Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Post #100: Let the Confetti Fall!!!

Wow, how time flies! You know when I first started this blog, I really did not know what I was going to do with it. I struggled knowing exactly what to write about. First, I attempted to use it as my sounding board. Then, I thought I would just throw in a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Finally, I noticed that all I really wanted to do was share a little of myself and my passion for cooking, and recently baking. That is how my little ole site came to belong to the Foodie Blogosphere.

Speaking of sharing, here is how my custard finally turned out for this week's TWD hosted by Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles (a fabulous site, I might add). 


From Post 100

I read that many TWD'ers did not like this week's recipe. I actually loved it, so did my hubby and daughter. The boys have yet to try theirs, but will as an after school snack tomorrow, unless we pilfer it first!  I used 2 1/2 cups of skim milk, mixed with 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, since I did not have whole milk which the recipe calls for. I also infused the milk with a cinnamon stick donated by my DSN (dearest, sweetest, neighbor), Dragana from Prijatno! for a little over 30 minutes.  I also added in 2 tsp of Mocha Cappuccino flavored Cocoa Mix. This added just a small touch of mocha flavor. I should have added double that amount, since the 2 tsp amount originally was for the addition of Espresso powder which has a more concentrated flavor than cocoa mix.

I loved baking the custard in the cups. I think it is a clever idea and great for presentation. I topped my lovelies with sweetened whipping cream, sprinkled with cinnamon and cocoa, and adorned with a little edible star-shaped centerpiece.


From Post 100

Star-Shaped Centerpiece Recipe
  • Preheat oven to 425F
  • Take a pre-made pie crust and soften one sleeve (or two depending on how many star-shaped goodies you would like to make) as directed on package. 
  • Dust working surface with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
  • Take out the crust from the sleeve and dust with  powdered sugar, too.
  • Cut out 1-inch star-shaped pieces. 
  • Form leftover dough into a ball, roll out dough to a 1/4" thickness, and continue to make cutouts, until dough runs out.
  • Dust rolling pin, crust, and working surface as needed.
  • Bake cut outs on an ungreased cookie sheet for 4 minutes
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar upon cooling
The custard did taste a lot like flan, especially with the infused cinnamon taste and whipped topping addition!  In this house, anything that tastes like flan, is always welcomed!

Okay, so let's celebrate my 100th post! I would like to give you all out there a chance to win some little items I purchased from ever so trendy, Williams-Sonoma; Edge-of-the- Cup- Cookie Cutters and a red flexible cookie spatula. 

From Post 100
I mean what a conversation piece for your next dinner party or a special way to treat your loved ones!
All you have to do is leave me a comment first telling me how awesome my custard looks (j/k), and second what is the best cooking or baking tip you have learned and continue to use. I will end this on Sunday and draw a random winner from the comments Monday morning. Feel free to forward this on, too! The more the merrier.

Thanks to all of you who continue to read my little contribution to the world, especially my regulars! Y'all make this a joy to do and I feel honored to be a part of your daily entertainment! I also love to learn from you and see a little of your glimpse of the world.

I would also love to thank my hubby who started me on this path, edits my work, is my own personal IT department, and constantly supports me in my foodie endeavors!

Happy Blogging!

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! I love the cookies on the top of the custards! The best baking tip I learned is to chill the cookie dough.

Unknown said...

Your custards look wonderful! I love the little stars. One great baking tip I've received is how to make parchment rounds without tracing the pan.

Barbara Bakes said...

Congratulations on 100 posts! I love you custards. They look so professional!

I love Martha Stewart's tip of rolling pie dough between sheets of plastic wrap (I usually use two on top and two on the bottom to make it wider and then roll it out on a silpat so it doesn't slip around) and then you peel off the top plastic wrap, put it upside down in the pie plate and peel off the bottom plastic wrap.

Debbie said...

Congrats on 100 posts! I am late to find you but so glad I get to read you regularly now.
And those custards do look great. They certainly make my presentation of a jar of applesauce in the middle of the table look pretty lame.
Best tip - I use disposable food gloves to pat crusts and sticky doughs in pans, etc. They are great.

Megan said...

First, I'm glad for you that the custard was such a big hit - you were one of the few that had total success!

Second - the best tip/advice I received was how to downsize recipes - so I don't always have to make a full size cake, or 5 dozen cookies when all I want is a few to share.

Anonymous said...

well, i don't need the promise of W-S goodies to tell you how great your custard looks (although you know i do love that store, tee hee)! those cups are adorable, and i think your idea to top them with stars was great!

congratulations on your 100th post. this isn't so much a cooking tip as it is a kitchen tip: instead of throwing away old rubber kitchen gloves, cut the sleeves into pieces/strips and use them underneath bowls or cutting boards to stabilize them so they don't slip and slide all over the place when you're using them.

