The Little Engine That Could

Pffft…pfft..pffttttttttttttt…..pfffffffffffffffffffttttttttttttttttttttt…….

(Go with me on this, I’m trying to be an engine)

Single, Cessna, engine.

…..

This story began on a Sunday, before sunrise, as I journeyed westward to California.  

I grabbed a flight early and with a promised read in tow, a purse bulging with legal-sized toiletries and my additional carry-on, I found myself finally dispatched to gain my son.

I arrived in Sacramento around noon, pulling my cellphone from the bottom of my bulging tote, I began my search for the pilot of that single engine Cessna. 

Had he forgotten our game plan?  Surely not.  I know him better, or believe that I do.  Of course this may change radically as time passes and he gains knowledge of this woman he will call his mother-in-law.  But for now, I do believe I am safe in his harbor of knowledge.  He hasn’t been around enough to know better, not yet.  So with this, I began to worry, but as all mother’s are apt to do, I kept my thoughts to myself as I dialed my daughter and casually asked, “Did Jacob get off okay?” 

“Yeah, Mom.  Isn’t he there to meet you?”

I assured her that I’m sure he was, but with my departure from the airliner, taking time to exit, and then my dash to the bathroom,…..well, let me not show concern…….If she thought he should be here, then he was, and with that confirmed, I announced.

“Well, I’m sure he is looking for me as I look for him.  You know, why don’t I just give him a shout on this cellphone?”

“Okay, Mom.”

Sure enough, the Man of the Hour was present, if only a few feet or yards beyond me.  Once we discovered each other we were on our way.  Over the mountains, into the valley, and homeward to meet my soon-to-be, new family.

…..

pfffffft… pfft..pfffft….

(Yeah, make some more of those sounds in your head to build some momentum.  You might need it.  Remember, this is my story and while it is very exciting in my mind, it may be less in yours.  I’m sorry if the latter is true, because you really are going to miss out on a bit of my fun and all of my panic.  There is a wedding six days from today.)

…..

The clouds are building, and with them, the wind.  I heed no mind, but my pilot takes note.  He’s awaiting the departure of two jets ahead of us on the tarmac.   We bide our time.   He is making mental notes of all that is necessary and I am pinching myself to be sure that all of this is actually taking place.  Flying has always fascinated me, whether in the cockpit, or back in row 23, the window seat.   I am always the eager passenger.

 Then there is a quick lesson as we taxi.  I learn how we know, where we are, when we are, where we are, on the runway.  Those signs have meaning!  Oh, and so does his checklist.  He ran through it before we began our taxi, but  a studious and thoughtful soul, perhaps I might enjoy knowing what he is doing?  Yes! and in my awe-struck mode I learn much, but due to my excitement I must confess that I cannot take a test, not yet.  I must simply enjoy, but if I need to know something I’ll be holding, THE NOTES. 

Okay.  Finally those two aircraft get the heck out of ‘Dodge’…er, Sacramento, and as we allow vortices to clear, Jake tells me that it won’t be long now, we have actually spent more time trying to get away from the airport than the amount of time it will take to get where we are going. 

Dang!  I do not want to hurry.  (Well, part of this is not true.  I am most anxious to see my daughter.  It’s been seven months since I caught sight of her beautiful face.)  But, there is this part of me that can’t wait to watch my soon-to-be son pilot this airplane. 

And he does.  Setting in place what needs to be.  Checking things that must be checked.  Navigating the airspace.  I suddenly realize what this truly means to him. 

Our adventures begin, with him flying the plane and me pretending to visuals, yet my eyes are not seeking aircraft, but the ground below me.  There is so much to behold.  The land is rich in vegetation, a patchwork of finery I haven’t witnessed in eons.  I’d forgotten what rich farmlands looked like.  Swimming in a sea of concrete and steel has hardened me for longer than I care to admit.  All at once I am waxing nostalgic for all that I had once known.  Suddenly the realization overcomes me that it is not forgotten, not if I choose to remember it.  This gift came unexpected, but welcomed in the beauty of all its delivery. 

This was one of many magical days that would rise to meet me during this September.  I truly was in for the time of my life.

…..

 Pffttt…..ppffft…..pffttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt…. 

Oh, let’s just face it.  I cannot make single-engine airplane noise.  I try, but as I might, something is lost in translation.  I do hope you will allow me my adventure though, gaining my son has been a joyful experience.

I am blessed.

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Kaiser Rolls

 

Sourdough, charged up and ready to, Rambo, the taste buds. 

Honestly, I’d like to tell you what it is that I did, but I’m guilty of playing in my dough on this bake.   Most likely I’d added some rye to my bread flour, forgotten purified water and used tap instead.  Who knows?  I sure don’t.  I’m sorry. 

Forgive me, for I have sinned.

Oh, who am I kidding?  Sourdough is friendly.  If you treat it nicely.  If you don’t: 

Oops!

…..

But, I digress…..

Peter’s recipe called for a pâte fermentée.  I opted to use a portion of my sourdough, nestled and waiting in the lovely, Miss G.E.   Fresh, minced onion, was added to this particular item, a few days back, thus giving this particular bake* an added note of flavour.  Generally, I would caution anyone from adding onion to their preserved piece of dough, but I knew that I would be using the remainder of this batch for the specific Kaiser bake.  (NOTE:  fresh onion will darken after a few days in your unbaked dough, also, onion is wet, sometimes requiring you to adjust your flour content, markedly.) 

*The other noted adjustment to P.R.’s Kaiser Rolls:  I doubled his recipe and deleted one of the teaspoons of yeast requested per his instructions for the completed recipe.

I use Peter Reinhart’s recipes as roadmaps.  Sometimes I will  take a path not designated by his written word.  Not that this is ever necessary, it isn’t, and if I might note:  If you want consistency you should ALWAYS follow the directions.  I’ll go off on a tangent and ‘invent’  some sort of detour, but what the heck.  I’m too busy smelling the flours to worry over any warning signs.  Besides, I don’ t think P.R. writes warning signs.  Actually, I’m pretty sure he would encourage a wayward act from time to time, as long as it didn’t involve hurting any living thing, or as long as the intent was in good faith.  You know, as a noble act of kindness.  That form of waywardness.  Yeah.  I’m sure he’d approve.  ;)

And evidently my friends approved of this detour.  They attacked these rolls like a starving pack of wolves.

I have ‘fake’ scars to prove it:

 

My bread box is empty! 

….. 

 Flashbulb color coding:

 Eaten by a pack of wolves, the friendly kind:

 :)

…..

Peter Reinhart’s book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, was my guide.

Baking aboard the Ark

 

We’ve had a bit of rain, things are wet, but we no longer toss that “D” word around these days. The last thirty days have been a real toad-strangler, and although I fear I may jinx things by complaining, I can’t resist my need to swear, “Enough is enough!”….

Things happen. Take for instance that garden. It grew nicely, but without the intervention of soaker hoses it would have been for naught. I think I had twenty tomatoes via thirteen plants. The gods must have been warning me about that number. Who knows.  All I can tell you is that I heeded caution over the beets, fennel and swiss chard seeds earlier this week, opting to delay the planting of my fall garden until after the ‘potential’ flood had receded.   Normally I would ignore the weather men and women, but I caught sight of a ‘real nasty’ poke-in-the-eye, via satellite, heading east via Cabo this past weekend. ”It” was dancing rough and getting ready to tumble inward. I chose to just belly up to the bar and hold the planting until after the promised deluge.
Rather a good idea.  Had it not been for the french drains, this ark would have found its way to the Rio Grande and then onward to the Gulf of Mexico.  As it is, we held ourselves to the buoys and docked this sucker hoping for a reprieve.  Hey, it’s still overcast kids, but the patio is no longer under water and the dog has only had to be hosed off once in the past few hours. 

I thought about submitting a recipe for mudpies, but it’s been awhile since I’ve had the nerve to feast upon a few, so here’s my answer to, ‘Ark fever’:

 

Choc-O-bits, Orange & Cream Cheese Muffins

(a variation of a recipe Frances gave me in the last millenium.  Yields approximately 21 muffins, give or take.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

 

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese (room temp)
1 stick of unsalted butter (room temp)
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs (room-temp)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I like K.A.)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup milk (room-temp)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
3 Tablespoon chocolate jimmies (the REAL kind)
2 Tablespoon orange zest (fresh)

…..

Orange Glaze

1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 to 3 cups confectioners sugar
…………

Cream butter and cream cheese in mixer, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy .. total mix time, approx., 5 minutes. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.

Combine the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, and add to the creamed mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the sifted flour contents. Stir well, but do not over beat. Finally, stir in pecans, orange zest, chocolate chips and jimmies. Spoon batter into lined muffin pans 3/4 full and bake at 375 degrees for 24 to 26 minutes.

…..

Allow muffins to cool for ten minutes in baking pans before removing to a wire rack. Using orange and confectioners glaze, drizzle each muffin and allow to finish cooling before serving or storing for later use.

These will freeze well and can be kept for later use. Simply defrost in fridge overnight or uncovered on countertop for one hour.

Enjoy!

Dusting off the edges

Just in time to celebrate my secretary’s second anniversary:

Because Frances and De Lois would want it that way….and, to tell the truth, I do too. 

I have a million and one stories to tell about THAT wedding.  A plane ride and 230 to 250 cupcakes (Silla and I lost count; imagine that!).

(Happy Birthday, Miss C.!  I can’t wait to see you again.  Love, Auntie ‘M’.)

To infinity and beyond…

canasta

automated card shuffle

tea

cocoa

rose bushes

hydrangeas

daughters

country blue plaid

ivy-patterned china

ginger snaps

iced coffee

garden gnome’s

Martha Stewart

a matching pair of scissors

Seinfeld

rattan & wicker

angels

teddy bears

bananas

warm 7-Up

jigsaw puzzles

sewing machine

fabric scraps

the ’slipping’ tablecloth

gophers

garden seeds

peanut butter

aspirin

melting gingerbread houses

crape myrtles

woodwork

books

Denny’s Grand-Slam

coffee creamers

blue willow china

chocolate covered coffee beans

sweatshirts

head cheese

bread pudding

Cassata

baking soda

4′9″ and shrinking  (LOL!)

granny boots

Fiddler on the Roof

Les Misérables

Pavarotti.  The Three Tenors

VCR hell

crocheted blankets

blood pressure cuff

a fist full of coins

toothpaste

a bad haircut

pasta making

“Is this cilantro or mint?”  (LOL)

homeowner dues

lithographs

lemons from Jo’s

Monarch butterflies

animal crackers

kleenex boxes

pendulum clock

Bunco

PrissCilla the cat

Jack pines

clothesline in the attic

“I could give a rat’s ass!”

“M A R J O R I E!”

“F R A N C E S!”

‘I wake up and say, “Thank you”every day.’

breast cancer

radiation

heart attack

Gilroy garlic

spring cleaning

fresh draperies

the eye-of-a-needle

Dove chocolates

chocolate and black licorice

restorations

fretwork

lattice

William Morris

Ethan Allen

Schumacher

Challah

…this list weaves across the heavens, and is, itself, endless.

Decadent!

  Peanut Butter AND Chocolate.

 Oh Martha, you shouldn’t have!

…..but I am so glad that you did…..

My kids are going to be very happy

Here’s my list:

 

Chai-Tea

Devil’s Food

Yellow Buttermilk

Peanut Butter-filled Chocolate

…..

I sent my last two boxes yesterday, parting with my baking scale and those favored kitchen utensils I simply can’t be without…oh, and there’s a baking pan in my carry-on. 

I’m operating under scrutiny of Murphy’s Law, but that’s not going to hold me hostage.  I’ve got a game plan and I’m willing to punt, pass, and or steal if I have to in order to execute it. 

Swine flu?  Grab me if you dare!  My game’s on! 

Cake Wrecks?  Try it!  I dare ‘ya!

Last Train Going Nowhere?  Not likely…this girl’s ready and dealing with a full deck.

Nervous?  Oh dang, are you serious?  What fool wouldn’t be?  But that ain’t delaying this chick from boarding the plane come Sunday morning. 

Ready?  As I’ll ever be.

Pumped?  Beyond your wildest imaginations!

Is California ready for you?  I don’t know, are they ready for Texas?

;)

P.S.  Martha is the beauty queen and princess of my isle.  She wins this one, hands down!  All four recipes are from here new book:

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/martha-stewarts-cupcakes#slide_12

I can’t thank you enough, Martha, but I can tell you publicly how much I appreciate you. 

And I do!

;)

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Italian Bread

Peter Reinhart’s recipe for Italian Bread is soft, super-soft!   I’ve baked this item times before, but it was this baking that stands out as one of my best.  The secret?…. allowing the dough to retard for almost three days,  Try it, you’ll be surprised at the difference an extra day (or two) makes.   Just don’t push it beyond three days unless you are prepared to suffer consequence.  And as I say this, I can’t really tell you why I say it, other than we are told by Peter that it is good up to three days.  Hey, who am I to challenge a master?  Yeah.  That’s right…I am just a flour-dusted woman playing in a singular kitchen. So kids, do as you are told, and follow them thar directions.  

 As I set about planning for the holiday weekend, it was a no-brainer for me to put together bases for three bread bakes.  There was that bit of concern that I had been lagging behind in the challenge that Nicole offers and I’ve committed to (The Bread Baker’s Challenge, www.pinchmysalt.com) , but even more necessary was my need to enjoy the respite of all things, floured.  Baking is therapeutic for me, and bread baking is at the very top of my list of favorite things to make.  (Cookies and cupcakes follow neck-to-neck as my second/third choices.)

…..

The Italian Bread recipe called for a biga.  While some baker’s keep one on hand, I’m guilty of being less prepared since I’ve learned to dry and refrigerate my sourdough starter.  And so, along with the poolish made to create the lovely fruited focaccia, and the pâte fermentée used within the french bread, I found myself mixing a biga.  (I highly recommend building starters in batches, it proves worthy once you’ve been spoiled by a bake.  Invariably you’ll create something and think, “Wow, I’m going to do that again, ASAP!”  You’ll be a bit delayed if you need to retard your starter.  Plan ahead.)

…..

(Forgive the less than stellar lighting and my attempt at infusing additional light upon the subject matter.)

Note, these babies are a bit dusty, but my heavy-handed flour toss was necessary in order for me to get some sort of grip on my dough.  I’ve got to work on that pinching too, as you can see, both loaves are definitely, free-form.  ;)

And, while I’m admitting to other items I’ve overlooked in the past, let me add this item:

I’ve owned my copy of, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice , (www.PeterReinhart.typepad.com)

for almost two years now, but somehow I’ve managed ‘to forget’ that Peter gives us details about what a scored loaf can denote.  He states:

 

“In some instances the cuts are distinctive to a

particular village or baker.”

 

Interesting tidbit.  Makes me want to come up with very own little trademark.  ;)

 

  

:)

Happy Bakes 2U2!

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, French Bread

 

Once again, Peter Reinhart delivers on his promise for full-flavor, from all things floured, with his formula for French bread.    I find this bread is a challenge for me, but only because I hold a great fear of wet doughs.  Fashioning them, delivering them to the hearth for baking, intimidates the heck out of me.  This was my second time to make this bread.  I believe I did a bit better this go-round, but I am far from baker’s perfection.

I created my pâte fermentée as directed, one day prior to my bake, opening a new bag of bread flour, and while measuring, noted that it weighed heavy long before the measuring cup said it might.  But I swear by my scale, and so, onward I went toward mixing the dough.  I found myself going back for an additional scoop of flour to meld the final results.  (Peter tells us that it might be necessary to make flour/water adjustments.)

It’s been a rather dusty environment lately.  Flour dust has settled within every nook and cranny of my kitchen, and therefore, the rest of this house.   I’m baking up a storm these days.  What began as an effort to catch-up to the others in the fold of Nicole’s group of, The Bread Baker’s Challenge, it has now become an obsession.   (A week from now my feet land on the fertile soil of northern California, and my hands begin the steady motion of a marathon bake.  I’m building confidences as I stride.)  ;)

…..

Things moved along according to plan, that is, until it was time to move the loaves to the baking stone.  Oops!  I have a casualty, but do I throw my hands in the air and curse the gods?  Nay!

I did fail to mist this loaf, mainly because of the oh-so-ugly shaping.  (I was tempted to file 13 her, but I looked beyond her beauty and found her soul.)  The old girl did get a heavy mist of oil though, as she was destined to get her shine on!

Yes.  It is a graph! 

Now the following is a far cry from the ‘graph’, but it still needs tweaking.  Scared-to-death and fearing I will overwork the baguettes, I tread cautiously.  I don’t want to degas the heck out of ‘em for fear I’ll ruin those lovely air pockets.  They are the hallmark of this lovely, without them, I be spent.

Here are some lovely little expansions.  My husband and I ‘tunneled’ our way through the better part of a full loaf before the dinner dishes were loaded and washing in the automatic. 

One of these days I’ll be so full of air you’ll swear that I float, by gosh, by golly.  I swear it!  Stay tuned, they’ll be more of these French babies in my pocket somewhere down the road.  I’m determined to capture the magic.

My continued thanks to Nicole, www.pinchmysalt for setting this effort in motion.  The Bread Baker’s Challenge is hosted by this sweet soul.   Our challenge?  To bake our way through Peter Reinhart’s work,  The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  Visit P.R.’s website at www.PeterReinhart.typepad.com .   Please join us as we travel through this lovely book.  Our goal?  To bake each and every one of its recipes!

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Poolish Focaccia (Fruited)

This lovely bread is as versatile as they come.  Sweet or savory, take your pick.  I have never had a problem with this item.  It can turn an ordinary bread pizza into an extra special delivery.  Dimpled with a soft interior, you can bake it to crust as you wish, but take heed:  Easy does it when working with dried fruits.  I had a few causalities with my Chilean raisins, but I picked the bad boys off and served up the others, very happy that I had included them in my adventure.

Today found my neighbor having surgery, and therefore, housebound and recuperating.  I knew I wanted to send her a treat, but it wasn’t until I was building formula’s in my kitchen yesterday that I decided on a fruited option.  The Bread Baker’s Challenge, is the inspiration of Nicole,  www.pinchmysalt.com .   We gather to pursue the goal of baking our way through Peter Reinhart’s lovely book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice .  Peter is master baker, instructor and author.  Visit his site, www.PeterReinhart.typepad.com

Knowing that I’d be using tablespoons of olive oil in the dough (I did dimple the top of the bread with 1/2 cup of butter, choosing it over an additional amount of olive oil), it was a mental dance with taste flavors that helped me to decide upon my choice of fruits.  I didn’t want anything  fighting or challenging that lovely virgin olive oil taste within the interior.  So, as I settled into sleep last night, playing a game of what-ifs with flavor combinations, I stumbled upon my fancies of fruit and butter. 

I’ve baked Peter Reinhart’s Focaccia too many times to count, always choosing to make the initial recipe from, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, but this bake was my first attempt at his poolish version.  This did not disappoint and will find itself amongst future bakes.  By creating a poolish, retarding and using it in a second or third day bake, you find yourself unlocking flavors beyond those of the same day focaccia bread(s).

 

Forming the dough into a rectangle with the aid of a few folds.  Pretend that this is rectangular in shape.  Okay?  ;)

 

Lord, have mercy upon me. 

 

Is there anything more beautiful than fruit, nuts and chocolate?

 

This is the landscape of my dreams:

It ain’t burnt, it’s toasty, roasted and gooey with chocolate in spaces that fill places.  :)

Forget the Kit-Kat bar.   Give me focaccia!

The almonds were toasted atop the stove in a tablespoon of butter, slowly.  Once they began to expand a bit, I added a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.  All-in-all, I toasted those little babies for about 40 minutes.  They were then cooled and forcefully hit upon their noggins with a rolling pin.  (They were hiding in a plastic bag, but the rolling pin found them.  Oops…Ouch! )

;)

…..

Winging it with fruit, nuts and chocolate

• 2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate (Ghirardelli)
• 4 Calimyrna figs (chopped)
• 10 dried California apricots (chopped)
• a small fist of Chilean Flame raisins
• another fist, this time a gathering of cinnamon-sugar/toasted almonds (crushed & broken)

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, English Muffins

No, these are not dinner rolls, but simply English Muffins in the making.  The free-form comes from the  hands of a woman who failed to read the recipe per instructions.  And they were, VERY GOOD INSTRUCTIONS.

Peter Reinhart teaches us via, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  With time and patience, we can perform magic in our very own kitchens.  English Muffins need not gestate, take form and deliver themselves via a bread bag, dated and drying upon a store shelf.  No.  These little beauties can be crafted by you, anytime, any day, anywhere, as long as you are ready, willing and able.

Kudos, and many thanks to Peter for his instructions.  I absolutely love my baking book, and although I noted (this very afternoon), that it is beginning to show the signs of use, and that it is no longer in mint condition, I consoled myself with the knowledge that I am better because of it.

I am also better because of Nicole, over at www.pinchmysalt.com.  She encouraged many of us to pursue a baking challenge alongside of her.  We will be baking our way through, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, during the next several weeks.  (As of matter-of-fact, we are well on our way.)

I can’t think of a better way to spend my time. 

Celebrating Nicole and Peter, I dedicate these lovelies in their honor.

:)

Oh look!  The old woman has done a double-take with the baking book.  She realizes she has ‘almost’ missed the opportunity to utilize those baking forms she scoured the local stores for (and finally settled on ordering the ‘real’ thing from KA).

Hark.  Has this woman performed a double-bake?  By gosh, by golly, I do believe she has!  (There’s a Cranberry-Walnut Celebration Bread waiting in the background.)

The crumb is silky, smooth and down-right, tasty!

Be kind to yourself. 

Bake bread.

Share it with your inner spirit.  You’ll be amazed at your transformation. 

Happy Bakes 2 U!

;)

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Cranberry-Walnut Celebration Bread (infused with Kahlua)

Catching up with the fold of bread baker’s as we journey onward,  baking the recipes from Peter Reinhart’s, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.   Peter Reinhart’s blog is posted at,  www.PeterReinhart.typepad.com

 This lovely challenge is brought to us by Nicole of, www.pinchmysalt.com .

I dedicate this bake to Nicole and Peter.

This bread can be prepped and baked all within a day.  However, after receiving a panicked phone call from a frantic college kid, I stopped in my tracks (after the mixing of the dough).  Into the refrigerator, and retarded for one full day, I allowed the dough to sit at room temp for one hour before I weighed and scored it, braided and placed it for it’s final rise.  One hour and fifteen minutes later I baked her per instructions noted in that lovely book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

 

Sometimes we simply know that we are, ‘in-the-zone’, and so it was, finally, after days of procrastination (and being held hostage by a hand-sewing project), I ventured back into my kitchen. 

