All I Want for Christmas!

Ah, Christmas time!  One of my faaavoritte times of the year.  I love Christmas!  I love the decorations, the scents and the smells.  And quite honestly, I cannot get around the whole Christmas season without a little bit of peppermint.

 

It seems that these days, it's all that I want.  Whether it's a cup of peppermint hot cocoa or a little minty-mint in my eggnog....I'm gaga over Christmas & peppermint this year!

 

 

Hence, my facsination with this recipe: My Red & White Peppermint Delights.  These babies are as easy as pie.  No really!

 

Here's what you'll need:

 

Chemeeka's Peppermint Cookie Treats

Cookie:

* one package of sugar cookie mix

* one teaspoon of peppermint extract

 

Frosting:

* half a teaspoon of peppermint extract (two separate places in the recipe)

* one bag of red candy wafers

* white sprinkles

 

Directions:

Prepare your package of sugar cookie mix according to the instructions, and add in one teaspoon of peppermint extract to the mix.  Bake according to the instructions.  Let the cookies cool completely on a cookie sheet or in an air-tight container.

 

Frosting:

 Once the cookies have completely cooled, begin working on your frosting.  Melt an entire bag of Wilton or name brand red candy wafers in the microwave for one minute on high heat.  Stir.  And place back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.  Remove from the microwave and even if the wafers are not completely melted, continue to stir until any lumps have become smooth.  Add half teaspoon of peppermint extract.  Frost each cookie with your peppermint-flavored red melts and cover with sprinkles right away.

 

Place the cookies on a shallow cookie sheet in the fridge for 20 minutes to set. 

 

And there you have the most delicious, easy-to-make, fun-to-look-at, put-you-in-the-holiday-spirit, if there ever was one, cookie.

 

 

Happy Holidays Everyone!

 

xo Chemeeka

 

 



I'm Back!

If there is one thing that I have found, it is the fact that I cannot run from baking no matter where I go!  It's inside of me & it is at the very core of me.  It's who I am & all that I love and will be.

 

 

I love to bake.

 

 

I can bake.  I can craft.  I can write.  I can do a lot of things but the thing that I love above (all of the things that I can do) is sweets/treats & baking.  That's me.  So that is why I am back, at Bakie Me Sweet!

 

Dust off your aprons honey, and grab the sugar.  'Cause we're getting back down to...the baking business!!

 

 

 

Love you ALL!

 

Enjoy the journey:-)

 

 

xo Chemeeka (for Bakie Me Sweet)

Apple Cider-Glazed Doughnuts

 

Apple picking season is here and there’s nothing more that keeps apples on the brain for me than my recipe for homemade apple cider doughnuts and a tall glass a milk.  So grab your aprons and let’s get to baking!

First you’ll need either an old-fashioned donut maker, that drops them into the oil hot or this nifty little pan that I picked up here.

You’ll start spraying your donut pan with a little bit of non-stick spray and combining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon with a tablespoon of granulated sugar and evenly sprinkling it into the pan.

 Shake off any excess onto a sheet of wax paper.

Blend your ingredients according to the recipe and fill up your donut pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for just 10-12 mins and voila!  You have your donuts:-)

Now, I decided to take it a step further and whip up this little glaze.  This one’s just 1/8 cup apple cider to two cups of powdered sugar and two teaspoons of cinnamon.  Just bring the cider and cinnamon to a low simmer and then quickly whisk in your powdered sugar.

 It will give you a thin syrupy glaze.  For something a little bit thicker to coat your donuts reduced the amount of cider to two tablespoons.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012 FOOD

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUT RECIPE, Y’ALL!

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Apple picking season is here and there’s nothing more that keeps apples on the brain for me than my recipe for homemade apple cider doughnuts and a tall glass a milk.  So grab your aprons and let’s get to baking!

First you’ll need either an old-fashioned donut maker, that drops them into the oil hot or this nifty little pan that I picked up here.

You’ll start spraying your donut pan with a little bit of non-stick spray and combining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon with a tablespoon of granulated sugar and evenly sprinkling it into the pan.

 Shake off any excess onto a sheet of wax paper.

Blend your ingredients according the recipe and fill up your donut pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for just 10-12 mins and voila!  You have your donuts:-)

 Now, I decided to take it a step further and whip up this little glaze.  This one’s just 1/8 cup apple cider to two cups of powdered sugar and two teaspoons of cinnamon.  Just bring the cider and cinnamon to a low simmer and then quickly whisk in your powdered sugar.

 It will give you a thin syrupy glaze.  For something a little bit thicker to coat your donuts reduced the amount of cider to two tablespoons.

