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The Big Reveal: Willow Bird Baking’s FINAL Challenge #5 Cheesecakes

Willow Bird Baking Challenge was a 5-week series wherein I introduced a new challenge each week. The challenges required you to get innovative in the kitchen. I was beyond impressed with the results. You all came up with creative flavor combinations, constructed gorgeous desserts (or savory treats), and tackled some things you had never tried before! These amazing ladies completed at least four out of the five challenges:

Kelly (all 5 challenges!)
Robyn of Almacucina (all 5 challenges!)
LeAndra of Love & Flour (all 5 challenges!)
Shelley of C Mom Cook (all 5 challenges!)
Ala of Wallflour Girl
Paula of Vintage Kitchen Notes
Shanna of Pineapple and Coconut
Dianna of The Kitchen Prep
Heather of Bake, Run, Live

A special thank you to Kelly, Trudy, and Erin, who joined me for Willow Bird Baking Challenge Google Hangouts to introduce each new challenge!

Challenge #5 was to innovate cheesecake in some way that symbolized your personal culinary journey, because that’s what Willow Bird Baking is all about: celebrating our life lessons and steps toward kitchen confidence. Thank you all so much for joining in the fun!

Paula

Paula Made: Raspberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Crumb Crust (see more at her blog, Vintage Kitchen Notes)

Comments:“Just as I said I’m not a cupcake baker or lover, I am a cheesecake baker and absolute lover. It really is one of my favorite things to make. Can´t have enough recipes or need-to-try new flavor combinations. So when Julie of Willow Bird Baking announced the last challenge was to innovate on cheesecake, well, it was the perfect way to say goodbye.”

Dianna

Dianna Made: Nutella Caramel Swirl Cheescake Bars (see more on her blog, The Kitchen Prep)

Comments: “The best part of these is the Nutella Caramel I adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe for Peanut Butter Caramel. It is amazing drizzled over vanilla bean gelato {or, you know, eaten directly off a spoon.}

Again, Julie, I have really enjoyed taking part in your challenges and getting to know you a little better! Your blog is among my favorites and I wish you continued success and look forward to reading about more of your adventures.”

Shanna

Shanna Made: Halloween Candy Cheesecake (see more at her blog, Pineapple and Coconut)

Comments: “This challenge really was a challenge for me. I am not really a fan of cheesecake, nor have I ever made one in my entire life. I had a few mishaps and learned from my mistakes in case I ever decide to make a cheesecake ever again, but I am proud of how my first cheesecake came out. And it keeps my kids from eating all their Halloween candy. Win-win!!”

Rhyann

Rhyann Made: Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with White Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chocolate Ganache (see more at her blog, Cooking College Chick)

Comments: “For the cheesecake challenge, I made mini pumpkin cheesecakes (mainly because I don’t have a spring form pan) with a gingersnap crust, topped white chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate ganache. I’ll admit, it’s quite a combo but it’s really good. I think these mini cheesecakes are significant to me, because it shows how far I have come as a baker. When I first started my blog, I don’t think I could have come up with something like this. It makes me really excited to see what lies in my baking future!”

Bianca

Bianca Made: Pumpkin Spice Cake Cheesecake (see her blog Sweet Dreaming)

Comments: “I’m an avid follower of your blog and thought I’d join in on the last segment of your baking challenge. Here is a pumpkin spice cake cheesecake I made last week.”

Heather

Heather Made: Pumpkin Gingersnap Mini Cheesecakes (see more at her blog Bake Run Live)

Comments: “For our final challenge, I made pumpkin gingersnap mini cheesecakes. I used store-bought gingersnap cookies as the crust. No need to crush them- a whole cookie goes in the bottom of the cupcake liner! Then a simple pumpkin cheesecake batter gets spooned over each cookie. A quick bake, and you have a fun hand-held dessert that you can take to a Halloween party!”

Robyn

Robyn Made: Mini Lemon Meringue Cheesecakes (see more at her blog, Almacucina)

Comments: “Whenever I found myself closing the restaurant on a Sunday night, after the last table finally left and the money was counted and the floor was swept and the pots were washed and the trash was taken out, a slice of Lemon Cheesecake was the treat I packed up for myself (and a couple of brownies and a diet coke for Kenny) to take home. I don’t know why, but it just seemed like the right thing to do.”

LeAndra

LeAndra Made: Coffee Turtle Cheesecake (see more at her blog, Love & Flour)

Comments: “For the finale, I used your coffee cheesecake recipe and decorated it turtle-style by adding a few chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips and caramel sauce across the top. A family friend is known for her turtle cheesecakes, and since she once tried to teach me and a few friends how to cook, this seemed an appropriate representation of my culinary journey.”

