Grandma's Kitchen Table

TWD: Baking with Julia: Whole Wheat Loaves

      The recipe for this week forTuesdays with Dorie:  Baking with Julia is Whole Wheat Loaves on page 83 of Baking with Julia.  You can also find the recipe on the blogs of the hostesses for this week, Michelle of Veggie Num Nums here, or Theresa of The Family That Bakes Together, here. The recipe was contributed to the book by baker Craig Kominiak. 

      Ingredient list:  active dry yeast, water, honey, bread flour, whole wheat flour, canola oil, malt extract, and salt. 

     The recipe goes together very nicely and the dough is wonderful to work with throughout the whole process.  I did it all by hand, my usual style.  The second rise took half again as long as indicated, and I still felt that I could have had a bit more rise to it, but it was fine.
      The texture is very dense with a tight crumb which was nice and chewy.  The flavor isn't strongly whole wheat as there is so much bread flour in it and the malt extract and honey are both nice flavoring ingredients that have a strong presence in the flavor profile, so the taste was a little sweet and nutty.  All in all, a good recipe, makes great toast.

        Next assignment:  October 2 - Cranberry Walnut Pumpkin Loaf, page 108.    The TWD: BwJ information for joining the group, recipe selection, and general information can be found here.

TWD: Baking with Julia: Berry Galette

      Since the Tuesdays with Dorie:  Baking with Julia group posts on alternate Tuesdays, I thought maybe I could use the "off Tuesdays" to post rewinds that they have already made and that I missed out on along the way.  The recipe I made this week is Berry Galette on page 377 of Baking with Julia.  You can also find the recipe on the blogs of the hostesses for this week, Lisa of Tomato Thymes in the Kitchen and Garden, click here for the recipe, and Andrea of The Kitchen Lioness, click here.  (And if you think it is going to be a short read over at Andrea's blog, think again, she has wonderful photos/recipes of her life in Germany, go visit her blog soon!)  The recipe was contributed to the book by baker Flo Braker. 

      Pies are Mark's favorites, Galettes would be a second favorite.  I always forget how easy it is to make a galette.  This one was no exception.  The dough comes together nicely and sits in the frig for a bit to firm up (I left it there for 6 hours and it was quite nice in that amount of time). 

      Once the dough is chilled, it rolls like a dream...I think that it is the easiest-rolling (that's a word, right, if I hyphenate it? lol) dough I have every made actually.  Once the dough is rolled, it is just a matter of plopping on some fruit, molding the dough up over it partially, and baking it.  (Read the directions, there are a couple more steps but none of them any trouble or time.) 

      It was delicious, the crust, the filling, all of it.  I would use this as my go-to galette recipe from now on actually.  I had one small sliver and Mark ate the rest...did I mention that he ate it all within 16 hours?  Yes, he did, he liked it that much.  Guess I better not make it too often, but definitely repeats would be in order.

The TWD: BwJ information for joining the group, recipe selection, and general information can be found here.

TWD: Baking with Julia: Blueberry-Nectarine Pie

      Since the Tuesdays with Dorie:  Baking with Julia group posts on alternate Tuesdays, I thought maybe I could use the "off Tuesdays" to post rewinds that they have already made and that I missed out on along the way. 

      The recipe I made this week is Blueberry-Nectarine Pie on page 384 of Baking with Julia.  You can also find the recipe on the blogs of the hostesses for this week, Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake, click here for the recipe, and Hilary of Manchego's Kitchen, click here. The recipe was contributed to the book by baker Leslie Mackie. 

      Pies are always a hit around here with Mark, his favorite dessert is pie.  The pie was delicious, I made a half size (7") as one only needs so much pie in a given week as he is basically the only one around here eating it.  This is an excellent recipe for both crust and filling.  I don't usually like to use shortening but it worked out okay in this recipe.  The combination of blueberries and nectarines is delicious...my nectarines sort of disappeared in the cooking process so the predominant taste was blueberry, which is not a bad thing.  Since we precooked the fruit a bit, my filling did get a little loose and juicy, I should have added less lemon juice maybe, but it all firmed up with a stint in the refrigerator overnight.  The taste was really wonderful. Definitely a repeat would be in order. 

      The TWD: BwJ information for joining the group, recipe selection, and general information can be found here.

TWD: Baking with Julia: Popovers

      The recipe for this week forTuesdays with Dorie:  Baking with Julia is Popovers on page 213 of Baking with Julia.  You can also find the recipe on the blogs of the hostesses for this week, Paula of Vintage Kitchen Notes here, or Amy of Bake with Amy, here. The recipe was contributed to the book by baker Marion Cunningham. 

     Popovers are so easy to make, why don't we make them more often?  A few ingredients tossed into the blender, poured into a pan, baked, and done!  They also lend themselves to lots of different add-ins.  I made them as stated, no add-ins so I could see how much I liked this particular recipe, and I did like it very much, making a half batch which fit into 4 wells of my popover pan perfectly.
      These are just such fun to make.  I served them with a little apricot jam because one cannot have near enough excuses to serve things with apricot jam in life.  Tasty and delicious, just what one is looking for in a recipe.

        Next assignment:  September 4 - Nectarine Upside-Down Chiffon Cake, pages 241-243.    The TWD: BwJ information for joining the group, recipe selection, and general information can be found here.

TWD: Baking with Julia - Hungarian Shortbread

 

      The recipe for this week forTuesdays with Dorie:  Baking with Julia is Hungarian Shortbread on page 327 of Baking with Julia.  You can also find the recipe on the blogs of the hostesses for this week, Lynette of 1Small Kitchen here, or Cher of The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler here. The recipe was contributed to the book by baker Gale Gand. 

      Cookies are a popular item here with the guys.  I can pretty much bet that if I make cookies, they will be eaten without any sort of encouragement or enticement at all.  I'm wondering if it even has to be a really good cookie, or if even a mediocre cookie would still be an attraction.  Can't say that I know for sure, but I do know that cookies disappear quickly around here, by the handfuls, it's their favorite baked good. 

      I've made shortbread cookies before, and those go over quite well.  I have never made a shortbread cookie that was filled with a jam before, so that was a new technique for me this week.  The book suggested rhubarb filling but I figured I would sub that out as rhubarb is really only loved by me...the guys...not so much.  After surveying the choices available in my pantry, I decided on blueberry preserves as blueberry anything is extremely popular.

      So, all in all, I'm not sure if it's the cookie, the jam, or this recipe, but these were a big hit...a nice sweet crunchy little cookie packed with lots of flavor.  The recipe is easy (although the freezing the dough and grating it into the pan instead of lightly pressing it seemed a bit strange, it was fun to learn something new), could be a repeat around here quite often, changing up the jams used for the filling.  

      I made a half a batch of these in an 8"x8" baking pan as I figured as sweet as they were bound to be, and as buttery as they were bound to be, little ones would probably suffice.  I was right...a little of this goes a long way and satisfies very nicely. It did take mine an additional 15 minutes to bake, I didn't even start smelling the "almost done" aroma until after the specified time, so you might want to take that into account, although everyone's oven bakes differently, so your call on that one.  

        Next assignment:  May 15 - Pecan Sticky Buns, page 190.    The   TWD: BwJ information for joining the group, recipe selection, and general information can be found here.

TWD: Baking with Julia - Lemon Loaf Cake

 

      The recipe for this week forTuesdays with Dorie:  Baking with Julia is Lemon Loaf Cake on page 252 of the book Baking with Julia.  You can also find the recipe on the blogs of the hostesses for this week, Truc of Treats  here, or Michelle of The Beauty of Life  here.  The recipe was contributed to the series/book by baker Norman Love. 

      Where have I been you ask.  I'm not making every recipe with the group as we have reduced need for baked goods with the boys out of the house now, i.e. The Swimmer, with his well-documented swimmer appetite, is off at college. It is also true that I belong to several groups that bake, so I have decided that I am baking only the things which truly appeal to me in flavor, technique, interest, and sometimes ability to give away easily. 

      I skipped the Chocolate Tarts as, come on, you previous TWD people all know me by now...it's chocolate, reason enough.  I skipped the Irish Soda Bread as I have my Granny's recipe (whose maiden name was O'Brien) and am not interested in making another because I make Irish Soda Bread solely to remind me of her, so what's the point of having another recipe around?  I skipped the Pizza Rustica because I have been baking in two groups with Nick Malgieri's recipes and have made a very similar version of his of this already. 

