Tag: dessert

Pastry Wrapped Baked Apples with Nutella & Granola Recipe

Have you ever had a pastry wrapped, baked apple? It’s like having our own personal apple pie and if you stuff it with something you love? Pure delight!

These pastry wrapped, baked apples are stuffed with something I love, Nutella! I also added some granola for texture, but you can go full Nutella if that’s what you’re into! This does take some work in preparation time, but it will be well worth it to eat! Enjoy it my friends!

PASTRY WRAPPED BAKED APPLES WITH NUTELLA & GRANOLA
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar 
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon of water
  • 4 Granny Smith apples
  • 1 package of frozen puff pastry
  • Nutella
  • Granola
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Set out the pastry dough to thaw enough to work with while you prepare the other ingredients.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and ground cinnamon, then set it aside.
  3. In a separate small bowl, beat the egg and the water together until combined, then set it aside.
  4. Peel the apples and then use a melon baller to scoop out the cores, leaving the bottoms intact.
  5. Coat the outside of each apple with the cinnamon sugar mixture and set them aside.
  6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a pastry sheet to about a 9 by 10 inch rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 9, 1 inch strips.
  7. Repeat step 6 with the second pastry sheet.
  8. Starting at the bottom of the apple, begin winding a pastry strip around and up, slightly overlapping the edges of the pastry. Once a strip ends, align another strip and continue winding until you reach the top of the apple. Strips can be attached to one another by wetting your finger with water and smoothing dough together.
  9. Repeat step 8 with each apple until they are all wrapped in pastry and place them all on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.
  10. Use the extra dough to create leaf shapes and attach them to the top of each apple by wetting your finger with water and smoothing the dough together.
  11. Lightly scoop some Nutella into the hole in the apple, then press some granola in and add more Nutella on top of the granola.
  12. Repeat step 11 with each apple.
  13. Lightly brush the pastry dough with the egg wash.
  14. Chill the apples in the refrigerator for 20 to 25 minutes.
  15. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  16. Remove the apples from the refrigerator and bake them for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
  17. Allow to cool and enjoy!
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Trigger’s Blackberry Pie Recipe (Robin Hood)

INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be baking Trigger’s Blackberry Pie from Disney’s Robin Hood!

This recipe is featured when Robin Hood is discovered at Prince John’s archery competition and a fight ensues. One of the Sheriff of Nottingham’s henchmen, Trigger the vulture, is hiding out in a pie booth surrounded by these pies.

Note to self: Blackberries have seeds! This pie is sweet, tart and delicious, but there are seeds from the blackberries that startled me before I expected them! You could strain the seeds out by forcing the blackberries through a sieve. This recipe calls for whole berries, but you can adjust accordingly if the seeds throw off your groove!

TRIGGER’S BLACKBERRY PIE

CRUST

  • 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter, chilled
  • 6-8 tablespoons of water, chilled

FILLING

  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • 4-6 cups of fresh blackberries
INSTRUCTIONS (CRUST)
  • Add the flour and salt to a bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Cut the chilled butter into cubes and add the cubes to the bowl of flour and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until well combined.
  • Begin adding the tablespoons of chilled water one at a time and stirring well after each addition until the dough forms.
  • Turn the dough out onto a clean flat surface and work it into a ball. Cut this ball in half and plastic wrap each piece, then set inside the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
  • Bring out the first half of the dough and roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick and large enough to fit into your pie pan. 
  • Gently pick up the rolled out dough and place it gently into the bottom of your pie pan, then smooth it in and trim the edges.
INSTRUCTIONS (FILLING)
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 F.
  2. Wash the blackberries and add them to a bowl.
  3. Add the sugar and stir until well coated, then add the flour and stir until well coated.
  4. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.
  5. Bring out the second half of the dough and roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick and large enough to cover your pie.
  6. Gently pick up the rolled out dough and place it gently over the top of the pie, then trim the edges.
  7. Using a fork or your fingers, crimp or pinch the edges.
  8. Add 3 to 4 slits for venting while the pie bakes.
  9. Cover the edges of the pie with a 2 to 3 inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning.
  10. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in crust, remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. 
  11. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool on the rack at least 2 hours or more to allow the filling to thicken.
  12. Enjoy!

