The Messy Kitchen

Witnessing Dreams Come Alive...

2011-10-09T19:26:00.009-04:00

Where to start...Apparently I've neglected this blog for almost 3 months now, which is not OK by my standards at all. But, please know my absence is a good thing. I've been super busy working, schooling, enjoying life, and of course baking.

I know I've taken pictures along the way of my baking, but I can't seem to find them right now. So, while I dig around for them, please enjoy the photos of the most recent wedding I've done.

It is the most amazing feeling to witness your dreams coming true...

Red Velvet with Buttercream frosting

2 tiers, each 3 layers

Red Velvet cupcakes with Buttercream frosting

Wafer Paper Peacock feathers on top

Heart Shaped Whoopie Pies

Trying my hand at bread making...

2011-07-10T20:15:00.007-04:00

I like to think I've done pretty well with my dessert baking, but I haven't dabbled into my bread making yet. So, I bought a book. A bread making book. And I've read, and I've thought, and I've baked my very first loaf of bread...What do you think? It was very yummy! And I can not wait to go at it again!

YUMMYYYYY Challah Bread!

Hydrangea Cupcakes...

2011-07-10T20:05:00.003-04:00

These were made for a surprise bridal shower a friend of mine was throwing. The idea originally came from this blog...it's great, check it out! But also came from a spin-off on another blog.

Another wedding for someone very special...

2011-07-10T20:03:00.002-04:00

Just a preview...

2011-06-03T22:27:00.001-04:00

Because every girl deserves pretty cupcakes on their birthday...

2011-06-03T22:14:00.004-04:00

(Check out the box inserts I finally found!!!! :> )

Knock, knock...

2011-06-03T21:38:00.002-04:00

The infamous question that night was "Do you want some cake?"...which followed the surprise knock on many people's doors. This was a test-trial cake that I made a few weeks ago. It's a 12 inch, 9 inch, 6 inch tiered cake....a.k.a. a lot of cake for a test trial. What do you do with all that cake, you might ask. You practice driving it around with your partner-in-crime sister and shower the ones you love with yummy cake! Duh! Of course! Let's just say my parents, the local P.D. and many friends had some very yummy cake surprised delivered that evening.

40 great years deserves a great cake!

2011-04-14T21:02:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to my "Uncle Bob" for 40 years at his job!

Life can shake and rattle you...but family's stronger than a brick house.

2011-04-14T20:50:00.006-04:00

8 pizzas, 1 family, laughs, tears, and a good night for the books....Happy Birthday Dad! <3

...clearly my brother enjoys my pizza!

Because the Coast of Maine is gorgeous no matter what season...

2011-04-14T20:48:00.002-04:00

We are official...

2011-04-14T20:31:00.003-04:00

This post is big, no, it's huge! I am so excited to share this with everyone that I can't put my thoughts together enough to write this. Let's just start by saying my lawyer friend Pam (yes, that is what I call her) is AMAZING! For my birthday, she purchased the trademark "The Messy Kitchen" for me. It is officially my name. As of April 3, 2011, The Messy Kitchen is mine. This is one of the first steps towards store front.

In case you are wondering what these delectable cupcakes are, I'll tell you. They are vanilla almond cupcakes filled with lemon curd and topped with a whipped creamed frosting. They were a gift to Pam and her lawyer friend who helped with the trademarking. Thank you!!

Marathon posting...

2011-04-14T20:02:00.005-04:00

So my lack of posting has brought me to a backlog of things to talk about...so, here we go! Let's start with my new love. I stumbled across this new Buttercream frosting, which, may just be a new staple in my baking-ness.

Here is what I tried the recipe out on...

...a birthday cake for Pam

...and some cupcakes

...because everyone loves cupcakes.

Heart Day Whoopie Pies

2011-02-19T21:18:00.002-05:00

Some people think of Valentine's day as the day to shower the one you love with flowers, candies, and a candle lit dinner. Other's think of it as a Hallmark holiday. Some may even think of it as a day to celebrate heart shaped items. How ever you choose to recognize February 14th, chocolate whoopie pies filled with a strawberry filling will surely top it off!

Why yes, that is bacon in your cupcake!!

2011-02-01T18:20:00.003-05:00

You wouldn't know it from the picture, but this is a 'Maple Frosted Bacon Cupcake". Yes, BACON! It started with facebook (I feel like that happens more and more theses days). A friend posted he was gifted with theses bacon cupcakes. Which, to me sounded...well...not worth baking, nor trying. And if you know me, thats a lot. I try to give everything at least one shot. As you know, anything that starts with facebook turns into a whirlwind, so when my brother-in-law asked if I had seen our friend's facebook status about bacon cupcakes, I was quickly informed there was bacon in his freezer.

Needless to say, I stuck to my "I'll give everything a shot once" moto and put his bacon to good use. They were surprisingly yummy! However, they are a very dense cupcake, more of scone like.

Maple Frosted Bacon Cupcakes:

1 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup Cake Flour

1 3.9-ounce Box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon Potato Starch (I used Corn Starch)

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg (I just used Nutmeg Spice)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

4 Large Egg Whites, at room temperature

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

1/2 Cup Half-and-Half, at room temperature

1/2 Cup Chopped Cooked Bacon (about 5 strips)

For the Frosting:

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

2 Cups sifted Confectioners' Sugar

1/4 Cup Maple Syrup

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 Strips Bacon, Cooked and Chopped (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Prepare the cupcakes: Combine the flours, pudding mix, baking powder, potato starch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl with a whisk.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a mixer on low speed until combined, 6 to 8 minutes. Gradually mix in the vanilla and egg whites. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the maple syrup and half-and-half, mixing after each addition and ending with flour. Mix until the ingredients are just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the bacon.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon; beat until combined. Spread on the cooled cupcakes; top with chopped bacon, if desired.