Kelly

Kelly Made: Carrot Cheesecake with Pineapple Cake & Mango Mousse

Comments: “When I first started baking, I only baked chocolate cakes and the occasional fruit cake. A carrot cake was the first cake to make it into my regular rotation so I decided to do a carrot cheesecake. It’s paired with a pineapple cake and a mango mousse all wrapped in a joconde imprime. The mousse and joconde were inspired by the several hours of staring at the Daring Bakers’ pictures and daring myself to try something they did.”

Shelley C.

Shelley Made: S’mores Cheesecake (see more at her blog, C Mom Cook)

Comments: “I am not sure that this represents my full culinary journey, but it’s the flavor combination that has popped into my head first for each of the challenges. So I finally used it for the cheesecake challenge – s’mores.

It didn’t work out exactly as I’d intended. I’d envisioned it more like the ones you make, with the cheesecake layer topped with another full layer. I’d planned on making the top layer be a rich chocolate mousse with marshmallow pieces folded into it. But then my cheesecake layer came all the way to the top of the springform pan (and here I was thinking my pan was big), so I had to switch to plan B – extra ganache and toasted marshmallows!

The result was delicious. Decadently sweet and truly delicious. I’d like to try again, to see if I can make my original vision work. And I can’t wait to try lots more cheesecake varieties, thanks to you (you are truly a cheesecake queen!). Thanks so much for these awesome challenges. I have had a lot of fun with them and am really proud to have been a part of this fun month with you.”

Congratulations to all of the participants of Challenge #5 for their fantastic work!

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November 3, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 9 Comments

challenges, cupcakes

The Big Reveal: Willow Bird Baking Challenge #4 Filled Cupcakes and the Final Challenge!

Willow Bird Baking Challenge is a 5-week series wherein I introduce a new challenge each week. The challenges require you to get creative and innovative in the kitchen. You create your dish, bake it, and send me a photo before the following weekend, when I show off the masterpieces on Willow Bird Baking!

Challenge #5 was to innovate filled cupcakes to represent the season you were currently in. See if you can guess which season the folks below are enjoying!

Paula

Paula Made: Lemon Curd Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting (see more at her blog, Vintage Kitchen Notes)

Comments:“I’m no cupcake baker. I’m all for bundt and layer cakes. So this was a real challenge. Lemon immediately came to mind, but then what? Fresh blueberries, that are popping up plump and dark, with the first sweetness in them. Not a new flavor combination idea, but the fresh berries in the frosting looks so pretty. I mean, cupcakes have to have some sort of prettiness to them. The cake part has some white chocolate, which really makes them moist and deepens tremendously the flavor of vanilla.”

Dianna

Dianna Made: Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Caramel-Pear Butter Filling (see more on her blog, The Kitchen Prep)

Comments: “A tender Vanilla Bean Cupcake, filled with a gooey Caramel-Pear Butter center topped with a seductive swirl of Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Frosting.”

Shanna

Shanna Made: Apple Cider Cupcakes filled with Fuyu Persimmon Curd and frosted with Fuyu Persimmon Swiss Meringue Buttercream (see more at her blog, Pineapple and Coconut)

Comments: “Apple Cider. Persmimmons. Yup just add in pumpkin and thats a trifecta of fall flavors. I love the word trifecta. Yes I am a dork. And these don’t have pumpkin in them. I took a break from pumpkin. For maybe a day.”

Nathan

Nathan Made: Chocolate Mint Cupcakes

Comments: “Halloween cupcakes! Chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting and orange sugar topping. And for a surprise, green mint jelly for filling!”

Ala

Ala Made: Cheesecake-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Cinnamon Frosting (see her blog Wallflour Girl)

Comments: “We whipped up a batch of these for one of the guys in our department celebrating his birthday this week. If you like a) the idea of a steaming mug of hot chocolate dipped into your morning wake-up call with a hint of autumnal flair, or b) being awesome, you need to try these cupcakes.”

Heather

Heather Made: Boston Creme Pie Cupcakes (see more at her blog Bake Run Live)

Comments: “I made Boston Creme Pie Cupcakes! Sponge cake cupcakes, filled with vanilla pastry cream, then topped with a semi-sweet chocolate glaze! Each cupcake is the perfect portion for a wonderful dessert!”

Robyn

Robyn Made: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cranberry Curd and Brown Butter Glaze (see more at her blog, Almacucina)

Comments: “I do love how the flavors play off each other; spicy pumpkin, sweet-tart curd and smoky glaze. Especially love the cranberry curd filling. All in all, I’d say I did a decent job! And got myself one step closer to jumping on the cupcake bandwagon.”

