The Movie Bakery

11Sep
6
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Back to School + Sour Cream Apple Pie

“Screw you, Melon.”

BACK TO SCHOOL
1986
Director: Alan Metter
Writers: Rodney Dangerfield, Greg Fields, Dennis Snee, Steven Kampmann, William Porter, Peter Torokvei, Rich Eustis, Harold Ramis
Distributor: MGM
Stars: Rodney Dangerfield (comical, of course), Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Robert Downey Jr. (hilarious), Keith Gordon (of Jaws 2 fame), Ned Beatty (also hilarious), Sam Kinison (say iiiit!), William Zabka (80′s villain)…oh and a cameo by Kurt Vonnegut, because that makes sense…?!

This one’s for The Big Apple.
As hard as it was, I needed to laugh today. As a New Yorker, even though I’m not there right now, I was getting caught up in all the recent 9/11 coverage and thinking a lot about those terrible times in 2001 when so many of us lost people we knew :( . So I’m going to do my best with this post to take a mental break from it for a little while and instead focus on some other things about September. Never forget. xo

Even though I’ve been out of school for many more years than I’d like to admit (ouch), September always makes me think of the start of the school year. Back to School cracks me up, so I’m sticking with that for tonight’s feature. And just thankful that I’m not actually back in school myself. Suckers! Just kidding, kids. ;) Rodney Dangerfield, a.k.a., rich guy Thornton Melon, is a successful businessman who never had the opportunity to go to college. His son goes to a university in upstate NY, but is not doing well and is considering dropping out. So…Rodney decides to enroll there himself (on his own terms, of course), to encourage his son, and to get the degree he never had. But of course along the way, things get a bit absurd…and hilarious. Confession: I still can’t see someone do a high dive without thinking of Rodney’s triple lindy.

I suppose the fact that Rodney’s name in the movie is Melon means I could have made a melon based dessert…but since I’m going with a September/school theme, with undertones about NY, I went with apple pie on this one. Apple for the teacher and all that. Plus, when I was growing up, we’d usually go apple picking at an orchard out in New Jersey in September, so I have apple pie on the brain (they do have more than just Snooki out there you know…) ;) . But this version is slightly different. There’s a bakery in NYC called the Little Pie Company, introduced to me by our friend Mike, and they make the most amazing sour cream apple pie with really thin slices of apples. Since I can’t get theirs out on the west coast, I searched high and low for a recipe…I ended up frankensteining a few different recipes to come up with this one, and it works! Try it, I swear it’s good.

SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE RECIPE

TOPPING:
6 Tbsp. cold butter
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
(Note: This makes a lot of topping, feel free to half it if you don’t want too much of it…but I always think it’s the best part!)

PIE FILLING:
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
3-4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and either diced or sliced really thin, with a mandolin (That’s how I did it here, with a mandolin. Also I’d go for 4 apples, I used 3 but I think it could have used a little more…)
1 9″ frozen pie shell (do NOT bake ahead of time), or feel free to make your own crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare topping first:
Mix flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut butter into small chunks and stir it into dry ingredients, leaving it lumpy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the filling:
Combine sugar, flour and salt together and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together egg, vanilla and sour cream. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the peeled, sliced apples to this mixture and stir until they’re well coated. Pour this into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake:
DO NOT add the topping yet, bake pie without it first for 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven, add the topping, and put it back in the oven for 25 minutes or so until it looks crispy and melted. Cool before cutting. Refrigerate after eating. Wipe tears of joy because it was so good and tell me I was right. ;)

Topping mixture

Wet and dry ingredients being combined for filling

Apples sliced by mandolin

All together and ready to bake

Semi-baked, now adding topping

Done!

:)

Thoughts? Favorite lines from the movie? September memories?

Hope I was able to give you a little smile in an otherwise tough day. Enjoy your week ahead.

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Comedy, Fruit based desserts, Pie and tagged with , , , , , ,
05Sep
6
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Overboard + Fruit Pie

“Are you going to bring me my lemon or do I have to squeeze it from my hat?”

