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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

other

“Magic” Chocolate, Coconut, and Pecan Pastry Braid

Things I learned this past weekend in Lexington, Kentucky:

1. I’m a master at betting on horse races. I doubled my money betting on a spunky little horse named Get Runnin’ with 8-1 odds.

Okay, so I guess it’s not fair to leave out the part about the second race, where my horse came in dead last. When everyone cheered for the winner trotting by, I was yelling to my horse, “It’s okay! You tried your best!”

I still came out ahead overall. But I guess it’s not fair to leave out the fact that by “came out ahead,” I mean that I had a whopping $2.60 more than I started with.

2. You know those calendar photos that depict a peaceful street meandering between a row of bright honeycrisp-apple-colored trees? Or maybe the ones where a trail disappears behind an outcropping of rock lined with whispers and splashes of fall foliage? Or maybe the ones that show a rustic ferry piddling its way across a narrow river with old railroad trestles in the background? Yeah, every single one of those pictures is apparently taken in Kentucky.

3. Wine is gross. I tried and tried, y’all. How do you drink this stuff? Bloody Marys are acceptable, though. And margaritas are pretty darn good, particularly with a salted rim and some chips and salsa! Can I salt the rim of other beverages? Coke Zero? Trying it.

4. There’s a castle in the middle of Kentucky. I was surprised, too. You drive around a bend in the highway and BAM! Camelot. Yes, we posed for princessy pictures in front of it, duh.

5. Sports fans have uniforms just like the players: for University of Kentucky football fans, it seemed necessary to wear that deep blue sweatshirt everyday, everywhere. For the horse racing crowd, however, the uniform was a bit more upscale: heels, skirts, and blazers, y’all!

6. My sister’s boyfriend, Alain, apart from being an all-around great guy, is a superb chef: think meatballs filled with melty Fontina cheese on a bed of al dente spaghetti and shredded Parmesan. Heaven.

7. My sister is wonderful. Okay, I didn’t learn this in Kentucky; I already knew it. But visiting her in her new Lexington apartment just reminded me. First off, she flew me up to Kentucky in the first place. Then she took me to enjoy all sorts of great food: take-out pizza; gorgeous croissants; giant plates of Mexican tortillas, chiles, beef, and over-easy eggs; a bacon, eggs, and blueberry cornbread breakfast with salted European butter; and fresh sandwiches from the market.

She also let me hog her fancy massager-heater-recliner the whole time I was there. She gave me the guest bed with the awesome mattress (though I was skeptical while I was there, I now have to concede that it’s even better than the one I have at home.) She took me to see all the above attractions — horse races, beautiful countryside, and castles, for goodness’s sake. And, more than all that, she’s always, always, always loving and supportive. Thank you, Sarah!

In tribute to Kentucky Derby Pie, which combines chocolate and toasted pecans, I give you the “Magic Bar” pastry braid. This tender, almond-scented pastry envelopes melty chocolate, pecans, and coconut bound together with sweetened condensed milk. It’s pretty, but don’t be fooled: this pastry braid is super easy to prepare!

What are some things you love about your siblings?

One year ago: Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles
Two years ago: Handmade Cheese Ravioli in Meaty Red Sauce (and the most special post I’ve ever written.)
Three years ago: Cardamom Pumpkin Macarons

“Magic” Chocolate, Coconut, and Pecan Pastry Braid

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 8-10 servings

If you love Magic Bars, you’ll love this pastry braid! The cream cheese dough is very easy to work with, so don’t be intimidated if it looks a little fancy — you’ll look like you did a lot more work than you actually had to do.

Dough and Filling Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
3 ounces best quality cream cheese, cold
1/2 cup milk, minus 1/2 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup coconut, toasted
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks (I use Ghirardelli 60% cacao), plus more for topping
3/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted, plus more whole pecans for topping
about 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
NOTE: To prepare this braid in advance, complete all steps and assemble the braid but do not bake. Cover the braid on its parchment lined baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Set out in the morning as you preheat the oven and then bake as usual.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cream cheese and butter into the flour mixture and pulse to cut the fat into the flour (about 6 pulses). Add the milk and almond extract and blend into a loose dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead VERY LIGHTLY for 4-5 strokes. (NOTE: This is the step at which you can ruin the braid. If you overwork the dough, the pastry will be tough. Just gather the dough together and don’t worry about making it smooth. It will still look a little rough. That’s perfect.)

Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll the dough to an 8- by 12-inch rectangle. Turn dough out onto a lightly greased baking sheet and remove the waxed paper. Measure and mark the dough lengthwise into thirds. Sprinkle the coconut down the middle third of the dough (saving a bit for the top), keeping it about 1/2 inch from the mark on both sides. Sprinkle the chocolate chunks over the coconut. Sprinkle the pecans over the chocolate chunks. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top.

Make 2 1/4-inch slight diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals on each the long sides (see photos at the bottom of this post for visual example.) Do not cut into the center filled area. Fold strips, first one from one side and then one from the other side in a rotating fashion, over the filling. It will now resemble a braid. Bake in a 425° oven for 12-15 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the top is lightly browned, rotating once halfway through.

Melt extra chocolate chips for topping according to package instructions (usually in 15 second intervals on half power, stirring between each heating.) Drizzle melted chocolate over the top of the braid. If desired, sprinkle on extra toasted coconut and pecans while the chocolate is still wet. Serve warm.

