Triple Layer Red Velvet Cake

For this weeks desserts, I decided to try to make triple layer red velvet cake with delicious cream cheese frosting. Not one, not even two, but three layers :) Earlier this week while watching "Food Network Challenge" on TV, I saw all the difficult and creative cakes the contestants were making. So, I thought it might be fun if I tried to make a tasty cake that wasn't just one layer, but 3! I found the perfect recipe from food network. It's called "Southern Red Velvet Cake" and the website link is:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/southern-red-velvet-cake-recipe/index.html

There's also a video with the recipe that can guide you through the process of making the cake which helped me out a lot. The baker "Cakeman Raven" who was in charge of making the cake also gave me a couple great tips that you might like:

1. Sifting the dry ingredients a couple times helps keep the dry mix much lighter, which helps keep the cake fluffier after being cooked.

2. By wiping oil around the entire inside of the cake pan, then covering those parts with flour, I can prevent the cake from sticking to the pan which makes it much cleaner and easier to remove.

3. By setting the pans in a certain style inside the oven, I can let each layer cook better because they aren't covering each other or blocking the heat.

* All of these tips helped make my baking process go by much smoother and easier, so hopefully they can help you too. *

Originally I thought I was going to have a lot of problems making the cake because it might be uneven, or there might be a lot of crumbs which can mess up the frosting, or one layer might break in the process, but I used Cakeman's tips and everything turned out great! Here are some pictures throughout the process:

Making the layers...

one... two...

three! ! !

I decided to bake the cake the night before so they would have enough time to cool before I put on the frosting. I then decided to make the frosting the day of so it would be fresher and easier to frost. In total, it took about 4 hours to mix, bake, and prepare everything but it turned out great. When I was dropping off the cake, Chanee told me some great tips of how to wrap the cake so the frosting doesn't get messed up, and from there we ended up having a great conversation. I asked if the residents were liking the desserts or if they had any suggestions, and I was so pleased when she told me that they enjoy my food because it's homemade and prepared just for them. She also told me a little bit about her mom, who also happens to be a baker, and Chanee's favorite kind of red velvet cake that includes with pecans. Before I was hesitant about putting pecans but after seeing how much she likes them, I'm convinced in making another red velvet with them soon.

Tip for the future: Don't be afraid to try something new that can seem intimidating. I was nervous about making this weeks cake because I was scared of it breaking, overcooking, or being uneven and then having nothing to take to PATH that day, but I took my time and it turned out much better than I thought it would. Over coming these challenges is what helps you progress in life, and in my case, grow as a baker.

Thanks to Cakeman Raven and Chanee for the great tips, and thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

The Blissful Baker

Delicious Blueberry Muffins!

Blueberry Muffins!

Hello again! Week 6 of blissful baking just done... food of the week? Blueberry muffins! This week while I was thinking about what to make on Saturday morning, my friend Ashley texted me suggesting that I make blueberry muffins because she just had a couple and they were simply amazing. I thought it would be a good challenge as well because I usually make muffins using a mix from a box with canned blueberries, so this would be an opportunity to try it on my own from scratch. And they fortunately turned out great! I've got to thank Alejandra Ramos in NYC for the recipe though, because I got it from her blog, http://www.alwaysorderdessert.com/2009/07/blueberry-muffins.html. There were a bunch of blueberry muffin recipes online but I decided to choose this one not only because they looked great and easy to make, but because she uploaded her post with the recipe on my birthday so I had a good feeling about them :) The muffins thankfully turned out amazing probably because of all the different ingredients and flavors that were added in. Here is a picture of the set up before cooking just so you can see all that went into this weeks dessert:

So they ended up great which was a huge relief cause I was pretty worried before :/ If your looking for a recipe for blueberry muffins look no further -- just follow the recipe from the link above. Hope you have as much luck as I did! Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

The Blissful Baker

Cheesecake anyone?

