bakekrazy

Fudge is made by mixing sugar, butter and milk, heating it to a soft-ball stage, then mixing it until it cools. You can then add in your favorite fruits, chocolate, caramel, nuts and flavorings. Here I made white chocolate with pecans.

1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 oz white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Spray a 9″ x 9″ square cake pan with vegetable spray and locate a candy thermometer

In a medium saucepan add the butter, sugar and milk, bring to a boil. Continue to boil over a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the candy thermometer reads 235 degrees (soft-ball stage) Remove from the heat and stir until it thickens about 5 minutes. Add the chocolate and stir until incorporated and melted. Add it the vanilla and nuts and stir. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Allow to cool on the counter to room temperature then refrigerate at least 2 – 3 hours. Remove from the pan and cut into 1″ squares.

TIPS: while the mixture is boiling make sure you continue to mix to avoid the sugar from burning. To test the soft-ball stage have a glass of cold water with an ice cube in it and drop a teaspoon of the mixture in to test. The mixture should make a limp sticky ball that flattens when removed.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

Cheesecake is a favorite at the bakery and it’s ingredients are very simple. Good quality cream cheese, sugar, eggs and pure vanilla extract. In this recipe I changed it up a bit by replacing the white sugar with brown sugar, adding a little mascarpone cheese and drizzling the finish product with Sanders Carmel Topping.

Crust
1 1/2 cup of chocolate wafers
3 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

Filling
3 package of cream cheese (8oz each at room temperature)
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping
Sanders Carmel Topping
Sea salt

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9″ spring form pan. Fill a 1/2 sheet tray with approximately 1/2″ water. Double wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil so that water will not leak in during baking.

Place the chocolate wafers into a food processor and bring to crumbles add in the sugar and butter and pulse. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese at a medium speed until smooth then add in the sugar. Bring the mixer to a slow speed and add the vanilla and eggs one at a time until just combined. Pour the mixture into the pan and place the pan in the sheet tray. Bake in the center of your oven for 50 – 60 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Remove the cheesecake from the spring pan and drizzle with Sanders Caramel Topping then sprinkle with sea salt.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

Muffins by definition is a quick bread made from flour and egg. They are a great morning meal with that first cup of coffee. The bakery makes several flavors each morning along with Donuts, Bagels, Croissants, and your favorite pastries.

Pre heat your oven to 375 degrees and line a 12 cupcake pan with paper liners.

Batter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 bananas)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Topping
1/4 cup rolled oats
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a medium bowl sift the flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, blend well. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture then add in the milk, egg, banana, vanilla and oil. Stir until the batter forms, then add in the walnuts. Evenly spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. To make the topping add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until you form a crumble like mixture. Add the topping evenly to the tops of the batter and bake in the center of your oven for 22 minutes. (testing as you would with a cake by inserting a toothpick in the top middle and insuring it removes cleanly) Cool slightly, then remove onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

Since I’m in Florida for the next month or so I decided to make some yeast donuts. At the bakery we normally purchase our donut mix from a top end food supplier, then all you have to do is add water, yeast and place it in a mixer. You still need to roll it, raise it, fry it and fill or coat it, but it’s much more consistent. Here at home I made it from scratch and fried them in my garage. I made sugar cinnamon, glazed, twisted and bacon maple donuts. There is noting like a fresh donut

Donut Batter
1 cup of warm milk (100 degrees)
3 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
3 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons Unsalted butter melted

Glaze
3 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup water

1 1/2 quarts Canola oil
heavy saucepan for deep frying.
Deep Fry thermometer

In a small bowl whisk the warm milk, 1 teaspoon sugar and the yeast together, set aside for 10 minutes. In a stand mixer add the flour, salt and sugar, mix well. At a slow speed with a dough hook add the egg, butter and yeast mixture. Increase the speed to medium and allow the dough to come together and pull away from the side of the bowl clean. Pull the dough and knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 – 6 minutes until smooth. spray the bowl with vegetable spray and drop the dough in flipping to coat both sides. Cover loosely and place in a warm area to double in size (about 1 1/2 hours)
Remove the dough and roll out onto a lightly floured surface to about 3/8 thick. Cut the donuts with a doughnut cutter or a 3″ pastry cutter and a 1 1/2 ” for the inside. You can take the left over dough, make 3/8″ strips and sprinkle them with cinnamon, then twist them and form a circle to make twisted cinnamon ring. Place the formed dough onto a lightly floured sheet pan and cover lightly. Allow the dough to raise again, to almost double (about 1 1/2 hours. Heat your oil to 350 degrees and carefully fried the dough for 2 – 3 minutes each side until golden brown. Place onto paper towel and allow to drain. If you decide to coat with cinnamon sugar do so while the doughnut is still hot, if not the sugar will not stick. If you are going to use the glaze allow them to cool slightly then dip them 3/4 way into the glaze. Place onto a cooling rack to dry. I also candied some bacon and added a little maple syrup to the last of the batter and made bacon maple donuts.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