I’d purchased large raisins last week with the intention of using them in this bake.  Mainly because I frown upon dried cranberries.  There’s just something about that item that I find unappetizing.   The shriveled skins, or perhaps the mere fact, I am so dedicated to the fresh, crisp, and tart fruit when it’s in season.  I never bother with those little buggers in the bag, and yet I had to stop myself before going forward.

“There has to be a reason Peter Reinhart uses them in this bread”…..so off I went to Wally’s World, succumbing to the purchase of a bag, only to find myself tinkering with them once we journeyed home.  Three tablespoons of Kahlua later, a few days to soak, and it was time to go for the bake. 

 

They plumped up nicely and exuded a somewhat mystical aroma when baking within their lair.

Rolling and prepping for a piggy-back ride. 

There’s a small braid atop a larger braid.  Can you see the two?

Beauty is tempting me, but I’m on that diet.  (I’m sneaking a piece at dinner time.  Shhh…don’t tell on me.)

Bread is a beautiful journey.  :)

‘On a wing and a prayer’

Come heck or high water, I’m back in my nest in the morning.  I’ve got to get back to the fold, the bread baking fold of, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge* presented by Nicole (www.pinchmysalt.com).  They are two, three, or is it four loaves ahead of me?  Or should I say, rather, that I am that far behind them?  Yes.  That’s more accurate.

I’ve been guilty of procrastination.  I think it’s actually more acute these days, brought forth by the lack of sugar and flour in my food pyramid.  It’s not healthy for me to operate under the influence of withdrawl.  As of matter-of-fact, it can get downright ugly. 

When I stepped from the car and into the cubicle of my hairdresser’s abode this afternoon he screamed from the mere sight of me.  I quickly set about explaining  (probably more like….mumbling) something to the effect that my busy schedule had kept me from maintaining myself properly.  Speechless, he backed away, grabbed a Home Depot-style color thing (only this had fake hair, grown nuclear), and began his assault.  Two hours, fifteen minutes later, several dollars vacant, and I can call myself a new woman.   Well, almost,  you see I’m  missing a few very important components.  Namely:  

flour and sugar…..

After all, I ain’t no fool.  I can drink diet shakes till those cows come home, put miles upon miles on my tennies, but if those diet gods have it out for me, there ain’t nothing I can do about it!  Well, let me amend that.  Although I’m not a revenge-seeking sort of person, I do get a bit of satisfaction once I get brave enough to accept resignation.  It takes only one thing, and I made danged sure I had it loaded in my cart as I flew through Wally’s World this afternoon:

Butter.

If I’m going down, I plan on sliding.  ;)

*based on the book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, written by Peter Reinhart (www.peterreinhart.typepad.com)

Daring Bakers Challenge – Dobos Torta

The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers’ cookbook Kaffeehaus:  Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

 

…..

I held off baking this magnificent item until the last child was out the doorway and the hubby was aboard an aircraft.  I knew this challenge would push me beyond my comfort zone, but isn’t that the reason we are Daring Baker’s?  Let us go where we do not feel familiar and set up shop in the world(s) of the awesome endeavors.

This month’s offering did just that.

Having never made caramel, nor a sponge cake as thin and creative as this, I found myself a bit overwhelmed by the learning curve set before me.    The cake dough was easy enough, but it was the butter-cream and the caramel that proved the most daunting.

I failed horribly at my butter-cream.   It was runny, and although tasty, did not form well even after a lengthy chill.  The caramel, beautiful amber and clearly appetizing, did nothing but frustrate me.  Angela tells us to work quickly, and provides us with excellent tips on how to tame this tiger, but none-the-less, I found myself anxious and sweating bullets while attempting to smooth it against the sponge.  No matter how feverishly I worked, the sponge and the caramel fought for the upper hand.  Finally, exasperated and overwhelmed, I did my best to console myself that at least I hadn’t given up, walked away, and condemned my own kitchen.   After all was said and done, there was more caramel on the counter-tops, sinks and the stove-top than either of my two small tortes. 

….

I do want to thank Angela (www.aspoonfulofsugar.net/wp/) and Lorraine (www.NotQuiteNigella.com) for their offering of this grand dessert.  These wonderful ladies gave me an opportunity to push-the-envelope on my creative endeavors and helped me build some new skills (and admiration for those that tackle them).  I’ve got a learning curve, but at least I can say I made a foray into caramel and butter-cream.  Before today, neither of those items flanked my arsenal of ‘Know-How’s, and if I might add, for as many cupcakes and cakes that I bake, I HAVE NEVER made a true butter-cream.    I use a heavy hand of confectioners sugar and loads of butter, but eggs?  I be chicken….I still be chicken, but now I am a Daring Chicken.  ;) 

Also, thanks to our dear and present leaders of the pack, Lisa, http://llcskitchen.blogspot.com/ and Ivonne, http://www.creampuffsinvenice.ca/ .   They are responsible for giving us this fantastic mode of travel into culinary wonder.  They help us to create magic, build friendships and conquer new territories.  I am forever grateful to both of you.  :)

…..

making the sponge:

• 6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner’s sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup, plus two tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (can substitute 95g of plain flour + 17g cornflour (sifted & combined)
• pinch of salt

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Beat egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner’s sugar, the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high until item is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted.  This should take about 3 minutes.

Using another bowl and clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner’s sugar until the egg whites form stiff and shiny peaks.  Next, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, using a large rubber spatula.  Now, fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible.  Combine flour and salt and sift halve over the eggs, fold in, then repeat with the remaining flour. 

Pipe or form an approximate 1/4 cup of batter in an even layer atop a cut and fashioned piece of parchment (I used a small spring-form base as my template).  Smooth this layer with a small offset spatula.  Proceed filling parchment singles until your baking sheet is filled.  (I was able to bake six at a time).  Bake in the oven for five full minutes, remove and allow to cool briefly before peeling back the parchment.  (My parchment scores did double-duty; I used them consecutive times).  While these items continue to cool, set another pan of lined sheets into the oven and bake then for their five minute time period.  Continue to bake in batches until all of your sponge dough has been utilized. 

Allow cakes to thoroughly cool on a baking rack.  Once they have, move them to a cleaned workspace.  Waxed paper or parchment is good.  Your next step will be to frost these with butter-cream.

…..

An ice cream scoop works well to load the parchment.  A small offset spatula helps to spread the dough:

Why does this lady not clean her equipment properly?  Oh, but she does!  The pan is simply as old as the old woman:

Cooling and prepping for the next stage:

God’s way of making life tolerable when the warmonger from Hades shows his face:

Almost, but not quite, as wonderful as chocolate:

…..

Chocolate Butter-cream:

• 4 large eggs that are at room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) caster sugar
• 4 oz. (112g) bakers chocolate, finally chopped
• 2 sticks, plus 2 Tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Prepare a double boiler by filling a large saucepan one quarter of the way full.

Beat eggs with sugar until pale and thickened.  This will take approximately five minutes.  You can use a balloon whisk or an electric hand mixer.  I chose to use my stand mixer using my stainless steel bowl atop the heated water for the following:

Fit bowl over boiling water, but do not allow water to touch the bowl.  Lower your heat so that you have a nice, brisk simmer.  Whisk eggs constantly as you cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken.  Follow this by whisking the finely chopped chocolate and continue to cook, while stirring, for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium-sized bowl and allow it to cool to room temperate before proceeding. 

…..

Setting the stage for frosting:

I should have stopped here, returned the bowl to the stove top, and went for the making of a chocolate pudding:

When it has cooled, beat in the soft butter, a small piece at a time (about 2 tablespoons increments).  You should end up with a thick and velvety chocolate butter-cream.  Place this into your refrigerator and proceed to making the caramel.

…..

Awe heck!  Add the butter, anyway, and prepare for a lovely shade of, What color?:

Caramel topping:

• 1 cup (200g) caster sugar
• 12 Tablespoon (180ml) water
• 8 teaspoons (40ml) lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon of a neutral-based oil (sunflower, grape-seed or rice bran will work)

Choose your best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. 

Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper, buttering the paper.  Place the reserved cake layer on the paper and score the cake into 6 equal-sized wedges.  Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and a small offset spatula. 

Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan, bringing it to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar.  Once a smooth syrup has developed, turn the heat up to high and boil WITHOUT STIRRING, swirling your pan by the handle occasionally, and washing down any sugar crystals that may be collecting on the sides of the pan (use a wet pastry brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-looking caramel). 

The top layer

is perhaps the most difficult aspect of this entire recipe.  Be prepared with an oiled (buttered) spatula and scoring knife at hand.  Also, we are warned to have our cake layers at room temp.  A cold layer could seize our caramel before we ever have the chance to spread it!

The recipe will provide more than an ample amount of caramel for your one (or two cakes), and, therefore plan to create a few caramel coated nuts or other miscellaneous deco’s for your cake with the excess.

Once caramel is ready to spread, work quickly AND safely.  I found that by pouring the caramel atop a scored layer I could manage it a bit better than if I had tried using a spoon to coat the cake/nuts.  Whichever method you choose, be careful:

THIS MASS IS EXTREMELY HOT AND YOUR WORKING TIME FOR PLIABLE CONSISTENCY IS MINIMAL.

…..

Oh goody!  It’s time to make caramel and redecorate the kitchen surface(s):

 …..

That girl is pretty, even if I don’t own a saw strong enough to slice her.  (Oh, wait a minute, I forgot I own a chainsaw….I’ll be right back):

…..

Candied hazelnuts:

…..

 No matter how I tried to shoot it, these little ladies were fed up with me and wanted nothing more than to be free of the wild woman attempting their capture:

Assembly of the Dobos Torta:

The Dobos Torta is generally a five-layer sponge cake (I simply can’t keep track when assembling…oops!),  filled with a decadent chocolate buttercream and topped with thin wedges of caramel (if you’re lucky… ;) ). 

Gather your baked sponges and begin icing them by spreading a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of each layer.  Spread evenly using an offset spatula to coat an even layer of butter-cream.  Stack each layer atop one another until you have completed five iced layers.  Next, spread a layer of buttercream on the sides of the assembled torte and smooth evenly.  You can also press chopped hazelnuts into the sides for added decoration.  Use unchopped hazelnuts to place wedges of caramel atop the torte, fashioning each wedge at an angle, ending with a sproke pattern upon completion.  Refrigerate your cake under a cake dome until the icing is set.  This should take about two hours.  Prepare tortes for your enjoyment by allowing them to come to room temperature.  This allows for optimum flavor. 

…..

Layered  and ready to munch….darn, I’m on that danged diet!  :(   sniff, sniff, sniff.  Hubby reports that it’s scrumptious.  Does that count?  ;)

A special thank-you to Rick Rodgers for his amazing book:  Kaffehaus

(http://search.barnesandnoble.com/KaffeeHaus/Rick-Rodgers/e/9780609604533/?itm=1&usri=1).

Happy Birthday, Mipsey!

Happy Birthday!

 

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful, extra-special birthday.  Welcome home to UNT and all that awaits you this year!  I’ll post some celebratory photo’s of your shindig when I can, but for now, I’m sitting in my Cyber-Hades dorm room awaiting repentance and rescue.  There may be a lag in the visuals until I’m redeemed. ;)

I love you, Mips; congratulations and happy 19th  to you.  

Excuses, excuses…….

I have a hard time believing in Voodoo, witchcraft  or magic, but I can very well relate to Murphy’s Law.  I went about some housekeeping chores, setting my sights on a new look for my blog.  I had a minor glitch, here, there and then suddenly, everywhere.  I finally gave up saying, “Phooey!”(alongside a myriad of other expletive choice words), and made the decision to keep things, as is, for the time being. 

I like this photo, not for it’s spectacularness, cuz let’s admit, I’m on a sharp learning curve, but I enjoy it for it’s simplicity.

This butternut squash mysteriously took over the space under the fading cedar last summer.

and a fruited endeavor, revealed:

“Have I been baking,” you ask?  Well, kind of, if you want to count the dozen or so fresh blueberry muffins I made yesterday.  I do have plans to try a new brownie recipe today.  I used my finger as a pin cushion so the hand-sewing project I was working on is in a tentative hold pattern.  Thank goodness, Stella…aka… Emma-Jean, the lovely KitchenAid,  is ready to dance.  I was sitting a few out until I got my groove back on, and then I figured that’s gonna happen, on or about, The Twelfth of Never.   With odds like these, why let the oven cool?

Yep.  My thoughts exactly.

Keep those burners blazing.

;)

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Corn Bread

One for Peter Reinhart

 www.PeterReinhart.typepress.com, author of, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

and one for Nicole!

 www.PinchMySalt , whose lovely author, Nicole, set us upon a discovery, baking a loaf a week  (approximately), from P.R.’s masterpiece.  She aptly named her effort:  The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge.

Sharing the joy

 Of a venture shared and enjoyed by fellow baker’s around the world.

This bread stands alone!

 

There’s a character in every crowd.  My friend likes to levitate.  ;) 

 

I make friend's with this bread :)

 And they make friends when they bake and share, too. 

No matter how you put the spin on this item

 It is comforting to know that we are united, no matter how we ‘roll’. 

I'm tasty!

and, special.  Very, very, special.

;)

Enjoy!

Journey,

 

 Let life take you where it will 

 

 You won’t journey alone 

 

 I’m sprinkling bread crumbs as I follow. 

 

Let’s get started.  We’ll meander a bit, but that’s okay.  Remember to smell the flowers.  Remember also, this lady CAN’T grow a rose to save her soul!  (I can grow that Rudbekia though…a weed in some parts….but heck, here she is my glory-girl.) 

…but first, we’ve got to give our, “Good mornings!,” to Bridget-Renee, hmmm, that poor bunny looks rather surprised!  “Sorry, Mr. Bunny, we hope you can ignore her lack of manners. 

  “Ciao!”

“=^;^= ”  (bunny talk)

 ”Meow!”

Oh!  look, there are more steps……

Meet my friend, Mr. O. Reg-A-No.   He, unlike the rabbit, does not allow foolishness from Bridget.  He is rather amused and delighted by, Cast-Iron Annie, the cardinal, though.  ;)

Look!  It’s Mr. Rooster, brightening our day with his ‘lovely’ gardening accessories.  Seems he has found an old brass curtain rod, a broom-handle, garden trowel, and the rusted up bird bath to adorn his abode.  Good for him!  I’ve been stressing the need to re-cycle. 

 ”Kudos’s to you, Mr. R!”

Enjoy this.  It’s what I like to call, ‘My Field of Dreams‘ walkway.  M2, planted the okra and corn for me; beautiful job, Mips! … anyway…there’s a little weave of a story at this point.  Hold your horses and we’ll get back to our journey in a sec:

One afternoon,

eons ago, in the land of another galaxy, somewhere the other side of Niwot, Colorado, two young school girls have decided they will fore go their lengthy bus-ride home.  They decide that they’ll hike across the highway, set their sites on the purchase of penny candy at the lonely little country store and enjoy a leisurely walk homeward. 

…..

 ”Must only be about four miles, ya think?” 

 …. “Oh easy!  What the heck, we’ll be on the bus for an hour-and-a-half, bored to death as usual.  Let’s enjoy ourselves.” 

 Game On!

…..

We do well crossing the highway, following the train tracks until we turn into town for the purchase of our candy.  With that done, we head back down those same railroad tracks toward the lonely dirt road that will press us toward home. 

“Gee, it’s hot and dusty today.”

“Yeah, I know it.  This candy’s pretty good.   Wish we’d have had enough to buy a coke with, though.”

“Yeah, that WOULD have been nice!”

………………(playing games on the ties…..“don’t step on a crack, you’ll break Mama’s back!”………..

…..a hundred and thirty three, thirty four…….four hundred and seven….

“NO!  It’s FIVE hundred and seven!  You forgot to add back in one of those hundreds.”

“It is NOT!”

“Yes, IT IS!”

“Oh, let’s just be quiet.”

…..    …..     …..      (white noise background)     …..     …..     …..

“Hey I have an idea!  Let’s walk through the corn field.  That’s got to save us a couple of miles.  You know, if we shoot straight that way, we’ll be home in no time.”

“Are you sure?”

“B.  We live right over there, down that hill and up that other one!”

“Yeah, we do.  Okay.  Let’s do it.  I’m thirsty, hot and getting tired.”

“I’ll double that!”

(step….step….step….step…..step…..step….step….step)

“Are you with me?”

“Don’t try to walk so fast, and remember, we are going, that direction!”

“Wow, I never realized this stuff  was so tall!”

“Yeah, this must not be that cattle feed corn.  Must be table corn.”

(step….step….step…step…step….step…………………………………step………………………..)

“STEP ON IT!  I’m tired and I hate it when you meander.  B.?  B.?  B.? BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB, where are you?”

“I’m over here.”

“Where?”

“OVER HERE!”

“No, you’re not!  I’m over HERE!”

(Panic is setting it’s stage here, and don’t forget the hunger and thirst…oh, and that ticking clock upon the wall.)

“I don’t know where we are?”

“Me either.”

“Just stay with me.  I don’t want to get lost from each other, AGAIN.”

(That sun is shifting and there’s a slight rustle of corn stalks.  I wish it were a cool breeze, or do we?)

Okay, we need a break in this tale.  I’m going to summarize the finale for all of us, so we can be put from our miseries:

We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO lost, high corn and ‘high-cotton’ aren’t in the same league with each other and now we have come to the conclusion that we will NEVER be found.  We begin scarring the pee out of each other with stories of spiders, rats and snakes.  Especially those rather LARGE and RIGHTLY deemed, CORN SNAKES.  Our pace hastens and we decide that we will forget ’staying-together.’  We discover what will prove to be our brightest plan of the day:

“The first one out of this corn patch should proceed directly to the nearest doorway of any thing that resembles a place of occupancy:   Request help and aid and hope that the OTHER one is found ALIVE!!!!!!”

…..

Both of us are living proof that we survived.  One of us delivers this tale in hopes that the other(s) can recant the story as this gal perceived it.  If not, do me a favor and ’spice it up a bit’ .  Will ya?  ;)

Shew!  That was a llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllong tale.  Bless you for staying with me.  Now, let us meander back into the wild.  Gather the stirrups and let’s, ‘Giddy-Up-Go’!  Mosey with me, further, there’s got to be an ending, somewhere.?

P.S.  Thank you, Mips, for planting only ONE row.  I bless you.  :)  Love.  XOXOXO

Miss O. Kra, blooms her lovely fruits at this time of year.  Yesterday I harvested a single pod.  ‘Tis okay, though, she tames the corn field that sets behind her stage.

“To everyone and every little thing, there is a season.”

A road less traveled.

Some roads will lead you nowhere, but to have not taken the journey is to have missed the beauty along the path.

And some journey’s teach us that without a beginning, there would be no end.  Oh, how tireless would that be?  Give thanks, and sing joyful sounds for a job well done.  :)  Don’t forget to look over your shoulder.  Enjoying and savouring the fruits of your labors.

Bloom ferociously. 

 

Love,

Mom

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread

Peter Reinhart wrote, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice .  Nicole writes a lovely blog, Pinch My Salt (www.pinchmysalt.com).  I celebrate my bakes to both of these special people.  Without one, we would not have our baking book, without the other, we would not have our commitment.   Kudos to them both!

:)

Please don’t throw mama from the bus, cast me into exile on a deserted isle or ban me from the wondrous journey of all things, baked.    I have to amend the title of this lovely bread, it is more appropriately, Rummed-up Raisin, Candied Ginger, Toasted Almond Bread. 

I know.  I live a life of sin and waywardness.  I’m a rebel, but with a cause.  Seriously.  I claim and admit this freely.   Especially if it means that I trust myself to live within my means.  And today I did.  I lived without shame as I baked myself into the Nirvana of sugar and spice and all things nice. 

I allowed the teenager the car for the day and I accepted the freedom from one more journey down the road to the store for more raisins and those necessary walnuts.  Sure, I saved a few bucks by using the stash from the cupboard, but I knew there really was no reason to slap myself silly for not having gathered the necessary elements prior to today’s bake.  If you’ve been following me lately (in the blog, not that unmarked car), then you know I have ‘other’ things on my mind.  They revolve around a dress that MUST fit by mid-September, and a very important date.  So, these days when I grocery shop I spend my time visiting with the many experts in the vitamin/protein powder aisle.  I’ve got forty-seven different versions of power-packed, slimming possibilities available and a blender that produces magic ‘food’.  The last thing I need to do is stock this pantry with the fundamentals of healthy items like raisins and walnuts.  There’s something sensible about using up what already temps me.  Don’t ask me what happens when the stock is so low that I attempt bread from a canned meat product or cupcakes from dog and cat vittles.  

So….that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.  I’m also sticking that slice of wonderful ‘mischief’ I conjured up this afternoon right here on my backside.  Tomorrow I plan on walking to the compost pile, the mailbox, and the neighbors to visit.  I should burn off about 22 calories by those efforts.  At some point I’m going to wake up and realize, These shoes were made for walking….and if I’m lucky I’ll still have time to slash a few layers from these saddlebags. 

;) 

Daring Baker’s Challenge, Milan Cookies

The July Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.

I dedicate the following to the multi-talented and amazing Nicole ….PLEASE visit her lovely site:(http://sweetendingz.blogspot.com/).  And always and forever my thanks and praise to our lovely hostesses of, The Daring Baker’s Challenge:  Lis, http://llcskitchen.blogspot.com/ and Ivonne, http://www.creampuffsinvenice.ca/ .  We are better because of our mentors.  Thanks so much for pushing us to be the best we can at an endeavor we so adore.  :)

 

I’m running out of time to complete this months full challenge, Nicole gives us the option to make and bake two recipes, or just one, but let’s face it, both of her offerings are divine.  I opted to begin by making the Milan cookies.  Hopefully tomorrow will allow me a non-humid day and I can bake item #2, Mallows, a Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookie.  I simply saved it for last due to never having made a homemade marshmallow.  I’ve always wanted to, but I’ve never had an opportunity to splurge and spoil myself with both marshmallow AND chocolate.  With my birthday approaching the end of the week, I think this would be a lovely surprise to share with my best buds.  (Sadly, I won’t be able to taste test them for fear of having a major diet-blowout).  FINALLY, I found the perfect dress to wear to my daughters upcoming wedding in September.  It sits in my closet as a sweet reminder that there is a reason to forego the sweeter and heavier sugar and fat loaded treats I so adore.  Besides, I’ll be running through final cupcake test trials in a few weeks and I will be FORCED to taste to be sure my choices are perfected. 