OVERBOARD
1987
Director: Garry Marshall
Writer: Leslie Dixon
Distributor: MGM
Stars: Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell

This is a late, late, late post in honor of my mom and sister’s August birthdays! Shame on me. Where does the time go?!
Another 80′s classic that we always enjoyed watching together, about Goldie/Joanna/Annie/Caterina, and Kurt/Dean/Arturo. Those of you who saw it will know what I’m talking about. ;) Goldie plays a rich, mean biotch who ends up falling off her yacht and gets amnesia, and Kurt is the “sweaty carpenter” that scoops her up and pretends to be her husband…a little payback for the debt she owes him. She basically becomes his live in maid and mother to his 4 unruly kids, until she gets her memory back. You’d think it would end right there the minute she finds out that she’s been duped but WAIT! Somehow they end up falling in love. Awww. The funniest scenes were her trying to figure out how to cook and clean, or as she puts it during her breakdown, “buhbuhbuhbuhbuh…”. Gotta love her.

I paired this one with a simple fruit pie, a recipe my mom would make in the summer that is also one of my sister’s faves. You can get most of the ingredients from Joanna’s hat. ;)

FRUIT PIE RECIPE

Quick note: I’m allergic to a lot of fruit, so had to make adjustments to the recipe and used all berries, as you’ll see in the pictures (hey, I want to eat it too!). But you can use any fruit you like. Below is the classic recipe as mom makes it. It’s pretty low cal and easy too!

Strawberries
Mandarin orange segments
White grapes, cut in half
1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
1 small apple, cored and sliced – or canned peaches (dry them a little first)
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 container fat free whipped topping, thawed
1 3.4 oz. package sugar free instant pudding, vanilla or banana flavor
1/2 cup skim milk
1 deep dish pie crust, baked as directed and cooled (or feel free to make your own from scratch, overachievers… ;) I kid!)

Beat whipped topping, pudding mix and milk until well combined. Pour into the baked pie shell. Arrange fruit in concentric circles as desired.
In a small saucepan, combine honey, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Cool slightly and brush over fruit. (If it’s too thick, add a splash of water…I did and it made it a bit easier to spread without moving the fruit around too much).
Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Mixing!

Filling!

Cutting!

Glazing!

Decorating!

That’s it! Hope you enjoy.
Happy belated birthday, Mom and Jill! xoxox :)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Fruit based desserts, Pie, Romantic Comedy and tagged with , , , , , ,
10Aug
12
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Jaws + Shark Cupcakes

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

JAWS
1975
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss

People…my apologies, it’s been way too long. Been trying to get this entry out for weeks but got sidetracked by a little thing called a job…oops! :) So here’s my long overdue tribute to Shark Week…not sure about you but it’s only been over a few days and I’m already having withdrawals…
I’m sure most of you have seen it: Chief of police Martin Brody, fisherman Quint and marine biologist Matt Hooper take to the seas to stop the villainous shark from attacking the beachgoers of Amity Island. This one really holds a special place in my heart because although there are lots of great movies out there, for some reason this one trumps all for me. If you know me well, you know this to be true. I saw it way too young and it’s kept me out of the water pretty much ever since (well done, Spielberg). It is my absolute all time favorite. The amount of times I’ve watched it – and will continue to watch it – is probably unhealthy. But…it’s JAWS. The first real thrilling summer block buster! Awesome characters and chemistry, acting, direction, location, music, writing…the USS Indianapolis monologue alone is brilliant (and, a little trivia, was the first time that most Americans were hearing about what had happened during that top secret debacle). Bottom line, they’ll never make another one like this. The planets must have been perfectly aligned when this came together! And if you’ve never read the book, check that out too – there are some twists in it. I’m lucky enough to have a first edition signed by Peter Benchley himself, thanks to my husband. Score! :) But, I’ll cut this a bit short – you don’t want me to get too deep into this movie, trust me – let’s get on to dessert!

Who doesn’t need more cupcakes in their life? This week is more about the fun decorating than baking something extra fancy. I’ve seen a few different versions of this theme, most recently from Martha Stewart. Here I really just used vanilla boxed cake mix and frosting with some food coloring because I was in a hurry, but as always feel free to make your favorite recipe from scratch. I’ll let the pics do most of the talking. I used crushed graham cracker crumbs for the “beach”, the fins are just made out of blue card stock, and the gummy sharks and cocktail beach umbrellas are pretty easy to find at the grocery store. Also, serve it up with chumbucket punch: your favorite red colored juice, with or without a spike of alcohol, and some Swedish fish gummies for your floating fish parts!