      Now when comes to LEMON Loaf Cake...and as my previous TWD friends know, I am all about the LEMON in anything all the time.  I was not disappointed...this is an excellent recipe, nice and lemony as I zested very large lemons to make sure it was as lemony as the recipe allowed. 

      The cake goes together easily and quickly, bakes for 55 minutes in my oven, and cools before slicing.  Okay, okay, technically cools before slicing...I might have sliced one slice before it cooled because a small piece of warm Lemon Loaf Cake just sounded too good to turn down this afternoon.
      Definitely a keeper of a recipe.  Oohh...and be sure to check out Truc's (link above) as she frosted hers and topped it with more lemons!!  If I had only known!

        Next assignment:  May 8 - Hungarian Shortbread, page 327.    The   TWD: BwJ information for joining the group, recipe selection, and general information can be found here.

TWD: Baking with Julia - White Loaves

      And so it begins.  Tuesdays with Dorie, Part 2, a/k/a Tuesdays with Dorie:  Baking with Julia.  Having completed all the recipes in Dorie Greenspan's book Baking From My Home To Yours in the last four years, ending with December 2011, the group is finding new life by tackling a new book, edited by Dorie Greenspan, entitled Baking with Julia (the "Julia" being, of course, Julia Child, the book, the outcome of the efforts to capture the recipes presented on the PBS cooking show with the same title almost 20 years ago).  The book is filled with recipes from the guest bakers who appeared with Julia Child on her show. 

      Let's get started with a thanks to Laurie and Julie who continue in their roles as organizers/facilitators/powers-that-be behind all that goes on at TWD: BWJ.  They chose the inaugural recipe for the group, White Loaves, found on page 81-82 of the book, a contribution by baker Craig Kominiak.  You can also find the recipe on Jules' blog, here, as the host each will have the recipe posted on their blog, with the permission of the author. 

      A few friends on Twitter and I baked the bread together a couple of weeks ago as we were all excited to get started with the new adventure.  The recipe is easy to follow and the results were wonderfully delicious.  While the book has instructions for using one's mixer to make the bread, or a combination of mixer and by hand, I chose to do it all by hand and it worked just fine, resulting in a delightful experience of working the silky smooth dough.  Other than that, I made the recipe with the ingredients listed and the procedures described. 

      I did get to use a new technique that I had not come across before in bread baking, and that was the recommendation to pull the bread out of the pan about ten minutes before the completed baking time and standing it alone on the rack in the oven to bring more color to the sides and bottom of the bread.  It worked wonderfully well and I was very happy with the color on the entire loaf of bread.  I will remember that technique for future bread baking.
      While the bread was a very nice bread, and delicious, it won't be my new "to go to" white bread recipe as I have another which toasts a bit better and works for sandwiches better...this one was just a bit dry and tended to fall apart in both instances (please note that, of course, this could be baker error and not recipe deficiency, so you should make it and form your own opinion).  It did make good grilled cheese sandwiches, however. 

      I think in the past few years of bread baking that I have become a bit picky about bread recipes...you will just need to try the recipe for yourself and compare to your favorite to decide.  It will be time well spent and you will end up with a good loaf of bread, only you can decide if it is your favorite "go to" recipe.  Research is always fun, right?

        Next assignment:  February 21 - Chocolate Truffle Tartlets, pages 382-383, hosted by Steph, Spike, Jaime, and Jessica.    The TWD: BwJ information for joining the group, recipe selection, and general information can be found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Kids' Thumbprints

 

      Here it is, the very last post for Tuesdays with Dorie.  After four years of baking through Dorie Greenspan's book Baking from My Home to Yours, all the recipes have been chosen, baked, and posted by our little group.         This is the very last recipe chosen, Kids' Thumbprints on page 163, and as is fitting, it was chosen for us by Dorie herself.  You can find the post and recipe here on Dorie's blog.  

      This little cookie is delightful...nice and peanut-y and crunchy.  The little bit of jam in the center makes every childhood memory you have of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches come swiftly to mind.  Okay, maybe not THIS jam, since this jam that I used was a gift from a fellow blogger friend in Canada (thank you, Jerry for making such a great jam) and is the best blueberry jam I have ever tasted...might have something to do with the Grand Marnier in the recipe...oh, my was this good in these cookies (so maybe they aren't exactly Kids' Thumbprints with the alcohol involved, maybe we should call them, Feel Like a Kid with a Kicked Up Adult Version Thumbprints).

      When I started baking with this group, my intention was to learn how to bake for my family as my guys all have a sweet tooth and love desserts.  Our son Matt was not even in high school then, this year he headed off to college...these four years have seen a good portion of his growing up years.  I thought I would include the first photo I took of him eating a treat in July 2008 (a good friend of mine who knew I didn't know how to bake jokingly said that she would need "proof" each week that someone was actually eating my efforts so I started including a photo of Matt with the baked goods).  This morning I took the last photo of him eating a Tuesday treat, just before he headed back down to college after his Christmas break (yes, I know that wasn't long enough but swimmers need to report back two weeks early for some heavy duty training).     

      It's been a great ride these four years.  The end of the group's journey is definitely not the end of my use of this book, I will go to it time and again for recipe after recipe after recipe. 

      Earlier in the month I posted my "wrap up and goodbye" when I hosted for the week, so I won't repeat all that at this time, instead, here is the link to that post and my "sharings" about being a member of the Tuesdays with Dorie group of bakers. To all my fellow TWD bakers and Dorie:  Thank you for baking with me all these years and teaching me more than you can ever imagine.  C'ya around the blogs...xoxoxoxo!

        Next project:  Some of the members of the TWD group will be continuing on in February baking each week through Dorie's book Baking with Julia, in pretty much the same fashion with which TWD has been operating these past four years. The current    TWD blogroll found here.  If you would like to bake along in the new group, membership is open and you can leave a note for the organizers on the TWD site.  Hope to see you there!

 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Honey Almond Fig Tart/France Meets Florida Honey Almond Tart (with Grapefruit)

 

      Well, the days here at Tuesdays with Dorie are numbered.  After four years of baking through Dorie Greenspan's book Baking from My Home to Yours, this is the final month of recipes.  I felt honored to receive an email asking me to host this month, and was given the choice of two recipes.  I picked this one as I love, love, love making tarts.  You can find the recipe for Honey Almond Fig Tart on page 373. 

      Okay, I did know that it is not fresh fig season when I picked this recipe, and I did hunt high and low all over town just to make sure there weren't some hanging out somewhere, so after the unproductive search, I decided to do what Dorie herself suggests "when fresh figs are not available," and that is to select one of the alternate recipes in the sidebar notes of the book called:  "Playing Around," i.e. I chose the France Meets Florida Honey Almond Tart (i.e. a grapefruit version as I have never baked with grapefruit before, other than broiling a half grapefruit with a bit of brown sugar on it for breakfast (what's not to love about that?) and I wanted to see how all that would work and taste).

      I won't keep you in suspense, it worked and tasted just wonderful!  It's very pretty and the taste of grapefruit with honey and almonds is tangy/sweet/creamy, very lovely. 

      I made a 6" tart size with a quarter of the dough crust recipe and a fourth of the filling recipe (don't use more than this for this size of tart as it rises as it bakes and this was plenty without flowing over the top of the tart pan).  I used about 3/4 of a grapefruit (in sections) to spiral around the top of this size tart.  It took mine 30 minutes to bake. 

      I would make and eat this again, it was delightful.  Mark enjoyed it as well, so I would say this one is a definite repeat and I will also try this recipe again with the fig version when fresh figs are back in season. 

      Before I leave you with the recipe, I want to share a bit about Tuesdays with Dorie and my involvement in the group.  I first found out about the group forming in January of 2008, when they posted their first recipes, but it took me four months to request membership as I didn't know how to bake and was afraid that I wouldn't be able to make some of the recipes shown in the book without looking like a complete fool.  Seriously, all I had ever baked were cakes, cupcakes, and brownies from box mixes.  I did know how to make some cookies from scratch and I had only two pies that I could execute from scratch with a fair amount of success.  I had baked plain white bread before but it had been years and years.  I figured no one would want me in the group stumbling around with all these recipes each week. 

      I read the entries from the members each week for a few months and decided that there were a fair number of them that hadn't a clue on how to really bake either and that most of them seemed to be learning as they went along.  I thought maybe I could do that and the rest is history. 