Chocolate Pudding Cake

2011-01-22T13:01:00.009-05:00

Let me start by saying...I'm in love with HOW this recipe is made! I found the recipe here...and decided I had to try it! You mix all of the ingredients in the 8x8 pan that you bake it in...simple, easy, and best of all only 1 dish to clean!! It's very rich! Next time I would suggest smaller portions with maybe a little French Vanilla ice cream?? YUM!

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In an 8x8 inch square pan, stir together the flour, white sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add milk and oil, mix well. Sprinkle brown sugar, remaining cocoa and chocolate chips over the mixture. Add the vanilla to the hot water, then pour the water over the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the surface appears dry. Serve warm with a spoon or at room temperature.

Round 2...

2011-01-09T21:03:00.003-05:00

As I promised, here is round two of the sugar cookies. Item number one I wanted to tackle was the thickness...DONE! And with ease. Item number two to tackle was stickiness/rolling of the dough....DONE! There is more I need to work on, they're not exactly where I want them to be, but they are almost there.

And if you are wondering why snowflakes? Well, it's probably due to the lack of snow around these neck of the woods. I thought it was winter!! Geez, oh well. If I can't have real snow I can at least have snow cookies.

Sugar Cookies

And because I needed a little bread making fix....here are some home-made pretzels. I really wanted to bake bagels, but decided I would try something new. I've been dying to try this recipe for a while now, and here they are! YUM YUM YUM! They are not the prettiest of pretzels, but they make up for their looks in tastes. It's what's inside that really matters, right?

Pretzels

Have a good week everyone, may it be better than the last!

hello there sugar..

2011-01-08T20:03:00.007-05:00

...Sugar Cookies that is. First off, I need to admit something. I've had a bit of an obsession this week with...a blog. A friend of mine sent me it, and I fell in love. This lady has a pure talent with decorating cookies. PURE TALENT! This inspired me to try THE SUGAR COOKIE. It's something I've tried a few times, but I've yet to make it happen. So I'm starting fresh. New recipe, new ideas, new determination. Here is the first round, the GNO cookies. That's short for Girl's Night Out. You know, the night that all the girls get together in their PJs, slippers, and their oversized sweatshirts. The night we all cuddle up on the couch together, chit chat, catch-up, and drool over Dr. McDreamy.

So stay tuned for more sugar cookies, because the next batch of dough is currently in the fridge chilling...I'm not giving up until I have the best sugar cookie recipe.

Bring it on 2011!

2011-01-02T19:17:00.005-05:00

Well everyone, it is finally here. Another year has come and gone. Another year of laughter, smiles, heartache, and love has past. I can't help but think about everything that has happened in the past year. Everything that has changed. Everything I expected to happen that did, and all of the unexpected I was blessed with. If we time-traveled back exactly twelve months, I never could have expected to be here. But I am. So, going into this new year, I'm taking with me this: Live and learn. Love you life. Be thankful for the family that loves and supports you. Be thankful for the family you are born into, and the one you've grown into. Be thankful for every experience. Do not regret a single thing for you cannot change the past. Learn from your mistakes. Believe that if it is meant to be, it will find a way. And, be thankful for every day, every moment, every breathe.

Resolutions...this year, my resolution is to post at least once a week. My life one is to "Laugh more, smile more, eat more, drink more, and have fun more."

Here's to my first 2011 post:

Ladies' night is always a good night. Pizza night is also always a good night. So when we combine the two, it's a FABULOUS night! It was a night of laughter, fun, stories, and celebration. We proudly celebrated my sister closing on her first house! She recently got her realtor license and I couldn't be prouder! =)

Happy 2011 to everyone! This is going to be a BIG year...and I have a feeling a GREAT year! See you all next week...

Spinach and Prochuto Pizza

The infamous 'White Pizza'

Num Num Num!

Christmas 2010...

2010-12-27T21:12:00.011-05:00

Where to begin? Well let's just say it all started with this crazy idea I would bake for a couple of my friends...which somewhere along the way turned into baking bags filled with goodies for 14 families! There were 'Maple Pecan Buttons (a.k.a. Russian Teacakes)', 'Soft Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting', 'Chocolate Mint Cookies dipped in White Chocolate topped with Crushed Candy Cane', and last but certainly not least 'Chocolate Whoopie Pies filled with Peppermint Filling'. About halfway through all my baking, I stopped and thought to myself "I can't wait for the day I can do this EVERYDAY!".

I'm in LOVE with how these bags turned out...there will definitely be more in the future

And finally...Santa came!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their holiday season...I know we sure have! May you all have a safe and happy end of the year...bring on 2011!

Neglecting...

2010-12-09T18:11:00.003-05:00

I promise I haven't neglected the blog...I've just neglected my camera. And, I HATE posting without pictures (yet here I am doing it). I'm sad to say I have to put pumpkin baking on the back burner....It's officially Christmas baking time. For Thanksgiving, though, I put the pumpkins front and center. I baked up probably almost 100 pumpkin whoopie pies and TONS of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies...YUUMMMMMYYY!! My favorite quote of the night was my sister telling our friend that the cookies were "not bite size"..he didn't care. The faster they got in his mouth, the more he could enjoy.

And the latest thing I baked was homemade chocolate chip cookies for a Christmas party. They weren't made from the Toll House classic recipe (which I trust, treasure, and love), but rather from am excellent recipe book I have called "In the Sweet Kitchen". I doctored it up a bit using chopped up Hershey's bars. A new trick I definitely will be using again!

Happy holiday season to every one! =)

A new appreciation..

