tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56977175640618559952023-11-15T22:22:42.352-08:00Bribee's BakeryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-46027797795904064522010-11-30T14:53:00.000-08:002010-11-30T16:04:10.683-08:00November 2010 Challenge: Crostata!The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.<br /><br />PICTURES TO COME<br /><br />I was excited to try a crostata/tart, even more so that I had an excuse to buy more baking equipment (tart pan). <br /><br />For this challenge, I chose to make two crostata/tarts. The first one was filled with lemon curd and sprinkled with powdered sugar and the second one was a pecan pie-like recipe. Both fillings were made from recipes found in _______. <br /><br />The crostata was easier to work with than the "sweet pastry" recipe found in the above book. The crostata did crumble a little, but at least it held together when rolled, which was the main thing!<br /><br />Both recipes were very tasty, and I have a whole new love for tarts, such sweet looking half-pies :)<br /><br />RECIPE:<br />Pasta Frolla<br />Ingredients:<br />•1/2 c. minus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar or a scant 3/4 cup of powdered sugar<br />•1 and 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour<br />•a pinch of salt<br />•1 stick [8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces <br />•grated zest of half a lemon <br />•1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl<br /><br />Making pasta frolla with a food processor:<br />1.Put sugar, flour, salt, and lemon zest in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix. <br />2.Add butter and pulse a few times, until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal.<br />3.Empty food processor's bowl onto your work surface<br />4.See step 3 above and continue as explained in the following steps (minus the lemon zest, which you have already added).<br /><br />1.Preheat the oven to 350ºF.<br />2.Roll out a batch of the pasta frolla and cover the base of the tart pan. <br />3.Cut a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil large enough to cover the bottom of the crust and extend out a bit over the edges of the pan.<br />4.You can use pie weights or dry beans to blind bake. Place whatever weight you’re using directly on the parchment paper or aluminum foil in an even layer. <br />5.Place the crostata shell in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. <br />6.Remove from oven and remove the weights and parchment paper (In the absence of weight, the crust may rise in the middle: if that occurs, gently push it back down with the back of a spoon).<br />7. Fill with recipe from Lemon Tart and place back into oven for 30 min.<br />8. Remove, cool. Keep chilled. <br /><br />Just before serving, dust with confectioner's sugar.<br /><br />For the Pecan Tart, follow directions for baking once the rolled dough is placed in tart pan (except bake only 2/3 of the time for a traditional pecan pie).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-15683519966346895812010-09-28T12:08:00.000-07:002010-09-28T12:14:43.283-07:00SEPTEMBER 2010: SUGAR COOKIES!The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.<br /><br /><br />We were asked to decorate the cookies with a theme of "What September means to us" and I chose Back To School as my Theme :) <br /><br />The cookies were very yummilicious recipe! Thank you Mandy! The challenging part was the actual cutting of the shapes (or using cookie-cutters) and the decorating.<br /><br />I used royal icing and typical food coloring for the icing, and I used food color markers for writing on the icing.<br /><br />Not a very difficult "challenge" but one that was easy enough to fit into a weekend day with small children trying to grab all my attention ;) <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KVRadWWKRlYVIH_xU_JXYAsmlRTG7xKmTwtNkPoPlRt6fbNfMdRm5aUvUaxR35MB7UUpLX8ACIeDC7jdYgoKFXjj4sepjxP1zy__tregX2VL4co9947HqS-JTfzdKy_Qhpu4h-C_Zr0/s1600/AUG-SEP_2010_034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8KVRadWWKRlYVIH_xU_JXYAsmlRTG7xKmTwtNkPoPlRt6fbNfMdRm5aUvUaxR35MB7UUpLX8ACIeDC7jdYgoKFXjj4sepjxP1zy__tregX2VL4co9947HqS-JTfzdKy_Qhpu4h-C_Zr0/s400/AUG-SEP_2010_034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522043830219322066" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Gmk9ud1tI0QuaJkwlV4rcjv8K6roqTDLyPAR-GppWjrZwo5b7AmU-1dQwCGDTPl11COXHD8_aC5RaBiLcn88lwSTg0vXohfRr9UniZYC6L5xbRg8ciYasDPGYhlf8Gul6BvWOwArmjA/s1600/AUG-SEP_2010_031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Gmk9ud1tI0QuaJkwlV4rcjv8K6roqTDLyPAR-GppWjrZwo5b7AmU-1dQwCGDTPl11COXHD8_aC5RaBiLcn88lwSTg0vXohfRr9UniZYC6L5xbRg8ciYasDPGYhlf8Gul6BvWOwArmjA/s400/AUG-SEP_2010_031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522043825508802802" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-55021468049121952322009-12-28T19:42:00.000-08:002009-12-28T21:58:36.179-08:00December 2009 Challenge!The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.<br /><br />GINGERBREAD HOUSE!!!