Une Autre Aventure Française!

My sister has FINALLY returned from her year abroad in France!



She had a rich experience, but does describes it as bittersweet. If living in France is half as complicated as any French baking recipe, I can relate! Why is it that every time I make a French inspired dessert it stresses me out like no other and requires extra special beverages??





My dad asked me to make some Nougat to add to the vanilla ice cream he was making. I didn't hesitate.....until he sent me the recipe! I started having Macaroon flashbacks! Anything that requires a candy thermometer really freaks me out...and I promised to make something else too! This was one long week in my hot hot desert kitchen!











I was such a good girl getting my mice en place together before starting the process!

Oh French recipes, you scare the hell outta me!







I boiled right along with this mixture! I stood right over it until it reached 315 degrees! ahhhh!








The stickiest s*** I've ever worked with! Now you know how I really feel!








I sprayed and sprayed and sprayed Pam and Pam and Pam to make sure it didn't stick to the pan. This was a mess....but, it already tasted amazing!







then I popped it into the fridge for 4 days to set up.






The next night I started up some French Tarts! What was I thinking?

My most genius moment was placing a strip of parchment paper between the Pate Sucre and the tart pans. I could lift them right out when they were done!




Don't worry, I totally cheated! My Pastry Cream for the Tart Frangipan didn't set up. So, I just whipped up an egg with almond powder, sugar and loads of vanilla.




Didn't matter though! These turned out perfectly browned and delicious!




I whipped up some sweet American Pastry Pride to fill these bebes! I couldn't stand the thought of starting from scratch one more time! It's not even dairy! Shhh! Don't tell any Irwins!



I did follow the website's Ganache Recipe and I whipped some of it in with the Pastry Pride for a chocolate filling and kept half of it plain for non-chocolate lovers.








The completed and complicated tarts!

Why it was so worth it!

Ok, so photo props to my sis! She set the nougat/vanilla ice cream combo up in my mom's tea cup from France. I am so in love with this! YUMMMy and SWWWEEEEt!

Cheers to the last time I bake two French recipes in one week!

...and even more cheers to cheating on French recipes with American shortcuts! :) I feel so scandalous!

xoxo,

Tipsy

Magic Cookie Bars for a Cause

I love a good bake sale! Who doesn't and what better a cause then fighting cancer?





I was excited to join my team at the Ace Hotel in the Relay for Life this year.



You can still donate-just click here.


I decided on some sweet, simple and irresistible Magic Cookie Bars. I have been making these with my fam since I can remember and they always hit the spot!





You will need:


1.5 cup graham cracker crumbs


.5 cup butter (melted)


1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk


2 cups M & M's


1 1/3 cups flaked coconut


1 cup chopped pecans


...I added about 1 cup mini chocolate chips to make them extra chocolately and too good to pass up for all the relayers!





Smashing up the grahams is the most fun!











Mix the melted butter with the graham crumbs in the ziploc and then place in greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Spread evenly and press down to form the crust.





Then pour the condensed milk over the crust evenly.















Bring on the toppings! Just spread em' all out evenly and press down tightly!










Can I dig in now???? Nope, must bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes first.













The roasty toasty bars! YUMMMMMM!






I sliced and bagged them for sale. The theme of the relay this year was, "More Birthdays" so we sold the sweets as more Love, Smiles & Hope! I know these were a hit because the tray came back to me empty!

Cheers to baking for a good cause and bringing people together for one goal!

xoxo,

Tipsy

PB & Chocolate Decadence!

In addition to the wedding cake I made for my parents I had to make something to please my chocolate loving father. Who better to turn to then Paula Deen? I am obsessed with her dessert recipes right now and this one sounded too good to pass up!

I took her Lip Smackin' Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake and turned it into cupcakes. That was pretty much the only thing I could think of to make it even tastier!

You can find the recipe here http://www.cookingwithpauladeen.com/recipe_results.php?id=205

The only change I made was to the cake -using dark cocoa instead of regular cocoa. I love rich dark chocolate taste and it made a difference!

I made the chocolate frosting a day in advance as the day of required making two flavors of ganache and Peanut Butter Mousse.


Oh Paula, sifting the dry ingredients twice??? I would only do it for your recipe!



The yummy batter and my yummy Sauvignon Blanc.



Filling up some jumbo cupcake liners to make for some taller cupcakes (and they keep the toppings in too!)




The yummy cake! It is so moist and rich!





Folding the Whipped Cream mixture into the Peanut Butter & melted Peanut Butter Chip Mixture to make Peanut Butter Mousse...




I used a long cupcake filling tip to get all the mousse goodness into the center of each cupcake.





Then, I topped each one with her chocolate frosting recipe to hide all the holes.

After the frosting I topped each one with some mini peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's-they are so yummy! Of course, I enjoyed a few on the side with my vino!

Peanut Butter Ganache---before the microwave.

Topping the frosting with the ganache...these are only getting yummier. The whole house smelled like a peanut butter cup!

Filling the piping bag for the Peanut Butter Ganache.

The finished beauties!

The hubs and I had to smell these babies in the car for TWO HOURS and resist them all the way to my parents house. It was worth the wait when we finally enjoyed them with my dad's homemade vanilla ice cream.

Cheers to peanut butter & chocolate decadence!

xoxo,

Tipsy

p.s. Donna--- don't hate me for this one!