Not As Good As Pork Cracklins

Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes

2011-10-27T13:52:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes - Recipe courtesy of Dessert for Two, whose blog I enjoy.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Muffins

2011-10-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Each issue of Runner's World magazine includes a recipe from a famous cook or chef who also is a runner. This one comes from Mark Bittman. He promises that these are "the lightest, fluffiest, easiest whole grain muffins -- EVER." That's true; they are light and they are fluffy and they are easy. But they could use a tad more salt and a lot more spice. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and several grates of nutmeg and wish I'd used more of each. Still, they're very nice muffins and even if they aren't "healthy", they are at least "healthy-ish".

Lemon Pudding Cakes

2011-10-02T16:28:00.000-05:00

Lemon Pudding Cakes, Fine Cooking #70

Peppers

2011-09-30T19:03:00.000-05:00

Lemondrop

2011-09-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

salmon en papillote

2011-07-29T19:41:00.002-05:00

Sunday Family Dinner on summer vacation + me on a (temporary) baking ban = precious little blogging.

Tonight's dinner was wonderful. Very very flavorful, V v quick, V v little clean-up. I have no rights to it, but you're lucky because Ms. Greenspan herself has posted the recipe.

salmon en papillote, around my french table by Dorie Greenspan

Big Tomato Sandwich

2011-06-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

One of my faithful readers is tired of staring at my last photo, French Macarons, and who could blame him? Sorry buddy, I know you've seen this one too but it's all I've got right now.

This sandwich makes me think of my sister-in-law. It's a rite of summer, when big juicy farm tomatoes are at their peak.

Recipe from "Local Flavors" by Deborah Madison, I bought the book solely based on the stunning photograph of this sandwich that's in it.

1 large (1-pound) loaf ciabatta
Herb vinaigrette, below
2 or more big ripe, juicy tomatoes
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and quartered
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, goat, or other favorite cheese, sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Slice the top third off the loaf of bread and set it aside. Pull out the inside. (You can use it to make bread crumbs.)
Paint the inside of the bread with some of the dressing, then make layers of sliced tomatoes, pepper, and cheese. Bathe each layer with the dressing and season with salt and pepper.
Add the top, press down, then cut into quarters or sixths. This packs well if wrapped tightly.

The Herb Vinaigrette
¼ cup basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons aged red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Finely chop the herbs with the garlic, then add the olive oil. Add the vinegar and ¼ teaspoon salt and season with pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

French Macarons

2011-05-15T15:13:00.002-05:00

America has fallen in love with French macarons. Shouldn't we go to Paris and stand in line at Ladurée as we are meant to? But no. They are everywhere. Every bakery has to have them. Every magazine has to have an article about them. And god knows, if you have a food blog, you have to blog them. Resistance is futile. I swear I tried.

So, French macarons with mocha fudge filling.

I'd like to say that I've had my fun and I'm done. I'm not. I could pretend it's because I have an expensive bag of Bob's Red Mill almond flour to use up. But in truth, it's because my first attempt didn't rise high enough and I didn't pipe my circles very circularly. I want to make some fun flavor-color matches. Like cherry-pink. Nutella-brown. Pistachio-green. And lemon-yellow!! How could I *not* make lemon-yellow macarons??

Cupcakes for Allison

2011-05-13T11:56:00.002-05:00

Qualifying for the US Olympic Trials is a BFD. Allison of Team Rogue Elite, did it by running the BMO Vancouver Marathon in 2:44 (6:18 pace). She gets cupcakes.

Brunch

2011-05-09T11:56:00.006-05:00

Instead of Sunday Family Dinner, yesterday we had Sunday Family Brunch and it was wonderful.

Eric scrambled eggs, I cooked bacon, we toasted some whole wheat english muffins, and had gorgeous little dishes of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Monica took a beautiful photo of the petits pains au chocolate and posted the recipe. Here's a recipe for a take-off on Orange Julius. It sounds silly, but almost everyone loves
it.

Orange Fluff
1 six ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1- 2 tsp vanilla
ice to fill the blender

Easter Ducks

2011-04-23T11:54:00.000-05:00

Classic Pound Cake

2011-04-01T05:57:00.002-05:00

Classic Pound Cake, Fine Cooking #110

Quarter Century!

2011-03-13T18:40:00.000-05:00

Heavenly Coconut Seduction Cake, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, pp. 20-22

Spice Cake with Peanut Buttercream

2011-02-27T18:40:00.000-06:00

Spice Cake with Peanut Buttercream, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, pp.34-36

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-02-13T20:56:00.000-06:00

Red Velvet Cupcakes (More From Magnolia: Recipes From The World-Famous Bakery and Magnolia's Home Kitchen ) with Cream Cheese Frosting, The Whimsical Bakehouse

Lemon-Glazed Banana Scones

2011-02-03T05:39:00.007-06:00

A scone (or two) with coffee in bed on a cold wet morning.

Lemon-Glazed Banana Scones, Fine Cooking #109

B'stilla

2011-01-30T19:31:00.001-06:00

A production. Nothing was terribly difficult (uh, maybe a tiny bit, but not terribly), although it was quite time consuming. Several people who'd already made it recommended doing it over two days, and I'm glad I did. On the first day I marinated the chicken, braised it, pulled it off the bone, and made the sauce. On the second day, I warmed the saucy chicken and assembled the b'stilla. I liked it and everyone else seemed to as well.

Chicken B'stilla, Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce

2011-01-30T12:20:00.002-06:00

Hopefully the idea of "caramel" in a savory dish doesn't scare you because this sauce is lick-your-plate delicious.

A sidebar next to the recipe suggests dressing up these perfectly seared scallops with thin strips of candied orange zest. I did candy the zest, but ended up putting it on steamed green beans with macadamia nuts. An ideal side dish accompaniment, really.

Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce, Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan

Chewy Sugar Cookies

2011-01-25T10:56:00.009-06:00

Before anybody gets excited, let me say straight away that I have no intention of selling my baked goods. That said, my friend and I play a game called "Sellable?"

To be Sellable, the first test is that it needs to taste delicious. That's pretty obvious. It also has to be attractive. And it must be something I can reproduce with consistent results.

Once we determine that something is Sellable, we work backwards from how much we think people would pay for it to decide whether it's cost effective to make, and if it is, how many would go into a package, and that sort of thing.

Monica and I recently made some darling fish cookies. So darling that I made another batch, nicknamed them Your Aquarium and gave them to my friend. The thing is they're tiny (read: "tedius") and I'd never be able to reproduce them with consistent results. Therefore, Not Sellable. Which isn't a problem when your sole motivation is to bake lovely treats for people you're fond of. They don't have to be Sellable. "Sellable?" is a game.

Which brings me back to the Chewy Sugar Cookies, from Cooks Illustrated November December 2010. Totally Sellable. But won't be sold. Then again, I have been known to barter...

Gérard's Mustard Tart

2011-01-18T19:14:00.002-06:00

Dorie Greenspan commented on my blog about a year ago, and I was beside myself with excitement because she truly is one of the cooks, bakers, and authors I most admire.

It was raining on Saturday when my copy of her latest book arrived, so the mail carrier delivered it straight to my front door. I immediately put everything else on hold and sat down to pore over it. The photography is exquisite, and her personality shines through her stories about both the recipes and also living part-time in Paris. Her philosophy is perfectly summarized by a friend of mine, an amazing athlete and a Registered Dietitian who said, "There is nothing finer than small portions of wonderfully prepared food!"