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzlNeYSPP21Ncrxfa8oetmFGuGU23Lpoy478faAjog8PRX8AUlD5Ue4_glc9jQ9qUX2tf0ejmQpzRRCCudPNpSRtARt1738ZdhcC5607BdBXa4vMT98G4TJ4XFWxXfktyF-GiVAYbqz4/s1600-h/IMG_4318.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzlNeYSPP21Ncrxfa8oetmFGuGU23Lpoy478faAjog8PRX8AUlD5Ue4_glc9jQ9qUX2tf0ejmQpzRRCCudPNpSRtARt1738ZdhcC5607BdBXa4vMT98G4TJ4XFWxXfktyF-GiVAYbqz4/s400/IMG_4318.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420531637064244754" /></a><br /><br />My Pattern!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9NwlbnjANE9wlMjlIHMV9Mp-oN8yTdk5eijju_9ZBXTi0EDrw8OPRazwxzRIduEZ9x8XY42gMB9zhdFNvRGeDxMEln21FqbR8eIiiY5gofCgPe5kI9kqe-2UOq8DFIq-_XScrmYzfbE/s1600-h/IMG_4304.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9NwlbnjANE9wlMjlIHMV9Mp-oN8yTdk5eijju_9ZBXTi0EDrw8OPRazwxzRIduEZ9x8XY42gMB9zhdFNvRGeDxMEln21FqbR8eIiiY5gofCgPe5kI9kqe-2UOq8DFIq-_XScrmYzfbE/s400/IMG_4304.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420531095483522178" /></a><br /><br />Rolling the Dough!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7m-euVw7yACC9tRm6r89PETymd7yi15weYEK-wgfxudbvLOXFHpQrmUbJT_J904WczSyLJpwSyACKYpqZ7-jNAK9Kvn8plKFChx6i4_GYzGHKBTNqPnKQEASrz7Eczx1C56JouvaYV3g/s1600-h/IMG_4307.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7m-euVw7yACC9tRm6r89PETymd7yi15weYEK-wgfxudbvLOXFHpQrmUbJT_J904WczSyLJpwSyACKYpqZ7-jNAK9Kvn8plKFChx6i4_GYzGHKBTNqPnKQEASrz7Eczx1C56JouvaYV3g/s400/IMG_4307.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420531102165146338" /></a><br /><br />Mmmmm! Crushed candy canes were placed in the windows and baked with the dough to make "stained glass" windows!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsseIZL75FH3-ue8l5Bkjo6B_ejHJqXK617UH-mXL3QDahUEhYiJutxMGsPHLMXSK_IPoyTrYKgLq2_u0ZEoCapwAkvDAme_u8WspeakJGXBWQ-0OB6M0GxNP0pQH8br9iBEZeZr7tTo/s1600-h/IMG_4313.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsseIZL75FH3-ue8l5Bkjo6B_ejHJqXK617UH-mXL3QDahUEhYiJutxMGsPHLMXSK_IPoyTrYKgLq2_u0ZEoCapwAkvDAme_u8WspeakJGXBWQ-0OB6M0GxNP0pQH8br9iBEZeZr7tTo/s400/IMG_4313.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420531112268001746" /></a><br /><br />I decorated the walls and roof before assembling the house<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBklV_qJbo8S3hYLOerPhEz-cfmNdTcOQcWwu7lE0ok8I5sXGqFDbT-SsEhF6Up9E_-lO6y-_VmoCenwgOpRMYR0zsc4_1Yna3HooU-nRre4Iv9-5r3f3vDr6qPaefXRearn7lctskZf0/s1600-h/IMG_4317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBklV_qJbo8S3hYLOerPhEz-cfmNdTcOQcWwu7lE0ok8I5sXGqFDbT-SsEhF6Up9E_-lO6y-_VmoCenwgOpRMYR0zsc4_1Yna3HooU-nRre4Iv9-5r3f3vDr6qPaefXRearn7lctskZf0/s400/IMG_4317.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420531622657529794" /></a><br /><br />Success!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoppM-qLiu-x7v_faxQBDGV08_n2Aa5gxA86MhhkQ1CU3K5KHwx5JQUJCEBfIvyDxG-Es3s4UeNx5hR0fTvEMHilke6p04nNNQXlplxcSfsZWOgsFy8tlsStcPQvPGzXROoEpAtA7g10/s1600-h/IMG_4320.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoppM-qLiu-x7v_faxQBDGV08_n2Aa5gxA86MhhkQ1CU3K5KHwx5JQUJCEBfIvyDxG-Es3s4UeNx5hR0fTvEMHilke6p04nNNQXlplxcSfsZWOgsFy8tlsStcPQvPGzXROoEpAtA7g10/s400/IMG_4320.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5420531629987661138" /></a><br /><br /><br /><em>I chose to make Y's recipe! As others had posted, the dough formed cracks very easily, but I worked with it and the result was a good firm dough, perfect for constructing a little house! I had a GREAT time making this house with my son, and the kitchen smelled wonderful from all the ginger I used :)</em><br /><br />Y's Recipe:<br />Scandinavian Gingerbread (Pepparkakstuga)<br />from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas http://astore.amazon.com/thedarkit-20/detail/0816634963<br /><br />1 cup butter, room temperature [226g]<br />1 cup brown sugar, well packed [220g]<br />2 tablespoons cinnamon<br />4 teaspoons ground ginger<br />3 teaspoons ground cloves<br />2 teaspoons baking soda<br />½ cup boiling water<br />5 cups all-purpose flour [875g]<br /><br />1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until blended. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Mix the baking soda with the boiling water and add to the dough along with the flour. Mix to make a stiff dough. If necessary add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Chill 2 hours or overnight. <br /><br />2. Cut patterns for the house, making patterns for the roof, front walls, gabled walls, chimney and door out of cardboard. <br /><br />3. Roll the dough out on a large, ungreased baking sheet and place the patterns on the dough. Mark off the various pieces with a knife, but leave the pieces in place. <br /><br />4. [I rolled out the dough on a floured bench, roughly 1/8 inch thick (which allows for fact that the dough puffs a little when baked), cut required shapes and transferred these to the baking sheet. Any scraps I saved and rerolled at the end.] <br /><br />5. Preheat the oven to 375'F (190'C). