Let Them Eat Cake!

Happy 10th Birthday Cutout Cookies 05.19.2012

Fri, 18 May 2012 18:09:57 -0700

Happy 10th Birthday Cutout Cookies 05.19.2012

Dr. Seuss Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Cake 05.12.2012

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:23:00 -0700

Dr. Seuss Thing 1 & Thing 2 Birthday Cake 05.12.2012

TEDxBend 04.28.2012 Cookies, cookies, cookies and inspirational...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:38:00 -0700

TEDxBend 04.28.2012 Cookies, cookies, cookies and inspirational speakers <3 Looking forward to TEDxBend 2013!

TEDx Bend: Bending Rules 04.28.2012

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:03:13 -0700

TEDx Bend: Bending Rules 04.28.2012:

Look again at what’s truly possible. Speaker series starts Saturday afternoon and carries into the evening. Featuring fearless baking signature cutout cookies during the afternoon reception.

Custom Cutout Logo Cookies 03.30.2012

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:35:40 -0700

Custom Cutout Logo Cookies 03.30.2012

English Tea Party Chocolate Showpiece & Truffles...

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:48:55 -0700

English Tea Party Chocolate Showpiece & Truffles 04.06.2012 Tour du Chocolat

fearless baking was awarded

1st Place Technique

3rd Place Tasting

be fearless, bake on

The Chocolate Showpiece Process 03.29.12 - 04.06.2012 Tour...

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:32:01 -0700

Chocolate & White Chocolate Curls

fearless baking Signature Cutout Cookies

White Chocolate Petals

Showpiece base and half spheres

Construction

Structure

Chocolate face with abstract floral hat

Backside of showpiece

Top abstract flower

Success

The Chocolate Showpiece Process 03.29.12 - 04.06.2012 Tour du Chocolat

Special thanks to fellow fearless bakers Rebekah Gerdes, Brook McDonald & Yuridi Durantes

Tour du Chocolat: Tower Theater 04.06.12

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 15:35:00 -0700

Tour du Chocolat: Tower Theater 04.06.12 :

Mark and clear your calendars. Friday, April 6th at 6pm, Tower Theater located on Wall Street in downtown Bend, OR.

fearless baking will be presenting an assortment of chocolate truffles, cookies and a chocolate showpiece.

$5 at the door (no presale tickets). Chocolate samples and a cocktail included. Click link above for full details. Click here to see a sneak peak of next weeks chocolate extravaganza as featured in Nugget News!

Just come, trust me!

St Patty’s Day Cutout Cookies 03.17.2012 Cheers!

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 07:40:57 -0700

St Patty’s Day Cutout Cookies 03.17.2012 Cheers!

Chocolate Decor & Desserts, CCI. Truly fearless performance....

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:20:22 -0700

Chocolate Decor & Desserts, CCI. Truly fearless performance. Congrats fellow chefs. Thank you Chef Morris for the challenge!

Naturally green Pistachio Muffins. Makes for a delicious St....

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:26:19 -0700

Naturally green Pistachio Muffins. Makes for a delicious St. Patty’s Day breakfast (Irish Stout recommended)!

Cheers! Guinness Chocolate Cake: Recipe & Method

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:19:20 -0700

Just in time for St. Patty’s Day, a fellow fearless baker sent along this recipe for me to whip up! With the refrigerator well stocked with Guinness, this is a great recipe to impress your friends with on March 17th. The cake is perfectly moist and chocolatey with the right amount of bite from the stout. The sweet cream cheese icing or “head” on the cake, creates a beautiful balance. Cheers!

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

1 c Guinness Stout (drink the rest)

10 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons)

1/4 c + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 c superfine sugar (or granulated sugar)

1/4 c + 2 tbsp sour cream

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 c AP flour

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Icing:

11/4 c confectioners sugar

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 c heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter and flour a boundt cake pan or a 9” cake pan.

Mise en place. In a sauce pan combine Guinness and butter (cubed). In a large bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Sift flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combine in a large mixing bowl.

Over medium-low heat, melt butter in Guinness. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat. Add cocoa and sugar. Whisk to blend.

Add Guinness mixture to egg/vanilla/sour cream mixture. Make sure the Guinness mixture is cool. If it is still hot, temper egg mixture by adding a small amount of the Guinness mixture to the eggs, stirring vigorously; then, whisk egg mixture back into Guinness mixture.