Jack Jack’s Num Num Cookie Recipe

Jack Jack's Num Num Cookie Recipe from Incredibles 2
INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! I hope this post finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy! This week we’ll be baking Jack Jack’s Num Num Chocolate Chip Cookies from Disney and Pixar’s Incredibles 2.

Jack Jack's Num Num Cookie Recipe from Incredibles 2This recipe is featured when Lucius Best (Frozone) checks in on Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) in his new homemaking role. Bob is struggling with Jack Jack’s abundant powers, but has discovered he will temporarily settle down for cookies.

Jack Jack's Num Num Cookie Recipe from Incredibles 2These chocolate chip cookies are slender, soft and scrumptious. Pixar recently released an official recipe for Jack Jack’s cookies that looks and tastes absolutely fantastic, but the cookies come out much thicker-looking than the ones in the film so I decided to create my own independent recipe for the fun of it. I imagine Jack Jack wouldn’t discriminate!

Jack Jack's Num Num Cookie Recipe from Incredibles 2 Jack Jack's Num Num Cookie Recipe from Incredibles 2

JACK JACK’S NUM NUM COOKIES
  • 1 cup of butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups of packed brown sugar (I used dark)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/4 cups of cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS (COOKIES)
  1. Using a mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar.
  2. Add the vanilla and then the eggs in one at a time, mixing after each egg.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the cake flour, baking soda and salt with a whisk.
  4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well after each addition until a thick fluffy dough forms.
  5. Using a mixing spoon, fold in the 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips until well-distributed throughout the dough.
  6. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. This step is optional if you’re in a rush for the cookies, but they will spread a little less if chilled.
  7. After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  8. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and using a small ice cream scoop or a regular spoon (I used a spoon), begin portioning out the dough into balls of cookie dough (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter), and placing them on the baking sheet.
  9. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 14 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on your oven so please keep an eye on the cookies and find a time that works for you.
  10. Remove the cookies from the oven when they are golden brown on the edges and allow them to cool on the pan for about 2 minutes. Then remove them from the pan and allow them to completely cool on a wire rack.
  11. Enjoy!

Winnie the Pooh’s Hero Cake Recipe (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh)

Winnie the Pooh's Hero Cake Recipe from Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we will be baking Winnie the Pooh’s hero cake from Disney’s The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Winnie the Pooh's Hero (Thumbprint) Cookie and Hero Cake Recipe from Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.Winnie the Pooh’s hero cake (and the hero cookies we made last week) is featured in the “Blustery Day” featurette when Christopher Robin throws a Hero Party for Pooh Bear, believing him to be Piglet’s rescuer during the flood. Pooh and Piglet really just happened to be in the same predicament at the same time and came out together perfectly alright, but it was still sweet of Christopher Robin and their friends to celebrate them all the same!

Winnie the Pooh's Hero (Thumbprint) Cookie and Hero Cake Recipe from Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.This is a surprisingly complex cake, and I had a lot of fun creating and tasting it! I chose to make pink velvet cake (my own interpretation of what flavor the pink color stood for) with chocolate frosting. White buttercream frosting surrounds the base of each of the orange candles and orange buttercream, in color and in flavor, whimsically dots the chocolate frosting in puffs. If you take the cake with the chocolate frosting and orange buttercream in the same bite it is absolute heaven and will definitely satisfy the rumbly of any tumbly!

