Daring Bakers Challenge: December 2009

The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.

Seeing as Anna's recipe called for molasses, which I'm not even sure what it is, though a very quick (and by a very quick I mean a three-seconds) google told me it had something to do with both sugar and horses, I decided to go with Y's recipe (plus, I'm swedish, so not choosing it would've almost been a sacrilege, although I suppose altering the recipe could be considered that as well. You see, after having read a very wise post made by MandyM in the DB forum, I decided to reduce the amount of flour from 825 to 625 grams and it worked wonderfully - the dough did not turn out dry, nor did it shrink (with the exception of the first batch in the oven -but I'm certain that one only shrank because I'd forgotten to change the oven mode from the "quick heating" mode as the second one did not shrink at all)

Scandinavian Gingerbread (Pepparkakstuga)
from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas http://astore.amazon.com/thedarkit-20/detail/0816634963

1 cup butter, room temperature [226g]
1 cup brown sugar, well packed [220g]
2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground ginger
3 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ cup boiling water
5 cups all-purpose flour [875g] - I used 625

Templates (nice and greasy, eh?), Decorated walls, Gingerbread... It's like christmas in a box, without a box. The sugar windows were made by melting a cup of a sugar and pouring it in the cut out windows, then allowing it to cool. Piece of cake.

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the baking soda with the boiling water and add to the dough along with the flour. Mix to make a stiff dough. If necessary add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Chill 2 hours or overnight.

2. Cut patterns for the house, making patterns for the roof, front walls, gabled walls, chimney and door out of cardboard.

3. Roll the dough out on a large, ungreased baking sheet and place the patterns on the dough. Mark off the various pieces with a knife, but leave the pieces in place.

4. [I rolled out the dough on a floured bench, roughly 1/8 inch thick (which allows for fact that the dough puffs a little when baked), cut required shapes and transferred these to the baking sheet. Any scraps I saved and rerolled at the end.]

5. Preheat the oven to 375'F (190'C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookie dough feels firm. After baking, again place the pattern on top of the gingerbread and trim the shapes, cutting the edges with a straight-edged knife. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.

I got my template from milda.se, you can download a pdf file with it HERE

Royal Icing:
1 large egg white
3 cups (330g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon almond extract

Beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the powdered sugar gradually to get the desired consistency. Pipe on pieces and allow to dry before assembling. If you aren't using it all at once you can keep it in a small bowl, loosely covered with a damp towel for a few hours until ready to use. You may have to beat it slightly to get it an even consistency if the top sets up a bit. Piped on the house, this will set up hard over time.

Simple Syrup:
2 cups (400g) sugar

Place in a small saucepan and heat until just boiling and the sugar dissolves. Dredge or brush the edges of the pieces to glue them together. If the syrup crystallizes,remake it.

I wish I had an intriguing story to tell about the process, especially seeing as this was my first Daring Baker's challenge, but I don't. In fact, the most exciting part of it was burning my finger on melted sugar and ending up with a rather cool looking blister. I wish I'd taken a picture of it, it was that awesome.

Gingerbread Muffins

A couple of days ago I did something I promised myself that I'd never, ever do. I think I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves:

Yes. That's cake mix. Gingerbread cake mix of awesomeness. Only, not so awesome and more okay? (Note the overflow in the top right picture, apparently I fail at measuring 2/3rds with my eyes). And just for your information, those muffins are supposed to look like that. Yeah. Homemade. Rustic. Like they were made by a five-year old.

I'd write a how-to, but I mean seriously - it's on the box, so I'll just post an image of Mr. Moose instead:



Mmm. Spotted moose. Moose med korv. Isn't he adorable? Almost as adorable as these two sparkling ciders:




I'm positive they both taste like crap (I mean come on...tangerine+mistle & tangelo+ginger? No thank you Xide.), but I don't care. They're like snowglobes full of sparkling awesomeness, and if that's not what christmas is about, then I'm switching to Hanukkah.

Yes. This post merely exists because I wanted a Merry Christmas post but couldn't figure out how to write one. I'm tired and in a bad mood. Bliss. Anyways:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wishlists.

Generally, I hate writing Christmas Wishlists - I'm incapable of figuring out what I want and as a result, people tend to get upset about it. I don't know why people fuzz so much about what to get others (yet, I do it myself) - I rarely, if ever, dislike a gift I've been given.. In fact, I can't remember that ever happening. So yeah, I really don't see why the whole "finding the perfect gifts"-part creates so much anxiety. After all, it really shouldn't... as cliché as it may sound, the thought is the part that matters... the gift is just an added bonus. ;)

That being said, I have decided to list three sources of awesome gifts. Who knows, maybe you'll find something you'd like?