Gérard's Mustard Tart, Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan
(Bon Appétit published a PDF of the recipe; click here.)

Ciabatta

2011-01-06T13:18:00.002-06:00

Smells so good in here!

Craig Ponsford's Ciabatta
recipe adapted by and courtesy of breadbasketcase

Rustic Olive Rolls

2010-12-24T06:46:00.006-06:00

From start to finish, it was a remarkable meal. These Rustic Olive Rolls are similar to one of the three breads that were served. Smeared with a bit of pâté, they remind me of a most pleasurable evening.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

2010-11-24T15:11:00.006-06:00

Incredibly easy, incredibly gorgeous and incredibly delicious. This should be your go-to when you need a show-stopper of a dessert but you don't know how to bake.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart
(adapted from Real Simple Magazine)

baking soda
3/4 cup hazelnuts
30 plain chocolate wafer cookies
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
big fat flaky salt (fleur de sel or similar, definitely not table salt or kosher salt)

Bring a medium-large saucepan of water to boil. Add a couple tablespoons of baking soda. It will come to a furious sputtering boil. Add the hazelnuts. The water will turn a horrendously ugly color as the baking soda and hazelnut skins chemically react. After a few minutes (3? 4?), drain them and use a towel to rub off the skins. They don't have to be perfect, but do the best you can because the skins tend to be bitter. And unsightly.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts on a sheet pan and bake them for 10-12 minutes. You want them to be toasty smelling and beginning to color, but not overly.

In a food processor, grind about 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Add the cookies and butter. Pulse until moist and crumbly. Press into a 14x4 rectangular tart pan. If you've ever made a graham cracker crust, pretend you're doing that.

Put the tart pan on the sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. You want it to be starting to dry out and looking sort of "set". Cool it on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, heat the cream until simmering. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate. Let it cool for a few minutes until it just barely starts to thicken, then pour it into the cooled crust. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Chop the rest of the nuts, about 1/4 cup. Sprinkle them over the tart. Refrigerate till you're ready to serve it. Sprinkle on some flaky salt and cut into narrow slices.

the divine Miss M

2010-07-31T21:18:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, dear Monica,
Happy Birthday to you!

Small Chocolate Amaretto Cake

Cake
6T. unsalted butter
4 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
3 eggs, separated
1/8 tsp salt

Buttercream
2 T. unsalted butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 T. Amaretto

French Chocolate Glaze
6 oz semisweet chocolate
3 T. cream
1.5 T. butter

Cut parchment to fit 6" pan. Spray pan with nonstick spray and lay parchment on bottom. Preheat oven to 350 and set a teapot of water to boil.

Melt butter and chocolate. Let stand for a minute. Add sugar and flour. Mix in one egg yolk at a time.

Beat egg whites and salt to stiff peaks. Gently fold them into the chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan.

Place cakepan into a larger pan and add hot water to the depth of about 1". Bake for approx. 1 hour. Remove pan from water, cool for 15 min. Invert onto wire rack, peel off parchment, cool completely.

Spread buttercream all over. Freeze for 15 min.

Be patient. Melt chocolate together with cream. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in butter until melted. Cool, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

Put cake on wire rack. Pour chocolate glaze over and allow to drip over sides. Spread with a spatula ONCE, then leave it alone. Leave it be for at least an hour.

Wish her a Happy Birthday, because she is most wonderful.

Sourdough

2010-07-22T13:41:00.004-05:00

Two 2-lb. loaves of Country White Sourdough and two 1-lb. loaves of Rosemary Olive Oil Sourdough, Breads from the La Brea Bakery by Nancy Silverton

Black & Whites

2010-07-18T08:51:00.010-05:00

While other people might just hear the melody, I also hear the lyrics when I listen to music. A song that shuffled up recently is "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" by Cage the Elephant. Which might be apropos because my insomnia, which never quite goes away, is back with a vengeance.

I also seem to notice things when I'm running that other people don't. A skinny little dead snake. A blooming century plant. The Lunar Eclipse.

Now you have the back story behind my middle of the dark decision to bake Black & Whites. Apparently they are also called "half moons", though I've never heard them called that.

Ginger Streusel Peach Pie

2010-06-27T04:39:00.004-05:00

Every time I've made a pie, I've said "No more pies!" They've frustrated me too much. So what do you think I did yesterday? I baked another pie.

It's not the masochist in me. It's that I don't like not being good at something that I want to be able to do well. So I get frustrated, but I keep plugging away at it. Practice, practice, practice, right?

Texas peach season is in full swing. You can't go anywhere without passing several roadside sellers. When TracyK and Jean raved about this pie on the CTC message board, I knew I was doomed to make it.

Whoa, is it rich! The custard-to-peach ratio is higher than I expected, which makes me wonder if my Texas peaches were too small. They're definitely not the size of Georgia or South Carolina peaches, and even though I did use a pound, maybe my pound was more pit and less flesh?

The pie is delicious -- I had a slice just now with coffee -- and I'm super happy that I made it. I definitely didn't cry, and I don't think I cursed. Well, maybe once. I'd forgotten to shield the crust and flew around the kitchen to find it and put it on. That was minor, though, and definitely didn't frustrate me, just a minor little expletive. Dare I say I can bake a pie without getting frustrated? Eh, I hate to go there yet.

Ginger Streusel Sour Cream Peach Pie, recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour

Strawberry Ice Cream

2010-06-14T15:36:00.002-05:00

My friend Jess loaned the ice cream attachment for a Kitchen Aid mixer to me so I could try before I buy. I'd intended to make mint chip ice cream, because I had a huge bouquet of freshly harvested mint. But I used it to make jalapeno mint jelly (where's that blog entry?), and was thusly mintless. Go ahead, call me out on that, as there's clearly a sprig in the photo. While not technically mintless, I didn't have enough to make mint chip ice cream, with mint being the star, not the garnish.

Gary came home with 3 pounds of strawberries on top of the pound I'd already purchased. Didn't take long to figure out my next step. Off to the interwebthingie I went, looking for recipes.

Sour cream may sound like an odd ingredient for ice cream, but it does two things here: it balances the sweetness and it adds incredible richness. Everybody knows that heavy cream alone wouldn't be rich enough! A touch of kirsch (I do seem to have a well-stocked liquor cabinet!) adds subtle flavor, and also its alcohol keeps the ice cream from freezing too hard.

A while back I had the pleasure of taking a cooking class that David Lebovitz taught at Central Market. The man knows what he's doing. This stuff is GOOD.

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream, The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz

Pecan-Chocolate Squares

2010-06-12T14:53:00.004-05:00

Thanks,Toni! As soon as I saw your post, I knew what I'd bake for the card party that Gary is hosting tonight.

Before they inhale the whole batch, I'm setting aside a couple for tomorrow morning's coffee date. Perhaps you can find a way to thank me later.

Pecan-Chocolate Squares, Fine Cooking #70

Chocolate Cream Pie

2010-06-07T20:22:00.005-05:00

This pie demands whipped cream. It does. Copious amounts. It is rich, chocolate-y, decadent. It was universally adored at Sunday Family Dinner. Worshipped, even.

