A Grainy, Unappetizing, Sad Mess

It hasn't been too long since I entered the world of the KitchenAid stand mixer--and I'm already spoiled.

For many years, I would rely upon my handy hand mixer. I never had--and still don't have--the money for the ever-so impressive, holy, and magnificent stand mixer. It was always a dream. Then about four months ago, as an early birthday gift, my parents made it a reality.

I had even more reasons to bake now (not that I needed them). If my parents spent so much money on it, why let it just sit there? If it will mix on its own, while I prepare for the next step, why not use it? If it will mix my batters and frostings to a consistency that my hand mixer could never achieve, why not give it a run? If it is just so darn beautiful to stare at and marvel upon, why not concoct and test a new recipe?

But now I am in DC for the summer, away from home (once again), away from my kitchen, and worst of all, far, far away from my stand mixer.

No worries though, I brought my basic baking supplies along with me: cupcake trays, pastry bags and tips, flour, sugar, and....my lonely hand mixer. I tried to bring the stand mixer, but its heavy, and carrying it on the bus from NYC to DC would have been... well, disastrous.

Nonetheless, here I am in my new (shared) 'home' in DC. My first time in the professional world. My first week at work is complete, and its on to the next. So how do I celebrate?

Cupcakes! And not just any cupcakes, but chocolate cupcakes with cookie dough filling and peanut butter fudge frosting.

I thought I'd introduce my co-workers to my baking adventures with a bang. And boy was it! A grainy, unappetizing, sad...bang.

I've made this cake/cupcake many, many times in my life. It's a proven, go-to crowd pleaser.

That morning, I walked into work, holding my container full of cupcakes, with a huge smirk on my face. I was so ready to wow everyone. I sent out an email, talked up the cupcakes to everyone, and watched as my co-workers and boss (oh no!) swarmed into the kitchen.

Step-by-Step Replay:

THE FIRST BITE: "Oh my god this is delicious!" "The frosting is to die for!" "The cake is so moist!" "I love chocolate!" "I love peanut butter! How did you know?" "I am soo impressed! These are sooo good!"

THE SECOND BITE: ......................... (not a word)

What happened? In the first bite, most of my co-workers (and boss) got a taste of the cake and the frosting. But in the second bite, they all bit into the cookie dough filling.

Thanks to my 'handy' hand mixer, the butter and sugar base of the filling did not combine well, leaving a very grainy and sand-like cookie dough filling. And as you may remember from a previous post, I never eat or taste what I bake (I know, I know, I always get the look your giving me right now), so I had absolutely no idea. It was thanks to a very 'loquacious' co-worker who, without hesitation, proclaimed: "Man, what is this in here? I feel like I'm chewing on sand".

My heart dropped. I just made a fool out of myself in front of all my co-workers and (ahhh!) boss. Out of all the times I made this cake/cupcake, out...of...all...the...times, this had to happen now.

Thankfully, I knew the cake and frosting were absolutely divine, so it slightly--very slightly--made up for the cookie dough filing.

With all that said and done, I share this--my most favorite--recipe with you, in hopes that you will remember to mix that butter and sugar well, or else face the wrath of utter embarrassment.

The pictures in this post are from the cake I made for Father's Day just a few weeks before the horrendous outcome of what can't even be called cupcakes.

A few notes about the cake:

• The frosting is by far one of the best frostings ever! I would recommend making only the frosting if you don't want to make the entire cake just to give it a taste.
• Before removing the cake from its pan, give it full time to cool (I know how hard it is). Trust me, otherwise the cake is most likely to fall apart in your hands or half of it may remain stuck to the cake pan.
• While it should not be a problem, if you plan on stacking this cake very tall or using it for sculpting, test it out first. The cake is quite light and moist, but giving it time to cool should allow for more easy handling.
• Keep in mind that this cookie dough will not yield great cookies if baked.
• And finally, make sure you mix the butter and sugar for the cookie dough really, really well!

      **Recipe adapted from Cupcake Wars.

      **Recipe adapted from Cupcake Wars.

Fruit Tart

My sister hates my baking. Not because she thinks it tastes bad. No, she enjoys eating it a lot. She doesn't mind that part. She just hates the attention that I get for it.

We have the typical brother-sister relationship. She is a year older than me and we still fight and argue over everything. I was always jealous because of her athleticism, she for my scholasticism. And now, for my baking.

Although I must say, she has become the family pro of making some scrumptious and juicy gulab jamun--a staple Indian dessert. They are not easy to make--I have had my share of unsuccessful attempts to make them. Hopefully one day, when I finally convince her to give me the recipe, I can share it with you all!

But despite our bickering, I always wanted to make something amazing for my sister. She loves brownies, cookies, ice cream, basically anything with chocolate. However, her ultimate favorite dessert, and really her weakness, is the fruit tart!

I don't really understand why she likes it so much, but then again, no one in my family understands my love for Tiramisu.

But this recipe holds a fond memory. It was my sister's birthday! She hit the big 20. I wanted to get her something really special but just could not figure out what! After days of research, I knew I wanted to get her something funny, yet useful. Something that she would love, but also cherish. And as stupid as it sounds, I got her a mini omelet pan with a penguin as a handle!

Why? Well it was funny and useful! Every morning before my sister heads out for work, she makes herself a copy-cat DD egg sandwich. We only have regular sized frying pans in the house, so her omelet never fits the round Arnold sandwich thins. Its a real dilemma if you know what I mean. And thanks to me, she never has to worry about an oversized omelet for an undersized bread anymore!

And on a side not, I also got her a Vera Bradley bag...

Aren't I the best brother ever?

To top it all off, I made her a fruit tart! This was no easy task. For starters, I did not have a tart pan, I never made any form of a tart before, and I really wanted my sister to like it.

I ventured out and compared different recipes until I came across Joy of Baking's. Not only did it seem like the most reliable recipe, but it also had a video to go along with it!

Now as you can probably see in the picture, I made this tart in a 9" cake pan, not a tart pan. I made sure I buttered and floured the pan real well and had absolutely no difficulties removing the tart.

The pastry cream was wonderfully luscious, although my family recommended adding more sugar into it next time. So perhaps instead of just 1/4 cup, I will boost it to 1/2 cup of sugar.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Here is a link to the recipe: Joy of Baking Fruit Tart