This weekend I decided to bake Cheesecake! I made it from scratch like I did for last weeks croissants so it was a bit difficult but it was a lot more fun that I thought it would be. In order to make the crust I had to buy whole "Nilla Wafers" in a box, tie them up in a bag and crush them using a hammer and the counter. I had never tried making homemade crust like this so it was a first, but the crust turned out pretty good compared to how I thought it might. To make the actual filling I had to use a number of ingredients such as sugar, flour, eggs, whipping cream, and A LOT of cream cheese! I originally thought it would be too much but it surprisingly ended up being the perfect amount. The time spent cooking the cheesecake this week was definitely the longest I've ever spent with food in the oven. It was cooking for almost 2 hours and then had to be chilled in the fridge for about a day so I started making the cheesecake Friday afternoon. I also made a couple mini ones just so I could try it without ruining the appearance of the whole pie. Here are some pictures of the process:

(it got a little cracked...)

What made this week most special wasn't what I cooked, but instead who I met. Saturday morning when I walked into PATH, I wasn't greeted by Chanee, the receptionist who is usually there, because she was off at that time. Instead, I saw another man. After I walked in I introduced myself, told him how I come every weekend with baked goods, and showed him what I made this week. With a warm smile he told me " Just walk straight to the back until you see the dining room, and give them the cheesecake. Oh, and tell them you brought it for the big football game they'll love it." So following what he said, I walked down the hall to the dining room, nervous with anticipation, thinking about who I might see and what they'll think. I walked in seeing the football game on TV with one man on the couch and two men standing up cleaning. I told them my name, explained my project and how I love to bake and , and showed them what I brought for this week. I was greeted by the two men standing up. One who was white, brown haired, with a mustache and a genuine smile introduced himself as Bruce and shook my hand. The other man who was African American and wearing a beanie if I remember correctly didn't say his name but we shook hands as well. I told them how this was the first time I had ever made cheesecake so it might not be that great but they reassured me and said "That's sweet I'm sure its great thank you!" with honest smiles and appreciative attitudes. Those 1 or 2 minutes during our encounter showed me how happy I made them when I brought a simple dessert once a week, and it made me just as happy to know that I made the smallest difference by making their football game different from all the other ones. Although I missed the chance to show Chanee the food that I brought this week and hear her opinion, I got the chance to make 2 new friends and see how they received my desserts. The hours mixing, pouring, baking, and cooling were definitely worth the smile I had on the whole ride home :)

For the recipe of this weeks cheesecake go to:

http://www.joyofbaking.com/Cheesecake.html

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Blissful Baker

Croissants!

CROISSANTS

Dollars spent on cooking ingredients and supplies for this week's croissants: 25

Calls made to different local markets to find the smallest bag possible of non-fat dry milk for the croissants: 5

Different sized trays used to cook the 35 croissants: 6

Total hours spent preparing and cooking croissants: 3.5

Finally making the most perfect chocolate croissants and seeing my progress as a baker: Priceless

This week after watching the movie "It's Complicated", staring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin, I became infatuated by the idea of making chocolate croissants. During a scene in the movie where Meryl Streep and Steve Martin make chocolate croissant as a late night snack, I thought about how I have never made them before and that this weekend would be the opportunity to. The process looked very fun so I decided to try it out, and I am VERY happy I did!

I decided to make the croissants from scratch because even though it was more time consuming and it made things a bit more difficult, I wanted to see all the ingredients come together and bake the croissants knowing that I made them without the help of Pillsbury or Betty Crocker. The non-fat dry milk was very hard to find though considering the fact that they only sell it in large bags, when I only needed about a cup. But it was totally worth it because making these croissants was totally different from other brownies or cakes that I had made before. To make the croissants I had to use yeast which changes the baking process. I learned how to work with foods that need to rise and how to be more efficient in the kitchen when it comes to time management. In the end I felt great satisfaction once I had that first bite and realized that not only were the croissants edible (thank goodness!), but they were actually very tasty.

Here are some pictures throughout the process:

Looks fun, no?

Yesterday morning was my 4th visit and 4th donation to PATH, and I've got to say that every time I walk in there, I leave feeling a bit happier knowing that my baked goods are putting more and more smiles on peoples faces. Not only do I get great satisfaction when Chanee, the receptionist at PATH, gives me a warm welcome and "hello" each week making me feel like I have had even the slightest impact on their daily lives, but I always look forward to opening my box of goods for the week to show her what I've made and see her reaction of "oohs" and "aahs". From what she has told me they have been enjoying what I've cooked up for them so far, so I plan on continuing this for many more weeks to come. Incase any of you would like to donate food, toiletries, or clothes to PATH see below for a picture of the shelter and further information.

