I Sugar Coat It

Chocolate Hair & Sugar Slippers

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Chocolate Hair & Sugar Slippers

I created her from scratch - my first ever figurine! I have never given birth, but I imagine the relief and joy that the end result brings, closely matches how I feel - or maybe not, but humour me for a moment...

Asrai*, yes, I named her, is the end result of hours of trial and error at the Figure Modelling class I attended this past weekend at the Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts. This was my first course at BGC, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I met some amazing, fellow-budding sugar artists and the instructor, Sally, and the other staff there were great. I expect I'll be seeing them again in the not-so-distant future.

Creating Asrai did not involve a male, but the process was just as enjoyable ;-). A couple hundred grams of sweetness (a blend of fondant, tylose/CMC), a few colours of edible gel (Sugarflair) a little black sanding sugar, some royal icing and voila! 

Asrai is 100% edible! Her head, torso, arms, and legs were hand moulded from white fondant coloured with Sugarflair's Caramel/Ivory. I then attached all the pieces of her body with royal icing. Her hair was created using chocolate fondant - I used an extractor gun fitted with the 1.5mm mesh attachment to achieve the strands and then wrapped them around toothpicks to create curls. Her dress is made using fondant coloured with Sugarflair's Paprika and Tangerine and I used a veining stick to add texture. The black accents on her dress were made with black fondant and sprinkled with black sanding sugar. Her slippers are a combination of Americolor Black edible marker and black sanding sugar. Her facial details were applied using a 000 brush and Sugarflair edible gel colours and I used various edible dust for her makeup. Finally, I dusted her dress and added some highlights to her curls using disco dust.

Not bad for a first attempt, don't you think?

For more photos on the making of Asrai, visit my Facebook page.

*Asrai - a mythcal faerie: small, fragile female beings who turn to a puddle of water when they are captured, or exposed to sunlight.

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Year of the Dragon

Happy New Year! Okay, I realize it was only twenty-two days ago that I blogged in the New Year, but I assure you:

  • you did not sleep through 2012, and
  • no, you are not experiencing deja-vu.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year. The Year of the Dragon - the Water Dragon, to be exact. 
This mystical creature in Chinese astrology is synonymous with strength, vitality, intensity and luck - and boy does our economy need a healthy dose, STAT! So, enter the Dragon...(couldn't pass up the Bruce Lee reference).



I found this dragon wafer paper set over at Fancy Flours. (I also purchased some beautiful cupcake lines and cookie cutters among other things. I would like to mention what a great shopping experience I had there - very accommodating, responsive and they certainly go all out in their packing). Okay, back to the wafer sheets - they are sold as 8x10 sheets with 8 assorted images and sizes. 

I instantly had second thoughts about these wafer papers upon receiving them. They are simple enough to apply, but I was less than pleased with the end result. For some reason, I expected they would melt into the royal icing, leaving only the dragon image on the surface. Boy, was I wrong! Instead, the paper basically just sat on the surface of the cookie. They looked unsightly, so I decided to try and frame them with some yellow royal icing. 

To sum things up - some things just aren't meant to be, as is evident from the above collage of said cookies...a real disappointment. My fault for going in blindly... In any case, except for the other sheets already in my possession, I'm not likely to purchase wafer paper again - it just felt like cheating, actually and no real decorating skill was developed in the process. 


Anyhoo, I decided to abandon the dragons, in their cookie form,  and move on to the other cookies featured in this post - Live, Laugh, Love! Using the leftover cookies and royal icing, I simply stenciled these Chinese characters onto the existing white royal icing, and dusted with some non-toxic lustre dust.

In both techniques, the images can be applied directly to the cookies or onto royal icing or fondant. 

I chose to make my new, favourite chocolate cookie recipe and was tempted to apply the images directly onto the cookies. Instead, I decided to use white royal icing as a canvas, so that the red designs would have more visual impact. 

I would love to hear about your experience with wafer paper. What should I have done differently?

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

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Baby Bump Chocolate Cookies

Baby Bump Chocolate Cookies
My dear friend Kimmie and her husband are expecting their first child!! Needless to say, I am ecstatic for them both, as I know that they will be amazing parents. She is actually due February 9th, but her baby bump, is just that - a bump! Given her tiny stature, anything bigger would be torture...


