A late DB Challange

As ussualy I only come here to post the DB 's challanges not because i don't cook just don't cook enough or have time to take pics to post... But at leats this i'm doing.. OH NO.... this mounth i'm late... the challenge should have been posted yesterday but du to a cold i just couldn't.. but here i am today...

A liked the OPERA CAKE a lot, the challange was indeed a challange... but... with some of mom's help it all whent OK.

This mounth challange was dedicaded to Barbara of winosandfoodies.com. Barbara is the force behind the food blog event called A Taste of Yellow that supports the LiveSTRONG foundation started by Lance Armstrong.

And here are the result!
Thank you Lis and Ivonne for the great challange and mostly for creating this group.

As always you can find the recipes in their blogs.

Hope you had as much fun as i had.

BBM packge-just a litlle late

How late am I?
I've recived my packge a week a go and just now had the time to post here!
It camed all the way from Baltimore, from Katie.
Her box was just so cute, very well put together.
The itens were:
- car (with a draw made from her), a letter and a recipe;
- potatos chips;
- star foil cups (so cuteee)
- Vanilla butter
- spices
- chewy caramel

Just loved
Thank you very vey much!!

Daring Baker's go with Dorie

Hello!!

And the time of the mounth i actually post!! The DB challenge.

This Mounth we made the Perfect Party Cake by no other then Dorie Greenspan, the hostess, Morven at Food Art and Random Thoughts, gave us total freedom to make the cake as we wanted but, i decided to go with Dorie and do it just the way the recipe was.


I liked i a lot, deffinitlly a keeper for special ocasions.


Can't wait for next mounth challenge.

Please check out the recipe at blog and view the other beautifull creations of my fellow DB's.

See you soon i hope...

The Challenged i almost didn't post!!

For God sakes... HOW COUfLD I POSSIBIBLE FORGET TO POST THE CHALLENGE??
I've made this bread suck a long time ago to be sure that i would be fine and safe to post the challenge today and what happened?? Weeelll... i've forgot and remembered to post when i was coming back home at 11 (pm) o'clock!!!
So... came running to the computer and to my suprise.. were are the photos?? I simple coulnd't find them...(as you can see i found then, but only after i've finished to do the post)
But... going to the challenge it self now... As i alredy said i've made it a long time ago, in the very begging of the mounth, on the 5th.

I took the hole day to do it.... began at 8 am and finished at 7 pm, but had lots of fun. As you can see we made French Bread, but not just a french bread, it was Julia Child French Bread. Indeed a challenge, that was hostesses by Breadchick Mary (The Sour Dough) & Sara (I Like to Cook).
This mounth i wont be writing a lot but was want to give a big thanks to Mary and Sara to say that this mounth i realllllly leaft my confort zone and tried something i would have never, really never, choosen to make, and i really enjoyed to make it, i probably wont be doing it again but it was nice to know i'm able to do something like that... THANK YOU really....
The recipe is really long so i wont be posting here you can find them at Mary and/or Sara's blog.
And please... check out the other beautis that the rest of the group baked.

PS: It's 11:55!!!!

Lemon Meringue Pie - It only could be a DB challenge

How i wished to be a better blogger... When i started the blog i planed to you know.. post at least once a week.. but... look at me... The only thing i've been posting are the Daring Bakers challenge! I'm so emberesed... I've wanted this blog to have lots of informations, recipes and this kind of thing, but, look, there's nothing... It makes me so sad, i wish so much i had more free time to post, and to cook actually.. I haven't been visiting my kitchen a lot... only to eat i thing... such a shame...
But... well, what can i do? At leats i can steel make the DB challenges and thats a lot right now, and i thing i'm... well... glad with that.
So shall we go to this mounth challenge?
The hostess for the challenge was Jen from The Canadian Baker and her choice was Lemon Meringue Pie. When i firt saw what we would be making this mounth i just couldn't be happier. Lemon Meringue Pie it's a dessert we've been eating in my family since way before i was born and just the thought of try out a new recipe was indeed a challenge. The recipe we are used to make have a filling using condesed milk and this one was very diferent... so i kept wondering if it would be aproved by people here.
I started making the pie and well, my mom got all over the kitchen to know how was it doing and to give out her opnions. Firts was the crust when i remove it from the oven the smell was fabulous, and as a good daughter that i am i separeted i piece of the crust for her to try before the intere pie was ready. Well, did she liked? Oh yes.. she loved!! So.. i've got really exiceted and went for the filling, after mixing the cornstrach and sugar with the water my father (yes... he decided to participate on this too) sad "wow, this looks like what my mom did to me when i was i kid and was sick" and of course i had to ask "and did you liked it?" and for my surprise the answer was "oh, yes.. a lot", so all this talk lift me up even more to the recipe, if the base is good the chance of the role thing be good are good. And.. after ending my mom came with a spoon and said "can i try?", in again she liked a lot!! So, so far a succes! And for the meringue, well i was alone so nothing intersting to tell. No suprises here...
And after the proving of the pie the coments where "DELICIOUS". Everybody liked and aproved the pie, the only thing wee tought was so so was the meringue, the general opnion was a chocolate ganache would be better...
Can't say that making this was boring, had lots of fun and liked a lot...
Thanks Jen for such a wondefull challenge. I surrly advice you all to check my fellow bakers with theirs criations. You can find them here.
See you all next mounth/challenge. Or how knows i don't get my grips on and post something here before that.


