German Chocolate Cheesecake - Willow Bird Baking“You know, it doesn’t really matter,” I said with a shrug. The AT& T tech looked perplexed by my indifference. I guess customers usually start foaming at the mouth when he tells them he can’t get their internet connection up and running.
If you’re new to bread baking, you can start with recipes that call for all-purpose or bread flour. We won’t make you grind your own wheat, but if you’re ready. ![]() I explained: “I really don’t want the internet. You’d be amazed at how much you get done without it.”For instance, things I’ve been getting done: Napping. Reading My Berlin Kitchen (Luisa of The Wednesday Chef‘s amazing new memoir. You have to read it.) on the couch with Byrd beside me. Unpacking a box every now and then. Arranging things in my new apartment. Rearranging things in my new apartment. Throwing all my windows open and lounging in the gorgeous new autumn. Eating popcorn by the bucketful. Trying to be bendy in yoga. I’m going to be eating these words once my students turn in the first project for me to grade, but for now, I can’t believe how many hours there are in the day. I mean, I don’t know what I did on the internet all day to eat up the amount of time I’ve found myself with in its absence. Some worthy things, obviously: recipe research and development, writing about food, lesson planning, emailing students and their parents. But what consumed the rest of my time? Facebook? People. A prolonged email- checking stupor? Actually, I know exactly why the internet was able to fill my schedule: my insidious addiction to multi- tasking. I’ve spent the last, oh, sixteen years of my life running around like the proverbial headless chicken, completing each responsibility roughly 5 milliseconds before its due, and dealing with the not- infrequent crisis when a deadline slips by. I work on at least two things at a time, but usually five or six. For instance, right now I’m writing this, posting comments on two friends’ blogs, and reading the comments on Willow Bird Baking’s latest Facebook status. I’ll do each activity for a few seconds before switching to another, throwing in a glance at my email every few cycles for good measure. Why does my brain think this is an efficient way to manage tasks? And why must there be so many useless tasks available on the internet? I’m going to go ahead and admit to the entire interwebz that I have a therapist. I’m not even slightly shy about that fact, by the way — because I kind of think everyone should have a therapist. If you have one, you know what I mean! They’re wonderful. It’s like having a coach for life. Yes, please.) One thing she talks a lot about is mindfulness, which is being fully present, aware, and participatory in your every thought and action. It’s amazing how many things we do mindlessly — things like scrolling through a billion pages of Dog Shaming (baaahaha, okay, I just added that to my list of things- I’m- doing- right- now), eating a whole bag of popcorn while watching a movie, having a phone conversation while working on other things. In fact, I think that if we really examined our daily lives, we’d find that we do most things mindlessly — or at least with split attention. And the internet reinforces that behavior. Time to confess: how many tabs or windows do you have open right now? I have 1. 3!) How many other activities are you completing while reading this post? Having one of my favorite mindless- multi- tasking activities (that is, the internet) pulled right out from under me has made me realize how peaceful and productive mindfulness can really be. Sometimes I sit on my couch with a plate of food and do nothing but take bite after mindful bite, feeling the texture of the food, tasting each flavor, and enjoying the process. There’s no book in front of me, no television playing in the background. Nothing but me and the next bite. Eating thus becomes a meditation. Every activity I complete can be distilled down to its sensory components, down to the experience of completing it. And my spirit feels so much calmer and more satisfied. I can’t go forever without the internet — I’m a food blogger, after all, and I do get tired of having to find a little café with wifi any time I want to check my email — but I will be using it differently when AT& T figures out what’s wrong with my wiring. At least, right after I catch up on Dog Shaming…One thing I did (mostly!) mindfully Friday night was bake this German Chocolate Cheesecake. I did have soft music playing in the background, but other than that, it was just me, my new kitchen, and each ingredient. I expected the recipe to take forever, but the process actually went rather quickly — perhaps because I was focused on the tasks. I also have sharper memories of each moment: peeling the blocks of cream cheese off of their silvery paper, sticking the toothpick into the fragrant chocolate cake, stirring the coconut- pecan filling until the cold hunks of butter melted into the hot custard. The experience was just what I needed to make my new apartment into my new home. And I found one of those little wifi cafés just to share it with you! One year ago: Gooey Cookies & Cream Bars. Two years ago: Bittersweet Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies. Three