In the very early stages of Kimmie's pregnancy, I was under a serious gag order. News like this should be announced from every street corner, with me behind the bullhorn - so you can imagine the restraint I had to employ. Now, I can't believe her due date is only a few weeks away - and I guess that could change depending on how eager the little one is to leave his/her current residence.

Kimberley has chosen to have her shower, post delivery. I think it's a great idea that, hopefully, will catch on. Why look at a belly when you could, the baby!?!

Baby Bump Chocolate Cookies
I had first planned to make the usual bib, bottle, onesie, pacifier cookies, but when I found this silhouette online and this cookie recipe, plans quickly changed. My previous attempts at flooding have not gone as smoothly as I imagined they would (pun intended). I was hopeful, this being my fourth attempt, would be a little more successful. However, the royal icing refused to come to the desired consistency and took much longer than usual to dry. You'll notice less than perfect lines and uneven surfaces... but you know what - I can confidently say that they taste amazing! I will keep practicing my flooding and royal icing recipe - or switch back to fondant...
Baby Bump Chocolate Cookies
Using the template I found online, I outlined the silhouette on each cookie using an edible marker. I then piped the outline with white royal icing and flooded with same. I originally planed to use the silhouette to cut the shape of the cookies, but decided to cut the dough into 5x3 tiles and use as bakdrops for the silhouette. I then decorated the cookies using a couple of Kimberley's favourite colours - purple and orange. Sorry Kimmie - the skin tone is way off...

Some time ago, I purchased a few stencils from Designer Stencils - each order comes with a little, free sample stencil. It was the perfect size for this application. To dress up the outfit, I added silver dragees as necklaces.

Baby Bump Chocolate Cookies
I wish you both a safe delivery. We look forward to welcoming your little girl/guy!! Part 2 to follow his/her arrival...

If you are interested in trying out the cookies, here is the recipe.

Baby Bump Chocolate Cookies

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Baby Bump Chocolate Cookies

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Course: Dessert
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups butter
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon each of almond and coffee extracts
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅔ cup cocoa
  • 3 ½ cups flour

Instructions

  • Cream butter, shortening and sugar together.
  • Add eggs and extracts. Mix well.
  • Add baking powder and salt and mix again.
  • Stir in the cocoa until well blended.
  • Add flour 1 cup at a time.
  • Roll out between two sheets of parchment paper.
  • Cut to desired shapes.
  • Bake at 375 F for 6 ½ minutes.
  • Let cool completely on wire rack before decorating.

Notes

(adapted from LilaLoa)

I-Sugar-Coat-It-Blog-Signature-Green 

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NYE Chocolate Pomegranate Mini Cupcakes

NYE Chocolate Pomegranate Mini Cupcakes
Can you believe it is 2012?!? Saying it sounds so foreign. I remember when 1999 would see the world reach its end, or technology go stark raving mad on us. The thought makes me chuckle now....

NYE Chocolate Pomegranate Mini Cupcakes
My lover (you SNL fans will get that) and I opted for a more intimate ringing in of the new year. Board games, dinner, dessert and cocktails. Each new year's eve, we spend a few moments recapping the year behind us and sharing our hopes and plans for the year ahead. Staying healthy is always on the list...

So what better way to start things off than with these one-bite, melt -in-your-mouth wonders - Chocolate and Pomegranate mini cupcakes.

NYE Chocolate Pomegranate Mini Cupcakes
Combine my love of chocolate with the sweet, tart taste of a fruit packed with vitamins, potassium and polyphenols (antioxidants) and what do you get? A stunningly, delicious pairing - a powerhouse couple akin to Brad and Angelina, Barrack and Michelle, Kermit and Miss Piggy...
NYE Chocolate Pomegranate Mini Cupcakes
Before I move on to the recipe, I want to thank you all for regularly visiting my corner of the blogosphere and for taking the time to let me know you were here with your comments and emails.

On your next visit, look for the newly implemented loyalty program that allows you to earn points with every visit that can be redeemed for some exciting gifts. I will provide more details in the next few days.

I wish you all a year filled with love, peace, happiness and success in all you do. I look forward to hearing from you and sharing with you all the sweet treats I whip up each week.

NYE Chocolate Pomegranate Mini Cupcakes
I just about started a small fire with these sparklers - burned my thumb instead.