Naughty thoughts of whipped cream from a can are probably someone's idea of a fantasy. Not mine. Freshly whipped real cream, lightly sweetened and with a hint of extract, is so much more dreamy, so much more delicious. It turns "demanding" into "perfect".

Chocolate Cream Pie, Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2001

Strawberry Pie

2010-05-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

recipe

Oatmeal Cookies

2010-05-28T10:03:00.004-05:00

Off season. Earned it. Milking it for all that it is worth. If I want to run, I run. If I don't, I don't. If I want to bake, I do. Who are we kidding? I always want to bake. Now I have oodles of time and energy.

Half recipe of Saucer-Size Oatmeal Cookies, using dried Michigan cherries instead of craisins. With chocolate chips and toasted pecans in them too, these are some hefty cookies, so I didn't make them saucer-sized. Sorry.

-------------------
Update: I like these better.

Blondies

2010-05-26T14:58:00.004-05:00

For Mike because it's his birthday.

(Don't worry, honey, I set a couple aside for you :)

Vanilla Dreams

2010-05-21T10:11:00.004-05:00

Since the name of today's cookies is Vanilla Dreams, I'll share a snippet of lyrics that shuffled up on my iPod as I ran this morning:

I can't believe that we would lie in our graves, wondering if we had spent our living days well. I can't believe that we would lie in our graves, dreaming of things that we might have been.

Summer Rolls & Dumplings

2010-05-20T17:46:00.003-05:00

To celebrate the end of Jess's semester (straight A's!!), we planned another fun cooking day. I told her that she needed to come up with the idea, because she's a better picker than I am. The only kindasorta rule I have is that it should be a project that neither of us has undertaken before.

Summer Rolls and Steamed Chinese Dumplings won. A few thoughts:

The recipe for Vegetable Summer Rolls is a winner, but only makes four. Ummm... neither Jess nor I think it would be worthwhile to make four of these. We made them until we ran out of ingredients, which I think was 15. We didn't assemble them exactly as directed, because I'd researched summer rolls in Fine Cooking and gotten ideas for how to make the outside look pretty. We tried various combinations -- green herbs on white noodles, green herbs on orange carrot and a few others.

They are delicious. The flavors are fresh, light and perfectly balanced with cilantro, mint & basil. The peanut sauce (not pictured) is good enough to eat with a spoon (we didn't) or to lick with your finger (we did).

just prior to our first taste-test:

The recipe for Shrimp & Spinach Dumplings with Asian Dipping Sauce is also a winner. We would change two things, though. The instructions say to cut the wonton wrappers into circles. Ha! Jess said there was no way she was doing that (waste! tedium! no way!). I said we'd do at least a few and then if she wasn't having fun, we leave the rest in squares. Plus, we know that you can buy round wonton wrappers, and why the recipe doesn't specify that to begin with, we don't understand. We would next time. We also think you could double or triple or quadruple the amount of spinach.

steaming dumplings:

Too. Much. Fun!!! We had a great time, as we always seem to. The food turned out great, as it always seems to. Next up, we're either having a Paella Party or we're doing a huge Indian spread. Stay tuned!

Banana Cupcakes

2010-05-14T20:13:00.004-05:00

Banana Refrigerator Cake with Dreamy Creamy White Chocolate Frosting, Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Pickled Beets

2010-05-12T11:11:00.006-05:00

My post Boston Marathon tradition is to walk to B&G Oysters for wine, oysters on the half-shell, and a lobster roll. I love their bread & butter pickles, too. Last year, I had a long conversation about them with the bartender, and I wasn't surprised to learn that they're made in-house. This year, I gave Susan a few off my plate. She asked if I'd ever made pickles, which I hadn't, but mostly because I don't have my own personal cucumber supplier, as she does.

Lately however, I have had a bounty of beets. Which made me remember. When I was a little girl, we often had a huge container of pickled beets in the refrigerator, but I had no appreciation for them whatsoever. Since then, I've learned to enjoy a lot of foods that I wasn't crazy about as a child. And because pretty much everything is better when you make it yourself with farm-fresh ingredients, I decided to give it a try.

I'm quite pleased with myself. They're very, very good. Now, what to do with all this kohlrabi?

Boston Cream Pie

2010-04-25T08:13:00.001-05:00

Not only to celebrate turning another year older but also to celebrate having run my fastest marathon so far, I made a Boston Cream Pie for Sunday Family Dinner.

I mostly followed the Boston Cream Pie instructions from Shirley O. Corriher's book Bakewise. However, she torts the cake into three layers, while I went with the traditional two. Also, I made a half recipe of Rose Levy Beranbaum's crème pâtissière, instead of Ms. Corriher's.

To be honest, this is not my kind of thing. Hello? Where's the lemon? Where's the ginger? But it seemed like the right thing to do, and I suspect everyone else will love it.

Orange Chiffon Cupcakes

2010-04-22T20:36:00.006-05:00

Eric called them Creamsicle Cupcakes, and that's about right. Funny, as much as I love citrus, these didn't do anything for me.

Orange Chiffon Cupcakes, Cupcakes!, by Elinor Klivans

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

2010-04-13T12:47:00.003-05:00

Not very sweet, half whole grain, oil instead of butter, another healthy-ish muffin. I'll prolly wrap up and freeze a couple of these to take to BeanTown.

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins, recipe courtesy of Eating Well

Lemon Buttermilk Poundcake

2010-04-11T12:18:00.004-05:00

Better late than never? I uploaded the photo, but didn't post.

Conventional wisdom says "be careful what you wish for", but sometimes I wish that every night were Sunday Family Dinner Night.

Easter Egg Cookies

2010-03-29T18:59:00.005-05:00

Where does the time go????

Last week, I baked and froze some cut-out cookies, so that I could leisurely decorate them later.

Today, I had an appointment in the morning that got postponed at the last moment until the afternoon. To accommodate, I canceled my prior afternoon appointment and proceeded to make royal icing. If you use gel food coloring, instead of liquid, it won't change the texture of your icing as much.

I had fun decorating my pre-baked cookies! I flubbed a few, but that's ok; they end up as "cook's reward". The only problem was, I still had quite a bit of icing left and I couldn't bear to throw away those pretty colors.

I decided to throw together another batch of cookies. That sort of negated the whole pre-bake-decorate-leisurely thing. I was reasonably patient as the second batch cooled, but my rescheduled appointment was looming. I decorated the new cookies, tore off my apron and left the kitchen in disarray.

Chocolate Cinnamon Babka

2010-03-18T14:45:00.007-05:00

In January, Eve, Cheryl, Jess, & I met at Central Market to take a class from the legendary Peter Reinhart. The class was based on his most recent book, Artisan Breads Every Day.

Jess is on Spring Break this week and we were long overdue for a cooking project. She suggested babka, our favorite of the recipes that were demonstrated in class. We each made a batch of the dough last night.

Unfortunately, I fell awake at one-thirty-something in the morning and my second thought was "Oh no! I forgot the dough!" I was supposed to refrigerate it after its first rise. The recipe had an alarming amount of yeast -- two TABLESPOONS! -- and I had visions of exploding dough all over my kitchen. I leapt up and ran to check. All was well. I threw it in the fridge and went back to bed for what restless dream-filled sleep I could get.

Together this morning, Jess and I made double batches of the chocolate cinnamon filling and the streusel topping. Then we took turns rolling out the dough, sprinkling it with filling and rolling it up like a log. Each log was then split down the middle and criss-crossed, making two braided loaves.