2010-11-06T17:10:00.008-04:00

Sometimes I'm really ambitious...a little too ambitious. For example, the time I was determined to make freshly pureed pumpkin. Yes, that's right, fresh. So there I was at the local Agway buying a small sugar pumpkin. Small, cute, round, orange...and a pain in my butt!! I found these great instructions, and off I went. I knew when I had to try 6 different knives to just cut the pumpkin in half it wasn't going to go well. Despite my cursing and complaining, I trucked on. And about an hour later my pumpkin had been baked and I was ready to start mashing it away by hand...because I don't have a food processor. (Oh Santa, I would truly love one for Christmas ;> )..But I DID IT!!! I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with my fresh pumpkin. That trusty old recipe has surfaced once again. They were very yummy! I have to admit it was a lot of work, and I truly appreciate the price of canned pumpkin now. I probably will not be doing it again anytime soon, but I am glad I can proudly, successfully say I made my own freshly pureed pumpkin!

2010-10-09T15:04:00.005-04:00

I'm taking a break this post from the much loved fall baking. While I am so happy I can now enjoy my Dunkins pumpkin coffee everyday and I've been buying the grocery stores out of their pumpkin...I needed to switch it up. So I thought this would be the perfect post to share with everyone what we have been up to around here.

As most people know, October is breast cancer awareness month. Myself and countless friends I know have loved ones that have been affected. It's so important that we are all aware of it. So next weekend, Foss Motors will be giving away a 2010 Jeep Wrangler to help raise money for On Belay! On Belay is an organization in NH that helps children who's parents are dealing with cancer. As you can see, the Jeep is pink!! It's actually black and shrink wrapped in Pink. Foss Motors has teamed up with WERZ 107.1, and the drawing will be Sunday October 17th, 2010! Your odds are really good, and someone in the seacoast will be driving home in a BRAND NEW PINK JEEP next Sunday!! So stop by Foss Motors by Wednesday to enter...it's free, what do you have to loose?? While you're there, you should buy one of the t-shirts we are selling (see below). They're $20 and ALL proceeds will go to On Belay.

OK, now to baking. I've had this Jeep and the t-shirts on my brain lately and all I can think is pink. I was itching to bake the last couple of days, so I decided to make chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting. They turned out really yummy!!! Sometimes all you need is a simple chocolate cupcake to make everything better.

Please THINK PINK this month...and DROP YOUR TOPS FOR A CURE!

Pumpkin...Pumpkin...Pumpkin

2010-10-09T14:46:00.001-04:00

It's officially fall...which means it is officially PUMPKIN BAKING SEASON!! I love this season!! Actually I love all the seasons, but I really look foward to fall for all it's lovely baking. Something about the air cooling off and all the leaves changing get's me itching to bake. I just want to bake so I can fill the kitchen with the oven warmth and the sweet smells of apples, cinnamon, and pumpkin. So, heres to the pumpkin season kick-off!! So far I've baked pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin whoopie pies, and mini pumpkin pie bites. All super yummy!! But the favorite was without a doubt the pumpkin whoopie pies. They will defitenetly be a Messy Kitchen staple. I hope everyone is enjoying this fabulous season!

Well hello there October...

2010-10-05T22:33:00.002-04:00

September came quickly, flew by, and left in a hurry.....

Now on to October...which means PUMPKINS!!!!!! I can't even begin to explain my excitement for pumpkin baked goods! I love how moist everything comes out when you bake with it.

So no real post for now, but just a heads up there has been pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin whoopie pies already made...more to come on that!

Happy October Everyone!!! And Happy Tuesday! =)

Where did September go?

2010-10-01T18:18:00.004-04:00

Another September has come and gone. It seemed to go by so slowly and yet it flew by. This year it was filled with pulling boats out of the water, our annual family NASCAR trip, my sister's beloved birthday carrot cake, school starting, GNO starting, leaves turning, pumpkins ripening, and so much more.

Let's start with my sister's beloved carrot cake. Every year we do a family trip to NASCAR. We meet up with our friends and it turns into a "6 motor-homes, drink sipping, story telling, laughing till your belling hurts, eating too much food, taking too many but never enough photos, and reluctant goodbye hugs on Monday". This is by far one my utmost favorite weekends of the entire year. We have such wonderful friends to share it with and each year brings new and amazing memories...How does the cake come in? Well, my sister's birthday has fallen on NASCAR weekend for a couple years now, and I think she thinks it's a sign or something. I'm not really sure, but it gives us another excuse to party and eat cake. She loves carrot cake, and last year I surprised her by making my first carrot cake in my dorm at college and showing up with it. She loved it! So, this year the tradition continued with carrot cupcakes. A huge hit, and much easier than a cake when you're camping. Happy Birthday Kate!! <3

And, let's just say it's fall baking time!!! I've already whipped out the pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies for our first Girl's Night of the season. DELICIOUS!! And I've have a little network of friends I am sharing my baked goods with. I love it because I like baking, I have someone to share it with, and I get really good feedback for when the bakery opens! So no fear, much more baking to come. I hope everyone has enjoyed their first day of October.

THIS is what I call a Palooza!...

2010-09-08T22:41:00.007-04:00

I mentioned a while back...a WAY while back...that I wanted to have a "Whoopie Pie Palooza"...Well I think it has officially started. Last week I had a fantastic week. Just an overall good week. And once Friday hit...I started to feel a hiccup in my happiness, so I decided to bake. I headed for my sister's kitchen and started to bake. And bake. And bake. And bake. I ended up baking 2 batches of classic whoopie pies using a recipe I found online (one of the many I've filed away for days like this). And I also baked 2 batches of Martha's Peanut Butter whoopie pies.

Let's just say...there were a LOT of whoopie pies...and I was like the whoopie pie fairy driving through town and dropping them off at various locations. And then some even managed to make it to the lake this weekend. Boy was my family happy!!

They turned out really great and I've gotten some useful feedback. If you got any from these batched...PLEASE let me know what you think. I'm on the hunt for the 'Perfect Whoopie Pie' and I can use all the feedback I can get. I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend...and welcome to September!!! =)

A 40th Luau

2010-09-08T22:27:00.002-04:00

This post is about a week and a half late...but better late than never.