      My first post was May 20, 2008 and while I haven't made all of the recipes since then, I have made about 150 of them.  A whole lot of desserts.  As I was scrolling through and counting them, I literally saw the last four years flashing before my eyes, remembering the times and people who ate the desserts as I was making them.  Also flashing before my eyes were all the baking friends I have made these four years within this group, some who stayed the course, some who came and went, some who will continue on being my baking friends into the future in the next baking group or other groups.  I think I can tell you who chose each recipe that I made, something about them, and the names of all their blogs.  Who knew something as simple as baking would bring so many people together from all over the world.  We have not only baked together, we have shared pieces of our lives with one another...we have rejoiced in holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, births, first days of school, graduations, weddings and countless other celebrations.  We have consoled one another on baking failures due to our own mistakes, disappointments, unhappy and trying times, divorces, deaths, and funerals.  We chat about families, jobs, hobbies, interests, vacations, and pretty much anything you can think of.  After four years, we are, without a doubt good friends and TWD members have become something of a family of bakers.   What a fun ride this has been, I have learned so much, and had such a great time doing it with others I have come to know and care about through the years. 

      It's more than a little sad to see it ending.  That said, there will be a continuation of this baking group in one form or another as we begin baking through the Baking with Julia book of Dorie's in February 2012.  While not everyone is continuing on with this adventure, some are venturing forth, so I am looking forward to beginning all that in February. 

      And finally, thank you both to Laurie for starting this wonderful baking adventure and inviting us all along on the journey and to Dorie Greenspan who had the vision, dedication, and drive to write one of the best baking books ever...anyone can bake with wonderful results using this book because of her carefully written instructions in every recipe.  If something didn't turn out along the way, it was my fault, not the fault of any recipe in the book...trust me, this book is exceptional in that regard, the recipes are tried, true, and absolutely approachable.  Dorie has been extremely generous with her time and support throughout the four years, commenting on our blogs when it was not only our turn to host for the week, but at other times as well.  I don't know a single other author who would grant permission for each recipe to be posted as Dorie has done...I sincerely hope she is rewarded by sales of her book -- everyone I know who has commented on the recipes has gone out and purchased a copy of Baking from My Home to Yours "just so I can have my own copy of the book!"  If you don't own a copy by now, it's not too late to put it on your Christmas list and as Laurie says, "Bake on!" 

      The end of the group's journey is definitely not the end of my use of this book, I will go to it time and again for recipe after recipe after recipe.  To all my fellow TWD bakers:  Thank you for baking with me all these years and teaching me more than you can ever imagine.  C'ya around the blogs...xoxoxoxo!

        The other recipe chosen for this week was Earl Grey Madeleines on page 169, and you can find the recipe for it on Nicole's Bakeologie blog here.

        Next week:  Laurie chose Unbelievably Good Chocolate Blueberry Ice Cream on page 433, and Julie chose Puffed Double Plum Tart on page 378 (there are two recipes so that we can finish by the end of the year).  The    TWD blogroll found here.

Honey Almond Fig (Grapefruit) Tart
 

For the Almond Cream:

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup honey
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup ground almonds
4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

9" tart shell made with Sweet Tart Dough (page 444), partially baked and cooled (recipe follows)

15 ripe figs (Kadota figs are very nice) OR 2 Florida Ruby Red Grapefruits

1/3 cup red currant jelly mixed with 1 teaspoon water for glazing

Combine the butter, honey, and confectioners' sugar in a food processor (a great tool for this job) and process until smooth.  Add the ground almonds and process to blend.  Add the cornstarch and process to blend, then add the egg and yolk.  Keep whirring for another 15 seconds, or until the almond cream is homogeneous.  (If you prefer, you can make the almond cream with a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer.)  Scrape the filling into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or for up to 3 days).

Using grapefruit:  Peel 2 grapefruits, removing the rind and the white cottony pith beneath, and cut out the segments (leaving the membrane behind).  Put the segments between two triple thickness of paper towels.  Let the fruit drain for at least an hour - or up to 6 hours, if you've got the time.

Getting ready to bake:  Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Put the tart pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

To assemble:

If using figs:  cut the figs in half from blossom to stem. 
Spoon enough of the almond cream into the crust to come about 1/4 inch shy of the rim.  Arrange the figs, if using, cut side down in an attractive pattern over the cream.  OR  Arrange the grapefruit segments, if using, in a pretty pinwheel pattern over the filling before baking.

Bake the tart for 30-35 minutes, or until the cream is puffed and browned; a thin knife inserted into the cream should come out clean.  Pull the pan from the oven and transfer the tart to a rack.

Bring the currant jelly and water to a boil--you can do this either in a pan on the stove or in the microwave oven.  Using a pastry brush, very gently paint the top of the tart with the glaze.  Allow the tart to cool to just warm or to room temperature before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings.  Dorie says you can serve this tart with whipped cream, creme fraiche, creme Anglaise, or even a little ice cream, but that she serves it plain or sometimes dusted with confectioners' sugar. 

Storing:  although you can make the almond cream and the tart shell ahead, the tart should be eaten the day it is baked.

Sweet Tart Dough
Makes Enough for One 9" Crust
 

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 Tablespoon (9 Tablespoons) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Put the flour, confectioners' sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine.  Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is coarsely cut in -- you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas.  Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition.  When the egg is in, process in long pulses -- about 10 seconds each -- until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.  Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change -- heads up. Turn the dough onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

To press the dough into the pan:  Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.  Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked.  Don't be too heavy-handed -- press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture.   Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Sour Cream Pumpkin Tart

 

      Thanks to Judy, from Judy's Gross Eats, for her pick of Sour Cream Pumpkin Tart, found on page 324 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe.  Judy is all about travel, reading, good eating, and loves to cook for her daughter...I always enjoy visiting Judy's blog to see what's going on at her place. 

      My husband is a big fan of pumpkin pie, so I knew I would get around to making this recipe at some point this week, let's see, it was due on Tuesday and I finally found time on Saturday.  

      I made a small 6" tart size, which took a fourth of the dough recipe and a scant fourth of the filling recipe as well.  Mark was very happy with it, I had a small bit and it was nicely spiced, and you could also definitely taste the rum in the mix, a nice little punch of extra flavor.  Definitely a repeat, I still have pumpkin left over, and I still have more tart crust to use, so this may be happening again here before mid-week.  Thanks, Judy...a big hit with the pumpkin eater here.   

        Next week:  My choice actually as I was asked to host again before the whole thing winds up at the end of the month:  Honey Almond Fig Tart, on page 373, I will say right now, however, that fresh figs are not in season, and nary a one to be found around here, so I will be using one of the alternative suggestions for fruit.  The other recipe for next week is:  Earl Grey Madeleines, page 169.  The   TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Bittersweet Brownies

 

      Thanks to my good buddy Leslie, from Lethally Delicious, for her pick of   Bittersweet Brownies, found on page 90 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe.  Leslie is all about the chocolate all the time, so I was not surprised to see her name next to a chocolate week! 

      Mark always loves TWD brownie weeks...apparently we have had a lot of good brownies from this book and these were no exception, he loved them.  They were fudgy and full of chocolate flavor with a little kick from the espresso powder. 

      I have a problem taking photos of brownies (they just seem like one big chocolate blob of a mess to me), so I tried to pretty these up a bit with some whipped cream and pomegranate seeds.  I think they look quite nice this way and Mark loved the taste, so I'm feeling good about the whole thing.  And best of all, I can just eat a bunch of pomegranate seeds with a little whipped cream and call it dessert as well!  Win, win.   

        Next week:  Because next week is a holiday, we have free choice to make any rewind we would like to make, either a repeat or something we missed along the line.  The TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Ginger-Jazzed Brownies

      Thanks to Hindy, from Bubie's Little Baker, for her pick of Ginger-Jazzed Brownies, found on page 101 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      Mark always loves TWD brownie weeks...apparently we have had a lot of good brownies from this book and these were no exception, he loved them.  The ginger brought a nice little kick to the flavor and he declared them, "Excellent!"  I guess we will be adding these to the "make again" category, that list from this book is very long!

        One note:  To get the brownies to this degree of doneness, I needed to bake them for 15 extra minutes.  Mark likes them at this chewy-fudgy stage.