Pour a tall glass of milk and you’re ready to enjoy!

Here’s the recipe:

Apple Cider Glazed Donuts

3 tablespoons of granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup apple butter

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup apple cider

1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apple Cider Glaze

1/8 cup apple cider

2 cups of powdered sugar

directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Spray the molds of 2 mini bundt cake pans (6 cakes per pan) with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl combine the granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
3. Distribute this cinnamon/sugar mixture evenly amongst the cake pans, shake out the excess onto a sheet of wax paper and return to bowl for use at the end of the recipe.
4. In a larger bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and remaining 2 tsp of cinnamon and set aside.
5. In another large bowl whisk together the egg whites, brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, apple cider, yogurt, canola oil and vanilla extract.
6. Add the dry ingredients and stir just’til moistened.
7. Divide the batter among the prepared molds (approx 2 heaping Tbs of batter per mold).
8. Sprinkle the reserved cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of the batter in the molds.
9. Bake 10-12 minutes or’til a wooden pick inserted in a doughnut comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven, cool 2 minutes in pan, loosen and place doughnuts on a cooling rack.

Happy Apple Picking Everyone!

Chemeeka

We're Moving!

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Oriental Orange Chicken Salad

I LOVE this salad! And when I say, "love" I mean, absolutely love, love, love this salad!! My family does too & that's why I wanted to share this recipe with you. It's super easy & super simple. Just take:

Ingredients:
One bone-in chicken breast
1/2 cup of your favorite teriyaki marinating sauce.
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 of an orange (peeled & segmented)
1 full cup of brocolli, gently steamed & chopped
2 cups of romaine lettuce leaves or mix greens

Makes 2 to 4 servings

 First take your chicken breast, bone side down and place it in the oven on 350 degrees for 35 minutes, to make sure that it's done.  Pour your marinade on first.

 While you're waiting for that to get ready.  In a large bowl, add your washed & ready lettuce leaves and then go ahead and segment out your orange.   Seedless is best if you have it.  If not, you can always, catch the seeds before you add the oranges to your salad.  Next you're going to chop your brocolli.  Now, for my family, I've got to blanche the brocolli first (because they don't like it too crunchy:-)  Blanching simply means that you steam it for a couple of minutes, then immediately transfer the brocolli into a bath of ice water to stop the cooking process. 

Once the brocolli is cooled, drained it and add it to your salad.

 

 When your chicken breast is done, give it about five minutes to rest.   And then we're ready to chop.

 Pull it apart easily with a fork or chop it with a knife.  Then add it to your salad. 

Next add in your walnuts.

And then as a finishing touch, I usually like to take about an additional half cup of the marinade and bring it to a low simmer over medium-high heat in a saucepan.  I remove it from the heat and add a tablespoon of plain rice wine vinegar, one tablespoon of honey, and one teaspoon of orange zest.  Then drizzle it over your salad and enjoy!  This salad is full of texture and contrasting flavors.  It's filling but yet light at the same time.  I hope that your family enjoys it as much as mine does.

Happy baking, happy cooking & happy fresh ingredients!
-Chemeeka

Tres Leches Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my husband's post-birthday, men's fellowship dinner.  In my mix I started out with my water,

The oil.

And mixed in everything with the exception of my fluffy egg whites.

And then I folded the egg whites in.

Until my batter was nice and creamy; with a smooth consistency.

Filled up my cupcake pans and we're ready to bake.

I let my cupcakes cool, until they were cool to the touch (past room temperature).

Poked some holes in them to get air.

And then started with my milk mixture.

Mix equal parts, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and half & half.  That's my recipe ;-)

Took the tops & centers out of each one of my cupcakes.

Then filled each one with my mixture. 

Put the wisk attachment on my stand-mixer and put in six egg whites to one & a half cups of fine granulated sugar.  Wisked the egg white mixture first over the attachment.

Bring it until it's nice, shiny & fluffy.

Get out your ice cream scooper and you're ready to go.

Top your cupcakes.

Finish it with a cherry on top.  And there you have your tres leches cupcakes.
Happy Birthday Don!

Bon Appetit!

Sweet Peas & Onion Salad

I've made this salad several times in the last week.  It's not only quick and easy but tasty too! This pea salad is the perfect accompaniment to a summer picnic or barbecue.  Start with one cup of frozen small sweet peas.



Next add two cups of fresh leafy mixed lettuced leaves...



Add about 1/3 of a thinly sliced sweet vidalia onion, cut into strips, and then quarters.

