Red velvet cake was, for a long time, something that I refused to try. In fact, the first time I made it (at someone’s request), I didn’t even like it. It took a while for me to decide to try a different recipe, which turned out FANTASTIC! So, with boyfriends being a notable exception, it
If you’ve never had Peruvian food, then you are missing out. I had heard of Ceviche 105 from when they participated in Miami Spice last year, but never got around to making it over there. A recent glance at their web site showed that the owner had opened a Peruvian roast chicken restaurant next door
To most South Floridians old enough to remember, Don Shula is a football legend. To those of us in the slightly younger generation, Don Shula is the name plastered on a chain of high-end steakhouses scattered about South Florida. It was only a matter of time before the franchise branched out into burgers. After all, if you
I’m back! After almost 2 years of neglect, I have finally returned with the full intent of committing to keep this blog updated. And, thanks to some upward mobility in the workforce, I am now the “not-as-broke” baker. That doesn’t have the same ring to it, though. What does this mean for this blog? Basically,
So, this is my first post in over a year (shame on me), but for good reason. School got a little crazy, what can I say? Now, with about 2 weeks before I officially finish, it’s time to get the graduation party planning kicked into high gear!
The results are in! Each batch of cupcakes was baked the same way. Same recipe. Same quantities. Same baking time. The only difference was the brand of cocoa powder added in each batch of cupcake batter. Even before the tasting, you can see the subtle differences!
Which cocoa powder will reign supreme? I’ll be finding out later today. But first, a little preview. In my usual, scatterbrained manner, I took this picture and forgot to mark which cocoa powder was which. But, just look at all the different colors! And there were so many subtle differences in the smells of each
The Contenders Which brands have earned the right to compete for the title of Ultimate Cocoa Powder? Let’s have a look! From left to right: Callebaut – Though headquartered in Switzerland, Barry-Callebaut is a Belgian chocolate company. Cacao Barry is from the French division of Barry Callebaut, but still considered Belgian chocolate. Cacao Barry Extra
So, the first order of business was to figure out a rating system for assessing these cupcakes. I decided to rate the cupcakes on the following elements: Color – Does it LOOK appetizing? Smell – A lot of cocoa powders have other, complex flavorings layered in. I’ve read that certain brands have a burnt smell
The more I got into baking, the more attention I paid to what I was putting into my food. Seeing as how chocolate cake is my biggest vice, I took a considerable interest in cocoa powders. In the beginning, I was satisfied with using Hershey and Nestle cocoa powders. But then I thought “there has