As Hooper would say, “Anyone eating this?” ;)

Tell me…are you as crazy about this movie as I am? Any favorite lines? Which character do you like best? Have a good shark encounter story?
Enjoy! :)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Cupcakes, Thriller and tagged with , , , , ,
18Jul
10
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Pretty in Pink + Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

“…What’s this? We don’t have a candy machine in the boy’s room!”

PRETTY IN PINK
1986
Director: Howard Deutch
Writer: John Hughes
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Stars: Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer, Harry Dean Stanton, Andrew McCarthy, Annie Potts, James Spader

It’s a quintessential 80′s high school movie by John Hughes…can’t go wrong. But beware: bad haircuts, ridiculous outfits and questionable music! Cassette tapes! Old computers! Awkward kisses from Andrew McCarthy! And that villainous James Spader (and while we’re at it, really James? Wearing full white suits to high school? Good job, speaking of ridiculous outfits). Molly is likable in this movie, struggling with love, friendship, money, class issues, mean high school bullies, a depressed dad, and a mom who left her. Ouch, poor Mol. Hopelessly lovesick Jon Cryer is her BFF and our comic relief, Ducky…truthfully one of the few times I ever got a kick out of him. (“It’s a major appliance, that’s not a name!”). Weird cameos by Dweezil Zappa and Andrew Dice Clay. I think I saw Gina Gershon in there somewhere too. And I loved Annie Potts as Molly’s friend Iona. I will say one thing though, the prom dress…E for effort Mol, but should have left Iona’s pink number as is and went in that…just saying. For an extra laugh: check out the priceless background dancers at prom, what was going on there exactly?? If you really aren’t a fan of this movie, you could always stick a bunch of candles in the cupcakes and watch 16 Candles instead, another favorite John Hughes/Molly Ringwald 80′s classic. ;)

PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES RECIPE

Quite girly this week with all the pink, sorry fellas! These are chock full of lemony goodness…but please be warned: this is not the best recipe to try out when you have a paper cut, take it from yours truly. Lemons + paper cuts = no bueno. :O So here we have another delish and easy one courtesy of Paula Deen, with a few of my minor adjustments. This has a really nice subtle flavor, a bit tart but not too much so, and a bit sweet. I challenge you not to eat them all before the end of the movie…

Ingredients for batter:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) box white cake mix (or you can make from scratch of course)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sweetened pink lemonade drink powder (like Country Time)

Optional: I added a splash of the frozen pink lemonade concentrate to the cake batter (below, in ingredients for frosting), and a dash of lemon extract since I had it on hand and wanted it to be a bit stronger in flavor. Also wanted it to be more pink so added a drop of pink food coloring to the batter and the frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 pound confectioners’ sugar (sorry, lol)
5 tablespoons frozen pink lemonade concentrate (make lemonade with the rest!)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put cupcake liners into 2 cupcake pans.

Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions. To the batter, also stir in the lemon zest, vanilla, and pink lemonade powder (and the lemon extract and/or frozen pink lemonade concentrate as I mentioned above, and food coloring, if using). Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake wells (ice cream scoops work well for this). Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 18 to 21 minutes, depending on your oven. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully turn the cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting by beating together the confectioners’ sugar and 2 sticks of softened butter until blended and a bit fluffy. Beat in the remaining frosting ingredients mentioned above until combined. Frost cupcakes once they’re cooled.

Some tips:
If it’s pretty warm in your kitchen and the frosting is ready before you are ready to frost, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes so it doesn’t get too soft. It’s butter based though so if you leave it in there too long it will start to harden like butter, so just do it for a few minutes to give it some structure if needed (especially if you’re using a pastry bag to frost the cupcakes with some designs). These cupcakes also don’t really need to be refrigerated once you’re done, because of the same issue with the butter hardening, and they’ll keep just fine…again unless it’s really hot then you may want to put them in for a bit to cool – but take them out of the fridge for a little while before serving so the frosting isn’t hard. If you have extra frosting you can store it in the fridge for a few weeks and use for something else, you’ll just have to let it soften a little before using again.