Add your onions to the bowl with the frozen peas.

Next, in a separate bowl combine 1/2 cup of mayonaisse, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper and toss in with lettuce leaves, onions and frozen peas.  Once your salad is completely blended, sprinkle generously with sea salt and then give it another stir.  *Note: It's important that you started out with frozen peas and not thawed peas because as this salad sits and waits to be eaten, the flavors will begin to meld together.

Let your bowl sit in the fridge or out on the table for about 30 mins to an hour & enjoy!  Bon Appetit & Happy Picnicing!!

-Chemeeka 

Celebrate the Fruits of her labor

She's up at the crack of dawn, has got the kiddos off to school, your dinner ready, and dry-cleaning ready to pick up..she's none other than your wonderful wife.  And what she deserves more than anything is a sweet ending after a very long day.  Thank her this Mother's Day with this special treat made by none other....YOU!  (Now I know that this website is read by mostly "mom-readers" but simply erase this line in the message and "accidentally" leave it up on the printer..wink).

French Vanilla Orange-Scented Custard

(or French Vanilla Custard a L'Orange)

Ingredients:

One small box of instant french vanilla pudding

1 3/4 cup lowfat milk

1 teaspoon orange extract

cinnamon or nutmeg

fresh fruit to garnish

This one's really EASY!  Combine your pudding packet with 1 3/4 cups whole or low-fat milk (depending on the gal..you'll know if she's watching her weight.  And in that case, use the low-fat milk), add a full teaspoon of orange extract, and a dash of ground nutmeg or cinnamon, which ever one you have handy.  Garnish with a couple of pieces of fresh fruit (I say go with either a blackberry or raspberry so that you're not there slicing) put it in a fancy glass and there you have it!

By the time the kiddos are finishing putting their special stamp on mom's card, you're done.  She's happy.  You're happy.  A sweet ending for all.

Have a Happy Mother's Day & Celebrate the wonderful woman in your life with the "fruits" of her labor:)

~Chemeeka

Easter Dinner Made Simple

Easter is coming, the family will be here, the kids will be hungry, and you know what that means: Dinner. We need to have it made, with as few steps as possible!  Any body with me?  I really think that you can pull off a tasty meal and I promise to show you how.

So what's on the menu?  None other than an Easter favorite Rosemary Roasted Lamb chops and Red Potatoes dish with Fresh Green Beans.  (Let me start off by saying that this is not my original photo but giving credit to it's author, it serves as a guide for a really delicious and balanced meal.)  Now, let move forward with our shopping list for our special dinner.  You'll need:

A package of 4-6 medium cut lamb chops

A bag of red potatoes

A fresh bag of microwavable green beans

Extra virgin olive oil

Three springs of fresh rosemary (you can usually find these over the bags salads in your produce section)

One tablespoon onion powder

salt and pepper

*(This recipe adequately feeds a family of 4-6)

Directions: Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and start setting all of your ingredients. 

For Easter dinner I typically like to have either a cold potato salad or a roasted potato dish.  We're going with the roasted potatoes this time because it's a lot less work than potato salad but just as delicious.

Remove your lamb chops from their packaging and give them a quick rinse.  Line a 11x14x 2 inch baking dish or your trusted roasted pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (for easy clean-up;-)  Drizzle your lamb chops with olive oil, salt, pepper, and two of your sprigs of fresh rosemary, un-chopped, laying across.

Add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the pan and cover with a foil top for about 20 minutes.  We want to keep the chops moist almost to the end of our cooking process.  Take the foil off for the last 5-10 minutes to give them a nice little crust,  but no longer as we do not want the chops dry out.

When the lamb is done remove it from the oven and sprinkle with the half tablespoon of onion powder.

Next, ( and you can do this step while you lamb is in the oven or knock them both out at once, but be sure to check the doneness of your potatoes)

Wash and quarter half of your red potatoes (about 2 pounds).  In a large bowl, toss potatoes, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, rosemary sprig chopped, salt, pepper, and half a tablespoon of onion powder.  Again, in on a foil lined cookie sheet (with a rim around the edge) bake in the oven at 350 for twenty minutes or until done.

Steam your bag of green beens.  If you really want to get fancy make this dressing and drizzle it over your green beens and throw some silvered almonds over the top, other wise, I am sure that a little olive oil, salt and pepper to taste will do fine.  (Olive oil, salt and pepper always make things taste better in my opionion!)

And there you have it...Easter dinner in a bag!  Want to add a dessert to the equation?  Have a guest pick something quick up on the way in.  If you're like me, you've been sampling all those yummy creme & pound cakes near the bakery section at your local supermarket.  After a long day of an easter egg hunt, and getting dressed up, trust me, no one will be upset that you didn't bake too!