During their second rise, Jess & I went on a grocery shopping excursion. When we got back, we put the bread in the oven to bake while we ate a virtuous but delicious lunch. We were rewarded with incredibly rich, flaky, buttery, chocolate-y, cinnamon-y goodness.

Smith Island Cake

2010-03-14T19:34:00.000-05:00

I rarely get angry. I mostly get frustrated. I dissolve into tears, transforming into a crying, sobbing, weeping, inconsolable mess. When I've worked myself into that state, it's best that you not try to tease me into a better humor. Restrain your smart mouth.

Try pretty words. Try a tender kiss on the head. Though -- to be honest -- it's unlikely that either of those would have been successful when I saw that slide-age had occurred:

Smith Island Cake

p.s. Yes, of course it tastes good! That's not the point!

Whipped Cream Cake

2010-03-08T07:37:00.011-06:00

This is one of the quicker, easier cakes in Rose's Heavenly Cakes. To make things even quicker and easier, I prepped it all on Saturday. Cream measured into a beaker with a lid, into the refrigerator. Dry ingredients whisked in a bowl with a lid, left on the countertop. Oven rack in correct position. Pan set out. Whisk attached to mixer. Everything ready so that on Sunday I could bake a cake in no time flat.

Except Sunday dinner was canceled. Gary wasn't feeling well and Eric had other plans. I ate Poached Flounder with Mint Beurre Blanc at 4:30 in the afternoon because I was hungry and had no reason to wait.

Problem was, I woke up wanting my Monday morning routine of coffee with leftover dessert from Sunday dinner. And there was no leftover dessert. Hmmm... just how quick and easy might it be to bake the cake right here, right now? We won't know until we try!

Turns out, very. Just in time for my second cup of coffee.

Whipped Cream Cake, Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-03-02T15:27:00.003-06:00

"Did you have this all planned out???"

Today, I thought I did. If I accomplished the tasks on my list, I'd get a prize. Incentives are good! But somehow I got sucked into reading blogs, including Anna's, and before I knew it I had a half-batch of ginormous cookies in the oven. That pretty much guaranteed that I wouldn't get my prize today. I will get it. Just not today.

Felix K.'s 'Don't even try to say these aren't the best you've ever eaten, because they are' Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pie Crust Ratings

2010-02-23T11:46:00.006-06:00

People keep asking, so here are my thoughts on the crust recipes I tried.

Least fussy: Butter Pie Dough, Fine Cooking #54.
The pros:
1) You can throw it together with out any freezing of ingredients or silly mixing instructions and you roll it right away, without chilling first.
2) Taste matters, and this crust is all-butter and all-delicious.
3) It was flaky and crisp.
The cons:
1) It did shrink some. Not terribly, but enough that I give it a few demerits.

Nearly guaranteed results: Cook's Illustrated Fool Proof Pie Dough
The pros:
1) Fool Proof
2) Little to no shrinkage
3) Using vodka is fun
4) Great texture, very good taste
The cons:
1) Shortening. Even though I used "good" shortening, shortening is kinda gross.
2) Fussy.

Least favorite: Basic Flaky Pie Crust, The Pie & Pastry Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum
The pros:
1) I love Rose.
2) Her recipes give me confidence to try things I'm scared to try.
3) Very good taste
The cons:
1) Shrinkage!

Those are the three about which I figured most people would be most curious. I tried several other recipes, and while none of them was particularly bad, none was particularly good either.

Other things I learned:

I didn't find as much difference in the results whether I used glass, ceramic or metal pie pans.
To get a crisp crust, preheat a heavy-duty (restaurant quality) sheet pan while you preheat the oven. Bake the crust in its pie pan directly on the hot sheet pan.
Don't underbake. The deliciousness comes from the carmelization. Pale skin is good. Pale pie crust is not. Use a shield if necessary. I love this one.

Pixie Pie

2010-02-22T20:13:00.005-06:00

I don't know if I achieved my stated objective, but I'm pretty comfortable with pie crust these days. Gary not only eats it but also says he likes it. I'm ready to move on. Before I do, I just had to bake one more.

As I mentioned last year, I've been collecting a series of books, The Good Cook: Techniques & Recipes that were published by Time Life in the late 1970's. I currently own eighteen of them, with the most recent acquisition being, of course, Pies & Pastries.

As I read through my new book, one recipe in particular caught my eye. I didn't know what a Pixie Pie might be, and frankly didn't care. I wanted to make it because of the name.

Turns out it's chocolate and what's not to like about chocolate? Well, in my case, it's the gelatin. I don't have anything against gelatin from a vegetarian vs. non-vegetarian perspective. In fact, I think the gelatinous qualities of homemade chicken stock are one of the main reasons to make your own.

But when I was a kid, our family didn't have fruit suspended in jello for dessert. We didn't eat much jello at all, and when we did, I didn't care for the texture. I have memories (ah! now we're getting to something!) of being in the hospital and there being gelatin on the dreaded meal tray. Gag.

So. Pixie Pie is unlikely to be a repeat recipe. Which is sad, really. "Pixie" is a such a cute name.

[edit: Jean requested the recipe, so I may as well put it here, in case anyone else wants it]

Pixie Pie

1 fully baked pie shell (I used the Butter Pie Dough from Fine Cooking #54)

2 T. unflavored powdered gelatin
2/3 c. sugar, divided use
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. light cream
3/4 c. water
2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
3 eggs, separated, yolks lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
whipped cream to serve

In a saucepan, thoroughly mix together the gelatin, 1/3 c. sugar, and the salt. Add the light cream, water, and chocolate. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and the gelatin dissolved; do not boil.

Stirring constantly, slowly pour the mixture over the egg yolks. Return the mixture to the saucepan, cook, and stir until thickened (about three minutes). Cool for 15 minutes.

Beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating to stiff peaks. Blend in the chocolate mixture. Add the vanilla extract. Spoon the filling into the cool pie shell. Chill until firm. Garnish with whipped cream.

Banana Cream Pie

2010-02-07T15:44:00.010-06:00

Pies are a frickin' pain in the ass.

Sorry Mom. Sorry Dad. At least you didn't actually hear me scream it across the kitchen like Gary did.

They've all been good, this one went over particularly well, and there's one more pie on my immediate to-do list. But then I swear I'm back to bread, cakes, cookies, anything but pies, for a while.

Banana Cream Pie, The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Applesauce Muffins

2010-02-04T14:17:00.003-06:00

Another healthy-ish muffin. They are moist, tender and mildly fragrant. I think the spices could be increased and I think the recipe needs about 1/4 tsp. salt. If you try them, please let me know what you think.

In a large bowl, stir together
1 1/4 c. applesauce
1 egg
2 T. oil
1/4 c. honey

In a separate bowl, whisk together
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and combine only until just moistened. Briefly stir in 3/4 c. raisins.

Divide the batter amongst 12 greased muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean, approximately 15 minutes.

Applesauce Muffins, adapted from Jane Brody's Good Food Book

Spiced Orange & Cranberry Snacking Cake

2010-01-31T19:31:00.004-06:00

I read cookbooks the way some people read novels. Actually, I read novels, too. I don't usually buy novels, though. I borrow them from the library and return them in a mostly timely manner. I buy cookbooks. Sometimes after pre-screening from the library, sometimes not. I take solace in knowing that I have a friend or two who suffers from the same compulsion.