LeAndra

LeAndra Made: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes (see more at her blog, Love & Flour)

Comments: “Yet another challenged cobbled together from previous recipes. I used one of my great-grandmother’s spice cake recipes and filled the cupcakes with a pumpkin cream cheese mixture I once called dip. I topped them off with a ginger cream cheese icing since ginger was the one spice not actually found in the cake.”

Kelly

Kelly Made: Chocolate cookies stuffed with either: peanut butter and guava jelly, a rum-soaked cherry, strawberry cheesecake, or funfetti cheesecake!

Comments: “While the rest of the country is donning boots and scarves, we are still playing on the beach here in Miami.I tried to combine the two for these cupcakes – lemon cupcakes filled with an apple-ginger curd. I then tried to make them look a little ‘beachy.’ Bear with me, the piping bag is not my friend (yet).”

Shelley C.

Shelley Made: Caramel Apple Cupcakes (see more at her blog, C Mom Cook)

Comments: “Once again, choosing a flavor combination was the hardest part of this challenge. There are so many delicious fall flavors, narrowing it down to something that would make a delicious cupcake was tough. Finally, I chose to make caramel apple cupcakes for the cupcake challenge (and, can I just tell you, I had so many thoughts of cupfakes for this one! Turkey meatloaf cooked in a cupcake pan, cranberry sauce ‘filling’ and mashed potato frosting! Cornbread ‘cupcakes’ with some kind of chili filling/spicy frosting! SO many possibilities!)”

Erin

Erin Made: Maple Cream Cheese stuffed Squash cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (see her blog, Erin’s Exquisite Edibles and Excursions)

Comments: “I wanted to do something for the season like the challenge suggested. Up in New York pumpkin and apples are usually in abundance this time of year, however not this year… apples are sparce but somehow we had a HUGE pile of squash growing in our compost! So due to that I decided to make my cupcakes out of squash instead of pumpkin. These cupcakes turned out so moist and not too sweet, which is good because the frosting made up the majority of the sweetness!”

Natalie

Natalie Made: Apple Pie Cupcakes (see more at her blog Life Made Simple)

Comments: “Since it’s fall and the husband and I both love pie but baking an entire one is just too much for us, I thought I’d make a cupcake version of an apple pie! Perfect, right?! I started off by using a cinnamon spiced cake, filling it with soft apples and topping it with some vanilla ice cream frosting and a crust crisp. These cupcakes are absolutely to die for!”

Ready for Challenge #5?

Last night, Erin, Trudy, and Kelly jumped on Google Hangout with me to introduce the final challenge, Challenge #5, and here it is!

You can find some cheesecake recipes here to get you started! And here is my video tutorial on cheesecakes. Send a photo and some comments to me at julie ‘at’ willowbirdbaking ‘dot’ com by next weekend. Let’s get baking!

Congratulations to all of the participants of Challenge #4 for their fantastic work!

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October 29, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 7 Comments

challenges, cookies

The Big Reveal: Willow Bird Baking Challenge #3 Stuffed Cookies and a New Challenge!

Challenge #3 was to innovate stuffed cookies. Picky Palate first turned me on to stuffin’ cookies with her insane Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies — always the most popular among the middle school students in my cookie baking camp! My challenge to you was to take this awesome idea and run with it, stuffing cookies with candy, truffles, or even other cookies! The results take cookies to a whole new level of creativity and deliciousness. See for yourself!

Paula

Paula Made: Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Bites (see more at her blog, Vintage Kitchen Notes)

Comments:“This is my first time baking and tasting snickerdoodles. Whoever came up with that name? It’s funny yet the dough of these cookies is interesting since it has oil and it creates a beyond-tender cookie.

Last week I joined Julie of Willow Bird for a weekly baking challenge that has me innovating on a recipe. I made the most amazing chorizo and mozzarella braid which was very, very well received by everyone stopping by. Today I made snickerdoodle bites filled with peanut butter and drizzled with chocolate.”

Nance

Nance Made: Tiramisu Sandbakelser

Comments: “We equate chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies and Oatmeal cookies as being All-American. To a Swede when we think of cookies what comes to mind are Peparkakor, Spritz and Sandbakelser’s. I am not a sweets eater. Things like chocolate chips will not pass my lips. But I do love a good tiramisu. I bet you are saying to yourself, ‘But there is chocolate involved in a tiramisu,’ and you would be correct, but that is what I have my husband for. Even before I take one bite his job is to scrape that EVIL chocolate off the top for me. But it did get me thinkin’ what if you you STUFFED a Swedish cookie with your favorite dessert? Only I think to stay in the Swedish tradition, I will stuff my cookie with a couple of lingonberries from my Christmas jar of Lingonberry sauce.”

