Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies
This week's Tuesdays with Dorie is the lovely Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies. I baked them up this morning for a meeting tonight. The recipe made a lot of cookies! The meeting is over, the cookies much enjoyed and I piled the remaining cookies onto a plate for this picture:
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Rewind! La Palette Strawberry Tarte, Oatmeal Breakfast Bread, Caramel Pumpkin Pie, and a variation on Vanilla Ice Cream
Company this week meant lots of opportunities to bake--so many, in fact, that I didn't get around to baking this week's Tuesdays with Dorie pick, Date Nut Loaf, chosen by Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet. She has great pictures and a terrific write-up. When I baked it, I remember that it had great taste and a lovely texture.
With the first strawberries of the season, I baked Dorie's La Palette's Strawberry Tart, an absolutely delicious dessert for. A simple nut-crust-sweet-tart base, smeared with strawberry preserves, piled with fresh strawberries, and topped with a splash of creme fraiche. It was amazing!
Then I made the Oatmeal Breakfast Bread (for people who claimed not to like oatmeal) and was barely able to snap this picture before it entirely disappeared.
We celebrated the birthday of a young woman who loves pumpkin pie so I baked Dorie's Caramel Pumpkin pie. Almost forgot to snap that picture, too, and didn't manage to get one with the whipped cream on top.
We received fresh mint with our CSA share this week and so I played around with Dorie's vanilla ice cream recipe, infused some cream and made mint ice cream with some shaved chocolate on top. Wow!
With the first strawberries of the season, I baked Dorie's La Palette's Strawberry Tart, an absolutely delicious dessert for. A simple nut-crust-sweet-tart base, smeared with strawberry preserves, piled with fresh strawberries, and topped with a splash of creme fraiche. It was amazing!
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| La Palette's Strawberry Tart |
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| Last bit of Oatmeal Breakfast Bread |
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| Caramel pumpkin pie |
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| Mint ice cream with chocolate shavings |
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Chocolate Biscotti
We invited friends over to contra dance in our living room and I wanted to provide some appropriate snacks. I cut up oranges (for juicy sweetness) and made Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate Biscotti (for not-too-crunchy chocolate). Wonderful!
Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes chose Chocolate Biscotti for the Tuesdays with Dorie bakers to bake this week. What a great choice!
It was an easy but satisfying recipe to put together: it made a fairly stiff dough after I stirred in the chopped chocolate and almonds. Then there was the pleasure of forming the logs of dough and patting them down. Once the logs had baked and cooled for 20 minutes, I sliced them on the diagonal, stood them up in rows and baked for another 10 minutes. They were perfect!
Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes chose Chocolate Biscotti for the Tuesdays with Dorie bakers to bake this week. What a great choice!
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| Sifted dry ingrediants |
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| Chopped chocolate and almonds |
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| Baked the first time |
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| All lined up and baked the second time |
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Blueberry Plain Cake and Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
We walked to the farm market on Sunday and found a single vendor who had the first strawberries of the season and some lovely rhubarb so I decided to make Dorie's Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp and skip the Blueberry Plain Cake. But then went to Wegman's and saw blueberries from North Carolina had come in so I made both! The first taste of summer!
Check out Cindy's blog, Everyday Insanity for the recipe for the blueberry cake and then see what the rest of the Tuesday with Dorie bakers did this week.
Check out Cindy's blog, Everyday Insanity for the recipe for the blueberry cake and then see what the rest of the Tuesday with Dorie bakers did this week.
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| Blueberry Plain Cake |
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| The last of the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp and the Blueberry Plain Cake |
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Caramel Pots de Creme
At long last it is my turn to choose a recipe for the Tuesdays with Dorie bakers to bake from Dorie's fabulous book, Baking from My Home to Yours. We're getting near the finish line, so many of my favorites have been chosen and other recipes that I have not yet baked were baked by the group before I joined in January of 2010. No matter, though, because every recipe in Dorie Greenspan's fabulous book is a winner.
I decided to suggest Caramel Pots de Creme because this is a recipe that represents some of the things that are wonderful about Dorie:
I was skeptical of using plastic wrap but used Wegman's Premium Plastic wrap which worked just fine. By using the plastic wrap, I was successfully able to watch what happened when I jiggled the custard cups and avoided overbaking them. They were luscious!
And now for the recipe (really, if you don't own the book, you should order it right this minute):
Dorie says:
Pot de creme, or literally, pot of cream, is the French name for what we Americans have loved for centuries and known for equally long as baked or cup custard. In this recipe, most of the sugar is cooked in a skillet until it caramelizes and turns a deep mahogany color. Once caramelized, sugar is transformed from its well-known sweet self into a liquid that is slightly bitter, here just bitter enough to give a little edge and a lot of interest to the rich custard.