I bought four new cookbooks last week. I don't need four new cookbooks, necessarily, but I convinced myself that I needed them. One is Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman. These aren't "production" cakes. Rather, they tend to be simple, perhaps one layer or loaf or bundt, maybe with a glaze or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. The type of cake you'd keep on your counter for mid-week nibbling.

Good thing they're simple too, because I was able to bake one in the early morning hours today, even before I'd run, to have for Sunday dinner tonight. And although it was the easiest dessert I've made in months, everyone ate seconds and some people had thirds.

Spiced Orange & Cranberry Snacking Cake, served with orange sherbet

Lemon Meringue Pie

2010-01-24T16:46:00.005-06:00

Gack. Baking a pie wasn't on my agenda this weekend! But I learned late Friday night that Saturday would be National Pie Day, so how could I not? I baked the crust and filling yesterday, and made the meringue this afternoon in time for Sunday dinner.

Lemon Meringue Pie, Fine Cooking #38

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins

2010-01-22T17:56:00.000-06:00

FoF. Also known as "Fear of Failure". There. I publicly admit it. I have managed to work myself into a state over a silly B race.

To divert my attention and to be sure that I eat something Sunday morning, I threw together a healthy-ish batch of muffins.

Pumpkin Pie

2010-01-18T21:38:00.003-06:00

"You take pleasure in making me miserable!" Have truer words ever been spoken?

My stated objective is to master the art of homemade pie crust. That's never going to happen if I don't practice. Therefore, even though it's not exactly pumpkin pie season anymore, I set out to make Cooks Illustrated's version of pumpkin pie.

Why oh why oh why? If the objective is the crust, I could have poured in any ole filling, right? But nooooo. I had to go with yet another fussy recipe, as if Saturday's lesson wasn't recent enough. *sigh*

This crust is much flakier than the first recipe I tried. And the filling, while fussy, is quite good. That, from someone who doesn't particularly care for pumpkin pie.

--------------

EDIT on 01/21/10: Upon further reflection (and a few more sample bites), it should be noted that this recipe will go down in history as the pumpkin pie that changed my mind about pumpkin pie.

Chocolate Streusel Coffee Cake

2010-01-17T12:55:00.008-06:00

After reading so many positive reviews of this cake, and being eager to bake more from this book, I made this yesterday to take to a birthday breakfast today.

It's fine. Really. It's fine.

But I wouldn't make it again. I've made other sour cream coffee cakes that were just as good and less fussy.

Fussy #1: It calls for an odd-sized bundt pan, not the typical 10-cup pan that most of us have. And then you're supposed to make 2 cupcakes with the extra batter, because all together it's not enough to fill up a regular pan. Or you can make 12 cupcakes. Then it's not really coffee cake, is it?

Fussy #2: It calls for 8.5 ounces of sour cream. A standard container is 8 ounces. Do I really need another half ounce? Seriously?

Fussy #3: It calls for an egg plus an egg white. Oh come on. Can't I throw the other yolk in there, so I don't have to think of something to do with it other than making a trip to the compost pile?

I think I had a Fussy #4 and maybe a Fussy #5. But for now, Mike said I could have a nap once it was past noon (it's past noon!!!) and I haven't soaked my sore feet yet.

Chocolate Streusel Coffee Cake, Rose's Heavenly Cakes

Seared Tuna

2010-01-15T09:25:00.000-06:00

These days, I blog so much about baking that many people think that's all I do. In fact, I cook more than I bake. And it's been far too long since I've used the blog to sing the praises of my fishmonger Mario. I love that man! He carefully chooses everything he sells to me, examining shrimp one by one, each individual mussel, perfectly trimming every portion of fish. If I ask for 2/3 of a pound, he gives me exactly 10.67 ounces. He always asks me how I'm going to prepare it, and gives me hints & tips.

A few weeks ago, he wasn't behind the counter and some kid was packing up what I needed for that night's cioppino. Mario returned from his break and asked what I was making. When I told him, he got all excited and told me to wait there while he went to the freezer.

He gave me, no charge, a pint of crab stock that he'd made! I told him that no way was I putting it in my cioppino, that I would save it for crab bisque. I made the bisque for Sunday dinner two weeks ago and OMG, that was the best soup ever!

Sorry no photo of the bisque, but here's a photo of last night's seared tuna. It was fabulous.

Angel Food Cake

2010-01-10T07:31:00.006-06:00

Recent discussion about whether to be "race weight" for a B race when my A race is still 3+ months away.

[An explanation for my friends and family who are not athletes: An "A" race is a very important race, one that you work hard for and want the best result possible. A "B" or "C" race could be for fun, it could be a test of current fitness and reasonableness of goals, or it might be for experience.]

Now that I think about it, it wasn't even so much a discussion as a proclamation not to.

Decision made, or proclamation issued, or seed planted, or whatever you wish to call it. Nevertheless, as I planned Sunday dinner this week, I chose a light dessert. Because let's be honest, we all know what happens to most of the leftovers: I eat Ginger Cheesecake for breakfast.

Ginger Cheesecake

2010-01-03T12:13:00.005-06:00

The cheesecake itself is perfect, in my opinion. Just the right texture. The flavor doesn’t scream “GINGER!”, but is delicate and floral.

Unfortunately, my gingerbread people were too tall. That's the sort of thing that would normally bring me to frustrated tears, but today I was calm. I simply broke them at the waist and proceeded to nibble the extra bits.

Ginger Cheesecake, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, Rose Levy Beranbaum

Silver and Gold

2009-12-19T15:20:00.007-06:00

Silver and gold, silver and gold
Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold
How do you measure its worth?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth.

Gold Dust Cookies, adapted from Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson.

Crackers!

2009-12-04T18:58:00.003-06:00

Wheat Thins, King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking

Onion Crackers

Lavash Crackers

I don't live in a perfect world. If I did, I'd be neighbors with Sheri and Jess. We'd run back and forth between our homes, borrowing, baking, being friends. And that's just the beginning of the perfect world that I don't live in. Oh well. It is what it is.

Jess & I haven't had a cooking project in far too long. We decided on crackers. When it comes to these kinds of baked goods, people nearly always ask me if it's worth it to bake it yourself, when you can so easily buy it. Worth it in terms of price? Sometimes, not always. Worth it in terms of quality? Sometimes, not always (I think that would trend more towards "absolutely!" if I practiced more). Worth it in terms of experience, pleasure, satisfaction? Absolutely!

In In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan is surprisingly open to the idea of eating things like french fries. If you make them yourself. Because it's all too easy to go through a drive-through, order fries, inhale far too many fries, and do it all too frequently. Because it is so easy. But if you had to peel all the potatoes, cut all the potatoes, fry all the potatoes, look at and smell the oil, dispose of the oil... well, you wouldn't eat fries so often. And if you only ate french fries as often as you were willing to go to the trouble of making them, it wouldn't affect your health very much.

Yes, it's worth it to make your own crackers. Not only do you appreciate the cracker (versus ripping open a package and wolfing down half of it before you know what happened), you also know exactly what's in it. In the case of the wheat thins: whole wheat flour, a tiny bit of sugar, vanilla, a miniscule amount of salt, paprika, butter, and water. That's it. Nothing weird or unpronouncable.