 

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NYE Chocolate Pomegranate Mini Cupcakes

) Yields 24 mini cupcakes
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 24 mini cupcakes
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

  • 11/2 cups 100% Pomegranate Juice
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup water heated to boiling
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

Frosting:

  • ½ cup butter 1 stick
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup pomegranate juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in the center.
  • Prepare muffin pan by either greasing/spraying or lining with paper cups.
  • Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine well.
  • In a large bowl, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water.
  • Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture.
  • Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy).
  • Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups - about half full.
  • Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and free of crumbs. Let cool.
  • Frost with chocolate pomegranate frosting.

To make the frosting:

  • Melt butter and s
  • tir in cocoa.
  • Add powdered sugar and pomegranate juice, beating until it thickens to a piping consistency.
  • Add vanilla.
  • Garnish with pomegranate arils.

Notes

adapted from SparkRecipe

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Christmas Gingerbread House

This is my very first attempt at a gingerbread house! Time did not allow me to bake the gingerbread, so I purchased the pre-baked pieces from Michael's and took a stab at it. Not extremely proud of it, but the only failure is in not trying - right? Right?? 🙂
Looks like santa found another way in - or, could it be he just didn't show?!? Well, the reindeers will do - they have always stolen the show in my opinion - with names like Dasher, Prancer, Blitzen, Vixen, and the celebrity of the bunch, Rudolph, what do you expect...

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope that you are able to spend today surrounded by loved ones and friends. I hope that you are also able to bring joy to the lives of those less fortunate by donating money, clothing, food, toys etc. to a cause close to your heart. Better yet, donate your time and make it a part of your holiday tradition.

Let me know you were here - leave a comment. I would love to hear how you spent the holiday.

Merry, merry!

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Vegan Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Veggnog Frosting

Vegan Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Veggnog Frosting
December birthdays are tricky, don't you think? Especially those that fall closer to Christmas. How lucky, I used to think with envy, to have two celebrations to cap off the year. Well, it does not always work that way. This time of year is so busy, it's easy to lose track of birthdays with the distractions of Christmas...oh, it has happened!

Vegan Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Veggnog Frosting
The Dude, my other/better half, celebrated his big day recently!! I planned to make a more elaborate cake, all covered in white chocolate ganache and fondant - the works. Instead, I settled on cupcakes. Vegan Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Veggnog Frosting. Nah, that's no typo - Vegan Eggnog, or Veggnog, has replaced the christmas fare for today.
Vegan Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Veggnog Frosting

I used a mix of Americolor violet and silver sheen to achieve that muted, metallic effect in the frosting. I glammed up the mini cupcakes with non-toxic lustre dust in violet, and topped off the larger cupcakes with silver jimmies, also in a muted silver shade. I was going for a masculine, holiday feel - not sure if that was achieved...

I thought the spicy chai was a winning complement to the vanilla - think vanilla chai latte. The veggnog, on its own as a drink is delightfully intoxicating - brandy will do that!!(hmm, perhaps the Tofurky might just be a little more palatable this year, with a few of these on hand). As a frosting, divine.

What would I do differently? Make the cupcakes chocolate...

Vegan Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Veggnog Frosting

These cupcake liners were an impulse buy from the Canada Baking & Sweets Show back in October. I have no connection to makers of this product, but these StayBrite baking cups do exactly what they claim - provide easy release and do not fade. No need to double up liners!! I hope to see more colours and designs in the near future.

Vegan Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Veggnog Frosting

 

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Vegan Vanilla Chai Cupcakes with Veggnog Frosting

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 18 -24
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 11/2 cup almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons chai powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
  • 1 cup white sugar less 2 tablespoons
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil warmed until liquid
  • ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Veggnog

  • 21 oz extra-firm silken tofu
  • 2 cups soymilk
  • ⅔ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 cup rum or brandy
  • 4 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 20 ice cubes
  • Nutmeg

Veggnog Frosting

  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons brandy
  • ¼ cup veggnog

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 12 cup muffin pans or line with 18 paper baking cups.
  • Measure the apple cider vinegar into a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill with almond milk to make 1 ½ cups. Let stand until curdled, about 5 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, chai powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk mixture, coconut oil and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack.