        Next week:  Ursula from Cookie Rookie has chosen A Fig Cake For Fall, found on page 198. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Basic Biscuits

      Thanks to Jennifer, from Cooking for Comfort, for her pick of Basic Biscuits, found on page 21 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      This recipe represented another chance to practice my mediocre biscuit-making skills.  I'm not sure how well I did, but my husband loved them, eating five of them with bacon and eggs as breakfast sandwiches...don't panic, the little biscuits are just 2" in size, the total count of eggs was 2 and I used 2 pieces of bacon, so the totals on all that, while adding up, seem a little more discreet than saying Mark ate 5 breakfast sandwiches.  I think. 

      Anyway, these were light an fluffy inside and crunchy on the outside, and tasted delicious with a swipe of butter and a little honey drizzled on them as well.  I know.  I ate two.  And I'm not a biscuit person, so I guess we can say these are repeat worthy every now and again as they are easy, quick, and delicious...what's not to like about all that?  

        Next week:  Hindy from Bubie's Little Baker has chosen Ginger-Jazzed Brownies, found on page 101. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Apple Nut Muffin Cake

 

     Thanks to Katrina, from Baking and Boys, for her pick of the Apple Nut Muffin Cake, found on page 37 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      A cake made from a muffin recipe, who knew?  It all came together quickly and easily...I had a few things to make this week for other baking blog-alongs so I just made a quarter of the recipe, used a 5" round pan, and it worked perfectly.  Isn't that a cute little cake?  I took a little slice and enjoyed it out in the beautiful sunshine on our deck, a perfect pair.
      The taste is wonderful, cinnamon with apples, raisins, and nuts, just full of flavors we love.  I will certainly make this one again. 

      Thanks for the pick, Katrina...I can't even believe you did not pick something chocolate!  Parker and I are very appreciative...this was delicious.

        Next week:  Jennifer from Cooking for Comfort has chosen Basic Biscuits, found on page 21. TWD blogroll found here.

 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Bill's Big Carrot Cake (rewind)

 

      Thanks to Becky, from Project Domestication, for her pick of   Flip-Over Plum Cake, found on page 42 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      I didn't make this cake this week, opting instead to make a rewind cake that I knew would be a huge success and that was assigned before I joined the group, Bill's Big Carrot Cake on page 253-255.  It was made in April of 2008, so here's a link to the recipe from then, click here. 

      Mark loves carrot cake, one of the few cakes he does love, and this was a really great recipe for carrot cake, cream cheese frosting and all!  The inside is just full of carrots and raisins and coconut and nuts, everything good!
      Definitely a repeat and this one is now my go-to carrot cake recipe from now on.  

        Next week:  Katrina from Baking and Boys has chosen Apple Nut Muffin Cake, found on page 37. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Salt & Pepper Cocoa Shortbread

 

      Thanks to Tia, from Buttercream Barbie, for her pick of   Salt & Pepper Cocoa Shortbread, found on page 128 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe.  One can never have too many cookie recipes, Tia, so thanks for this week's pick.  

      These cookies were fast and easy to pull together.  After you mix it all up, it sits in the frig for a few hours while you run errands, read, or watch a movie...yep, you don't even have to hire a babysitter to watch over it.  After you slice and bake them for 15 minutes, they are ready to be devoured.  At least that was the story here...I'm not sure there are cookies that Mark does not like, but these disappeared in very little time, a good indication that they are worthy of repeating.
      He did say that the salt and pepper were not the predominant flavors, the chocolate carried more of the flavoring, but that he could taste the salt and it was pleasant and that the pepper left a little lingering taste in the back of his mouth which was rather nice.  Good or bad, you decide.   

        Next week:  Becky from Project Domestication has chosen Flip-Over Plum Cake, found on page 42. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Classic Brownies

 

      Thanks to Anne, from Anne Strawberry, for her pick of  Classic Brownies, found on page 88 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe.  Brownies are always appreciated by the guys, Anne, so thanks for this week's pick.  

      The brownies could not be easier, melt the two chocolates and butter in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, pour into a pan, bake, and cool.   Seriously easy, I did it all in my 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup with a whisk. 

      While these have nuts in them, apparently the opinion is that chocolate and nuts mix well together and guys here will eat them, if no chocolate is involved, do not put nuts in things.  I made a full batch as I'm sure Mark will have no trouble packing these in lunches and snacking on these in the evenings.  I believe his comment was, "Great, now that Matt is gone, I might actually get more than one!" Could definitely be a repeat.  (Matt: if you are reading this, we love you and miss you, Dad would give up all the brownies anytime you want them!)

        Next week:  Tia from Buttercream Barbie has chosen Salt & Pepper Cocoa Shortbread, found on page 128. TWD blogroll found here.

 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Spice Quickies

 

      Thanks to Jessica, from My Baking Heart, for her pick of   Chocolate Spice Quickies, found on page 140 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe.  Cookies are always a popular item around here, Jessica, thanks for the pick.  

      These cookies could not be easier, you throw a few ingredients together in a food processor, roll into a log on plastic wrap for a four-hour stint in the refrigerator, slice, bake, and cool.  They are, just as the recipe says, quickies, although you do have to take into consideration the time the dough rests in the refrigerator before you bake them off, so you can't make them and eat them in the same hour. 

      The cookies make a nice addition to packing in Mark's lunch and, of course, his favorite way of eating cookies:  grab a few on the way out the door in the morning and call it breakfast.  Could definitely be a repeat. 

        Next week:  Anne from Anne Strawberry has chosen Classic Brownies, found on page 88. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cream Scones

 

      Thanks to Lynne, from Cafe LynnyLu, for her pick of   Cream Scones, found on page 27 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe.  These were wonderful, Lynne, thanks for a lovely pick, melt-in-your-mouth goodness!

      Scones could not be easier...I'm just saying...you throw a few ingredients together, pat it in a circle, place it on a baking sheet, bake it for about 20 minutes, and you have nice hot scones fresh from the oven to enjoy for breakfast, about half an hour start to finish with very little clean-up. 
       It's a big plus that they taste so good, they were nice and moist inside with a tender crumb, absolutely delicious.  These have currants in them, some others had chocolate chips in them, both equally scarfed down with the "mmmm" accompaniments. 

      Blackberry Jam and Currants go amazingly well together, especially if their friend A Little Bit of Butter drops by.  Definitely a repeat and soon. 

        Next week:  Andrea from Andrea in the Kitchen has chosen Chestnut Scones, found on page 34. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Chunk Muffins

 

      Thanks to Bridget, from The Way the Cookie Crumbles, for her pick of   Chocolate Chunk Muffins, found on page 18 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      True to the nature of muffins, these went together quickly with just a bowl or two between the ingredients and the muffin wrappers, baked 18 minutes in my oven, and netted 18 muffins instead of 12 as I am beginning to figure out that my muffin pan may be just slightly smaller than the ones Dorie uses for I find that I always get more muffins/cupcakes than the recipe states.  No matter, there is never a problem getting the guys to eat the extras.
      The inside texture of these looked nice and moist and tender (I had to go by looks alone as you didn't really think I was going to taste their little chocolate selves, right?)  They were a hit, Matt thought they tasted more like cupcakes than muffins, but that could just be the chocolate factor as Matt dearly loves chocolate baked goods. 

        Next week:  Lynne from Cafe LynnyLu has chosen Cream Scones, found on page 27. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies

      Thanks to Spike, from Spike Bakes, for her pick of Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies, found on page 160 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe and a lovely photo of Spike and Ed...awwww...so cute. 

      Matt wants everyone to know that these cookies (pictured here) were excellent, and "a lot better than they look."  Just saying...this week was not an apparent huge success for me as I was chiseling the cookies off the cookie sheet and it was not pretty.  I know I did something wrong this time as I made them once before (do not have a clue what happened to those photos) and they did not spread as much, i.e. not as flat. 

      Apparently flatness in appearance does not make for a lower rating in taste around here.  Definitely a repeat for Matt, who judges on taste alone, thank goodness:  he loved them.  Sorry, Dorie and Spike...I'll do better next time.

        Next week:  Bridget from The Way the Cookie Crumbles has chosen Chocolate Chunk Muffins, found on page 18. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Blueberry Brown Sugar Cake

     Thanks to Cindy, from Everyday Insanity, for her pick of   Blueberry Brown Sugar Cake, found on page 36 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe, and while you are there, take a gander about a bit as Cindy has some very nice and workable recipes for families on her site, I have made any number of them and have always been pleased. 

