And it's time to bake!!

[Jasperann]

I will be posting pictures here soon. I have most of my detail work done, and yes it helps to do it first as it last longer than the gingerbread. I started baking this weekend, and am now beginning to decorate the insides and outsides of my pieces before putting the whole thing together.

This has been quite the complicated design and has been really fun to figure out. I can't wait to begin showing it off! I can't do it too soon though, while there is still time for someone to copy or mimic my design.

Linda

Yeah they said that some people take all year to make them. They are really extravagant. One from last year on the show I watched, looked like a mansion... it did not even look like it was made out of edible stuff, which was a rule of the competition that I watched. I wish I could go to one just to look at all the many ways of making them. It amazes me!

 

[LJC1861]

Yes, many of the top contenders to take all year to make their designs. I started in early August this year.

They do need to be completely edible. The only non edible portion is the board it sits on. During the judging if they determine that something might be non edible they will actually scrape and pick at it to make the final determination.

It IS quite the challenge to see how you can get edible items to look like other things. I am experimenting with seeds, coffee, nuts, pasta and all sorts of other things in my design this year. Candy just doesn't work, as most of it is way too big. I am making tiny tiny objects out of gum paste using a magnifying lamp.

My other challenge this year is to see how tiny and detailed I can get things. Detail scores points, and the smaller and more intricate the better.

For me this is fun and very relaxing. I will post pictures in a few days.

Linda

 

[ugadog99]

Can you please share the pumpkin cream cheese muffin recipe? Those sound delightful!

 

[wdwmom2]

This thread is a dieter's HELL!!!!! Not that I am on one....just sayin'.


You guy's have got my mouth watering!!!! Not doing much baking, but I do spend the weekend cooking up pots of soup! Not the same, I know. Today (off work today) I made chedder potato soup!

 

[disneyhand]

Would you mind sharing the recipe? I have one that I saw on Recipezaar but have not made it yet.


I just pulled the recipe card and it is actually called Shredded Wheat Bread, not Honey Wheat Bread. My family has been making it for years, got the recipe from an old neighbor. I've never tried it in my bread machine, for some reason I really love to make it the way Mom and Mrs. F. did and kneading can be really soothing! It's really wonderful bread. I hope you like it. Anyway here goes:

Shredded Wheat Bread
Bake at 400
Makes 2 loaves

ingredients:
2 shredded wheat bisquits *
1 t salt
3 TB butter (or margarine)
1/3 c dark molasses
1/3 c honey (or sugar)
2 c boiling water
1 pkg yeast
1/2 c warm water
7 c flour
butter or margarine for greasing pan and bowl

crumble the shredded wheat bisquits in a large bowl. add the salt, butter, molasses and honey. Pour in the boiling water (2 c). Cool to lukewarm. While that is cooling, dissolve 1 pkg of yeast in 1/2 c warm (not hot) water. Once that is smooth add to bowl. stir in flour. knead together 8 minutes. Rinse out bowl and grease with butter, add the dough. Then grease plastic wrap and place over the dough. Cover with a damp towel. Let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours (in a warm place). Punch down and shape into 2 loaves. Put in greased bread pans and again cover with greased plastic wrap and a towel. Let rise another hour. Bake 30-45 minutes, until brown.

* shredded wheat bisquits are sold in the cereal aisle. They are made by Post and say "shredded wheat original" on the package. The box I have contains 18 bisquits.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Loaf or Muffins

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup canola oil 2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened



HEAT oven to 350ºF.

MIX pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 3 egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining granulated sugar and remaining egg white with whisk until well blended.

SPOON half of pumpkin batter into greased 9x5-inch nonstick loaf pan; cover with layers of Neufchatel mixture and remaining pumpkin batter.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen bread from sides of pan; cool in pan 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.


Instead of the loaves I use muffin tins. I put liners in the tin first. I do barely spoonful(teaspoon full) of pumpkin mixture and then just a small dollop of cream cheese mixture and then I top it with a scoop full of pumpkin.

I bake 16-20 mins and then let set on the cooling rack.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Amaretto Streusel Cupcakes (we call them muffins not cupcakes and did not use the amaretto)

Ingredients
Cooking spray
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Streusel:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add amaretto, vanilla, and egg to sugar mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended. Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss well.

4. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Fold in apple mixture. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

5. To prepare the streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, and remove the cupcakes from pan.

6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Ham and Cheese Corn Muffins (One bunch I used the green onion and another bunch I used diced jalepeno and I'm thinking trying another batch with black beans and serving with sour cream and salsa at dinner time)

7 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 2/3 cups)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup egg substitute
3 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (about 1 bunch)
1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/3 cup (2 ounces) diced extralean ham
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, egg substitute, and oil; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in cheese, green onions, corn, and diced ham.

3. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan; place on a wire rack.

 

[Nancyg56]

I just pulled the recipe card and it is actually called Shredded Wheat Bread, not Honey Wheat Bread.

Thank you! I am trying not to use the bread maker, so this is perfect!

 

[java]

Well, I am baking, but none of it will ever be eaten by anyone! I am baking all the pieces for my entry into the National Gingerbread Competition at the Grove Park Inn here in Asheville.

I have been working on it for 6 weeks now, all the small sugar details and the baking has just begun. I hope to begin assembly next weekend.

Linda

Can't wait to see them this year! Aren't you the one that posted those great ones last year too! If so you are very talented! HOPING FOR A WIN FOR YOU!

 

[mhsjax]

That's a whole lot of muffins, OP!

Saturday evening, I baked a batch of sugar cookies using my fall cookie cutters. We had leaves and pumpkins. I was going to decorate them with orange and green royal icing yesterday morning. They were on a plate covered with plastic wrap, and I put them on the counter. The doorbell rang (darn JWs!), I went to the door, and the dog snagged the whole plate! He grabbed it by the plastic which stayed stuck to the dish and ran under the dining room table where he gobbled them down. He probably ate some of the plastic too.

Damn dog! He is the worst cookie monster I've ever known. He's none the worse for the wear either. You think all that sugar and butter would upset his stomach, but he's totally fine even today.

OMG< that is so funny. Ok not really but when you tell it, it is. I had a friend that happened to, only hers were mounds cookies and the dog ate every one of them covered in chocolate. She rushed him to the vet. Luckily it didn't even make him sick.

 

[Shmily1]

I baked 4 dozen cookies to send to DS19 at college this week. It's homecoming so I wanted to do something special for him.

 

[iluvwdw4ever]

last week I made a peach poundcake, then Friday my 4 yr old dd and i made banana muffins. RIGHT NOW at this minute I have a strawberry poundcake cooking in the oven. It smells wonderful.

I desperately need these poundcake recipes!!!!!!! I LOVE poundcake and these sound wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANKS!!!!

 

[ticktock]

Well, I am baking, but none of it will ever be eaten by anyone! I am baking all the pieces for my entry into the National Gingerbread Competition at the Grove Park Inn here in Asheville.

I have been working on it for 6 weeks now, all the small sugar details and the baking has just begun. I hope to begin assembly next weekend.

Linda

Please post pics.

 

[LJC1861]

I will I promise!!!! I want to wait just a bit longer, there is still time for someone to copy or mimic my design. I hope to begin posting pictures, probably under a separate thread next week or so.

 

[Grandmouse]

bump...

 

[LJC1861]

I started a new thread where I revealed my design comcept, and will begin to post pictures next week.

This year's design is a village based on the song "The 12 Days of Christmas"

The Partridge in a Pear Tree is the town gazebo
Two Turtledoves is a wedding chapel
Three French Hens is a bakery
Four Calling Birds is a phone booth
Five Golden Rings.....is a Jewelry Store of course!
Six Geese a Laying is a poultry shop
Seven Swans A Swimming is a lake with 7 swans
Eight Maids A Milking is a Dairy Barn/IceCream Store
Nine Ladies Dancing is a Ballet School
Ten Lord's a Leaping is a Fitness Center
Eleven Pipers Piping is a Pipe/Cigar Shop
Twelve Drummers Drumming is a music store....in the shape of a drum.


It is an ambitious design and I hope it turns out the way I see it in my head.
Right now it is still in pieces as I am decorating the interior walls as well as the exterior walls before I assemble the piece. I will post pictures as soon as my partner (who is the geek in the family) returns home after a business trip.

Linda

 

[summerrluvv]

I just made a boatload of chocolate covered pretzels, oreos and some choco lollipops today for my son's halloween party tomorrow.

I'm going to make several dozen choco chip pumpkin cookies next week, and pumpkin muffins. We LOVE them!

 

[iluvwdw4ever]

I just made a boatload of chocolate covered pretzels, oreos and some choco lollipops today for my son's halloween party tomorrow.

I'm going to make several dozen choco chip pumpkin cookies next week, and pumpkin muffins. We LOVE them!

Could you please share the recipes for the pumpkin cookies and muffins???

THANKS!!!
Angela

 

[momrek06]

TINA, how are you, sweetie?

I absolutely love baking, esp cookies...but living in Southern California...we are still experiencing summer!! ALthough, I do love our weather it does prevent me from doing any serious baking until the weather gets a bit cooler.

First on the list (when the weather is cooler) will be a double batch of Molasses cookies! YUM! I will say those Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins sound delicious!!!!!!!!