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookie dough feels firm. After baking, again place the pattern on top of the gingerbread and trim the shapes, cutting the edges with a straight-edged knife. Leave to cool on the baking sheet. <br /><br />Royal Icing:<br /><br />1 large egg white<br />3 cups (330g) powdered sugar<br />1 teaspoon white vinegar<br />1 teaspoon almond extract<br /><br />Beat all ingredients until smooth, adding the powdered sugar gradually to get the desired consistency. Pipe on pieces and allow to dry before assembling. If you aren't using it all at once you can keep it in a small bowl, loosely covered with a damp towel for a few hours until ready to use. You may have to beat it slightly to get it an even consistency if the top sets up a bit. Piped on the house, this will set up hard over time.<br /><br />Simple Syrup:<br />2 cups (400g) sugar<br /><br />Place in a small saucepan and heat until just boiling and the sugar dissolves. Dredge or brush the edges of the pieces to glue them together. If the syrup crystallizes, remake it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-15310168607832291482009-10-31T10:58:00.001-07:002009-10-31T11:07:35.910-07:00Red Velvet Cake!Inspired by my son, who wanted a "blue cake" the night before (which I baked and added blueberry sauce and a swiss buttercream) I decided to bake a "red cake" for myself!<br /><br />The result was an actually pretty good tasting cake and WONDERFUL cream cheese frosting (which I'm tempted to make and dip fruit into)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Eervd0PN6HgsXkCI06BLXxG_orc0WgEWF4KuCd8ael8JwqaQ-jehzGYf4fCNZk054WPEyYzZi55nSxUfoMmOV3lpQyhN8jx2BJU6MnW8AnMma6XnOQG13c3DhI8V_Oudn6s5QkgsKNg/s1600-h/IMG_3986.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Eervd0PN6HgsXkCI06BLXxG_orc0WgEWF4KuCd8ael8JwqaQ-jehzGYf4fCNZk054WPEyYzZi55nSxUfoMmOV3lpQyhN8jx2BJU6MnW8AnMma6XnOQG13c3DhI8V_Oudn6s5QkgsKNg/s400/IMG_3986.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398826424315947042" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEN4xxpBXmyWejA7vUVbnoTnDAmHfTSCn99682WoZc_rG18u91CwNrMQdOXuBfPl6yG8t_5t_z4soEnW6-MCAOee6hDMJ4kctIbDiUqBSLPP9_hOP0usDheHb8csD2JnOOcHZHY3mzp2k/s1600-h/IMG_3987.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEN4xxpBXmyWejA7vUVbnoTnDAmHfTSCn99682WoZc_rG18u91CwNrMQdOXuBfPl6yG8t_5t_z4soEnW6-MCAOee6hDMJ4kctIbDiUqBSLPP9_hOP0usDheHb8csD2JnOOcHZHY3mzp2k/s400/IMG_3987.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398826418353827858" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2mKJomfQ8tn4x3JC2QuFgw7B2ZS32hds7gnCJQaX-dsukh7FimcCsZt_N65_Scyr3i7gctJOhzbBr3v1-zM1Jor4BHA6_30kbItkMZb-vKFo8pQXoC4n5jWU-WQCNS85lONk77SqHcU/s1600-h/IMG_3988.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2mKJomfQ8tn4x3JC2QuFgw7B2ZS32hds7gnCJQaX-dsukh7FimcCsZt_N65_Scyr3i7gctJOhzbBr3v1-zM1Jor4BHA6_30kbItkMZb-vKFo8pQXoC4n5jWU-WQCNS85lONk77SqHcU/s400/IMG_3988.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398826406837933090" /></a><br /><br />The recipe I used: http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCake.html<br /><br />Alterations: I only used cream cheese as I couldn't find any marscapone at any of my local grocery markets! And I used crushed walnuts around the edges instead of coconut.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-58238625596892326782009-08-27T09:45:00.000-07:002009-08-28T14:37:57.033-07:00Daring Bakers' August Challenge!<span style="font-weight:bold;">The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. </span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbGwsWUu3Sx24A9GpA7gL6KFCutKewyOjkyn2ml3kfYlQ0_01-LTL5Ez-0bRMLGfCqa4HVuHVLl7FyXd2WI9HfKrUq0QpU7okKGznMKqE47QXF2eJKUsYi97inP_kd_E6oQDGfFUjoDs/s1600-h/IMG_0132.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbGwsWUu3Sx24A9GpA7gL6KFCutKewyOjkyn2ml3kfYlQ0_01-LTL5Ez-0bRMLGfCqa4HVuHVLl7FyXd2WI9HfKrUq0QpU7okKGznMKqE47QXF2eJKUsYi97inP_kd_E6oQDGfFUjoDs/s400/IMG_0132.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375130499878206962" /></a><br /><br /><em>This recipe was loooooong to read, but actually quite easy to make! The result was a torte that reminded me of pancakes with layers of buttercream :) And since I love pancakes, I tought I would have liked this recipe! <strong>I was WRONG!!! It was horrible!!!</strong> I'd rather have just made pancakes!</em><br /><br />Equipment<br /><br /> * 2 baking sheets<br /> * 9” (23cm) springform tin and 8” cake tin, for templates<br /> * mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)<br /> * a sieve<br /> * a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)<br /> * a small saucepan<br /> * a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)<br /> * metal offset spatula<br /> * sharp knife<br /> * a 7 1/2” cardboard cake round, or just build cake on the base of a sprinfrom tin.<br /> * piping bag and tip, optional<br /><br />Prep times<br /><br /> * Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.<br /> * Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.<br /> * Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.