To make the Veggnog:

  • Crumble the tofu and blend with soymilk, sugar and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour into mixing bowl, and whisk in water, rum and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, blend half of mixture with 10 ice cubes until frothy. Repeat with other half of nog. Serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

To make the frosting:

  • Beat the shortening in the mixer fitted with the paddle until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until well combined.
  • Add the brandy and veggnog, and beat until fluffy.
  • Pipe onto cupcakes and Enjoy!!

Notes

adapted from Allrecipe and About.com

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Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts with Eggnog Glaze

Move over cookie - santa's trying something different this year! Mini baked donuts flavoured with pumpkin pie spice and spiked eggnog will be awaiting the big guy in red when he slides down my chimney this year. Whether he'll be able to make his way back up depends on his alcohol tolerance.

Now, if you are expecting your typical fried donut, you won't find it here. Instead, expect a sponge-like, cake texture that dissolves in your mouth. Healthier, less fuss, off the charts in cuteness factor and very tasty.


I topped them off with eggnog glaze and sanding sugar in silver, gold and red for a festive look.

This recipe is a slight variation of the one provided with the Wilton mini donut pan. 

I used pumpkin pie spice instead of nutmeg in the donut and eggnog, with a touch of rum, in place of milk for the glaze. 
Tip:I found the pan a little awkward to fill, so I ended up with more batter than required in the wells. This caused my donuts to rise a little higher than I wanted. I recommend using a piping bag for this step to obtain the desired shape.
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Pumpkin Spice Mini Donuts with Eggnog Glaze

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 24 mini donuts
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

  • Donuts:
  • 1¼ cups cake flour sifted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1¼ teaspoon . baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon . salt
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1½ tablespoon . butter melted
  • ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
  • Eggnog Glaze:
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tablespoons spiked eggnog
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Prepare pan with baking spray.
  • Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
  • Add buttermilk, egg, butter, and stir until just combined.
  • Fill each donut cup approximately half full.
  • Bake 4–6 minutes or until the top of the donuts spring back when touched.
  • Let cool in pan for 4–5 minutes before removing. Finish the donuts with glaze and decorations of your choice.
  • To make glaze:In a small bowl, stir together sugar, eggnog, and vanilla extract until sugar is completely dissolved. Use immediately to glaze donuts.

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Shortbread Snowflakes

Shortbread Snowflakes
It's beginning to look a lot like christmas - and in less than three weeks, it will be!! Twenty-two days of shopping, baking, parties, shopping, planning, shopping...I can hardly contain myself. Shortbread Snowflakes
To kick off my countdown to the big day, I baked and decorated shortbread cookies in the spirit of the season. I love a good shortbread cookie, especially this time of year. I regard it as comfort food - must be all the butter...
To flood the cookies, follow the steps below:
Shortbread Snowflakes
  1. Roll out dough to ¼" thick and cut into shapes using cookie cutters or templates
  2. Bake and let cool completely
  3. Attach a #2 tip to decorator's bag or squeeze bottle and fill with color icing of your choosing
  4. Outline the shape of the cookie, let dry, but not completely
  5. Fill in or 'flood' the center
  6. Add dragees using a tweezer, or decorate with other icing colours
  7. Let dry and enjoy!!
Shortbread Snowflakes
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Shortbread Snowflakes & Royal Icing

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 20
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Cookies:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 260 grams
  • ¼ teaspoon salt 2 grams
  • 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, 226 grams, room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar 60 grams, confectioners or icing
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams

Royal Icing:

  • Makes approx. 3 cups
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar sifted

Instructions

  • In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated.
  • Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour or until firm.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a ¼ inch (.6 cm) thick circle. Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter.
  • Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.) Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
  • Shortbread cookies will keep in an airtight container for about a week, or they may be frozen.

To make royal icing:

  • In the bowl of an electric or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until combined.
  • Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. You'll know you have reached the right consistency for flooding when the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface for a few seconds before disappearing. Add water if too thick and more powdered sugar of too thin.

Notes

Adapted from Joy of Baking.com

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Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake

Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake

My auntie and cousin had birthdays just five days apart this month, 50 and 18, respectively. For mother and son, we celebrated with a small dinner party and a Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake!As my cousin had already celebrated with friends on campus the previous week-end, the focus was on my aunt; which was evident in the theme.

Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake

To celebrate the occasion, I made a Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake - the perfect end to a spectacular dinner. I went light on sweetness for the cake and frosting - for those present with a not-so-sweet tooth - by moving away from the traditional frosting and using beet juice to boost the cake colour.
 
The photos don't really do the colour justice - with guests to entertain, I did not spend a great deal of time correcting the lighting. I piped the ribbon ruffles using tip #125.
Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake

This Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake started to take on the shape of a bird house the more we sliced into it. With such a small group, there was more than enough left for guests to take home for a late night snack. Milk, anyone?
Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake
The Tiffany-inspired coloured frosting, sprinkled with a little bling in the form of silver dragees, set against the girl shopper, traveller backdrop speaks volumes about the birthday girl. She leaves next week for a two-week caribbean cruise.
 
Bon Voyage!
 
 
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Super Sized Red Velvet Cupcake

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 1
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa rouge E. Guittard makes a good red dutch cocoa powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon beet juice  1 medium beet yields about 4 tbsp
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ cups superfine sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 F. Place the butter, water, and cocoa in a small saucepan and heat gently, without boiling, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  • Beat together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and beet juice until frothy. Beat in the butter mixture. Sift together the flour, cornstarch and baking powder, then stir into the mixture with the superfine sugar.
  • Pour batter into pan of your choosing and bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes, or until risen and firm to the touch. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
  • For the frosting, I whipped 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoon icing sugar, coloured with a small drop of AmeriColor sky blue and decorated close to serving time.

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Pink Anemone & Birthday Wishes...

My nieces are growing up way too fast, which only means I am getting older - but then again, aren't we all!! I wish you both many more birthdays and hope to see you very soon. I made this cake in your honour; however, don't get any ideas, the cocktail is for me. As I won't be seeing you all, you will have to enjoy your slice, virtually!!

Those of you who know me well, are aware of my love affair with Orchids - although some might call it an obsession. Over the last few years I have also developed a fascination with Anemones - not the carnivorous, predators of the sea - but the perennials that grow wildly, consisting of about 120 species. Um, make that 121... this particular species is of the sugar variety and is edible. So, eat up!

This is a Butter Pecan cake, with caramel flavoured frosting and vanilla fondant. I am squeamish about large chunks of nuts in cakes, so I ground mine finely. Also, I substituted gluten-free flour and brown sugar for the cake. See original recipe below. 

Butter Pecan Cake (from allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups butter
2 cups chopped pecans
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Grease and flour bottoms of three 9 inch layer pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt ¼ cup butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and brown 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Sift flour with baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Cream remaining butter in large mixing bowl. Gradually add 2 cups sugar; cream at high speed of mixer until light and fluffy. At medium speed blend in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. At low speed add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla extract, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Blend well after each addition. Stir in 1 ⅓ cups pecans. Pour batter into pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched in center. When cool, blend remaining pecans with Creamy Butter Frosting; spread between layers and on top.
To Make Creamy Butter Frosting: Cream ¼ cup butter or margarine in mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, salt, 4 cups confectioners' sugar and ⅓ to ½ cup cream. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. If necessary, thin with additional cream.

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Guilt-Free Brownies & Hot Fudge Sauce

Guilt-Free Brownies & Hot Fudge Sauce
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4 from 1 vote

Guilt-Free Brownies & Hot Fudge Sauce

Guilt-Free Brownies with Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

Brownies

  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate broken into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
  • 1 container prune puree 2.5 ounces, ¼ cup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour spooned and levelled,
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Hot Fudge Sauce

  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounce
  • 4 squares semisweet chocolate 1 ounce
  • 2 tablespoons butter no substitutes
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch-square baking pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Set aside.
  • In a small saucepan, bring an inch of water to a simmer over low heat. Place chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over pan. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove from heat. Immediately whisk in sugar, egg, egg white, prune puree, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together flour and cocoa. Stir into chocolate mixture just until incorporated.
  • Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until top is firm (a toothpick inserted in center will come out with a few moist crumbs), about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Using foil, lift brownies from pan. Peel off foil. Using a serrated knife, cut into 16 squares.

To make the fudge sauce:

  • In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk, chocolate and butter. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.