If you've got a pot de creme service (a set of dainty china cups with lids), by all means, use it -- there's nothing more elegant. If you haven't, you can use Pyrex custard cups (the kind sold in most supermarkets), ramekins or espresso cups (actually, espresso cups are my favorites for this recipe).
Don't be alarmed when you see that the custards are cooked in the oven in a roasting pan covered with plastic wrap. This is a chef's trick and it's one that translates easily to the home baker. You needn't worry about the plastic wrap burning -- the oven heat is too low for that. Just be certain to poke air holes in the plastic as directed, and all will be perfect. If you are using pot de creme cups, though, skip the plastic wrap -- the lids are all you need.
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
5 large egg yolks
Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels, then put eight 4-ounce (1/2 cup) custard cups, ramekins, espresso or pot de creme cups in the pan. Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat.
Stir the cream and milk together and warm them in a microwave oven or in a saucepan over medium heat; set aside.
Measure out 1/4 cup of the sugar and set it aside.
Put a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (a nonstick pan works well) over medium-high heat and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of the remaining sugar. As soon as the sugar melts and starts to caramelize, stir. When the color is uniform, stir in another 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to stir until it is melted and colored. Continue with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, adding it 2 tablespoons at a time. When all the sugar is deep amber, almost mahogany colored, stand away from the pan, so you don't get splattered, and stir in the warm liquid. The mixture will bubble furiously and may seize -- don't panic, just keep stirring, and it will smooth out. Pull the pan from the heat.
Put the eggs, yolks and reserved 1/4 cup sugar in a large glass measuring cup or a small bowl and whisk until pale and slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in a little of the caramel liquid -- this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. If there is foam at the top of the custard, skim it off with a spoon (foam isn't fatal, but it will turn into little craters on the top of the baked custards). Pour the custard into the baking cups.
Pour enough hot water from the teakettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Cover the pan snugly with plastic wrap, poke two holes in two opposite corners and very carefully and steadily slide the setup into the oven.
Bake the custards for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the tops darken and custards jiggle a little only in the center when tapped or lightly shaken.
Gingerly remove the roasting pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Allow the custards to rest in their warm bath for 10 minutes, then peel off the plastic wrap and transfer the cups from the water (careful -- they're still hot) to the cooling rack. Refrigerate when they reach room temperature. When the pots de creme are cool, cover them tightly with plastic wrap or their little lids.
Serving: The pots de creme are most elegant served at cool room temperature, but still irresistible chilled. If they've been in the fridge for several hours or overnight, let them sit on the counter for about 20 lminutes before bringing them to the table. These custards need no embellishments -- they're perfect just as they are -- but I find that a swirl of very lightly whipped cream makes a nice finish touch; a light, cool, refreshing counterpoint to the luxurious custard.
I decided to suggest Caramel Pots de Creme because this is a recipe that represents some of the things that are wonderful about Dorie:
- She has encouraged me to try things I've never baked before (and couldn't even pronounce!)
- She has initiated me into the wonderful world of caramel
- Her encouraging advice is just like having a friend standing at my shoulder -- and it is good advice in and out of the kitchen: "The mixture will bubble furiously and may seize -- don't panic, just keep stirring and it will smooth out."
So here are some pictures of my adventure making Caramel Pots de Creme:
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| Getting ready |
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| Eggs and sugar set aside |
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| Melting the sugar |
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| Turning to caramel |
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| Stand back! |
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| It might seize up -- don't panic! |
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| The whole set-up into the oven--plastic wrap and all! |
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| Cooling. |
I was skeptical of using plastic wrap but used Wegman's Premium Plastic wrap which worked just fine. By using the plastic wrap, I was successfully able to watch what happened when I jiggled the custard cups and avoided overbaking them. They were luscious!
And now for the recipe (really, if you don't own the book, you should order it right this minute):
Dorie says:
Pot de creme, or literally, pot of cream, is the French name for what we Americans have loved for centuries and known for equally long as baked or cup custard. In this recipe, most of the sugar is cooked in a skillet until it caramelizes and turns a deep mahogany color. Once caramelized, sugar is transformed from its well-known sweet self into a liquid that is slightly bitter, here just bitter enough to give a little edge and a lot of interest to the rich custard.
If you've got a pot de creme service (a set of dainty china cups with lids), by all means, use it -- there's nothing more elegant. If you haven't, you can use Pyrex custard cups (the kind sold in most supermarkets), ramekins or espresso cups (actually, espresso cups are my favorites for this recipe).