Batter

Frosting

Decorating

Eating…nice and pink, yes? Oops, I mean back to decorating!

Done!

What’s your fave 80′s flick?
Enjoy!! :)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Cupcakes, Romantic Comedy and tagged with , , , , ,
07Jul
4
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Pirates of the Caribbean + Rum Cake

“…But why is the rum gone??”

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN…all of ‘em!

2003 – 2011
Director: Gore Verbinski
Writers: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom, Bill Nighy, Stellan Skarsgard, Ian McShane, Chow Yun-Fat, Penelope Cruz…

Arr, me hearties! A movie franchise based on an amusement park ride, say whaaaat? I was skeptical, and I know it’s still not the best reviewed bunch of movies ever. But it’s a guilty pleasure of mine, what can I say?! There are swashbucklin’ pirates, the beautiful Caribbean islands, and Johnny Depp…did I mention Johnny Depp? Aaaand SOLD. I’ll just glaze over each installment kind of quickly so we can get to a different kind of glaze…one that involves rum. ;)

The Curse of the Black Pearl

Here we meet pretty much all of the main characters of the story, including my personal fave, Jack Sparrow. He comes off like a crazy, drunken Keith Richards (superfluous? lol) but he’s so fun it kind of works for me. I’m sure real pirates were nothing like this but I’ll let it slide. Jack and Will Turner set out to save the (annoying) governor’s daughter from Captain Barbossa and Jack’s mutinous former crew of his ship, the Black Pearl, who are now zombified because of a curse involving Cortes’ gold. Well, shiver me timbers! PS – Geoffrey Rush is awesome as Barbossa.

Dead Man’s Chest

Enter octopus guy, who is none other than Davy Jones of The Flying Dutchman, as in Davy Jones’ locker. Neat! Bill Nighy plays him perfectly. The effects are so good in all of these, but I’m still amazed by the work that was done on ol’ tentacle face and his creepy crew. In this one, everyone is out for the heart of Jones, each for their own personal reasons. Jack is trying to settle a hefty debt with Jones, and ultimately gets betrayed. And there’s more sword fighting. And Tia Dalma who I think is great. Yay!

At World’s End


OK, things get a little weird here. Jack’s buddies have to sail over the edge of the map to rescue him from the underworld, which is basically him talking to himself in the dessert with a bunch of crabs. Help me out here. But still, it’s Jack, so…fine. Lord Beckett, working with the East India Trading Company, has the heart of Davy Jones so therefore has control of the seas and is trying to destroy the pirates. Best part is the gathering of all the Pirate Lords from around the globe, and the battle that follows. And the revelation that Tia Dalma is really the ocean goddess Calypso, Davy Jones’ former main squeeze. Thought this was the last one, and then comes…

On Stranger Tides

Another installment! This kind of got slammed for some reason but I still enjoyed it. Here we find our seafaring scallywags on a quest for the Fountain of Youth (please bring me some), this time with Ian McShane as Blackbeard, and his daughter, played by Penelope Cruz, who is also Jack’s ex. And, two words: Evil. Mermaids. Come on, so fun! :D I wonder if this is really the last of Captain Jack…

What better to pair with this franchise than a treat filled with that sweet nectar of the islands…RUM. Let’s get to baking! Thanks to Jackie Smith of Allrecipes for this one, I just made some adjustments and added a few tips.

RUM CAKE RECIPE

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup coconut
1 (18.25 oz.) package yellow cake mix (Pillsbury is a good one for this since there’s even more pudding in the mix)
1 (3.4 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix (or coconut flavor if you like)
4 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
another 1/2 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10″ Bundt pan, or spray with Pam for Baking. Sprinkle chopped nuts and coconut evenly in the bottom of the pan.
In a large bowl, sift and combine cake mix and pudding mix. Stir in the eggs, milk, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts and coconut in the pan. Bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Once it’s finished, make the glaze (see below). Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then poke some holes in the bottom of the cake with a toothpick or skewer. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate, poke holes in the top as well, and brush the glaze (see below) over top and sides. Pour some of the glaze into the empty Bundt pan, then put the cake back into it. Pour the remaining glaze over it, making sure it seeps down around the sides of the cake also. Let it sit for an hour or two upside down in the pan, to let all the glaze soak in, then flip it over onto a plate. Let it sit for a few more hours to a day before serving.