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October 26, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 32 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

news, other

Dessert Smörgåsbord with Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolates

Have we talked about how I turned down the most gorgeous faucet known to humanity? No? Let me complain for a moment, then: I received an email offering me a free faucet. I get these sort of emails all the time — they offer free products to review. I usually ignore them or politely decline. And a faucet would’ve sounded decidedly pedestrian to me until I had my own residence to furnish. But it just so happened that when I got this particular email, I was knee-deep in decorating my new apartment with hip art prints and succulents. And this faucet — this gorgeous faucet! — had the supple curves of a swan’s neck, a built-in hidden sprayer, and a broad array of snazzy finishes.

OH, the faucet!

My current faucet has a rusty, bent aerator and makes a squeaky noise every time you turn it on. Just as a frame of reference. Just so you fully understand my desire for this glorious, free, swan’s-necked-snazzy-finished faucet.

my favorite!

But (a few tears shed on my behalf would be welcome here) I turned down the offer. I would’ve had to review it here on Willow Bird Baking, and since I didn’t already use that brand and wouldn’t have had an opportunity to compare it to others (besides my rusty-bent-squeaky one, anyway), I didn’t feel like it would be a very balanced review. And even though it was a beautiful faucet, Willow Bird Baking is about food, community, life lessons, and kitchen confidence. When some of the blogs I’ve loved in the past began to look more like review sites, littered with products and sponsored posts, I lost interest. It seemed less personal, less important, and less authentic.

I say all this so that when I start squealing like a fangirl about Ghirardelli in a moment, you know that it’s coming from me, Julie, who doesn’t do product reviews without a really great reason (and who may or may not have stress-eaten about 3 of these Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate bars before my first Willow Bird Baking Challenge hangout the other week. No comment.)

But seriously, I’m an old-school Ghirardelli lover. After watching America’s Test Kitchen choose their 60% cacao chips in a taste-test years ago, I tried them for myself and was hooked. I now use them in almost every recipe calling for chocolate. That’s pretty normal. Taking touristy photos of their Willy-Wonka-esque factory in San Francisco like I was on a flippin’ pilgrimage probably isn’t.

Regarding that stress-eating, by the way . . . Ghirardelli wants me to tell you about how the Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolates can help you to create a perfect moment in your day. The moments I can tell you about are as follows:

-Um, that stress-eating incident.

-When Mike and I stood at the counter and taste-tested every. single. one. of the seven chocolate bars Ghirardelli sent me. And then retested them repeatedly like they were incorrigible schoolchildren.

-That one night when Mike and I piled a truckload of ice cream into a bowl with some Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate squares so that I could prove to him that they were better when not combined with something cold (what, you’ve never proven something by contradiction? I suffer for science.)

-The morning where I didn’t have anything left for breakfast so I ate a metric ton of chocolate, pretzels, dates, and leftover toasted coconut and pecans.

These aren’t exactly your typical “perfect” moments. They’re more your typical frazzled-schoolteacher-with-a-few-minutes-to-eat-as-much-chocolate-as-possible moments.

However imperfect the moments might have been, the chocolate was perfect. Smooth and rich, the taste lingers on your tongue (as long as it’s warm, Mike) and pairs perfectly with so many different treats. I guess that’s why the chocolate itself can serve as an oasis in the midst of a chaotic day. A moment of perfection even within the imperfection, you might say?

I can’t wait to use the rest of my Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolates in lots of amazing recipes. In the meantime, here’s a fun way you can enjoy them: paired with salty pretzel rods, juicy dates, toasted coconut, and toasted pecans. Breakfast of champions…?

Dessert Smörgåsbord with Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolates

Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: as many servings as you’d like!

I call this a dessert smörgåsbord, but if I’m going to be real, I had this for breakfast the other day. The point is, these foods pair beautifully with Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolates any time of day.

Ingredients:
Salted pretzel rods
dates
toasted coconut
toasted pecans
a Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate bar (I prefer the 60% cacao Evening Dream, but Hazelnut Heaven, Toffee Interlude, and Sea Salt Soirée are close behind!)

Directions:
Hunt and peck your way through the dessert smörgåsbord, combining and alternating flavors. I always advise to eat Ghirardelli chocolate with a warm drink or none at all — cold foods/drinks drastically change the experience by preventing some of the melt that occurs when you chew. That’s where all the flavor is! So avoid cold milk and ice cream with your dessert buffet.

Illustrating my love for Ghirardelli’s 60% Cacao chocolate: here are all the recipes where I’ve mentioned it on Willow Bird Baking!

1. German Chocolate Cheesecake
2. Fauxstess Cupcakes
3. Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie Bars
4. Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles
5. Coffee Mousse Filled Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie Sandwiches
6. Magic Bars
7. Cannoli
8. Brownie-Bottom Coconut Chocolate Cream Cake
9. Chocolatey Red Velvet Pull-Apart Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze
10. Salted Caramel Mocha Hot Chocolate

This post is brought to you by Ghirardelli Intense Dark™ Chocolate. While I was compensated for my time and groceries and provided with lots of delicious chocolate, I never, ever share products with you that I’m not personally exuberant about, and that’s a promise!

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October 15, 2012 by Julie Ruble | 9 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.”