A Day of Baking

The Nest was cooking all afternoon, with two major baking projects (the joy!).

The first was a set of 24 rainbow cupcakes for our Children's Theater workshop cast party.  Why rainbow?  What else would you bring to celebrate a run of "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dream coat"?!

While I typically make everything from scratch, I was seriously short on time today, so I compromised and used store bought batter and icing (colored in four different shades).

The other baking project, a large pie, was for the weekly family dinner with the in-laws (but really any reason to bake a pie, right?)  I used my favorite recipe, changed over the few years I've been alive to its present state.  I rarely measure but I'll do my best to boil it down:

Sparrow's Four Berry Pie

 You'll need:

-1 blind baked pie crust

-2 cups sugar

-2 tablespoons vanilla

-1 cup corn starch

-1 tablespoon cinnamon

-1 teaspoon nutmeg

-a splash of lemon juice

-1 lb strawberries, cleaned, capped and sliced

-12 oz raspberries

-22 oz blueberries

-6 oz blackberries

Blind bake your crust.  I chose to make a braided crust for this one.

While the crust bakes (8 minutes or so), mix together the berries in a very large bowl.  Add 1 and a half cups of the sugar, the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cornstarch.

Once the crust has cooled a bit, spoon the fruit mix into the crust, filling right up to the crust.  You may add some of the juice, but be careful not to add it all (lest you get a very drippy pie).  Dust the top of the pie with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. 

Place the pie on a cookie sheet and set in the oven, set for 350 degrees.  Let cook for about 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cover the crust with foil to prevent burning.  Cook until the fruit mix bubbles, about 20-30 minutes (depending on the oven). 

Pull out, and let cool for an hour.  Enjoy!!







Key Lime Cup Cake Craziness

I know what you're thinking. 
"Key Lime....Again?!"
You're right.  Its wrong.  So wrong it's right.

It turns out our Praise Band had several birthday's last week.  Of course I had no idea, so when I mentioned the Key Lime Pie I made for Husband's birthday last week, they were slightly jealous.  ...So it's only fair that I make tasty key lime cup cakes and bring them to practice, right?
I found an unusual recipe that looks scrumptious.  Here it is, courtesy of Baked Perfection:

Key Lime Cupcakes with Blackberry Frostingrecipe from Baked Perfection
makes 30 cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons key lime juice
zest of two limes
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or paper-line 30 baking cups.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, key lime juice and lime zest; mix well. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely and frost as desired.

Blackberry Fillingrecipe from Baked Perfection
1 32oz container frozen blackberries
3 tablespoons sugar
Juice of one lemon
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt

Place blackberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with sugar, let thaw. Drain blackberries, reserving liquid. Squish the blackberries and push through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds, set aside. Add enough water to the blackberry liquid to equal 1 cup. In a large saucepan, combine the blackberry liquid, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt. Heat and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Cool completely. Stir blackberries into the cooled mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This can be made several days in advance and any leftovers works well on toast, on pancakes, or mixed in plain Greek Yogurt.)

Blackberry Butter creamrecipe from Baked Perfection
2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup blackberry filling (seedless blackberry jam or preserves can be substituted)
pinch of salt
6 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Mix in blackberry filling and salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.



Look how pretty:

Be sure to check out Baked Perfection for a glorious shot of the Blackberry filling!  This girl's a genius!!