To make the GLAZE: In a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup rum during the last minute of cooking, then remove from heat.

Verdict: Holy smokes, people…this is GOOD!!

Batter

Cooking the glaze

Poking holes to let the glaze seep in

Cake back in the pan to let it soak up the rest of the glaze

Done!

Details, details…

Moist and tasty, on my kraken plates! :D

As always, I welcome any questions or comments on the website, the movies, the recipes or anything else!

Yo ho ho, hope you enjoy! :)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Adventure, Cake, Comedy and tagged with , , , , ,
01Jul
6
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Tootsie + Berry Trifle

“I think we’re getting into a weird area here.”

TOOTSIE
1982
Director: Sydney Pollack
Writers: Don McGuire, Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Bill Murray, Sydney Pollack, Geena Davis…

You got me…it’s not Independence Day, Born on the 4th of July or The Patriot…this may not be the first movie you’d think of for this holiday weekend, but it always makes me laugh, and at least the movie poster is patriotic so stay with me! ;) Dustin Hoffman is so great in this role, playing the difficult, out of work actor desperate for a gig…so desperate that he decides to pose as a woman in order to get a coveted role on a soap opera. There he excels as a strong, independent woman and inspires the rest of the female cast, gaining plenty of followers and admirers along the way. But things get complicated for him when he starts to fall in love with one of his fellow cast members who believes he’s a woman…and when her father ends up falling in love with his character, Dorothy. Fun times!

Decided to go with a colorful berry trifle for this one. Woah, fruit! It’s not often that you find me making healthy stuff for dessert. OK, OK so I also used some ingredients here along with the berries that aren’t exactly natural, but neither is Dustin Hoffman in a dress so I figure it evens out. ;) Plus, who doesn’t love an impressive looking but fast and easy treat!
Option: You could also make a white sheet cake, cover it with the pudding/whipped topping mixture or other vanilla frosting of your choice, then arrange the red and blue fruit into a stars and stripes pattern instead if you’re not feeling the trifle. Equally as fun and tasty for a 4th of July themed get together. :)

BERRY TRIFLE RECIPE

2 cups cold milk
1 package (3.4 oz.) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (12 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed (or fresh whipped cream if you like)
1 prepared angel food cake, cut into small cubes (you can make from scratch or get a store bought one)
1 package each blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and (sliced) strawberries

In a bowl, whisk together the milk and pudding mix until smooth. Fold in about three quarters of the whipped topping. Let it stand for a few minutes to set just a little.
Mix together the blackberries and blueberries, and, separately, the raspberries and strawberries.
In a trifle bowl, or large glass bowl, add a layer of angel food cake. Spoon half of the pudding mixture over the cake, then add a layer of the blackberries and blueberries. Add another layer of cake cubes on top of that, the rest of the pudding mixture, and then the strawberries and raspberries mixture. Finish with the rest of the whipped topping and garnish with a few berries. You can also add a spring of mint, some chocolate curls, a few marshmallows…whatever floats your boat! Or, make smaller servings of this in individual glasses for guests. :)

Isn’t that purrrty??

YOUR THOUGHTS

Do you like this movie?
What would you watch and bake for this holiday weekend?

Hope you all have a fun 4th! :)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Comedy, Fruit based desserts and tagged with , , , , ,
08Jun
4
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National Lampoon’s Vacation + Chocolate “Marty” Mousse

“The moose says you’re closed…I say you’re open.”

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION
1983
Director: Harold Ramis
Writer: John Hughes
Distributor: Warner Brothers
Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Randy Quaid…

The Griswalds are hitting the road for a little R&R at Wally World! Kudos to Clark for wanting to tackle that mess. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster showing up in Metallic Pea should have been a tip off that this long trip was not going to go as planned. On the way to California they get lost (“what do I look like, Christopher Columbo?!”), see lots of random tourist sites, stop in on Cousin Eddie and his wacko family, get stuck giving crabby Aunt Edna a ride out West (sadly neither she nor her dog make it, RIP Edna and Dinky), and Clark keeps running into the girl of his dreams…Christie Brinkley in her red Ferrari. Also of note, Russ is quite the scene stealer (example: the “swimming naked with girls” chat, ending in “good talk, Dad.” Love it). Clark understandably has a few hilarious melt downs along the way, but at least he finally gets to his destination and goes on some roller coasters with John Candy…I’m sure that made it all worth while (well, that and the awesome white patent leather shoes he got from Eddie). Score! This movie is timeless!

