Heather (Ghost Baker) « DinnerCakes

Let it Snow?

December 23rd, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

You may have noticed Edwin and I are taking a little mini vacation this week. He’s off to Chi-town with family, and I’m trying to do all the Christmas shopping that exams prevented me from getting done!

If you haven’t heard, parts of the east coast were slammed this past weekend with record snowfall. Eek. I’m still working on digging out my car, and I take my life in my hands every time I leave the house. We did have Bake-a-Thon, however many of our usual bakers were unable to make it due to the snow… more on that later this week!

In other news, my baby dog is becoming an adolescent dog. And we got him to finally wear his Christmas bandanna – take a look!

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Christmas Recipes!

December 18th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Here’s a roundup of DC Christmas Recipes from last year!

Kitchen Tips – Butter
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Yogurt Poppy Seed Dressing
Pumpkin Oatmeal Bites
Blackberry and Apricot Thumbprint Cookies
Mesclun Green Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
Steel Cut Oats with Apple & Coconut

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Food Photography – Christmas Cookies!

December 16th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Who is getting pumped for Christmas baking?!

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Julie & Julia?

December 15th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

So last night I kicked back with Julie & Julia. I’ve been told multiple times to watch it, but I have to say, I didn’t love it!

Meryl Streep is always an amazing actress, but I don’t think even her abilities could save the movie. Were we supposed to feel sympathy for Julie, played by Amy Acker? Mostly I just felt that she was extremely obnoxious. The splices between Julia Childs and Julie just didn’t seem to fit to me.

Also, I expected to be wowed and made hungry by all the food in the movie, but it was no Waitress. Waitress makes you want to go straight from the theater to your kitchen and to start cranking out pies. Maybe pies speak to me personally more than Beef Bourguignon?

Please tell me if I was missing something here. It did make me wish for some more formal training in the kitchen and a larger repertoire for cooking – but do I really need to know how to bone a duck? It’s an interesting question that a lot of food bloggers and modern cooks probably wonder. Do you have to be the Iron Chef, able to make a meal with any sort of flavor and food item that’s thrown at you, in order to be a good cook?

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How about Banana Pudding instead?

December 14th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Um… things aren’t going so well!

Baking with a rowdy puppy underfoot is… challenging.

Also I made an impulse buy at the grocery store and have been stuffing my face with Nilla wafers/making banana pudding. It’s not the most picturesque, but it’s pretty delicious! Why have I never bought Nilla wafers before?

I adapted the recipe a little bit because I’m uncomfortable with what they called for with the egg whites. I know some people are a little more liberal with their egg whites(coughEdwincough), but no salmonella for me!

Quickie Banana Pudding
adapted from Nabisco

1/2 cup granulated sugar + more for sprinkling
1/3 cup flour
dash salt
3 egg yolks
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Nilla Wafers
3-4 bananas, sliced

Preheat oven to 350F.

Using a double boiler (or stack pots if you don’t have one), combine 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, egg yolks and milk. Stir constantly and cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Spread a thin layer of custard in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Add a layer of Nilla wafers, then a layer of banana slices, then pour over more custard. Repeat these alternating layers about three times, finishing with custard each time. Sprinkle top with more granulated sugar.

Bake 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly, serve with Cool Whip.

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Thinking…

December 14th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Thinking I’m going to post a step-by-step Christmas cookie today – either apricot thumbprints or rugelach. Stayed tuned!

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Almost there…

December 10th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

I am, or should be, studying… we’ll catch up soon!

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Soccer Ball Soup

December 8th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

This week I have final exams in my graduate program. I’ll be a little… well… insane? So please excuse the lack of Ghost Baker here on DC!

No Christmas decorating has been done yet either, but as you can see above, I have been streaming nonstop Christmas music. It helps keep things in perspective!

So what do I eat for dinner when I’m completely crunched for time? Soccer ball soup. This soup was introduced to me by my husband’s side of the family. It’s simple, but it’s great. And it’s a way you can control what’s in your soup a little bit (just look at how much sodium is in canned soup at the grocery store, and you might rethink it as a healthy meal alternative!).

Soccer Ball Soup
(serves one – just double the ingredients to serve two, and so on)

1 can low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup acini di pepe pasta balls (or pastinis)
black pepper

Heat broth and pasta in a medium saucepan over low/medium heat, stirring occasionally. When pasta has doubled in size, it’s done (usually about 10 minutes). Be careful not to burn the soup, it should not boil. Top with fresh ground pepper.

Serve and enjoy!

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Want Cookies?

December 5th, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Two good friends have opened up a cookie shop, Palmetto Pastries, featuring iced sugar cookies for the holidays! Click here to find out more!

These are thick and delicate sugar cookies that are iced with our almond flavored icing. We only use royal icing to pipe phrases and special designs on the cookies, ensuring that you won’t bite into a hard layer of icing over a soft delicious cookie.

Don’t miss out! They are accepting orders now through December 18th to ensure quality and efficient delivery.

Please tell them to send me some free cookies as well so that I can really give a stellar review 🙂