I got to spend time with my friend Jess. We had great fun and we each took home three kinds of delicious homemade crackers. In a perfect world, I'd do it all the time.

Buttermilk Chess Pie

2009-11-29T19:36:00.000-06:00

As Rose Levy Beranbaum says, "There are two kinds of people: cake people and pie people."

I am a cake person. My husband has a long standing joke that he only likes two kinds of pies: hot and cold. He is a pie person.

I recently resolved to bake more pies, and flipping through the pages of my book of choice, I remembered something I hadn't thought of for a long time. When I was living in Florida and my grandmother was getting old, I frequently took her to the Piccadilly Cafeteria, which seemed to make her very happy. As we'd go down the buffet line, there were certain things she clearly wanted, but would only get if I would get them too. Hoping to entice her to eat heartily, I'd be enthusiastic and agree to things I didn't really want. Like chess pie. Every. Single. Time.

Tonight's pie is for my husband, but it's in honor of my mammy, who always had a jar of brandied fruit on the counter-top, made the greatest chocolate pound cakes, and taught me when to flip a pancake.

Buttermilk Chess Pie, The Pie & Pastry Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum

Basic Flaky Pie Crust

2009-11-29T13:41:00.006-06:00

I intend to master the art of homemade pie crust. Starting today. And, although I don't often blog "process" photos, I am ridiculously happy with the dough for tonight's dessert, so I took a few.

Somehow I managed to roll a nearly perfect circle. I'm not sure that will ever happen again.

A tip I learned from... somewhere. I forget where. To transport the rolled dough to the pie plate, drape it around the rolling pin. Ta da! I was able to move it without stretching or breaking it, and it landed in the center.

I shall acquire crimping skills. Someday.

Basic Flaky Pie Crust (buttermilk variation p. 25), The Pie & Pastry Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum

Holiday Bundt Cake

2009-11-26T18:26:00.005-06:00

When I first started this blog back in October 2004, it was at the suggestion of my friend Sheri, whose blog is Pork Cracklins. As I am neither the accomplished cook nor the tech savvy blogger that she is, I named mine "Not As Good As Pork Cracklins". Neither of our blogs has a thing in the world to do with pork cracklins.

Though I do still occasionally blog about cooking, over the years, NAGAPC (or as another friend calls it, "Not A Bad Ass") has begun leaning more and more toward baking. I guess I've baked since I was kid, but it's only been fairly recently that I've paid attention to where the recipes come from and who writes them. I've learned that there are certain authors whose recipes can be completely trusted and whose tastes tend to be similar to mine.

Some of my baking inspirations are:

Rose Levy Beranbaum, whose classic books are some of the greatest baking tutorials ever written, including: The Pie & Pastry Bible (I need to use it more), The Bread Bible (LOVE it!), The Cake Bible (my first "real" buttercreams), and Heavenly Cakes (destined to be another classic).

Abigail Johnson Dodge, who used to be a contributing editor for my favorite magazine, Fine Cooking. The only book I own is The Weekend Baker. "My" two signature recipes are actually hers: Double Ginger Crackles and Chocolate Banana Swirl Cake. Several of my go-to reliable, favorite recipes are hers as well: Supermoist Banana Muffins and Emergency Blender Cupcakes.

Dorie Greenspan, whose Baking With Julia(Child) should be in every kitchen. But the book of hers I love the most is Baking From My Home To Yours. The first time Carolyn did the Tahoe Triple, I baked Perfect Party Cake to celebrate, and "perfect" truly describes it. In fact, everything I've made from that book is perfect.

Try to imagine how star-struck I was last week when Dorie Greenspan commented on Not As Good As Pork Cracklins about my Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Black Raspberry Swirl! She said it looked "perfect" and that she was glad I'd made it. As I told my marathon friends, it would be like Arthur Lydiard slapping you on the back, saying "nice run"!

You might think that I reacted by baking another of her recipes so soon, but in fact, I'd already made my next cake -- her Holiday Bundt Cake -- and frozen it for Thanksgiving Day. It was all I could do to keep it, not cut into it, and not blog about it. It's moist, dense, fragrant with cinnamon, and studded with cranberries, apples and nuts. Like every other recipe of hers I've made, it too is perfect.

Holiday Bundt Cake, Baking From My Home To Yours, Dorie Greenspan

Nanny's Victoria Sponge

2009-11-22T12:24:00.011-06:00

The other day, the pin in my tilt head KitchenAid somehow worked its way out. I mentioned it to my oh-so-handy husband, so that he could put it back in. What I didn't say was, "Please might you do it as soon as possible, so that I may use it if I wake up in the wee hours of the night and want to bake a cake?"

I used it anyway, figuring that the horrific noise the broken mixer made would be enough to wake him up so he'd fix it for me. But it didn't and he didn't.

The resulting cake is Nanny's Victoria Sponge, which I knew as soon as Three Many Cooks posted, I'd be baking as dessert for a Sunday dinner.

As it turns out, tonight's dessert is also Gary's de facto birthday cake. While tomorrow is his 55th birthday, tonight is the night that Eric, Monica, Mike, Sandy and Doris will join us around the dinner table. Happy Birthday, Gary!

Multi-Grain Dinner Rolls

2009-11-21T16:49:00.002-06:00

I got a head start on Thanksgiving yesterday, including a dessert I'll blog about later, as well as the initial mixing and overnight rise of the dough for the dinner rolls. Today they got a second rise and then they were shaped, proofed and baked. Now into the freezer. Except one sacrificial mini roll, so I'd know if they're any good. They are.

Multi-Grain Dinner Rolls, Bon Appetit, November 2009, Peter Reinhart

Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Black Raspberry Swirl

2009-11-19T13:16:00.007-06:00

Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Black Raspberry Swirl, 1-2-3 Bake, Dorie Greenspan

Coffee Break Muffins

2009-11-16T07:15:00.004-06:00

Simple, plain even, and not too sweet. Very tender and quite delicious. I sprinkled with coarse decorating sugar to dress them up just a bit. A definite repeat.

Coffee Break Muffins, Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan.

Oatmeal Raisin Bar Cookies

2009-11-13T16:51:00.002-06:00

To go with afternoon coffee. And who knows, maybe morning coffee.

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

2009-11-11T11:20:00.004-06:00

"Uh oh..."

Blueberry Crumb Muffins, The Modern Baker, Nick Malgieri

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Tart

2009-11-08T17:28:00.003-06:00

Since everyone seems to want it but me, I've been trying harder to make dessert a part of Sunday dinner. Kinda funny is that the past three weeks have been Rose Levy Beranbaum recipes. Well, not so funny when you consider how reliable they are. In fact, this one was chosen by Food & Wine to be included in their Best of the Best cookbook.

If you want to see Rose herself making this dessert and giving helpful hints, you can watch a video here.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Tart, The Pie & Pastry Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum

MeatyCheesyGoodness

2009-11-07T17:16:00.003-06:00

I often try to send something home with my boy when he comes for Sunday dinner. Love that boy. Tomorrow he gets "breakfast to go" for the week. Couple of those and a piece of fruit and he'll be set.

Can't say I followed this recipe exactly, but here ya go:

Sausage Cheese Biscuits, King Arthur Flour

Draw That Line Again!