      We are rather "caked-out" here at the moment with all these graduation parties to attend, etc., so although blueberries are a favorite, I opted to make a mini version, and I made it round instead of square just because I like using this little 6" round pan. 

      I followed the recipe by dividing ingredients by half and it fit perfectly in the little 6" pan.  The cake comes together easily and quickly, baked for about 50 minutes, and was delightful with a little whipped cream and some fresh blueberries on top.  The brown sugar in the recipe is such a nice surprise, sort of a caramel-like flavor and very nice with the blueberries.  Definitely a repeat.

        Next week:  Jacque from Daisy Lane Cakes has chosen Chocolate Biscotti, found on page 144. TWD blogroll found here.

 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Maple Cornmeal Biscuits

      Thanks to Lindsay, from A Little Something...Sweet, for her pick of Maple Cornmeal Biscuits, found on page 24 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      You have heard it time and again here that we aren't really all that fond of biscuits.  Apparently there are two kinds of biscuits (maybe more) but Caitlin informed me that there are flaky biscuits and drop biscuits. 

      These are drop biscuits which means they are a whole lot easier to make.  Seriously, five minutes of mixing, plopping onto the baking tray, and into the oven for a short stint.
      At the end of the baking time, wonderfully delicious biscuits which Mark loaded up with butter and which I ate plain.  So good.  Okay, maybe we can be biscuit people once in awhile. 

      I have been baking my way through this book for three years now and have acquired many new baking friends along the way.  My blog is sometimes about food and sometimes about family.  This past weekend my family and my food blogging friends met up in North Carolina.  Caitlin came over from Chapel Hill, Nancy and Jenni came up from Atlanta, and my son Matt came from Indiana to compete in the Grand Prix Series of USA swimming...a fancy pants swim meet he qualified for with the likes of this guy and this guy and this guy, etc.  

      I wasn't able to go to the meet so the three of them went and spent Saturday cheering Matt and his teammates on.  Photo below:  Jenni, Nancy, Matt, and Caitlin at the pool for the swim meet.
      Not only did they cheer, they brought them food...three kinds of homemade cookies that Caitlin whipped up in her kitchen the night before while tweeting with us all, and a big bag of homemade seasoned nuts from Nancy and Jenni using those great Georgia pecans that Nancy has at her disposal quite often.  After the meet, the three girls spent a bit of time roaming around Charlotte and stopping for a bite to eat.  Can you even believe they went all that way and watched Matt swim?  TWD has brought together the most amazing people!  Lucky me.

        Next week:  Patricia from Life with a Whisk has chosen Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones, found on page 39. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Basic Marbled Loaf

      Thanks to Carol, from The Bake More, for her pick of Basic Marbled Loaf, found on pages 230-231 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      I know you were all expecting chocolate because the ones in the book were all for things chocolate.  Oh, well.  Usually I stick to the recipe and make it each week as close to Dorie's rendition as I can because I am always interested in seeing what the recipe author intends before I start tinkering around with it, after all, Dorie is who Dorie is for a reason, so I should study and learn from her experience and knowledge. 

      This week, however, Dorie herself encourages us to fiddle around with the recipe and come up with our own version, so I did.  I chose to make the Peppermint Marble Loaf variation and used white chocolate instead of brown chocolate.  To get the swirl, I added a little red food color to that half of the batter.  I went with the peppermint flavoring, in the cake, in the frosting drizzle, and with the peppermint chips scattered on top.  It was a fine thing to do, we all enjoyed it and it is definitely something I would repeat.

        Oh, and for those of you in the know...yep, that was made in The Nancy Pan!  It made slices of a perfectly wonderful size of this delicious loaf.  The Nancy Pan (10-1/4"x3-5/8"x2-5/8") has quite the story, as Nancy came upon a box of these vintage pans and bought the lot.  Not sure what she was going to do with all of them, she started gifting them around to friends and if you read many of the TWD blogs, you will undoubtedly come upon more than a few of this week's recipe made in The Nancy Pan. 

        Next week:  Peggy from Pantry Revisited has chosen Brown Sugar Bundt Cake, found on page 179. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: A Tourtely Apple Tart

       Thanks to Twitter pal Jeannette, from The Whimsical Cupcake, for her pick of A Tourtely Apple Tart, found on pages 306-307 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      I've been making a lot of pies/tarts lately for one of my other baking groups, and have fallen in love with other crusts...so, apologies to you all for defecting on the crust for this recipe, but I did not use Dorie's, I used a different one which is very very similar but which for some reason I can handle whereas I cannot seem to make Dorie's work for me...yes, I know, I know, you all love that dough and it works so well for you all and I am terribly embarrassed but I cannot get that crust to work for me, so I am admitting defeat and moving on in regards to that crust.  That confessed, I did use her filling, and it was definitely the apply filling that made this tart so delicious.
      This tart was a nice change from a regular 2-crust apple pie, but probably not a fan favorite here, meaning:  it was nice to make/eat it, but it won't replace the apple pie that everyone requests when the apple pie cravings hit.  Fun and easy to make this time for sure, so thanks, Jeannette, we enjoyed it, and I hope that your birthday weekend was everything you were hoping for in a birthday weekend!

        Next week:  Valerie from Une Gamine dans la Cuisine has chosen Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies, found on page 110. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp

      Thanks to Sarah, from Teapots and Cakestands, for her pick of Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp, found on pages 420-421 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe.
      We are big Crisp fans here, fruit desserts are always popular with this crowd, and strawberries and rhubarb are just a match made in heaven so I knew we were going to love this recipe.  We did.  Top Five for sure.  (I can hear Nancy laughing from here as she reads this as I have about 50 Top Fives.) 

      The only thing I changed was to leave out the nuts...my guys are not big fans of nuts in fruit things. That doesn't mean you need to leave them out, though, so click on over and get the recipe and make a batch for yourself...if you can't find fresh rhubarb, a package of frozen rhubarb works just as well.  Yes, it does.  Definitely a repeat.

        Next week:  Jeanette from The Whimsical Cupcake has chosen A Tourtely Apple Tart, found on pages 306-307. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Coffee Ice Cream Tart

      Thanks to Jessica, from Domestic Deep Thought of the Day, for her pick of Coffee Ice Cream Tart, found on pages 58-359 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      Almonds, Chocolate, Coffee...all good things in Mark's book so I decided to make a small version of this since Matt is off on spring break and Mark could not count on me to help him out with eating it...chocolate and coffee...you know how it is. 

      Three layers, crust, ice cream, drizzle...not a lot of hands-on time and effort involved, something different for now and again.  Mark isn't that much of an ice cream person, but he really enjoyed it.  I would make it again with no hesitation...and that might just happen sooner or later when Matt returns and sees that he missed out.
      Now, about the photos...the top was supposed to be a drizzled affair, but we all know that I cannot drizzle and working with chocolate just makes me crazed so when I drizzled, it sort of was messy and I had chocolate literally everywhere.  At that point I decided it was going to become a marbled look as everything was starting to melt and I figured it would just have to be good enough.  So, if I were you, I would go check out every one else's tarts this week so that you can see how cute and lovely they are really supposed to look.  I apologized to Mark and explained the situation and great husband that he is, he said, "It looks great to me and I wouldn't change a thing."  Marry someone like this, it makes life so much easier! 

      Note:  a lot of people said they had trouble with the crust being too hard/difficult to cut, etc., but I didn't find that at all, it was just fine and cut easily into nice pieces, Mark said it was easy to eat and he had no trouble with it, so not sure what that was all about.  I made 1/3 of dough in a 6" tart pan with 1/4 of the filling called for in the recipe.  That worked well, everything else the same as written in Dorie's recipe.  Definitely a repeat.

        Next week:  Sarah from Teapots and Cakestands has chosen Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp, found on pages 420-421. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Pecan Powder Puffs

Thanks to Tianne, from Buttercream Barbie, for her pick of Pecan Powder Puffs, found on page 156 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      We always called these cookies Mexican Wedding Cakes and Mark's family always called them Pecan Crescents because his mother used to shape in them in a half-moons.  Whatever name you call them, these are always a favorite around here and Dorie's recipe is excellent.  They are light and crunchy and melt on your tongue.  The powdered sugar adds a little extra sweetness and fancies them up a bit.  Definitely a repeat.

