What is it with me and baked goods!!

It seem like a day doesn't go by that I don't think about those smells, the look, the blend of flavors that explode in your mouth, and you end with the satisfaction of a blessed event. No it is not a birth of a new baby, but a birth of your latest pastry. Have you ever passed near a bakery and smelt the aroma of fresh baked bread. I would drive downtown and specifically by or own wonder bread factory, drawn like a moth to the flame. I would roll the windows down in my car and smell with my nostrils flaring every bit of aroma that I could get of that unmistakable aroma that only fresh baked bread could bring to your senses. I go to stores and end up at the bakery and think, oh what is new today, all the time drooling as I look at every delicacy. I would support a trip around Europe to visit all of the bakeries and stand in wonderment of all of the creations that are laid out before you. Can you imagine Vienna, Paris, Rome, St. Petersburg, London, Budapest, Berlin and Copenhagen? What a trip of a lifetime. Oh, well here are some of the things that I consider a touch of that wonderment.

Chocolate Dipped Cannoli
Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hr 0 min
Cook Time: hr min
Level: Easy
Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons amaretto
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsalted chopped pistachios
1 cup ricotta cheese
12 prepared cannoli shells
1/2 cup melted chocolate

Directions
In a large bowl, whip together amaretto, cinnamon, heavy cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. In a medium bowl, combine the pistachios and ricotta and stir in half of the whipped cream. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Fill a pastry bag with no tip with the mixture to fill the cannoli shells. Dip the tips of the cannoli into the melted chocolate. Place the sheet tray in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until filling and chocolate is set.

Éclair Cake
Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 24 hr 0 min
Cook Time: hr min
Level: Easy
Serves: 20 to 24 servings


Ingredients

Cake:
1 (1-pound) box graham crackers
2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes instant French vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Frosting
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Butter the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan. Line with whole graham crackers. In bowl of an electric mixer, mix pudding with milk; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of whole graham crackers on top of pudding layer. Pour over remaining half of pudding mixture and cover with another layer of graham crackers. For frosting, blend together sugar and cocoa. Add butter and milk, mixing well. Add corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until creamy. Cover cake with frosting and refrigerate for 24 hours.


Chocolate Stuffed Éclairs
Prep Time: 30 min
Inactive Prep Time: hr min
Cook Time: 45 min
Level: Intermediate

Pastry:
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 stick margarine or butter
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Filling:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla

Icing:
2 (1-ounce) squares chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the water and margarine or butter to boiling point. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture is smooth and forms a ball. Remove from heat and let cool. Beat in 4 eggs, 1 at a time and once incorporated, place into a pastry bag. On a greased cookie sheet, pipe out dough in thick lines that form éclairs. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until light brown. Set aside to cool. In a medium saucepan, prepare filling by whisking together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Whisk in about 1 cup milk and cook over low heat, stirring often, until thickened or the consistency of mayonnaise. Add the rest of the milk and then temper in 3 beaten eggs and continue to cook until mixture is even thicker. Remove from heat, cool and add vanilla. With a serrated knife, slice pastry puffs lengthwise, but not all the way through. Pipe the custard mixture into the center. Melt chocolate for icing, add sugar and cream. Cook over medium heat until soft ball stage. Let cool and beat until smooth. Ice tops of the éclairs.



Buttermilk Rum Baba Cake Recipe - Polish Babka Rumowa

This "spirited" cake has a dense, buttery crumb that soaks up the citrus-rum syrup in a snap. Serve it with a dollop of rum-infused whipped cream or a scoop of rum-raisin ice cream. Buttermilk Rum Cake is a big favorite at holiday time in my Polish family. But, because the alcohol in the rum hasn't been burned off, it's definitely an "adults-only" cake.
Makes 12 generous servings of Buttermilk Rum Cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Rum Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup dark rum
Glaze:
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup orange juice


Preparation:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda and add to butter-sugar-egg mixture, blending well. Add buttermilk and vanilla and incorporate completely. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick tests clean. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert. Meanwhile, make Rum Syrup by placing sugar, water, and zests in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Strain syrup into a 4-cup glass measuring cup and allow to cool. When cool, add the vanilla and rum and set aside. While cake is still warm, poke holes all over it and slowly pour some of the Rum Syrup over, letting it seep into the cake. When it has been absorbed, pour more syrup over. You might have to do this two or three time. While the cake is absorbing the Rum Syrup, make the Glaze by melting 2/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Set cake over a cooling rack and pour Glaze over cake, letting it drip down the sides. Allow to harden and store covered for up to two weeks.





Napoleon - A French Cream-Filled Pastry

There aren't many dessert recipes that offer a lovely light pastry filled with rich cream such as a Napoleon. Prep Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

17-ounce package frozen pastry
chocolate or vanilla pastry cream*
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, melted
Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly flour bread board and rolling pin. Roll dough to 13 x 17 inch triangle, 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to cookie sheet. Prick dough with fork. Cover with another cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove top sheet and continue to bake for 5 more minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Cut pastry into thirds, lengthwise. Mix powdered sugar and water. Stir until smooth. Turn over 1 pastry strip on rack. Pour sugar glaze over strip. Smooth with spatula. Quickly pour stripes of chocolate over glaze. Drag knife over top to make decorative design. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes. To assemble: Place one unglazed strip on serving platter. Spread half of pastry cream on top. Top with the other unglazed strip. Top with rest of pastry cream. Top that with glazed strip. Chill it until firm, about and hour. (Don't chill longer than 3 hours. It may get soggy.) For the serving, cut it with a serrated knife.

Ultimate Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: 10 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 to 8 servings


Ingredients
16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

Directions

The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all. To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.

Well here they are, just some of the treats you have thinking about, or was that me?