1. Unicef Inspired Gifts


"Children die everyday from preventable causes - for want of a simple vaccination, or from lack of clean water or proper nutrion" - Unicef USA: Inspired Gifts

It may not be much, but it's something - and it matters. We can't all be Angelina Jolies, although that would be awesome (except for the homewrecking-part). With prices ranging from cheap to uberexpensive, you're sure to find a suitable gift for a friend, family member or why not yourself? I think I'm going to buy polio vaccine for myself. :)

2. Lush


Gift Sets (the cutest things EVER; ), Whipstick, A Crash Course In Skincare (a miracle worker), Mmm Melting Marshmallow Moment

I have a terrible complexion - at 20 I STILL get a huge amount of zits, especially during that time of the month (and the week leading up to it). And to make things worse, the damn thing has decided to started aging on me as well - I'm well on the way of becoming a raisin. Okay, that might be the BDD talking (or so J. would say) but still - I hate it. That's were Lush comes in.. I love everything about Lush, except maybe for the prices. I love the quality, the fact that it works wonders and I most definitely love the cute clerk. ;)

3. ModCloth


Where's Your Shred At? Cardigan, Señor Don Gato Tea Set, Rainy Day Friends Earrings, Blowing Bubbles Dress

As much as I don't like Perez Hilton, I have to say, if it wasn't for him I never would've discovered the awesomeness that is ModCloth. Having never actually bought something from there, I think it's about time that I do.

Old people.

I'm not going to lie. Truth is, I'm a bit of an old-people-rascist - and honestly, I try not to be, but they just creep me out. Not all old people of course, but a lot of them. The old man who decided that throwing himself infront of my bicycle the other day whilst screaming something along the lines of: "You can't ride your bicycle here! IT ISN'T A BICYCLE PATH!!!", when in fact, it was (generally when there's a white painted bicycle on the road that means it's okay to ride there, right?) is not one of the select few. Seriously. What is wrong with some people? Maybe he couldn't help it, I don't know, and frankly - I don't care. Regardless of the underlying reasons, I do not think that those excuse or make such behaviour okay. I could've ended up seriously hurting him (or myself considering the fact that a car rode by just as he decided to throw a fit). Thank God the only injuries that came from this weren't too bad (though, I wish he'd been the one who ended up with a bruised knee, broken shoes and a dash of humilion, would've served him right) ... It's just, UGH. It pisses me off.

On a brighter note - it's christmas soon! And that means Christmas holidays. No university. No studying. Just me, the people I love and lots and lots of apple cider (okay, maybe not so much, but who cares? It's christmas!). Speaking of which, I wish I could justify paying 60 SEK for this ornament:



But I can't :( - I do not have, nor while I buy, a christmas tree this year. I think I'll just buy a couple of these instead:



Yes. It sparkles. It's like the Edward Cullen of ciders. Only redder, and much more delicious. I think. I mean. Vampires are dead, so I reckon they don't taste too nice. Then again, I've never had a x-mas Xide (yes, the picture is old), so I suppose that could be equally as disgusting.

Cupcake phone? Pffft.

That's ancient history... haven't you heard? I want a cupcake dress for christmas. All the cool kids do. Totally. Except. I've never seen a cool kid with a cupcake dress, but I'm sure they'd wear them if they knew they existed. Who wouldn't?



I mean, seriously, how cute is that? It even has a bow.



I loves it. Yes. With an s. This beauty comes from etsy user Ananya. However, I highly doubt I could pull that look off. I wish I could, but I most likely wouldn't... and even if I could it'd probably look stupid on me anyways as I lack, eh, certain assets so I think I'll stick to admiring it from a distance.


Tip of the day: Apparently, eating cashewnuts + poking yourself in the eye = BAD idea. Really bad. My eye hurts.

...and isn't it ironic, don't you think?

I hate shoes. I hate sunflowers. I hate people when they defend war. I hate my bills. I hate easter. I hate bad hairdays. And I hate listing things that I hate. But above all those things, I hate cooking. I hate everything about it. I hate how, unlike baking, it's not an exakt science. I hate how you have to touch dead stuff when dealing with it (sometimes at least). And I hate the fact that I can't even make soup without burning it.

Yes. Burning soup. I didn't even know that was possible, but whatever, I guess it is. Anyway, I got hungry the other day and decided to feed myself, but I was out of peasoup. And tomatosoup. And raspberry/blueberry soup. (What can I say, I love soup?) And pretty much everything eatable except an onion and a couple of potatos. So I whipped out an old home-ec coursebook from 8th grade and found this:



Onion & Potato-Soup - Student Version. (about 2-3 portions)
approx time: 25-30 min.

