Weekend Baking Saturday Edition

Happy Saturday! I hope you have some great plans for the weekend, I sure do!

You can't make this up... it's COLD!!

So what's the weather like where you are? Because I've got to tell you... it's been a little chilly here! Seems like the only thing you can do when the weather's like this... is BAKE!!!

I have so much baking planned for this weekend that I get to do multiple posts with multiple recipes, and I'm really excited so let's get started with what I've done today...

First I whipped up a pretty easy (and let's be honest... ugly!) batch of brownies.

I will share a recipe with you... but I didn't really use one! What I really wanted to do was make something s'more-like... I had the graham crackers, the marshmallows and brownie mix. Let's just say, it was a no-brainier. 

They might not look pretty but they taste SO GOOD!!

S'more Brownies
Makes: One 9x13 pan

Ingredients:
2 bags Ghirardelli brownie mix (or your favourite brownie mix)
2 Eggs
2/3cup Oil (I used canola)
2/3cup Water
12 Graham Crackers, roughly crushed
12 large Marshmallows,each  cut in half

Directions:

• Prepare your brownie mix according to the package (or your recipe) directions. Mine calls for the eggs, oil and water, but go ahead and follow your instructions!
• Gently mix in the graham crackers and marshmallows so everything is covered.
• Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
• Bake at according to your brownie mix directions (mine called for 325F for ~50 minutes, but I had to add a bit before it was done).

Eating this warm is probably the best thing in the world!!

For my next recipe, I FINALLY made crème brûlée!! I've been meaning to do this for a long time. When I was at  school (for Baking and Pastry) we made crème caramel which is basically the exact same thing only crème caramel has a layer of caramel on the bottom that when you invert the desert onto a plate it streams over the custard. Crème brûlée, the custard is served in the ramekin it's baked in and sprinkled with sugar that is caramelized (and burnt!) on top.

But why stop at crème brûlée? I made mine VERY vanilla by incorporating a whole vanilla pod as well as an entire white chocolate bar!

Sorry for the bad phone picture... I was so excited to eat it!!

White Chocolate Crème Brûlée
Makes: 6 ramekins

Ingresients:
5 Egg Yolks
1/3cup Sugar (plus 6tsp)
pinch Salt
2cup Whipping Cream 
100g White Chocolate, finely chopped
1 Vanilla Pod 

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl combine yolks, 1/3cup sugar and salt.
• Pour whipping cream into a sauce pan.
• Slice the vanilla pod down the middle and put add to whipping cream and heat until it just reaches a simmer.
• Remove the pod and scrape the seeds into the cream. 
• Add chocolate and stir until incorporated. 
• Strain into ramekins and place the ramekins into a baking pan.
• Fill pan to the middle of the ramekins with hot water.
• Bake at 150C (302F) for about 30 minutes (or until set).
• Remove from oven and carefully remove the ramekins onto a towel. Cool and refrigerate until ready to be served (at this point I'd like to point out that we prefer a warm dessert so as long as you don't mind a runny custard, you can skip the chilling step!)
•  Sprinkle tops with a teaspoon of sugar each and by using either a torch or broiler, caramelize the sugar.

Enjoy!!

So go ahead and make these yummys to keep you warm, let me know how they worked out and come back tomorrow to see what else I'm up to while using the oven to warm up the house!

Cheers!!!xoxo,
-Shelly