This cupcake is packed with great flavors. This is a carrot cake filled with a cream cheese pineapple filling topped with cream cheese frosting and encrusted with crushed walnuts. This cupcake has texture, flavor and a little crunch what more can you ask for in a great cupcake.

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 24 cupcake pan with paper liners

Batter
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
4 eggs (room temp)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
4 ounces cream cheese
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons sugar

Frosting
8 ounce cream cheese
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 – 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup Chopped and toasted walnuts

In a large bowl combine and sift the dry ingredients; flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and the baking soda, set aside. In another bowl mix at a low speed or by hand mix together the eggs, carrots, vegetable oil and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir until well combined, set aside. For the filling place the cream cheese and sugar into a stand mixer with a whip attachment and beat until creamy. Then add in the yolk and combine. By hand fold in the crushed pineapple (make sure to drain and remove as much liquid as possible from the pineapple first). Now place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter into each cupcake liner followed by 1 tablespoon filling. Finish with the remaining batter over the top of the filling. Bake for 15 -20 minutes until done then cool completely on a cooling rack. For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese in a standing mixer then add in the confectioners sugar, vanilla and blend until light and fluffy. Add in the milk as needed to form a smooth frosting. Once the cupcakes are completely cooled coat the edges with a little cream cheese frosting then roll the edge into the toasted walnuts. Finish with a nice topping of the rest of the cream cheese frosting.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

This is a wonderful cake with a lot of flavor especially if you enjoy lemons. I made the cake in the shape of a loaf pan, however you could make smaller individual mini loaf cakes with the same recipe.

Batter
1 cup cake flour
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
zest and supremes of 2 lemons (meat of the lemon no membrane)

Glaze
1/3 cup lemon Juice
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon water
1 drop of yellow food coloring

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees and coat a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with butter and flour

In a medium bowl sift the flour and baking powder and set aside. Place the eggs and sugar into another medium bowl and mix until incorporated by hand with a mixing spoon then stir in the cream. Add in the flour until combined try not to over mix. Stir in the melted butter, zest and chopped lemon supremes. Bake for approximately 25 minutes in the center rack of your oven. Remove the pan, using a knife run a slice down the cake batter lengthwise about 1″ inch deep. Place back in the oven for another 40 minutes this will create a nice even split across the cake. Remove the cake and allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan onto a cooling rack. To make the glaze mix all ingredients and form a nice smooth slightly runny like consistency. Once the cake is cooled drizzle over the finished product.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss

Having a reuben sandwich with fresh German Dark Rye Bread, sliced corn beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and a little thousand island dressing just puts a smile on my face. Here is a recipe that takes a couple of hours but well worth the wait.

2 cups of warm water (110 degrees)
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1/4 cup of molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups rye flour
3 cups bread flour
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/4 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees and coat two 9″ x 5″ loaf pans with vegetable spray

In a medium bowl add the water, yeast and brown sugar and whisk well. Let sit about 5 minutes. In a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment add the yeast mixture, molasses, rye flour, cocoa powder and caraway seeds. Mix well and then allow to sit for 10 – 15 minutes. Mix in the salt, melted butter and one cup at a time of the bread flour. Continue to add in the remaining bread flour slowly and mix at a medium speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (you may only need 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the flour total). Remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand another 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Spray a large bowl with vegetable spray then drop the dough in and flip to coat both sides. Cover loosely and place in a warm area until the dough has doubled in size. (about 1 hour) Punch the dough down and divide into two equal parts and place into the prepared loaf pans. Brush lightly with vegetable oil and cover loosely again and allow to proof until almost double (about 1 hour). Bake in the center oven for 25 – 30 minutes. Cool slightly then remove onto a cooling rack.

Enjoy
Chef Brian Klauss