Namaste Yellow Cake 4.30.12

Very easy to put together.  Each 9 inch round used 1 lb 5.5 oz of batter.  The batter tasted good, so I am excited.

I cut the 9 inch rounds into squares and stacked them on top of each other. I had ideas to make an ice cream cake with strawberry ice cream filling, but the cake is pretty flavorful, so maybe whipped cream would be more appropriate.

It's similar to the Dark Vanilla from Dowd & Rogers.  It's almost like a spiced cake.  Nothing quite reminiscent of yellow cake.  What I'm looking for is a lighter (in color) cake, with a moist, tender (and tighter) crumb.  

Friendly's 4.29.12

Friendly's, 560 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA

2 Scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream with Strawberries

Cone Head Sundae - all the reece's were on top this time, none in the bottom

Del Frisco's 4.27.12

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse, 250 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA

Praline Parfait

Bread Pudding

Grand Marnier Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream

Sorbet Trio (Blue Bunny - Mango?, Raspberry, Lime).  It tasted like Mango (which I don't really like), but the flavor was muted somehow, so I'm not sure.  Does Blue Bun make Mango?

Quebrada Bakery 4.25.12

Classic Almond Croissant

Frangipane...mmm....

QBC Strawberry Cake 4.22.12

Yellow cake with fresh strawberries and pastry cream filling.  Frosted with whipped cream.

Honey Ice Cream II 4.17.12

I made the honey ice cream again, but halved the recipe because I ran out of heavy cream and didn't want to use up all my milk.

1/2 c + 1/2*1/3 c milk
1/2 c + 1/2*1/3 c heavy cream
1/4 c local honey
1/2 t vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk

I used less honey than the original recipe and I used an additional egg yolk.  My creme anglaise started to curdle, so to help next time I think I will only use egg yolks in the base.  (and not cook it too long ;P )

The ice cream tastes eggy.  My bad. :(

Whole Foods Gourmet Pretzels 4.15.12

Whole Foods, 181 Cambridge St, Boston, MA

Gourmet Pretzel from their specialty foods section.   This pretzel was huge.  It was very buttery, and not as chewy as I usually like.

The pretzel was even larger than my water bottle (pictured behind the pretzel).  And I see an evil face in this pretzel, at least from this angle.

boYO 4.15.12

boYO natural frozen yogurt, 175 Cambridge St, Beacon Hill, MA

Mint and Original with graham cracker pieces

Coffee ice cream with strawberries

I realialized I prefer the yogurt places where you can fill your own cup and add your own toppings, then pay by weight...such as Mixx or Menchies.

I Love You Cupcake 4.15.12

What better way to tell someone "I Love You" than on a cupcake.

Chocolate cupcake with dark chocolate frosting, edged with pink and dark chocolate twists and white chocolate writing.

Munson's Chocolate 4.13.12

Yummy Easter Treats!


Milk Chocolate Music Notes

These had a soft, creamy mint center.  Think gourmet peppermint patties.

Sugar 4.10.12

Clockwise from upper left: Coarse AA Sugar, Turbinado Sugar (Sugar in the Raw), and Blue Sanding Sugar

Cupcake Kits 4.10.12

Frog

Penguin I

Penguin II

Fried Egg

Star

Dark Vanilla Cupcakes 4.10.12

Dowd & Rogers Dark Vanilla Cupcakes


These cupcakes tasted more like muffins.  Maybe like a spiced muffin.  For a muffin, though, they had a nice taste and texture and were not too sweet.  I think they even look like muffins too.

Here's the interior.  Not as moist as cake, which also helps support that they are more muffin-like.

Morton's 4.7.12

Morton's The Steakhouse, 2 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA

Chocolate Souffle for two

I forgot to take a picture before they cut the souffle in half, but it looked like a very large mushroom.  The souffle was served with sabayon (zabaglione).

It was very good.  Very eggy.  Is that the way it is supposed to taste?  I haven't had souffle in so long, I've forgotten.  One day I will buy ramekins so I can make things like souffle.

GF recap 4.1.12

I've decided to take the winner of round 1, Dowd & Roger Gluten Free Dutch Chocolate Cake Mix, and compare it to another popular chocolate cake mix that I couldn't find in the store the other day, Namaste. Foods.

Namaste had a nice tasting batter which was thin, but not gritty.  I ran out of vegetable oil so I used half vegetable oil and half natural apple sauce.  The tops of these cupcakes were not cracked, but were flat.

Dowd & Rogers had it's nice thick batter.  The creaming method makes it more complicated than the one-stage method, but the result is delicious and non-gummy.  I obtained identical results as the last bake which shows consistency.

Peeps Box 3.29.12

Gluten free chocolate cupcake with light green frosting

and pink and purple jimmys

topped with a purple Peep bunny.

The Peep is a little big, but I think I can find better sized decorations for next time.