Enough about me.  On to these sweet, precious and gorgeous Milan’s.  They proved the perfect treat for my girlfriends birthday gift.  She loves chocolate, adores nuts and shares in my love of a homebaked treat over a store-bought surprise. 

 

 

I found the dough a bit unique.  I tried piping (and even chilling) the dough figuring that I might discover a ‘new’ way to form/shape these tasty wafers.  But alas, this dough doesn’t hold up, only flares and fills its own space upon the parchment paper that holds it during its bake.  No problem, though, I consider it a lesson learned and something to play with in the future should the urge strike (maybe a stiffer dough that will hold a scallop or other design for that lovely chocolate filling).

 

Milan Cookies

 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cookie dough

• 12 tablespoons (170 grams/ 6 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups (312.5 grams/11.02 oz.) powdered (confectioners) sugar
• 7/8 cup egg whites (from about 6 eggs….took me 7, but my eggies were smaller, I guess*)
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I opted to use 1 Tablespoon due to the strength of Bourbon vanilla I use*)
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract (I did not have extract, but pure lemon oil, I used 1/4 tsp. pure oil*)
• 1 1/2 cups (187.5 grams/6.61 oz.) all-purpose flour

Cookie filling (oh yummy!)

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I opted for a bittersweet, cuz I’m a rebel)
• 1 orange (oops…had to use a tangelo, thing was tricky trying to zest, but flavor was spot-on!*)

*Ingredient adjustments were my own, I highly recommend you follow Gale’s lovely recipe.  My adjustments were okay, but I’ll bet Gale’s were spot-on perfect, too!  :)

In a mixer with paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar.  (I whipped it until it was light and fluffy*)  Add the egg whites gradually and then mix in the vanilla and the lemon extract (lemon oil, in my case).  Add the flour and mix until just well mixed.  (Don’t over beat them thar eggs, we don’t want rubber-ized cookies, ya know ;) )  With a small (1/4-inch) plain tip, pipe 1 inch sections of batter onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart ….. cuz honey, these dudes are gonna spread! 

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges.  Let them cool on the pan!!!!!!!  You are asking for trouble if you try to lift these babies while they are warm.  Although, if you have a few that dated-and-mated on the sheet, now is the time to cut them apart, carefully, using a sharp edge of a spatula or knife. 

While waiting for the cookies to cool, in a small saucepan, over medium flame/heat, scald cream.  CAREFUL, this will not take long, so don’t wander over to the sink to do dishes, or ice down that beverage.  Just stand there and watch that little saucepan!   Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, whisk to melt chocolate and add zest, blending well.  Set this aside to cool.   (The mixture will thicken as it cools). 

Set up your work area, free of all clutter, dust, dog and cat hair (oops, pardon me, those were my specific instructions.)

Spread a thin amount of the filling onto the flat side of a cookie while the filling is still soft and then press the flatt side of a second cookie on top.  Repeat with the remainder of the cookies.

I danced around the kitchen with a jar of almonds and my beloved cacao nibs.  That jig I was doing got really wild when I discovered I had about 1/4 cup of  white  Callebaut chocolate chunks.  With wild abandon I set out to fancy myself as a prodigy of none other than the sweetheart, David Lebovitz, www.davidlebovitz.com  I pretended he was showing me how to be successful with left over stash from cabinets and cupboards.  We drank coffee and laughed ourselves silly as the afternoon spilled over into a lovely sunset.  Before I knew it, he was gone.  Poof!  Alas, I had found my merriment ending as he went about his journeys.  (P.S.  Okay, so he wasn’t really here, but his ideas were in full force.  For anyone that reads his blog you will know that he is all about using up those little items that keep hanging around taking up space.  I did just that with that lovely white chocolate.  I’ll bet Carol ate her birthday cookies never knowing the chocolate drizzle was made from a leftover, and those almonds I toasted had been opened weeks earlier, but hidden in the recesses of the once-again-working freezer.  I promise the cacao nibs were fresh though.  Somehow I had forgotten I’d hidden them behind the canned goods for fear that I’d eat them on one of my late-night forages.)

 

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Cinnamon Buns

Again, my thanks to Nicole of www.pinchmysalt.com for offering this lovely challenge, and always to the lovely Peter Reinhart , www.PeterReinhart.typepad.com for sharing his gifts with us.

 

The naked truth is …

I love cinnamon, am endeared to butter, and am never forsaken by a good raisin soaked in a rum bath.  Just the thought of combining like ingredients creates a sensory overload.  This weeks bake had me at the title, and although that wonderous Peter Reinhart didn’t ask for the rum, I felt I had to oblige (myself) just for the heck of it.

I got started on this item a bit late in the day, and therefore, caught myself in a frenzy toward nightfall.  I wanted to post this beauty by natural light, but that wasn’t going to happen.  It meant I’d have to rise early and snap shots before hubby carted these gems off to the office.  Like that’ll happen!

As I drizzled away, I kept thanking myself profusely for being such a great procrastinator.  Had I produced this sweet thing earlier in the week I know I would have consumed a great number of them.  And since I’ve been cupcake testing for the past two months I knew the temptation of cinnamon rolls would prove overwhelming if they stayed in the house.  I shipped these off promptly, at dawn, confident that folks at the office would snack for me. 

You should have been here during the bake.  This house imploded with a mind-altering aroma.  The dog and the two cats had to vacate the premises and hubby was barred to the bedroom (after a hard slap to his wrist).  Youngest daughter could have cared less.  Raisins?  YUCK!    As for me, I  simply cried myself to sleep over the latest,  ’no-bites-for-me’, episode, but with the latest shopping trip to locate something to wear to my daughters wedding , I think I’ll be doing a lot of crying.  

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Ciabatta

I’ve baked this heavenly item before and knew what to expect from the dough, but this go-round I tried my hand at an overnight poolish created with some natural leavening.  My sour dough starter came to life in October of 2007, (I aptly named her, Alpha-Omega)  It sits/sat in my fridge through the latest round of storm power outages and lucky  for me, she still knows how to create magic.  I would have loved to have continued on through the recipe process using her for round two of the dough making, but company was arriving and the bread was part of a plan for sandwich making.

My couche fell victim to a spilt water glass.   It’s soggy and very limp frame was cast toward the laundry room.  Yes, I am guilty of washing my prize, but this actually was the second time for it to whirl in the washing machine.  It’s very first, egg-bread-dough-rising, yielded a spin, too.  It shrank to about 2/3’s of its original size.  I can happily report that it is now down to about half its original mass (sniff, sniff, sniff).   Third times gonna be a charm!

These loaves were not baked according to the steam process that Peter Reinhart encourages, but I did mist them per his instruction.  They still arrived hot off the stone with a tender, and very soft crusting.  I got a little heavy-handed in my transfer and in my flour dusting…I also forgot to use my semolina stash, but these loaves were tasty, chewy, and an absolute delight.

   

 The crumb fails my air-pocket test, but I’m pretty sure the chanting of the masses to, “Hurry!  I’m hungry!” had much to do with the de-flate. 

Our second day of munching brought the toasting of slices served up with a slathering of  blueberry and cherry jam. It’s a tough call as to whether the prior days sandwich, or this, was the prize winner.   I’m eager to make a fully soured Ciabatta.  The hint of tang in these loaves is promise yet of another adventure.  Many thanks to the  talents of Peter Reinhart, www.PeterReinhart.typepad.com , his,  The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, stands far and above all other baking books within my kitchen.  One of these days I’m going to venture out and try another offering, but until then, this is my reference for all things, yeasted.

Kudos to Nicole for this lovely challenge,  www.pinchmysalt.com

Happy bakes 2 all of U!

;)

Cupcake Glory-Shine

We were at it again, delving into the pages of her book, Martha Stewart’s, CUPCAKES.  I was on one page, she, totally upon another.    I spied the Devil’s Food Cupcakes, along with a set of options for a frosting.   I dove into the pantry in search of all the necessary items and came up short in my chocolate supply.  HOW CAN THIS BE?  My wallet may be shy a few greenbacks, the gas tank always near empty, but the chocolate stash, short?  This is currently under investigation.  I’ll report back when the lab results are in, but in the meantime I’m holding suspects in their respective cells, or at least until the closet is cleaned and the garage is spotless.  You read me right!  This is NOT a democracy. A person is assumed guilty until proven otherwise.  Besides, the usual suspects have failed to understand this mission:   There are cupcakes to be eaten, but first they must be baked.   With a shortage, at hand, I was forced to go with an alternate topping:  Chocolate Ganache Glaze.  And such was the case of the missing chocolate.  Stay tuned….

So, you ask, “Were they any good?  Sure, they have beauty, but what’s on the inside?”

Well, my answer would be this:

Soft, sweet, evanescent chocolate!  This girl is the REAL DEAL.   She could hold her own WITHOUT an icing if she took a notion, but why hold back?  Chocolate is the only way to go.  Make the cupcake, top it with the ganache, and then get yourself some of those chocolate sprinkles.  The REAL ones.  Don’t be throwing those fake jimmies on a beauty like this. 

As I told you last week: 

She’s a class act!

Treat her with respect, after all, this ain’t yo mama’s cupcake!  In my house, this one belongs to, Jacob.  (I also have a second one sitting in a holding pattern.  I’m performing its secondary fly-by in a week or two.)

;) 

P.S.  Martha’s original offering for her Devils Food Cupcake* was either the Seven-Minute Frosting (page 303), or the Cream Cheese Frosting (also on page 303).  I opted for the Chocolate Ganache Glaze on page 312.

The cupcake recipe can be found on page 34 of this beautiful book.

Chai cupcakes, and a gal named, Martha….

 

Trust me, these photo’s don’t do this bake justice.  I’m posting them because of my need to talk about fate, and one of my hero’s, Martha. 

You know her too, and whether you have a, ‘ love-hate’ relationship with her, or an, ‘I can’ t be bothered’ one, she’s a force to be reckoned with for all that she is:

Ordinary.  Organized.  Perfecting.  Pushy.  Controlling.  Determined.  Detailed.  Driven.  Grounded.  This list could get rather long if I allowed myself, so I’ll just close with this:  She enjoys being, domesticated.  I do too.  So there you have it.  We are basically the same person except she has the grit and I have the grime.  She is a class-act and I am a class-clown, but we gals are pretty much made of the same stuff (if you don’t look too closely at my threads and my wares). ;)

 

So when my oldest daughter and future son-in-law asked me to bake cupcakes for their wedding, I did the only respectable thing I could do,

I PANICKED!

because I didn’ t have HER phone number.  How on earth could I manage on my own, left to my own devices?  I began countless recipe searches, both on the Internet and through countless pages of  local library cookbooks.  I dug through my recipe files, searched my own danged books.  I fed cupcakes to strangers, friends, family.  The diet was/is most consistent.  Give me a week and I’ll transform your life with something I call, CUPCAKE TEST #….

Okay, so far I don’t think I’ve lost friends on the trial runs, but I’m pretty sure my husband no longer delivers said items to the folks at the office.  Somehow I think they are part of the roadway off of I-35.  Maybe the buzzards or a visiting armadillo are attempting to fork down a few .  I have no clue.  I’m not sure of anything these days, but all is well when you’re clueless.

What you don’t know, can’t hurt you. 

I like that adage.  It gives me strength to endure the days ahead.  It helps to curb the edge from the panic and anxiety over those things that exist due to, Murphy’s Law.  You know those things that we can’t control?  The ones that end up slapping us around our kitchens like a crazed banshee when we discover the bread didn’t rise and the chili burnt down the spare bedroom?  Yeah.  I’m suffering from overload at this point.  So, I did the only thing I could do when the operator at 911 refused to give me her number. 

I bought her cookbook, her new one.  The one titled, Cupcakes*.  I love it and I think it’s ironic (Camp Cupcake?)  I think it’s so Martha. 

She smiles all the way to the bank.  :)

 

And me?  I’m going to smile all the way through the reception and the, cake-in-the-face, photo op, to beyond.  Why?  Because this particular cupcake may not look like much from my take, but the taste is so spot on, refreshing and biting, all in one.

CLASSY and SASSY, just like our girl,  Martha Stewart!

 

*DISCLAIMER:  I AM NOT ADVERTISING FOR MARTHA STEWART, but simply expressing my gratitude to this lovely lady for offering her Chai cupcake recipe in her most current book.   The recipe is unavailable through my website.  I encourage you to purchase her book.  You won’t be disappointed.  :)

P.S.  No, Martha, this is NOT the recipe for the icing shown for this bake.  I had to ‘wing-it’ when I discovered a key ingredient was missing from my pantry.  I quickly put together a mocha/cocoa/confectioners frosting.  It worked.  ;)

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Challah

Challah bread is my absolute favorite bread bake.   I give thanks to:  Nicole, for offering this baking challenge(www.pinchmysalt.com), and to Peter Reinhart (www.PeterReinhart.typepad.com),  for such an ethereal journey of all things, flour and egg.

 

How do I love thee? 

…..Let me count the ways…..

 

Gifting

Sharing

 

 

Daring Baker’s Challenge, Bakewell Tart

The June Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart… er… pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800’s in England.

Inspirations and References:   Allan Davidson, Tamasin Day Lewis, Anton Edelmann, Jane Grigson, Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver.

Hosted by Jasmine, http://cardamomaddict.blogspot.com , and co-hosted by Annemarie,  http://divineambrosia.blogspot.com/ . The month of June edition of Daring Bakers is made possible by the hard-work, dedication and daring spirit(s) of it’s founders, Lis, http://llcskitchen.blogspot.com/ and Ivonne, http://www.creampuffsinvenice.ca/ .

I toast this round to you ladies.   My gratitude is boundless for the personal journey that allowed me to embark upon this precious surprise.  I’m never going back to a simple,  Plane Jane, pie.  Setting my sites toward this new horizon has allowed me to uncover a pie and a cookie all rolled into one.  I can make it as little, or as large as I wish.  I can also hide my stash under lock and key.

A Bakewell Tart, well, I’ve never…….had such a beauty; never created, nor eaten, but that’s all a thing of my past.   This lovely item will no longer escape me.  I’m praising and singing, “Thanks!” to both Jasmine and Annemarie for their selection/offering for this months (June 2009) beautiful surprise. 

I love jam. 

I love pastry.

I adore almonds.

I rest my case. 

…..

This was described as a flan-like dessert.  Well, I reside down here in Texas so you know I’m gonna give it a nickname:

Pie-Cookie.   Okay, okay….FANCY Pie-Cookie, DECADENT PIE-COOKIE.  (Yes, we do know what that word means.  We save it to use on, ‘high-cotton’ items.  This would be one of ‘em.  :)

Homemade jam or jelly:

I’ve yet to give this jam a proper name, so let me just offer it as:

(Miss Lovely) Decadent Spread/Tea Syrup

• 1/4 cup diced crystallized ginger
• 1 fresh mango, sliced
• 2 fresh peaches, sliced
• 1 cup dried apricots*
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups cool tap water

     *(I would have chosen fresh but I had a minor heart scenario in the produce aisle.  It’s summer isn’t it?  These are grown within our borders.  Why do I have to sell my shoes to buy a pound?  Oh forget it…I cheated.  I used them dried things).

Place fruits, sugar and water into a favored saucepan and cook atop stove for hours on low heat.  Don’t leave the house for fear of burning it down by your act of forgetfulness.  Check on this beauty from time to time, it will eventually ‘come together’, but don’t give up and throw in the towel.  Cook this even further.  Allow that syrup to thicken a bit more.  (No, you won’t need the syrup for this recipe.  Then you ask, “Why?”….Fret not, you’ll want to just hold back that item for your next weeks fresh brewed tea.  Maybe your cocktails?  Heck, whatever you use it for, give thanks that you know how to create it, but don’t blame me if you gain some baggage by becoming ’sweet’ on it.) 

Okay, you know what to do with the excess liquid.  Now let’s get down to using the COOLED fruit:

Mash it up, blenderize it, food-processor it, cut it with the pastry cutter, a fork.  Just squish it up.  You’ll need it pliable so that you can spread it onto the unbaked pastry tart shell.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, cover your mashed-up mess and refrigerate her/him until this baker calls you back into the mayhem.

…..

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

• 225g (8 ounces) all-purpose flour  (I used K.A. Pastry Flour, mellow-blend)
• 30g (1 ounce) sugar
• 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) salt (I opted for Kosher)
• 110g (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cold (I froze my cube & then grated it with a cheese grater)
• 2 egg yolks (chilled)
• 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) almond extract (Don’t use artificial, you’ll miss the true flavor!)
• 15-30ml (1-2 Tablespoons) cold water

Sift together the flour, salt and sugar.  Grate butter and combine with dry ingredients, working quickly and only until mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Set aside.

Lightly beat your egg yolk with the extract, and working, quickly mix into the dry ingredients along with a slow dribble of ice water.  DO NOT USE A GREATER AMT. of WATER THAN NECESSARY and DO NOT OVERWORK YOUR DOUGH, doing so will only create a tough, less than desirable mass.

We were instructed to form the dough into a disk-shape, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes*.  My dough was very contentious so I formed two disk-shapes, chilled, and found them most easy to work with when it came time to roll and cut them for my tart tins.

 

Once the pastry is cut, and placed within  shells, return the unfilled tarts* to the freezer as you continue on making the Frangipane.

*I brushed my tarts with an egg-white wash before freezing.  I had heard that some folks were encountering soggy dough and had advised that perhaps a pre-bake of the shell was necessary.  Unfounded for me, the wash helped to seal the shell against any juiciness that might occur once they were filled and baked.

…..

Assembling the ingredients for the Frangipane:

Frangipane

• 125g (4.5 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 125 (4.5 ounces) icing sugar
• 3 eggs (I opted for room temp on this part of the instruction)
• 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) almond extract  (again…I plead with you to use the REAL stuff)  ;)
• 125g (4.5 ounces) ground almonds*
• 30g (1 ounce) all-purpose flour (I opted for K.A. pastry flour, again!)

Cream butter and sugar together until primrose in colour, were per instruction, but I had no idea what to ‘assume’ so I whipped it as I would any lovely, fluffy concoction, you know that great response we baker’s always like to use:  Just until it felt right.  It worked ;)

Next, add eggs, one at a time being sure to beat well after the additions.  We are told that the batter will curdle a bit, but that we shouldn’t be alarmed.  Douglas Adams words, Don’t panic:  Really, It’ll be fine.  … well, I trusted this dear soul, and guess what?  He knows what he’s talking about.  ;)

After all three of the eggs have been incorporated, add the almond extract and mix for about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of your working bowl and add your ground almonds and the all-purpose flour, beating well.  This mass will appear slightly curdled, but the ground almonds are the culprit here.   I did mix this last concoction for three or four minutes on my mixer.  The batter was very light and fluffy. 

….. 

Apply a layer of jam/jelly to the frozen tart shell:

…..

This layered nuance just gets better.  I’m high-fiving step #3 when I realize  that almonds are involved.  Dang, I never realized how healthy my dessert could be until I swung a bat at this item.  And, they refer to this sweetheart as, Frangipane.  Sounds fancy from the start.  I knew one of two things would happen:  I’d sweat bullets over the concern of whether or not I could pull-off such an item, or I’d throw caution-to-the-wind and simply stand up to bat.

I hit a homer.  :)  Too bad you missed it!  That sucker went straight over the center fielder and into the second tier of box seats.  In my excitement I failed to snap a digi for you, but fret not, you can see the results in all their glory:

 

 …..

Shake down at A-O.K. Corral:

Are you a bit overwhelmed with the mass of instruction this post delivers?  Do you wonder, where is she going with this, and how do I follow along?   Well, after reading through this beauty, I agree.   So here’s the scoop:

1.  Make your jelly (oh, just go ahead and cheat!  buy you a jar of your favorite jam/jelly and ‘pretend’ you whipped it up right there in the cave).  NOT!  Do yourself a big favor, make some jam or jelly.  It doesn’t have to be something you fret over pressure cooking or water-bathing.  Make a small enough amount that you can utilize it within the frame of a week or two, being sure to place it in a sterilized (through the trusty dishwasher) container, under the wraps of a cold fridge.  Enjoy your efforts in the tart, a biscuit or two, whirled within a vanilla ice cream.  The possibilities are endless, both with flavor combo’s at the beginning to the utilization of the end product.  Give yourself a gift.  Dream up and surprise yourself.  You deserve to treat yourself respectfully.  I encourage it.  Here, have this pat on the back.  :)

2.  Prepare your pastry dough.  Chill it for 30 minutes (guess what, you could even cheat on this if you took a notion to; go visit Mrs. Pillsbury or Sara Lee and her family in the dairy case part of the local market.  I ain’t gonna tell nobody I saw you there without your makeup and jewels.  We be friends.  ;)

3.  Prep/make the Frangipane.  Okay girlfriend/boyfriend, this Frangipane has got to be the real deal, if for no other reason than I haven’t a clue one as to how you can fake it (oh, I actually did take a shortcut though, when I think about it.  I had me some blanched almonds ready for a whirl in the processor, but the package from K.A. arrived with the almond flour so I just opted to have my nuts  easy-scramble.  I used those blanched ones for deco, along with some ginger slices).

…..

Assembly of your Bakewell Tart

 

Remove your frozen shells from the freezer and spread an even layer of jam onto the base of each.  Top with the Frangipane, being sure to spread it from cover to cover.  Bake for 15 to 30 minutes in a preheated oven of 300C/400F  (My smaller tarts baked easily at 15 minutes, my larger ones, 20 minutes).  Gage the baking according to the look.  The tops will be poofy and browned.

 

Decorating Touches

 

I chose to garnish some of my tarts with sliced ginger pieces, white chocolate chips and some were left to stand alone in their glory.  You can top these beauties with what ever suits you, be it a dallop of whipped cream a layer of toasted almonds with a drizzle of melted chocolate, fruit puree; the possibilities are limitless.

Picking up signals

I fretted over the loss of electricity and took to the backyard to fry myself.  That was almost two weeks ago, but look what happened after 7.5 inches of rain and the loss of power for two days straight!  (Forget that I had another brown/black-out four days later that literally took what hadn’t ruined within the fridge,and finally made those items VERY unsafe for human consumption.  It was only $ ($$$$$), after all, and since the repair of the washing machine, the purchase of the new cook-top and microwave, why not have a bit more excitement?)

I’m savoring every single minute that I spend in my garden.  In more ways than one, I can get down-and-dirty, play with my own hand-crafted mudpies, all the while pretending my residence is The jungle.  Summer has truly arrived, and with it, 100+ degree temps.  I trust my local news weather man and believe in him fully, right down to that 10 per cent chance for rain that will result in the second coming of Noah, floating about in his revised, updated, and ’smokin’, Ark 2. 