Website:

http://www.epath.org/index_01.php

Address and Phone number:

2346 Cotner Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 996-0034

Here is also the website link with the recipe for the croissants incase any of you would like to try making them at home.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,174,147188-255206,00.html

E-mail me at amashian@mchschool.org if you have any suggestions or ideas of fun and different foods to make for other weeks!!

Sincerely,

The Blissful Baker

The Beginning...

Hello all! My name is Adrienne Mashian, and as you can probably tell by now, I love to bake. I started cooking at a young age when I started to help out my grandma and mom in the kitchen. Not only did I enjoy creating food that pleased our eyes and appetites, but I developed a great satisfaction knowing that I created something tasty and unique out of basic ingredients that we use everyday. I am first generation American born citizen, my parents and grandparents were born and raised in Iran and moved here during the 70's, so I have a lot of persian culture in my life along side a strong Jewish heritage and traditions.

Usually I bake a couple times a month because not only are the treats yummy :) , but for me it is a great way to relieve stress, forget about any other problems, and express myself creatively. I enjoy baking new foods I've never made before because I expand my knowledge in baking and each experience is a new and different one. Whether I make a perfect pumpkin pie, or a dry one, I keep learning each time so I know what to do right and improve as time passes. I always love making new things and trying them out to push my limits and abilities in the kitchen.

So in the midst of a wonderful but sometimes stressful life, I go to my kitchen to bake something and get into my zone where I just have fun. Therefore, I have started a project where I make new and different treats every Saturday morning for the next dozen or so weeks, ultimately helping me grow and become a better chef. After making these treats and desserts, I package them and donate them to the PATH Homeless Shelter in West Los Angeles on Saturday mornings so other people in my community can enjoy tasty treats even if they aren't as fortunate as us. After visiting and working at a homeless shelter with my school earlier this year, I saw first hand how difficult life is without a home and I learned that no one chooses to be this way, but they are unfortunate to have to suffer a life without basic luxuries that we take for granted. Therefore after making my second visit and dessert donation this Saturday to PATH, I felt a great feeling of accomplishment and happiness knowing that my small act might have shown some homeless people that even though I can't completely change their life around, I can try to improve their day by giving them some sweets that will hopefully put on a smile and show them that I care.

So far I have gone to PATH about 3 times, and I have made 3 different desserts:

December 19th, 2009 - Holiday Brownies

- My first project! It was such a great feeling when I started off my project that day because I knew that I had begun something that is benefitting both me and the homeless people at PATH. I've made brownies several times before for my friends and family, so I decided to start of with something easy on my first week so I can test the waters before I jumped into something difficult.

December 26th, 2009 - Lemon Bundt Cake

- I decided to make the people at PATH a lemon bundt cake because not only was it more fun to decorate than a common circular shaped cake, but I figured lemon cake would be something they didn't have often because it is uncommon compared to the usual chocolate and vanilla flavored desserts.

January 2nd, 2010 - Oatmeal Raisin cookies

- I just had oatmeal the day before when I saw the recipe for "Instantly Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies" under the lid of the oatmeal box and I thought that this would be something fun to make with different ingredients. I made it from scratch which took just a bit longer but it was totally seeing everything come together because I had made it right without the help of Betty Crocker. The cookies smelled amazing, tasted delicious, and I'm pretty sure the receptionist at PATH took a liking to them. :)

(Sorry for the blurry picture)

Ultimately, through this blog I am sharing my stories and experiences with all of you readers so you can follow me in this new project I have started and hopefully become inspired to start something similar to what I have begun. Although I was a bit worried in the start of whether I could keep up with this every Saturday morning after a long week of school, today is my second day back at school from winter-break and I really can't wait until Saturday morning when I can test my abilities again, make something new, and get the satisfaction of knowing that I've lightened their mood with a new dessert each week. After the receptionist at PATH told me how much they enjoy what I've cooked up for them, she makes it that much more motivating to continue and serve them using my creative abilities.

So thanks for reading and I'll be back in a couple of days to share what I've baked for this weekend!

Sincerely,

The Blissful Baker