DONUTS

Blog-checking lines: The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.

So I'm a bit rubbish at getting this all done on time at the late! Guess wedding planning is taking over me, M and the house!

Challenge finally done, by the skin of me teeth too but did turn the Donuts into todays theme... Halloween! Had made the decorations while practicing gumpaste roses (for the wedding cake!!)

There were a few recipes to choose from, I went with a half batch of German Donuts to fill with strawberry jam... mmm

The recipe called to start the night before and let dough prove overnight in the fridge but this morning nothing had happened, so gave it a good kneed with a bit more flour and popped it in the morning sun. Yay it rose!

Cut small circles out an without the help of a thermometer as the one I have didn't go high enough to keep an eye on the oil temp. So I think the temp got a bit too hot which browns up the donuts quickly and not cooking the middle, popped them back in for a wee bit longer with reduced heat. Filled with strawberry jam and a taste test or two decorated with Halloween Decorations!

Inside with jam

Holy Sunday Donut, just made the one :o)

Worms and Fingers

Promise next Challenge to be better!

Decorated Sugar Cookies

The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.

So it's a bit late, but after a short unexpected stay in hospital, then running out of broadband for a few days and then a weekend away for Canadian Thanksgiving.

Had a friends baby shower to bake for so Septembers Challenge came in quite handy :o)

Cherry Bomb!

Well, I've managed 2 in a row, challenges that is, August's challenge was a an Alaskan Bomb.

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

Another ice-cream challenge in the winter but it does help having the cooler kitchen temperatures to stop the ice-cream melting on me! The cake was a delicious browned butter cake which I will make again for sure. Vanilla ice-cream was made and I added cherries (for the 'cherry bomb') which took away some of the sweetness of the ice-cream. Whipped up the egg whites and piped them on. M helped out on the blow torches, thought using 2 would help with the speed to toast the meringue. Think it all worked out well, dinner guests were impress which was nice.

Finally I'm a Daring Baker...

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice-cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

Ahhh, an ice-cream challenge in the middle of winter! Needless to say it's taking M and I a while to eat our way through the bombe huddled around the heater! Being my first challenge I decided to stick to the given recipe and leave experimenting to maybe the next...

The challenge was to make chocolate sponge roll, two ice-creams and a chocolate fudge sauce to layer into the swirls of sponge.

This was the first time I've made sponge rolls and was stoked at how they turned out! May have even skipped about the kitchen a couple of times. The sponge filling turned out very similar to the vanilla ice-cream when all set up together.

Vanilla ice-cream then chocolate fudge sauce and then a delicious chocolate ice-cream which I did deviate a little and added chocolate chips and a little of the fudge sauce swirled through it! So so so good!

Left to set up over night and the revealing if I do say so myself was champion! :o)

As I said before, we are still enjoying this icy treat, even if it's followed up with a hot chocolate!

Mmmm, might go slice us a piece now, remembering to turn the heater up as I go by...

Ok so out to a rubbish start on the Daring Kitchen Challenge, had till today to Bake and post, and not yet done... Did however bake off May's challenge, the Crunch in the Mouth, Croquembouche! I made it for a celebration cake for M and my birthdays as well as our Engagement! Yeah, that's right there is some sparkle on my finger! While making it I added to other fingers some toffee burns, not the best idea!! On the whole the Croquembouche turned out brilliantly, not a toothpick,kebab stick or any other prop needed!!

So next month, I promise to get Daring and Do it!!!

Mission still yet to find out but am looking forward to Challenge no.1. I'll be participating in the Daring Bakers Challenge... 1st month will June, a busy month as it's both M's and my birthdays as well as a good mate coming to stay from OZ. I'm sure I'll get there, with guinea pigs about I think I'll take full advantage!

Starting Out....

Starting this blog is to help me with the new challenge I have set myself, as may many a new blog begins... 'The Daring Baker Challenge'... Am all signed up and awaiting my first task...