Lemon Meringue Pie Shooters

Super easy! Super Tasty!

What You'll Need:
4 lemons zested and juiced
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temp
4 extra-large eggs

1 cup flour
4 tbsp. butter, cold
water as needed

3 egg whites
3 tbsp. sugar

What To Do:
1. With the lemon zest, finely mince it and mix well into the sugar.
2. Cream the butter and sugar mixture and add the eggs one at a time, continuing to mix after each addition.
3. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
4. Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook while stirring every now and then on low heat until thick, about 8 minutes.
5. Refrigerate until cool.
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1. With the flour, cut in the butter using your hands making the butter dime-sized pieces.
2. Add water a tablespoon at a time, you're trying to reach a good pie dough consistency, not sticky.
3. Roll or flatten out to about 1/8 of an inch thick and bake on a sheet pan at 350°F until golden brown. It doesn't have to be pretty it's going to get broken up into pieces anyway.
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1. Place the crushed pie crust into a shot glass about 1/3 of the way up.
2. Pipe some lemon curd the other 2/3 of the glass.
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1. With the eggs whites, whip until extremely foamy, you shouldn't have big bubbles, it should be fluffy and white.
2. Add the sugar one table spoon at a time and continue mixing until full peak.
3. Pipe this meringue on top on the shot glass and torch it until a nice brown color appears.

Milk Chocolate Guinness Ice Cream

I know I haven't posted in a whole year, but I'm back! It's crazy what's happened in a year, but since my last post, I'm going to school for Baking & Pastry Arts and I've become an Executive Pastry Chef for Catering By Design in Denver, CO. Anyway, here's a super delicious, super EASY recipe that involves chocolate and beer, in lieu of being in college for baking school haha!

What You'll Need:
7 oz milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
4 eggs yolks
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup Guinness Stout
1 tsp. vanilla extract

What to Do:
1. Place the chocolate in a bowl and set aside
2. Scald the milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan
3. Whisk the egg yolks in another separate bowl
4. Pour about 3/4 of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks while whisking
**this process is called "tempering" it keeps the eggs from scrambling when you incorporate them
5. Pour the egg mixture back into the pot and continue to whisk until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon about 2-3 mins
6. Strain the hot mixture over the chocolate and stir until melted and well mixed
7. When smooth, stir in the cream, Guinness, and vanilla
8. Cool in the fridge, and churn according to your ice cream machines directions.


I got this recipe from a book, called "The Perfect Scoop," I made it at home and it's super good!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

I know this is going to seem awfully long but it's not as bad as you'll think!
** this recipe requires a food processor

What You'll Need (muffin):
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 1/2 cups flour (sifted)
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
3 lemons

What to do:
1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. sift all dry ingredients together.
3. mix butter and heavy cream into the dry mix.
4. mix in eggs one by one.
5. add water and vanilla.
6. cut lemons into fourths and discard the seeds; with a food processor, put in the lemon pieces, rind and all, and blend until completely minced.
7. add the minced lemon into the batter.
NOTE: the batter shouldn't be thick but shouldn't be too runny either.
8. bake for 20 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

What You'll Need (lemon filling) -recipe from allrecipes.com-
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup water
4 eggs separated
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsp butter

What to do
1. Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, salt, and 1 1/2 cups water in a heavy saucepan.
2. Place over high heat and bring to a boil.
3. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 1/3 cup water to make a smooth paste.
NOTE: I must warn you, the paste is hard to scrape so have it ready and DON'T stop whisking while adding the paste, you'll get chunks.
4. Gradually whisk paste into boiling sugar mixture.
5. Boil mixture until thick and clear, stirring constantly.
6. Remove from heat.
7.In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and lemon juice.
8. Gradually whisk egg yolk mixture into hot sugar mixture.
9. Return pan to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
10. Remove from heat and stir in grated lemon rind and butter or margarine.
11. Set aside to cool.

What You'll Need (meringue):
remaining egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar

What To Do:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg whites and salt. Whip until very foamy.
2. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar while continuing to whip. Beat until whites form stiff peaks.


THE ASSEMBLY:
1. Cut a small cross in the cupcake about half way deep.
2. Inject, with a piping bag or bottle, the lemon filling.
3. with a piping bag and a large circle tip, pipe a large ball of meringue on top of the cupcake.
4. place all the cupcakes onto a baking pan and place into the over until the top of the meringue browns.


Garnish Options:
toasted lemon rind
candied rind
graham cracker crumbs
I garnished mine with a home made lemon rind brittle :)

Hamburgers Anyone?

I decided to get a little creative

with combining baked goods

to make a sweet play on the

favorite american food.

Just in time for 4th of July!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED (bun):

2 cups of flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups of white sugar

2 oranges

1/2 cup of milk

1 cup of water

2 eggs

3/4 cup butter

honey

sesame seeds

WHAT TO DO:

1. preheat over to 350 degrees

1. Sift flour and baking powder together

2. combine sugar, butter, and eggs until well blended

3. combine flour and sugar mixture

4. add zest from both whole oranges and also add juice from both oranges

5. add water and milk to the mixture and mix until a smooth cake batter forms

6. bake in a cake pan with batter only one inch high from the bottom of pan

7. bake until top of cake is a light brown and toothpick comes out clean

8. set aside to cool

WHAT YOU NEED (meat):

instant brownie mix

WHAT TO DO:

1. follow directions on back

2. bake in a cake pan with batter only half an inch from the bottom of the pan

3. bake until tooth pick comes out clean

4. set aside to cool

WHAT YOU NEED (lettuce and tomato):

1 stick of softened butter

1 cup powdered sugar

red and green food coloring

WHAT TO DO:

1. combine butter and SIFTED powdered sugar, mix until well blended

2. divide the mixture in half and place into separate bowls

3. add coloring as desired, one bowl red, one bowl green

FOR THE CHEESE:

I used fondant and colored it a light orange (like cheddar). To color you fondant, grab a baseball sized amount of fondant and add 2 drops of orange food coloring, and knead the color in until the fondant is a solid orange.