<br /> * Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes<br /><br />Sponge cake layers<br /><br /> * 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature<br /> * 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided<br /> * 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract<br /> * 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)<br /> * pinch of salt<br /><br />Chocolate Buttercream<br /><br /> * 4 large eggs, at room temperature<br /> * 1 cup (200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar<br /> * 4oz (110g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped<br /> * 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.<br /><br />Caramel topping<br /><br /> * 1 cup (200g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar<br /> * 12 tablespoons (180 ml) water<br /> * 8 teaspoons (40 ml) lemon juice<br /> * 1 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)<br /><br />Finishing touches<br /><br /> * a 7” cardboard round<br /> * 12 whole hazelnuts, peeled and toasted<br /> * ½ cup (50g) peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts<br /><br />Directions for the sponge layers:<br /><br />NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.<br /><br />1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).<br />2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9" (23cm) springform tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn't touch the cake batter.)<br />3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don't have a mixer.)<br /><br />4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.<br />5.Line one of the baking sheets with a circle-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8" springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat round. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)<br /><br />Directions for the chocolate buttercream:<br /><br />NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.<br /><br />1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.<br />2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.<br />3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.<br />4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.<br />5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.<br /><br />Lorraine's note: If you're in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Male sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you'll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!<br /><br />Directions for the caramel topping:<br /><br />1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.<br />2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.<br />3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn't just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly—too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.<br /><br />Angela's note: I recommend cutting, rather than scoring, the cake layer into wedges before covering in caramel (reform them into a round). If you have an 8” silicon round form, then I highly recommend placing the wedges in that for easy removal later and it also ensures that the caramel stays on the cake layer. Once set, use a very sharp knife to separate the wedges.<br /><br />Assembling the Dobos<br /><br />1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.<br />2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2” cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.<br />3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.<br />4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-35080310295784927282009-06-29T09:31:00.000-07:002009-06-29T11:05:36.228-07:00June 09 Challenge!<span style="font-weight:bold;">The June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dQgq-SwwKOgTsDUbmgosPGo-TnjDOrNEcps934-xh1Xm1YRgfOqNQOXXRZ_4trHNh-znIG3RZnaMi4c3gP0RSzGWFTh1RD8el9pnH5isWw06v-spncGpKSz_M6Vx6jry7h_z6rSc_1U/s1600-h/Through+June+09+036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dQgq-SwwKOgTsDUbmgosPGo-TnjDOrNEcps934-xh1Xm1YRgfOqNQOXXRZ_4trHNh-znIG3RZnaMi4c3gP0RSzGWFTh1RD8el9pnH5isWw06v-spncGpKSz_M6Vx6jry7h_z6rSc_1U/s400/Through+June+09+036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352810006472263506" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipan3xcV8bcQ_skuIANd5s2ptGU-OAyklZ0G4R01flinYr6JYiQAiEKyfaFmpjCsSQk176ZqA95XttUC11zRCqyIhPwY0N8gKZNubu6io-3eZwAdTAPkIYKM4Vswj6S2sVqGuJU4ZCaoM/s1600-h/Through+June+09+032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipan3xcV8bcQ_skuIANd5s2ptGU-OAyklZ0G4R01flinYr6JYiQAiEKyfaFmpjCsSQk176ZqA95XttUC11zRCqyIhPwY0N8gKZNubu6io-3eZwAdTAPkIYKM4Vswj6S2sVqGuJU4ZCaoM/s400/Through+June+09+032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352810017016726450" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">This month's challenge was very very easy to make and was very quick as well. However, it definitely wasn't something I'd prefer to make again, unless somebody begged me to... which won't happen, as everyone I know who tried it wasn't all that impressed. I made the first tart with walnut meal and whole wheat flour and vanilla in lieu of almond meal, white flour and almond extract. The filling I used a homemade blueberry jam that my Grandma made. The second I made as the recipe below states, but didn't take picture of the