Add flour/baking soda mixture into Guinness batter. Using a paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until smooth. Be sure not to overmix.

Bake at 350F until toothpick comes out clean (45-1 hour depending on actual oven temperature).

For the icing use a food processor, KitchenAid or mix by hand. Blend confectioners sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable.

Remove cake from pan and place on a cake platter or stand. Ice top of the cake only so that it resembles a pint of Guinness.

Notes:

1. I used granulated sugar instead of superfine sugar and the cake turned out beautifully. If you want superfine sugar, put the sugar in a food processor until refined.

2. Room temperature cream cheese is key for producing a smooth icing.

3. The end result was a true Guinness chocolate cake. You could really taste the flavor of the stout which was well balanced by the sweet cream cheese icing. Personally, I found the cake to be too dense. I plated my slice with strawberries and lemon zest for a lightness.

4. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the cake before baking for a sweet chocolate flavor.

be fearless, bake on

Homemade Challah French Toast Perfect start to a snowy Saturday...

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:07:08 -0800

Homemade Challah French Toast

Perfect start to a snowy Saturday morning

Almost Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:38:10 -0800

Inspired by my neighbors good-for-you food blog, Bend2Boulder, and her most recent recipe for Dark Chocolate Flax SUPER Cookies, I did a little experimenting of my own…

Craving Chocolate Chip Cookies , I started to throw a batch together. As I was rummaging through my pantry I pulled out Valrhona Dark Chocolate, Stone Ground Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, Chopped Walnuts, Chopped Macadamia Nuts, Flax Seed and Pumpkin Seeds, all of which were left over from previous recipes (including the Dark Chocolate Flax SUPER Cookies).

Using my classic Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, I made a few alterations (indicated in italics):

INGREDIENTS

~~2 1/4 c AP Flour~~ 2 1/4 c Stone Ground Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 c (2 sticks) unsalted* butter, softened

~~3/4~~ 1/2 c granulated sugar

3 tsp corn syrup

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 1 1/2 c (1-12 oz pkg) Nestle(R) TOLL HOUSE(R) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels c

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c chopped macadamia nuts

1/4 c flax seed

1/4 c pumpkin seed

DIRECTIONS

Preheat over to 375 F

Shift flour, baking soda & salt in a small bow or combine and whisk to ensure the dry ingredients are incorporated. Set aside.

Beat butter, corn syrup, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (this allows the eggs to bind with butter/sugar mixture).

Gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped macadamia nuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and any extra chocolate you might have lying around! Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased sheet tray.

Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then remove and more to wire cooling racks.

These cookies came out so good, I had eaten 3 before pulling out all of the trays. While you still get the calories from the butter fat and sugar, these can be easily substituted for less caloric alternatives (Stevia, vegetable oil). In addition, you can substitute Gluten Free Baking Flour for wheat flour. Buttery goodness is my specialty, but I am motivated to learn healthier alternatives from my lovely neighbor!

be fearless, bake on

With the pastry wheel in motion...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:45:00 -0800

As all of our lives eb and flow through seasonal shifts, I now find myself consumed by pastry classes and working early mornings at the bakery. While the holiday season has come and gone, cranking cookies out of my parents kitchen and warm smiles of satisfaction are still fresh in my memory. In the past, winter months have been a time of reflection and hibernation, but 2012 has fearless baking, baking, baking, baking.

fearless baking has several exciting events on the radar for 2012 including Tour du Chocolat (4.02), TEDx Bend reception (4.28) and 2012 World Pastry Forum (7.03 - 7.10). Not to mention Valentine’s Day, St. Patty’s Day, Spring, Easter, Dingus Day and everything in between - cutout cookies!

With the pastry wheel in motion, fearless baking continues to evolve and as a baker I am focusing on absorbing every bit of knowledge and mastering a range of techniques at the Cascade Culinary Institute. This semester, Artisan Breads and Chocolate Decor monopolize my dreams. With a dry winter nationwide, I don’t mind upper body baking exercises instead of hiking/skiing laps to sculpt ski legs (although I miss it dearly).

Fellow fearless bakers, Brook and Bekah are ever present in my life, inspiring and creating alongside one another. We feast, read, experiment and gorge as often as possible. Most recently, Bend hosted a Culinary Extravaganza featuring author, former magazine editor, restaurant critic, devoted foodie - Ruth Reichl (far left, cute shirt).