Roll the fondant very thin (about 1/16 of and inch) and cut using a knife of square cookie cutter, making small "cheese" single squares.

ASSEMBLY:

1. using a circle cookie cutter, cut multiple brownie and cake circles.

2. cut the cake circles through the middle making a top and bottom "bun"

3. glaze the top bun (the browned top) with a honey/water mixture and sprinkle sesame seeds

4. put red frosting on top of the brownie circle and place on the bottom bun

5. on the "cheese" spread some green frosting on and place on top of the frosted brown round

6. top with the sesame seed top bun

Chai Latte Cupcakes

WHAT YOU'LL NEED (muffins):

2 cups flour

3/4 cup softened butter

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup water

Muffins:

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.Sift together the flour and baking powder in a bowl.

3.With an electric mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar, and beat on high speed until smooth.

4.Add eggs and almond extract to the butter mixture and beat until well blended.

5.Combine the flour mixture with the butter mixture and mix until well blended.

6.Add the milk and water to the batter and mix until smooth.

7.Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until light brown.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED (frosting):

Frosting:

4 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 cup chai powder

1. in an electric mixer on high, beat the eggs and cream of tartar until very foamy, about 1-2 mins.

2. add sugar a tablespoon at a time while blending on high letting each addition blend for about 20 seconds.

3. keep blending until stiff peaks form.

4. add green tea powder and blend at a medium speed.

Garnish Options

Ground Almonds

Graham Cracker Crumbs

Chocolate Curls (use a vegetable peeler and bar of chocolate)

White Chocolate Curls

Pirouette Straws

Easy Fruit Mousse!

WHAT YOU NEED (citrus):

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 orange/5 limes/2 lemons/1 grape fruit

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1.with an electric mixer on high, beat the heavy whipping cream until fully thick and fluffy.

NOTE: make sure that you mix the whipping until it is VERY thick and fluffy. It also helps to use confectioner's (powdered) sugar.

2.with any of the citrus fruits, using a small-holed grater, shave the rinds of the fruit into a bowl.

3.cut the fruits into fourths and squeeze the juices [including the pulp] into the same bowl as the rinds.

4.add confectioner's sugar to the bowl and whisk until confectioner's sugar is dissolved.

5.pour the contents into the whipped cream in SMALL portions and mix at medium speed.

6.serve chilled.

WHAT YOU NEED (berry):

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup: strawberries/raspberries/blueberries/black berries/acai berries/lingon berries

1/4 cup sugar

1 package knox gelatin

1.wash berries and put into a heavy sauce pan.

2.with a potato masher, crush the berries well.

3.on medium eat, bring the berries to a small boil and mix in sugar.

4.turn off the heat and in pinch-sized portions, add and whisk the knox gelatin.

5.while letting the berry mixture cool for 10 minutes, beat the heavy whipping cream on high until fully thick and fluffy.

6.combine the berry mixture and whipped cream, and mix on medium speed until well blended.

7.serve chilled.

WHAT YOU NEED (tropical):

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 mangos/half a papaya/half a pineapple

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1.cut the meat of the fruit into 1-inch pieces and place into a heavy sauce pan.

2.with a potato masher, crush the fruits well.

3.on medium eat, bring the fruit to a small boil and mix in confectioner's sugar

4.turn off the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

5.while letting the fruit mixture cool, beat the heavy whipping cream on high until fully thick and fluffy.

6.combine the fruit mixture and whipped cream, and mix on medium speed until well blended.

7.serve chilled.

Serving idea

try serving these in shot glasses, tea cups. or martini glasses

Garnish Ideas

baby marshmallows (plain or fruity)

citrus zest

mint leaves

left over boiled fruit syrup

small thin cookie/biscuit/crumbs

whipped cream

Green Tea Cupcakes

WHAT YOU NEED (muffins):

2 cups flour

3/4 cup softened butter

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup water

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.Sift together the flour and baking powder in a bowl.

3.With an electric mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar, and beat on high speed until smooth.

4.Add eggs and almond extract to the butter mixture and beat until well blended.

5.Combine the flour mixture with the butter mixture and mix until well blended.

6.Add the milk and water to the batter and mix until smooth.

7.Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes until light brown.

WHAT YOU NEED (frosting):

4 egg whites

1/4 cup matcha green tea powder

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1. in an electric mixer on high, beat the eggs and cream of tartar until very foamy, about 1-2 mins.

2. add sugar a tablespoon at a time while blending on high letting each addition blend for about 20 seconds.

3. keep blending until stiff peaks form.

4. add green tea powder and blend at a medium speed.

5. frost the cupcakes and decoratively shave with a vegetable peeler a bar of white chocolate

Topping Options:

White chocolate shavings

Sprinkled Matcha Green Tea Powder

Edible Glitter

Nonpareil Sprinkles