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE RECIPE

“Marty Moose, Marty Moose, Marty Moose!” I love that scene where Chevy Chase punches him square in the face, LOL. Wait…moose…MOUSSE…yes! Not a big stretch. A little play on words this week, plus I was in the mood for some chocolate (not unusual). Another first for me, so the recipe is courtesy of Tyler Florence, I just added some extra tips. Basically you make whipped cream, meringue and chocolate ganache and combine. Yay!

6 ounces (3/4 cup) chopped semisweet baking chocolate (you can mix in a little bittersweet if you have it on hand too. E. Guittard is a good brand of chocolate).
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (I only had salted and it was fine)
3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (helps stabilize the eggs and avoid overbeating)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (granulated, caster or confectioner’s)
1/2 cup cold heavy cream (any will do, but better quality yields better taste)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream and chocolate shavings, or cocoa powder, for garnish (optional)

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan containing about 1 inch of barely simmering water (or use a double boiler). Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool slightly. (Enough so you don’t scramble your eggs in this next step. Actually you can slowly add a drop of the chocolate to the eggs to warm them up first before putting them all into the chocolate). Then grab a whisk and beat the egg yolks into the chocolate, 1 at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy, on a low speed at first. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. You can bump up the speed to high now. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, but don’t overdo it.

In another chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream on about medium speed until it begins to thicken up. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and then the vanilla and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks. Again, don’t overdo it.

Now that you’ve got the elements prepared, put it all together. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, fold in the whipped cream. Take care not over work the mousse or it will be heavy. Divide the mousse between 4 individual cups. Cover and chill for several hours. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving. I’m a bit of a purist, and didn’t want more cream, so I just served it plain – it’s good enough that way!

Chocolate chopped and ready

Melted chocolate and butter, after adding the egg yolks

Making the meringue (and then whipped cream, which looks very similar)

Messy! Combining the chocolate ganache, cream and meringue (fold in gently)

Voila! YUM.

I tried swirling this into the cup so it would look fancier at first, but didn’t want it to look like something Dinky left on Aunt Edna’s blanket…so I decided it was best to keep it simple! :O haha

YOUR THOUGHTS

Favorite scene?
Would you have paired this with something else?
Ever taken a loooong drive like this for a vaca?
If you have any questions, let me know in the comments section and we can chat offline!

Happy birthday, George!

So long for now! (Cue “Holiday Road” here to play me off…) ;)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Chocolates, Comedy, Mousse and tagged with , , , , , ,
02Jun
13
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Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby + (Good) Ambrosia Salad

“You taste…of America.”

TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY

2006
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Stars: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen

I’ll keep this short because there is no way I can ever be as funny as this movie…! Will Ferrell as the obnoxious and successful Nascar driver Ricky Bobby…I laughed so hard through the whole thing, numerous times. John C. Reilly as his buddy Cal Naughton Jr. (or should I say Mike Honcho?), just as funny, if not more. Sacha Baron Cohen, also hilarious as French Formula “Un” driver Jean Girard, who comes to America and gives Ricky a run for his money. Really, everyone in this was so spot on, I can’t even list them all here – and almost every line was priceless! The scenes where they’re saying grace and talking about their favorite versions of Jesus, the commercial endorsements, the crazy bad mouth kids…lots of gems. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s your homework: GO WATCH IT. And wait for the outtakes at the end! You won’t be disappointed, it’s a super funny, well done comedy. :)

AMBROSIA SALAD RECIPE

“Ambrosia. A dessert made from fruits, sugar and grated coconut, most popular in the South.” -Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani

This one is for my Aunt Laura (Happy birthday!), also a Will Ferrell lover, and the provider of this recipe. Stay with me, I never really had any interest in ambrosia salad…that is, until I had Laura’s version. It’s almost like a chunky pina colada with marshmallows…need I say more? And I bet this would be great on top of crepes a la Jean Girard. ;) (“Really…thin…pancakes.”)