Seriously, I know I’m in trouble when I start receiving signals from Hannah.  If she smells something, and she’s pointing towards the kitchen, there must be a deadline or two that looms, rotates, and drops to signal a need for me to take cover.  With those lovely high-temps pushing Mr. A. Standard to force coolant through his veins, I guess it is time for me to perform a bit of duty.  I’m using Doppler to affect my hone back to the necessary cage.  I’ll see you later, dripping in sweat and eating evidence.

;)

Oops!  Before I go, I have one last chore:  Hoeing the back forty.

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Casatiello

Oh goodness, we are dashing towards my favorite-of-favorites, but let me not get ahead of myself.  I’ll find a way to rush myself into the Challah without adding panic dust to my apron.  Let’s enjoy what this week offered.  It may not appear as a beauty by the looks of the photography, but if you’ll trust me on a whim, I promise I won’t lead you astray.  This weeks bake has a charm, rustic by the looks of my rendition, that leads one to believe that you really can live by bread alone.   Salami was an option, but only if I wanted to take my chances on what year I made that purchase.  I take my chances when sharing a house with a teenager.  How many weeks has she been free from the dorm life?  When did that package peel away it’s edges and unfold itself to the recesses of the fridge corner?  Are those specs suppose to be embedded, or is that a foreign territory awaiting exploration?

Too many questions for an old person.  How about I just use the leftovers of the breakfast sizzle?  I hid those last four slices so fast that their heads spun.  (Wrap it in a paper towel and cast it off to the side.  They’ll think it’s trash and ignore it like  it’s a chore.   You know the whine, it goes something like this, “Quick, someone else take care of that”)!

Trust me, this works great, just don’t ever let on that I led you down this path.  Think of the consequences:  Seriously, if you give in and tell them our, ‘little trick’, we will lose more than our bacon: Chocolates, donuts, the last cola.  It’s all up for grabs and I somehow doubt it will be landing in file #13.

Literally.

Okay.  Let’s get to this Casatiello.  What can go wrong with bacon and cheddar cheese?  Nothing, absolutely, nothing.  No matter how you rush a proof, fret over the concerns of the prior week, or cram forty-seven major, MUST-DO-IT-NOW! items into your day, this bread is going to deliver for you, and on Day #2, it’s going to surprise you even more.  I found myself slicing and munching before I could hit the, TOAST, function on that little baby oven.   The thought of a second slice, crispy and crunchy, had to be put on hold because that first slice resembled a forth-of-a-loaf, cut.  Shush!!!  No one needs to know that secret.  I’ll get back to that diet business soon.  I’m going on a fruit, nut, and berry diet with the help of my sweet puppy dog, Hannah.  Tomorrow we have a visit with the vet.  I’m sure we will both be in trouble once he weighs in with us about our annual gains.   Dang, and to think I have to pay for this abuse?  What is wrong with this picture?  Oh, and was this post about bread? 

Okay, I’m going to let you in on one more secret before I head back to my cave.   My very first time to bake this intoxicating item, and I found it had a texture not unlike that of a rich, munch-of-a-crunch, muffin around the edges.  The interior is moist and dreamy, and that crispy note was a most unexpected treat. 

Thanks again to Nicole of, www.pinchmysalt.com , for offering up this bread baking challenge.  I can’t think of anything I enjoy more than making, baking and EATING a Peter Reinhart bread.  

Share the journey; bake bread!

:)

Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Brioche

Week #4, and again, I’m running a bit off schedule.  Its my ‘norm’ setting of late; why change now,  I say.  All is well.  Nichole allows us the freedom to work at our own pace, and Peter Reinhart?  Oh, he would simply say, “Enjoy your journey!”  I did.  This was my first attempt EVER at a brioche.    I opted for the Middle-Class Brioche.  Secretly I wanted to bake the Rich Man’s Brioche, but the 16 ounces of butter scared me into believing the spandex wouldn’t allow any more excuses for the week.  This recipe requires only one cup of butter and those 5 eggs.   I did have to nix the thought of the Poor Man’s Brioche.   That poor item  has only a half cup of butter.  If I’m really dieting, should I be eating bread in the first place? 

I rest my case.

The shaping process needs improvement, or better yet, it simply needs the baker to follow the well-written, photographed, and outlined directions in Peter’s beautiful baking book. 

I threw caution to the wind and simply gave myself one guideline for shaping:  Work quickly, the butter demands it!

I tried rolling these into a ball and twisting a small round cap for them.  My short-cut method doesn’t allow for fancy, but the taste of these more than makes up for their unique shape.

They sat there, real nice and pretty, while I coated them with their egg wash.  Right as the timer rang, and the check for final proof came, I noticed there had been a bit of a landslide.  I knew better than to try to re-center those little babies.  I popped these buggers into the oven and let them bake away, only to be heaven-sent by the precious aroma of butter and yeast.  Is there anything more delicious than the wafting of warm bread and a rich bake?  NOPE!  I can only imagine what that whole pound of butter version would have created in my senses….I think it best that I don’t think about that version until I secure, wear, and am photographed at M. & J.’s wedding.  

:)

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Bagels

 

Oops!  This is the bread bake for week #3, and we are now on week #4.  I really did bake these last week, I really, really did.  Seriously, seriously, I did this and I photographed it, but as you can tell by the non-edit from the previous post, I’m lagging behind a bit.

I’ve been  lax, not lazy, with the hum of visitors who are trying to cram dream vacations of Texas into their schedules before the blast furnace of Hades ignites and summer broils the concrete prairie.  As the last car pulled from the driveway this afternoon, I stapled the, NO VACANCY, sign above the flickering lights of the, Bate’s Motel , and quickly ran into the kitchen to grab sight of my calendar. 

Is the coast clear? 

Yep.  Those new appliances land on the 4th in the warehouse.  I’m off to count my bribe money.  That poor installer has no idea what fun and games he/she is in for.  Living without the, ZAP! from a working microwave, and a steady boil of a stove-top, can do strange things to a person. 

Thank the good Lord that the washing machine knows how to whirl again, I don’t think I could handle being robbed this week.  Once is enough, especially in broad daylight and a foreign territory.  All she had to do was ask me if she could borrow that $1.25.  I’m sure we could have worked something out, and if not, she could have easily had the magazine and a reading tutorial.  As it is, I removed myself as fast as I could fold those cottons and stuff their wrangled masses into the trunk of the car.  Fear smells bad, especially when I emit it.  And I do.  I admit it freely and without weapons wielded or a force four times my size. 

Don’t take this personally if it doesn’t make any sense to you.  All that matters is that I get it, or got it, or more importantly, lived through it.  And now, if you don’t mind, I’m planning on forgetting it.

I can always look back on, The Summer of 2009, as the season of all things:

Forgotten.  Cuz, well, somethings simply need to be trashed. 

Oh, those bagels? 

Three of them found their way into the compost pile.  I attempted to eat a few, but they were a tad bit chewy.  Okay.  That is an understatement.  I over proofed these babies in an ugly way, leaving them in the fridge to chill for an extra day.  I swung these items into that bubbling cauldron, praying for a miracle, but alas, I was on my own.  Oops. 

Somehow I don’t think Nicole had intentions of a stress-bake when she offered up this challenge. I sought out that ingredient and added it for my own entertainment.  Not having working appliances, and a few visitors, never kept me from offering myself more than I’d bargained for, after all, if we go around once, shouldn’t we go around,

Committed?

Daring Baker’s – Apple Strudel

I wanted so much for this to turn out so right, but you’ll note as I muddle through this post that there are simply times when we are reminded that we should try our hand at something else, least we shatter the illusion and luster of whom we really thought we were. 

This challenge busted more than my chops.  It ate my lunch and devoured my composure, or what was left of it after the hazards of this past week.   In fairness, I must confess that I was more challenged by this task than anything else set before me.  I tried to think back to when I have been pushed as much, and honestly, I can’t remember anything that I found as near daunting.  I salute our hosts for bringing this to us.  I’ll revisit and try my hand again at this beautiful pastry.  It deserves a second chance.  It most likely deserves a very dedicated spot within my handwritten recipe file.   Thank you, ladies!  You held up your end of the bargain.  ;)

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Linda’s beautiful and encouraging website can be found here:  http://linda.kovacevic.nl/ .   Courtney dances her magic over at:  http://cococooks.blogspot.com/ .  I am respectfully humbled by their challenge and personally want to thank them for pushing me toward enlightenment.  The journey had potholes, but their gift challenged me to respect flour and parchment paper in a manner I’d never thought possible.  Oh, but let me not forget my new found respect for whirling about the table in the kitchen at break-neck speed, all the while rolling a tissue thin piece of dough. 

As it has been said, and I most agree:

 ”You ladies, ROCK!”

I have a couple of other sweetie-pies I’d like to thank, also.  If it were not for the wonders of our two creators, this challenge, The Daring Baker’s, would not exist.  My sincere, and on going appreciation go out to, Daring Bakers, Lisa, La Mia Cucina @ adelphia dot net, and Ivonne, Cream Puffs in Venice @ gmail dot com.

and last, but of all, not least.  My special thanks and appreciation go to Rick Rodgers http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Rick-Rodgers/16685548/biography , the author of this magnificent book.   I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this beauty.  I have all the confidence in the world that I will be challenged even further by his instruction and discipline.  My hat is off to  you, R.R., this old lady has a new trick up her sleeve.  ;)

….. 

The following recipe was altered just a tad due to the juicy apples used.  Also, I didn’t have walnuts, so I substituted the hazelnuts begging use in the pantry.

Apple strudel

from, Kaffeehaus- Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest and Prague, written by Rick Rodgers

2 Tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum (I purchased white, not knowing the difference over the two)

3 Tablespoons (45 ml) raisins

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided

1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs  (I used day old hamburger buns…don’t ask why)

strudel dough (recipe to follow)

1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60g) coarsely chopped walnuts…I used hazelnuts

2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 1/4 inch in slice size)

Mix rum and raisins in a bowl.  Mix cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

Heat 3 Tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high.  Add the breadcrumbs and cook while stirring until golden and toasted.   Allow them to cool fully before use in strudel.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200C).  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  You will transfer your prepped strudel to this for the bake.

…..

Strudel dough

from, “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafes of Vienna, Budapest and Prague, by Rick Rodgers.

1 1/3 cups (200g) unbleached flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

7 Tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed

2 Tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, pus additional for coating the dough

1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Mix water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup.  Add this mix to the flour with the mixer on low speed.  You will get a soft dough.  Make sure it is not too dry, add a little  more water if necessary.  Remove paddle attachment and add dough hook.   Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

Take dough out of mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface.  Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto the work surface occasionally.  Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate.  Oil the top of the dough ball lightly.  Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap.  Allow to stand for 30 to 90 minutes (longer is better).  I allowed mine to sit for the full 90 minutes.

It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 by 38 inches (60 by 100 cm).  Cover your working area with a table cloth, dusted with flour and rub it into the fabric.  Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can. 

THIS IS WHERE I VEERED SO FAR OFF THE ROAD THAT I SHOULD HAVE SIMPLY KEPT DRIVING UNTIL I ARRIVED AT THE OASIS…..

But I had an even better idea.  Why soil a tablecloth, make myself more work with the laundry detail.  I ran for the masking tape and tripped on my way to retrieve the parchment paper.  I should have resisted the urge to move and simply enjoyed my time on the floor.  Things would have resulted in a prettier outcome.

 Could this be why I tripped?

Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge.  This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretch it as it hangs.  Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough.  You can  use your forearms to support it.

?

Actually, it wasn’t a question that appeared randomly at this point.  It was an almost empty bottle of rum and a gentle tug-of-war that ensued.  I carried onward, faithful in my mission.  I’m halfway home, why turn and run now?  Note to self:  “Dough sticks to parchment, especially under the heavy hand of a rolling pin and a race around the kitchen table.”

The dough will become too large to hold.  Put it on your work surface.  Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table.  (I’m missing that part of my dough, though…)  Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands.  Stretch and pull the dough until it’s about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90) long.  (Wait, does this mean I need to put the dough down and go fetch the yardstick?)  It will be tissue-thin by this time.  Cut away the thick dough (what thick dough?) around the edges with scissors (keep the scissors AWAY from me, I’m dangerous at this point).  The dough is now ready to be filled (you’re kidding me, right?).

Step three of the Apple Strudel instructions continue as: 

Spread about 3 Tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands.  Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. 

Spread the walnuts (hazelnuts) about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch (15 cm) wide strip.  Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar.  Spread the mixture over the nuts.

Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling.  Lift the tablecoth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself.  Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it.  Curve it into a horsehoe to fit.  Tuck the ends under the strudel and brush the top with the remaining melted butter. 

Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is a deep golden brown.  Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.  Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature.  It is best on the day it is baked.

 

 

Don’t say that I didn’t try to sway you from the very first paragraph.  After this challenge, I found myself barreling toward the craft store.   I was focusing on all things mohair, sharp pointed objects, and and a real fear that I might stitch myself into a corner that I can’t get out of no matter how much rum I consume.

P.S.  I don’t really drink, but I had to blame this sorry bake on something.  I sure as heck can’t blame it on the ladies and gent that offered this challenge.  My hat is off to them for giving me a lesson of the grandest scale.

:)

Some days eat dirt

and some weeks chew mud.  Heck.  I can’t decide.  You do it for me.  I’m too tired to figure out success after mayhem.  This week has me shopping big box stores.  I’m fancying all things, kitchen and laundry.  I’ve even purchased several of them.  Normally, I’d brag on such a foray into the shopping arena, but after charcoal-colored interiors of what once was something, white, and a test of the big-bang theory (all my own in the making), I’m simply throwing in the towel and moving.  Well,  that is probably not true, but it does make for wishful thinking, but seriously, since no one was injured, and all that really happened, EXPENSIVE, there’s no need for a photo-op session from the south. I mean, really, how pretty can a transmission be (unless you’re a car enthusiast), if it comes packaged in the interior of a washing machine?  And, although I tend to see things in shades of gray, this week of black and white has me on a re-think.  Of course the thought lingers, ”Why can’t we use a steel cup in a microwave?”   We can put a man on the moon, fix an orbiting satellite and grow those babies up so they be gone.  Yet, as this week rolls to a close, I am reminded that there really was some fanfare.  It displayed itself in the grandest of glory and splendor.   Who knew a cook top could be lit up like Disneyland?  (That’s the best danged sparkler I’ve ever seen!)

I can already hear your whimpers.  Thanks.  I needed your sympathy.  At this point, I’m four million dollars behind poor, I do have a new whirl to that washing machine though, and I’ve managed to only open the charred recesses of the microwave to ‘zap’, twice.  The hole left by the diffused ignition on the stove top no longer resembles anything other than a blank stare.  Kind of like the person typing this. 

Now pardon me.  I think I feel another scream-session coming upon me.  Don’t dial 911.  They’ve already come and gone, gone and come, left and driven away as quickly as they could.  I think at this point they fear I’m an arsonist. 

Okay.  I got carried away with that last paragraph.  That really didn’t happen.  The fireman.  He didn’t come and paint over my house numbers.  I never dialed 911.  Okay, so maybe a neighbor or two did, but they canceled as quickly as they dialed.  They showed up on the street in a party of three to ask me how I was faring. 

“Who?  Me?  Why?”

As I said.  I’m exhausted.  Make of this what you will, but heed my warning, “Don’t play with fire!”

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Greek Celebration Bread

Nicole, of www.PinchMySalt.com  fame, has us baking our second challenge.  This week we follow along (vicariously), with Peter Reinhart on our mission to make and bake, Greek Celebration Bread.  He gives us three options for our effort: Greek Celebration, Christopsomos and Lambropsomo variations,  each holding their own for beauty.  My choice came easy, or rather I should admit, I chose what I felt would be the easiest of the three options.  My house has been buzzing and swarming with the happy campers of all things, “Schools Out!;  The College Crowd”.  I almost missed a step on the road to Nirvana.  The Celebration Bread has a precursor to it, a sweet, tangy barm that is compiled at least one day before the actual bread bake, but P.R. tells us that this little item holds her own for up to three days.  Well, in all the frivolity and joy of the weekend I had almost forgotten  (UGH!), that a bit of Alpha & Omega had sprung into action on my pre-base, a.k.a., barm.  Late Saturday evening, while settling grocery remains back into the recesses of Miss GE, I noted that little sweetheart patiently tapping her toes to the tune of, “It ain’t me babe, It ain’t me you’re looking for….”  My heart sunk.  She was spot on…I wasn’t looking for her.  I was looking for the bed across the house, the one that I feverishly wanted to climb into and take a breather from all things, PARTY.  I glanced over at her, patted her glass jar and made this promise, “Come tomorrow, you and I will forget this mayhem.  We’ll dance to our own music.”  I silently kissed her and closed the fridge door knowing full well that I would NOT break her heart.  I cannot lie to a loved one.

And this is our take on all things heady and flavorful.  This glorious loaf uses freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, clove and hints of orange.  Although my dough was a bit wet, I held my arms at length from the flour canister this week.  I reminded myself that a few tucks and folds never hurt anyone, if anything, they can make you stronger.  My precious girl is proof one!  The newly revamped Hubble telescope captured this shot as the Space Station orbitted past the kitchen window.  (I tossed bread to the  astronauts on their fly-over.  It was my way of saying,  ”Kudos!  and, “Thanks-a-million for installing those parts.”  Initially, I thought they had spoofed me.  I could have sworn this was one of the rings of Saturn, or perhaps, Jupiter?)

On closer inspection I discovered they’d aimed that telescope directly toward the dining plate.  If I didn’t know any better I’d swear they were scoring my knife skills.  Oops.  Dang.  Friends, give me a break!  It ain’t easy being easy for a bunch of teenagers.  The following is proof ONE.  I can’t even serve bread right-side up. 

Enjoy the feast, and please come again.  Next week I’ll showcase another round of wonderful.  This sweet, sweet journey continues, and with it, a bountiful bread basket of pure joy.  Baking soothes the soul and unravels the kinks of more than just the take-over by the school-yard gang, or should I say, dorm-busters?   Don’t you fret that Nicole’s sign-up date is behind you,  we are all in this together and no one is keeping a score card.  I’ll happily answer what questions I can, and if you stump me, I’ll help you Google a most reliable network of smarty-pants.  I promise. 

Peter Reinhart’s book is available anywhere cook and baking books can be found.  I located mine at the brick-and-mortar of B & N.  Here is a link if you are so inclined. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Bread-Bakers-Apprentice/Peter-Reinhart/e/9781580082686/?itm=1 *

*(Disclaimer, I am not advertising, but providing this as reference.)

She ain’t pretty

but she sure knows how to sing.  I caught her rendition of,

 ”Snap, Crackle, Pop!”

this very afternoon. 

Oh, I do know how to shape a better boule, but only when others are not watching, and then only if they promise not to photograph the evidence.  Yeah, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  ;) 

Is that an oil slick below this beauty?  No fear!  That’s just some sticky-sweet (and ever so flavorful),  residue from this weeks, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice challenge.  We are stuffing our faces with Peter Reinhart’s lovely, Greek Celebration Bread.   I’ll share that beauty tomorrow.

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Anadama Bread

Peter Reinhart’s book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, caught my eye months ago as I perused the aisles of my favorite bookstore.  I remember grabbing it off of the shelf, flipping it’s pages and then returning it to the shelf. I would continue on in the browsing mode for a couple of hours, but I would return to this book twice again, before heading out the door, book in hand.

I knew I needed something to bide my time and my energies, yet little did I know that within this very week my need would become so urgent.   I was about to discover how important a foray into an all-consuming endeavor could prove beneficial for ones own mental health.

Yes.  This is serious stuff.  It contains my personal formula for survival.  It is my Alpha and my Omega.  My beginning to an end, and my return back from it.

In the preceding summer, June, to be exact,  our family would learn the news that our beloved kitty-cat, Whippie-Nippy, was suffering a horrible health crisis.  (This was also about the time that many others would learn of the pet food contamination’s.)  His vital organs were being battered by something unknown.   Tests were run, medications, both oral and intravenous were administered, but sadly, in the first week of October of 2007, we would need to let this little guy head Homeward, releasing him from here, and granting him:  rainbows, sunshine, and sweet breezes of his, Alpha and Omega.  

My bread dough was touched by an angel, and every time I make bread I remember just where the powers of alignment were, and are,  in my universe.  During the weeks of his passing I kneaded bread daily.  I threw myself with wild abandon into the pursuits of sourdough discoveries.  I did it with the aid of Peter Reinhart’s, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. 

 

 My advice to anyone being challenged:

 

Find something to immerse yourself within, set a personal goal, fixed not upon someone else’s expectations, but your own.  This journey belongs to you.  Celebrate it!

  (I wish you the very best.)

*I’d like to give thanks to Nicole, www.PinchMySalt.com for setting forth this challenge.  At last read, she had over 200 folks accepting her request.   Each week we will be posting about our bakes.  I hope to keep up with the pack, but if I don’t, I’ll post my bake as quickly as I can.  I love the fact that this time I will not be crying my eyes out!  I’m in the midst of a wonderful network of challengers.   

 

Anadama Bread 

They call her a weed

I call her,

Beautiful.

 

She sits there, handed off as a discard by a visiting bird or insect.  Nestled beneath a damaged cedar, she sprung into her glorious self  this past year.  I had no idea what she was, but I eagerly watched her bloom, and then seed.    What is more beautiful:  the flower, or the berry?  (I’ll post her fruit later this year.)  Each has it’s merits, and both are majestic. 

I’ve been warned that she’ll become invasive, setting her roots deep and causing angst with her spreading nature, but I have decided to ignore those concerns.  After all, this girl is growing in native ground, in an area that fights drought and the extremes of weather.  If she can hold tight, she can stay, I’m in no hurry to move her into the discards of the compost pile.   When the temperature reaches into the hundreds, and rain has been missing for weeks, I’ll bet she’ll still ceases to amaze me.

Nature surprises us with her gifts.  This girl, Poke Salad ‘Annie’, is my guest.

Do it

 for your sanity.

Take a few minutes and claim them as your own.  Step away from the chores, the rattle of demands and the chains that bind.

Take a breather.  Lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to, or step outside and allow the family that unannounced game of,  Hide-and-Seek. 

You’ll be better for it, and they will still be clueless.

Either way, YOU WIN!

Before you go, grab a few of these.  I made them just for you. 