        Next week:  Jessica from Domestic Deep Thought of the Day has chosen Coffee Ice Cream Tart, found on pages 358-359. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Honey Nut Brownies

      Thanks to Suzy, from Suzy Homemaker, for her pick of Honey Nut Brownies, found on page 102 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      Don't ask...I have no idea what happened to these, if they are supposed to look like this or what they are supposed to taste like (not a chocolate fan, not taste testing) but I will say this:  the guys ate them.  They said that they tasted more like cake than brownie (could be the baker's error actually, not sure), that they were happy I left out the nuts, that they could definitely taste the honey and that flavor was interesting and nice, and that they were happy to eat them. 

       All that said, it looks like I did something wrong as they don't really look like a brownie to me and what's going on with the layered look?  Definitely something I need to make again to see if I get the same results.   That's the great thing about baking for guys, they don't really care what it looks like as long as it tastes good...and apparently these tasted good.

        Next week:  Tianne from Buttercream Barbie has chosen Pecan Powder Puffs, found on page 156. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins

      Thanks to Lauryn, from Bella Baker, for her pick of Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins, found on page 7 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      Thanks, Lauryn, these muffins were so very very good!  What's not to love about orange, lemon, currants, butter, eggs, sugar, etc.?  The citrus flavors really came through and they smell delicious while baking and while eating them.
      These are going in the regular rotation around here and I am making them exactly as Dorie wrote the recipe, it's wonderful just as it is.  Yes, they are that good.   

        Next week:  Suzy from Suzy Homemaker has chosen Honey Nut Brownies, found on page 102. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Corniest Corn Muffins

      Thanks to Jill, from My Next Life, for her pick of Corniest Corn Muffins, found on page 4 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe on Jill's blog. 

      Hands down these are the very best corn muffins I have ever had in my entire life.  I followed the recipe exactly for 6 of the 12 and in the first 6 of the 12 I left out the corn as some people in this household are a bit picky about corn kernels inside corn muffins. Go figure.  (And, for once, the picky one was not me.)  Make them, you won't be disappointed.    

      Next week:  Lauryn from Bella Baker has chosen Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins, found on page 7. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Pots de Creme

      Thanks to Christine, from Black Cat Cooking, for her pick of Chocolate Pots de Creme, found on pages 390-391 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  Click here for the recipe. 

      Heretofore, with all the desserts that I have made from this book, Mark's absolute number one favorite has been the Chocolate Pudding (page 383).  Now he has two top favorites, so thanks for picking this recipe Christine, the guys thought these were really wonderful. 

      The recipe is very simple, requires just a few ingredients, and is relatively fuss-free.  For instance, if you make some, they get eaten really quickly before you get your photo, you still have time to make some again that same day.  Definitely a repeat.  My husband and sons are big pudding fans...testimony from Mark:  "Who cares what's for dinner, we have homemade chocolate pudding for dessert!"  Go figure.

        Next week:  Jill from My Next Life has chosen Corniest Corn Muffins, found on page 4. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Toasted Almond Scones

      Thanks to Mike, from Living Out West, for his pick of Toasted Almond Scones, found on pages 28-29 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook. 

      When Mike got the email letting him know that it was his turn to host the TWD recipe, he was on Twitter and tweeted such asking for suggestions, "or should I just pick the one that I first opened the book to?"  I voted for that idea as it was these scones!
      Thanks for picking them, Mike, these were really wonderful.  I made them once, we ate them all, forgot the photos, so I made them again and I have to say, these are definitely worthy of repeating again numerous times.  One can find this recipe here, or buy the book and you can have them all! 

      The almond flavor in these scones comes from ground almonds, chopped almonds, sliced almonds, and almond extract...such a wealth of goodness!  Definitely a repeat. 

       Next week:  Christine from Black Cat Cooking has chosen Chocolate Pots de Creme, found on pages 390-391. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: My Favorite Pecan Pie (Rewind)

      Thanks to Sharon, from Simply Southern, for her pick of Bourbon Bread Pudding, found on page 407 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  There are a whole lot of people who were looking forward to making this, Sharon, so they were thrilled. You can find this recipe here, or buy the book and you can have them all! 

      That said, I did not make that recipe this week as this is not a bread pudding eating household.  Sorry, we are just not fans.  Rather than just pass this week, I decided to do a rewind of a TWD recipe that I had missed in the past for one odd excuse or the other.  This week I made My Favorite Pecan Pie, page 327, which had been chosen by Brina and you can find the recipe for that here. 

      I'm on a pie making kick.  February is National Pie Month and I have been making a mini pie a day for the past 7 days, so when I decided I was going to do a rewind, I knew it was going to be some sort of pie.  I have to say that my pie making skills are getting better each day.  I still cannot do a Dorie's crust, as you can see, the edges of this one fell apart out of the pan, so I'll work on it.  My regular pie crust handles much better for me for some reason, but I think the taste of Dorie's is excellent, so I must hone my skills so that I can handle this one as well.

      There is no doubt that the pies are edible as they have been disappearing.  At any rate, one of Mark's favorite pies is the Pecan Pie, so I thought I would give Dorie's recipe a try for him to see if it was a palate-pleaser.  It was.  I think he would be happy to eat this whenever I had the urge to make it.  It has chocolate in it, so it pleased the chocolate lovers around here as well.  Definitely a repeat. 

        Next week:  Caroline and Claire from Bake With Us have chosen Chocolate Oatmeal Drops, found on page 75. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Great Grains Muffins

      Thanks to Christine, from Happy Tummy, for her pick of Great Grains Muffins, found on pages 8-9 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can find this recipe here, or buy the book and you can have them all! 

      Nancy and I are always looking for things we can make together on Twitter (with anyone else who wants to join in) but quite often Nancy and I have opposite schedules so finding time is always an issue.  Not with this one, however. 

      These muffins are quick, easy, full of wonderfully tasty ingredients, and oh-so-completely-delicious warm straight from the oven or at room temperature.
      I used dates for the dried fruit and if you want to know what Nancy used, you will need to check in over at her blog today and see what she chose.  These are definitely going to be repeated often here as they were just that good!  Top Five easily.  

        Next week:  Sharon from Simply Southern has chosen Bourbon Bread Pudding, found on page 407. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Nutty, Chocolaty, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

      Thanks to Jennifer, from Cooking for Comfort, for her pick of Nutty, Chocolaty, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake, found on pages 182-183 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can find this recipe here, or buy the book and you can have them all! 

      I wasn't going to make this, as guys are not that fond of cake for some reason, but we were lacking in desserts, so I made a half portion, netting me six little mini bundts which I can send off in lunches this week.  Who doesn't enjoy a nice little sweet treat in a lunch, right? 

      The recipe was easy, ingredients mostly on hand (had to run out for sour cream is all).
      The finished little cake is very good.  And, let's just say that if you don't like chocolate, you can make the filling with or without it, some of each, so that that person in your house who does not like chocolate can also enjoy a little bit of cake as well with just the cinnamon, nuts, raisins, and sugar.  Yep, it works, I tried it for you, just to be sure and all.  It's good, it's very very good.  So happy that I made this one. 

        Next week:  Christine from Happy Tummy has chosen Great Grains Muffins, found on pages 8-9. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

      Thanks to Betsy, from A Cup of Sweetness, for her pick of Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, found on page 10 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can find the recipe here. 

      Not much to say this week, they are, after all muffins, and while they are very good, there is not much else to say about them other than they are easy and quick.
      I will also say that I needed to make the glaze a little tighter as it was pretty thin and resulted in a true glaze-type topping rather than the nice ribbons of frosting shown in the book photo.  Note to self, noted. 

      They were good, if you are in the mood for a lemon poppyseed muffin, these will definitely make you happy.   

        Next week:  Jennifer from Cooking for Comfort has chosen Nutty, Chocolatey, Swirly, Sour Cream Bundt Cake, found on page 182. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Fluff-filled Madeleines

      Thanks to Margot, from Effort to Deliciousness, for her pick of Chocolate Fluff-filled Madeleines, found on pages 170-171 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can find the recipe here.  Margot makes terrific toffee, just ask Matt, she sent us some with her recipe and I have been answering requests for toffee from Matt ever since.  He even calls it Margot's Toffee (don't tell David Lebovitz that, however).   

