fondant is sticky, knead in a little confectioners’ sugar. Lightly dust your smooth work surface or the Roll & Cut Mat and your rolling pin with confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Roll out fondant sized to your cake.

To keep fondant from sticking, lift and move as you roll. Add more confectioners’ sugar if needed.

Directions

step 3 In a large bowl, stir together the shortening and corn Gently lift fondant over rolling pin or slip cake circle under fondant to move; position on cake. syrup. Mix in the salt and vanilla flavoring, then step 4 gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar until it is Shape fondant to sides of cake with Easy-Glide Smoother. We recommend using the Smoother bea stiff dough. If you are using a stand mixer, use the cause the pressure of your hands may leave impressions on the fondant. Beginning in the middle dough hook attachment. Otherwise, knead by hand. of the cake top, move the Smoother outward and down the sides to smooth and shape fondant to If the dough is sticky, knead in more confectioners’ the cake and remove air bubbles. If an air bubble appears, insert a pin on an angle, release air and sugar until it is smooth. Store in an airtight container smooth the area again. Use the straight edge of the Smoother to mark fondant at the base of cake. at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Trim off excess fondant using a spatula or sharp knife.

To use, roll out on a clean surface that has been dusted with confectioners’ sugar until it is 1/8 inch thick or thinner if you can. Drape over frosted and step 5 Your cake is now ready to decorate.

For centuries people have been using fonCovering Large Rounds with Rolled Fondant dant as a supstitute to regualr frosting but tits In most cases, the smaller your cake, the easier it will be to cover with rolled fondant. However, also used to make eligant flowers for wedding there is an easy way to position and smooth fondant on cakes that are 12 in. diameter or larger.

Follow the steps below to lift fondant onto the cake without tearing. cakes, cutsey decortaions for cupcakes, the possiblites are endless. All ovee the world pro- step 1 fessionals are using fondant its easy to use and Cover cake lightly with buttercream icing. Roll out fondant sized to your cake. molds perfectly for that flawless look

step 2 Slide a large cake circle that has been dusted with confectioners’ sugar under the rolled fondant.

Lift the circle and the fondant and position over cake. Gently shake the circle to slide the fondant off the board and into position on the cake. Smooth and trim as described above.

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Icing on the cake Butter Cream Frosting Ingredients 3 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream Directions In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

For a quick and easy way to decorate cupcakes, use a simple butter cream frosting. By putting the frosting into a bag with a tip, swirl into a circle starting from the outside working inwards getting taller as you go. When adding sprinkles using too many can look cheesey so add just a few for a classy bakery look. There are also many other decorations that can be used, by rolling out fondant and using a small cookie cutter to cut out a design of your choice it again adds that professional look to your home made cupcakes and other pastries. ANOTHER fun decoration is using chocolate. By putting chocolate chips in a plastic bag with the smallest tip possible at the end, and then putting that into hot water till melted it can be piped out on to wax paper into cutesy designs.

Waiting till dry gentley place the chocolate designs ontop of the pastrey of your choice.

Putting all of these easy ways to decorate cakes togethe can open a world of ideas. A super cute and fun cake is is a beach cake. After putting on a very thing layer of butter cream frosting , with the white fondant add some blue food coloring in until you get the color you please, then roll it out so that its bigger then half the cake. Use a knife to cute wavy edge and lay the fondat on to the cake. make all decorations with colored fondant. Then crush up a package of gramcrackers as finley as possible. Put more buttercream where you want the gramcracker to stick, press against the cake. Use the chocolate trick to put a border along the bottom.

Another clever trick is using martinee umbrellas. There you have it a creative cake for all birthday parties at half the cost.

Desserts of the World

1. Mexico- Flan 2. Canada- Butter Tart 3. Peru- Ponderaciones 4. Argentina- Alfajores

5. UK- Apple Crumble 6. Italy- Cannolis 7. Tanzania- Baked Banana Cake

8. Russia- Baba Romovaya Cake 9. China- Rice Cakes 10. Australia- Anzac Biscuits

Berry Lemon Trifle Ingredients 1 plain pound cake 1 cup good rasberry jam flamboise 2 half pints fresh rasberrys 1 pint fresh strawberrys 3 1/2 cups wipped cream 1 1/2 cups lemon pudding

Directions

Cut pound cake into nine peices, then spread jam over bottom of each peice. Place one peice of cake into the bottom of one quart glass serving bowl, put a layer of lemon pudding then add some strawberrys and rasberrys, next put a layer if whipped cream. Repeat untill all ingradients have been used. Then put in fridge for 1 1/2 hours untill chilled.

Famous Seven Layer Bars Cook time:

Temperature:

Ready In:

15 mins

350 degrees

40 mins

Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 1/2 graham cracker crumbs 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 1 cup butterscotch chips 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 1/3 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Spread crumbs evenly over bottom of pan layer chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and nuts over crumbs. Pour condensed milk over nuts, then spread coconut on top of milk