Winnie the Pooh's Hero Cake Recipe from Disney's The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.HERO CAKE
  • 4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 2 pinches of salt
  • 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
  • 2 cups of granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of almond extract
  • 1 1/3 cups of whole milk, room temperature
  • 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 8 drops of red food coloring
  • 8 egg whites
INSTRUCTIONS (CAKE)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with spray or parchment.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. In another large bowl, beat the butter until softened.
  5. Slowly add the sugar and beat until fluffy, then add in the almond extract, food coloring, milk, and vanilla extract; mix on low until ingredients are incorporated.
  6. Beat in the egg whites one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
  7. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven) until a toothpick is inserted at their centers comes out clean, not wet with cake batter.
  8. Remove the pans from the oven and allow the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes within the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before assembling.
  9. While the cakes are cooling, make the frostings (see below).
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
  • 1/2 cup of butter, melted
  • 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon of oil
  • 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
  • Milk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS (CHOCOLATE FROSTING)
  1. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, cocoa powder and oil until well incorporated.
  2. Sift in the powdered sugar half a cup at a time and mix well.
  3. Add milk a little at a time and keep mixing until the chocolate is smooth and creamy.
  4. Add the vanilla in last and stir until well incorporated.
  5. Once the cakes are cool, put a small dollop of this frosting on the center of cake stand, then place the first layer of cake down on top of the dollop; this will anchor the cake to the stand.
  6. Scoop the desired amount of chocolate frosting onto the top of the first layer of cake and spread it around evenly, then add the next layer of cake over it.
  7. Apply the rest of the chocolate frosting to the sides, and then the top of the cake, using an icing spatula or something similar. I added texture to the sides of my cake using a cake comb that came with the little cake decorating set I bought.

* You can double this recipe for a thicker layer of frosting on the cake.

ORANGE AND WHITE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
  • 1/2 cup of butter, softened
  • 2 cups of powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract
  • Orange food coloring
INSTRUCTIONS (ORANGE AND WHITE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING)
  1. In a medium bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar together by low speed (or hand otherwise you’ll have a cloud of powdered sugar).
  2. Add in the whipping cream and orange extract and mix until well incorporated.
  3. Pause and scoop about a fourth of the white frosting into a pastry bag and set aside.
  4. Add in the orange food coloring and beat until fully incorporated.
  5. Scoop the orange frosting into another pastry bag with a large tip.
  6. After the cakes cool and you’ve applied the chocolate frosting, pipe 4 dollops of the white buttercream frosting onto the top of the cake where you want the candles to be and stick the candles in at their center.
  7. Using the orange buttercream, pipe small orange puff dots all around and on top of the cake.

Enjoy it!

Ichabod’s Red Velvet Cake Recipe (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad)

Ichabod's Red Velvet Cake Recipe from Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, or Sleepy Hollow.INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we’ll be baking up the red velvet cake Ichabod Crane stuffs into his mouth in Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.

Ratty and Mole's Crumpet, Ichabod's Red Velvet Cake and Ichabod's Turkey Recipe from Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad or the Wind in the Willows.This cake is featured during the Halloween party thrown by Baltus Van Tassel, Katrina Van Tassel’s father. Ichabod’s stomach is never satisfied so he snatches a piece of this cake up while dancing with Katrina, and pops it in his mouth without even skipping a step.

Ichabod's Red Velvet Cake Recipe from Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, or Sleepy Hollow.Similar to Mrs. Frankenstein’s Dutch Apple Cake, the first cake recipe I posted, this recipe was a lesson in trial and error. I knew I wanted to go more natural and traditional, using beets as the red component in the red velvet and ermine icing (or flour buttercream) instead of cream cheese frosting. The first attempt was delicious, but I only used the beet juice and it came out more cocoa brown than red. This time I used the physical beets and it resulted in a red I am very happy with.