      Before I begin, let me just say that I am a Madeleine baker.  I have tried various recipes with varying results.  I have tried various Madeleine pans with varying results.  I have a recipe that I have found that works well, tastes delicious with that melt-in-your-mouth quality that I associate with a drop-dead great Madeleine recipe, and I am not one to toy around with A Good Thing. 

      That said, my TWD baking pals on Twitter and I embarked on the journey that was this recipe when we all woke up with the same inclination to bake Madeleines that day.  All of us had varying degrees of success.  I think my efforts were the worst of the bunch actually, something that does not set well with me as I always think of myself as a person who can make great Madeleines on a moment's notice.
      I love Dorie's recipes, I do.  Week after week, I am the one who always bakes everything as written figuring Dorie knows way more than I do and I am here to learn from her.  That said, the very first recipe that I baked when I joined the TWD group was Dorie's for Madeleines.  And it was good, it was very fussy in preparation compared to my It's A Good Thing recipe, and it didn't taste quite as good as It's A Good Thing recipe, but I was happy to have made them. 

      Enter this week's chocolate Madeleine recipe.  Already, if you know me at all, it has one strike against it because it is chocolate and I am just not a fan.  I like my Madeleines very traditional.  Looking beyond that, I think the greatest "fail" I had with this recipe is that my butter separated and sank to the bottom of the bowl when it was chilling in the refrigerator.  I did not realize this when I was scooping the batter into the Mad Pans and when I got near the bottom I thought, "Uh, oh, what's THIS?" I knew I was probably in trouble as all the congealed butter on the bottom was definitely not in the Madeleine batter in the pan already. 

      It was not going well, so I just chopped up the butter, poked it into the batter in the pans and popped it into the oven anyway.  "Why would you do that?" you ask.  Because I have guys over here that will eat most anything chocolate so I figured it wouldn't be a total loss even if I had to make them again with a slight variation to Dorie's recipe (which I try never to do), i.e. no chilling of the batter, just straight into the oven. 

      Apparently they tasted fine, although they did have large holes in the cookie (see above photos), they tasted okay and even better with the fluff inside and chocolate icing outside. 

      Will I make them again?  Yes, I might.  Just to see how it works with going straight from mixing the batter in the bowl to the pans and then into the oven without the chilling.  I am very eager to see how everyone else did with this recipe because I am fairly certain, that knowing Dorie's attention to detail, the whole congealed butter drama was something that I didn't do correctly.  Now, if I could just figure out what that was, I could correct it.  

      Next week:  Betsy from A Cup of Sweetness has chosen Lemon Poppyseed Muffins, found on page 10. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Midnight Crackles

      Thanks to Laurie and Jules, the Tuesdays with Dorie powers-that-be, for their 3rd Anniversary pick (yes, TWD is three years old now) of of Midnight Crackles, found on page 74 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can find the recipe here.  Aren't they cute with those crackles on the top? 

      We have been a bit sweet-ed-out (I know that is not a word, just go with it for now) over here and I have been in a bit of a snit about needing to make some of the recipes lately as I just haven't wanted to make, eat, or watch anyone else eat all these desserts.  Guys were getting a bit picky as well as there is so much sweet food around the holidays...they were turning up their noses a bit at most of it as well. 

      This morning I was contemplating just ditching the whole endeavor when my Twitter pals took me to task.  After a bit of coaxing (on their part) and whining (on my part), the end result was that I hustled into the kitchen to get my TWD assignment mixed up and put into the refrigerator to chill for an hour. 

      After that hour, I was still dragging into the kitchen wondering who on earth was going to eat these (they are going into the freezer and then to the party on Saturday after the swim meet where they will hopefully be appreciated as senior guys were assigned "desserts" for the pitch-in part). 

      After I rolled their little selves into dough balls, placed them on the cookie sheets, and popped them into the oven, I was a bit skeptical on the whole "crackly top" thing half-way through the baking time as I dutifully switched the pans around, saw nary an indication of a crackly top, and was thinking even louder, "Why am I doing this?" 

      That said, when I returned to the oven at the sound of the timer, their little selves had magically turned into cookies with crackly tops and had me smiling at their cuteness.  (I'm all about the cute in things on a daily basis.)  

      Fortunately, a taster dropped by and pronounced them, "Absolutely delicious...can I have another???"  Cute and delicious...how much more would you want in a cookie?  Definitely a repeat if nothing else for those two reasons. 

      Next week:  Margot from Effort to Deliciousness has chosen Chocolate Fluff-filled Madeleines, found on pages 170-171. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Translucent Maple Tuiles

      Thanks to Hindy of Bubie's Little Baker for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Translucent Maple Tuiles, found on page 173 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Hindy's site here.  I almost chose this recipe when it was my turn to choose, so I was excited to finally see it arrive on the pick list. 

      The recipe is very easy with only four ingredients:  Butter, Brown Sugar, Maple Syrup, and Flour.  Mix it all up, park in the frig for several hours, and roll into tiny balls before baking in a hot oven. 

      They turn out lacey and crispy (my favorite kind of cookie, nice and crispy).  If you want them to have a bit of a curve to them, you can drape them over a rolling pin when they are warm to shape while they cool. 

      These were just served plain (for me) and with coffee (for Mark).  If I had some fresh berries, I might have put a little whipped cream and a berry or two on each one to fancy them up a bit.  That said, they were just delicious straight up with nothing else whatsoever.  Definitely a repeat sometime soon. 

      Next week:  Amber from Cobbler du Monde has chosen Apple-Coconut Family Cake, found on page 214. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte

      Thanks to The Powers That Be over at our main website for Tuesdays with Dorie our pick from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook was free choice this week in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday.  We could pick anything we wanted from the rewind list, i.e. recipes that have been chosen already and ones, that for one reason or another, we did not, or could not, make when they were chosen, or perhaps ones that were made before one joined the group. 

      I hadn't a clue what I was going to choose until my pal Nancy said, "I'm going to make the Hidden Berry Cheese Cake Torte, on page 240-242."  Leslie thought that sounded good as well, so I was in.  It did not involve chocolate, and it had my favorites, fruit and cream cheese, so it didn't take me long to jump in on also choosing this one. 

      This one was made back in the second week of the group's existence (January 2008), a couple of months before I joined.  Click here for the recipe.  Leslie and some others had trouble with the top browning, so Nancy tried making it with foil tented over the top for the baking time and it did not get brown and rubbery this way.  I decided I was going to do mine that way as well as in the book, the torte is pictured with a clean smooth light colored filling, so I was happy with the result and it tasted great.  You guessed it, we were doing all this on Twitter so we could compare notes.  Leslie did hers first so we all benefited from her experience and tips.

      I used strawberry preserves for the jam in the recipe, and I am guessing the guys are going to eat this with whipped cream on the top, but why???  It is absolutely delicious just as it is, no need for anything further.  Is it a repeat?  Possibly.  With tortes in general, I find that the crusts are just too thick or chunky or heavy or something...so I might not use this particular crust again for those reasons.  (Of course, this could be a reflection of my torte-making skills, or lack thereof, as well.)  It was good, it's just that for my personal tastes, it's just a bit much...something lighter would be perfect.

      Next week:  Tania from Love Big, Bake Often has chosen Devilish Shortcakes, found on page 425. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Not-Just-For-Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread Cake

      Thanks to Jessica of Singleton in the Kitchen for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Not-Just-For-Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread Cake, found on pages 208-209 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Jessica's site here. 

      Jessica is all about fruit in things, so I knew I could count on her to pick something fresh, fruity, and in season for this week.  Her choice fits all that and more, it has a sweet crunchy cookie outside that pairs wonderfully well with the tart/sweet cranberry filling. 

      The recipe is easy.  We made the cranberry jam filling from scratch which is so much fun because the little cranberries have a symphony of popping going on while you are stirring it, takes very little time to do that, maybe ten minutes start to stop.  After the cranberry jam, you make a shortbread dough, again, maybe ten minutes start to stop, and chill it for about 20 minutes, roll half of it out to fit your pan, fit it into the pan, plop the cranberry filling on top, roll out the other half of the dough and place it on top, brush it with a little water and sugar and it goes into the oven to bake.  It smells absolutely lovely...like Thanksgiving morning!
      Usually I get the guys to weigh in on the recipes, but no need this time...I will make it again as I really loved it.  They can weigh in on it later...I have no doubt in my mind that it will be a sure hit with them as well. Top Five for me...thanks for a wonderful Dorie pick, Jessica!  