**The best way to start this is by saying...HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY DEANNA!!!!!!!!**

I was asked a while back to make a 40th Birthday cake for a really good friend of mine. She's one of the fabulous girls in our GNO crew, and I watch her kids...actually her and her whole family are more like family than friends. And I like it like that.

Anyway the short of it, I got to be as creative as I wanted to be...I just needed to be able to feed approximately 100 people. So I decided to make a two tier cake, chocolate on the bottom (12inch) and vanilla on top (9inch). Then I added some coconut cupcakes with chocolate creamcheese frosting on top...YUM! (and also one of her favorites)...It went over really well and everyone loved it! By the end of the night we had skipped cutting the cake and using plates...we all grabbed forks and went at it. A really fun and great night for a dear friend who deserved every minute of it! Happy Birthday Deanna! <3

Inspiration...

2010-08-15T11:51:00.006-04:00

A couple of days ago, I ventured into Sam's Club to get a couple things. Venture is an understatement, because it was me and the store...all by myself. This doesn't happen very often. I never go there by myself, and for good reason. I was like a 5 year old let loose in a candy store wandering the aisles. I stood next to the shelves and looked up to what seemed to reach the 20ft ceilings. I walked and wandered each aisle wondering "could I use that??" As a baker, it was hard to resist the giant bags of chocolate chips...that I KNOW I could bake endless cookies with! But, I was doing a good job using self control. I did really well, but when I saw the 2lbs of fresh strawberries for $3.98...I couldn't resist! So I bought them. All the way home from Sam's I kept glancing at the 2lbs of strawberries that sat on my passenger seat next to me. All the possibilities of baked sweetness were streaming through my baker's brain. Then I realized the absolute best way to use the strawberries was in a birthday cake for my momma!

So yesterday, on the beauteous day of birth of my fabulous mother, I surprised her by baking her a cake. I made a 3-layer, 8-inch white almond cake. Between each layer were an abundance of sliced strawberries accompanied by a thin layer of whipped cream frosting. It was delectable! And as I laid in my bed last night, about to close my eyes, I heard a knock on my door. My mom peeped her head in and said "Thanks for my birthday cake."...it made it all worth it! Happy Birthday Mom!! I love you, and thank you for everything you have done, given, and said to me in my life. I feel so blessed to have you as my mom.

Oh, and I didn't use all the strawberries....hmmm so I think more baking may be in order!

OOOPPPSSSS....YUMMY!!

2010-05-24T22:48:00.004-04:00

I was able to spend a few days at home a little bit ago, before heading back to school. And, as most of my close friends will know, Thursday night is GNO (that's code for Girl's Night Out, BOYS!!) A bunch of mine and my sister's girlfriends all get together for dinner, Grey's Anatomy, and Private Practice. It honestly doesn't get much better than these Thursday nights. We gossip, catch up on boys, and give each other love and support. Unfortunately, because I'm at school, I don't get to go to many GNOs. When I'm home, though, I make every effort to go, and I'm sure to bring the dessert. This particular week, I decided to make something summer-y and yummy....and FAST. I didn't have much time because I had also decided to book my hair appointment and a coffee date with my friend the same day (typical me cramming too much into too little time). I did it though, I did it all. I made my mom's lemon squares. They are TO DIE FOR!!! The nutty crust combined with the lemon and the cool whip will make your mouth water! I absolutely love this recipe, it's easy and quick, and always a crowd pleaser. This will definitely be a recipe I will keep for life. I just wish I could figure out a way to make it so it was easier to package and distribute in smaller portions. The second thing I made was supposed to be Raspberry Bars. I used the same recipe I used ages ago from the Smitten Kitchen. I used the recipe exactly, except when I poured the raspberries out of the bag, strawberries came out. Apparently I need to pay more attention when I'm at the grocery store....whooopppsss! Nevertheless, they were delicious!! It was good to try switching a reliable recipe up a little bit. I hope everyone is enjoying the start to their summer! =)

March 17th? Really?

2010-03-17T22:19:00.006-04:00

Do you ever have those things in your life that you see day after day, but never do. hmmm maybe like this blog. Everyday I see it on my homepage, but I never update it. It's truly sad. Life has been so busy, and unfortunately baking has been on the back burner, but definitely NOT forgotten! So, in the past month and a half, I have tackled cupcakes (obviously a college favorite), more delicious pizza.....and hermits, YUM! We ate the hermits too quickly for me to take a picture, but I will most definitely be making them again. They're super easy, and super yummy! Also....PIZZA! I have a feeling a pizzeria may lay ahead in my life. I love making pizza. It always comes out so yummy, and topping it is so much fun. Plus, it's a great excuse to get a bunch of girlfriends together for dinner.

Now on to the exciting stuff. Some of you may know that I am an Art Administration major, which basically if an art and business major combined into one. So, I have been taking lots of art classes which has been fun, but extremely challenging. Art has always been something that comes naturally to me, but now I spend more of my time thinking about my two art classes than I do breathing. YIKES! So, I would love to share a couple of my recent projects with you:

This first project was for my sculpture class. I had to choose an object, research the history of it, and then make a piece. I chose a balloon for my object. I researched it and found that balloons were originally made from cat bowels and used as a sacrifice to the Aztec gods....short of it is that I sculpted a cat's butt and then had it suspended in air by balloons...it came out REALLY cool.

Here is the second project I wanted to share. For my other art class, we were all assigned a different type of art, mine was food art. We then had to make a piece using the same main principles as our topic. I chose to make a creme brulee-ing, fire breathing, rice crispie dragon. Inside him is a propane take, and I turned it on to brulee the top of the creme brulee....YUMM

I hope everyone is enjoying their spring weather =)

What a crazy life!