Ichabod's Red Velvet Cake Recipe from Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, or Sleepy Hollow.RED VELVET CAKE
  • 3 medium beets
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • Juice of 1 large lemon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons non-dutched cocoa powder
  • 2 cups cake flour (sift before measuring)
  • 1 ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
  • 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
INSTRUCTIONS (CAKE)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash the beets and wrap each one in aluminum foil.
  3. Bake the beets until the tip of a knife slides easily into the largest beet (about 1 hour 15 minutes), then remove them from the oven and allow to cool until they can be handled.
  4. Peel the beets and place them into a food processor, then chop them until they’re about the size of finely diced onions.
  5. Measure 1 cup of the finely chopped beets and set aside. Remove the remaining beets from the food processor and reserve them for another purpose.
  6. Return the cup of beets to the food processor and purée with the buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla and vinegar until smooth.
  7. In a medium size bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  8. In a large bowl, beat the butter until soft.
  9. Slowly add the sugar and beat until fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
  10. Alternate adding dry ingredient mixture and the beet mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat for 10 seconds after each addition and scrape down the bowl after each addition of the beet mixture.
  11. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment and grease again.
  12. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops.
  13. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (about 20 to 25 minutes), then remove the pans from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
  14. To assemble, peel away the parchment of one cake and place the flat side down on a serving platter. Place about 1 cup of icing (see below) onto cake and, using a flat spatula, spread evenly over top. Remove the parchment from the second cake and place the flat side down on top of first layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of cake.
ERMINE ICING
  • 10 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (do not microwave)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
INSTRUCTIONS (ICING)
  1. In a small saucepan, whisk together flour, milk, and salt.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture is very thick.  If small lumps develop, whisk vigorously until smooth.
  3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
  4. Transfer to a small bow and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the mixture’s surface to prevent a skin from forming, then set aside to cool completely.
  5. In a medium to large bowl, cream butter and sugar for about 3 minutes then stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cream butter and sugar for another 3 minutes until very smooth, light, and fluffy (insufficient creaming of the butter/sugar will result in a gritty frosting).
  6. Gradually beat the cooled flour mixture into the creamed mixture a few tablespoons at a time and the icing will begin to lighten. The mixture might look curdled when the flour paste is first added, but additional whipping will smooth it out.
  7. Gently scrape bowl and beat until mixture is fluffy and resembles whipped cream.
  8. Ermine Icing will break down above 70 degrees F.  It’s best when freshly-whipped, but cakes and cupcakes should be completely cooled before frosting.

Dante’s Concha Bread Recipe (Coco)

Dante's Concha Bread Recipe from Disney and Pixar's Coco.INTRODUCTION

Welcome back friends! This week we’re baking the concha bread, or pan dulce, Dante tries to steal in Disney and Pixar’s heartfelt and visually stunning Pixar film, Coco.

Abuelita's Pork Tamale Recipe, Churros and Dante's Concha Bread Recipe from Disney and Pixar's Coco.When Miguel’s family brings him back to the land of the dead to ask Mama Imelda for help, they enter the Department of Family Reunions and Dante tries to steal a plate of sweets off of one of the desks. The Concha bread is on this plate, and it can also be seen in various scenes throughout the film.

Dante's Concha Bread Recipe from Disney and Pixar's Coco.Like the tamales, I wanted to research and find a traditional recipe for this treat. I then took my recipe to my friends to see if they thought it was traditional enough and they approved! There are different variations of toppings out there, but I chose to go with something closer to the film, with no food coloring.

I’ve never really worked with yeast before; it’s really fascinating to see the dough doubling in size! The topping is cinnamon deliciousness and I highly recommend eating these freshly baked and warm, but they do hold up well the following few days.

Dante's Concha Bread Recipe from Disney and Pixar's Coco.CONCHA BREAD
  • 1 packet (1/4 ounce) of active dry yeast
  • 1⁄2 cup of warm water
  • 1 egg
  • 1⁄2 cup of warm evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup of sugar
  • 1/3 cup of butter (melted)
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 4 cups of all-purpose flour (plus enough to lightly flour a surface)
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS (BREAD)
  1. In a large bowl stir together the yeast and the warm water., then let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Stir in the egg, evaporated milk, sugar, melted butter and salt.
  3. Stir in 2 cups of the flour and then gradually stir in another 2 cups of flour and the cinnamon to make a dough.
  4. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Knead for 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, then shape into a ball.
  5. Transfer the ball of dough to a large greased bowl and turn it to coat the surface of the dough.
  6. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 to 1 1⁄4 hours).
  7. Punch down the dough, then cover, and let it stand for another 10 minutes.
  8. Make the topping (see below).
  9. Divide the dough into 12 portions and shape each portion into a smooth ball.
  10. Place the dough balls about 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and press down on each dough ball slightly.
  11. Divide the topping into 12 balled up portions; then pat each ball flat.
  12. Place one round of topping on each dough ball.
  13. Using a sharp paring knife, cut grooves in the topping to resemble a scallop shell.
  14. Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size (about 45 minutes).
  15. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  16. Bake rolls for 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.
  17. Remove from the baking sheets to cool on wire racks.
  18. Serve warm or cool.
TOPPING
  • 1⁄2 cup of butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS (TOPPING)
  1. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
  2. Add the sugar, beating until well mixed.
  3. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and vanilla; mix until well incorporated.