Shanna

Shanna Made: Filled Sachertorte cookies (see more at her blog, Pineapple and Coconut)

Comments: “These filled cookies were a challenge to make, but I really liked the end result. Something fun about biting into a big, rich chocolaty cookie to find a surprise filling of more chocolate and cherries. A fun twist on a traditional cookie that’s made at Christmastime in my family.”

Nathan

Nathan Made: Lemon Cayenne Maple Cookies

Comments: “After you said you couldn’t do a savory cookies, I set out to find something different. I got the lemon cayenne cookie recipe from grownupcookies.com and stuffed them with maple cream cookies. My friends and co-workers all enjoyed the cookies, and one person specifically mentioned the stuffed cookie as his favorite part. Warning: These cookies were very spicy, so if you make them you might want to cut back on the cayenne a bit.”

Evangeline

Evangeline Made: Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Cowgirl Cookie

Comments:“I’m a big fan that has been following your blog for a while. I have always loved to cook, but having a full-time day corporate job and being mom to a busy toddler often limits how much time I get to ‘play’ in the kitchen! The Baking Challenge has been the push I needed! I innovated the chocolate chip cookie dough recipe you suggested and made a ‘Cowgirl’ cookie (oats, toffee chips, mini choc chips & crushed salted pretzels) then I stuffed it with a peanut butter cup.”

Ala

Ala Made: Pina Colookies (with a Cheesecake Surprise!) (see her blog Wallflour Girl)

Comments: “There may have been a tad more guilt involved in the making of this amazing amalgamation, which was entirely in keeping with the theme of Stitch’s rather mutant, unknown history. And really, what better way to celebrate a fictional account of an alien apocalypse in Hawaii than to make a fun, tropics-themed dessert?”

Heather

Heather Made: Samoa Stuffed Sugar Cookies (see more at her blog Bake Run Live)

Comments: “I love Samoa’s (Girl Scout cookies) for their delicious combination of caramel, coconut, and chocolate. So, I decided that was going to be the “stuff” in my stuffed cookies! A simple, but delicious sugar cookie allows the filling to really shine!”

Robyn

Robyn Made: Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Cookies (see more at her blog, Almacucina)

Comments: “With Halloween less than two weeks away I wanted to take my cue from all the candy I’m seeing everywhere. Chocolate, caramel and peanut butter first came to mind. But do I do a vanilla cookie and fill it with chocolate and peanut butter? Or a peanut butter cookie filled with caramel and chocolate. Or, maybe, a chocolate cookie filled with peanut butter and caramel!? I could only try.”

Trudy

Trudy Made: Red Velvet Stuffed Snickerdoodles

Comments: “Stuffed cookies are definitely a personal favorite. I too think snicker doodles are perfect for stuffing. I made red velvet stuffed cookies, and they’re delicious.”

LeAndra

LeAndra Made: Dulce de Coco Stuffed Snickerdoodles (see more at her blog, Love & Flour)

Comments: “For this challenge I used the provided Snickerdoodle recipe and stuffed them with Dulce de Coco. Simmering coconut milk with brown sugar and a pinch of salt gives you this thick syrupy concoction that is fine for stuffing cookies. It also mixes in nicely with cream cheese. I will say the Dulce de Coco alone lent an overall new taste to the cookies as opposed to giving the sensation of biting into an obvious filling. The filling aspect was a little more noticeable with the thicker cream cheese mixture. ”

Kelly

Kelly Made: Chocolate cookies stuffed with either: peanut butter and guava jelly, a rum-soaked cherry, strawberry cheesecake, or funfetti cheesecake!

Comments: “First, let me just say that it’s Trudy’s fault why I have more than one filling. Also, I’m very indecisive.I don’t have to make a decision if I use all my options. Here you have chocolate cookies stuffed with peanut butter & guava jelly, a rum soaked cherry, strawberry cheesecake and funfetti cheesecake. Thanks for the cookie challenge! I’ve convinced myself that I am not good at cookies so they are the last things I ever bake. I can probably count the number of times that I’ve made cookies.”

Shelley C.

Shelley Made: Caramelized Banana Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies (see more at her blog, C Mom Cook)

Comments: “I figured I’d go a little different from the candy-bar and truffle inspired ideas that first came to mind, and I chose oatmeal. I tried to base my idea on some breakfast cookies that I’ve tried before, but I went with the challenge dessert version with these sweet caramelized banana stuffed oatmeal cookies.”