2009-11-02T09:50:00.004-06:00

Cappuccino

2009-11-01T09:43:00.005-06:00

My Bialetti treated me well. I think it was a sign that I'd have a perfectly lovely morning. And I have.

Boo!

2009-10-30T14:44:00.003-05:00

Gingerbread Skeletons, epicurious.com

Red Peppers Stuffed with Feta, Orzo, Lemon & Oregano

2009-10-26T19:04:00.006-05:00

Not much is making me happy today. I do own every Fine Cooking magazine ever published. That makes me happy. Oh! and happy Meat Free Monday.

Red Peppers Stuffed with Feta, Orzo, Lemon & Oregano, Fine Cooking #23

Apple Upside-Down Cake with Bourbon Whipped Cream

2009-10-25T07:24:00.004-05:00

With travel to Oregon and Michigan, I've been anxious for my routines, patterns, and habits. Unfortunately, the most sorely missed ones are like the best laid plans of mice and men. However, I did bake today.

Apple Upside-Down Cake with Bourbon Whipped Cream, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, Rose Levy Beranbaum

Banana-Macadamia Nut Muffins

2009-10-14T12:50:00.005-05:00

Shortly after the Portland Marathon, I received a perfectly worded text message from a friend who knew exactly what I was feeling. At the time, I didn't have the right words to reply with. Days later, I received another text: "Okay. Your 72 hours of anger, disappointment, weeping, mourning, post-marathon depression is over. You better respond to me or I will track you down."

We exchanged a couple of emails and he advised: "Rest up. Bake. Sleep. Eat. Sleep. Drink. Sleep. And then get back out there."

Eat? Sleep? Not so much. Bake? What a brilliant idea! He was rewarded with a stack of highly addictive Salty-Sweets and I've been baking like a madwoman ever since.

That draws to a close with today's goodies, baked to use up ripe bananas before I leave town to join my husband, whose dad passed away yesterday. We knew it was coming, and we're grateful that Gary could be there in the days leading up to it.

Banana-Macadamia Nut Muffins, Bon Appetit

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-10-07T06:01:00.005-05:00

I know there are people who don't care for pumpkin. Can't say I like pumpkin pie myself. Detest the stuff. My husband adores it, though, and these muffins (along with two mini-loaves) are for him.

While we were in Oregon, he not only dealt with my weepy emotional self following a disappointing race, worse was learning that his father had been hospitalized. We hoped it might be a short stay, until he was stable enough to travel here, where we can take better care of him. However last night Gary's mother suggested that he and his sister hurry home.

He'll leave in the morning and I'll send pumpkin muffins along, so that he knows I'm with him in spirit.

Cocoa Banana Muffins

2009-09-22T07:26:00.001-05:00

This time last year I was the same number of days away from a marathon that I am right now.

Except that last year, there was a baking ban in effect. This year, there've been no baking ban proclamations, and as a workout -- as training -- I ran 24 miles, 20 of which were at 2008 race pace, got up the next morning and ran some more. Whereas after last year's event, I got up the next morning and could hardly move.

So I'm thinking that baking bans are a bunch of hooey. Despite having been teased for demolishing that apple spice cake, it's clear that baked goods are making me speedier.

Cocoa Banana Muffins, The Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri

Grilled Vegetable Panino

2009-09-21T18:50:00.000-05:00

Even though I don't enjoy eating alone, I suppose it's a good thing that our whacked schedules mean that my vegetable-averse husband and my mostly-meatless self share surprisingly few meals. I almost invariably stick to my Friday Fish and Meat Free Monday habits, just two of the many food patterns I have.

Photographed pre-press hoping it would be more attractive than post-squoosh. Squooshed is good, though, don't get me wrong. Grilled squashes, onions, roasted red pepper and whole milk mozzarella, with homemade pesto thanks to Mike's prolifically rebounding basil, on fresh homemade focaccia. YUM.

Apple Spice Cake

2009-09-17T20:48:00.001-05:00

It was a breezy, cool morning. Even though my feet were cold, I was ridiculously happy. I knew I wanted to bake something autumnish, but anything "pumpkin" was promptly vetoed. Since whatever I'd be baking would be for the weekend, I was leaning toward either honey- or apple-based things for Rosh Hashana. After far too much deliberation, this is what I finally chose.

Shana Tova!

Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Lavash Crackers

2009-09-13T13:13:00.004-05:00

Thanks for the warning, Sally! Yes, these are addictive.

Notes:

Even though it's a small ball of dough, I think it's easier to work with half at a time.
I rolled it on my silpat and then lifted that onto the baking sheet.
I used cyprus flake salt, minced rosemary, smoked paprika, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Your toppings may vary.

Lavash Crackers, The Bread Baker's Apprentice, Peter Reinhart

Big Fat Cookies

2009-09-11T14:48:00.004-05:00

Whoah. These turned out to be some attractive cookies. They're big, they're fat, they didn't spread much, nearly perfectly matched in size and shape. Sellable-looking, even. I hope they taste as good as they look.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup oats

4 oz. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

350 degrees for... um, until they look as done as you want them to look.

Note to self: a half recipe, using my large scoop as a measure, makes a perfect dozen.

Another note to self: If I make them again, I'll probably use raisins instead of the chips. As soon as I say that, someone is going to say "there's no such thing as too much chocolate". Still, I wish I'd added raisins.

Strawberry Buttercream

2009-09-07T11:38:00.004-05:00

Notes on today's buttercream:

It makes me silly happy when other people like "real" buttercream. Not that American Buttercream isn't real, but it isn't. Ha.
I made a half recipe of Kaye's buttercream, an Italian meringue buttercream. A half recipe is about 6 egg whites, a little over a cup of sugar, and 3/4 pound of butter, in case you wondered. A half recipe makes about 4 cups of frosting, which is still a lot of frosting.
I took approximately one cup of that and added strawberry puree at the suggested ratio, resulting in a mildly strawberry flavored frosting. I was afraid to add more puree, because buttercream is an emulsion, and if the proportions get too far off, it will break. I decided it would taste more strawberry-ish if I tinted it pink. It might be too pink. Deal with it.
That leaves about 3 cups of plain buttercream left for me to freeze and play with later. Yay.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream, The Whimsical Bakehouse

Salty-Sweet

2009-09-06T15:52:00.005-05:00

Salty-Sweet Butter Pecan Cookies

Little Card, Big Smile

2009-09-03T11:41:00.005-05:00

The doorbell rang. A man in brown uniform. That right there was enough to make me smile.

I smiled again when I opened the card. And then I gasped out loud when I opened the box: a most thoughtful friend sent me a book. Not just any book. THE book that RLB fans have been waiting for in a state of suspenseful anticipation.

For once, I do believe I am speechless.

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes

2009-08-31T07:52:00.001-05:00

Cookies & Cream Cupcakes, Food & Wine, May 2008

Just Plain Good Cupcakes

2009-08-28T20:05:00.004-05:00

After dinner tonight, Gary asked what he could have for dessert. Uh. Uh. Uh. We rarely have dessert after dinner. And we never have dessert on Friday night. However, at any given time, I do have a stash of sweets in the freezer. Except that, uh, uh, uh, at the moment they're all spoken for. I have plans for them.