2010-01-31T13:32:00.025-05:00

It has been FOREVER since my last post! I sincerely apologize. In the past month and a half, I have been busy with Christmas things, New Years things, traveling to Costa Rica, and heading back to school. Here's a little update on my life:

Christmas...

Waiting for Santa

Maple Pecan Buttons

Rugelach with Cinnamon, Walnut, & Chocolate Chips filling

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies dipped in White Chocolate with crushed Candy Cane topping

Chocolate Chop Cookies

Nanny Jane's Whoopie Pies

Boston Creme Pie....Tim's Christmas Present

Costa Rica...

That's just a little update on the craziness, but it helps to explain a little why the posts have been far and few. I will be going home again in a couple weeks for vacation, which will give me ample time to bake. I hope everyone else is enjoying their winters...I know it is VERY cold up here! Bundle up, bake something yummy, and stay warm! =)

2009-12-23T03:42:00.002-05:00

Wow, twice in one day!...ok so it's technically two days, but it's 3:45am and I have yet to go to sleep. Yup, you guessed it, I'm up baking. I'm slaving away in the kitchen trying to finish my Christmas baking in full swoop...fingers crossed, but I am ready to hit my head against my soft, feather pillow...ahhh. I feel much more accomplished, despite the time day. All my shopping is finished, all my baking is started, now just to finish baking and finish making a couple gifts....then wrapping! I'm really excited to share with you all the goodies I'm in the process of baking...if I'm counting right, I have 6 (that's right SIX) different goodies...and I quadrupled one of the recipes...so really I have 9 (NINE!!!!) different things!! Stay tuned, I will be able to share them all on December 25th!

It's beginning to feel a lot more like Christmas: I'm finally at my relaxed holiday stage, I finally gave into listening to Christmas songs on the radio, I got my first Christmas card (that's sad) and I got to go see Avery's Christmas concert at school today. I think watching the little Kindergardeners sing all the traditional Christmas songs (like Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer) helped remind me what Christmas is all about. It's not about how expensive your gift is or how many presents are under the tree, but rather about the appreciating the little things in life. I'm so thankful for my family, and all their love and support. All I can hope for as we approach 2010 is a safe, happy, and healthy year!

I wish everyone the best of luck in their last minute Christmas doings! Merry Christmas to everyone...hopefully Santa is good to you =)

Thinking Ahead

2009-12-22T11:37:00.002-05:00

I just went and did my Christmas baking supply shopping at the grocery store, and as I sit here in my kitchen I had the strange urge to blog. I realized as I was checking out I just spent $19 of my last $35 on baking supplies...O the life of a college student with a baker's dream. It's tough trying to justify spending all this money on baking when you barely make any. But, then I sit back and think that I am only building my skills and resume, which in time will pay off.

So why the Christmas tree on the beach? No, I am not on some fantastic beach writing this...instead I am looking out the window at snow, quite the opposite. I am actually thinking about summer. Lately my brain keeps wanting to jump ahead to summer time instead of thinking about the current things. It's been hard, but I'm trying my best to keep my brain on track. Truthfully I keep thinking about what I want to do. Should I stay home and work all summer? Where should I work? Can I find a job in a bakery? Or is there something more out there for me? So in the Christmas season, I would like to give a little wisdom to myself and others: Live in the moment, and enjoy life!

I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas (or whichever holiday you so choose to celebrate), and stay safe. Keep checking back in the next few days because there is LOTS of baking to be done!

Whoopie Pie Palooza and a Mini Vacation to My Favorite Spot in Maine

2009-12-18T16:52:00.008-05:00

It's official, my whoopie pie palooza has begun. For those of you who do not know what this is, let me fill you in: I have taken on a personal challenge to find the "perfect" whoopie pie recipe. Mostly I want to find the "perfect" whoopie pie to sell when I open my bakery, but I really just love the excuse to eat tons of them =)

My first recipe came from my Maine momma. It is a top secret family recipe, which I only got because hopefully one day I will be part of thei

r family. So, unfortunately I can't share the recipe, but I am more than happy to make some for you.

I headed up to the Rockland, Maine area this past week for a mini vacation. I visited my Maine momma and the whole family. As part of my Christmas gifts to them, I included some home made whoopie pies. I was informed I did a very good job, so it looks like the palooza is off to a good start. I wanted to share a little fun info from my Rockland trip. So, below you will see a Christmas tree, but if you look close you'll see it's actually made out of lobster traps!! It is so cool! That's how Mainers do Christmas.

Let the Holidays begin....

2009-12-16T23:35:00.006-05:00

And so it begins...MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! I went to my first Christmas party of the year, and it was a blast! I decided I would bring along some goodies, so I baked Chocolate Mint cupcakes with buttercream frosting. They were very yummy. I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season =)

Pizza

2009-12-05T12:34:00.014-05:00

Hi Everyone!! I'm so sorry I haven't been more up to date with the blog. Life has been very busy lately, which hasn't left much time for baking. -very sad!- It's okay though, because each day I go through college without baking, I think about the fact that after school I will be able to bake everyday for the rest of my life. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I want to build my bakery, and what kind of goodies I want to sell. There's been a lot of dreaming and thinking going on up in my head lately.

But enough of my brain thoughts, I want to tell you all about my latest baking...PIZZA!! If you've been following the blog, you will know that over the past summer, my family took a liking to my pizza. It started out as just an adventure to see if I could make pizza dough on my own. I used the pizza dough recipe from Baking Illustrated, and like every other recipe I have tried from this book, it was a huge success. My family loved the pizza so much when I made it, that it became a weekly tradition at camp to make pizza for dinner. We tried many different toppings, sauces, and cheeses until we found our favorites. The reoccurring favorites were my infamous white pizza and the BBQ chicken pizza.