While driven to promote her books, Reichl focused the conversation on the evolution of the food industry within the United States. Touching on mass production and genetic engineering along with the powerful grassroots movements, farm to table and nose to tail. This sparked curiosity within my bakery brain, and nearly a week later I still find myself stumped by how fearless baking can play a role in these essential movements.

Should fearless baking adopt hens? Grow grain to mill flour? How to I reach a financial/ethical compromise? Research and experimentation is first on my list, but I would to hear what has worked or not worked for you…

LOCAL. A theme I will strive to incorporate with the ebs and flows of fearless baking.

ps. its fat tuesday. eat something you “shouldn’t”

be fearless, bake on

Aloha Muffins: Recipe & Method

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 08:59:00 -0800

The winter has been mild, yet dreaming of a tropical escape this time of year is still tempting…

For those of us who can’t winter in Kauai or drive down the coast for the weekend, hopefully this recipe quenches your tropical craving!

Banana-Macadamia Nut- Chocolate Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS

3-4 large bananas mashed (bananas should be brown or very ripe)

3/4 c granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 c flour

1/3 cup butter melted, cooled

1/2 c chopped macadamia nuts

1/2 c chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour muffins tins or use parchment papers.

Combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder. Set aside

Mash the bananas with sugar and salt.

Add egg

Fold in flour mixture

Once flour mixture is combined, fold in melted, cooled butter

Scope into greased or parchment lined muffin tins. Fill tins 3/4 way full

Sprinkle chopped macadamia nuts and chocolate chips over top

Notes:

1. I usually use a paddle attachment on my KitchenAid to make these muffins. You can also mix by hand or handheld mixer, just remember not to overmix once you add the flour.

2. Bananas should be brown or very ripe. To accelerate the ripening process, put bananas in a brown paper bag and let sit at room temperature over night or for a day. As the bananas ripen, the fruit flavor and sugars will increase, resulting in moist, delicious tasting muffins.

3. Macadamia nuts and chocolate chips can be sprinkled over top or folded in prior to scooping. I sprinkle over top depending on who I am making the muffins for. If I am not sure whether the indulger prefers nuts, I sprinkle. This option also presents beautifully.

4. Muffin batter can be made a few days in advance. but it is important to hold folding the butter, macadamia nuts and chocolate chips until just before baking.

If you are lucky enough to have some guava jam on hand (mom), slather, enjoy and escape to somewhere tropical…

be fearless, bake on

Baking for Luck: St. Patty's Day 2012

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:00:30 -0800

Or beer… My blood is primarily Polska, but there is a little Irish in me that indulges in Guinness and soda bread the weeks surrounding St. Patty’s Day!

Whether your running in the St. Patrick’s Day Dash in Bend, OR or hitting the streets of Buffalo, NY for the annual Shamrock Run and parade, green cookies will be in order!

The Selection:

~ Butter Cutouts {assorted St. Patrick’s Day or Custom}

~ Pistachio Muffins [Naturally, beautifully… green]

*if you’re lucky, a sweet surprise will be included…guinness or whiskey inspired?

The Price:

~ $12/dz

~ $15/dz custom

email fearlessbaking@gmail.com to place your order by 03.09.12 <3

The Logistics:

Bend community - pickup or delivery is available throughout town

Buffalo friends {and long distance friends} - I just got word that Valentine’s Day cookies arrived safe and sound after traveling 2,500 miles. Price will be per dz + shipping/Handling (Priority Mail/Packaging Materials).

Valentine’s Day Cookies 02.14.2012

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:24:00 -0800

Valentine’s Day Cookies 02.14.2012

Baking For Love: February 14th Cookie Orders

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:03:46 -0800

Aside from kitchy Valentine’s Day card exchanges in elementary school and an excuse to eat an entire pound of sponge candy, I never paid much attention to Valentine’s Day.

February 14th doesn’t have to be sappy or romantic. This year I have decided to devote February 14th to my lovely friends near and far <3

Honor one love on Valentine’s Day or celebrate your friends, with delicious cookies.

The Selection:

~ Butter Cutouts {assorted Valentine’s Day or Custom}

~ Linzer Hearts Filled with Raspberry Jam

Price:

~ $12/dz

~ $15/dz custom

email fearlessbaking@gmail.com to place your order <3

*Buffalo friends, I will be sending a test batch via mail next week. I will keep you posted. If all goes well…order away!

Mini Blueberry Scones 01.18.2012 Recipe & Method

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:05:00 -0800

Mini Blueberry Scones 01.18.2012

Recipe & Method