      Next week:  Whitney, April, and Elizabeth from Celestial Confections have chosen Cranberry Lime Galette, found on pages 364-365. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Peanuttiest Blondies

      Thanks to Nicole of Bakeologie for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Peanuttiest Blondies, found on page 119 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Nicole's site here. 

      These treats were easy to put together, have peanuts and chocolate chips in them, and are guaranteed to please the peanut butter-chocolate chip crowd.  We are a divided household in these matters, the divided half that subscribes to the peanut butter-chocolate chip fan club, thought these were very good indeed.     

      Next week:  Jessica from Singleton in the Kitchen has chosen Not-Just-For-Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread, found on pages 208-209. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: All-American All-Delicious Apple Pie

Thanks to Emily of Sandmuffin for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of All-American All-Delicious Apple Pie, found on pages 300-302 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Emily's site here. 

We are big fans of the apple pie around here.  It has to be a really good apple pie to get some recognition because I make a pretty good apple pie just on my own.  It was the one thing I could make decently before joining TWD to learn how to bake.
How does this one compare?  Wow, this one is very very good as well.  It's a toss up for me because I really like the lemon in Dorie's recipe.  Mark, however, says my original apple pie is better and he prefers that to this one.  Is it a repeat?   Definitely a repeat for me, Dorie makes a great apple pie.   

 Next week:  Nicole from Bakeologie has chosen Peanuttiest Blondies, found on page 119. TWD blogroll found here.

 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Caramel Pumpkin Pie

Thanks to Janell of Mortensen Family Memoirs for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Caramel Pumpkin Pie, found on pages 322-323 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Janell's site here. 

I am not a pumpkin fan, but Mark is definitely a pumpkin pie fan.  He looks forward to Thanksgiving each year because he knows he will get pumpkin pie.  Left to me, he would be pumpkin pie-less all year round, but his mother and sister take care to see that there is plenty of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. 

Since I figured Mark was going to be the only one eating this, I set out to make a mini version.  Tracey was all for encouraging me to do that and "just get it done alright already."  (Okay, she didn't say it in those words, but she was probably thinking it as I had been putting off making this pie for a couple of weeks.)  Half-way through I decided that I would just go for the full version, not sure why. 

For the pie you need to make caramel from scratch...I love making caramel from scratch, so I figured I would do that much, let it cool as instructed, and then hopefully talk someone else into mixing up the pumpkin bit and putting it in the pie shell as the smell of pumpkin to me is sort of like the smell of chocolate to me, i.e. not a good thing. 

Turns out, this is not all that bad, it went together quick, I kept smelling the caramel more than the pumpkin, and after it baked, it still smelled caramel-like.  I tasted it, and it was good.  Very caramel-like and not so much pumpkin-like, oh, and the rum in it gave it a flavor kick as well. 

When Nancy said that her friends who didn't like pumpkin liked this, I was skeptical.  Skeptical no more, they were right, this is good, even to someone who doesn't care for pumpkin all that much.  The whipped cream didn't hurt either.  Is it a repeat?  Definitely a repeat. 

Next week:  Emily from Sandmuffin has chosen All-American All-Delicious Apple Pie, found on page 300-302. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Fold-over Pear Torte

Thanks to Gaye of Laws of the Kitchen for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Fold-over Pear Torte, found on pages 348-340 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Cakelaw's site here. 

Sunday afternoon found myself and a half dozen or so of my Twitter baking/cooking pals all making this together over Twitter, each in our own kitchens, but coordinating times and baking along together.  Always a lot of fun to have company in the kitchen while one is baking.  It will be interesting to see what all the tortes look like this week as we were sharing Twitpics back and forth and none of ours looked the same.  This often happens.
The torte was absolutely delicious!  It is made in a springform pan using Dorie's pie crust (page 442), which is a very nice dough to work with and roll out. 

The filling of fruit consisted of diced fresh pears, diced dried apricots, and walnuts and was placed into the pie crust lined pan.  The batter was flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, rum, vanilla, almond extract, eggs, butter, and cream (a sort of custardy thing).  After you pour the batter over the fruit, you fold about a couple of inches of dough over the top, leaving the center exposed. 

It bakes for an hour, until it is nicely browned and the custard is set, and then cools in the pan on a cooling rack until you unmold it, dust it with powdered sugar, and slice it up for serving.  Anything served in a slice around here, according to the guys in residence, needs whipped cream as a finishing touch.  It takes so little to please them, I am happy to comply.
Definitely a repeat.  The next time I would leave out the nuts as it felt a little strange to have a custard with nuts in it...not a flaw in the recipe, just personal preference. 

Next week:  Janell from Mortensen Family Memoirs has chosen Caramel Pumpkin Pie, found on page 322-323. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Double Apple Bundt Cake(s)

Thanks to Lynne of Honey Muffin for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Double Apple Bundt Cake, found on pages 184-185 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Lynne's site here.  Thanks Lynne, the cake was absolutely delicious! 

The cake batter divided in half was enough to fill six little mini-bundts, just the right size for the guys to eat a whole one, which they love, having a whole one to oneself is appreciated around here.  I didn't put any frosting or glaze on them as they were sweet and just a sprinkling of powdered sugar was all that was called for...a couple of them didn't even have that and no one commented on needing it.
Definitely another repeat on these, wouldn't change a thing. 

  Next week:  Cakelaw from Laws of the Kitchen has chosen Fold-over Pear Torte, found on page 348-349. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Coffee-Break Muffins

Thanks to Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Coffee-Break Muffins, found on page 15 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Rhiani's site here.  Thanks Rhiani, the muffins was delicious, and I am not a coffee drinker! 

These were quick and easy to mix, quick to bake, and delicious either warm right from the oven or at room temperature.
Confession:  I have not a clue how to make coffee.  I don't drink it, I don't like the smell of it, I am not a coffee person.  Mark usually waits until he gets to the office to have his coffee, so with the exception of a Saturday or Sunday morning single cup of coffee, there is no coffee making going on around here.  When we have guests, Mark handles the coffee making, so in order to make this recipe, I had to wait for a day when Mark could make some coffee for me to put into the recipe.  That's how much I know/don't know about the whole coffee making world. 

That said, when I tasted the muffin, I thought it was very good, coffee taste and all.  It's not going to change my coffee making/drinking habits, but if a non-coffee drinker liked these muffins, I'm betting a large number of the bakers this week loved, loved, loved them!  Right, Caitlin? 

Next week:  Leslie from Lethally Delicious has chosen Tarte Fine, found on page 315. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cranberry (actually Peach-Raspberry) Upside-Downer

Thanks to Sabrina of Superfluous for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Cranberry Upside-Downer, found on page 206 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Sabrina's site here.  Thanks Sabrina, this was delicious! 

I wasn't able to find cranberries fresh or frozen, 'tis not the season here yet, so I wandered over to the "Playing Around" section Dorie thoughtfully supplies throughout the book and chose to use fresh peaches and raspberries as we are having lovely peaches and raspberries in the markets here right now. 

Oh, my was this combination wonderful.  It is actually more wonderful than it looks as I am apparently not only any good at braiding and knotting bread, I also have some issues in getting fruit to form nice tight lovely circles for the flip over.  It all flipped over just fine, I just have no idea how those circles got so messy.  And who knows how those raspberries sank down between the pockets, those aren't even showing and I used two dozen of them.
No matter...that's the great thing about having only guys to cook for in the house, they would never in a million years notice or comment on such an issue, they only care about the taste!  It did look very pretty and fruity, which they loved, so I'll work on getting those circles more perfect next time. This is a repeat recipe, and when cranberries come into the stores, I am grabbing the first bag I see so that I can try this recipe with those as well.

Next week:  Rhiani from Chocolate Anonymous has chosen Coffee-Break Muffins, found on page 15. TWD blogroll found here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

Thanks to Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick of Peanut Butter Crisscrosses, found on page 78 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook.  You can also find the recipe on Jasmine's site here. 

Thanks Jasmine, these were delicious!  I love crispy cookies.  These were so crispy and also nicely crunchy with the peanuts inside, had to hide them from myself so I wouldn't eat more than one...okay, two.  Easy, fairly fast, and delicious!  Definitely a repeat.

Next week:  Sabrina from Superfluous has chosen Cranberry Upside-Downer, found on page 206. TWD blogroll found here.