Baking for a living!

I decided to face my fears and put myself and my baking out there! I mentioned that I'm interested in taking orders for cheesecakes and for fondant cakes. Within an hour, I had 3 new clients lined up for cakes. I won't forget these first few people who are buying my goods.

Stress at my current job thrust me into this new realm. I realize that I should be doing something I love and I don't want to regret not taking this risk, even if it's a small risk.


It's really quite relieving-- to be doing something I love and to know that people want my goods. Pictures will come soon! In fact, that's one of the many reasons I'm branching out to serve people with my desserts--I need a portfolio. I consider one day applying at a major wedding bakery and realize that if I don't have the work to back it up I won't really be taken seriously.

It starts bringing out questions like "where do I get my boxes and cardboard rounds?" "do I need a business plan?" It's times like this where I need someone to grow up near to train me on these types of things. I guess it's all a learning process I'll have to figure out. It'll make me stronger, eh?!

What do I have that other bakers do not? It's THAT distinction that will be my springboard and help me become great at what I love to do.

Onward and upward!

Cheesecake Website!

I had some extra time at work, so I made myself a cheesecake website! It's sugarhush.webs.com

At least it's a start, right?!

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce, Jalapeño Wrappers

I'm a huge fan of the 'burn your mouth and then sugar coat it' feeling when I eat sauces and Asian inspired meals. I was super surprised a year or so ago when I found homemade sauce recipes that could be made with simple ingredients I already had laying around the house and that gave me that wonderful sweet burning feeling dancing around my tastebuds.

For a game night, I made some jalapeño wrappers-- candied jalapenos chopped and mixed with cream cheese inside phyllo dough and baked. DELICIOUS. I had to have a sweet spicy dipping sauce!

Baked Jalapeño Wrappers

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 pkg phyllo dough (found in the freezer section) or wonton wrappers

8oz jar/can of jalapeños chopped small (candied if you can find them)

2 pkg cream cheese

1 garlic clove chopped small (or a couple of tbsp minced garlic)

onion powder

You'll also need olive oil (or any oil) mixed with some pepper, garlic powder, or onion powder to brush on the tops of the finished wrappers before you bake them to give them a nice golden crispy tasty color.

(recipe as listed will make about 20-30 jalapeño wrappers. If you like spicy, add more jalapenos if not, take some away)

-Thaw phyllo dough per directions on package. Have a moist towel handy to cover the dough when you aren't using it, or it will dry out (no good!)

-mix up the rest of the ingredients until smooth

-preheat oven to 350

-take a few layers of the phyllo dough and cut them into squares--about 4 by 4 inches or 5 by 5 inches.

-put a large spoonful of the filling into the center of the dough and wrap it up, folding it together.

Fold the sides together

Wrap it up

I kinda mushed the folded sides together on top.

Lightly brush the top with a mix of oil and pepper/garlic.

Wrappers waiting to be baked!

Waiting....waiting....

Bake at 350 for about 10-20 minutes, depending on the crispiness you want them. I'd recommend about 15 for a nice crisp.

Baked!

Don't under cook them or the phyllo dough won't be set up--it will be doughy still and the bottoms will be soggy. Make sure you bake them for a decent amount of time. If you need, check them after about 10 minutes to see if the bottoms are crispy and hard. That's the best way to check for doneness.

These things were a HIT! If you'd like, experiment by taking away the jalapeños and adding artichoke and spinach to make artichoke spinach wrappers. How yummy!!!

Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

2/3 Cup water

2/3 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup white rice vinegar

4 heaping tbsp chili garlic paste

2 tbsp cornstarch

onion powder (to taste)

garlic powder (to taste)

Mix all ingredients together.

Bring to a boil.

Turn on low heat for about 5 minutes.

Done!

It's kind of a pain to assemble and bake, but these jalapeno wrappers and the delicious dipping sauce are well worth it! If I had to change anything, I would have made more!! Some recipes call for deep frying these things. I'm sure you could, but baking is a tad more healthy and it worked for me--as I don't have a deep fryer and didn't want to waste all that oil in a stock pot.

Enjoy, enjoy!! These are GREAT!