Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies


I'm not one for coffee, much less espresso, but it was fun to make these nevertheless. I loved the technique of putting the dough into a gallon zip lock bag, rolling it thin and refrigerating. It was fun to slit open the bag and cut the dough into neat squares. Rich thinks these cookies are fabulous and I appreciate his opinion.

And I baked them this morning and took a plate of them to the wonderful mechanics at Elmer's garage who gave me the welcome news that my "check engine" light indicated nothing of any significance. A check engine miracle deserves cookies!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

The Oatmeal Breakfast Bread has just come out of the oven and is creating a beautiful aroma. Dorie advises against cutting into it while it is still warm, but I may have to snitch a corner!

I've made this delicious breakfast bread in the past and it went together just as easily as I remembered. I like that it isn't too sweet and that the fat content is low. Just what I needed after the wedding festivities of the past weekend! Lydia's dad and I had a big part in planning her beautiful outdoor wedding which was held two-hours away in Ithaca, NY.

Remember all those cookies I baked and froze a couple of weeks ago? They received rave reviews at the wedding rehearsal picnic Friday night and the wedding dance on Saturday. It gave me an opportunity to encourage people to seek out Dorie's book, Baking from My Home to Yours.

Perfect weather and a joyful couple surrounded by many happy friends and family. What a wonderful weekend!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream







This week's Tuesdays with Dorie pick was an inspired choice. What could be better than chocolate ice cream on a hot summer day?

A pretty simple recipe (although it required two bowls and two pots) involving cream, milk, good chocolate, egg yolks and a little sugar.

Lydia and Tim (the happy couple who will be married this month) had dinner at our house with their photographer, Stephen. We served two delicious gourmet pizzas from the Cafe Flora cookbook, salad with greens from our garden and tomatoes from the farm market, and ended it all with Dorie's delicious Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream. Wonderful!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Chocolate Glazed Walnut Teacakes




This is a Dorie Greenspan recipe but it is not in her great book, Baking from my Home to Yours. Believe it or not, I saw it in an AARP Magazine article that was describing some holiday desserts that could be made ahead and frozen. I didn't even know who Dorie was at the time, but these teacakes looked so wonderful that I had to try them.

I've made them many, many times and I always use mini-muffin pans. The little teacakes are so elegant, so pretty, and just the right size. Dorie is also right in that these freeze really well. I usually save egg whites in the freezer until I have 6 of them, then make a batch of teacakes to freeze. I'm always ready pull a few out when impromptu guests drop in. And I know that when I fancy a little chocolate treat, I just have to reach into the freezer!

This time I made them for the wedding festivities that are coming up in just 10 days!









Here's a link to the recipe:

http://food.aarpmagazine.org/recipes/aarp/chocolate-glazed-teacakes



Or here's my version:

Chocolate Glazed Walnut Teacakes
Original recipe by Dorie Greenspan

These can be baked in mini or regular muffin pans. I use mini pans which yield about 5 dozen lovely teacakes.

Spray muffin cups with cooking spray.

Mix together:
2 ¼ cups ground walnuts (pulse in food processor or blender)
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt

Place in a large bowl:
6 unbeaten large egg whites

Stir the walnut mixture into the egg whites.
Add in gently:
1 stick + 7 Tbsp. (7 ½ oz.) melted unsalted butter

Let rest for 5 minutes and then stir in:
6 oz. (1 cup) finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate (or mini-choc chips)

Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes, or until they are just beginning to look like they might be starting to pull away from the sides of the pans. Let cool for 2 minutes in the pan, and then turn out onto a rack.

Glaze:
Heat in a double boiler:
3 oz. bittersweet chocolate
6 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 ½ Tbsp. butter

When cakes are completely cool, dip the narrow end of the cakes in the glaze.

These freeze really well, so you can make the whole recipe and put a bunch into the freezer for later.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Gingered Carrot Cookies

My goal is to bake through Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my Home to Yours which is also the goal of the Tuesdays with Dorie group. Trouble is that I became aware of the group after I'd already started my baking so occasionally the weekly pick is something that I've already baked before. Such is the case this week with Gingered Carrot Cookies chosen by Natalie of gattifiliefarina.


As it happens, I planned to bake the Gingered Carrot Cookies this week anyway since I am baking the cookies for the upcoming wedding rehearsal picnic.




So here are the Gingered Carrot Cookies, Granola Grabbers,and some Vegan Oatmeal Cookies.










Since these all looked really similar, I also baked Dorie's Molasses Spice Cookies and Chocolate Chunkers.



There will also be Dorie's Blondies and her Chocolate Walnut Teacakes (that recipe isn't in the book but it is one of my all-time favorites.)

It will be a splendid party!