Small Batch Baking to the rescue. "Just Plain Good Cupcakes" uses one yolk (ha! hey Sheri, I added yet another white to my collection!), two tablespoons of butter, half a cup of flour and a few other things, to make four cupcakes. As it just so happens, I had a ridiculously small amount of chocolate cream glaze left over from Valentine's Day (where does the time go?) that I couldn't bear to throw out then, but never found a reason to use either. I sprinkled on some cute little hearts and there you go: dessert.

Sourdough Country Loaves

2009-08-23T14:12:00.004-05:00

No oven-spring. Did I overproof them?

I know, I know... no matter what, they will be better than store-bought. But still :(

Sourdough Country Loaves, Breads from the La Brea Bakery

Edit to show interior, in case you are interested:

Chocolate Bundt Cake

2009-08-22T12:36:00.002-05:00

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze

Fresh Herb Tart

2009-08-20T17:01:00.003-05:00

Dinner. Probably tomorrow's breakfast and lunch as well.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2009-08-20T09:06:00.003-05:00

Oh Toni... good call, girl.

Peach Jam

2009-08-19T15:32:00.003-05:00

I grew up in Georgia, where summertime meant homemade peach ice cream on the patio. For eating out of hand, I'd have to say that nothing beats a fresh warm peach from Twinland. Now I live in Texas, a fine peach growing state too, but with a mostly disappointing crop this year. Nevertheless, I now have some right good homemade jam.

Small Batch Peach Jam
2 1/2 pounds peaches - pitted, cut into wedges, peeled, and then cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a 3 qt. saucepan, toss the peaches with the sugar. Let them stand for about an hour, until they're juicy and the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice and cinnamon.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, and let simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently the thicker it becomes. Eventually it will be thick enough that you can see the bottom of your pan when you drag your spatula across it to stir. If by that time the peaches haven't fallen apart enough to satisfy you, feel free to give them a little help with a potato masher.

Spoon the hot jam into 3 half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top. Put the lids on the jars and let them cool at room temperature. Then refrigerate one jar to eat straight away and ~~give the others to friends~~ freeze the rest.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2009-08-18T07:39:00.003-05:00

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

4 oz (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 (6.5 ounce) jar macadamia nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Be sure that the baking soda and salt are evenly distributed, because once you add this mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, you're only going to stir until it becomes a cohesive dough. If the baking soda and salt aren't evenly distributed first, you're going to end up with areas of dough that don't have any.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour, and mix on low speed only until it's barely combined. Stir in the white chocolate and nuts by hand.

Drop heaping spoonfuls of the dough onto baking sheet(s), and leave room for it to spread as the cookies bake. Bake until lightly browned, which might be 8 minutes or might be 12, depending on the size of your "heaping spoonfuls" and the accuracy of your oven temperature.

Let the cookies firm up for a minute before removing them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack.

Bran Muffins

2009-08-17T07:10:00.000-05:00

These muffins are a Nancy Silverton recipe, by way of David Lebovitz's blog. He says that they are "...quite different than other muffins. For one thing, they're much, much lighter in texture. And for another, they're not very sweet." He's right. [of course he's right! he's David Lebovitz!]

Based on Jess's suggestion, I upped the orange zest. I was just about to say that I think these'd be great with marmalade, but then who am I kidding? I think almost everything would be great with marmalade.

Nancy Silverton's Bran Muffins

Raspberry Jam Thumbprints

2009-08-13T14:55:00.008-05:00

Ever found yourself desperate for an afternoon snack, staring vacantly at a vending machine and somehow ending up with these in your hand?

Today's cookies remind me of those, only a million times better. In case you want to do a taste test, here's the recipe, adapted from an adaptation. Or you could skip the taste test and trust me on this one.

Jam Thumbprints
1/2 cup raspberry jam
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Put the jam in a pastry bag, or in a heavy duty ziplock if you don't have a pastry bag. Ok, you don't even have to do that if you don't want to. But if you're going to fill trays and trays of cookies with jam, it's going to be quicker and neater if you use the pastry bag or ziplock, instead of a spoon. Don't say I didn't warn you.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, egg & vanilla, and mix well. Be sure to scrape down the bowl occasionally.

Add the flour mixture and mix on "low" only until it forms a cohesive dough. Don't over-mix or you won't end up with tender cookies.

Roll the dough into little balls and make an indentation in the center of each one with your thumb, the end of a wooden spoon, or the bottom of a small (I used 1/2 tsp) measuring spoon.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are just beginning to set and are lightly browned around the edges, maybe 8 minutes. Take the cookie sheet from the oven and gently reshape the indentations.

Fill each indentation with a little squirt of jam and be grateful that you listened to me and didn't use a spoon to do it. Put the cookies back in the oven and continue baking until lightly golden -- oh, I don't know, probably 10 or 11 minutes, maybe 12? This is not a cookie to underbake.

Leave them on the cookie sheet for a few minutes to firm up before you try to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Then enjoy them with your afternoon cherry blossoms.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

2009-08-09T15:06:00.003-05:00

A busy day of baking. A key lime pie. Then, to use the whites that were left from the yolks in the pie, an italian meringue buttercream, which I put on top of a small batch of cupcakes and sprinkled with chopped up Skor. Finally, Mexican Wedding Cookies. Except that they turned out flat, and I have never seen a flat Mexican Wedding Cookie. Huh.

As I said, a busy day of baking. One thing I learned last season is that my legs and feet are not happy standing on a tile-on-concrete-slab kitchen floor for hours at a time, after 60 miles a week of running. Today I wore a new [clean] pair of running shoes, and that seems to have made a big difference.

Lemon Layer Cake

2009-08-02T16:51:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, dear Monica! Happy Birthday to you...

Four layers of white cake, filled with lemon curd, finished with fluffy white frosting.

Update to Petits Pains au Chocolat

2009-07-30T19:51:00.009-05:00

From Not As Good As Pork Cracklins

I was gently chided for not writing about yesterday's post. The problem is that “A thousand words are worth a picture” – Anon, 327 BC - and I didn't have a thousand words. Which is surprising, because often I have so much to say and so little time to say it.

As requested (as I best recall, having been under duress during the request), here is some history and a few specifics:

History -- when Eric was a young teenager, we went to London and Paris on vacation. Meals were family events, but, as he had a young teenager appetite, he received a budget for snacks. He quickly acquired an affinity for pains au chocolate. Nearly as quickly he discovered that "day old" [read "discounted"] begins in the afternoon, or, not having to wait for the following day. Next, he learned how to tell if the croissant is pur beurre, based on whether it is crescent-shaped or not. But let's dispense with that. If it's pain au chocolate, its ends are straight, not tapered. Period.

Nonspecific specifics -- Yesterday's petits pains au chocolate were a dress rehearsal for a special occasion. I'm glad I went through it, because there were a couple of things I'm happy I got to do differently (namely higher temp & longer bake time). As a result, today's were flakier and shapelier. Flakey and shapely are good in most respects, including croissant. I like to make mine petit, meaning in this case, approximately three to a full-grown croissant. David Lebovitz recently wrote that everything in France gets diminuated, which I think, honestly, is not such a bad thing. I also like to add a turbinado sugar crust to mine, after the egg wash. These were excellent, I ate my fair share (but no more), and I was accused of (complimented for?) being a big eater considering that I am a small person.

That's it. That's all I've got. I got no nap today -- I lie! I did have a lovely morning nap, but not an afternoon one -- and I'm pooped.

Petits Pains au Chocolat

2009-07-29T12:29:00.003-05:00