Loretta

Loretta Made: Cranberry Braid with Chocolate Drizzle (see more at her blog, A Finn in the Kitchen)

Comments: “I was so excited to hear you were doing a stuffed cookie challenge because I had a perfect cookie in mind to start up the Christmas baking. And for something so easy, it’s incredible delicious! I went with a classic chocolate crinkle cookie because the chocolate goes so perfectly with mint and it looks so gorgeous. Who can honestly resist that crinkly top? It’s a great choice to bake now, maybe even a double batch and throw in the freezer for when those inevitable parties start up!”

Dianna

Dianna Made: Black Widow Bite Cookies (see more on her blog, The Kitchen Prep)

Comments: “Since I’ve yet to make anything ‘Halloween-y’ for my blog this month, I used your challenge as an opportunity to squeeze in some themed baking. I also discovered that I have absolutely no patience for such a thing! Give me a rustic dessert anyday… individually adhering ‘eyeballs’ to chocolate spiders is not my idea of a fun time! These dark chocolate cookies are ‘stuffed’ with raspberry jam for the perfect Halloween special effect and, if you get lazy like me, they make perfect raspberry-filled thumbprints.”

Natalie

Natalie Made: Biscoff Stuffed Snickerdoodles (see more at her blog Life Made Simple)

Comments: “As some of you have probably noticed, my latest obsession is Biscoff spread. I absolutely love baking with it! So when Julie announced that the next Willow Bird Baking challenge was all about stuffed cookies, I knew exactly what to make (thanks to my mom who had just recently made snickerdoodles, both Stephen and I were craving them).”

And here are some innovated “cinnamon” rolls and braids left over from Challenges 1 and 2!

Amanda

Amanda Made: Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Rolls and a beautiful Peach, Ginger, & Cardamom Braid (see more on her blog, Treasures of the Phoenix, here and here)

Roll Comments: “Nom! These were delicious. I omitted the extra butter in the filling, and these could have used a little more something. I think that if I were to do these again – I mean when I make these again, I would drizzle them with a cheese sauce instead of a glaze. I loved the wheat blend in the flour. They came out like an breakfast sandwich in roll/bun form.”

Braid Comments: “Yum! This is great breakfast food. I don’t think I overworked the dough at all, and it still didn’t come out airy and flaky, more like a pie crust consistency, which really works for this recipe. The addition of almond extract and the cream cheese also makes it a very full-tasting dough.”

Ready for Challenge #4?

Last night, Erin and Kelly jumped on Google Hangout with me to introduce Challenge #4, and here it is!

You can find some cupcake recipes here to get you started! Remember that your cupcake (or cupfake) must have a “cake” (or cake-like) base, a filling, and a frosting. Send a photo and some comments to me at julie ‘at’ willowbirdbaking ‘dot’ com by next weekend. Let’s get baking!

Congratulations to all of the participants of Challenge #3 for their fantastic work!

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October 21, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 15 Comments

challenges

The Big Reveal: Willow Bird Baking Challenge #2 Breakfast Braids and a New Challenge!

Challenge #2 was to innovate breakfast braids. This gorgeous cream cheese dough is so easy to work with, but comes out looking beautiful and fancy. I couldn’t believe all the gorgeous fillings and toppings you guys used — there were so many lovely savory and sweet braids!

Paula

Paula Made: Chorizo and Mozzarella Danish Braid (see more at her blog, Vintage Kitchen Notes)

Comments:“Sometimes a moment of doing nothing, idly opening a blog, reading about a challenge, going over and checking it out on another blog is just that. Another moment. But there comes a time when that same chain of events leads to an innovated recipe that blows your hat off. This is that recipe. And it left me hatless and with a crooked bow.”

Eric

Eric Made: Bruschetta Braid (see more on his Google Doc, here)

Comments: “As soon as I heard about Challenge #2, I knew what the plan was! Bruschetta Braid! Now, I know it’s not really bruschetta. The whole thing that makes bruschetta bruschetta is the toasted bread. With things on top, if you want to get fancy. But basil, tomatoes, cheese, and garlic! Yum! No. No garlic. You’re using a cream cheese base, you don’t get to use garlic. You know how hard that is for me? I love that stuff. Seriously, if I had to pick a team, I’d have to be on Team whoever-the-werewolf-is, because the vampires sure would never get near me.”

Amy H.

Amy Made: Cheese Onion Bacon Date Braid (see more on her Google Doc, here)

Comments: “I decided on a sort of onion bacon date filling, with blue cheese to cut the sweetness of the dates. I made a feta bread as well for the blue cheese haters in my house, and so far all the blue cheese lovers who have tried both prefer the feta version as well! Both are good, but the tangy feta wins.”

