A Baking Disaster!

Aaaaaaacccckkkk!!!!  I just had a baking disaster!

What happened?

One of my favorite cupcake recipes is the Pinoy Cheese Cupcake by Kawaling Pinoy. (I blogged about it here.)  I have made this recipe several times and the cupcakes always come out great!  So yesterday morning, while mixing the batter, I felt that something just wasn't right, the batter felt heavier.  But I really didn't give it a thought.  So when I tasted them, something definitely went wrong. They were dry and tasted . . . floury.  So I went back and realized that I used the wrong measuring cup when I was doing my prep work!  The recipe calls for 1 3/4 cup.  I thought I was using a 1/4 cup but I was actually using a 1/2 cup!  (Aren't fractions fun?!!!)  So what was supposed to be a 3/4 cup of flour became 1 1/2 cup!  That was a lot of extra flour!

See how dry they are?  

Looking at them makes me sad, haha!

I don't want to throw them because they aren't that bad but I cannot eat them as they are.  So my plan was to just heat them in the microwave and put a scoop of Dulce de Leche or Butter Pecan ice cream over them.  (Yummmm!!!)

But I woke up this morning and thought why not try using them for French Toast?!  I made a mixture good for 2 cupcakes.  

Here you go:

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/4 cup of milk

1 tsp of cinnamon sugar

1 tsp of granulated sugar

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

Just beat the egg and then whisk it together with the rest of the ingredients. 

Dip the cupcake slices in the egg mixture (for a few minutes).

Melt some butter (over medium heat) in a non-stick pan and then fry the slices until golden brown.

Serve with pancake syrup, Nutella or your favorite spread. =)

These were so good, my picky eater asked for "more". . . three times.

What can I say?  It was a good day to have some dry cupcakes! =)

So if you find yourself having some baking disaster, do not fear.  You can French toast anything! Haha!

DOUGH-NUT Throw!

We had some day (DAYS actually, haha!) old donuts sitting at the counter which were staring at me. They look lonely. . . dull and lifeless. . .

See what I mean? Haha!

We had some before and I made French Toast out of them.  I could have done the same thing for this batch but I think even a French Toast can't save them, haha!  They weren't hard as a rock (not yet. . . but just about to turn to, haha) but they have become dry.

So I googled for some recipes and found. . . DOUGHNUT BREAD PUDDING!!!! (Ting,ting,ting,ting!)

Why not right?!

I got the recipe from the All Recipes website.  

Here are the ingredients:

4 stale glazed donuts

1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 can of evaporated milk (12 oz)

2 tbsps of white sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Notes: 

1. I didn't put any raisins in it because Hubby HATES them (while I love them!)

2. I didn't put white sugar because it might get too sweet because the donuts had glaze on them . . . but I was wrong, haha!  A couple of tablespoons won't hurt, heehee.  My solution?  Vanilla sauce!  Please see recipe below.

3. Didn't put almond extract and nutmeg because I didn't have any (but still, the pudding came out good, so if you don't have any, don't worry)

4. I used lemon juice instead of orange zest (if you don't have lemon or orange, you can use orange juice)

Btw, here is a useful link for different cooking/baking ingredient substitutions =)

5. I didn't do the water bath (pls. see #3 step in the baking directions).  I just placed my baking dish right in the oven. 

Baking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Lightly grease a small baking dish.

2. Tear the donuts into bite-size pieces. Combine donut pieces and raisins in the prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to blend together the eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract. Mix in the cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the milk mixture over the donuts in the dish, and press down lightly to help absorption. Let stand for 15 minutes, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Place the baking dish inside a larger baking dish, and fill the outer dish with enough water to go about halfway up the sides. A dishcloth may also be placed under the bread dish, to prevent drying.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

By the way, I always (always!) eat my bread pudding with vanilla sauce.  Since the recipe didn't come with one, I searched and found a good one in the same site.

Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 light brown sugar

1 pinch of ground cinnamon

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1 pinch of salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For vanilla sauce, whisk 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, the flour, a pinch of cinnamon, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 1/4 cups of whole milk,and salt together in a heavy saucepan until smooth. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour sauce over warm bread pudding, or serve on the side in a bowl.

And here is your reward. . . . 

A warm bread pudding with a creamy and custard-like vanilla sauce!

So comforting. . . . =)

WIshing everyone a nice weekend ahead!

No to Food Waste! (Repurposing bread trimmings)

Growing up, one of the most valuable lessons my parents taught me was not to waste food.  Their most favorite line when we were seated at the dining table? "Finish your food".  They meant ALL of it, including each grain of rice.  Oh and it didn't stop there.  They end that statement with . . . "You are blessed because there are kids who don't have anything to eat".   I think this is why I didn't become a picky eater.  I wasn't picky AT ALL . . . that they had to control me, haha!

This morning, I didn't have the heart to throw the bread trimmings we got from the cookie cutter sandwiches I made for the Princess.

A sample of the bread trimmings (this one had Nutella in it so I ate it as it is)

I had some that didn't have any spread so I thought of turning them to croutons since we are having some Cream of Broccoli soup for lunch (NOT homemade, thank you Campbell's!).  I love putting croutons in creamy soups for that added crunch and texture.

So I made some using a non-stick pan and it is easy as 1-2-3.

1. Chop the bread into small pieces.

2. Coat your pan with butter and then put your bread cubes

3. Over medium heat, toss them frequently until they get toasted (the way you like them) and crunchy.  By the way, I seasoned them with a little bit of salt and garlic powder too for some flavor.

They are just what I need to make our bowl of soup, (though it was from a can) a little bit more special.  

Say NO to food waste!