Notes

(adapted from Martha Stewart and allrecipes.com)

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Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cakes

Happy Halloween!!
 
I have never been a huge fan of halloween - there, I said it...

However, I love pumpkin, especially when accompanied by the mix of spices in this recipe. I found this recipe over a year ago on Martha Stewart's site and have made it a number of times. It always goes over well. I usually use my classic Bundt pan for this recipe, but thought I would try something slightly different this time around. I picked up this Nordicware Pumpkin Patch Pan at a Williams-Sonoma sale about a year ago and had not gotten around to using it, until now. 

 
Each cake is meant to be a top and bottom that forms a whole mini pumpkin when placed on top of the other and secured with frosting, but I kept them as halves. I coloured a small amount of buttercream frosting green and orange to create leaves and stems atop each pumpkin, using tips #352 and #3 respectively, and threw in some sprinkles for good measure. I have included the recipe below.

 
 
Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake (recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.com)

Ingredients

4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 ½ cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups canned pumpkin puree
 
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 14-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Dust with flour, and tap out excess. (I used a the Nordicware Pumpkin Patch Pan, which yielded 24 mini cakes)
 
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

 
Beat butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until just combined. Add pumpkin puree, and beat until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

 
Bake cake until golden and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes (30 minutes for the mini cakes). Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully turn cake onto rack too cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.


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Edible Apps

 

I have a whole lotta apps!! However, two of my favourite apps that I use everyday on my iPad are Kobo and Evernote. I especially like the Evernote logo, as it combines one of my favourite colours (green) and animal (elephant). I remember seeing a cookie on another blog a while back, fashioned after the Instagram app, and thought, how cool, think I'll give that a try. Unfortunately I can't remember which blog I saw it on, so unable to give credit at this time.

I thought I would work on my flooding technique and make edible kobo, Evernote, foodgawker and living social apps. Hope you like!!

I started off by making some butter cookies - I had some left-over dough in the freezer from the last batch I made, so less work. I also had some left-over royal icing, however it was pink!! Yep, being too lazy to make a new batch in white, I decided that I would create all the colours I needed using pink as my base. Although I was able to pull off the colours, they were not the right hues and I was still without white in the end, which I needed for the kobo and twitter apps. Lesson learned. Once the cookies were baked and cooled, I used a variety of edible colours, in pen and gel paste, a  few squeeze bottles and a #2 tips to decorate my cookies.

Using templates I downloaded from the web, I traced the outlines for the kobo and evernote apps. My other half drew the twitter, foodgawker and livingsocial apps free-hand - show-off!! I used PME edible markers to create a guide which I then piped over with the royal icing. The kobo is missing its white background. I preferred the others as is, so opted not to add the royal icing.

 
 
 
 



Butter Cookies (adapted from Joy Of Baking.com)
Ingredients

 

1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
⅔ cup (135 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest (outer skin) (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (295 grams) all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
 

Directions

In the bowl of your electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. 
 
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log (round or square) that is about 1 ½ inches (4 cm) in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until firm (at least two hours or overnight). Once the log is firm, with a sharp knife, slice cookies about ¼ inch (.5 cm) thick, or cut into desired shapes.
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).Place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. 
 
Place the cookies on the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Sprinkle a little granulated white sugar on each cookie before baking. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Decorate as desired.

 

 

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Sweet Swimmers Sugar Cookies

After awaking to a chilly seven degrees, it was a treat to see the temperature rise to a balmy twenty. It was a clear, bright day - good walking weather. So off to the lake I went for a stroll. It was my official good-bye to summer; fall arrives on Friday.

As I walked along the lake I was reminded of all the outdoor activities that will either move indoors, or be shelved until summer roles back around. Naturally, swimming came to mind, and since I recently purchased a set of sports cookie cutters, I thought I would bake up a batch and make a splash.

Unfortunately, I was so immersed in my sewing, my cookies turned out a little on the crumbly, burnt side and my flooding technique, well you will see for yourself…

 Ready to roll...
 
 
 
I don't expect my athletes will emerge with any medals - I only see my swimsuits hindering their performance. BTW - they were still delish! Below is the recipe I used for these cookies.
 
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Sweet Swimmers Sugar Cookies

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time1 hour 8 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Author: i sugar coat it!