years ago: Peach Crisp Pie. P. S. Remembering a very special lady this week and always. We miss you, Rose! German Chocolate Cheesecake. Total time. 2 hours 4. Small pinch of salt. I used half semisweet and half Ghirardelli 6. Cacao chocolate chips)3 packages (8 ounces each) of cream cheese, room temperature. I used half semisweet and half Ghirardelli 6. Cacao)3/4 cup all- purpose flour. Make the cheesecake crust: Combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and salt in a small bowl. Toss with a fork to moisten all of the crumbs. Press into a thin layer covering the bottom and sides of the springform pan (at least 3 inches up the sides). It’s hard to get the crust up that high, but keep pressing the crumbs up from the bottom with a smooth- sided glass (twisting the glass as you do so, so the crumbs don’t stick) and working them around — you’ll want it that high to hold the cake layer. Patience helps with this step. Make the ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan (or heat in the microwave for about a minute, watching to ensure it doesn’t boil). Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 1- 2 minutes. Whisk in small circles until a smooth ganache has formed. Pour the ganache over the bottom of the crust. Freeze until the ganache layer is firm, about 3. Make the cake: While the ganache is freezing, cut a circle of parchment paper and use cooking spray as “glue” to adhere it to a 9- inch round cake pan. Then grease the pan and the paper (I use Wilton’s Cake Release, but you could also use butter and flour). Preheat the oven to 3. F. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and coarse salt together in a mixing bowl. Beat the dry ingredients on low until combined before increasing the speed to medium and adding the egg, buttermilk, warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat about 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Pour it into the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 2. Rotate the pan about halfway through so it’ll bake evenly. When you take the cake layer out, leave the oven preheated for the cheesecake. Let the cake layer cool on a wire rack for about 1. Wrap the cake layer and stick it in the freezer to firm it up for assembly. Make the cheesecake: While the cake layer is baking, mix cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar in a large bowl until well blended and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each, and continue mixing until combined. Add the chocolate and continue mixing until combined. Pour mixture into prepared crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 5. 5 minutes or until center of cake is almost set. The top may crack, but it doesn’t particularly matter, since you’ll be covering it anyway. Let the cheesecake fully cool. When almost cool, place it in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling. Make the filling: Place the butter, salt, toasted coconut, and toasted pecans in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream, sugar, and egg yolks over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened, coats the spoon, and reads 1. F on a candy thermometer. Pour this mixture over the coconut mixture and stir until the butter melts. Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes - Baking A Moment. These Vanilla Cupcakes will be your absolute Favorite! So Fluffy, with an Intense Vanilla Flavor and Buttery Richness. They have a Fine, Even Crumb, and a Perfect Dome on top! They are Sturdy enough to stand up to all sorts of Fillings and Frostings, but I’ve kept it Simple with a Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream. You’ll reach for this Recipe again and again! Guess what? I’ve reworked this recipe and come up with something even better! Go check out my Even Simpler, More Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes—- > here. I was so pleased when the people at Zulka reached out to me recently, and offered me a sample of their product. If you aren’t already familiar, Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar is a less- processed, non- GMO version of the granulated sugar we already know and love.) Since I am a huge lover of all things sweet, and ALSO of all things natural, I thought Zulka would be a great fit for me, this blog, and you, my readers! I knew from the start I wanted to bake up a recipe that really allowed the flavor of the sugar to shine through. Something simple and sweet, that would showcase this lovely product. Also, I was overwhelmed by the positive response to my Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies. It took me by surprise, that such a simple recipe was so well- received, and it got me thinking… maybe I should offer more tried and true basics on Baking a Moment? Kind of silly for me to assume that everybody already has their favorite standby recipes to reach for. So, today, I’m introducing a new category/recurring series here on Baking a Moment: “Simply Perfect.” I still want to offer you guys some clever and inventive ideas, but I’m also going to arm you with some seriously awesome building- block recipes too! These will be all my favorites, from years of practicing and