Jenny Steffens Hobick: fallbaking

Showing posts with label fallbaking. Show all posts

October 03, 2018

Toffee Topped Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

In an effort to be 100% transparent, I used a cake mix to make these cupcakes. I think it was a Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix, to be exact. If you have read this blog for a while, you know that I'm not afraid of or embarrassed by a cake mix. I use them all of the time for shortcuts - especially when I'm making cupcakes. Maybe it is just me, but I think that homemade cupcake batter can be a little finicky... it can roll over the sides, it can deflate, etc., and I wanted these to look just perfect in my new Gold Striped Cupcake Papers. And it was easy. I was really in the mood for a Fall-ish spice cake topped with creamy, cream cheese frosting and these were everything (and more!) than I had hoped.

People tend to not think about texture as much as they should. I had a gourmet ice cream sundae at a fancy restaurant this summer, and the combination of textures was unbelievable. I can still taste (feel it?) right now. This cupcake combination of creamy frosting, moist cake and crunchy toffee has the same effect - in a very fall way.

Even though I used a mix, I thought I should provide you with some sort of recipe if you want to make some from scratch. Here is my favorite, very dense and delicious spice cake recipe. If you are making them from a box like me, just follow the baking directions and the frosting instructions. Enjoy!

Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Toffee
makes about 12 cupcakes

1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup milk
6 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
....
4 ounces of cream cheese (1/2 block), room temperature
1 stick of butter
2 cups of powdered sugar (or more)
toffee candies (I used Werther's Original, which are caramel candies), chopped

In a mixer, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Stir to combine. Add egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Mix on low until combined. Beat for 1 minute on medium high.

Scoop into cupcake papers, I used Gold Striped Papers ($6.50) for a little festive touch.

Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes, until tester comes out clean, or cupcakes spring back to touch.

For cream cheese frosting, combine cream cheese and butter in a mixer until blended together. Add powdered sugar and mix for 3 minutes on low. Frost using an 18" Piping Bag with the tip cut off. I did a basic, easy swirl - you can just scrape it off and start over if you need some practice. I try not to do toooo much frosting, just a good ratio.

I used Werther's Original caramel candies, because my grocery store didn't have toffee, except with milk chocolate. So, I just chopped up the candies with my knife - it worked great.

These were so tasty and perfect for ~~breakfast~~, I mean an afternoon snack with coffee. What are your favorite Fall desserts? The next on my list is soft pumpkin spice pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies with a cream cheese butter icing. That will have to wait until next week... when I can find my rolling pin!

Products Used :

Gold Striped Cupcake Papers, 100 for $6.50
Disposable Pastry Bags, 20 for $14.50

October 28, 2017

Bite-Sized S'mores in the Oven | Easy Fall Dessert

Last fall I attended a party at Darcy Miller's home (editor of Martha Stewart Weddings) for the book launch of Peter Callahan's new book, Bite by Bite. The entire cookbook is artfully created mini ideas for food. One of the desserts served at the party were these little bite-size s'mores. I've always loved s'mores, but there is something about these one bite, open-faced s'mores that are sooooo great. They are not messy and they are so easy to make - they are ready in 45 seconds!

I made these mini s'mores as part of my Pumpkin Harvest Fall Entertaining class. After a big filling bowl of butternut and beef chili and a cheddar jalapeno scone, these were the perfect tiny little sweet bite to end the class.

This isn't really a recipe, but more of a list of very simple instructions.

Cut the graham crackers into 1-inch squares (basically, 1 graham cut into 8ths). Use a serrated bread knife to cut - it makes it very easy without too much breakage.

Cut small pieces of chocolate to fit on top of the graham pieces.

Line them up on a baking sheet.

Sorry, not pic of the last step! Just cut a marshmallow into thirds with a hot, wet serrated knife and place them on top of the chocolate.

Put them in the oven under the broiler for 30-45 seconds. Depending on your oven... watch them carefully, they will burn very quickly!

October 04, 2017

Cinnamon Swirled Scones with Maple Pecan Glaze

Last weekend we had friends over for a really casual brunch. I created a new scone recipe that has a great warm, cozy feel that is perfect for Autumn... Cinnamon Maple & Pecan. Yum. It had the tastes of a pecan roll, but with the dense, buttery, crumbly and flaky qualities of the beloved scone. Really great for a cold, brisk Fall morning... it might be one of my new favorite flavor combinations.

Cinnamon Maple & Pecan Scones

6 scones

2 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons of real maple syrup
1/4 cup of chopped pecans

In a mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt using the paddle attachment. Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the butter is mixed in and is the size of peas. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs and whipping cream with a fork. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the cream and egg mixture. Turn off the mixer once added.

Put some flour on the counter. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Add some flour onto the top of the dough, then pat it out into a large circle - about 12 inches in diameter. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Fold in the edges of the dough to cover the cinnamon, creating a layer of cinnamon in the middle of the dough. Pat it out to a disk, about 7-8 inches in diameter. Cut the disk into 6 pieces like a pie.

Separate the pieces and put them on a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes.

To make the glaze, stir together maple syrup and powdered sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the hot scones, then top immediately with pecans.

Heirloom Pumpkin & Acorn Sugar Cookies | Packaging Boxes of Cookie

Emma and I have been very busy baking sugar cookies. Last week I shared our Black Bats, and today I'm sharing our Heirloom Pumpkin, Acorn & Leaf cookies. Of course you could add a Jack-o-Lantern face to these and make them spooky for Halloween, but these Fall themed cookies would be perfect for Thanksgiving, too.

