Daring Baker's Challenge: May - PÃO DE QUEIJO

So I said I was going to do it and I did it! I'm officially a "daring" baker! I didn't join until now, though, because of my foreign travel plans. I figured I needed to wait until I had time to commit. And so May is the first official month as part of the challenge, for me!

This month was "PÃO DE QUEIJO" and, honestly, it was a complete failure for me. Okay, maybe not a COMPLETE failure. It sounded delicious! I love bread. I love cheese! What else could a girl want? The pictures showed delightfully fluffy scone-like breads. Looked amazing.

So I ordered me some Tapioca flour online and, once it arrived, I followed the provided recipe and baked! It was an interesting experience, I'll admit. It seemed to progress according to the instructions. But my little scone-thingies didn't puff up in the oven AT ALL. They remained hard little golf balls. So maybe I did something wrong--maybe?

Don't get me wrong. They tasted fine. Not great, but not bad. They were edible. They were okay. But they weren't anything I was going to keep around after they cooled, and most made their way into the trash. It was disappointing... they are highly popular and I imagine quite yummy when made right!

Regardless, here is the recipe I was provided. Maybe you'll have better luck (but if I were you, I'd find some at a store and eat them there!):

Recipe:

PÃO DE QUEIJO

Ingredients:
4 cups Tapioca Starch
1 cup Whole Milk
2 3/4 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Salt
3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese
1-3 Large Eggs

Directions:
1. Heat milk, butter, and salt in small sauce pan until it boils. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Pour hot milk mixture over sifted tapioca starch and blend with a fork (it will form a lumpy mixture). Break down lumps and continue to stir until just warm.
3. Preheat oven to 400. Add the grated cheese and mix in with your hands.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing with your hands, until dough comes together in a soft but pliable dough. It can be slightly sticky.
5. Form balls with dough and placed on lined baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes or until just brown on the bottom. Do not over bake.

Challenging Myself - 2014 Dessert Challenge

So I have noticed that I'm still terrible about blogging. Here's the thing though... I'm trying new recipes all the time still! So here's to my goal to get back into putting the stories of my successes/failures on the blog. I decided the best way to do this is to institute a challenge again. I liked the Cheesecake Challenge. I royally sucked at it after my son was born, but it was FUN.

In an effort to make this a productive endeavor, though (and because I'm actually in the process of losing that 15 pounds--halfway and trying to maintain...), I'm going to make a more flexible "Dessert Challenge." I know,  it doesn't sound as cool, at all. But it's probably more practical, since I avoid cheesecake like the plague (it's too good to give away and too fattening to eat all the time!).

So I've decided to make my own "Baker's Challenge." The goal is to make one of these desserts a month, on average (at least). I have 7 desserts here, enough for one a month from June-December. I even selected a wide variety of treats to suit all sorts of occasions. Let's see if I can manage it!

1. Chocolate Chess Pie



2. Tiramisu Sandwich Cookies



3. German Dark Rye Bread



4. No-Bake Nutella Cheesecakes



5. Cannoli Cupcakes



6.  Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Skillet Cookie



7. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Chocolate Chip Bars

I already have myself a go-to chocolate chip bar, and this is a slight variation on that, but it was a recipe I decided to try. And I did... it was pretty good, although I'll confess that I think it is much better right out of the oven. However, I do live in a very dry climate and things dry out easily (it was too dry for me on day 2... maybe if I had done a better job wrapping it?).

Anyway, these are yummy and chewy right out of the oven, and you'll eat more than you should!

Recipe:

Chocolate Chip Bars
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
12 Tbsp. Butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 Egg Yolk
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 1/4 cups Flour
2 cups Chocolate Chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325. Line pan with foil or spray.
2. Whisk together melted butter and sugars until combined, and then add egg and yolk.
3. Add vanilla and baking soda. Fold in flour until just combined (do not over mix).
4. Fold in chocolate chips and smooth into pan.
5. Bake for 24-28 minutes. Cool to room temperature (or eat them hot, how I like them).