"Mr. Sugar Dish" on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favorite holidays. The fact that the biggest priorities of the day surround food, family and football is greatness in my book. The careful choreography of the menu planning, food preparation and timing juxtaposed with crazed friends/family, laughter, story telling and imbibing makes for such great times.

Let me introduce myself.  Simply put, I am Mr. Sugar Dish.  Cooking is my passion, and therefore my wife suggested I post some Thanksgiving dinner wisdom here on her blog.

Turkey breast with apple,
cranberry, and bacon stuffing

Growing up in and Irish-Catholic household, the idea of creating a meal around a large piece of roasted meat was not unfamiliar. In fact, my mom’s beautiful preparation of a beef roast with all the fixings was a regular Sunday tradition in my youth. I still remember coming inside on a cool afternoon and being struck by the intoxicating aroma of beef and caramelize onions (and of course, the extra fat my mom would request from our butcher because it makes a richer gravy and high-rising Yorkshire pudding). My family has a solid history of really strong cooks including my mother, grandmother and great Aunt (both on my mom’s side). A lot of my cooking is squarely based on the flavor profiles of their recipes.

On Thanksgiving, my mom, (and when I was much younger) grandmother and aunt would all combine forces to put together a huge spread of delicious and traditional offerings. Some of my favorites included chicken livers, creamed onions, mashed turnip, maple glazed sweet potatoes and apple pie with a shortbread crust. I also remember being in the kitchen and helping prep certain dishes and also started to learn about different techniques. Preparing these types of holiday meals was really where my love for cooking started. As the years progressed my brother and I would even put together a lot of these dishes on our own.

For me, Thanksgiving is still about so many of those dishes and flavors. I am a traditionalist, and don’t do too much meddling with the established favorites.

Sliced herb roasted turkey breast.

Here is a list of 5 things to think about this week as you start to put together your Thanksgiving plans.

1. Plan ahead- making a grocery list is just the start. For the last couple years I’ve created sort of an itinerary of my tasks and necessary prep work I want to accomplish on the days leading up to Thursday…this is super helpful in staying organized, especially if you are entertaining a crowd. (example: Tuesday Night: go to liquor store for beer, wine and bourbon Wednesday Morning: Whole Foods Wednesday Evening: make pie crust for strawberry rhubarb pie, make strawberry-rhubarb filling, make chicken liver pate, etc.)

2. Think about your food lineup for the entire day- some people focus on the dinner, but Thanksgiving is generally an all-day affair.  So make sure you have snacks and appetizers ready to roll for your hungry guests and family members. If you are like me and like to start the party early, make sure you are combating the booze with food (and also water!).

3. For dinner, follow the 1-2-5-2 rule- These numbers may seem confusing so let me explain!

1 roast or protein (ex: duck fat roasted turkey breast with a cranberry-apple-bacon stuffing, herb-crusted prime rib, etc.)

2 sauce options (ex: giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, horseradish sauce, etc.)

5 side items - that includes at least one green vegetable…whether or not you choose to cover that green vegetable in cheese or cook with pork fat is totally up to you! (example: bacon-roasted Brussels sprouts with caramelized onions, goat cheese-mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, oyster stuffing, roasted asparagus with a lemon vinaigrette, etc.)

A traditional warm apple pie.

2 dessert options…this may seem extravagant but people love sweet things (just ask Sugar Dish!!). Also, some people prefer fruit flavors, while others prefer chocolate flavors (example: strawberry-rhubarb pie, Nutella and white chocolate bread pudding, pumpkin pie with a salted crust, etc.)

4. Stay ahead of clean-up- During my experience working in a professional kitchen, it became clear that good chefs/cooks kept their stations and workspaces clean. Do dishes, clean mixing bowls, and wipe cutting boards and counters as you go. This will also help to ensure that your end of the day cleanup will not be nearly as daunting.

5. Ask for help- Preparing a holiday meal can be a big undertaking…it’s totally fine to ask friends or relatives to bring an appetizer, side, drink and/or a dessert to share.