This packaging idea was inspired by a box of cookies I received when I attended a baby shower hosted by Amy Shaw. Amy, formerly at the Dolce Baking Co. here in KC, is now making amazing desserts and pastries at The South End Buttery in Boston. She has a great flair for making (and packaging) scrumptious looking desserts.

I love that you can see the cookies through the scalloped window of the box, and that the kinkle helps cushion the cookies to keep them from breaking. Wouldn't it make a great gift for teachers, neighbors or a party?

(The last day to order Halloween Products is this Wednesday.)

Products for Packaging Cookies:

- Kraft Cookie Boxes (with Scalloped Window), $12 for 10
- Kraft Krinkle, $4
- Halloween Tags, $6

Products for Baking Cookies :

- Parchment Sheet Pan Liners
- Disposable Pastry Bags

As I've said before, great looking icing colors can make a huge difference on a cookie - even with a simple design and minimal decoration.

My rule of thumb is to mute the colors I'm mixing slightly by adding a touch of the opposite color. For instance, here I am mixing a pale orange to match the heirloom pumpkin.

1 drop red
1 drop yellow
1/2 drop green

The green helps to mute the orange so it is not as bright and a little more natural looking.

Recipes : My Favorite Sugar Cookie (made with powdered sugar) & Royal Icing.

I made a pale brown to match the stem color.

1/2 drop of red
1 drop of yellow
1/2 drop of blue
1/4 drop of black

Then I created a brighter orange to match the squash by adding more red.

Next, I made acorns and oak leafs.

The oak leaves are a great mustard yellow with dark brown stems.

The acorns are two different tones of brown. I wish I'd had brown sprinkles for the tops!

When decorating the pumpkins, I tried to leave some vertical streaks as I piped in the icing to mimic the shape of a a real pumpkin. You can see the colors look pretty close to the real thing. Two years ago I did four different colors of heirloom pumpkins complete with icing tinting instructions - you can see it here.

Here are the cookies boxed up. You can see how the krinkle helps hold them in place and protect them... too much work to have them break.

Sweet little hands helping tie (ok, untie) bows.

I'm offer three different tags for Halloween :

- Happy Halloween
- BOO! Happy Halloween
- Trick or Treat

Again, the last day to order Halloween products is this Wednesday to receive them by October 29th (at the latest).

Here are more of the Halloween Cookies we decorated and packaged in Cello Bags.

These Ina's Orange candles would also be great for a spooky Halloween treat. I'm planning to put these on top of cupcakes with black sprinkles for our Pumpkin Carving Party this weekend.

They come in 15" tall & 6" candles, $15/$7

August 30, 2017

Apple Cider Scones | Our New Fall Favorite

It has been a while since I have come up with a new scone recipe. We've been very happy sticking with the classic Orange Cranberry, and Pecan & Maple for breakfast, but the verge of a new season has me craving my all time favorites, Apple Cider Donuts. I've made them at home (remember last year?), but the real deals are from Dunn's Cider Mill and they don't start making them until mid-September.

**If you are new here as part of the Fall Recipe Series, welcome!

It dawned on me that I could reduce apple cider into more of a syrup consistency (by boiling it for 5-10 minutes), then use it in scones to give them that unmistakable flavor (plus some nutmeg + cinnamon), and also use it in the glaze. The result was so yummy. I made them in mini size to go with coffee in the morning - and this size is a little easier for kids to eat/hold.

We made these on a Friday after noon after picking apples that morning.

I promise this is leftover glaze that was not used on our gifts...

I packed them up in a cello back, tag & ribbon (here, in my store>) to take to our friend's for dinner that night as a hostess gift. I love bringing breakfast for hostess gifts - a great thing to wake up to the morning after being exhausted from entertaining.

In my online store, along with packaging supplies, you'll find all of my essential baking supplies like the Natural Unbleached Parchment Sheets that fit perfectly in my Baking Sheets. They make baking (and cleaning up!) so easy. Shop my Baking Essentials >

Apple Cider Scones

1 cup of Apple Cider

.....

2 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced

2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup cold heavy cream

1/4 cup of apple cider reduction

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

.....

1/4 cup of apple cider reduction

2 tablespoons of butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Apple Cider Reduction :

Reduce the Apple Cider in advance, so it can cool. Pour the cider in a saucepan and simmer on medium until it reduces by half to an almost maple syrup constancy. Do not let it get too thick or it will burn! It should take about 10 minutes. Pour it in a glass bowl and let it cool in the fridge/freezer for 20-30 minutes.

For scones :

In a mixer, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt using the paddle attachment. Cut the cold butter into 1/2 inch pieces. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the butter is mixed in and is the size of peas.

In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, cider reduction, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and whipping cream with a fork. I do it in a pourable measure to make it easy to add to the flour/butter.

Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the cream and egg mixture - you may not use it all. Turn off the mixer once added and dough comes together.

Put some flour on the counter. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Add some flour onto the top of the dough, then pat it out into a disk - about 8-9 inches in diameter.

Cut the disk into 6-8 pieces like a pie for standard size scones. For Minis, as shown here, cut each of the 6-8 pieces in half.

Separate the pieces and put them on parchment ($8 for 100) lined essential baking sheet ($8). Bake at 400 degrees for Minis (as shown) 12-14 minutes, for Standard, 15-17 minutes.

Reducing the apple cider + butter for the glaze. Because I didn't make enough in my first step (I was doubling the recipe) I had to make another batch of reduced cider for the glaze, so I just did it in the saucepan.

For Glaze :

In a microwave safe bowl, heat cider reduction and butter for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until butter is melted. Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or more cider for desired consistency. Should be drizzle-able, but not too runny.