4 medium sized potatos (I ended up using 2 medium+ 3 tiny)
1 onion (yellow)
1 dice vegetable stock.
butter (to fry in, I'd say about 1 tbsp)
black pepper, salt

Directions
1. Peel and slice the onion and potatos.
2. Melt the butter
3. Fry the onion lightly - you know, just so it makes that fzzzz-ing sound for a few minutes.
4. Add the potatoes + about 2 cups (a little more) of water + vegetable stock
5. Lower the heat and let boil under lid until potatoes are soft (took me about 15 minutes).
6. Season away.

Look at that... I promise you, you won't find a simpler soup than that - it's pretty much a fool-proof recipe (considering I burnt it I should probably stop talking now, but I like trying to sound like a pro and failing miserably at it, so I won't). And the best part? It's CHEAP. Isn't that amazing? I think it is, but then again, I'm poor.

And the verdict? It's edible. It's potatos. It's...kind of dull. A bit too safe for my tastebuds (at least soupwise) and I wouldn't really call it a culinary masterpiece. Or even culinary for that matter. It was a bit, well, flavourless, maybe I didn't season it enough. And to be honest, IMO, potatos should be enjoyed on their own. Using them in a soup is really such a waste.

bon appétit?

I know what you're going to say.

"Mustard on a...WHAT?!

So, spare me. Granted, there's probably no need for that since only two people know of this blog's existance, one being my sister (and she 1: loves mustard as much as I do and 2: has seen me eat weirder things) and the other one, A., well. Her father eats mustard like this. Only with a slice of cheese on top as well. So, maybe it's not so weird after all? I don't know. Anyway, I find it amazing how I fail to write posts - and bake - I've been so preoccupied with studying this past week. It's ridiculous. Both my failure and the studying...I'm sorry, but I just don't give a damn about maleorgan(Yes. I did, in fact, just censor myself. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say the p-word on here)envy. I feel like...Wow. I'm suffering from it, lovely. Wow. Can we please skip this and study something I don't already know? ;)

But this post isn't about maleorganenvy. Or Freud for that matter, who apparently isn't that big of a deal in psychology yet my coursebook keeps bringing him up. Someone explain that to me? This post isn't even about the awesomeness that is mustard (I'm just going to point out that despite that fact; I do love mustard, perhaps even more than I love potatos and that's saying something). It is about, well, nothing? Or rather, my dinner. So I suppose mustard is kind of integrated in all of this.


Oh hai there, tomato/chili-powder soup and swedish crispbread with Scanian mustard on it.

I found a recipe!

It's not the recipe I usually use when making Kladdkaka, but sometimes change is a good thing, right? I've never actually made one that has actual chocolate in it, so I figured it was time for a change. Hopefully, it'll turn out just as gooey and delicious.

Click the image for recipe (in swedish).
Note that the image is not mine.

As I was busy procasting earlier before today, I came up with a list of stuff I'd like to bake:

- Kladdkaka, se recipe above.
- Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes (so cute for christmas!)
- Lingonberryfudge.
- Saffron pancakes.
- Christmas Cupcakes of some sorts.

...is it obvious that I can't wait 'til December? -sigh-
Oh, wow. Three posts in a day. I'm not spamming this place up at all. Lovely. -_-'

All I want for christmas is... a cupcake phone.

Happiness just isn't happiness if you can't have a cupcake phone. I don't get it. How come they make hamburger phones and apple phones, yet NO ONE has thought of the idea of making a cupcake phone? Or at least created one. Seriously. Hamburgers might be good, and apples too, but cupcakes? They're awesome. No. They're BEYOND awesome.

I have no idea as to why I've become so obsessed with cupcakes lately, they've completly taken over the spot in my heart that used to be reserved exclusively for My Little Pony-worshipping (sorry, Rainbow Dash!). Though, to be honest I'm more of a muffin person than a cupcake person, even if I'd rather bake cupcakes. Cupcakes, despite their undeniable cuteness, are just too sweet for my tastebuds... and don't even get me started on the frosting. Ick. Let's just say that it's not exactly my cup of tea and leave it at that. There's no need for namecalling. I do, however, love cupcake items. In fact, it's probably a good thing that a lot of etsy users don't ship their products to places outside of the US and Canada. And that my ears aren't pierced (those orange and chocolate earrings are to die for!). I would've been ruined. And let's face it, who could've blamed me?


These beauties come from etsy users
PetitPlat, KcSoapsNmore, sweetsurprises & aStudiobytheSea.

Every Me, Every You.

- helt värdelös post som bara existerar för att det ser dumt ut om den inte finns-

Okej. Det ser dumt ut när den finns också. Men det är inte relevant?