Trudy

Trudy Made: Spinach, Ricotta and Bacon ‘Mini’ Braids

Comments: “Ever since Kelly made the braid last year I wanted to try it too but it just seemed so daunting I never got around to it. Man, making these braids brought me back to prep school when I would make friendship bracelets! I absolutely loved this challenge. It was so easy I feel like I totally missed out for not having done them sooner. I’ll definitely have these on my breakfast menu in future.”

Shanna

Shanna Made: Pumpkin Butter And Brown Sugar Ginger Poached Pear Braided Pastry with Spiced Caramel and Vanilla Glazes (see more at her blog, Pineapple and Coconut)

Comments: “I had recently made a batch of pumpkin butter with leftover roasted sugar pie pumpkin puree I had made for a previous recipe and was trying to think of what it would go with, besides just a spoon headed straight for my mouth. When I saw this challenge posted on twitter I knew the pumpkin butter would be perfect as a filling, but I wanted something more than just that. I had also just gotten a bag of gorgeous fresh pears in my latest CSA box this week and thought the combo of the pumpkin and pear would go awesome together in a pastry. I didn’t want to just slice up the pears and add them in, I wanted to give more depth of flavor, so they were poached with brown sugar, fresh ginger and cinnamon stick. I then went a step further and reduced the poaching liquid and made the spiced caramel glaze with it. These flavors scream ‘fall’ in one delicious, light and not too sweet pastry. My family gave me rave reviews and my 8 year old nephew even asked for seconds.”

Heather

Heather Made: Nutella Breakfast Braid (see more at her blog, Bake, Run, Live)

Comments: “This was a really easy dough to make and to assemble. It goes together quickly and bakes quickly too! I plan on making these again, but making individual sized ones.”

Ala

Ala Made: Pineapple Custard Coconut “Bun” Breakfast Braid (see her blog Wallflour Girl)

Comments: “For those of you who have never eaten a pineapple bun: first, we need to fix that. Second, the bun gets its name from the pineapple pattern this layer forms on the bun post-baking, rather than any actual pineapple ingredient in the bun itself. I usually peel this part off and eat it while sneaking away in triumph. It is, unquestionably, the best part of the pastry.”

Robyn

Robyn Made: Mock Cherry Braid (see more at her blog, Almacucina)

Comments: “Well, I had so much fun in the Willow Bird Baking Challenge #1 that I couldn’t wait to start on Challenge #2. Julie again provided another stellar dough recipe. And this time I went with a Mock Cherry filling. I’ve been hankering to make a mock cherry pie anyway so I was excited to see how it would work in Julie’s cream cheese pastry.”

LeAndra

LeAndra Made: Pear, Ginger, Cinnamon, & Feta Braid drizzled with honey (see more at her blog, Love & Flour)

Comments: “I filled this braid with slices of a pear tossed with honey, ginger and cinnamon. I sprinkled a little feta cheese in the braid and on top. When it came out of the oven, I drizzled some extra honey over the braid. I got the idea from some baked pears I made long ago. Since I had been wanting to try those again, I just figured I would incorporate them into this braid.

I have thought of so many different things I want to try in a braid now, it’s ridiculous. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what everyone came up with this round.”

Kelly

Kelly Made: Spicy Chicken Salad Braid

Comments: “After all the guava & white chocolate last week, it was time for some vegetables. I made an extremely spicy chicken salad braid. It has chicken, kale, carrots, tomatoes, cream cheese, scotch bonnet peppers, red pepper flakes & cayenne plus a bit more cheese on top. It’s extremely spicy and extremely delicious. I’ll definitely do this filling again for some baked samosas.”

Shelley C.

Shelley Made: Chicken Taco Braid (see more at her blog, C Mom Cook)

Comments: “Well, you’ve done it again! Another awesome challenge! I didn’t think I was going to have a chance to participate this week, due to some total craziness going on around here, but I just couldn’t NOT. And with how simple this dough is, Oh. My. Gosh. I am so glad I did. I chose to make a chicken taco braid, with seasoned, shredded chicken and cheddar cheese as the filling and salsa and sour cream as my ‘glazes.’ This dough was so flaky and delicious, and so quick and easy! I can’t wait to make tons and tons of variations of this, sweet, savory, breakfast, dinner – anything! I am super excited to see all the amazing versions in the roundup.”

Abby

Abby Made: Cranberry Braid with Chocolate Drizzle (see more at her blog, Seaweed & Sassafras)

Comments: “Thank you so much for hosting these challenges! It’s been some much needed inspiration for me and I love that you’re pioneering the way of google hang outs 🙂 I’ve never made a braid before and I held my breath the whole time haha, but it came out great! I made a cranberry braid with chocolate drizzle, completely decadent. Using fresh cranberries to make a sauce for the filling and well…what’s better than chocolate for a topping?! It’s a great mix of flaky, buttery crust, tangy filling and then a sweet chocolate finish.”