1 large can of pineapple chunks (reserve a little of the juice, but don’t need all or else it gets liquidy)
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup flaked coconut
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. sugar (I used confectioner’s, but you can use regular sugar too)

Mix together marshmallows and pineapples (with a splash of the juice) and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Once you’re ready to serve it, add in the coconut and lemon juice. Then make the whipped cream by mixing together the sugar and heavy cream with either a hand or stand mixer, beating on medium for a few minutes until consistency is a bit stiff. (But not too much or else it will get buttery). Fold into pineapple mixture and serve. THAT’S IT. Love!

Marshmallows and pineapples getting their soak on

Whipped cream

Mixing it all together

Voila! Nom nom nom…eating it as I write this…haha

YOUR THOUGHTS

OK, there were tons of hilarious lines in this movie…what are your faves?
Favorite Will Ferrell flick?
Ambrosia: love it or hate it? Try this one!

In the words of Jean Girard: C’est fini. Au revoir! ;)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Comedy, Fruit based desserts and tagged with , , , , , ,
20May
8
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Summer Rental + Frozen Lemonade Squares

“I love you Scully. That’s not the booze talking either.”

SUMMER RENTAL

1985
Director: Carl Reiner
Writers: Jeremy Stevens, Mark Reisman
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Stars: John Candy, Richard Crenna, Rip Torn

This movie is so silly, but always makes me smile. John Candy is good at that. Here he plays Jack, a stressed out air traffic controller taking a much needed beach vacation with his family. First they end up in the wrong rental house, which as you can imagine leads to a funny scene where the real family comes home to find these complete strangers in their place…and from then on nothing seems to go right for poor Jack. In a nutshell, he gets into a scuffle with the year round locals over some lobsters, breaks his leg, meets a neighbor who keeps wanting to show him her new plastic surgery, has a bunch of random beach goers using his bathroom (and watching the Smurfs on his tv…another funny scene), gets drunk with Rip Torn, and ends up entering a regatta. The family finally comes together to bond and help fix up an old boat for him to use in the race, and things end on an up note. Yay! Don’t you love 80′s movies?!

This beach vacation movie begs for a refreshing frozen lemonade dessert to go with it! Here’s a recipe by Kraft, given to me by Deborah Welsch. So good, light and easy, it’s like instant summer! Bring it on!

Me, the ’70′s beach goddess. Haha ;)

FROZEN LEMONADE SQUARES RECIPE:

1 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers (about 9 if you only have whole ones on hand)
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
4 cups frozen vanilla yogurt, or ice cream, softened
6 oz. (1/2 of 12-oz. can) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (regular lemon or pink lemonade is ok too)
Whipped cream for topping (fresh whipped cream or Cool Whip works fine)

Mix graham cracker crumbs and margarine together; press onto bottom of 9-inch square pan. (If you only have 8″ that’ll work too, it’ll just be thicker. Also, if your pan isn’t non-stick you may want to line the pan with saran wrap to make it easier to take out later, as sometimes the crust sticks a little). Beat the softened frozen yogurt and lemonade concentrate with a hand mixer until well blended; spread over crust. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Serve topped with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and lemon slices/peel/zest, or fresh berries.

NOTE: What to do with the rest of the lemonade concentrate? Make lemonade! Empty remaining liquid into small pitcher. Stir in 1 & 1/2 cans water (a little more if you don’t want it too tart). Refrigerate until ready to serve over ice.

Crust

Filling

Filling on top of the crust. Pretty easy stuff, people!

Done! Cute, yes? :)

YOUR THOUGHTS
Favorite John Candy movie?
Ever had this dessert?
Have you started your countdown to summer yet??