In closing I’d like to give a big thanks to Sugar Dish for “encouraging” me to contribute to her blog this week…now back to your regularly scheduled sugary programs. Wishing you all a happy and tasty Thanksgiving!

Our 2013 Thanksgiving place setting, compliments of Sugar Dish.
Each guest shared what we were thankful for during our meal.

Michelle's Birthday Cake: A Fondant Tutorial

Thanksgiving week has just begun and we are off to a sweet start!

My coworker Michelle had a big birthday today.  She started talking about her big day last week, and I was inspired by her excitement.  So many people become less and less enthusiastic about celebrating as the years pass.  Some people actually make crazy declarations about not wanting to celebrate!  I hate this.  I believe you should celebrate every birthday likes it's your 21st.  And Michelle feels the same.  As she was telling everyone about her birthday plans, I was already planning the awesome cake I was going to make for this awesome lady.

In planning the design for Michelle's cake, the first thing that popped into my mind was bright pink, as Michelle wears a lot of bright colors, and looks great in them.  The shade I had in my mind made me think of India.  About four years ago I visited India, and like many of its visitors, was struck by the boldly bright fabrics and the beautiful henna art.  So I began to envision a henna inspired design on a bright pink fondant canvas.

When I brought this cake to my office today, what awed everyone the most was the color and the smooth consistency of the decorations.  Everyone wanted to know how you get such a smooth effect.  The answer of course is - fondant.  So, I decided to write this post about how to cover a cake with fondant.

Fun fact: the inside filling of a Cadbury Cream Egg is poured fondant.  It is also a common decoration for cakes, particularly wedding cakes.  The word fondant means "melting" in french, and I have found that most people "melt" for the way it makes a cake look.  Fondant can be made in different ways, but typically includes ingredients like water, sugar, powdered sugar, and marshmallows.  I buy my fondant at the store, as most people eat around it anyway - as the majority don't like the taste.  In the past, I have used Wilton brand fondant, but this time I purchased Duff fondant from Michael's.  I was very happy with it and plan to switch for future purchases.  The colors are more vibrant, the fondant covers better, and it tastes better!

Anyway, decorating the cake.  First, fill the cake layers with regular frosting (buttercream, cream cheese, etc.), and frost the cake with a crumb layer.  If you're not sure what a crumb layer is, it's a thin layer of frosting designed to seal in the crumbs of the cake.  You should always do this when frosting a cake, regardless of how you're decorating it.  This keeps the crumbs from showing up on your finished product.  See this picture for my crumb layer.  I then let my cake layers set in the fridge for several hours.



Now, for the fondant, follow these steps (use the same steps for a round or square cake):

1. Measure the side of your cake and its width across.  To calculate the circumference of your rolled fondant, use this equation:  Circumference=Side(2) + Width
2. Remove the fondant from packaging, and place it in the microwave on low heat for 10 seconds per pound of fondant.

3. Spread corn starch on your work space, and kneed the fondant to get it to a good consistency, about three to five minutes.
4. Using as much cornstarch as you need to prevent sticking (on your work space and roller), roll out the fondant until about 1/8" thick.  Make sure it measures as detailed above.
5. As pictured, roll the sheet of fondant onto your rolling pin.  You can then carry it to your cake and, using the rolling pin, gently unroll and drape it over your cake.  Make sure there is a "skirt" of fondant trim around the cake.
6. Remove any bubbles from the top of the cake.  I use my rolling pin to get it extra smooth.
7. On the side of the cake, walk your fingers of one hand one inch down.  With your other hand, "fluff" the skirt lightly under your fingers.  While fluffing the skirt under your fingers, continue to walk your fingers all around the cake, only going one inch from the top all around.  As you go around the corners, you'll need to fluff the skirt a little more.  You'll find this stretches the fondant, which is what you want.  Just be sure not to stretch a hole in it.
8.  Repeat step seven, but move two inches down with your fingers, and go all around.
9.  Repeat until all of the sides are flat and smooth.
10. Use a fondant smoothing tool, like this to smooth the sides and create a clear indention at the bottom.
11. Use a fondant cutter as pictured below to cut the fondant where the indention has been created.  Remove access fondant, and use the smoothing tool or your fingers to smooth the cut fondant.  Extra fondant can be reused!

