This one's new to me (The Sugar Baby Cookbook)

Sugar Baby: Confections, Candies, Cakes & Other Delicious Recipes for Cooking with Sugar

This one's new to me!  I just ran across it when I was searching for something (else) on one of

my favorite sites, and what do you know...there's another yummy cookbook out there.

Gotta check it out!

I used my Stand-Mixer for the first time (today)!

Okay so, I have finally moved my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer from this spot....

To this one!

I have had it now for a few months (since Christmas actually) and it's time

to dust this baby off, and get a move on!

"Well, let's see...how does this bowl go on?"

Got it!  Okay, since I was already starting to make this cake today, (by habit) in my usual blue bowl (and by hand I might add) I decided, "hey, why not use the stand mixer?" 

So I poured everything into my mixer's bowl.

...brought it on over to my mixer..."up...that's not going to fit.."

Okay, so then I took off the attachment and put the bowl underneath.

Then I added the attachment...

Hit the start button :-)

Oh, wait, no start button yet.  First, I had to raise the bowl. 

I raised the bowl, then I hit the start button (it's actually a lever I pulled on the other side.  I'll show that to you later).

See there it is.  It guages from low to hi and (sorry it's not clear)

ranges from Speed 1 to 10.

And it's a Kitchen Aid.

And it's a mixin'...

See my video?  I'm really excited :-)

And we mixed.  When I was done I lowered the level of the bowl

with this handle (the same one that I used to bring it up).

Then I unplugged it.  (I don't know if you have to do this step, but I didn't want to take any chances with having to remove the mixing attachment, next).

Then I removed the mixing attachment.

Shook it off...

Took my bowl out.

And poured it into the pan.  How fun!  (My pan was greased off course :-)

  This was really fun taking it from the old school way that I have been doing it for so long to finally coming into the modern Era with my stand-mixer.

Yippee!



Just in case you missed it (Pinkies for Cakies)

Taken from my Pinkies for Cakies post:

In the famous words of my 2 year old daughter, "de-yish-ous, Mama!"  Whether it's a little frosting on a spoon or a little piece of chicken, if she likes it, she yells..."de-yish-ous!"  And that it is:-)  At least that's what I am saying about my yummy little "pinkies" that I made for Rubyellen of Cakies.  These treats were absolutely yummy.  I would know, I ate 'em.  Yikes!  Didn't mean to do that..but that's what happens when you're a food blogger...no less a dessert blogger.  And to make matters worst, when you're a dessert blogger with a sweet tooth like myself, it makes the journey should I say...delicious.  So, I have come up with a little solution for my "problem" if you will.  So that I can continue to fit into my clothes, but yet still be able to sit down ...

Grab a fork and enjoy something yummy.  A virtual fork that is.  I sit reminisce on this treat that I made without edibly enjoying all over again.  Wanna join me?

(And yes, it really did taste as good as it looks).  Check out the recipe here and you could be serving this after dinner tonight!

Banana Caramel Pie

This is one of those really yummy, really easy, no-bake pies that I made a while back.  It's got three fairly easy steps.  All in all, this pie is about a two-day process...not two whole days, but...you'll see. 

Ingredients

* one can sweetened condensed milk

* two medium (almost ripe) bananas

* a graham cracker crust

* one cup whole milk

* one teaspoon salt

* half cup granulated sugar

* one teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

Whipped Topping (optional)

Let's get started.  Day One:To make your caramel take one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, remove the label.

 And set in a 3-quart sauce pan (completely covered with cold water) and cover.  Bring it to a rolling boil and you want to hold that boil for 2 straight hours.  Periodically, you'll need to come back and check on this and make sure that you're not running out of water.  If so, just add a cup (or however much is needed) warm water.  Really, really important note (especially if you have kids....: Please, pretty please by all means, DO NOT leave this to boil on the front burner.  It may look enticing to little eyes...especially since you'll be leaving it to boil for 2 hours.  Use the back burner to boil. Always!)(Use warm water for refilling because you've already reached the initial boiling point and we don't want to have to start over from scratch by adding cold water. Kay?;-)  Once your can has completely boiled for the full two hours, turn the heat off and leave it in the pot for about an hour, until you can safely handle it without scolding your fingers.  Once it's set there for a while, remove it from the water and let it sit on the counter on a dish towel to come to room temperature.  Before you got to be for the evening put your can in the fridge.  It will be ready to go after having cooled in temperature overnight.

Day Two: Take out your graham cracker crust and remove the label, so that you're ready to go. 

If you open up your can from yesterday, you'll see that you have a beautiful brown caramel.  Now, let's layer that into our graham cracker crust.  Go ahead and use the whole can.  This will make a really nice layer in the bottom of our pie.

Next, slice one medium (almost ripe, not too ripe) banana and arrange the slices

on top of your caramel. 

Set your pie aside.  Now, were going to work on our custard.

In a small bowl, combine your salt, sugar and flour and then add to your your milk in a medium saucepan.

Bring it to a boil. 

Separate out one egg yolk.  Once you beat the egg yolk, slowly temper your custard into your yolk.

Mash one banana.

Return your custard back to the pot and add your banana to it.

 Once you've stirred that for a while and cooked it over the heat, add one and half teaspoons of vanilla and a pat (one tablespoon) of butter.

Continue to cook for four to five minutes and then remove the pot from the heat and let the custard set for about 20-25 minutes.  After it sets, cover your layer of bananas with this custard.

Okay, so I wasn't totally happy with the result.  My custard turned out a bit too clumpy.  This blog is about sharing my cooking and baking journey with you...and this recipe serves as one of the mistakes that I've learned from.



Ripe, almost ripe bananas are too mushy for this custard.  Besides the fact, a banana flavoring, which would have not changed the consistency of the custard would have been better.  Nonetheless, whether you make this recipe with the custard "my way" or the way that I've suggested in my critique, this flavor profile is sure to be (sweet) and delicious!  Give it try, and let me know how you do. 

Happy Pie Making...Bakie.



These Folks Can Cook!

The Perfect (Boiled) Egg

These are our eggs, fresh eggs, eggs from our chickens.  This recipe was passed down to me from my mother-in-law (although my husband says that he gave it to her..nonetheless it was share with me).  Some of you may already know this trick but just in case you don't I thought I'd pass this along as I am making devilled eggs today for company later on.

The Perfect (Boiled) Egg

Items Needed

Eggs

Pot (for water)

Cold water

A stovetop

Put your eggs in a pot with cold water.  Set on the stove to boil and bring to a boil.  Immediately after the eggs have come to a boil, leave them in the pot but turn them off and let them sit in the water for exactly 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, take them out of the pot and run a little cold water over them.  And voila!  You have your Perfect Boiled Egg!