experimentation! I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do…. First up are these simple white cupcakes. I tested a total of four vanilla cupcake recipes, in search of my absolute favorite. Here are the key features I was looking for: A fine, even crumb. A fluffy texture, but not so soft that it couldn’t stand up to filling/frosting. A domed top. Intense vanilla and buttery flavor. The recipes I tested are as follows: Billy’s Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes (tasted great but had a hard crust on top), America’s Test Kitchen White Cake (pillowy soft and delicious, but too delicate), Dorie Greespan’s Perfect Party Cake, via My Baking Addiction (subbing vanilla bean paste), and My Favorite Vanilla Cupcakes, by Cookies and Cups, which was adapted from Back in the Day Bakery. It was a close race, but in the end, Shelly’s (Cookies and Cups) Favorite Vanilla Cupcakes edged out Jamie of My Baking Addiction‘s by a hair’s breadth. Mainly by virtue of this simple fact: Also I thought Shelly’s had a slightly richer flavor, which is probably because of the egg yolk. But if you’re really going for a snowy white cake, I’d go with Jaimie’s.) And her recipe is so easy to throw together, with only a mixing bowl, paddle, and measuring cup to wash when all’s said and done. All of them were so very delicious though! I’ve only made one slight modification to Shelly’s recipe, and that is the addition of vanilla bean paste. It really amps up the flavor, and it’s a more economical choice than whole vanilla beans. These little beauties bake up so fluffy and soft, and they can be filled or topped with all sorts of deliciousness. But today, I kept it simple with another “Simply Perfect” recipe: Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream. It’s a little more effort than the straight- up powdered sugar + butter variety, but the satiny- smooth, light- as- air, yet richly indulgent flavor and texture make it more than worth your while! Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes. These Vanilla Cupcakes will be your absolute Favorite! So Fluffy, with an Intense Vanilla Flavor and Buttery Richness. They have a Fine, Even Crumb, and a Perfect Dome on top! They are Sturdy enough to stand up to all sorts of Fillings and Frostings, but I’ve kept it Simple with a Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream. You’ll reach for this Recipe again and again! For the Cupcakes: 1 1/2 cup [url href=”http: //astore. B0. 04. G7. LNZ4″ target=”_blank”]cake flour[/url]1 1/2 cup all- purpose flour. B0. 03. T0. CS6. M” target=”_blank”]granulated sugar[/url]2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder. B0. 02. HQE1. 1O” target=”_blank”]vanilla bean paste[/url]For the Buttercream: 3 egg whites. B0. 03. T0. CS6. M” target=”_blank”]granulated sugar[/url]1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but cool. B0. 02. HQE1. 1O” target=”_blank”]vanilla bean paste[/url]Preheat the oven to 3. F. Place the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and mix on low speed, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (2- 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, and scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are well- combined. Combine the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup. Beat half this mixture into the flour/butter/eggs. Beat on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, add the remaining milk mixture, and beat for another 3. Fill paper liners 2/3 full with batter, and bake for 2. Cool completely before topping with buttercream. Place the egg whites and sugar in a mixing bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water, and whisk continuously, until the mixture is hot, opaque, and the sugar is completely dissolved (should not feel gritty between your fingers), about 5 minutes. Whip the mixture on high speed, until stiff peaks form and it has completely cooled. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, whipping well after each addition. If it begins to look curdled, continue to beat until it comes back together, before adding the remaining butter. Mix in the vanilla until well blended. Cupcake Recipe (barely) adapted from [url href=”http: //cookiesandcups. Cookies and Cups[/url]You are going to love these simple, sweet cupcakes! Sometimes the simplest pleasures can really be the best. Not everything needs to be fussed around with, right? And that goes just as much for sugar as it does for cupcakes. If you like things simple, unfussed around with, and natural, then you’ll definitely enjoy Zulka Morena Pure Cane Sugar. I have not been compensated by Zucarmex (the makers of Zulka), but I was given a sample of their product to review. All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own. Visit www. zulca. Zulka Sugar Facebook page, for more great recipe ideas. Here are some of my other “Simply Perfect” recipes: Simply Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies (Naturally Gluten- Free)Simply Perfect Pizza Dough. Simply Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes. Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Simply Perfect Homemade Jam (No Pectin)Simply Perfect Brownies from Scratch. Simply Perfect Salted Caramel Sauce.
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