schizo post

So it was my good friend Ingrid's birthday on Tuesday. My baking ingredients at the new pad are really pathetic, which will hopefully be fixed this weekend when bd finally has a day off and we can do a real grocery shop. That however did not help me on Monday as I was trying to figure out what to make for Ingrid's birthday. I don't drive so my grocery list had to be portable. Like really portable, my stroller has next to no storage space in it. Then I remembered this blog I had seen. I remember how cute they looked and how simple they were. I wish I was as talented at photography as she is!!

I made a few changes to the recipe which proved a few difficulties. I added sliced peach into the cakes which meant these weren't really as structurally strong as they would be without the sliced peaches. Peaches contain a lot of moisture so I had to do some emergency surgery on these babies! They turned out okay though. Especially seeing as they were viewed in a dingy rock n' roll bar on Queen West! So here are the little peach cakes!!!

You will need for the cake;
1 box of yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup of oil
1 cup milk
1/4 cup peach schnapps
sliced peaches (if you feel brave!)

For The Decorating
2 cups icing
2tbsp peach jam
12 whole almonds
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bunch mint

Set the oven to 350f

Drain and dry the peaches on paper towel. Get the peaches as dry as you can, you brave thing you!!!

Mix the rest of the ingredients together as per package directions.

now pour into these nifty pans you really need these to make it work!
you can buy them here. I think they're nifty!

pour your batter in filling them up about 2/3 full. I filled them up too much don't do that. especially if you are putting the peach slices in.
now add your peaches if you are using them.


Bake for 18 minutes. I'm not sure how long if you aren't using the peaches. I'd say read the box and keep an eye on them.

Now for the icing. Now I want to say that I normally never ever do this. I bought icing. I know, I know. How could I do such a thing. Normally my icing is my pride and joy. Literally the icing on the cake! I recommend making your own butter cream I should of but I'm gonna be honest. I knew these were going to be drunkenly devoured around midnight at the bar. No one would notice that I didn't make the icing. So I bought icing and threw about two tbsp of peach jam into the mix and threw it in the fridge.

Now for the decorating! In two small tupperware containers pour 1/4 cup of sugar, in one container pour in six drops of red food colouring in the other 12 drops of yellow food colouring. Now shake them up!!! dislodge any clumps with a fork.
Once your cakes have chilled to room temp smear a bit of icing on the flat side of the cake place an almond on the icing and place a second cake on top creating a sphere. You can paint the cakes with simple syrup now if you like. It will help them keep a little longer but it's not necessary. Now I put them in the fridge for an hour to harden these cute little things up! While they are in the fridge you can cut your cinnamon sticks into stems about you want them fairly thin and about half an inch long.

Unfortunately while they were hardening my lovely assistant had to leave so I don't have any more process pictures. It will just have to be description from here on out! Don't worry I'm scared too!

When they come out of the fridge have your 2 plates of sugar ready dab the cakes into the red sugar to create those lovely blushing cheeks peaches have, roll the rest of the cake in the yellow sugar making sure you pas close attention to the icing. now use your cinnamon stick bits to poke in a mint leaf and you are done!!

(note take pictures right when you make them! The sugar will stay on as will the colour but it rained the next day. Humidity and sugar are not friends!!!)

Well sorry about the craziness of this post. i may fix it, I may not. I do however have some pics and notes from the old place so you can look forward to another post soon! I hope when my schedule gets a little less hectic I'll be posting about 3 times a week.

Until the next sporadic time for now!
-lex

We're Moved!!!

So we moved to our new apartment last Thursday. Things have been a little hectic. We had to buy almost all our furniture plus all the other stresses of moving. I was so stressed out I left my kit behind!!!! So we are stuck trying to cook with a bread knife and two paring knives. Luckily I remembered my ice cream maker which as B.D. pointed out is the most important thing! He makes me laugh. So this is a back post. I made these for dinner one week and then made them as mini burgers for Superbowl Sunday. Until I get my knives back and finish oiling my lovely new prep bench that B.D. bought me for my birthday I will be scouring my pics for posts!!

I would like to introduce you to The Buffalo Chicken Burger!
Isn't it yummy looking!
You will need,

Burgers;
1 pound ground chicken (I grind my own, pre-ground pioultry freaks me out!!!)
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce (not gonna lie, I pulled it out of the fridge for spelling)
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp Frank's Original Hot sauce (or like but I LOVE Frank's!)
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Sauce;
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp worcestershire (I just copy and pasted that time)
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
6 oz blue cheese
salt pepper to taste

If you are grinding your own meat like I do, take two large chicken breasts and six chicken thighs.


Wash the chicked thoroughly and then cube into one inch cubes (approximately) and put into the freezer for 20 minutes. Now you are not completely freezing the chicken you just want to make sure that the fat is very very cold! If it isn't you will end up with a gloopy stringy mess that is among other things really hard to clean!


Once it is frozen run it through your grinder, or pulse in a food processor. Viola, ground chicken!! I usually steralize all my grinding equipment after by boiling for about 20 minutes. Slightly excessive but I'm a little neurotic. You will have two pounds now. I freeze one of them with my trusty vacuum sealer for later use!

Now make your burgers!!
mix your meat, egg yolk, wors.... I don't want to type that again.....the brown stuff ;), and bread crumbs all together in a bowl. Season them and pound them out. If they won't mold then stick the mixture in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes.

Set your pan to medium high heat and cook. Flip after 7 minutes and cook until the juices run clear (another 5-7 minutes)

While your burgers are cooking melt your butter in a small sauce pan and add the Frank's. Mix well and set aside. add all of the ingredients for the sauce into a food processor or bowl. Mix in the processor or with an imersion blender until well mixed. Pour into a squeeze bottle and set aside. You don't want to make the

Now drink half of that glass of wine that must be around somewhere while your burgers finish up. When they are done add the Frank's and butter mixture and coat the burgers with it!
Assemble as you would a burger using as much of the blue cheese sauce as you want!
Enjoy All!! I also made these as mini burgers and they worked a little better, and by better I mean spicier! I'll post how to do that later but right now I hear a baby stirring!
Ciao for now!!!
-Lex