Oh, did you notice that little baby up front and to the right?  Yep.  I left and hid myself in the bathroom.  (My alter ego lined these suckers up for the photo-shoot before I could finish my business.)  And then I stepped outside for some fresh air.  

This is what I get for breathing:

 

Olly      Olly      Oxen      Free!

Grab the flour

clear the counter, and HOLD THAT PHONE!

Nicole, is organizing a bread baking event.    Details and sign-up info are available via her website and the following link:  http://pinchmysalt.com/2009/05/04/the-bread-bakers-apprentice-challenge/.  I’m encouraging everyone that I know to come along on this wonderful journey.   Deadline for sign up is May 10th.

 

Peter Reinhart’s book,

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

 

(http://www.jwu.edu/content.aspx?id=33100)

has been chosen as our baking book.  (I have a wonderful story associated with Peter Reinhart.  One day I’ll share it with my readers.)

Okay kids…get yourselves over to Nicole’s website and register, and  if you don’t already own this book, please get it.  I found my beautiful copy at the local B & N, but you’ll find this just about anywhere baking and cooking books are sold, and at your local public library. 

*Recipes will not be available through this website.  In respect to the author, I will NOT reproduce his copyrighted work.

Spilling my guts

I guess I have to admit to something:

I really don’t like vacuuming. I enjoy the result, but the tedium and redundant nature of this non-sporting event always leaves me wanting. A few months back I was surprised by a package in the mail. Upon opening it I found the loveliest of characters. Well, maybe ‘lovely’ is a stretch, but lets suffice it to say that my interest was piqued and my joy abounded as I pondered the contents and possibilities of this package.

Before me sat one of those automatic, let-me-do-it-for-you, saves-you-time, gives-you-a-break, new age toys. The package contained a little robot whose sole purpose in life was to take the drudgery of the upright, heavy-duty, last-a-lifetime (if you take care of me), overpriced, Miss S., whose weight alone could cause back strain and bulging manly-type biceps.

I think you are on to me by now. After all, why would I be writing about dust-free floors and spiffy carpeting if things had continued to go well?

Yep. My little bit of magic, the new toy on the block, has suffered a major coronary. His main drive has gotten up and gone, his new brushes and bushings were all for naught. He simply needs a heavy-duty makeover, or file #13. The Last Chance Champ, gets a box and a boot this morning. And me? Oh, I get to throw the upright around until gosh only knows when!

Pray for the robot. he makes my life so sweet. 

;)

Garden party

I invited all of Frosty’s friends.  I didn’t have the heart to warn them about the forecast.  When I greeted them at the door, I had one hand tied behind my back, and the other one out for the brittle hand shake. 

I hung their scarves and earmuffs, gathered their mittens, and invited them in for a quick round of snipping.  Looking back, they must have thought I said, “Sipping.”

FOOLS!

When I shouted, “Heads-up!”  Their charcoal eyes dropped and fell about the floor. 

This space still stands evident of their capture and demise, but what the heck, the dog and I are off to enjoy a walk.

Pray tell, who in their rightful, frozen mind, would show up at a Spring garden party dressed like that, anyway?

This ain’t yo mama’s cupcake!

Something to crow about

not the photo, but the organic items that are flourishing this third week of April.  Actually, this quick-snap photo-op occured last Friday.  I’d promised the kiddo’s a pic-of-proof.

P.S.  Don’t forget your veggies as you whiz through that dorm cafeteria, M2.  And J., be sure M1 gets her vittles.  M1, spy on J. for me, will ya? 

Daring Bakers – Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

…….

It was easy, peazie, and oh so nice!  I locked the,  procrastination wench in the closet this month.   She’s been a bit too compulsive over the past.  Besides, this was a cheesecake, I wasn’t letting that squirrel steal nuttin!

And so it was that I found myself amidst the cream cheese, sugar and eggs, drooling over heavy cream and intoxicated by the proceeds of my vanilla stash and a prized Meyer Lemon.   The fusion of rhubarb, apricots and blackberries for a fruit filling, and the mixing and baking of chocolate cookie dough (for the crumb crust) kept me busy for the better part of a morning, but when I found myself  shining bittersweet chocolate discs I realized the true value of this endeavor.

No counting down the minutes of the clock.  No rushing toward a deadline.  No forced momentum when fatigue blistered forth, I simply was enjoying my mission.  I was in the moment.  Alas, a dawning of something forgotten: 

Living right here, right now, not then, nor when, or if, or should.  No.  Simply, here. 

Right where I should have been, or rather, right where I am.

Thank you, Jenny Bakes (www.jennybakes.blogspot.com)!

This months  lovely offering  is dedicated to Jenny,  and to  the gracious and ever amazing hosts of Daring Bakers, Lisa, La Mia Cucina @ adelphia dot net, and Ivonne, Cream Puffs in Venice @ gmail dot com.

 …..

Abbey’s Infamous Cheesecake

crust:

2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs (I chose a chocolate cookie as my crumb base, directions follow)

1 stick / 4 oz. butter, melted

2 Tablespoons/24 g of  granulated sugar

 1 tsp. vanilla extract

…..

cheesecake: 

3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz. each (total 24 ounces) room temperature

1 cup/210 g sugar

3 large eggs (I opted for room temp eggs, fresh from market)

1 cup/8 oz. heavy cream

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, or the innards of a vanilla bean

1 Tablespoon liqueur, optional (I had nothing suitable so I left this ingredient out)

…..

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat).  Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan.  You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too – baker’s choice.  Set crust aside.

 3.  Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next.  Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg.  Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy

4.  Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring  all air bubbles to the surface.  Place pan into a large pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan.  If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding the water.

5.  Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done – this can be hard to judge, but you’re looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center.  You don’t want it to be completely firm at this stage.  Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour.  This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won’t crack on the top.  After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of the water bath.  Let is finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill.  Once fully chilled, it is read to serve. 

Pan note:  The creator of this recipe used to use a spring-form pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in the foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy.  Now she uses one of those 1-use foil “casserole” shaped pans from the grocery store.  They’re 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight.  When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

Prep notes:  While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost and hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served.  Please plan accordingly!

…..

And it was with this basic plan that we were given instructions to indulge our creativity.  Going one, two, three steps further, etc., we were to showcase our item as we let our imaginations carry us to wild abandon.   I took this opportunity to bake this lovely creation for Easter Sunday, beginning my journey on Good Friday.   The following cookies were baked as a base for my crust: 

 

Chocolate Wafer Cookie

(portion used for crumb crust*)

  

Several chocolate cookie wafer recipes are available through Internet search engines, but I finally cornered one, adapting it just a bit.  The original can be found at:  www.bigoven.com 

 

2 cups unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs (room-temp, fresh)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt (Kosher)

1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

…..

confectioners sugar to dust rolling pin and work surface

…..

Instructions:  Cream butter with sugar in mixing bowl for three minutes at medium speed.  Beat in extract and eggs, one at a time, until light and fluffy.  Sift together flour, soda, salt and cocoa.  Combine flour mix with egg and butter mixture and stir until fully incorporated.   DO NOT STIR EXCESSIVELY, we want our dough to be tender.

Divide dough into two equally portioned pieces, flattening them into discs.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight, as I did.   

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Cut desired shapes for cookies and bake for 8 to 10 minutes depending upon cookie size.  (Cookie dough should be rolled into 1/4 inch thickness before cutting.)

Once all of the cookies have baked, and are cooled, return them to the cooled oven to dry.  I placed mine atop wire baking racks and allowed them to rest overnight.

…..

*My crumb crust

 

2 cups crushed chocolate wafers

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons melted butter

pinch of Kosher salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

1/3 cup crushed pecans

…..

Pulse cookies and pecans in a food processor until finely ground.   Move crumbs to small bowl and add vanilla, espresso powder, pinch of salt and stir until fully blended.  Now add the three tablespoons of butter and stir and combine until crumbs are fully covered with the melted butter. 

Use two tablespoon amounts of crumbs as a base for each individual muffin tin, more or less may be added, depending upon your personal choice and pan size.  DO NOT PACK, but simply press crumbs in place gently with the tines of a fork.  Set aside for filling with cheese and fruit.

…..

I also required, or rather, felt the need for, a fruit filling for some of my mini cakes.  Off to the freezer and fridge to check the offerings.  Here’s the result:

 

Rhubarb, Apricot, Blackberry Coulis

 

2 bags (16 ounces, each) frozen rhubarb (yes, I DO have a thing for this unique item, lol!)

1 cup dried California apricots (organic)

1 cup fresh blackberries

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

pinch of Kosher salt

a smidgen of ginger

Place all ingredients in a heavy duty, non-reactive saucepan over low heat, covered.  Stir occasionally, and allow to cook for several hours over lowest heat possible.  A nice gelatinous, and beautifully tasting Coulis will develop.  Once desired consistency is reached, turn off the heat, remove fruit from pan and pour into a tempered glass bowl.  Allow this beauty to cool to room temp, and DO refrigerate this item BEFORE using within the centers, or atop your cheesecakes*.

*These individual cakes were prepped with a crumb base, two tablespoons of cream cheese filling, a large teaspoon of the fruit Coulis and then topped with an additional two tablespoons of cream cheese filling.  This particular baking tin makes six large sized Texas muffin/cakes. 

The smaller muffin pans will reguire one about one tablespoon cheese filling after base, one smaller teaspoon fruit Coulis and another tablespoon cheese filling to top it off.

Be sure that these items are still baked Bain-Marie style, (water bath).  Bake times for the smaller cheesecakes ran approximately 18 minutes, larger ones went at about 25 to 28 minutes.  Another small springform pan was used for another bake, it’s bake time required about 38 to 40 minutes.  All items were cooled per original instructions, in the oven. 

I froze my small springform cake and several of the other sizes.  They froze beautifully, wrapped within a double layer of heavy-duty freezer wrap. 

…..

Oh, for the love of Chocolate!

…and other little treasures…

I found myself gathering these lovelies from the cupboard.  The nibs were used to cover one bake of mini-cheesecakes and the Chocolate discs were used to enhance the servings (and photo-shoot) mini’s.

chocolate nibs

chocolate discs

pecans

fresh nutmeg 

 

 

 

…..

 

Creamed Cheese Vanilla Piping* 

aka…..

Butter Cream / Cream Cheese Filling 

 

 

*This was used to deco the edges of pecan/nutmeg infused mini-cheesecakes and some remaining chocolate cookies fashioned as cookie sandwiches.

1 box (1 lb.) confectioners sugar

 1/4 cup softened butter (NOT MELTED….I’m talking ‘room-temp’)

 1 (3 ounce) package of softened cream cheese….ROOM TEMP

 pinch of salt 

 1 teaspoon vanilla

  3 to 6 Tablespoons half and half, milk, cream or sour cream  (more if required for consistency, but start out with the least amount.  We don’t want a runny filling).

Cream butter, cream cheese  and a pinch of salt in a mixer until light and fluffy.   Add vanilla and blend fully.  Starting with one cup increments, beat in confectioners sugar with small amounts of milk (cream, sour cream).  When fully incorporated advance mixer speed and beat until light and fluffy, but firm in consistency.  If you find your filling is too ‘wet’, simply incorporate additional confectioners sugar. 

Snowballs take flight

 

via the U.S. Postal Service; set for an early arrival.     Birthday celebration begins one week from today, or perhaps earlier, if J. allows her to open this gift early.  lol.  :)

I couldn’t control myself.  When online tracking said, DELIVERED, I picked up the phone to confirm.  She was standing in the store setting up her wedding registry.

Where did the past 25 years go?

…..

Cream Cheese Cookies*  (Snowballs)

*adapted from McCall’s Cookbook, 1963, Random House Books

1 pkg. (3 oz.) soft cream cheese (room temp, soft…not the whipped kind!)

1 cup soft butter or margarine (I use unsalted butter)

1 cup sugar (granulated)

1 egg yolk (room temp)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

small pinch of salt (Kosher)

2 to 3 cups confectioners sugar for dusting and rolling

…..

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese for two minutes.  Add sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt, and beat for an additional one to two minutes or until light and fluffy.  Stir in flour to make a soft dough.  Refrigerate for at least one hour, or preferably, overnight. 

Gather dough into small sized balls and place upon parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately begin rolling warm cookies in a bowl of confectioners sugar, placing them atop a cooling rack until all cookies have been dusted.  Allow these to cool for five minutes and then roll again in the confectioners sugar.  

After cookies have completely cooled, roll once again in confectioners sugar before storing.  Cookies ship, freeze and refrigerate well and during the winter months they can be kept at room temperature.

Bake at 350 degrees* AND always in a preheated oven.

*The original recipe requested a bake temp of 375 degrees.  I’ve found that the cookies tend to bake unevenly and become more browned on the bottoms than I prefer.  Do adjust the bake time according to your preference(s).

…..

‘Searching, searching, searching….

keep those doggies searching’.  Sounds like a song, especially if you’re being entertained by my brain.  I’ve been on the hunt for ‘just the right’ items to mark a very special day.   The collection is a beautiful array of so many ‘possibilities’.   But the hunt doesn’t finish with THE FIND, it continues onward.  While we may have our pretty-little showcases, we still want the moistest  and yummiest center stage: 

I’m seeking simplistic, decadent cupcake recipes AND the perfect complimentary frosting’s.  (I’ve got a few on my short list, and even more in File #13.) 

Feel free to share.  ;) 

 

Sandwiched in

 

 

with Easter and the college kids visit, I found myself whipping up these tasty little delights.  Chocolate wafer cookies with cream cheese filling.  YUM!

Several chocolate cookie wafer recipes are available through Internet search engines, but I finally cornered one, adapting it just a bit.  The original can be found at:  www.bigoven.com 

This item comes together very well and rolls without falling apart or developing into a tough mass.  I did chill my dough overnight in the refrigerator and allowed it to rest on my countertop  for thirty minutes before I rolled and cut to desired shapes.  When it came time to roll them out, I opted for confectioners sugar over flour.  I wanted my cookies to have a clean, crisp look about them.  One additional note:  I misted them lightly with water to dissolve any ‘white-shadow’ reside.  They baked nicely, and once cooled, developed that lovely ’snap’ of a crisp cookie.  This recipe could easily be adapted for a base requiring a cookie-crumb dough.

 

 

Chocolate Wafer Cookie

 

• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs (room-temp, fresh)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt (Kosher)
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

…..

• confectioners sugar for rolling

…..

Instructions:  Cream butter with sugar in mixing bowl for three minutes at medium speed.  Beat in extract and eggs, one at a time, until light and fluffy.  Sift together flour, soda, salt and cocoa.  Combine flour mix with egg and butter mixture and stir until fully incorporated.   DO NOT STIR EXCESSIVELY, we want our dough to be tender.

Divide dough into two equally portioned pieces, flattening them into discs.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight, as I did.   

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Cut desired shapes for cookies and bake for 8 to 10 minutes depending upon cookie size.  (Cookie dough should be rolled into 1/4 inch thickness before cutting.)

Once all of the cookies have baked, and are cooled, return them to the cooled oven to dry.  I placed mine atop wire baking racks and allowed them to rest overnight.  The following day they were filled and gobbled up by my visiting Easter bunnies.

 

 

Butter Cream / Cream Cheese Filling 

 

• 1 box (1 lb.) confectioners sugar
•  1/4 cup softened butter (NOT MELTED….I’m talking ‘room-temp’)
•  1 (3 ounce) package of softened cream cheese….ROOM TEMP
•  pinch of salt 
•  1 teaspoon vanilla
•   3 to 6 Tablespoons half and half, milk, cream or sour cream  (more if required for consistency, but start out with the least amount.  We don’t want a running filling).

…..

Cream butter, cream cheese  and a pinch of salt in a mixer until light and fluffy.   Add vanilla and blend fully.  Starting with one cup increments, beat in confectioners sugar with small amounts of milk (cream, sour cream).  When fully incorporated advance mixer speed and beat until light and fluffy, but firm in consistency.  If you find your filling is too ‘wet’, simply incorporate additional confectioners sugar.

Getting ready to roll

 literally. 

I’m swamped and sinking fast.  My bookmarked recipe file has grown to gargantuan proportions.  Seriously.  I need to shake-and-bake myself back into this room.  I have so many beauties awaiting a trial run, but just where do I begin?

The dilemma.  The sheer drama of it all!   Food must be taken seriously; it’s not something to be taken lightly. Well, then again, maybe it is and I’m just not heeding that kind of warning. 

(Besides……..

I’ve turned all the mirrors in my house to face their opposite direction and I gave the bathroom scale away in the latest donation drive.   The loss of my glasses has somehow become a bonus, rather than a nuisance, and a brain-fart moment.)

Seriously, I’m learning to live within the confines of my sugar and floured life.

It’s not easy, but someone needs to take control over these bookmarks.  Recipes can’t wait forever so I’m just going to let the crumbs fall where they may, you know, just in case I need to nibble my way back home.  Hopefully I won’t find myself downhill, unable to make the roll towards the flame, the flour, and the edible glory of sugar. 

I’ve set that kitchen timer for a 10:00 a.m., wake-up call.  Come heck or high water, I’m slamming a few things about my kitchen.  There’s a serious need burning brightly within the recesses of my sugar-battered jungle.  I’m onto something, but for the life of me I can’t tell you what it is.  With 54 million recipes before me, and each one begging for a bake, I’m simply overwhelmed.  I am under a spell cast upon me by the kings and queens of the Foodie Jungle.  I will know no peace until I read the instructions and set the preheat.  This digital therapy session is officially over, I’m heading to the kitchen for my apron. 

Bring your whisk, you can play too!

Remembering

an immeasurable gift

His love will last your lifetime

As the smiles radiate your face

Reminiscent of his manner

Pure, God’s glorious, sweet embrace

 

He was your first true love

Beyond those of me and dad

He wrapped you in his snuggles

And loved you with everything he had

 

He fell from the gates of Heaven

As Gabriel turned his head

And off alone he tumbled

Caught within your hand, instead

 

We joked, “He really isn’t clever”

But little did we know

That in the joy of life’s reflection

God would grant us such a loan

 

He gave you what you needed

Knowing what a gift you’d be

You’d love each other dearly

And set each other free

 

Did you realize that gift?

As those tears began to fall

That something worth loving

Is the greatest gift of all?

 

Love,

Mom

 

 

 April 06, 1999 – October 01, 2007

 

Thank you for the joy

 

the beauty and the grace

 

 Happy Birthday, Angel

 

 

A day for play

 

I felt as if I had a brand-new box of crayons in my hands.  I’d spied these little cups being utilized as cupcake liners, but failed to recognize them for what they were.  In abundance, and dancing at every birthday party or social event of my childhood, they held  the peanuts and party mints moms felt required to dole upon us.  But, as such is with life, they were lost amongst the shuffle and the strut of a life moving forward.

And yet it wasn’t all that long ago I sat dazed, in a stupor, trying to figure out just where on earth bakers were locating those cute little baking papers?  Seriously, I had not put 2 + 2 together until just yesterday.  When, Voila! at the local craft store, and standing in the party aisle, this little item would awaken me from my denseness.

These papers were not new, but simply being redefined and utilized as baking papers for cupcakes.

This clarity almost bowled me over, but my fall was thwarted by that stack of unwrapped inventory sitting at the base of my feet awaiting the afternoon stock person.

Will I use these again? 

You bet I will!  They provide a great baking environment for mini-cupcakes and are a pretty bonus to boot!  Just steer clear of the plastic coated ones though; I’d like to see you back around these parts in the future.  We need to share our priceless moments together, because I am almost positive this forest echoes when the tree falls.

;)

 

 

Daring Baker’s Challenge: Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of  Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande.  They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from, The Splendid Table,  by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

…..

Get your arms ready, and while you’re at it, charge up those brain-cell batteries.  This challenge is a fierce one, but the outcome is undeniably, wonderful!

The challenge is three-fold, beginning with the hand-rolled spinach lasagne, and the preparations of a bechamel and a ragu sauce.  The beauty of this dish is that it can be prepped and completed in stages.  I opted to make my ragu sauce one day, the lasagne noodles and bechamel another, while compiling them together on day three.  The flavors melded beautifully, and even upon a repeat dinner, the warm-up results were exceptional.  This has now become our family’s favorite lasagne sauce and will replace a heavier tomato sauce recipe that has been our favored for almost 35 years. 

Don’t be dismayed by the length or the steps of this item.  You’ll be thanking Mary, Melinda, Enza and especially, Lynne Rossetto, for years to come.  I promise.  The following is my take on their exquisite offering.  My thanks to all who are responsible for this lovely, quite challenging surprise.  It was, and is, magnificent!

 

Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)

This makes plenty of noodles, and in my case, gave me a reserve for another bake day. 

• 2 jumbo eggs (each weighing approximately 60 grams) …  I used room-temp eggs fresh from market
• 10 ounces (300 grams) fresh spinach, rinsed, dried and finely chopped …   I used my mini food processor
• 3 1/2 cups (14 ounces/400 grams) all-purpose unbleached flour …   King Arthur A-P was my choice

You’ll need a bit of room for this effort, clear and clean a counter offering at least 24 to 30 inches of depth and 30 to 36 inches of width.  Grab a pastry scraper and a wooden spoon and a large rolling pin.  (If you’re lucky enough to own a pasta maker attachment, ‘go for it!’ just don’t let on that you had help.  ;)

Mound flour, and within the center , carve out a well (not unlike the technique used in biscuit making), add eggs and spinach .   Use your spoon to break the egg yolks and carefully swirl the eggs to mix, lightly.  Gradually work to incorporate small scrapings of flour from the sides of the well, working into the liquid , knowing that as you work the sides of the well will collapse.  Using your pastry scraper to corral the liquids and continue working flour-to- spinach-to-egg.  Fret not, this is going to look rather messy, rough and lumpy; things will change, I promise.  ;)

Next comes the kneading, and please do this by hand just so you can get the real feel of the dough.  Initially, knead the mass for three minutes; It’s coming together, isn’t it?  Yep!  Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky, just keep working the remnants of your flour into the ball.  If it becomes too sticky to move easily, knead in a tablespoon of flour at a time.  Be judicious when adding additional flour from the bin, less flour added will mean a more tender pasta, at end, but having said this, by all means:  Do use additional flour if needed.  Continue kneading for 10-12 minutes.  You will note that the mass has now become satiny, smooth and very elastic.  Whatever you do, please DO NOT SHORTCUT THE KNEADING.  This is by far the most crucial note in the pasta making.  Once the kneading is complete, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to relax at room temp for 30 minutes to 3 hours.  (I allowed mine to rest for 1 1/2 hours as I prepared and cooled by bechamel sauce.)