Now you're ready to use this beautiful canvas to make a masterpiece!  You can use other fondant colors and shapes to make a design, or you can do like I did for Michelle's cake and use buttercream frosting for a piping design.  If you choose to decorate with other fondant, just wet where you want to add the fondant, and the two pieces will stick together.

In case you are wondering, Michelle loved her cake!  We left it up to her to decide what time she wanted her party.  She opted for birthday cake for breakfast.  Heck, it's your party, right?  Yum!

My super secret play-doh recipe!

So I know this blog is supposed to be about decorating cakes in complex and beautiful ways, but I do want give a few of my ideas for fun crafts for kids along the way.  I definitely wasn't planning for my second post to be about making play-doh, but motherhood has taught me to just "go with it" sometimes.

Yesterday the baby unexpectedly took a nap, and I had some one-on-one time with my two year old son.  Sully loves play-doh, and we make it together about once a week.  I love to make things in the kitchen with him, and I think it's a great activity.  I also like making my own play-doh because, like so many kids, Sully eats his play-doh, no matter how much I try to get him to stop.  But if I know the ingredients that were put in it, it's one less thing to worry about. Plus, it saves another kind of dough!

So anyway, yesterday I said, hey do you want to make play-doh?  And of course he freaked out.  Then I was like, why don't I take pictures of us doing this and write a blog post about it?  Making play-doh is pretty much the most basic thing you can do as far as DIY toddler projects, but I seem to see a lot of my mom friends posting on facebook about how they either a) can't find play-doh in the store, or b) need a good recipe for it.  So it seems to me that there is a need out there and I'm happy to share my recipe.

Unfortunately I lied in the title of this post, as my recipe is not super secret, I am pretty sure it's the same recipe a lot of people use, but it's great so that's all that matters.  Here are the ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
food coloring
Some people recommend adding glitter. I agree this sounds super fun, unless your kid is like mine and eats the play-doh. Until he stops doing that, I'm going to refrain from adding small bits of broken glass, thank you very much.

The best part is that this is almost impossible to screw up.  I have tried.  I mean after all, I let my toddler measure the ingredients, but the play-doh always turns out great!  You can also easily double or triple the recipe if you want to make it for a play date.

Step One: Mix all the ingredients in a large pot on the stove. I mix them in without the heat on, as Sully uses a little step stool to help me.

Step Two: Turn on medium heat and keep mixing.  At this point I usually try to distract my toddler with something else.  Keep mixing the whole time.

Step Three: It will start to clump (picture three), and when it looks like picture four (i.e. when it looks like play-doh) it's ready to go!  Take it out of the pot and kneed it on the counter.  Sully loves this part.

Step Four: Play!

This photo was literally taken about two minutes after the play-doh finished cooking. Sully could hardly wait for me to finish!

Be sure to store in an air tight container!

Stay tuned as I have a very busy week of baking planned - a birthday cake for Michelle, thanksgiving cupcakes for Sully's daycare party, and then the main event: Thanksgiving dinner! Maybe we can even talk Mr. Sugar Dish into posting his secrets to cooking a Thanksgiving feast? Who's with me???

A Buttercream Rosette Tutorial

Hello wide, vast Internet!  For this, my first blog entry, I present to you a tutorial on Buttercream Rosettes.  Not only because they're one of my favorite things to make right now, but also because I'm making these cupcakes for our church fair this weekend.

Rosettes are one of those things that I can truly say look more difficult to make than they really are - as long as you have the two secrets to cake decorating, which are: taking your time, and using the right tools.  If how often I'm able to go to the freaking bathroom without a toddler watching me while holding an infant in my lap (no, I'm not kidding) is a measurement of how able I am to take my time doing anything, then let's just say I rely heavily on using the right equipment.

