CSN Product Reviews: Tartlet Pans, Tart Pan, and Decorating Pen

Shortly after I received my shipment from CSN Stores, I got to work!  I put my new items to use to test them out and see how they faired in my kitchen.  

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Recipe Rewind! Caramel Apple Pie Filling

Sorry, I won't be making this week's recipe, the Pavlova Peach Melba for Sweet Melissa Sundays this week. I'm sorry Patty! Though it sounds delicious to me, I'm afraid it just wouldn't go over well in this house. Since I didn't have a chance to participate last week and I really wanted to make the Caramel Apple Pie, I decided to make that instead, but with a twist. I used Spike's idea and made a sort of pastry instead of an entire pie. Thanks for the idea, Spike'!

I also wanted to scale it down, so I used only 2 apples. I prepped the apples as the recipe stated, but added cinnamon to the mix and did a quicky version for the caramel sauce. Instead of making it from scratch, I used store bought caramel sauce. And since I was making it in puff pastry instead of pie form, it would require a lot less baking time, so I had to pre-bake my apple filling. I put the apple slices and caramel sauce in a glass dish, covered it in tin foil. I did 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


As that was baking, I was prepping the puff pastry:

I cut four sheets of puff pastry to about 4.5 inches by 8 inches, and cut slits on either side.

Then, I spooned some of the filling into the center of each sheet:




Then, you close up the pastries. Either lay them on top of each other, or sort of braid them:


Brush them with egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
After about 25 - 35 minutes in the oven at 350, VOILA:






Very, very good. Delicious warm, fresh from the oven, and I'd say, they're even better the next day warmed in the microwave for a few seconds.

Click here for the SMS post on Double Crusted Caramel Apple Pie, and here to visit Patty's blog, Birding Blossoms and Baking, to see this week's choice, the Pavlova Peach Melba. And be sure to check out the blog roll and see how these treats came out for the other SMS bakers!

Sweet Melissa Sundays #6: Lemon Icebox Cake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce; and Puff Pastry Sticky Buns

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Lemon Icebox Cake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce
This week's recipe for the Sweet Melissa Sundays baking group was chosen by Jennifer of Keep Passing the Open Windows. I really enjoy lemony desserts and definitely do not make them enough, so I was really excited to give this recipe for Lemon Icebox Cake with Fresh Strawberry Sauce(p. 208-210) a try. It seems similar to a lemon meringue except it is served frozen.

It came together rather easily and quickly. I made it exactly according to the directions in the book (that's a first for me!). And unfortunately, I can't report on the taste yet - I'm bringing it for Mother's Day dessert tonight at the fam's house - so the pretty picture of a cut slice, and a review on the taste will have to wait... though we both tasted the custardy filling (prior to baking) and it seems rather promisinggggg.


Yummmm


Gorgeous nilla wafer crust


Piped on meringue topping, cute!




Another drippy picture :)



Can't wait to give the finished product with the fresh strawberry sauce a try! Hope everyone likes it!


Update: Mmmm, very VERY good. Everyone agreed this recipe is a keeper.


Puff Pastry Sticky Buns
This morning, me & Daniel also threw together some Puff Pastry sticky buns. I had some puff pastry left over from the SMS Turnovers, and since Daniel can eat again (and I'm trying to put some weight back on him) we made these for breakfast.



My inspiration came from blogger Erin Cooks who adapted it from the original recipe by Ina Garten published in Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients. They came out very, very yummy... though very different from a traditional yeasty cinnamon bun. This one is crispier & flaky, and does not feature that delish cream cheese frosting. I would definitely make these again as they were simple to put together and created a perfectly yummy tasting Sunday breakfast treat. I scaled it down as follows:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1.5 ounces light brown sugar, packed
1 12x12 inch sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a standard cupcake tin on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Lightly spray 6 - 7 of the wells with non-stick spray.

With a hand-mixer, combine the 5 tablespoons butter and 1.5 ounces brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of this mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups.

Lightly flour a cutting board or stone surface (I did it directly on my cleaned granite countertop). Unfold puff pastry & brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border around the edges of the sheet, sprinkle with the 1/3 cup of brown sugar & the cinnamon. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. If needed, trim the edges to make it a nice flat end. Slice the roll in 6 (or 7 if you did not need to trim, like me) equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in the cupcake wells, on top of the buttery mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, scoop the buns out with a spoon and invert onto the parchment paper. Best enjoyed while still warm!















Be sure to check out how to Lemon Ice Box Cake & Strawberry Sauce came out for all of the other bakers!

Sweet Melissa Sundays #3: Not-so-Caramel-Apple Turnovers

This week's recipe, chosen by Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Adventures, was for Caramel Apple Turnovers with Sweet Ricotta Filling (p. 25 of the Sweet Melissa Baking Book). Since Daniel doesn't like his apples warm or cooked (he only likes 'em cold and crispy - fresh and straight from the fridge), I decided to adapt the recipe in honor of his birthday. Yesterday was his actual birthday, but as he spent the past two days sick, I decided to make these the way he would like for the first day he could eat normally again.

Instead of Caramel Apple filling, I decided to substitute strawberries in for the apples.

by the way, if you ever need to make perfectly sized strawberry slices, and make them quick, use an egg slicer...




Like a few other people, I had trouble getting my water & sugar to turn amber without turning into crystallized chunky sugar clumps. The first attempt ended in total gloppy madness. The second attempt went slightly better, though I wound up having to add all the water in before adding the strawberries to avoid a second clumpage. I just decided to go with it when it turned amber, even though I did it out of order. And I too had some trouble assembling... it was difficult to get the edges to seal, but I think it's my own fault, because of overfilling, and filling to close to the edges. Oh wells!

They baked up nicely, and since I made mine a bit smaller than the original recipe called for, mine were totally done in 20 minutes.







The result was quite good. I really enjoyed the strawberry filling... it was a bit like jam. Very good. Though I didn't really taste the ricotta filling. Maybe the strawberry flavor was too overpowering.

With the remaining scraps from trimming my puff pastry sheets, I brushed with egg wash, and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar...



Though the Turnovers were tasty, Dan probably would have been just as happy if I just made these simple little scraps!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Sweet Melissa Sunday's Bakers' posts to see their results!