STRETCH & THINNING (process to rolling & cutting of pasta):

Unwrap and cut a piece of dough (approximately 1/4 of the mass), and form it into a ball; working with a dusted (floured) rolling pin and a floured surface, begin the process of ‘pushing’ the dough off of the pin and stretching and turning it as you go.  (Use one hand to push the roller, the other to pull.)  Resist trying to roll this as you would a pie crust, our goal is to achieve the thinnest possible dough with a rectangular shape, using the pin and our hands.  DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH!  You will  be cutting these into 4 x 8 inches (10 x 20 cm).  Enza tell us that the transparency is a crucial element in this dough making.  I struggled in my initial undertaking and tore portions of my dough, but by the time I had worked into my second section of dough I was on to a technique.  You will be too, and if you are confused by my instructions, by all means, take a moment to Google for some techniques assistance (video clips and written).  They are out there, and plentiful, and most likely, much clearer than my words.

I used a regular school-house ruler to sections my pieces of dough, cutting them with a bench knife.  As you can see from my photo, they were somewhat irregular and a bit on the thick side.  After all of the noodles were cut, I dried them on my little indoor clothes drying rack.  …..

Bechamel (white sauce…DIVINE) 

• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached flour
• 2 2/3 cups (appox 570 ml) milk   I used 1 1/3 cup milk + 1 cup half-and-half*
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Freshly grated nutmeg to taste  (it’s illegal to use that stuff that’s been in the jar, ground in 1982  ;))

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt butter over low-to-medium heat. adding flour gradually, whisking until smooth, but continuing to stir WITHOUT STOPPING for about three minutes.  Slowly add milk, being sure that you continue with the stirring to achieve a smooth, velvet-like silkiness.  Once the milk is incorporated, bring mixture to a slow simmer and cook until sauce thickens.  CAUTION:  Don’t rush this process!  I cooked my white sauce for 12-15 mins., opting to season it upon completion.  Don’t forget to add the hint of nutmeg.  (After my sauce had cooled, overnight in the fridge, I tasted it again and opted for a second addition of nutmeg.)

…..

Country Style Ragu (Ragu alla Contadina)

This recipe made only enough for one lasagne … as noted earlier, I had addional pasta left from the making.  (I chose to freeze these for a future bake.)

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (45 ml)
• 2 ounces/60 g pancetta, finely chopped (yeah, it is pricey…but do it!)
• 1 medium onion, minced,  I used a sweet yellow onion
• 1 medium stalk celery with leaves, minced
• 1 small carrot, minced
• 4 ounces/125g boneless veal shoulder or round 
• 4 ounces/125g pork loin, trimmed of fat, or 4 ounces/125g mild Italian sausage (made without fennel)
• 8 ounces/250g beef skirt steak, hangingtender, or boneless chuck blade or chuck center cut (in order of preference) My option was the beef skirt steak, tenderized by my butcher
• 1 ounce/30g thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma (pricey, but YOU are soooo worth it!)
• 2/3 cup (5 ounces/160ml) dry red wine,  I used a Chianti, Gabbiano 2007; I owe you a disclaimer here, I am CLUELESS when it comes to wine….hey, what can I say?    If it ain’t coffee, I’m ignorant…  ;)
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces/375ml) chicken or beef stock  homemade….recipe to follow*
• 2 cups (16 ounces/500ml) milk,  I opted for 1 cup milk, 1 cup half-and-half
• 3 canned plum tomatoes, drained, I used 5 fresh Capriana’s
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Coarsely grind meats, either by hand or with a food processor (my choice was to hand trim and cut my meats into small morsels), but hold the pancetta to the side, but do be sure to dice it as well.   Mince onion, celery and carrots.  Process tomatoes in food processor, or cut and smash in a bowl … you’ll want them basically pulverized, but separated from the other veggies. 

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add pancetta along with minced vegetables and saute, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.  Cook until the onions show transparency.  Add pancetta and saute stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, approximately 10 minutes.  Stir meats into the pan and slowly brown over medium heat.  Initially the meats will give off a liquid and turn a dull grey color, but as the liquid evaporates and the browning begins you will need to scoop under the meats turning the mass to protect the glaze that is building.  Continue cooking your base until the meats turn a deep brown.  Drain the contents into a colander and strain over a large glass bowl, reserving the renderings.  Return these drippings to a skillet and simmer.   Add the wine, lower your heat and allow until the wine begins to bubble slightly.  Continue stirring and cooking until wine reduction is 50 %.  Now begin adding your broth into the wine sauce at 1/2 cup increments, allowing each addition to cook for ten minutes.  When you are to your last portion of broth, add the milk mixture and stir to combine all juices.   Adjust the heat and allow sauce to bubble slightly.  Partially cover the pot, but check back frequently for any sticking that might occur, reduce heat if necessary.  Cook the rendering/wine/milk sauce for one hour.

At the end of the hour, pour the contents of the skillet into a medium stockpot, including the vegetable mix.  Add the crushed tomatoes.  Cook, uncovered for several hours at a very slow simmer.  NOTE:  This is where I veered away from the instructions completely.  The initial recipe says to cook the final sauce-makings for 45 minutes.  I chose to reduce my sauce and allow the flavors to meld gradually.

When sauce is completed it should resemble a very thick, meaty stew. 

…..

Preheat oven to 280 degrees for a room temp bake, if you are baking a refrigerated lasagne I would increase the oven temp to 300 degrees.   Completed bake time for my room-temp lasagne was 65 minutes.

And…here are the directions used to compile my dish: they do vary a bit from those given in the challenge, but not much:

BEFORE assembling the lasagne dish, boil your noodles in salted water for 2 to 4 minutes, allowing them to become tender.   Fully drain the water away before you begin the assembly.

Lightly oil a baking dish (I opted for a 9 x 9 ceramic, Le Creuset).  Begin by spooning a light layer of bechamel sauce, followed by a layer of noodles (overlap them a bit to seal your layer), and then add a light layer of ragu.  Finish this layering with a sprinkling of your favorite Romano, Parmesan cheese* (about two tablespoons per layer) go lightly on the cheese, though; the beauty of this dish comes from the melding of the bechamel and ragu sauces.

Continue layering for three to four layers, depending upon the depth of your baking dish.  Finish the completed dish with a more generous layer of cheese, perhaps 3 to 4 tablespoons. 

* My choice of cheese for this bake was a Fulvi Pecorino Romano.

…..    

I used the following recipe to create my beef broth.  It is a compilation devised from items available within my kitchen.  The broth was cooked on a slow simmer for the better part of a full day, cooled, skimmed, and used in the making of my ragu sauce. 

….. 

 *Homemade Beef Broth

• 2 lbs. chuck roast (cut into six large pieces of meat)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1 large celery stalk, minced 
• 1 medium carrot, minced 
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 quarts water
• salt and  fresh ground peppercorns, to season
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium-sized potato cut into large chunks

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add onion, celery and carrot and saute until onions become transparent;  add garlic and continue to braise for another 3 to 4 minutes.  Pour water into pan, add meat, potato, bay leaves and one teaspoons Kosher salt and a half teaspoon of cracked, fresh ground black pepper.  Cover stockpot and allow this to cook for a full day on low heat.  Check, stir from time to time and within the final two hours of cooking, remove lid from pan and allow evaporation to continue. 

Pour completed item into a large bowl and remove meat, potatoes and vegetables.   Strain the liquid, removing all tidbits of residue.  (Serve this item for supper alongside some cornbread or another crusty loaf.)  Cool the broth completely before storing or using in the above recipe.

No sweeter offer

None.  Absolutely, positively, none. 

My daughter and future son-in-law announced their engagement this week. 

Someone pinch me, wake me up, I think I’m stuck on ‘FOG’ mode.  I am so happy and for so many reasons:

I’ve always wanted a son.

I found myself at the kitchen sink this afternoon with tears running down my face, asking myself,  “How did I get so lucky?” 

I really love this young man.  He has the qualities I would have chosen if God had handed me a clipboard and asked me for an outline, a sketch, an idea.

My requirements would have echoed the triumphs and the challenges of this young man. 

They really would have.  

I know you may not understand what it is that I’m trying to express, but that’s okay.  All that matters is that I get the opportunity to say these words.

This takes me back to earlier times, a rocking chair, a Cinderella VHS tape, apple juice and sippy cups.  I fast forward to the classroom parties, those angst filled years of junior high and,  “Mom, let’s go get my dress for prom.”  

I get to run through my personal inventory and ask if I did things right and what it is that I would have done differently, and then there comes the pause, the reflection and the acknowledgement:

I wouldn’t change a thing.  Yes, there were tears, pain, sadness, the sorrow of missed opportunities, but there were abundances of joy, laughter, celebration, and today, and the realization that if just one item were changed, nothing would be the same.  I wouldn’t have today.  This young man would not have come into my daughters life. 

And perhaps the following question would not have been asked of me today:

Will you make cupcakes for my wedding?

There is nothing sweeter in my world than two daughters and my first son.  Nothing.  Absolutely, nothing.

I’m positive.

Joy is a baker

and she knows her stuff.  Seriously.  I would know, I am now her new BFF.  She just doesn’t realize it yet.  You see, this girl invited me to enjoy breakfast, she even went so far as to include some instructions (yes, they were written as recipes, but then the invite was quite public).  Crazy?  Yeah, I know.  Dang, I’m glad she did it though, I am better because of it.

I didn’t know what to expect.  I mean, I’ve gawked at the lovelies, but  never taken the dive, indulging in the revelry, until this morning.   But then it isn’t often that I’m invited to join hundreds of others in mass morning bake-ups and bake-offs. 

(I should do this more often, no telling how many new friends I could make.)

 

 

I swear, I wish I were better at this blog thing.  I’m afraid I’m going to smear icing all over my new friendship before I can even nurture it.  She’s just so danged cute!  Her photograph is proof one, but when she starts making magic in her kitchen, well, lets just say she has some serious stuff tied to those apron strings.  She is mighty AND talented and I want to sing her praises.  That’s what BFF’s do, isn’t it?  Oh, and before I go and really embarrass myself, I’ve got to confess, that ‘BFF’ thing, I swiped that from one of my daughters.  I’d heard her using that slang and wasn’t sure if I should smile, smirk, or take cover.  I got myself to the computer and dialed up my other BFF, Google.  He reassured me, as he often does, and I continued on in my life of graying hair and expand-o-matic spandex almost immediately.   

Okay, I’m winding this tale into something far from extraordinary so let me just get back to Joy THE baker (www.joythebaker.com), cuz she is.  And I am so glad I discovered her and I’m pleased as punch that we are now BFF’s.

:)

Just look at what she offered up as a reward if I showed up and took her up on her offer.

 

 …..

Mocha Coffee Coffee Cake with Espresso Glaze

 (via Joy the Baker, adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook  and slightly adapted again by CoffeeGrounded*)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt,  (I prefer Kosher)*

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, (room temp)*

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (+ 1 Tablespoon confectioners sugar)*, dissolved in 1 1/2 T. hot water (a smidgen more if needed)

2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder (+ 1 Tablespoon confectioners sugar)*, dissolved in 1 to 2 T. hot water

2 Tablespoons cacao nibs*

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

…..

Mocha-Cocoa Glaze*

1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder (I think I used about 2 full tablespoons)*

3-5 Tablespoons strong brewed coffee (again, I adjusted to the consistency needed to drizzle)*

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

…..

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour your Bundt pan, 6 cup capacity.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Beat butter in mixer for two full minutes at medium speed.  Gradually add sugar and continue beating for two additional minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Now beat in the vanilla.  Add sifted flour ingredients with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the sifted flour until just incorporated.  Don’t over-beat this item….we want the tenderest of tender for our crumb.

Now, divide dough into thirds in three separate bowls.  Add espresso/confectioners mixture to one and blend fully, again, don’t beat it to death!  Next, add cocoa powdered sugar mixture and blend, not over-beating.  To the remaining third, add cacao nibs and walnuts (finely chopped).  Spoon all three batters into the Bundt pan, alternating with each flavor until evenly distributed throughout the pan. 

Bake cake until golden, or until a wooded toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  My bake time was approximately 50 minutes.  Joy’s recipes notes 55 to 60 minutes, but ALL ovens operate differently.  Cool cake for a few minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack.  Allow it to cool for 30 minutes before adding drizzle.

…..

 

  No!  BFF, stop panicking, those are not bugs in that vanilla, I simply added us some cacao nibs and a few walnuts.    Here, have a smidgen.  Don’t eat it all, we have other new BFF’s;  share is the word!

 

*Adapted by CoffeeGrounded.

Moon pie

(I know the photo’s fuzzy, but we can still enjoy it.)

I caught sight of her this morning.

Sunshine disguised

as a lemon, a Meyer lemon, that is. 

Let me get real original in naming this item.  Let’s see, how about, Meyer Lemon Cream Cake?

Yep.  That’ll do just fine.  :)

Today was my first time to experience this sweet sensation.  Admittedly, I was really beginning to wonder what all the buzz was about, I mean, after all, it’s  just a lemon.

Or is it?

Researching this fruit unraveled the mystery.   It is reputed to be the result of crossing the sweet orange, or tangerine with a lemon.  My research came after my bake.  I’d snuck a taste of the lemon as I was juicing it and had decided for an icing a tangelo would prove a nice alternative to any water used in the confectioners sugar drizzle.  It was as if magic had occurred; the tangelo put a bit of tang into the sweetness and mellow flavor of the Meyer. 

These little (or a bit larger than regular-sized ) lemons are a nice surprise.  I’m sure I’ll get more familiar with their flavor as the years continue.  I can’t see turning back now that I have headed in the proper direction.  Sunshine is always a joy.

No Meyer lemons on hand?  Go with the standard lemon, but do yourself a favor, pick up a Meyer and try it at least once in your lifetime.  You’ll be doing yourself a favor.  I promise!

Meyer Lemon Cream Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 Assemble the following prior to baking:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temp)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
• 4 ounces cream cheese (room temp)
• 1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice (equivalent to two large Meyer lemons)
• zest of one Meyer lemon

Un-iced and still as pretty as can be:

Sift flour, baking powder, salt into a small bowl.  Zest lemon, and  juice along with one or two additional Meyers until you have 1/2 cups of juice, add vanilla, along with zest and set aside.   Place room temp butter in mixer and whip on medium for two full minutes.  Add the room temp cream cheese and beat for an additional minute.  Next, add the cup of granulated sugar and continue beating for one additional minute.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat for another minute.  Full beater time is five minutes at medium speed, but add ingredients as noted to get the proper emulsion. Now add sifted dry ingredients in thirds, along with the lemon juice, blending well, but not overbeating.

Pour into greased bundt pan* and  bake for 35 minutes.  Immediately remove from oven and allow to cool for 4 to 5 minutes before inverting on cooling rack.  Cool for an additional 15 minutes before drizzling with icing.  Allow cake to cool for another thirty minutes before slicing.  Refrigerate any uneaten cake due to the use of the cream cheese in the frosting.  (I know there’s not much in there, but play it safe with any dairy items that are uncooked.)

*The cake pan I used measured 8.5 inches, produces a small-to-medium sized cake.  This recipe will most likely result in about twelve to fourteen cupcakes if baked in standard sized muffin tins.   Reduce baking time to 15-18 minutes.  Test by using a toothpick inserted into the center.  …..

 Drizzle Frosting

• 1 1/2, to 2 cups confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
• juice of one medium tangelo
• 1 ounce cream cheese (room temp)

 

No ordinary paradise

I’ve got a cowboy that wrangles up grub:

And a puppy dog that sniffs out any trouble at the fence line:

But the best part of this Nirvana comes in the way of something extraordinary:

Shine, where ever you are planted:

Spring has sprung, and with it, beautiful blooms!

To India with love

     A boundless joy.   My heart  leaps and dances as our worlds unite.  I offer this gift to you, Deeba, as my appreciation for the beautiful world you share with me AND all your readers.  It inspires and uplifts, motivates and encourages. Your words shine a light that broadens horizons, removes borders and offers hope.  

     Author, photographer, mom and wondrous baker, Deeba’s talents are many.  The author of the beautiful blog, Passionate about baking (www.passionateaboutbaking.blogspot.com), entered my world most innocently.  As I am prone to do when I am at a loss for inspiration, I surf the many surprises of Google.   I happened upon, Passionate about Baking, and immediately found myself hitting the *FAVORITES tab.   

     It began months ago, yet today is the day I celebrate and share my journey with you.  Enjoy!

     When I couldn’t locate her blog for a few days, I panicked.  What has happened to this precious lady? I quickly scoured the Internet and found the answer (sorry, I can’t remember where I was, or what it was, Deebs, but no doubt it was food related) .  I would discover that her site was temporarily going through some changes and would soon be updated and enhanced.  WHAT?  Just the mere thought of change caused me panic.  Why on earth would her website need any kind of adjustment?  It was beautiful, artistic and exuded warmth, friendship and love of home.

      I waited. I paced. I’m sure I had an anxiety attack.  (Heck, I probably had several.)  Who knows how long I fretted, and eventually I was rescued by her blogs return.   I found myself  trying to leave a comment, but I wasn’t quite sure how to do so, and when I did try, I found the navigation of cyberspace a bit daunting.  (WARNING, I am green about the gills, less-than-daring at times, and extremely  Houdini-like at others.)  I couldn’t help myself, awed by this lovely ladies talent, I tried countless recipes.  (I really, really did, D!)  Everything was worthy.  The sights and smells continued to intrigue and beckon me.

     Imagine my sense of wonder when I would open my blog account a few weeks back to find an unusual amount of traffic feed.  I was dumbfounded.  Had my account been hacked?  I wasn’t out-in-the-open, so to speak.  I’d intentionally held my cards close-at-hand in an attempt not to make too much white noise until I could get some of the  kinks of newness worked out, but here I sat, mouth agape, filled with wide-eyed amazement that Deeba had found my world.  Not only had she found it, she had baked something from it and shared it with her wonderful world.

 

Is there a greater joy than that of

 

One foodie discovering another?

 

     How do I thank someone for making my day?  I must find a way, and then it hit me like a lightening bolt!  I’d come across a bake that she had done, months ago, pretty-as-pretty could be.  I had to locate that bake!  I had to try my best to re-create it within my own kitchen.  Field glasses on, safari hat upon my head, I was off to sail the seas and swim the channels.  Or, more appropriately, to use the search function of her glorious site in hopes of finding the gold.

     It took me three days.  Yes.  It is so obvious to those that are NOT challenged by this blog thing, but me, well I’m a work in progress, and some days I am as slow as that tortoise. 

     My decorating attempt on bake #1 left me wanting, although loving daughter M1, complimented me, but in my heart-of-hearts I knew what I expected, so back to the kitchen, and on to the second attempt.

Smartie Cookies  (my adaptation to this lovely item)

Ingredients:

Butter – 3/4 cup (room temp)

Castor Sugar – 1 cup  (I used granulated bakers sugar)

Egg – 1 (beaten)

Flour – 2 1/2 cups (I used AP)

Salt – 1 pinch

Almond Essence/Extract – 1 tsp.

Vanilla Essence/Extract – 1 tsp.

…..

Method:

Preheat the oven to  350 degrees

Beat the butter and sugar till fluffy and light

Add the salt, plus vanilla, almond extracts and beat for 30 seconds. 

With a spatula mix in the beaten egg.

Put in all the flour in one go, and gather together to make a firm dough.

Chill for at least 30 minutes in plastic wrap.

Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters

Decorate with Smarties (M and M’s) and silver dragees if desired.*

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 12 – 14 minutes watching closely so that they don’t get too brown.

Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool for a minute before removing to a wire rack.

Note:  You can flavor these with any other extract of your choice, or just leave them plain vanilla if you like.  I think orange and lemon may work well with these, though I haven’t tried it myself. 

Keep an eye on the cookies towards the end of the baking time.  If you find a couple browning before the others remove them from the sheet onto the cookie rack and return remaining cookies to the oven.  

     *After my first decorating attempt using sanding sugar and tinted icing, I chose to alter the recipe a bit for the second attempt.  An egg-white wash was brushed atop the sides and tops of the cookies.  Some cookies featured here are sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, some topped with cacao nips and, or walnut pieces. 

 Valrhona Cacao Nibs & California Walnuts

 

Thanks for all that you do, Deeba.  I LOVE your blog and I am finally able to tell you so! 

 

 

Don’t adjust your monitor

That egg-yolk yellow, lackluster aqua, and those funky, sea-foam and lime green items tell the real tale.   I’m pretty sure they are shouting it quite loudly.  It wasn’t easy, but I pulled my trusty camera out to document my less than stellar attempt at, Thank you!  It will stand as a lovely reminder that my stars don’t always align and when they go astray they are swallowed by the black holes in the recesses of my kitchen and compost pile.

Today was one of those days we bakers like to think just never happened.  I had the loveliest of recipes and the best of intentions.  I wanted so much for this to work, and the baking part of it actually did, but it was in the details that I found myself consumed.  Why am I telling you this?  Simple:  I believe you should know a few things about me, you know, just so I can keep you interested in reading, getting to know me, and last, but not least, because I am an open book.  Here are a few chapters we’ll be reviewing:

 

 1.  I’m not the brightest bulb in the pack 

 

2.  My elevator does not travel all floors

 

3.  The train I was riding left the station before I arrived

 

In other words, I thought it best that we laughed at my failure in hopes that we don’t roar over my inadequacies.

Let’s decide to be friends.  I need all the help I can get when it comes to lamenting, and whom better to lament with than a bunch of, has-beens.  You know what I mean, and if you’ve forgotten, glance over these chapters:

 

4.  I has been there before

 

5.  I has an idea I’ll be back

 

6.  I has great faith we can all overcome being a has-been, will-be and therefore, could-have-been

 

It was important to me that this bake be especially nice.  I was going to honor someone that I greatly admire .  She has been inspiring me from the very first time I visited her blog.  But I cannot, and will not, offer these as, My thanks!  This lovely lady deserves something better.  I simply hope to wake up tomorrow alive, coherent, and able.   The destination for my journey deserves perfection, or at least a compass pointing towards it.

P.S.  Don’t expect miracles on Day 2.  I now feel pressure to perform.  I’m sweating bullets. 

;)

The answer

comes in the form of a cookie, always, and today was no exception.  But I had a problem as I headed into slumber last night.  Before those sheep could be counted I had some mental gymnastics to get out of my way.  I needed shipping and storage containers.

Thank goodness the sheep herders had left that gate open once again, I think I lost count at about #5,041 baby ewes.