Have a nice week! :)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Citrus flavors, Comedy, Ice Cream Desserts, Light desserts and tagged with , , , , , ,
13May
10
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Silence of the Lambs + Red Velvet Cupcake in a Jar

“I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti…”

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

1991
Director: Jonathan Demme
Writers: Thomas Harris, Ted Tally
Distributor: Orion Pictures
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn

Welcome to the dark side of The Movie Bakery! Haha. Proceed with caution if you’re squeamish. For those who know me well, you already know how much I love a good thriller. If there’s a serial killer involved then all the better. Sick, I realize this, and I’ll seek help at some point. ;) This movie piqued a lot of people’s interest in forensics when it came out, myself and my sister (the best ever), Jill, included. I’ll never forget seeing it for the first time…here’s how it went:

Scene: Downtown NYC. Parents out at an event until late evening, Jill and I at home alone. All is quiet, it’s a school night. Suddenly, I see Jill walking toward the front door, and I can sense a disturbance in the force…

Jill, very willful at age 12: I’m leaving.
Me, age 17, and on babysitting duty of sorts: Is that so? Where do you think you’re going?
Jill: To see the 9pm Silence of the Lambs at the Waverly in the West Village.
Me: Hmm, pretty sure you’re not, actually.
Jill, with coat now in hand: Watch me.

As usual I can see I’m not winning, and I thought it best not to let her out of my sight, so I follow her on her cinematic adventure. Subway to West 4th Street, tickets purchased. It’s a bunch of nuts – I remember having to change seats when a guy with an enormous green mohawk sat right in front of me – and little ol’ us, watching this spectacle for the first time. We marveled at the powerful “Put the lotion in the basket” scene, especially when Buffalo Bill yells down the well “Hey you don’t know what pain is!” (my face = 8-O ), wondering what makes people like him tick. We were creeped out by Hannibal’s subtle, sinister delivery of lines like “Ready when you are, Sgt. Pembry”, right before he basically removes the dude’s face. We huddled together, scared for Clarice when she was being hunted in the dark by Bill and his crazy night vision goggles. Fascinating! And we made it back home, unscathed, right before my folks. Sorry, Mom…it was only that one time! ;)
My memory of seeing it for the second time is in the auditorium at my college in Baltimore, a city where some of this was filmed. The scene where Senator Martin says of Hannibal Lecter, “Take this THING back to Baltimore” had everyone cheering, of course. Fun times! I can’t tell you how many more times I’ve seen it since, but I assure you, it’s a lot. More than necessary, really…

Since this is a site about desserts, I wasn’t about to pair this movie with liver, fava beans or lamb chops, so coming up with a dessert was a bit of a challenge. Until I heard about the latest rage: cupcake in a jar. Whoever came up with it is a smartie because it’s a really cute idea, and it’s an impressive and unexpected little gift for guests. Here, I’m giving a nod to Clarice’s startling garage find…a guy named Benjamin Raspail, in a jar. Just try not to picture it while eating your cupcake…! I think Buffalo Bill would approve. ;)

CUPCAKE IN A JAR RECIPE

Thanks to Paula Deen for the recipe, and Rubyellen of the blog My Cakies for the breakdown of how to assemble this! You can make any flavor cupcake and frosting combo you like, whether from scratch or from a box. In this case the red velvet works nicely – sorry for the repeat in frosting though, I realize I just made cream cheese frosting last week too…

RED VELVET CUPCAKES:
Makes 2 dozen.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Don’t forget to buy some small glass jars too – they’re pretty easy to find at supermarkets, craft stores or online…

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray 2 cupcake pans with Pam.
In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins so that each well is about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely.

For the frosting:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

ASSEMBLE:
Once the cupcakes are cool, slice them in half. You will have a stack of tops and a stack of bottoms. Place a bottom in each jar. Add a layer of the frosting. (It’s easiest to get it in the jar if you use a pastry bag, or you can scoop the frosting into a ziplock bag and cut one of the corners off to squeeze it from there). Place a cupcake top over the frosting layer and gently smash it down a bit. Frost the top of the cupcake, then just cover with the jar lids. I assure you, it looks a LOT better than poor Benjamin. ;)

Batter

Cupcakes split into tops and bottoms

Bottoms in jars

First layer of frosting. I’m slowly becoming friends with the pastry bag…

Cupcake tops on

Final frosting layer

Assembled!

YOUR THOUGHTS

Are you grossed out by movies like this or do you love them like I do?
Favorite scene?
Have you ever had a close look at the movie poster? If so, what’s the hidden image?
What do you think of the cupcake in a jar?
I hope this doesn’t give you nightmares!

Tune in next week for more treats! I’m taking a baking class now so the fun will continue… :)

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Posted by Ris in 2011, Cupcakes, Thriller and tagged with , , , , ,
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