So, while I was home for Thanksgiving break last week, I made pizza. My mom went grocery shopping and I saw the blocks of mozzarella cheese in the bag...I knew she was going to ask me to make it!! I was very excited to get to bake, and surprisingly I had not lost any of my "pizza doing" touches. This time I made a white pizza, which is a sauce-less pizza with fresh mozzarella and garlic. And I also made a pepperoni pizza. I had forgotten how delicious it was, but obliviously my little brother didn't: He was working that night and didn't get to have any, but was begging me the rest of the time I was home to make more. Sorry, Andrew, maybe I can make it next time I come home. Take a look at the pictures above: it starts with the process of the dough rising to the final product.

Who knows...maybe The Messy Kitchen will have a Pizza Parlor attached to it?!?! I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday season, and stay posted for more updates! =)

Apple Season

2009-10-15T21:08:00.007-04:00

Not only did I have fun baking with pumpkin this past weekend, but I also tackled apples. I went apple picking with Deanna and the kiddos, and we got some great baking apples. I'm not sure exactly what type of apples they were. They're green, sweet, and HUGE (they're not Granny Smith)....but they're yummy!

So, I decided I would try making apple turnovers and tarts. They turned out delicious. These were also the first things that I have baked completely on my own without a recipe. I feel like I have accomplished a huge task in my baking career. =)

Everyone, stay posted because there is still more apply picking to come, and much more fall baking to be done!

Bring on the Pumpkins!!!

2009-10-10T21:48:00.003-04:00

As a lot of you know I have been away at college, and despite having a lot more down time than when I was working full time, I have not been able to bake as much. I am limited as to what I can bake at school because I do not have many ingredients, but fear not my friends, I was house sitting this weekend and had full access to all my baking "stuff"! So, I decided to kick off fall in true Messy Kitchen fashion....BAKING!!!!

I had stumbled upon a new baking site called Lovin' From the Oven, which is run by a young girl who also has a strong passion for baking. She had listed a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies...DELISH! I made the whole recipe, and it is does make quite a bit. I had enough to bring some to a cook-out, some to my brother, some to a friend, some to my parents, and still have some for myself to enjoy. They were very yummy, soft, and pumpkin-y. They were so good, I had people that don't like pumpkin eating them, and I have requests for more already!

I hope everyone is enjoying fall as much as I am...Enjoy! =)

Maple Pecan Buttons

2009-10-04T15:11:00.000-04:00

I was going through some stuff today, and I realized I never shared these delicious cookies with everyone! I made these a little while back, but they are definitely worth writing about. They are Maple Pecan Buttons, and I got the recipe from "In the Sweet Kitchen". They are tiny little cookies that are made with real maple syrup (who doesn't like real maple syrup!!) and real Pecans. After they are baked, you roll them in confectionery sugar....and then you roll them again! I know they are probably considered more of a holiday cookie than a summer cookie, but I at least know what I can make for my holiday gifts. They are really yummy, and if you own the cookbook, you should definitely make them!

Catching Up

2009-09-01T11:12:00.001-04:00

Yes, yes, I do know it has been over a month since my last update...I am VERY sorry!! As always, I have been very busy with family, work, life, and now school!!! I do want to update you on all the things I have been baking, so here we go:

These are pumpkin chocolate brownies. (I had a fall moment!) They were delicious. If you want to attempt them, you can find the recipe on the Smitten Kitchen website.

These are the shortbread cookies, cut out with a tropical fish cookie cutter, then frosted with lemon cream cheese frosting. I used the same shortbread recipe as the baby shower cookies (see earlier posts). The lemon cream cheese frosting was a very delicious addition to the cookies. Next time I frost the cookies, though, I would like to find a recipe that will harden, or crust over better. Nevertheless, they were very yummy!!

Thank You's....So remember the gigantic golf cake I made? Well, I was invited to a thank you cookout for the volunteers that helped at the golf tournament, and of course I brought dessert!!! Here are the cupcakes I made. I made chocolate, vanilla, and coconut cupcakes. All cupcakes were frosted with cream cheese frosting, except the coconut cupcakes had chocolate cream cheese frosting. I then made white chocolates that said "Thank You" on them, and placed them on top.

I hope everyone enjoys the baking!! I still have more to come...stay posted :)

Pizza

2009-07-22T09:59:00.006-04:00

You know when you go somewhere and have such a great time, but your pictures can barely show how wonderful it was, well...this is kinda how the pizza is. I found a recipe for pizza dough in Baking Illustrated, and really wanted to try it. We never order out for pizza when we are at our camp, so my mom suggested I try it there when we go up. The first time I made it, a friend of mine was complimenting how great it was, then we told her this was the first time I had made pizza, & the dough. Her face was priceless!!

Needless to say, pizza has become a camp ritual now. Everyone loves it! Our favorites include barbecue chicken made with Big Moe's Arkansawce (which can be bought by the bottle in and around the Portsmouth, NH area). And our other favorite is my famous white pizza...it's amazing! Who knew making pizza would be so much fun and delicious!

4th of July

2009-07-08T13:54:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone!! Sorry for the delay in the posts. I've been super busy, but I have not forgotten about The Messy Kitchen!

For the 4th of July this year, my brother and sister decided to have a pig roast at our camp. Well, as always, I was asked to bring dessert.....This does happen to be my favorite thing :) So I made 288 cupcakes, put them all together, and made an American flag. (I said that way too casually...I made 288 cupcakes!!)They were chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, all with buttercream frosting. I used red and blue sprinkles, and made white chocolate stars to put on the blue cupcakes.

They turned out really great! I loved how it looked all put together, and had many compliments (which I always love!!) I'm still hearing stories about it: A friend of mine said every time she turned around, she saw her three year old by the table. I think she ate 6 cupcakes! I guess she didn't eat enough though, because we were still eating leftover cupcakes as of yesterday. I think I may have over estimated a little this time :)

I hope everyone enjoyed there 4th of July as much as we did! Happy Birthday America!

Happy Birthday Anne!!