I awoke to a refreshed sense of urgency.  Well, if urgency can be used loosely. I think it was more acutely a realization that all I had at hand was that old Christmas photo box, dusty and nesting atop a shelf in the laundry room, a shoe box perfumed by all things fake or leather, and maybe a shipping box received from someone, someplace, sometime….ago.   Nothing could be considered worthy, so perhaps I wasn’t as ‘fresh’ as I’d hope for and the search continued, only this time it required a bit of foot traffic. 

I rummaged through the hall closet, into the bedrooms, took a peek at that dusty photo box, and then the doorbell rang.  Oops….the one in my head, not the front door.  (Sorry, I don’t have photo’s of my peeps, just my boxes and the cookies.) 

 Thank goodness for the compost bucket box.   Who would have ever thought it a cookie shipping box?  lol.  ;) 

 A beautiful tin that contained an equally beautiful cookie.

Here’s a little story from our life, a window into our world, and something to explain why this is:

I remember when he first arrived on the doorstep.  Five years ago, about this time of year.  If he was nervous he didn’t show it, if he was scared he didn’t exude it, but I rather doubt I would have been able to discern it.   I was too busy trying to be all those things a mom wants to be when they are expected to be on their best behavior.  I’m sure I combed my hair and dug around for something like a pair of tennis shoes, a t-shirt and some jeans.  Surely I wasn’t wearing a cocktail dress.  I would have remembered purchasing it.

I’m pretty sure that M1 told him we were harmless, and as important, mindless.  You know how children are, especially when they’ve been away at school.  They possess a maturity that we haven’t truly granted them yet, but they announce it with each opportunity (reminds me of a call earlier this evening from M2, spring break around the corner, “I’m going camping with my friends.”…………………….”Oh yeah?”…… Later on that one.  Maybe MUCH later…as in, “FORGET IT!”) and with great fanfare.

Was I ready to meet this young man?  Ummm, I don’t really know how to answer that.  Are moms and dads ever ready to meet their offspring’s suitor?

As he came through the doorway, I caught that curly auburn hair and those green eyes; he had that look about him.  Not afraid to scale a mountain, forge the river, or build the dam, yeah, he was and is, the outdoors type.  He’s also adorably cute and sweet, but he will never know those last two items unless you mention them.  So don’t!  We have a man here.  They don’t tolerate being called cute and they sure as heck don’t want to be known as, sweet.

M1 liked him.  She really liked him.  A lot.   She held her silence and never really confided in me.  Some moms may find that a bit difficult, but with  M1 I knew it was a good sign.  She didn’t need me to confirm what she already knew.  Besides, I’m not supposed to weigh in on the qualities of her man.   I need to tend to my own business.

She may just know a thing or two. 

I might just learn something.

We might both find ourselves lucky.

These cookies are for J.  He gets them because he requested them.  I had begged him to allow me to treat him while he and M1 were in town for the marathon, but as usual, he simply said:

“Just bake me some cookies.”

And so I did, but not before the scouring of the hallways, the closets, and the garage seeking something sturdy enough to head westward.  J. and M1 are green, won’t be offended by the discards of a Christmas cookie container, or the tin from a favored Italian cookie, nor the unseen Easter box.  They’ll know where my heart is, I centered it within each little baby chocolate chip cookie, secure in the knowledge that each morsel will be appreciated.

Enjoy!

The following recipe is a re-do of the earlier Chocolate & Cinnamon Chip Cookie that I posted.

Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chip, Hazelnut and

Walnut Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Juice of one medium lemon (approximately 2 Tablespoons)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter (room temperature) 

2 eggs (room temperature)

2 egg yolks (room temperature)

1 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

Assemble all ingredients prior to baking. 

Sift:  Flour, salt, baking soda and espresso powder; set aside.

Cream:  In a large mixing bowl, whip room temp butter until light and fluffy, add sugars and continue beating until a silky consistency is achieved.  Stir in vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Beat in the eggs next, adding one at a time until all are combined and creamed mixture is again, light and fluffy.  Add lemon juice and beat for another few seconds.  Now, combine the sifted dry ingredients gradually, about one cup at a time, being careful  not to overwork the  dough.    (All we want to do at this point is combine our wet and dry ingredients).  Once the flour is added, carefully fold in the chocolate and cinnamon chips. 

Using a small spoon (I opted for a small jam/jelly spoon), form cookie dough and place upon a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 8 to 9 minutes at 350 degrees (baking times will vary according to altitude and oven, types.  Cookies should be slightly browned around the edges and the centers set, not mushy!).  Move baked cookies  to a wired cooling rack and allow them to cool thoroughly before storing them in an airtight container.

King of the jungle

the living room, dining room, bedroom and any other place he chooses.  Our Regal Ruler, or as our youngest daughter would proclaim, Our British Gentleman!  has forgiven us for many a sin:  Number one, Hannah, the yellow Lab, and number two, Bridget-Renee, cat-food thief and favored nap space nabber.

(Ace Ventura Pet Purrfect celebrates his 15th birthday this year.)

“I stuffed Hannah’s toy under the couch on purpose.  I was tired of seeing her fling it up, down, right and left, in hopes of me fetching the danged thing.  What’s wrong with that dog, has she not figured it out yet?  I am not her retriever!”

“Oh, and I think you should know something.  As punishment, I sent both Hannah and Bridget-Renee to the back yard to walk the planks.”

“The dog ran off, and as you can see by my photo, the cat jumped ship!” 

“Attitude.  Want some?”

Frosted in the afternoon

not by snow, but ice cream. 

I spent the morning transplanting my new little veggies into their garden beds and the afternoon dancing with Mr. Chill, the Cuisinart ice cream machine in the corner of the kitchen. 

Things went well. 

I have errands to run, but I can’t be bothered.  I’m on a sugar-high, caffeine rush and a chocolate overload all rolled into one!   But whose complaining?  Those items will just have to wait until I re-coup, or I hire a maid.  Or better yet, until I forget about them and they absorb into the stratosphere.  Until then, dip your spoon into this and lets talk dirt.  Garden dirt.  I shoveled and scooped, dug and planted until I was in need of a heavy-duty carb load. 

Perhaps I’ve mislead you.  That’s NOT dirt in the ice cream.  It’s chunks of chocolate, espresso powder and hazelnuts.    Mr. Chop-Em, or as I like to refer to him, ‘Lil Bits’, the KitchenAid mini processor also had his way with me.  Do I have your attention now? 

Ice cream is about the easiest item in the arsenal of all things, satisfying, but that could be because I now waltz with a machine.  Actually, way back in time, like about 32 years ago to be exact, I thought I could make ice cream a la sans, machine.  Well, the mere fact that I can remember the date is enough to tell us the real tale.  I did not have success.  I did have one rather large and brimming Tupperware carrier filled with ice milk that resembled the country of Iceland.  I beat on that thing for days trying to pry some sort of something free just to get a taste.  Eventually I threw it into a  Coleman ice chest along with a case of  soda-pop and headed off to the lake to bass fish.

And then I discovered David Lebovitz.   Sheer genius, and just as sweet.  He’s got a plan to save us the headache of floating Iceland in our coolers.  Visit his website (davidlebovitz.com), for the real scoop.  Seriously.  He’ll guide you on how to make ice cream IN THE FREEZER.  Creamy.  Magnificent.   Until you have the opportunity to twist and shout with David L., come and try a version of something I’m naming:

Espresso Chocolate & Hazelnut Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

dash of salt (Kosher)

2 egg yolks (fresh from the fridge)

3 cups heavy cream, very cold!!!

2 teaspoons vanilla (the real deal, okie-doke?)

1/4 teaspoon Boyajian Pure Orange Oil

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted.  Callebaut

1 Tablespoon King Arthur Espresso Powder

1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts*

1/3 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate chips, Callebaut*

…..

Pulse hazelnuts until finely chopped.  Empty into a small bowl.   Pulse chocolate chips until chopped to your liking.  Combine nuts and chocolate in bowl and set aside.*

Melt bittersweet chocolate using a double-boiler method.  Set aside.

Place two egg yolks in a small-sized bowl and whip until fully combined.  Set aside.

Place milk in a small pan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly until bubbles begin to form at the edge of the pan.  Beat in your sugar and salt along with espresso powder, dissolve fully.  Continue beating milk at low temp. 

Remove from heat and add one to two tablespoons of hot milk to egg yolks, stirring egg mix constantly.  Add more milk to egg and bring back to the stove-top, this time adding all of the egg mixture into the warmed milk.   Continue cooking until the thermometer reaches 160 degrees (about 10 minutes). 

Remove the pan from stovetop and immediately add the melted chocolate, orange oil and vanilla.    Beat until fully combined.  Place pan into an ice water bath and continue to reduce temperature.   Once the custard is lukewarm, add heavy cream and stir until fully combined.   Pour contents into a covered container and place into the refrigerator for at least one to two hours before freezing in ice cream machine. 

***Add the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chip pieces during the final five minutes of freeze time in your ice cream machine.

Yep, it’s that time of year

The yard needs tending.   And this house?   Well, heck, it’s just falling apart all around me. 

Even the driveway needs fixing. 

 

I’ll bet I had you there for a moment, didn’t I?  You thought I had veered off of the road, away from food and into the drudges of yard-work and cracked pavement.  But I gotcha! with a Kodak moment, or in my case, a Panasonic. 

Enjoy the view.  It was, and still is, quite beautiful!  I remind myself often.  I have a bevy of wonderful accounts of this day, December 27, 2007.  Our family was returning home from a visit to Las Vegas, while heading south into the reaches of Arizona, we made a wrong turn, or as it would soon be decided, a very right one, discovering a portion of the old Route 66, and an oasis in the desert known as, Oatman, Arizona. 

I was born in Colorado, and spent the first seven years of my life in the Hawaiian Islands.    I grew ignorant by this dizzying array of mass beautification.  I simply knew that no other paradise(s) existed.    (Hmmmmm….can I beg for forgiveness now, or do I have to take those fifty lashes first?  Please go easy on me.  I beg of you.  Can I bribe you with cookies or bread, maybe a cupcake?  … Seriously, think about it and get back to me.)

This just goes to show you that an old dog can learn a new trick.  Namely:

 

I can’t wait to take more wrong (right) turns in my

life!

 

 

It seems that these little donkeys have a place in the history of this precious gem of a town.  Historically, they roamed these parts and were used in many of the now-abandoned gold mines.  The town loves to flaunt their notoriety.  All over these parts you’ll find things fancied, as_….okay, this is where I have to exit. 

Yes.  It’s true.  I can’t bring myself to say it.  But I’ll leave you with this:

I’m taking another turn, it ain’t wrong…it’s right.

Tomorrow, if the sun rises and the stars align, there will be food.

;)

Going the distance

….and then some. 

Congratulations to our daughter, her first marathon, and its successful completion.

Just the thought of attempting to walk 26.2 miles exhausts me, and imagining that someone could possibly endure the stress of running such an item: bewilders, amazes and intimidates me.   Yet our oldest daughter did just that this past Saturday morning. 

Kudos to you, M.,  Kudos and Congratulations!

M1 & M2, rock our world.   We are blessed with two very wonderful and unique daughters.  They chart their own courses and set their sights high, sometimes making the choice to follow the pack, and at others, carving a path uniquely defined.   I sometimes question why I am so blessed, and in the quiet of the moment I am reminded that certain questions are not ours to answer.  

Grace; sweet and pure, reveals itself in the beauty of these moments.  Each of us must stop to smell the flowers, caress the puppy dog, or kittens coat, and sing, as R. Tagore would say, “When the dawn is still dark.” 

 

Daring Baker’s Challenge, For the Love of Chocolate

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.  We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef  Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge. 

 

I finally succumbed.  How could I resist?  Each month I would feast my eyes upon the wonderful works of so many bakers, their lovely successes sat before me in all their splendor.  Could I do this?  Would I do this?  And then one day I received a note from a sweet and very dear mentor, Susan, of all things wild and yeasted (wildyeastblog):   “Are you going to become a Daring Baker?”

Hmm…let me think? 

Everything about this wonderful monthly event seemed shrouded in secrecy.  I set about to learn how I might enroll, what the requirements were, and whether or not I felt I could perform some of the magic.   Did I say that I dug deep to unravel the mystery?  I did.  It was that important to me.  Now it is time for me to give thanks to those lovely ladies,  Lisa, La Mia Cucina @ adelphia dot net, and Ivonne,  from, Cream Puffs in Venice @ gmail dot com.

Initially, I was a nervous wreck.  I printed off the rules and regs and set-up a notebook of all things, Daring Baker’s.   I must have re-read the contents 47 different times, each time realizing that it wouldn’t be until the baking was completed that I could rest a bit easier.  And then there were those haunting doubts that always love to unfold themselves before me when I set about to learn something new:  OCD, it’s not for the faint of heart,  heck, its not even for the bravest of souls, but why should I change the course that destiny has given me.  Being older does have its advantages, number one being:  Did the sun rise this morning, and if it did, what can I make of it? 

The Flourless Chocolate Cake,  Chocolate Valentino, is said to have been inspired by Malaysia’s, “most flamboyant food ambassador”, Chef Wan, and is offered in, Sweet Treats .

…..

Chocolate Valentino*

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped.   (I opted to use a 72% bittersweet chocolate by Guittard.)

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter

5 large eggs separated   (I opted to use room temp eggs fresh from the market.)

…..

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.

2.  While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling, butter your pan and line with a parchment circle that has been buttered.

3.  Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls. 

4.  Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed, but do not over-whip or the cake will be dry. 

5.  With the same beater, beat the egg yolks together. 

6.  Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate. 

7.  Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with the remaining 2/3rds.  Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. 

8.  Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and then bake at 375F/190C.

9.  Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60F.

Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet, but not runny!!!!

10.  Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan.

*  I followed the recipe according to the directions with the exception of baking within a  parchment lined pan(s).  I had heart molds (paper/foil) that were leftover from my Valentine’s supplies.  I greased and filled four of them to 3/4 full and baked at 375F for 20 minutes.  Checking with an instant read thermometer, I noted that the cakes were registering at 166 degrees so I immediately removed them and allowed them to cool on a wire rack. 

…..

The second part of the challenge asks us to also make an ice cream to accompany our cake.  Two recipes were given, one by Dharm (Dad - Baker and Chef) of Malaysia;  Classic Vanilla Ice Cream, by Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis from the Ice Cream Book.  The second recipe, submitted by Wendy (wmpesblog) Arizona,was for a Vanilla Philadelphia Style ice cream. 

While both recipes tempted me, I would find myself powerless over one that I had discovered via the website, Recipezaar.com for Vanilla Custard Ice Cream, submitted by Susan L.   It  makes one quart of a very delicious and decadent frozen wonder:

Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk  (I opted for 2% milk)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 dash salt (I opted for Kosher)

2 egg yolks, light beaten (again, I used room temp eggs, fresh from market)

2 cups heavy cream (ice cold)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (Madagascar)

…..

1.  Place milk in a small pan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly until bubbles begin to form at the edge of the pan.  Beat in sugar and salt and dissolve fully, continuing to beat milk. 

2.  Remove from heat and add 1 to 2 tbsp. of the hot milk to the egg yolks, stirring egg mix constantly.  Add more milk to eggs and bring it up to temperature.

3.  Pour egg mixture back into pan and continue to cook over low heat, still stirring constantly.  Mixture will begin to thicken; using a thermometer to measure, cook this mixture until it reaches 160 degrees.  (About 10 minutes.)

4.  Place the pan into the sink or a basin of ice water.  Continue to stir, allowing the custard to cool to a lukewarm temperature.

5.  When the custard has cooled, add the cream and vanilla  and blend fully.

6.  Refrigerate mixture until you are ready to use.  (My first batch of ice cream was cooled within the refrigerate 30 minutes before I placed it in my electric ice cream maker.  My second batch was allowed to refrigerate overnight before I froze it in the maker.  Each effort yielded consistent results.  There was no noted difference between the two.) 

…..

Rhubarb & Blueberry Coulis

2 packages frozen rhubarb (16 ounces, each)

1 cup frozen blueberries

2 cups water

2 cups granulated sugar

pinch of salt

pinch of ginger

Place rhubarb, water, salt and sugar into a heavy duty pan and slowly bring to a low simmer, stirring from time to time to be sure that all sugar has dissolved.  Continue cooking for one hour, at the end of the hour, add one cup of frozen blueberries and continue cooking only until mixture arrives back to a low boil.  Transfer fruit to a clean glass bowl and cool before refrigerating or freezing. 

*I made this coulis to compliment the dark chocolate and vanilla flavours of February’s Daring Baker’s Challenge.  It was not a requirement, but seeing as though the items in my freezer were begging to be used before this years new bounty, I relented.  I’m glad I did!  I previewed this dessert for my husband, layering the chocolate cake and vanilla custard ice cream with a heavy drizzle of coulis for the finale. 

Pure delight!

…..

Think outside the box

and use your crayons with wild abandon.  Mix those colors.  Shade areas and add a few squiggles and polka dots:

 

 Just do it!

 

Go for the gold!

 

Dare to be different!

 

Or, if you operate in a world such as mine:

 

Ignore the list!

 

Take to the kitchen and find a way to get your mind off of those dust bunnies, cat fur and yellow Lab hairs.

(Oh, but do at least vacuum the kitchen before setting sail.   Things may get a bit hairy.  Especially if sugar is involved.)

 

 

 

This recipe comes from the Martha Stewart website.  A wonderfully moist  and tender item, she offers them up as, Glazed Lemon Cakes.  I doubled the recipe, but stayed tried-and-true to the original receipt with exception to the icing (I thinned it further with additional lemon juice).  This item will be hand-written to my recipe card file.   (I’m that smitten.)  If you are looking for a reminder of the infamous diner lemon cakes of old, this is your item. 

Glazed Lemon Cakes  (I doubled the following)

1/2 cup unsalted butter  (room temp)*

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk  (room temp)*

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of one lemon, finely grated, plus juice, plus 2 tablespoons more lemon juice for the glaze

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs (room temp)*

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

*I prefer to have my items at room temperature before I begin my baking.  This allows greater volume and easier mixing.  Please conform to all safety rules of the kitchen when using items that are normally kept at cold temperatures.  Do not crack and beat eggs prior to baking and always use the freshest of ingredients. 

…..

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin.  (I opted to use the small Panettone papers I had left-over from my holiday baking supplies.  They do not require prepping.)  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.  In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice and zest. 

Beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Turn mixer to low speed and add flour in three batches, alternating with two additions of the buttermilk mixture. 

Using an ice cream scoop, divide batter amongst muffin tin/cupcake papers.  Bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.  (My cakes required approximately 30 minutes, but I opened the oven twice to check baking.)  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool for ten minutes in tin, and then remove to cool completely on a rack.

Set rack atop a piece of parchment paper.  In a small bowl, stir confectioners sugar with remaining lemon juice until smooth.  Drizzle or pour over cakes.  Allow to set for 30 minutes before serving/storing.  This time allotment allows the icing to set firmly, but it’s really not necessary.  These are finger-licking wonderful!  Go ahead and enjoy. 

Rules are meant to be broken when you are busy thinking outside of the box.

Spring cleaning 101

1. Get the heck out of bed.
2. Write THE list.
3. Gather the cleaning supplies.
4. Go add a few more things to that list.
5. Sidetrack yourself and pull eggs and butter from the fridge.
6. Remind yourself that those pin-point cottons have your name on them and so does that danged ironing board.
7. Think about all the things you could bake today.
8. Hannah needs a visit with Mr. Sprinkles….no, not the cupcake, the bathroom shower.
9. 71 degrees forecast for today.  Sunshine.  Little green babies arriving in the garden.  Blue skies.
10. Back to THAT list.
11. Why did I start a list?  Oh yeah, daughter and son arrive in a week.  I want things, fresh!
12. I think there are emails to answer?   Yes!  I’m sure of it.
13. This pot of coffee is stale.  I need to brew a new pot before I begin cleaning.
14. Maybe I should iron first?
15. Bake first?
16. Check the garden first?
17. Oh, not only are there emails, I have phone calls that need returning.
18. Forget the list.
19. Go to plan B.
20. Enjoy this day.  After all, there is no other like it.   Once it’s gone, it’s really, really gone.

I should have listened

to Mrs. Sheridan.   She tried to warn me.  She told me NOT to do it.  I didn’t heed the warning even though it blared loudly through the fog of the afternoon bake. 

There she was, in all her glory, standing before me trying to gather my attention, just one more time.  Home Economics, Wonder Woman, circa 1967.   And again, there I am, the doting fourteen-year old, eagerly listening and equally ignoring her warnings.   (You should have seen my sewing project.  Others are in the midst of their second and third wardrobe additions and I’m over there trying to get the darts pointed in the same direction on a beautiful, olive green creation destined for the Good Will and a loving and forgiving recipient.)

Things weren’t easy.  Well, wait a minute.  Some folks worked magic in this class.  I didn’t have time for petty jealousy, I was too busy trying to ride their coat tails in my effort to get a passing grade. 

After all, failure ain’t pretty.  Not everything can be trimmed with a paring knife and a heavy dose of frosting.  (And then there are the lights.  The camera.  The action. Yeah.  I know.  I should have been listening in that class, too.)

I filled those cupcake tins over that two-thirds mark, imaginary as it is; I did it anyway!  

When will I learn?

I don’t know about this

it’s wrong on so many levels.  The glazed eyes, the missing cookies, the table top…

THE TABLE TOP?

Bad kitties.

BAD.

A tea party, and I wasn’t invited.

sniff, sniff, sniff.

I heart you, too!

I have a thing for Valentine’s Day.  Some of my fondest memories harken back to my elementary school days.  What is there not to love about this day? 

Cut-out sugar cookies, decorated and inviting in all their glory.  Chocolate hearts and those gosh-darned conversation candies.  Remember when they came in two sizes?  (Maybe they still do and I’m just not shopping in the right store.)  And then there were those precious hand crafted boxes we created to hold our coveted Valentine’s. 

I love this day!   Sincerely.   Fully, and dearly.  And sometimes I wonder: 

What if I sat down with a shoe box, some construction paper, safety scissors and a bit of paste?  Would it all be the same?  Could I recreate the magic?

Probably not.  Seriously, where would I be when I opened my beauty on this beloved day only to find that she was empty?  Oh, how that would tear at my heart, for what is Valentine’s Day if it can’t be shared? 

Exactly.

Here, have a heart.  Heck, have two or three.  No need to thank me.  The crumbs will say it all.

I hope your day is beautiful.  Mine will be.  I’m lucky enough to share it with you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

…..