second. </span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRaAnJ_4O0FzgRNND5R4WLLyfUJKImdoyfUmhTapvcK-CK-wt2LzgBoSJzMMN-q-y3XFMPwssWQ8xQSDeBQoYrWCD8pC7SC74uZSbLCAhmAuVxVHbLAyvS2dB2o5tixorXLS9KANGKjw/s1600-h/Through+June+09+034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRaAnJ_4O0FzgRNND5R4WLLyfUJKImdoyfUmhTapvcK-CK-wt2LzgBoSJzMMN-q-y3XFMPwssWQ8xQSDeBQoYrWCD8pC7SC74uZSbLCAhmAuVxVHbLAyvS2dB2o5tixorXLS9KANGKjw/s400/Through+June+09+034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352810010176280962" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bakewell Tart…er…pudding<br /><br />Makes one 23cm (9” tart)<br />Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)<br />Resting time: 15 minutes<br />Baking time: 30 minutes<br />Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin<br /><br />One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)<br />Bench flour<br />250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability<br />One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)<br />One handful blanched, flaked almonds<br /><br />Assembling the tart<br />Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 200C/400F.<br /><br />Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.<br /><br />The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.<br /><br />When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.<br /><br />Sweet shortcrust pastry<br /><br />Prep time: 15-20 minutes<br />Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)<br />Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film<br /><br />225g (8oz) all purpose flour<br />30g (1oz) sugar<br />2.5ml (½ tsp) salt<br />110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)<br />2 (2) egg yolks<br />2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)<br />15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water<br /><br />Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.<br /><br />Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.<br /><br />Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes<br /><br />Frangipane<br /><br />Prep time: 10-15 minutes<br />Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula<br /><br />125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened<br />125g (4.5oz) icing sugar<br />3 (3) eggs<br />2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract<br />125g (4.5oz) ground almonds<br />30g (1oz) all purpose flour<br /><br />Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-91808275203388572912009-06-02T12:14:00.000-07:002009-06-29T10:41:35.194-07:00May Challenge!The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ05AjF6mc7y1zOBXoA3NyK2Z4r5TNrsO1gmo3WcCrUeJrUZGJ2rzvUxgdF2QGugh0eELnVeQoWyVYaOwWZKwv1omP3mBUDjYAbQv9c6_QSJA6AkTaV7BkAqQMxBOUcOF4tEGS55lhqik/s1600-h/Through+June+09+027.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ05AjF6mc7y1zOBXoA3NyK2Z4r5TNrsO1gmo3WcCrUeJrUZGJ2rzvUxgdF2QGugh0eELnVeQoWyVYaOwWZKwv1omP3mBUDjYAbQv9c6_QSJA6AkTaV7BkAqQMxBOUcOF4tEGS55lhqik/s400/Through+June+09+027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352805712941505282" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRM897wa-IPKmLTwSK33tVYqTDAsumbtAnnpQjfTntm5ZlZm5y1maKeFx143NyUkysPjRNCL2ttnw2dLLhJtFqcTIb4yyGnCNNl22xmTtYajARUBWILV8BvMS5AxfnjuNtw8Z6bcSX1M/s1600-h/Through+June+09+025.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRM897wa-IPKmLTwSK33tVYqTDAsumbtAnnpQjfTntm5ZlZm5y1maKeFx143NyUkysPjRNCL2ttnw2dLLhJtFqcTIb4yyGnCNNl22xmTtYajARUBWILV8BvMS5AxfnjuNtw8Z6bcSX1M/s400/Through+June+09+025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352805706572701266" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMMofY3N31x9onfClE02Ad4CS0S2JIJtVTSepaKQnjFgZEa-SXydTU6e3Omr5G08XmQEUKuuOh_hsuSxeMqbK2_WOQr-B0gwgL8DZ5hxGu_RxVxzk-6bpN7SC85jGC2uC7K-YkmT0EoA/s1600-h/Through+June+09+022.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMMofY3N31x9onfClE02Ad4CS0S2JIJtVTSepaKQnjFgZEa-SXydTU6e3Omr5G08XmQEUKuuOh_hsuSxeMqbK2_WOQr-B0gwgL8DZ5hxGu_RxVxzk-6bpN7SC85jGC2uC7K-YkmT0EoA/s400/Through+June+09+022.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352805705238337362" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">While it tasted fairly good (I made cherry), the cherries were so juicy and some juice spilled out during baking and the bottom of the strudel was burnt... AND it became soggy by this morning... :( <br /><br />I'll make an apple one next time!</span><br /><br />Photos to be added later, but here's the recipe!<br /><br />Apple strudel<br />from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers<br /><br />2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum<br />3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins<br />1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar<br />1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided<br />1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs<br />strudel dough (recipe below)<br />1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts<br />2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)<br /><br />1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.<br /><br />2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.<br /><br />3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.