Graduation Time (And my first job!)

After a temporary hiatus I'm back on track. My friend Val had me make a collection of desserts for her sons graduation party. My first job! So I worked for about a day and a half and managed to crank out 3 batches of cookies, 3 batches of cupcakes, a cake, banana bread, and brownies. I used most of my favorite recipes that I make again and again, but never get sick of, like Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies or Emeril Laggase's carrot cake. I made my all-time favorite cookie recipes (espresso-cinnamon and double chocolate cookies) which I think were a big hit and enjoyed by all. I actually think that cookies are my favorite dessert, because the batter is the best! Anyways, on to the cupcakes. I made Martha Stewart's chocolate- caramel cupcakes. I have made them before and Mama Daly loves them, so I figured they would be a good choice. They are really good, but I could only finish half of them for my after-lunch sweet treat. Then I made vanilla raspberry cupcakes. I combined a recipe from Gourmet Girl. She used a recipe for strawberry shortcake from Gourmet Magazine. I used the same vanilla cake recipe and used the frosting recipe but added about 5-6 tablespoons of raspberry jam, and topped it with a raspberry. For my last batch of cupcakes, I used my great-grandmother's coconut cake recipe. This recipe has caused true frustration, and extreme irritation for me. The cake is super moist (and delicious, don't get me wrong) and the frosting is like super sticky melted marshmallow fluff. Making a layer cake with this recipe may cause insanity. The cake falls apart and the layers begin to slip every which way so that it looks like a huge pile of white-goopy mess. But I had hope for these cupcakes, and it turned out that they were they were super easy to make! The icing, being thick and sticky, would with the help of gravity sorta fall into place. Then I dipped them in the coconut and they were ready to eat. My mom told me that my great grandmother didn't have any of the tools that I have for baking. I have alot of respect for my great-grandmother who made this recipe without and electric mixer, a timer or skewers to somewhat hold the cake in place. After finishing the cupcakes I started out on the carrot cake, which was scrumptious if I do say so myself. Emeril knows a good cake. I made the layers quickly the night before and wrapped them individually in saran wrap and refrigerated them. I whipped up the frosting as well the night before and when assembling the cake the next morning, it was so easy and made the cake a lot easier to work with. I think it was one of my best looking cakes. I was really happy with it :) Thanks Val for giving my first job!
Next i made the only brownies I have ever liked, Ina's Outrageous Brownies. Absolutely delicious. Everyone should make them right now. Heres the recipe:
1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares. (I don't usually refrigerate them, and when I did this time, I didn't like them as much, but they were still irresistible.)

My last and final dessert I made banana bread. The graduate and my brother liked it, but I was a little iffy about it. It was slightly bland for my taste, but then again I prefer super rich dessert's that other people have trouble eating without feeling sick. I also got this banana bread recipe from Gourmet Girl. In addition to my baking-filled day and a half, 3/4 of the cousin twins were reunited here in LA!! It was sooooo good to see Carolyn. She had a conference for work at UCLA, and now she is off to New Zealand (the homeland really) with her boyfriend Ben. Seeing her made me miss my cousin twin, Mag-rat, so I have made it a mission to make enough money (by baking for parties) to fly to Boston so that cousin twins can be together again, it's been way too long!

(I just really liked this picture)

Back again soon! My next job is in five days! getting ready to serve 35 women at a Lemon-Drop Martini Party!