Hoppy Easter everyone!  Enjoy the ones you love,

& as always,

Happy Cooking!

Your Cooking Coach,

Chemeeka

I finally made Cake-pops that I am proud of...!

It's four in the morning...and what am I doing?  I am up blogging about baking & cooking and all those fun ideas.

I have finally, finally, finally  made some cake pops that I am proud of!  Where's the pictures?  No pictures.  At least not this morning.  My camera's bottom has decided not to "shut" once batteries are put it in.  So this post is "picture-less", I'm sad to say.  I could get my phone but I have a 9-week old...oh, well, you get my point.

Any-how, I have finally, finally made cake pops that I am proud of and it happened tonight in a series of three steps.  If you've checked over my blog or looked at it for any length of time, you've noticed that I have  made cake-pops before.  Sure!  But they weren't "right".  You know what I mean... too crumbly, too moist, there was always something not quite right.

Now this time around I have finally gotten Bakerella's cookbook...and I've followed the instructions...and they turned out right.  Sounds simple, I know.  But you have to understand, I jumped on the first train to "something new in the cooking world" and I didn't even check to see if I had my train ticket, lol.  And the conductor (the result) came asking me for my ticket (the instructions) and did I pay for it (was I following them)...and I was not.  Hence the "not so great end product"!  Well, I've got my ticket, paid my fair, I know where I'm going...I am finally on my way to being a pop-star, a Cake-pop star that is!  Anybody want to come with me?  Or already on their way there?  Got your ticket?  I do now...(smile).  And it's all up-hill from here.

Song:

I'm gonna make cake-pops,

I'm gonna make cake-pops,

And good ones this time,

And good ones this time!

Now with that, go out and get yourself a cookbook or go online and learn how to make your favorite item, by following a recipe, step-by-step.

You'll be so glad you did!

Good Night (or Good Morning...)

and Happy Baking!

-Bakie (aka Chemeeka ;-)

A really moist meatloaf

When you hear the word, "meatloaf" what is the first thing that comes to mind?  (Be honest...) "Dry", "crusty", "not tasty.." does any of that ring a bell?  Many a person I have spoken to whenever I even mention the idea of making a meatloaf they always tell me how their mother's was very, very dry and just didn't leave a good taste in their mouths or their minds for that matter.

Now when I think of meatloaf, I think of, soft, juicy and even flavorful.  Why?  In part because I have come across this recipe~actually a concoction of mine that I think just might work to solve those dry meatloaf woes, if you will.  Let's start with 2 pounds of 80/20 ground beef.  To that add:

1/2 cup no-salt added tomato ketchup
1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
2 egg yolks
1/2 part-skim ricotta cheese (just trust me on this one)
1/4 breadcrumbs
1 cup dry rolled oats
your favorite seasonings (for me that would be salt, pepper, a little garlic
powder and maybe some italian seasoning)

Go ahead and mix all of this by hand in an un-greased 2quart oval baking dish.  Form it into a loaf and top it with a mixture of 1/8 cup sweet barbecue sauce & one 1/4 cup no salt added ketchup.  (The reason for the no-salt ketchup is because it seems to be a little "fresher" an adds more moisture to the dish ;-).  Pop it in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins.

Let it rest when it's done before slicing, so that it doesn't crumble when you do.  And there you have it..a very moist and delicious meatloaf.  What more could your family ask for?  :-)

As always...
Happy Baking!
-Chemeeka (Bakie :-)

Bakerella, You inspired Me!

The following is a must read from our all inspiring, mother-of-all-baking-inspiration herself, Ms. (Angie Dudley) Bakerella.  Am I a fan?  Absolutely!

From her post, "Cake Pops: An Adventure"  by Bakerella

Today almost snuck up on me. I realized it just in time to reminisce and celebrate with you guys.

Oh and this is a pretty long post, but I had a hard time making it any shorter.

Four years ago today, on February 1, I posted something that changed my life and maybe even some of yours.

I posted these cupcake pops. I posted them the day after I posted these pink cake pops. And I had no idea then the impact they would have. Seriously, read the old posts. Pretty amusing.

While the pink cake pops were super cute and definitely different since they were cake on a stick, it was the cupcake pops that became crazy popular thanks to so many of you.  If it hadn’t been for your enthusiasm, I don’t know if I would have kept experimenting and creating craziness like the muppets cake pops for instance. It could have just ended right here with the cupcake pops. And, that would have been okay, too. They are still my and my mom’s favorite. I guess I have an attachment to them.