<br /><br />4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.<br /><br />5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.<br /><br />Strudel dough<br />from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers<br /><br />1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour<br />1/8 teaspoon salt<br />7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed<br />2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough<br />1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar<br /><br />1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.<br />Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.<br /><br />2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.<br />Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).<br /><br />3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.<br />Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.<br /><br />4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-24950694357833445692009-04-29T15:33:00.000-07:002009-04-29T15:36:49.810-07:00April Challenge!The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.<br /><br />As I DID really take pictures, they're currently stuck on my "sleeping" computer... <br /><br />In lieu of the liquer, I used one Tablespoon of Raspberry extract<br />In lieu of the 1 tsp. vanilla extract I used one whole vanilla bean :)<br />I also used chocolate graham crackers and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder for the crust.<br />The result was creamy smooth tart and sweet deliciousness :) <br /><br />Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:<br /><br />crust:<br />2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs<br />1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted<br />2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar<br />1 tsp. vanilla extract<br /><br />cheesecake:<br />3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature<br />1 cup / 210 g sugar<br />3 large eggs<br />1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream<br />1 tbsp. lemon juice<br />1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)<br />1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake<br /><br />DIRECTIONS:<br />1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.<br /><br />2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.<br /><br />3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.<br /><br />4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.<br /><br />5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.<br /><br />Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.<br /><br />Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-20280988177764410182009-04-06T09:54:00.000-07:002009-04-06T09:56:15.187-07:00Missed March ChallengeDue to more family issues (nothing too bad, just time-consuming!) I've not had the time to do the March Challenge! :(<br /><br />But I HAVE had time to bake plenty of brownies and cookies for my family :) Although those are easy and quick!<br /><br />I've been DYING to have enough time for a proper challenge and am looking forward to April!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-48808907959072565222009-03-01T14:38:00.000-08:002009-03-01T14:52:20.241-08:00February 2009 Challenge!This month's challenge included my favorite ingredient... Chocolate! Unfortunately it included ONE POUND of it (RE: expensive!)...<br /><br />Although this tasted good (hey, chocolate is always tasty for me!) I actually prefer a regular brownie :) Brownies are easier to make, taste better and waaaaay less expensive! So personally I prefer Hershey's Best Brownie recipe :)<br /><br /><em>The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.<br />We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.</em><br /><br />The recipe follows the pictures!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYv8xTvhKYwEqPsgkp6vG89LDN2NxZhYGRW-Prkzi3g_a_YL7-t6-e_yK4A_Gzn0PQbw-bHQuOS8oozyEd1G_gphCVnvmSnNn6PaxWz_yuNFhxbsW4vTim4m36Rc54JJ0kdq2YDKS2rmU/s1600-h/End+FEB+09+053.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYv8xTvhKYwEqPsgkp6vG89LDN2NxZhYGRW-Prkzi3g_a_YL7-t6-e_yK4A_Gzn0PQbw-bHQuOS8oozyEd1G_gphCVnvmSnNn6PaxWz_yuNFhxbsW4vTim4m36Rc54JJ0kdq2YDKS2rmU/s400/End+FEB+09+053.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308353807345770946" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pKhvCyNy3c4UpfW19IuwXYX7AGJq00Fx3n9FRepvegk0V1I6vUmHs3plpOjpOIAgm257ShPi5GFfAHxKfBLu01T1RjhQ1-yLb1MkZcxG3g7nVf1lCUQ-m6HLgned7w9BN33FGwEmA-w/s1600-h/End+FEB+09+058.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pKhvCyNy3c4UpfW19IuwXYX7AGJq00Fx3n9FRepvegk0V1I6vUmHs3plpOjpOIAgm257ShPi5GFfAHxKfBLu01T1RjhQ1-yLb1MkZcxG3g7nVf1lCUQ-m6HLgned7w9BN33FGwEmA-w/s400/End+FEB+09+058.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308353800428094498" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxKoRsLUtjv5TQCmR9kQojiL25Vl6zTvZwao2vdy5EpZNJE1CXK1Mwxc1jRq0abvvXQt9b-sWWm9AwIByfYIjoCM0MqJ57JyE2vconrqimIVcTqk25g3VvKxm2CHQ2B1nzlVTfBM_BvM/s1600-h/End+FEB+09+061.