I love ketchup!

I love ketchup.

I put it on everything.

'nuff said.

Check out this site.

http://www.icogitate.com/%7Eergosum/essays/ketchup/ketchup.htm

Coconut Macaroons

I had left over egg whites and remembered that I made this in baking class.

Yum.

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

Sooooooooooo good.

I got this recipe from Canadian Living - August 2007 edition.

I'm too lazy to type up the recipe...but trust me - it was goood.

Crepe Cake - My first post!

Hi,

I'm a narcoleptic baker and I'm here to show off my goods. No not those goods, but my baking goods.

I like to bake, and I tend to share with others because as much as I'd like to eat them all myself, I would be the size of a house if I ate everything I made.

So here's the first post. I'm not much of a writer, so most of the time, I'll let my pictures speak for themselves.

I got inspired to make this from one of the food blogs that I check regularly. Check it out - http://www.creampuffsinvenice.ca/

The recipe is from her site as well. I seriously don't know how to do the link thing, but I'm trying. So please bear with me. I followed the recipe to a t, except that I didn't have enough corn starch nor did I use the Kirsch.

The recipe is as follows:
The Real Crepe Cake
(Same recipe as the one from the New York Times but with a few minor liberties.)

For the crêpes batter:

6 tablespoons butter
3 cups milk
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tbsp. sugar
Pinch salt
vegetable oil

The day before serving the cake, make the crepe batter and the pastry cream. For the batter, cook the butter in a small pan until brown like hazelnuts. Set aside. In another small pan, heat the milk until steaming; allow to cool for 10 minutes. In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Slowly add the hot milk and browned butter. Pour into a container with a spout, cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the crepes, bring the batter to room temperature. Place a nonstick or seasoned 9-inch crepe pan over medium heat. Swab the surface with the oil, then add about 3 tablespoons batter and swirl to cover the surface. Cook until the bottom just begins to brown, about 1 minute, then carefully lift an edge and flip the crepe with your fingers. Cook on the other side for no longer than 5 seconds. Flip the crepe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until you have 20 perfect crepes.

For the vanilla pastry cream:

2 cups milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
3 1/2 tbsp. butter

Bring the milk to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract then set aside for 10 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice and set aside a small bowl that can hold the finished pastry cream and be placed in this ice bath.

In a medium heavy-bottomed pan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, then place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Press the pastry cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the small bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath and stir until the temperature reaches 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Stir in the butter. When completely cool, cover and refrigerate.

To assemble the cake:

2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons Kirsch
icing sugar (optional)

Whip the heavy cream with the tablespoon sugar and the Kirsch. It won’t hold stiff peaks but that’s okay. Fold it into the pastry cream.

Lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using an icing spatula, completely cover with a thin layer of pastry cream (about 1/4 cup). Cover with a crepe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crepe on top. Chill for at least 2 hours. Set out for 30 minutes before serving. If you have a blowtorch for creme brulee, sprinkle the top crepe with 2 tablespoons sugar and caramelize with the torch; otherwise, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Slice like a cake.

Batter adapted from ”Joy of Cooking.” Pastry cream adapted from ”Desserts,” by Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan. Serves 10.