Dianna

Dianna Made: Brie & Jam Braid with Candied Walnuts (see more on her blog, The Kitchen Prep)

Comments: “I wasn’t even sure I was going to participate in this round, but I just couldn’t resist! I’m really glad I did because this is probably one of the tastiest things I’ve made in a while and I think it will be perfect for sharing with family & friends around the holidays.”

Jenni

Jenni Made: Roasted Grape Braid (see more at her blog The Gingered Whisk)

Comments: “Good choice in the cream cheese braid! I did an interpretation of this one for Christmas (did citrus and cranberry) so I already knew this was a great one to reinvent! I’ve been seeing roasted grapes everywhere lately, and have been itching to try them. Since cream cheese braids are typically done with some sort of preserve, I thought it would be fun to throw in the roasted grapes instead of a preserve. I paired the cream cheese filling with ricotta, and then after baking the braid I poured a honey thyme glaze on top. It was delicious – sweet without being too rich, and I loved the combination of the flavors!”

Amy

Amy Made: Spinach, Feta, & Olive Braid with Myzithra (see more at her blog Snozzberries? Who Ever Heard of a Snozzberry?)

Comments: “Thank you for this, I’ve never used braided dough before, but it was WAY easier than I thought and SO yummy!”

Nance

Nance Made: Sausage and Gravy Braid: An Homage to Flo’s Cafe (see more on her document here)

Comments: “They serve biscuits, topped with country style hash browns, 2 fried eggs, then DRENCHED in there sausage gravy. Buts its the gravy that I’ve never been able to figure out. The cream gravy was WHITE not discolored from the sausage drippings and they made there own sausage. Oh how I miss that place. […] Just took [my braid] out of the oven, asked my husband what he thought. He never just says good or bad, he feels that I’m asking for a critique so he’ll say, ‘Cookies make too many crumbs’ or something. I’ll have to badger him if it’s a make again or don’t bother. This time all he said was ‘It’s a 10!'”

And here are some innovated “cinnamon” rolls left over from Challenge 1!

Abby

Abby Made: Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Swirl Rolls (see more on her blog, Seaweed & Sassafras)

Comments: “I’m going out on a big limb here…but I think these make the cut…and will be on our Thanksgiving table this year. I know I’d be excited to see a plate of these rolls waiting next to the mashed potatoes and bowl of olives. But you don’t have to save them for a special occasion either. I have to warn you they won’t last long, I think my guy ate 3 the first day, I had 2. Yea..that reminds me I need to go to yoga tomorrow morning.”

Ready for Challenge #3?

Last night, Trudy and Kelly jumped on Google Hangout with me to introduce Challenge #3, and here it is!

You can find some cookie recipes here (1, 2, 3) but the filling is up to you! Let’s get baking!

Congratulations to all of the participants of Challenge #2 for their fantastic work!

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October 14, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 28 Comments

challenges

The Big Reveal: Willow Bird Baking Challenge #1 “Cinnamon” Rolls and a New Challenge!

Challenge #1 was to innovate “cinnamon” rolls. I provided a yeast dough recipe that participants had to fill, top, and/or glaze with creative new combinations. I was amazed at what you all came up with! Just see for yourself:

Kelly

Kelly Made: Guava & White Chocolate Cream Cheese Rolls and Plantain & Bacon Rolls

Comments:“After waiting 100 years for my plantains to ripen, I was FINALLY able to make my rolls […] Thank you so much for this challenge. I’m always wary of making cinnamon rolls because my dough is always too sticky and I can never roll them properly. But I did it. I made two types since I had a lot of dough – Guava & White Chocolate Cream Cheese and Plantain & Bacon. Both very delicious.”

Amy H.

Amy Made: Toffee Ginger Pumpkin Cheesecake Rolls (see more on her Google Doc, here)

Comments: “The first thought I had was pumpkin. Yuuuum, pumpkin. […] Then I thought, cream cheese. Well actually, it was more like creeeeaaamm cheeese. Pumpkin cheesecake. I picked myself up off the floor and googled pumpkin cheesecake. What I found knocked me back on the floor. GINGER pumpkin cheesecake. Now we’re talking. A new google search and up it came, the magic ticket, Crunchy ginger pumpkin cheesecake with toffee topping. SOLD!”