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxKoRsLUtjv5TQCmR9kQojiL25Vl6zTvZwao2vdy5EpZNJE1CXK1Mwxc1jRq0abvvXQt9b-sWWm9AwIByfYIjoCM0MqJ57JyE2vconrqimIVcTqk25g3VvKxm2CHQ2B1nzlVTfBM_BvM/s400/End+FEB+09+061.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308353791506624034" /></a><br /><br /><br />Chocolate Valentino<br />Preparation Time: 20 minutes<br />16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped<br />½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter<br />5 large eggs separated<br /><br />1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.<br />2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.<br />3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.<br />4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry). <br />5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.<br />6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.<br />7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}<br />8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C<br />9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. <br />Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.<br />10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-3279139231703044572009-02-19T15:42:00.001-08:002009-02-19T15:50:07.755-08:00I'm Baaack!I'm very sorry to have not done the Challenges for December and January, but I promise I'll have one for February! <br /><br />The Caramel Cake from November was soooo good, I've made it a few times since, and each time it just tastes better than before!<br /><br />December was a very busy busy month for me, filled with sadness and joy. My beloved Mum lost her battle with Lung Cancer two days before her much-awaited grand-daughter was born... with a ton of her Gramma's red hair :) She would have loved to have seen her.<br /><br />So with all of that, my readers, I'm back. A little burnt around the heart, but still LUVIN MY BAKIN!<br /><br />I can't wait to post about this month's challenge!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-15424937528948304422008-11-29T19:27:00.000-08:002008-11-29T20:03:33.600-08:00November Challenge! Caramel Cake!Ahhhhh! Mmmmmmm! More please? <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx_z85MkdRsypvpncTFSeCKJlHIR56_fY7O8OsbN_1Q4NvDLp5WZaxHxQR1jwZJZkg7WD3CLnmND3dDeulWetT8D01pV0JvBxYQoR9ry5ucRsAShrvNBbfP4OG703gHjVgniniqZqqUM/s1600-h/November+08+012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFx_z85MkdRsypvpncTFSeCKJlHIR56_fY7O8OsbN_1Q4NvDLp5WZaxHxQR1jwZJZkg7WD3CLnmND3dDeulWetT8D01pV0JvBxYQoR9ry5ucRsAShrvNBbfP4OG703gHjVgniniqZqqUM/s400/November+08+012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274289880361634290" /></a><br /><br />The Daring Bakers Hosts this month were Dolores(http://culinarycuriosity.blogspot.com/), Alex (Brownie of the Blondie and Brownie duo: http://blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com/), Jenny of Foray into Food (http://forayintofood.blogspot.com/), and Natalie of Gluten-a-Go-Go (http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/).<br /><br />RECIPE SOURCE <br /><br />Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting courtesy of Shuna Fish Lydon (http://eggbeater.typepad.com/), as published on Bay Area Bites (http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/).<br /><br />This is my third challenge from the Daring Bakers that I've completed, and the only one that I've made THREE TIMES since it's soooo good! <br /><br />Yes, this cake is very very sweet, but as long as you add just enough sea salt, the sweet/salty taste balances beautifully with the moist cake inside.<br /><br />The Recipe is listed after the pictures below.<br /><br />Although the instructions call for a tall (2") 9 inch cake pan, I divided the batter between two regular 9 inch cake pans, and reduced the baking time to around 25 minutes total.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMY7SMvgFIrB7zQ2WDh_jbjeEvanWyWd4ucn1cuUGVTt3-Yt6qHBaJqXjbRqGedy9J_DxS2iK512YjzkK7S8wKINkR057xHWFFNS18pgxgdO5bKp085jQaBkIfMpttzttE6izQduhnGVY/s1600-h/November+08+014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMY7SMvgFIrB7zQ2WDh_jbjeEvanWyWd4ucn1cuUGVTt3-Yt6qHBaJqXjbRqGedy9J_DxS2iK512YjzkK7S8wKINkR057xHWFFNS18pgxgdO5bKp085jQaBkIfMpttzttE6izQduhnGVY/s400/November+08+014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274289905109054690" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF53qdsFmcA65oInyNJlqYhxDZaKpbVMjlLCg1YLAcEft0XrW9ypiSCzGDvh3XhTIHSHbQZeeclXEn-5hzjrDs37I8IvWhLO6ePz47uC7sAGUh9B0aA7Oj4q6GhfrfGUKO3XoXmAHHl4Q/s1600-h/November+08+007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF53qdsFmcA65oInyNJlqYhxDZaKpbVMjlLCg1YLAcEft0XrW9ypiSCzGDvh3XhTIHSHbQZeeclXEn-5hzjrDs37I8IvWhLO6ePz47uC7sAGUh9B0aA7Oj4q6GhfrfGUKO3XoXmAHHl4Q/s400/November+08+007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274289645924370418" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonXy17L9S0M2SLnxsUEWj2vUeQRC2p_Ezlnk8-s5xtkp4pww93n7pITGdLbMftYibf1x4oArUXHHO-xYLT1pHvp4X3As52FLiYCscFE0IQEEKkBWmnE6hOdaKhum21Do8L5kNXITExZI/s1600-h/November+08+006.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgonXy17L9S0M2SLnxsUEWj2vUeQRC2p_Ezlnk8-s5xtkp4pww93n7pITGdLbMftYibf1x4oArUXHHO-xYLT1pHvp4X3As52FLiYCscFE0IQEEKkBWmnE6hOdaKhum21Do8L5kNXITExZI/s400/November+08+006.