A little background history…  when I first made the pink cake pops, I was so excited by how they turned out. I wanted others to see them too because I thought they were so cute and I just knew they would make people smile. I was following the blog Cupcakes Takes the Cake (CTTC) at the time and I thought that if I could just make them look like a cupcake, they might feature them on their blog. So after I made the pink cake pop, I figured out a way to shape the cake balls with a cutter and dip them twice to make them look like a cupcake. Success! I couldn’t believe it. So I added my photos to the CTTC flickr group and crossed my fingers that they would pick them to feature on their site. And they did.

For me that was it. I wasn’t looking for anything more. Just to keep baking and making cute treats. And hopefully bring smiles to anyone that wanted to look at them.

But then, something crazy happened. A month or so after I posted the photos, I was invited to show Martha Stewart how I make them … on her show… like standing next to her. I thought I was being punked. I mean I had only been blogging for about four months when I received the invitation. And I hadn’t been baking much longer before that. Let’s just say I was petrified. But I did it anyway. You can watch the video here on her site. The link is on the sidebar. If you haven’t seen it before I think you’ll get a chuckle at what she calls them. Of course it wasn’t funny at the time. I think I managed to mask my shock pretty well. I know I told them we shouldn’t use chocolate cake on TV. Good times.

Lots of other fun things have happened since then, too.

• I started experimenting with designs and creating all kinds of cake pop themes.
• I visited the Pioneer Woman and we had a cake pop demo at the lodge. So fun. Love you Ree.
• I proposed to Melissa for Rich with cake pops. Miss you guys.
• Betty Crocker invited me to make cake pops for the cover of one of their magazines.
• I wrote a little book. You may have heard of it.
• I made cupcake pops with Blake Lively. Ummm… what is going on?
• You guys became Pop Stars.
• I made some cake pops for Disney’s website.
• I made a little kit and some cards, too.
• My cake pops were featured in magazines like People, Entertainment Weekly, Taste of Home, Family Circle, O, and more.
• I went on the Today Show. Kathie Lee shook the pop a bit too hard and got candy coating on her eyelashes. My stomach sunk. Mortified.
• The book has been printed in several languages throughout the world. Craziness.
• And there’s a couple more fun things coming that I can’t say just yet.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

But that’s not all that’s happened because of these tiny treats on a stick. So many other things have popped on the scene because you all fell in love with the cake pops I made. Your excitement and enthusiasm for cake pops are probably the biggest reason for their success and why they are now so popular. For example…

• Cake pops are sold in a certain world dominating coffee shop.
• Bakeries and cupcake shops now sell them in their lineup.
• Businesses have packaged sprinkles and such to market for them.
• Commercials and other kits appeared. Some even use my designs. Flattering, I guess one could say.
• Machines are now on the market to make them … albeit they don’t let you mix the frosting in or custom shape them.
• Other books have surfaced on the topic, too, which just reinforces how popular cake pops have become.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

But it’s not all that stuff that makes me shake my head in amazement. You guys have done so much with them on a personal level and have continued to inspire me along the way.

• So many of you have started home businesses selling cake pops.
• Or websites devoted to cake pops
• Or created rollers or stands or just about anything else you can think of to make or use with cake pops.
• I know many of you that make them just for fun. And make lots of them.
• Your emails and stories brighten my day every time I read them. There have been so many sweet ones too. Emails from all over the world. From places I’ve never even heard of. Some that made me cry and some that made me laugh. But all that made me feel so special to have played a little part in bringing smiles to your lives.
• Big hugs and congratulations to all of you, too!

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I think cake pops have definitely made their mark in the baking world, making life a little bit sweeter.

Actually, I think we need a National Cake Pop Day. Or an International Cake Pop Day. And today seems like a great choice to me. That’s it I’m proclaiming February 1, the Official Unofficial Cake Pop Day. Who’s with me?

I’d love for you to tell me if cake pops have meant anything special to you.

• Do you sell them? What’s your site?
• Have you made them on your blog? I’d love to see.
• Do you have a picture of yours on your facebook? Share a link.
• Do you follow my facebook page for cake pop inspiration?
• Do you have the book? Do you have a favorite design?
• Are you a Pop Star? Do you want to be?
• Have you started a business to help people make them?
• Maybe you’ve just eaten them before. Or have seen them at a bakery or wedding or party.
• Maybe someone has given them to you as a gift.
• And maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about? That’s okay, too.

Go to http://www.bakerella.com/ to leave a comment.