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups butter softened
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

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Vanilla Bean Dulce de Leche Surprise

I love the warm summer days, but I always feel a pang of guilt when the weather is great and I find myself indoors baking, sewing, or once again, renovating. Today was a little chilly - great walking and biking weather. More importantly, a guilt-free, indoors day!
I used a tried and trusted recipe from Diana's Desserts for the cupcakes and took it one step further by introducing the Dulce de Leche.
 

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Vanilla Bean Dulce de Leche Surprise

Light and fluffy vanilla bean cupcake filled with dulce de leche.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time24 minutes
Total Time39 minutes
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter 1 ½ sticks/6 oz./170g, softened
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large egg whites
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 vanilla beans halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups; set aside.
  • Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg whites, milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds; mix until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix until just combined.
  • Divide batter among paper baking cups in muffin pan, filling each cup about ¾ full. Bake in preheated oven until very light golden brown, approximately 24-27 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting. Cupcakes can be stored, covered loosely with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

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Gluten-Free Carrot Date Muffins

This weekend I officiated at the union of Carrot & Date - a mixed marriage of sorts - that just so happened to have taken place in my kitchen.

To all, this appeared an unlikely pairing; a failed union without a doubt. However, once Carrot and Date started to pulse and blend and all the other ingredients were invited to join in. It was clear the chemistry created through this union would produce warm, moist, sweet treats to be enjoyed a few times over.

Here are the offsprings!

Gluten-Free Carrot Date Muffins
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Gluten-Free Carrot Date Muffins

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 12
Author: I Sugar Coat It

Ingredients

  • 2 medium carrots peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped pitted dates
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup melted virgin coconut or high-heat sunflower oil
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • ¾ cup amaranth flour or millet flour
  • ¾ cup ground almond flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or oil with natural cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Place carrots and dates in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse and then blend until finely chopped. Add walnuts and pulse to finely chop.
  • Transfer to a bowl; add oil, eggs and maple syrup, stir to combine completely.
  • In a separate bowl, combine all remaining dry ingredients. Pour liquid ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Notes

This recipe can be found on Whole Foods website.

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Anemone (a-nem-on-e)

Gum Paste Anemone

I wanted to improve upon the so-called Anemone flower I made for my birthday cake back in May.

I am rather pleased with how they turned out and have prepared a tutorial that I will post very soon. I need to edit down to five minutes - currently fifteen...

Until then, here is the finished product. I've made three and will be adding them to a future cake.

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Violets and Daffodils Cake {Playing with sugar...}

This Violets and Daffodils Cake is a brown sugar cake decorated in buttercream flowers for my final Wilton's beginner course project.

Violets and Daffodils Cake
My final project from Wilton's beginner classes - Violets and Daffodils Cake.
 
Welcome to my blog!! I'm Jacqueline and I recently completed my first ever decorating class. YAAYYY!! This Violets and Daffodils Cake was my final project from the Wilton Beginner Cake Decorating course.
 
Strange thing, while I was in the checkout at my local craft store, I saw that they had some courses on sale and decided on a whim to sign up. I don't bake much, cook even less and, although I admire well-decorated cakes, I had never even come close to trying. I signed up on the spot! The cost was only twenty dollars, so if after a class or two I decided it wasn't for me, no love lost.
 
Perhaps I was in the mood to try something new - that my sister had recently completed the same course in her neck of the woods may have played a part, as well. I was so thrilled when I called to tell her that I'd signed up. I had not shown an interest or aptitude in baking, much less decorating, so my announcement was first received with shock, quickly followed by encouragement.
 
For this Violets and Daffodils Cake, I used home-made buttercream icing to cover and decorate the cake and to make the vines and leaves. I'll add here that I am not at all a fan of the buttercream they taught us in the class. It was a mix of butter, vegetable shorting, sugar and vanilla extract. The mouthfeel just did not appeal to me, but it held up well in decorating. The flowers, Violets and Daffodils, I made using home-made royal icing a day ahead and let air dry.
 
Under all that sugar and vegetable shortening in this Violets and Daffodils Cake is a brown sugar cake - which was on the spicy side - a nice complement to the sweet. For a first, I think it turned out alright!
 
I've started this blog to document my foray into the world of sugar and butter and all the things into which they are whipped and folded. I hope you'll join in!