Don't be alarmed when you see that the custards are cooked in the oven in a roasting pan covered with plastic wrap. This is a chef's trick and it's one that translates easily to the home baker. You needn't worry about the plastic wrap burning -- the oven heat is too low for that. Just be certain to poke air holes in the plastic as directed, and all will be perfect. If you are using pot de creme cups, though, skip the plastic wrap -- the lids are all you need.
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
5 large egg yolks
Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a large roasting pan with a double thickness of paper towels, then put eight 4-ounce (1/2 cup) custard cups, ramekins, espresso or pot de creme cups in the pan. Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat.
Stir the cream and milk together and warm them in a microwave oven or in a saucepan over medium heat; set aside.
Measure out 1/4 cup of the sugar and set it aside.
Put a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan (a nonstick pan works well) over medium-high heat and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of the remaining sugar. As soon as the sugar melts and starts to caramelize, stir. When the color is uniform, stir in another 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to stir until it is melted and colored. Continue with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, adding it 2 tablespoons at a time. When all the sugar is deep amber, almost mahogany colored, stand away from the pan, so you don't get splattered, and stir in the warm liquid. The mixture will bubble furiously and may seize -- don't panic, just keep stirring, and it will smooth out. Pull the pan from the heat.
Put the eggs, yolks and reserved 1/4 cup sugar in a large glass measuring cup or a small bowl and whisk until pale and slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in a little of the caramel liquid -- this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. If there is foam at the top of the custard, skim it off with a spoon (foam isn't fatal, but it will turn into little craters on the top of the baked custards). Pour the custard into the baking cups.
Pour enough hot water from the teakettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cups. Cover the pan snugly with plastic wrap, poke two holes in two opposite corners and very carefully and steadily slide the setup into the oven.
Bake the custards for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the tops darken and custards jiggle a little only in the center when tapped or lightly shaken.
Gingerly remove the roasting pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Allow the custards to rest in their warm bath for 10 minutes, then peel off the plastic wrap and transfer the cups from the water (careful -- they're still hot) to the cooling rack. Refrigerate when they reach room temperature. When the pots de creme are cool, cover them tightly with plastic wrap or their little lids.
Serving: The pots de creme are most elegant served at cool room temperature, but still irresistible chilled. If they've been in the fridge for several hours or overnight, let them sit on the counter for about 20 lminutes before bringing them to the table. These custards need no embellishments -- they're perfect just as they are -- but I find that a swirl of very lightly whipped cream makes a nice finish touch; a light, cool, refreshing counterpoint to the luxurious custard.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones
It's so much fun to make scones! And with the Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones, this week's Tuesdays with Dorie pick, there was the added fun of grating fresh nutmeg. Maybe it was the nutmeg that threw me off, but I almost made a major goof. The recipe calls for one Tablespoon baking powder and one-half teaspoon baking soda. I got them both out and dumped in a full tablespoon of baking soda! An easy mistake to make with containers that look sooooo similar, right?!!
From that point on, I paid close attention to what I was doing! Mixing the butter into the flour with my fingers is a delightfully tactile experience. I took Dorie's "playing around" advice and mixed in some diced banana for an extra bit of pizzazz. I took the scones to my weekly brunch where they were much enjoyed.
Happily, I realized my mistake immediately and was able to fish out the extra baking soda.
Thanks to Patricia from Life with a Whisk for choosing these wonderful scones. And next week it's my turn to choose--can't wait to make Caramel Pots de Creme.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Maple Cormeal Biscuits
Tonight I made Maple Cornmeal Biscuits, Lindsay's Tuesdays with Dorie choice of A Little Something. . . Sweet! They are terrifically easy to mix up and have the added benefit of having corn meal and maple syrup as ingredients so it's easy to convince yourself that they are healthy! I poured the milk into the measuring cup and then added the maple syrup. I'm easily amused and so was delighted that the syrup settled to the bottom of the cup; doesn't it look amazing?
We were trying to decide if we would go out and pick up a sandwich before a meeting or stay in. I mentioned to my husband that I could bake up some biscuits and he immediately opted for leftovers and homemade biscuits rather than going out. A fine choice!
Here's dinner tonight: (hummus and pita has already left the plate) but here's the leftover salmon, watermelon, and Dorie's fabulous biscuits with cherry preserves!
We were trying to decide if we would go out and pick up a sandwich before a meeting or stay in. I mentioned to my husband that I could bake up some biscuits and he immediately opted for leftovers and homemade biscuits rather than going out. A fine choice!
Here's dinner tonight: (hummus and pita has already left the plate) but here's the leftover salmon, watermelon, and Dorie's fabulous biscuits with cherry preserves!
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