Danish Braid for the Daring Bakers

Updated: I love this dough! I loved making it, folding it, everything! This month was chosen by Kelly of Sass & Veracity and Ben of What's Cooking?, they chose the danish braid from Sherry Yard's, The Secret of Baking. This is something that I would have never tried on my own. That is why I love the Daring Bakers, each month we are given a challenge out of our comfort zone. I would definitely recommend trying this dough, it is easier than expected and you get to make yummy danishes from it. The fillings are endless. I chose to make a cream cheese and peach filling. The only regret I have from this, is that my peaches were not ripe and still crunchy and tart after the baking. But, if I pick out the peaches, it is wonderful! I do have extra dough in the freezer, and plan to make individual size danishes with several different fillings.

Thanks to the hosts for a wonderful challenge this month, and check them out for the recipe!

I am sure that you have seen the Danish Bread popping up all over blogland from all of the Daring Bakers as of yesterday. That is when mine should have been completed and posted...but, obviously, it is not. The dough was made yesterday, it is still in the fridge, waiting to be filled and baked. That will be done as soon as I get home today, so check back later tonight.

***And don't forget to get me your Cupcake Hero entries before midnight tonight!***

Just Rambling....

Ok, so, this is really a reminder for myself! ha!

Don't forget about Taste Like Home..sign ups end tomorrow at midnight! We just had a Farmer's Market open up here, and I super excited to go and check it out later today!

Next, Cupcake Hero deadline is Monday June 30th, don't forget to get me your entry. This has been harder than I expected! We have great cupcake bakers in this blogland! Thanks for the entries that I have gotten so far!

I have a couple of thank you posts coming soon from things that I have won. There is a great prize from The Baking Beauties Bingo, I won the blackout board. And a giveaway from Nashbabe. Thanks a ton for you both and that post is coming soon!

And finally...Knoxville has a Cupcake Bakery!! It is a franchise owned bakery. I am really excited to go and check them out as well. This will be a Saturday field trip. I will try to take pics and post about it as well. I am curious about it. Knoxville hardly ever has anything here. I really don't understand why people to come vacation here. There is nothing, unless you go to Pigeon forge and Gatlinburg. But, that is 30 minutes from here.

Alright, I think that is all for today. Have a great one!

Snickerdoodles for the Cookie Carnival

If you like snickerdoodles, this is the one to try! This cookie is my husbands number 1 favorite cookie, so he was excited when this one was chosen. This recipe was simple and quick to put together, roll into balls and then coat with sugar and cinnamon and bake for 10 minutes, with a quick spin after 5 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes and move them to a cooling rack. But, if you are like my family, eat them warm, with a glass of milk!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients
Makes 4 dozen.
* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening
* 1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed
* 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, plus more if needed
* 2 large eggs

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

2. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.

3. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes.

Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

TWD-Mixed Berry Cobbler

This week's TWD recipe was chosen by Beth at Our Sweet Life. I am really glad that it was a fairly quick and simple one to throw together. These past 3 weeks have been crazy at my house and I am ready for some baking time. I really miss being in my kitchen! Now, on to the cobbler...

This cobbler recipe is not my usual recipe. This one makes a biscuit like topping, where my normal recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of milk, and 1 cup of self rising flour. Mix them together, pour them on top of your berries and bake. My normal fruit mixture is 1 cup of sugar for every 2 cups of fruit. Cook them in a pot until bubbly, and the sugar is dissolved, pour into the baking dish, top with the topping and bake it. With that said, I was curious to see how this recipe differed from my normal. So, here goes!

With the price of fresh berries here lately, I decided to go with frozen, which is completely fine, because Dorie had said it is completely fine to use frozen, and no need to thaw them! Even better! I also chose to only use blackberries. They are great on their own, and don't need any other berry added, in my opinion. Add just a few ingredients to the berries and throw them into your baking dish. Mix the biscuit dough, AP flour, baking powder, a little sugar, some cold butter and heavy cream. I think my favorite part of mixing this together was adding the butter and mixing it together with my hands. There is just something about breaking up the butter that makes me happy! Crazy, I know. I can admit that! There had been some talk on the TWD site that the biscuit dough was rather bland, so I added a little more sugar and some vanilla, and sprinkled some extra sugar on the dough before baking.

Next, you roll out the biscuit dough, put it on top of the berries, cut a few venting slits and cut a hole in the middle. Bake for about an hour and there you have it, and nice and bubbly cobbler. This recipe was quick and simple and tasty. Although, I will probably not make it again, only because I like my normal go to cobbler better. I really like my dough mixed in the fruit instead of just a topping.

Make sure that you go and check out the other TWD chicks, as we are over 200 now! If you want this recipe you can find it here. Next week has been chosen by Karina at The Floured Apron, Apple Cheddar Scones.

Taste Like Home Reminder

You still have until this Friday June 27th to sign up for the *Taste Like Home* local goodie swap. If you think that you might want in, you can find all the details right here and here.

Thank all of those who have already signed up! Now is the time that the Farmer's Market's are getting stocked with tons of local items, don't you want to share? If so, send a little note to myself at aprilsattic@comcast.net and Megan and cookinmeg@gmail.com.

TWD-Peppermint Cream Puff Ring....

....or something like that. Ok...so I haven't even started this one. It has been a crazy life at the Love household for the last 2 weeks, so hopefully this is a start of it slowing down. My TWD will become a Wednesday with Dorie for this week. Go ahead and start checking out the other TWD chicks, and all of those great looking eclairs and cream puffs and cream puff rings...they all are looking delish!

Cupcake Hero

I am super excited about this month's Cupcake Hero. Laurie, the Quirky Cupcake herself, decided to take a CH vacation through the Summer, and has allowed me to host for the month of June. I have to say that I am nervous, and really excited about it! Next month, you will also have a surprise hostess. So, I was allowed to choose the theme, I get to test all of the entries (this will be the best part) and then I will get to choose the winner. I am assuming, that this will be the hardest part!

Are you ready to know what the theme is?

You guessed it! MELON!

As long as you use any type of melon for this edition of Cupcake Hero, you are good to go. So go ahead and get to thumping those melons!

If you want to participate, send your cupcakery to April at aprilsattic AT comcast DOT net by June 30.

Send me your:

*Name
*Your blog name and URL*
*Link to your Cupcake Hero entry
*Picture of your cupcakery (250 width is preferred)

This month the theme is Melon, which must be used in the cake, frosting or filling. Come on your CH lovin' people, get to making me some cupcakes!