Success in cake decorating is like surviving your first New England winter.  I learned the value of the right equipment during my first winter in Boston.  Being an Oklahoma girl, I figured that my winter coat purchased on clearance at Gap would be sufficient; it had plaid lining after all!  I WAS WRONG, OH SO WRONG!  Lesson learned: get a winter coat and accessories that make you look like Han Solo in Star Wars Episode V (especially if you're a man, because that would be really hot).  Extra credit if you ride a Tauntan.

The same is true with baking.  If you want to make lovely rosettes and swirls etc, don't buy those weird plastic decorating tips on the Halloween aisle at Stop n' Shop.  I mean, unless you're REALLY genuinely talented, and not like most of us, scanning Pinterest for fun tricks to make us look (and feel) talented and awesome.

I use Wilton products, and they have always worked well for me.  I would like to say that I use them because I have systematically tested out all major brands and scored them on a five point scale to find the winner.  But no, I use Wilton because it's what Michael's carries, and I freaking love Michael's.

To make rosettes, use a Wilton size 1M tip, like this.  This is also the tip that you would use to make a more traditional swirl on top of a cupcake, like on these gender reveal cupcakes I made.  This tip is great and has many uses.  How many more times will I have to write "tip" in this blog?  Geez...

Fill either a 12" or 16" pastry bag with buttercream.  I prefer to use a 16" bag, as it's nice to have more space to twist the top of the bag as you work, and it's also easier to fill.


To fill a pastry bag:
1. Cut the tip off of the bag.
2. Insert the decorating tip into the bag, pushing it into the corner you cut off.
3. Hold the bag with one hand, near the clipped corner and decorating tip.
4. With your other hand, fold the top of the bag over, all the way down to your hand.
5. Then, using a spatula you can put buttercream into the bag starting at the very bottom, and role up the pastry bag as you fill it.  Use the spatula to press out any possible air bubbles.  This is important because air bubbles will really mess up your rosettes.
6. Only fill the bag a maximum of 3/4 full, and twist the top closed.

So, now the fun part.  How do you make those beautiful rosettes that make everyone say "oooh, ahhhhh, how did she do that???"

The rosette is a closely related cousin to a traditional cupcake swirl.  For a swirl, you use a 1M tip and start on the outside of the cupcake, winding in towards the middle.  For a rosette, you start in the middle of the cupcake, and work your way out.

To Make the Rosettes:
1. Place your cupcakes on a low table, or use a step stool (especially if you're vertically challenged, like moi), so you can hold the pasty bag perpendicular to the table.
2. Place the tip in the middle of the cupcake and lightly squeeze the top of the bag while you start to swirl out.
3. When you're ready to end the rosette, tuck the tip in a bit and gently release.  I've found this part takes the most practice.
4. Keep winding the bag as you work to keep all the frosting near the tip (again, avoid the evil air bubbles!)

A couple tips:
1. Establish a good base at the center of the rose.  That is, start the flow of the icing and lift up a bit.  This makes sure the icing stays on the cake, and also that you have that pretty starting point of the rose.
2. Try to keep the number of swirls around the cupcake the same for each one.  This creates a neat, professional look.
3. Try to end the rosette at the same point on each cupcake.  Again, for that clean "Martha Stewart" look.
4. If you're planning to decorate with rosettes for a special occasion, do a practice run.  Although these are easy with the right tools, they do take practice.
5. Use the right frosting.  Buttercream works well, but it must be thick enough to hold shape.  If your frosting is too runny, add more POWDERED SUGAR!!!  Cream cheese frosting also works well, but it must be thick enough as well.  Be sure the frosting is nice and cold.  Although it's important to bake with room temperature ingredients, I keep my frosting ingredients on the cooler side so that the frosting will hold better.
6. Remember that the best part about these rosettes is that they don't need to be perfect.  Even with imperfections, they are still charming.

Here is the finished product:

After mastering this you can do all kinds of awesome things, including, the super fun ombre rosette cake, like this one I made for my daughter's christening.  Mom win!

Lizzy's christening cake: Lemon cake filled and frosted with buttercream.