I promised I’d come back and post the recipe for both the cookie and the icing.  Generally I follow true to a recipe from a 1970’s edition of, Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, an item made with shortening, but this has been my year for all things butter (unsalted). 

The following was discovered while perusing the website, RecipeZaar.com,  and a submission by Kittencal.  My tweaks came about by the reduction of the amount of almond extract and an extra bit of real vanilla in the cookie batter.  Icing tweaks came when I once again reduced the amount of the almond extract and increased the vanilla.  (My tweaks are * and appear in bold and italics.)

 

COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)      *unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs    *room temp

1/2 teaspoon vanilla    *1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract      *1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar (the sugar must be sifted)

1 tablespoon milk (adding in more if needed for proper spreading consistency)      *2 – 3 Tablespoons

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract (can use 1/2 tsp. vanilla in place of the almond)      *1/8 teaspoon almond

food coloring (use your choice of colours)

For cookies; in a large bowl combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; beat using an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.

In another bowl combine the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Set oven to 400°F.      *I baked my cookies at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (do not grease cookie sheets use parchment paper only).

On a very lightly floured surface roll out the dough into about 1/4-inch thickness.

Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.

Place cookies 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 4-6 minutes.     *Mine were baked for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely before icing.

For the frosting; in a small bowl mix the confectioners sugar with milk (start with 1-2 tablespoons, you will likely need more milk for the perfect spreading consistency).

Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until the icing is smooth and glossy (if the icing is too thick add in a small amount more of corn syrup).

Divide into as many separate bowls as you wish for different colours.

Add in food colouring until desired intensity is achieved.

Paint the icing over the cookies using a brush, or dip edges of cookies into icing.

Allow to set on waxed paper.

*I baked my cookies earlier in the day and allowed them to cool (and rest), at room temp before decorating them.  Once decorated, I set them in my cooled oven and allowed them to dry overnight. 

This should be illegal

 

Perhaps it is and I simply don’t know any better.  I just can’t help myself.  I’m so carried away by sugar and citrus peels that I may never find my way back home.  Today, it was the pommelo; tomorrow, that bag of lemons from Sam’s Club.  This is getting serious.  The smell of citrus wafts through my Technicolor dreams of yellow, lime and orange.  I awake and smack my sugar coated lips only to realize I’ve been sleepwalking, once again, and that the fresh batch of lovelies that lay drying at bedtime are now as disorganized as that compost pile Dora forages nocturnally. 

There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.  I thought I knew better by now; I mean seriously: when you are my age you should have some degree of self control!  Somehow this latest obsession has overwhelmed me beyond any reason.  

Perhaps this explains why Dora is so chapped?  (I’m sorry, Dora.)  Really.  If I could help myself, I would.  It’s just not in the cards yet.  Perhaps I’ll grow weary of peels soon, but don’t bet your garbage on it.

 Dora, my explorer:

How do you spell LOVE?

Well, I spell it a bit differently than some, but trust me, it is every bit as loaded and delicious as that chocolate heart, the zoom-zoom auto, or the precious gems others prefer.

Miss GE is getting to know the other Misses GE. They are in cahoots and spillin the beans as I type. My gosh, I never knew I could be so happy. I almost didn’t let that contractor leave. Nick M. and I had been whispering sweet nothings out on the patio, masterfully guised as, Chocolate (Harper and Collins Publishers, 1998); I’d bookmarked a surprise ending for Mr. Contractor, but he excused himself by saying he had one more install on his detail and I knew I couldn’t delay him knowing what all I’d experienced over these past few weeks.  He’ll just have to return when his calendar is less crowded.  In the meantime, please excuse me,  I’m off to kiss my new oven.   Oh, and pardon this less than stellar photo-op; my mind is elsewhere.  I’ll redo this item later.

Sisterly love

I didn’t mean to hide beneath these sheet pans, but I simply couldn’t take the heat in the kitchen. I had so many plans this day. But I was frozen in my tracks by the delayed install of the new oven. Seems that by the time the big box store notified the contractor, the contractor had notified others that they were up first. And so, I frustratingly relented to wait, ‘just another six days’, but I did not go down easy. I went down raging. Not outwardly, but as I often do, swallowing inner turmoil and seeing red, none-the-less, I abandoned the kitchen and took the puppy for a walk.

Today I am sitting as patiently as I can, hoping that my stars align and that there are no hiccups. I am like a child waiting their birthday party. The suspense is making me bonkers and the possibilities of being able to take my kitchen back again, is almost too much to bear. I truly am forcing myself out of this chair, away from this computer and into some housework. I’ve got to putter these remaining hours into oblivion.  I’ve been most patient, but now I think my reserves are spent.  I’m bordering on crazy with a fuse that is so short I will have to find tweezers to find fiber. 

Have a good day.  I’ll be dusting, vacuuming and tossing excesses.  Look for me when I find myself.  Hopefully I’ll be stationed in front of my new oven, manual in one hand, whisk in the other. 

Sidenote:  I made more candied peel this past week.  I was also going for candied almonds, but after roasting them I decided their better days were behind them.  Back to those peels:  My sweet, sweet sister and her husband had a horrible scare last week.  BIL had emergency surgery.  We are so fortunate that he is with us.  I felt helpless and wanted to do something to keep my mind busy, but also to make them something to let them know how much they mean to me.  The tangelo peels out-performed the earlier orange ones.  Soon I hope to make some pommelo (sp).  I spied a couple of those in the market yesterday, hefty ‘little’ buggers!  If you haven’t tried making these lovelies yet, I urge you to ‘go for it’.  They are fantastic!  Both userealbutter.com and DavidLebovitz.com give EXCELLENT advice on how to make them.  Jen does oranges, and David does ginger.  And after seeing Jen’s latest citrus salad I’m considering doing Jicama.  Oh yeah, you read that right!  ;)  (You can find links to their websites in my sidebar.)

Crack me, I’m yours!

And so it was. The crack in the oven glass and the journey defined by the lonely little toaster oven that always knew he could, if only he were given his chance.

The phone rang this afternoon. The new oven has arrived in town and all that stands in the way of it’s installation and initiation is a contractor and his schedule.

But why hurry? I mean really. What will this little toaster oven think when he is once again shoved against the back of the cabinet wall, sent into lonely exile, and deemed no longer necessary?

Yet something tells me that’s not likely to happen. You see, Mr. Little-Big Oven and I have had a good thing going on around here. He knows me; I know him. It’s gotten kind of personal. When he starts to heat up, I start to calm down, and likewise, when my thermostat rises, his adjusts.

I can’t give up on a good thing. The two of us have something very special. If you need evidence, just feast your eyes on these lovelies. Mr. Little-Big and I were in cahoots this very afternoon.

‘Silla’, these are for you!

You know how forgetful I am.  Well now the whole world will know:

These are dedicated to my best friend, ‘Silla’.  They belong to her even though I baked them last year, consumed them, and never told her I’d baked them.  Best friends understand stuff like this.  A best friend also understands a whole lot of stuff that no one else seems to get.  (You know, those funny little idiosyncrasies, ‘widgets’ of your personality that make the ‘whole’ and not simply a ‘part’ of everything you are, hoped to be, or think you are.)  They take you for all you are, and they don’t make excuses for loving you.  They simply do.  Love you, and likewise you love them in return.  Unconditionally.  A best friend takes the lumps out of your oatmeal.  They cast stones at your enemies, silently, but none-the-less, deadly.   They go to bat for you and then they do the unexpected:  They forgive you when you can’t remember if their birthday comes in February or March?

My gift may be late, Silla, but my love won’t be.  It will last your lifetime. 

I promise.

Sweet success

I am smitten by this lovely item. No fancy-schmancy name, just pure and simple:  Fruit and nut bars. These are set to become a member of my handwritten recipe file.  They are simply that decadent. Their most unassuming manner and hypnotic charm snared me; from the very first bite I knew I was on to something known as, a keeper.

I do a lot of perusing recipe and food sites.  When I say a lot, well, it’s evident by the sheer volume of bookmarked recipes I have to tread my way through at weeks end.  I’m not necessarily organized when it comes to my Favorites Box; I try to be, but somehow it becomes burdened and bulging and I find myself culling though it and filing only those items that really send me.  This is one beauty that finally found its way off of the computer page, into the kitchen, and onto my plate.  This lovely was discovered in the archives of that dear, sweet  and charming, David Lebovitz.   I find a lot of wonderful treats that have danced through his kitchen, or rather, kitchens.  The man has his own set of charms. I openly admit that I am cast under his spell.   This is my rendition to his:  Friendship Bar:  Dried Fruit Bar Recipe.

Feel free to shake it up a bit.  Use what you WANT, or better yet, what you HAVE on hand.  That’s the sheer genius of it!  I found myself working magic yesterday with my excesses.  Be prepared:  these are easy, decadent and healthy, or is that healthful?   Oh drads, you get the picture; now go to the kitchen and whip up your own concoction:

Orange you beautiful!

Yes, you really, really are. 

I needed sunshine.  Today started drearily, damp, and is quickly receding to, frozen.  Well, the streets, they’ll be frozen by daybreak.  An ice storm beckons, but I refuse to let  the lack of sunshine put a damper on my spirits.  These lovelies are my remedy.

I discovered these precious bits of sunshine while perusing the beautiful blog, userealbutter.  I’ve wanted to make them from day one.   Travel, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations delayed my effort, but today was my day to play.

Orange Slices

4 large navel oranges, washed and peeled

Using a serrated knife, remove as much pith as possible from the interior of the orange.  Slice oranges into 1/4 inch strips and cover with cold water.   Bring water to a boil, drain and discard the water.  Repeat this process two additional times.  (This process will help to eliminate some of the bitterness associated with the peel.)

…..

3 cups sugar

1 cup cold water

small pinch of salt

Place cold water, pinch of salt, and the sugar into a heavy saucepan.  Stir over medium heat until the syrup reaches 230 degrees on a candy thermometer.  Carefully, and slowly, add the orange slices, reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking until the slices become translucent.  (This took me about 45 minutes in my north Texas kitchen.)

…..

Granulated sugar for coating

When slices are ready, remove saucepan from heat and drain sugar syrup into a sterilized jar (fill jar with hot water and drain BEFORE adding syrup), using a colander or sieve.  Retain syrup, and working with a fork or small tongs, place orange slices atop a cooling rack.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.   Return to the cooled slices, and this time, adding one cup of sugar to a small bowl, roll and coat each slice individually.   Place coated slices onto parchment or waxed paper lined baking sheet and place in a cold oven to dry. 

…..

Store fully dried candy in an airtight container.  Refrigerate the syrup (once it has cooled), and use for pancakes or waffles, tea or coffee beverages.

A minor distraction

and a playful exhibit. 

I love playing with my food, and today was no exception to the rule.  Today’s play yielded some unexpected results.

Sometimes the real equipment may be a necessity.  Take these English Muffin rings from, www.KingArthurFlour.com.   I tried to work magic without them, but it simply wasn’t meant to be.

I should rebound in about a week to ten days when my catalog order arrives.   In the meantime….I’ll just eat the evidence, even if it looks less-than-perfect.  It still tastes good.  Yum!

“Never say never!”

I attempted to do just that.   Rewind to November of 2007, and visit with me during an episode of, Temperamental Oven:

My sourdough starter was born one month earlier, and to this day, I nurture my baby.  Ask anyone that maintains a starter and they will tell you its not just flour and water.  IT’S A LIFE FORM!  We’ll do everything we can to insure its success, and this means we will respect it fully,  no matter what part or process of its existence we are experiencing at the moment.

But this particular day I was feeling especially frustrated and overwhelmed.  My dough had risen beautifully, and my makeshift panettone paper was prepping for her own day of glory.   

Discovering that the oven had not preheated, I made the decision to opt for something I hadn’t tried yet:  baking the bread on the gas grill.   I set about preheating the grill to 450 degrees and while I waited, I searched the Internet for resources to give me instructions and guidance:

Can this be done?  Is it possible?  Has anyone ever baked bread on a gas grill before?  Can I do this?  It was then that I discovered what that white noise was attempting to shout.  It was that ugly word, never!  

A whole-hearted love

Some things aren’t easy.  This was.  As a matter-of-fact, it was so easy, it almost scared me.

I’ve found myself working magic in the kitchen for a few years now.  This past summer was the time affectionately referred to as, All Things Grilled.   This week it is quickly becoming known as, Toaster Baked Trials.  An old oven can be patched-up and band-aided for just so long before it stands up and shouts, “I’M OUT OF HERE!”  And so it is, or will be, as soon as the new one arrives via the big box store.  Until then, let us fast forward to this afternoon, or should I say, rewind?  Yes.  Rewind. 

I’m in the kitchen playing mom to Hannah, my prized, less than papers-perfect Lab.  She’s my inspiration for the day, but then what day is she NOT my inspiration?  She is my world, and today, I am hers.

Cookies for Hannah  (original, don’t you think?…actually, they are :) )

Stir the following in a small bowl and set aside:

• 1 pkg. instant yeast
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 Tablespoon molasses (unsulphured)

……….

Sift these together and set aside:

• 1/2 cup barley flour
• 1/2 rye flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 cup oat bran
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

……….

In a small bowl, mix together and set aside:

• 1/4 cup parsley flakes
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder
• 1 Tablespoon flax seed

……….

Whip together:

• 1 egg (room temp)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth (low-sodium….if not available, just omit the salt)

……….

Using a stand mixer (if you have one and if you don’t…wing it!  I have faith in you,  remember who you’re talking to, Broken Oven Lady), combine all ingredients and mix for one full minute at low speed.

MOVE AWAY from the mixer and remember to return in FIVE MINUTES.   This dough needs a break!

Are you back yet?  Good!  Now turn the mixer to its medium setting and continue working the dough, this time for five minutes.

Turn the mixer off and grab a glass of cold water.  Drink it!  It is good to be hydrated when you are under stress.  Oh, and let the dough rest for another five minutes.

…….

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if baking in a small toaster oven, preheat to 325 degrees).

…..

Lightly dust counter top with flour and remove dough from mixer to this work area.   Hand knead for one minute.  Divide dough into two balls and refrigerate one (or freeze), while you work the other.

To work the dough,  roll each ball into a 1/4 inch thickness, cut into desired shapes with cookie, biscuits cutters or the rim of a small drinking glass.  Place each cut cookie onto a parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet and cover with a piece of plastic wrap that has been lightly misted with oil.  Allow these to gently rise for 15 minutes.  Bake for 10 minutes, flip each and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.  Move to wire rack and allow to cool as you bake additional batches.   Once all cookies have been baked and cooled, RETURN them to the cooled oven, placed upon cookie sheets, stacked if necessary, but with room between for air-circulation, and allow them to sit, undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.  This ‘dry-time’ will allow them to become crisp, cracker-like. 

(Store  cookies within an airtight container.)

**Cookies can be egg-white washed before baking, and seeded.   I used natural sesame seeds for part of this batch.

…..

Hello!  My name is Hannah.

December 2008, Las Vegas

Don’t mind me; I’m in the middle of a learning curve and I’ve simply driven the car off the road and into a ditch.  I’m awaiting the arrival of Tom’s Tow Truck (a.k.a., TTT, or more affectionately known as, Time, Temperament & Tolerance, the initiative to over-throw all things, FRUSTRATING!).

Having visited L.V. in December, and hoping to capture the moments that landed before me, I’ve taken to note writing as a way of remembering what it was that I had served as food fare.  Bear with me, and forgive me while you’re at it; I’m simply trying to plant seeds for future harvest.   Eventually I’ll bake and make these items again; post recipes and photographs and do honor to those that set my stage.  Thanks!

In the meantime, can someone assist Tom with the cables?  I’m busy plotting my next bit of mischief.

********************************************************************************************************

(No particular order, no particular day)

Cheesy Bacon Potato Soup – adapted from Recipezaar submission

Curried Rice with Shrimp – adapted from My Cooking Quest

Emeril’s – Stromboli

M2’s – Fresh Tomatoes with Pasta

Emeril’s  - Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Double Tree Hotel – Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jen’s - Cream Cheese Cookies

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(Forget the food; let’s remember the snowstorm!)

Under the influence

Meet my newest addiction.  Sinful, and yet I boast!  I LOVE this item; she fancied herself pretty, day one, and has yet to disappoint me, always adding that little extra punch to the most ordinary.

I happened upon her years ago.  Advised by a friend that this girl made music as a tea, I set out to discover her notes. 

WOW!  And how she plays them.   Careful in the beginning, but most daring in her finale.    This girl is ALL business.

Perusing David Lebovitz’s lovely food blog during this past holiday season, I discovered he’d found her in all her glory.  She still sings, and this time, she dances. 

WARNING:  Careful.  She still navigates under her influence.

CG kitchen rendition, or better yet,

Ginger does Dallas! 

3/4 lb. fresh Ginger

Begin by peeling and slicing Ginger as thinly as possible.  Place in a small pot and cover with plain water.  Boil for ten minutes.  Drain.   Cover Ginger with fresh water.  Boil again for ten minutes.  Drain.   Return Ginger to the pot and add the following:

2 3/4 cups fresh cold water

2 3/4 cups granulated sugar

pinch of salt

Bring to boil until temp reaches 225 degrees.   Remove from heat and drain liquid into a sterilized jar.  (Save this lovely item for use as a pancake/waffle syrup, or other creative enterprise.)  Next, place your hot Ginger slices, individually, onto a wire cooling rack.  Sprinkle with sugar on both sides.  (I placed a piece of parchment under my wire rack to catch the excesses.  I’ll use this flavored item in an upcoming bake.)

Place cooling rack in cold oven, or other undisturbed area, and allow it to cool and dry, about two days.  Once dry, sprinkle lightly with sugar and shake off the excess.  Place Ginger in a tightly covered container. 

See if she stays put.  She’s notorious for disappearing. 

 

Who left the door open?

Brr.  I’m wearing layers and listening to pennies fly out the window as the heater kicks in for yet another round of effort.    And to think, two days earlier I was in short sleeves and cursing the  lawnmower as I crunched up fallen leaves.

Winter.  It’s for sale.  Do I have any buyers?

I’ve been doing a lot of foot traffic in the kitchen lately, but working on a secret project.  Mums the word, unless of course you happen to see me, and then the words are, “What the heck happened to her?”

Hush!  It’s not nice to talk about people, especially when they have put on a few pounds.  Besides, its all in fun.  I enjoy being plump.  Really.  I do! ……………… Until I happen by a mirror. 

YEEK! 

Don’t close that door just yet; I still have to make my way through it.

Flying by the seat of her pants

This girls got game!

When my 18 year old asked if she could purchase a tray of pre-sliced veggies at Central Market, the first thought that ran through my head was, “Um, pricey (I would know, just last week I did the same for the pre-cuts for the tortilla soup), but I quickly responded, “Go for it!”

You see, this isn’t your ordinary teen in the kitchen.  M2 has had game since day one. She loves experimenting, and although she may sweat the challenge, this girl NEVER gives up on anything.

I’m one proud mama!

:)

Kudos, M2!

No half baked idea

Chocolate chip cookies are comfort food for a reason, so when I ventured into ‘experiementing’ with my prized recipe for this indulgence, the thought occurred, “Umm, do I really want to do this?”…..The result wins a place in my heart and an addition to my handwritten recipe files.   Enjoy!

Chocolate & Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Juice of one medium lemon (approximately 2 Tablespoons)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 and 1/2 cups unsalted butter (room temperature) 

2 eggs (room temperature)

2 egg yolks (room temperature)

2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup cinnamon chips

Assemble all ingredients prior to baking. 

Sift:  Flour, salt, baking soda and espresso powder; set aside.

Cream:  In a large mixing bowl, whip room temp butter until light and fluffy, add sugars and continue beating until a silky consistency is achieved.  Stir in vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Beat in the eggs next, adding one at a time until all are combined and creamed mixture is again, light and fluffy.  Add lemon juice and beat for another few seconds.  Now, combine the sifted dry ingredients gradually, about one cup at a time, being careful  not to overwork the  dough.    (All we want to do at this point is combine our wet and dry ingredients).  Once the flour is added, carefully fold in the chocolate and cinnamon chips. 

Using a large spoon, cookie or ice cream scoop, make large golf-ball sized mounds of cookie dough and place upon a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes at 350 degrees (baking times will vary according to altitude and oven, types.  Cookies should be slightly browned around the edges and the centers set, not mushy!).  Move baked cookies  to a wired cooling rack and allow them to cool thoroughly before storing them in an airtight container.

Proof me wrong

Seeking something to shake me out of my sugar coma, I perused the grocery aisles of Central Market this afternoon.  This place is so easy to love.  They have everything I want, and more.  Today’s choice for dinner was a no-brainer.  Chicken tortilla soup, and as I stood there gathering the already diced and prepped veggie tray and the chicken breast, I had sensory overload:   “Oops!  That bread is on the counter, surely it’s over proofed by now!”  An hour later I would confirm what my ESP talent had already relayed through the dizziness of the sugar coma.   

I baked that sucker anyway.  Besides, they had stale tortilla chips as an alternative.

Today’s little tidbit…..

Chilly winds arrive

Yesterday the temp was 80 degrees, sunshine and calm breezes; today we awoke to the return of the chill, the strong winds and a promise of a frigid start to the work week.  But, before we head into the promise of a cold January, it is time to take an inventory, and with that, attack some of  the clutter that comes from the hustle and bustle of the much too hectic holiday season.

I opened the baking cabinet and saw all the remains of Christmas, and New Years, not yet spent.  It lay there before me;  the chocolate bar, bittersweet and smoldering, those confectioners and brown sugars begging use, and all those lovely and dear spices.  This is when I realized Valentines and Mardis Gras celebrations sit upon my baking horizons and, that sweet prize in February when the kids come to visit.  ’Tis lucky for me that the expiration dates follow later, but who am I kidding?  If I take the time and effort, the last thing I’d do is use the discount of an expired treasure. 

I never bake for the enemy.

:)

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the New Year and all that awaits us.  I hope we are blessed with all things, good, and if we aren’t, that we are provided patience and understanding through our trials. 

I’ve created this blog as a means of sharing my love of food and family.  Relatively new to the blogsphere, in 2005, I found myself in the midst of blogging on a travel network.  (Too much fun!).   Food blogs have since become my escape hatch in this less-than-ordinary world.  Living vicariously through others, I’ve garnered the strength and courage to try my hand at sourdough bread making (amongst other wonderful treats).  I will forever be amazed at the many souls that have encouraged me toward this enlightenment, and it is enlightenment.  Who would have ever thought that flour+water could expand my tiny universe?  Well, me, but isn’t this just about par for my course? 

Life is in the details. 

Happy 2009 to all!

CG