Jennifer said...

I do love the custards they make me want to chow down immediately!

My best cooking tip is to cook your cakes at a lower temperature and test often for doneness, the cakes come out withOUT the rounded top!

Teanna DiMicco said...

That is AWESOME! Congrats on the 100th post! I love your star on top!!! My number 1 tip I have ever gotten is to pour in a half a cup of water when cooking chicken in a saute pan and then cover it (after sauteeing (sp?) it for about a minute). The chicken is then both steamed and sauteed and comes out unbelievably moist.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the 100th post. I love the way you presented your custards. I'm glad your family enjoyed them.

My favorite tip is to place butter in the freezer after you cut it into cubes when making pie crusts or scones/biscuits. It makes them have the best texture.

Beth said...

Congrats! Your cups o'custard do look adorable. One cooking tip I learned from Food Network is how to dice an onion easily, and without tears.
A baking tip I learned from Dorie is that the quality of chocolate REALLY does make a difference! I always chop my own now, instead of using chips.

Kaitlin said...

Woo hoo congrats girl! Those look so beatiful, i really love the stars!

Flourchild said...

I give you 5 stars for having the BEST pictures I've seen of the Custards...perfect! I love the whipped topping and stars..what a great presentation.

Pamela said...

Congratulations on your 100th post! It's such a milestone and I know how time can fly! I think you're doing a great blogging job! The custard looks good. I totally chickened out.

Hmmm....baking advice? I guess it would be to buy the best ingredients you can afford and to keep baking because you love it!

Keep up the good work!

Sara @ Our Best Bites said...

For the record, I didn't know about the freebie when I came here to comment! Congrats on your 100th post! That's a big accomplishment- and I think your pudding looks absolutely gorgeous!

For a kitchen tip...I have to say I use zip-lock baggies for everything! Melting chocolate, piping frosting, buttering pans...my favorite kitchen accessory, lol.

Congrats again!
-Sara

Unknown said...

Seriously those custard cups are too pretty for words. Really, really sensational. I am having company on Saturday and maybe I could attempt those.

My best baking tip? Wow. My tip would be to get all the good advice you could from your Mother : ).

Shari@Whisk: a food blog said...

Congratulations on 100 posts! I love your changes to the custard and the stars are very festive.

The Queen of Quite a Lot said...

That is the coolest cookie cutter I have ever seen! Your custards look adorable with the stars. This is sort of a baking/cooking tip. To cook bacon, instead of stinking the whole kitchen up and having a big greasy mess, put the bacon on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. You could also put foil on the cookie sheet and then a rack on top and then the bacon on the rack so the grease dips down.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

Your custards are so cute in those cups, and so appropriate for the cappuccino theme! I made the creme brulees in teacups, which was fun also. I'm glad you all liked the custard; we thought it was scrumptious too.

CONGRATS!!!!!!!! on your 100th post! That is quite an achievement, and isn't it interesting to see how our blogs evolve in scope?

As for baking tips, I learned to line the bottoms of my baking pans from my mother, which I do religiously, but now I've learned to make a parchment "sling" when baking a loaf and especially brownies - I love pulling the finished product out of the pan by lifting the edges of the parchment.
Nancy

Pam said...

Congrats on your 100th post. The custard looks delicious and the stars on top are a great additiions.

My favorite baking tip is to spoon flour into a measuring cup instead of scooping it up with the measuring cup.

Carol Peterman/TableFare said...

The crispy pie crust garnish is a perfect accent to the custard. Your cinnamon infusion sounds lovely.

My favorite baking tip is to add sugar slowly when creaming it with butter and then exercise patients and let it cream for a full 3-5 minutes before adding other ingredients.

Hayley said...

Congrats on the 100th post! And your custards do look really cute!!

The best tip I learned was to rotate stuff in the oven halfway through baking. No matter how new or fancy the oven!

Julie said...

Your custard really does look super! Nice giveaway too. I'm approaching 100 myself so trying to think of something to do.

Unknown said...

Your custard does look pretty schweet! Probably the best baking tip I have learned so far, is to put a cake directly into the freezer for an hour right after it had come out of the oven. It turns out so much moister.

vibi said...

This is as far as got tonite! ...I had fun ...and these lemon cups are wonderful looking. I love the stars and will keep the idea in my creative folder!

Beautiful, Carolina! From enchilladas to pizza!