Trudy

Trudy Made: Pineapple Ginger Rolls

Comments: “They’re done!! They came out as minis since I rolled the dough so thin. They taste delicious!!! Thanks again for even thinking of these challenges.”

Natalie

Natalie Made: Raspberry Lemon Curd Rolls (see more at her blog, Life Made Simple)

Comments: “Stephen and I have been loving all of the fresh berries we’ve been eating and since I had a couple of lemons sitting around it just seemed like the natural choice. In order to create a ‘filling’ I decided on curd, something that would make them nice and gooey inside. […] These sweet rolls are absolutely perfect in every way! Enjoy! Also thanks Julie for such a fun challenge, I’m already looking forward to the next one!”

Shelley C.

Shelley Made: Pumpkin Brown Butter Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting (see more at her blog, C Mom Cook)

Comments: “Funny enough, I wanted to make something just like these, and was going to use your pumpkin pull-apart bread dough for them (which I made last year, by the way, and it was AWESOME)… then I saw this challenge! […] Thank you SO much for a really fun baking experiment. I can’t wait to see what next week’s challenge will be!”

Jenni

Jenni Made: Caramelized Apple Cinnamon Rolls (see more at her blog, The Gingered Whisk)

Comments: “I can’t wait to see all the awesome rolls that were made! This was such a great idea! Can’t wait to see what next week will be (my husband is already complaining about sabotaging his diet..haha!)”

LeAndra

LeAndra Made: Orange Cranberry Cardamom Rolls (see her blog Love & Flour)

Comments: “I simply used orange jam, a sprinkle of cardamom, and chopped dried cranberries for the filling. Thanks for the encouragement!”

Gaby

Gaby Made: Chiles-en-Nogada Cinnamon Rolls (see more at her blog, The Gab Housewife Chronicles)

Comments: “Chiles en Nogada is a very traditional Mexican dish, very ancient. And very elegant, and actually, expensive. It has a lot of ingredients, and it’s very time consuming to prepare them. So I made some in September for Mexico’s Independence DAy and I had chile’s filling leftover, and I filled the cinnamon rolls with it, and tried to give the glaze a little “nogada” (walnut sauce) flavor. They usually are garnished with pomegranate seeds, so I added those too.”

Stephanie

Stephanie Made: Pumpkin Pie Rolls with Cream Cheese Topping and Chicken & Cheese Rolls

Comments: “I loved this challenge concept and the savory example you gave reminded me of a recipe my mom used to make. I made both a sweet and savory cinnamon roll. Mainly because I am a savory person and my spouse is a sweet person. Thank you for giving me something to do today besides homework. I read 5 chapters for my credential program while everything was sitting (raising dough) and cooking.”

Robyn

Robyn Made: Apple Cinnamon Chip Buns (see more at her blog, Almacucina)

Comments: “I’m new to your site and glad I found it! These buns are amazing; here’s my entry (I guess apples are on everyone’s mind this time of year) to Challenge #1.”

Amy

Amy Made: Oatmeal Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla Bean Caramel Glaze (see more at her blog, Snozzberries? Who Ever Heard of a Snozzberry?)

Comments: “They are yummy and I’m calling them almost healthy because they have oatmeal in the dough and apples in the middle – those two things are healthy, right? They totally counteract the gallon of melted butter in it, right? Right?”

Dianna

Dianna Made: Cuban Sandwich “Cinnamon” Rolls (see more at her blog, The Kitchen Prep)

Comments: “Ok… I did it. I really went outside the box here: Cuban Sandwich “Cinnamon” Rolls. (Do we still call them cinnamon rolls if they don’t actually contain any cinnamon whatsoever!?) They are totally perfect for representing me, a South Florida girl with a Cuban heritage. Thanks so much for challenging us and for adding a new recipe to my arsenal that I just KNOW will be well loved!”

Eric

Eric Made: Ricotta, Honey, & Dill Buns (see more on his Google Doc here)

Comments: “[…] in the end – totally worth it! The ricotta and honey soaked into the bread, and the dill flavor shone through just enough. With some honey butter slathered on top of these, they border on being decadent, while still tasting fresh from the herbs! All in all, while I may have a little less hair than I started the weekend out with, I deem the challenge a success! Thanks!”

Ala

Ala Made: “Sorry, It’s Still Summer” Raspberry Cheesecake Rolls with Lemon Icing (see more at her blog Wallflour Girl)

Comments: “With the plethora of pumpkin and autumnal recipes hitting the web these days, I thought we all needed a little reminding that it is not, in fact, autumn everywhere in the world. In some places, it’s legitimately springtime, and in others, it’s legitimately autumn but actually not because it doesn’t feel like autumn. It feels, in fact, like summertime. Still. In October.”