September 2011 Daring Baker Challenge = FRESH, FLUFFY, FRENCH

I was so thrilled when the challenge this month was Croissants, As they are on my baking bucket list (see for yourself). So I finally had an excuse to make them. Although, it would've been easier in a cold-weather spell.... Can't wait to try this again in the winter, now that I have done it once, I can learn from my mistakes. Not that there were many mistakes, They tasted AMAZING.

Thanks for the great Challenge Sarah!

Blog-checking lines: The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child!



In the recipe notes, Sarah included a link to a Julia Child video on YouTube, which was VERY helpful, and pretty entertaining. I had just watched Julie and Julia a few days before I got this challenge also! Great Timing.



As Usual, I'm going to send you to the Daring Kitchen website to find the pdf file of this months challenge. Sarah included a ton of step by step photo's that were very helpful.




My Croissants didn't last long at all. We ended up eating half of them right after they were done baking, and then the rest for breakfast the next morning. I can't wait to make these again! Again, Thanks Sarah for giving me a reason to finally make Croissants!

Black Forest Cake!

I have been meaning to tell you about my Black Forest Cake for nearly 2 weeks, but Life keeps getting in the way...


...and I keep telling it to go away and come back when I'm ready to deal with it

But it totally doesn't listen to me

I finally went and got my License renewed today... The last day I could before It expires

And then didn't have enough money in my bank account to pay for it

Luckily I had some birthday cash hanging out in my Wallet (thanks Grandma! I can still drive a car thanks to you!)

Then I figured I needed to go and do something to make me feel better and less like a failure at life, so I finally stopped at the vet clinic by our house and made an appointment for Ava's shots... and got an estimate on Wilson's neuter if i can ever convince the boyfriend to not feel bad about chopping his Balls off.

But you don't want to hear about any of this...


so Let me show you the Black Forest Cake that I finally checked off the bucket list...

...which was delicious, and even better than I imagined.
Although, we used a Chocolate cake recipe, that I don't really like, so next time I'll try some kind of Chocolate Sponge Cake, I think that would be much nicer (I wrote the chocolate cake recipe down, but I have lost the piece of paper somewhere between my parents house and my house, so if I do ever find it, I will post the recipe here, until then, I guess I just have pictures for you)

Honestly, I don't know why it took us this long to make this cake. It was pretty easy! (and amazing). We thought we put a lot of the Cherry Kirsch on too, but It wasn't very boozy... I think next time I'll add more than I think is enough, and We'll be in business!


The night before we made the cake, I shaved a bunch of chocolate squares into Chocolate shavings. I tried to take a picture, but it was late, so not light, and honestly, a bowl full of chocolate shavings isn't that pretty... but tastes so much better than store-bought chocolate sprinkles.

Then bright and early in the morning (while I worked on my Daring Baker challenge for the month... will post on April 27... but don't hold your breath, I wasn't very inspired) I made the cakes
They rose really high in the middle, so we had funny looking layers, But really easy to cover up. My mom knows a lot of tricks, after years and years of cake decorating so I try and force them out of her, so I can learn them too.

Then we layered the cakes (Two 9" chocolate cakes, sliced in half) with Canned Cherry Pie filling and a little whipped cream in between each layer.
OH, and Cherry Kirsch brushed onto the cakes... Probably the most important part

See... funny layers... but definitely yummy!


Then you just coat the thing in Whipped Cream, push some Chocolate sprinkles onto the sides, and then pipe some Whip Cream puffs (stars, whatever you want to call them) onto the top
Then add some maraschino cherries to each puff
and TA DA!!!!

Black Forest Cake
(Finally checked off the Bucket List!)