Lemon Meringue Pie
Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie

For the Crust:
3/4 cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces
2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/3 cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups (475 mL) water
1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 mL) cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar
1/4 tsp (1.2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

To Make the Crust:
Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt.Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about 1/2 inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

To Make the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

To Make the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

Daring Bakers makes the tradicional Bûche de Noël

OH MY GOD!!!
Christmas makes everyone goes crazy around here, me for exemple made this mounth challenge a week a go and almost didin't post! Why you may ask me, well lets just say that i have a lovelly brother that was kind enough to take this mounth challenge pics in his camera, but, and there's always a but, he just forgot to transfer to the computer, and i just didn't know how to take the memory card off his camera, its so diferent from mine!!! But whit a litle help from my boyfriend i maneged to post!! So.. you can understand why i'm posting on the 23th at 23:50 here in Brazil.

But, besides the posting/pictures problems the bûche was very easy to make. This mounth the hosstess were Lis, from La Mia Cucina, and Ivonne, from Cream Puffs, the challenge was the tradicional Bûche de Noël or Yule Log, and you can find the recipe here.

Well, this mounth for me was very difficult, i started in a new job, that made me disconect from the world, i no longer work in front a computer as i did before now i work in a kitchen, no no... not cooking, doing a nutricionist job, making sure that the food that was for the client gets there clean and free for company... and was the end of the year in college so... a lot of tests that made my go really crazy. I almost tought about not participating on the challenge, but last weekend i managed to find some hours to do it.

Tough would be very dificult and hard working but after a few hours i had it all done. Everyting was very easy and the instuctions was very clear. Lis and Ivonne gave as a lot of possibilite of changes, like flavouring the genoise cake and for the filling and two options of mushroons and also two dates for posting...



I can say that i loved the bûche but i, and my intere family too, thougt that the buttercream was to buttery... but still very tasty, and the genoise cake just amazing...

Here's what i did:
- a chocolate genoise;
- coffee buttercream for filling and forsting;
- added some chooped white chocolate in the filling and
- marzipan mushroons.

I wish you all a Mery Cristmas and a very happy new year and see you all next mounth, whit more recepis i hope!!

Carrot Cake for Peabody Housewarming Party

So... I'm not a very comenting person you know... so Peabody probably don't know me, but.. when I so in her blog (that i visit often) that she was giving a party to celebrate her new home i just had to "go". It was so simple... just to make a dish and take it to the party...
I got thinking on what to do... So... i decided for something that was conforting, after all that's all someone can ask in a new home, i've been eating this cake for my intere life, my mom has always baked it and i always loved.... Carrot Cake, just that, simple, delicius and reconforting... all that can be asked to fell in a new house.... to be warm and cozzy... so that we can call it a home....
It's not something fanncy but comes from the heart, with all the best wishes for your new home...
That your home be filled with love and warm, i'm sure that your new kitchen will give us only great things...
Ohhh... made two variations... one with the basic chocolate frosting and a mini, a cupcake with cream cheese frosting... i honestly prefer the chocolate one, not because is chocolate but because it reminds me of when a was young... ok... i'm not an old person i know - i'm only 19 - but when i was relly young...



Mom's Carrot Cake

4 large carrots
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 coffe cup canola oil
1 table spoon baking powder
pinch salt

Preheat the oven in 350 F.
Chop the carrots in small pieces. In a blender beet the carrots, the eggs and the canola oil until its creamy.
In a bolw sift the flour sugar and baking powder and add the carrots, eggs and oil. Mix carrfully until there is no lumps.
Bake in a greased and floured cake pan for about 30 mim or until golden on top and dry in the midle.

Chocolate frosting
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon coccoa powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon milk (used non fat)

Put it all in a pan and mix until it boils, turn off imediatlly and use whit the cake still hot.