2009-06-19T09:14:00.007-04:00

Today is my good friend Anne's birthday! So, my sister asked if I would make two cakes for her. The first one was a chocolate mint cake with a whipped buttercream frosting. The second was a white almond cake with fresh strawberries and a butter frosting. They both turned out fantastic! Happy Birthday Anne, I hope you have a wonderful birthday...Eat lots of cake!!

Strawberries!!

2009-06-19T08:58:00.002-04:00

Well strawberries are in full bloom, so I decided to take the kiddos strawberry picking. After getting home, as usual the kids just wanted to eat the strawberries plain, but I personally opted for some strawberry shortcake!! It turned out YUMMY!!! I made the biscuits from scratch and put the strawberries with a little sugar, and layered them on. Then I topped it off with some whipped cream! Yum Yum!! Happy strawberry season everyone!

Whoopie Pies!

2009-06-16T11:57:00.003-04:00

Whoopie Pies are known as a "New England Thing", but I don't care where you live, Try Them! Growing up in New England, I never realized the rest of America was being deprived of this delicious dessert. And, I never really realized it until I couldn't find a recipe for whoopie pies in a cookbook, but only from my family in friends who also live in New England.

These whoopie pies are delicious, but be warned they were made in true New England style. So, you're going to need a tall glass of milk and a friend to split the whoopie pie with...they are huge!

Baby Showers

2009-06-11T15:01:00.006-04:00

Baby showers!! These cookies were for a friend of mine who was throwing a baby shower for a friend. She is having a little boy, so I was asked to make shortbread cookies frosted in blue and detailed in white. I thought the baby onsies cookies were absolutely adorable! Congrats Shelly!

1st Annual Krauss Family Golf Tournament 2009

2009-06-11T13:16:00.002-04:00

Here is the cake from the 1st Annual Krauss Family Golf Tournament 2009. This was a full sheet cake, half vanilla and half chocolate. It was topped with a rich vanilla buttercream frosting, and decorated to look like the 18th hole. The tournament was for a very deserving family who has a 5 year old daughter named Sophie who was diagnosed with Mitochondrial. I was honored to be asked to donate a cake, and to help out during the tournament. I got to be the Hole-In-One Lady!! I had lots of fun meeting such wonderful people and learning so much about golf. And...from all the feedback, the cake was a hit.

Cupcakes!

2009-06-04T16:42:00.016-04:00

Let me tell you, these are no ordinary cupcakes! Well this was quite the find, and a hit at the party I attended. They are made with multiple steps, but in the end are really delicious! They are a delicious chocolate cupcake made with Guinness, with a rich chocolate filling, and topped with a wonderful vanilla frosting.

I got the recipe from Squash Blossom Bakery who originally got the recipe from Smitten_Kitchen. I made my cupcakes with only the Guinness in the actually cupcake, and omitted the rest of the alcohol in the recipe, but I am sure they would be even better with all the alcohol included. They were fun to make, and I encourage all fellow bakers to give them a shot.

Raspberry Bars & Lemon Bars

2009-05-28T14:05:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone!! The last couple of days have been a bit rainy, so I thought it would be a great time to do some baking. Yesterday I made Lemon Bars, which as always, were a hit. Even people who don't usually like lemony things enjoyed them! I also tackled a new recipe for Raspberry Breakfast Bars. They turned out delicious! I will definitely make these again. Hope everyone stays warm and dry today!

And We're Off!

2009-05-19T16:02:00.013-04:00

Well this comes in two forms...First: The Messy Kitchen has successfully completed it's first order!! Yeah! I feel like we are off to a wonderful start. I made a 9 inch Chocolate Flourless Cake accompanied by a raspberry sauce, and a 8 inch White Almond Cake, with Raspberry filling, and a whipped cream frosting. See below the delightful outcomes:

Secondly, I was off for a mini vacation this weekend. Off to Maine I headed!! I went to the Rockland area, which just happens to be one of my most favorite places. I went to visit some friends of mine, and of course I had to bring some goodies to share. I brought Coconut Macaroons dipped in Chocolate, Lemon Bars, and Plain Bagels. By the time I got there, I managed to arrive with all the Macaroons I left with, all the Lemon Bars I left with, and 11 of the dozen bagels I left with....what can I say, I'm a good baker and I got stuck in stopped traffic on 95 for half an hour....probably not the best combination during a long road trip. =) The goodies went over well, and my friend was very resentful to share with anyone! I had a wonderful time, and cannot wait to return.

Sorry it took so long to catch everyone up...I'm still trying to keep myself in vacation mode and function during my normal daily routine, ask anyone: Monday morning was not the best haha. As always: keep posted for more goodies, and have a wonderful day!!

....So, I know I posted this yesterday, but I completely forgot to tell you all about The Squash Blossom!!! (http://www.squashblossombakery.blogspot.com/) While I was in Maine, I went to visit my friend Jessie (who just happens to be a spectacular baker.) She has started her own bakery, and runs it out of The Sea Store in Spruce Head, Maine. Of course I had to bring some of her baked goodies home with me, so I got some granola, Peanut Butter cookies with Chocolate Chips, Ginger Molasses Cookies, and Blondies. They were absolutely delicious!!

Monkey Bread

2009-05-12T11:39:00.003-04:00

With my coffee in hand this morning, I started to work away at my Monkey Bread. It was a good breakfast item to make with little kids, because they had lots of fun helping when it came to rolling the dough in the cinnamon. After lots of somewhat patient waiting, my little baking buddies and I accomplished our first Monkey Bread and it is absolutely delicious. These two children are the pickiest of eaters, but since this is coated with some butter, cinnamon, and sugar...they LOVE it! I hope everyone enjoys their day.

Mother's Day!

2009-05-11T14:02:00.005-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!! For Mother's Day this year, my siblings and I decided we would make dinner for my mom. I of course volunteered/was deemed the dessert. I wanted to make something that was springy and delicious, so I made a white almond cake with strawberry filling and a whipped cream frosting. It was a 3 layered, 8 inch cake, which served about 14. It turned out really delicious, so delicious that we ate every last crumb (well actually my brothers opted for seconds). **Keep posted...There is LOTS of baking to be done this week!!

Happy Mother's Day Moms!!

Sauce Tasting!!!

2009-05-08T13:45:00.002-04:00

Well, another week has come, and this brings another dessert for Girls' Night. This week I made a Flourless Chocolate Cake (see previous posting), however I experimented a little with some fruit sauces. I made a raspberry sauce and a strawberry sauce. By the raving reviews, this seems to have been a hit! I personally only tried the raspberry, but I sure do wish I could have had room to try the strawberry. I guess I will just have to make another cake!! :) Hope everyone has a wonderfull weekend!

Holy Macaroons!!

2009-05-01T12:53:00.005-04:00

I can't emphasize to you enough: Holy Macaroons!! What started out as a quick easy dessert to bring to girls' night turned into 62 (exactly!!) Macaroons dipped in chocolate. At one point I stood back and looked at the macaroons and I couldn't believe my eyes, but it was all worth it in the end. After baking and cooling all the cookies, I dipped them in melted semi-sweet chocolate, can you say YUMMMYYYY!!! All my taste testers agreed, and I even had people calling this morning looking for more!! These are definitely a MUST when the bakery opens!!

One little tid bit of advice that I learned for all you fellow bakers out there: If your recipe calls for cream of coconut and you can not find it in the store, you can buy coconut milk. If you use coconut milk in lieu of cream of coconut, do NOT shake the can and just use the cream at the top of the can as the coconut milk will have separated. Works like a charm! Enjoy :)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2009-04-27T12:53:00.010-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking for a new cookbook to buy. I decided to email my friend Jessica (Who happens to be a FANTASTIC baker!!!!) for some suggestions. She suggested the "Baking Illustrated". As I "patiently" waited for my book to arrive in the mail, I was brain storming about what kind of recipes I would find in my new baking book. All I could think of to bake was a chocolate mouse cake, or something along that line. When my book arrived, I found a picture for the Flourless Chocolate Cake, and it looked just like a chocolate mouse cake. So, of course I had to tackle this recipe first. I made 2: one for my family to test trial, and a second for a friend of mine as a birthday present. So far only my family has tried it, and they said it was delicious, and it did taste like a chocolate mouse cake! This is definitely a recipe I will use over and over again!

Brownie Peanut Butter Cups

2009-04-21T10:53:00.004-04:00

Once a week I take a painting class, and each week I keep everyone up to date with all the goodies. After everyone asking each week why I hadn't brought any goodies along, I figured I was long overdue! I was looking for something that was simple, different, easy to transport, and as always, delicious! So I made homemade brownies, that were baked in muffin tins. While they were still warm, I filled them with peanut butter, and then topped them with chocolate and peanut butter morsel chips. They were delicious! I will definetely be baking these again!

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T13:30:00.007-04:00

Hello all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. I know our family sure did. Between our big Easter dinner and our Egg Hunt, I'm surprised anyone had room, or the energy, for dessert. But thank goodness they did, because they sure did enjoy the cake and galettes I made. Also, we had two apple pies! The cake I made was a white almond cake with a raspberry filling, and a whipped cream frosting. YUMMMYYY!! The pictures are above. The pictures below are of the two galettes I made. One was peach and raspberry. The other was strawberry and blackberry. I think it went over well because everyone wanted to try each dessert, and there were barely any leftovers.

Fresh Donuts!!!

2009-03-30T12:53:00.003-04:00

On this rainy afternoon, my baking buddy and I decided we would catch you all up on our latest baking extravaganza. Last week we thought it would be fun to try making some of our favorite breakfast foods...DONUTS!! We made chocolate donut holes and chocolate donut sticks. We topped some off with sugar, while others we glazed. They turned out really yummy, especially when they were warm. I hope everyone is staying dry today!!

Cookies & Water

2009-03-26T14:07:00.015-04:00

The house was quiet, and the cool wind gentle blew through the windows. My little baking buddy Avery and I were thinking of a "quiet activity" to do during nap time, so we grabbed the peanut butter and made some Peanut Butter Cookies. We used the old classic recipe from Better Homes and Garden, and started cracking away. After mixing, rolling, squashing, and baking the cookies, this is what we got. To a five year old that doesn't like milk, water was the next best thing to have with her cookies, so here are our "Cookies & Water". Hope everyone has a great afternoon!

The Cakes

2009-03-25T20:58:00.025-04:00

Here are the Birthday Cakes for Adam and I. They are both 12 inch round, double layer cakes. The one on the top is a white coconut cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting. Adam's cake, on the bottom, is a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting:

Here is the St. Patrick's Day Cake that I made. It was a chocolate mint cake, made from scratch, with buttercream frosting. It is topped with fondant:

Early mornings call for fresh, homemade bagels.

2009-03-25T20:22:00.000-04:00

Fresh Bagels = YUM!! Last night I wanted to bake something different. I bake a lot of sweets and was looking for a little variety, so I decided to tackle bagels...a new adventure! After a little time with google, I picked a recipe and hoped for the best. The recipe I chose did not involve 1 hour of rising, which to me, made it perfect. Also, I already had most of the ingredients in my kitchen. It made 8 bagels, and I decided to try garlic, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds for seasonings. The whole family tried them for breakfast the next morning, and I have to say for a first try at baking bagels, they weren't that bad.

Hello All!!

2009-03-25T13:16:00.000-04:00

Hello all and welcome to The Messy Kitchen. This blog is going to take you along on my many adventures as I try to get myself to my final destination of owning a bakery. I love to bake and I want to be able to share all of my experiences with you: good, bad, and the messy ones :) So, stay tuned for more posts to come!