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274289652910079858" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMFuZxbgRvgHZRLpLG66H51XgM_xFp6m09HfnfgoqyczzKVwwZs3r1zjmMj-YBiXleYsHGFj7j0nMmUFAynv42Tu5UbsgwRRxUM1XN-UG7xHROxXualeeSCn45j3sHwusFvvVw7No_hQ/s1600-h/November+08+008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMFuZxbgRvgHZRLpLG66H51XgM_xFp6m09HfnfgoqyczzKVwwZs3r1zjmMj-YBiXleYsHGFj7j0nMmUFAynv42Tu5UbsgwRRxUM1XN-UG7xHROxXualeeSCn45j3sHwusFvvVw7No_hQ/s400/November+08+008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274289655557444914" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvyVcgJ3qXT5h2ke8j_1dNagc-CRVdxoqPi3lxsG6EB_M8dbbLPHDgGF2QZ0Jy5MOZUHlo-sclM5WNG-9codhyjBkWXYxEkyFFtzCf9tm0yQSGxBtRMAjXgh5xJvsP7weHPsh6haFcvY/s1600-h/November+08+009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvyVcgJ3qXT5h2ke8j_1dNagc-CRVdxoqPi3lxsG6EB_M8dbbLPHDgGF2QZ0Jy5MOZUHlo-sclM5WNG-9codhyjBkWXYxEkyFFtzCf9tm0yQSGxBtRMAjXgh5xJvsP7weHPsh6haFcvY/s400/November+08+009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274289658557606338" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET6PU6BqeHZO7yTJ-QzrSMZmBtluAk4kNLYRrTwPGyYUeQEhGb6MqyHqp3JMuzCSgltDteUq_eKUfXK3Bv227Sif3j6UpWxAhWU2AxA3-77ecndCge6_KVI-BxsDnG5u3JVsvtWO9S70/s1600-h/November+08+013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjET6PU6BqeHZO7yTJ-QzrSMZmBtluAk4kNLYRrTwPGyYUeQEhGb6MqyHqp3JMuzCSgltDteUq_eKUfXK3Bv227Sif3j6UpWxAhWU2AxA3-77ecndCge6_KVI-BxsDnG5u3JVsvtWO9S70/s400/November+08+013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274289895429394098" /></a><br /><br />And... The Recipe!<br /><br />CARAMEL CAKE WITH CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING<br /><br />10 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature<br />1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon kosher salt<br />1/3 Cup Caramel Syrup (see recipe below)<br />2 each eggs, at room temperature<br />splash vanilla extract<br />2 Cups all-purpose flour<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1 cup milk, at room temperature<br /><br />CARAMEL SYRUP<br /><br />2 cups sugar<br />1/2 cup water<br />1 cup water (for "stopping" the caramelization process)<br />In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.<br /><br />When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back.<br /><br />Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}<br /><br />Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350F<br /><br />Butter one tall (2 – 2.5 inch deep) 9-inch cake pan.<br /><br />In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.<br /><br />Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.<br /><br />Sift flour and baking powder.<br /><br />Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}<br /><br />Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform. Turn batter into prepared cake pan.<br /><br />Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it. <br /><br />Cake will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.<br /><br />CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING<br /><br />12 tablespoons unsalted butter <br />1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted<br />4-6 tablespoons heavy cream<br />2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />2-4 tablespoons caramel syrup<br />Kosher or sea salt to taste<br /><br />Cook butter until brown. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.<br /><br />Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.<br /><br />In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner's sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner's sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.<br /><br />Note: Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.<br />To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and lightUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-78395909843457789512008-10-30T09:53:00.000-07:002008-10-30T10:39:48.807-07:00October Challenge: PIZZA!This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was a recipe for “Pizza Napoletana” from Peter Reinhart's “The Bread Baker's Apprentice”<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVAA1FxJcwMpJmpatB2OKi0fH5srltkB7-aO3Rxaelxt4tXmWrUymskAVpBrFJaXku-CeOBUj5cWgU5RlLCd_K2ovQX-DFUHbhYTv56F2jEi36Bdq1NrPwItmzLcKEGrZoSayZPGaWrI/s1600-h/102_0673.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVAA1FxJcwMpJmpatB2OKi0fH5srltkB7-aO3Rxaelxt4tXmWrUymskAVpBrFJaXku-CeOBUj5cWgU5RlLCd_K2ovQX-DFUHbhYTv56F2jEi36Bdq1NrPwItmzLcKEGrZoSayZPGaWrI/s400/102_0673.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262995290752371858" /></a><br /><br />Ahhhh Pizza! One of my family's favorite meals, and usually always purchased from some Pizza Joint, or a take and bake. I was very pleased this month to have the Challenge to force me to make a nice homemade variety :)<br />Obviously, my son was pleased as well! At only 20 months, he's a wonderful help in the kitchen ;)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2c3ZQE_Ab6f0JEZwhPYWNlClfhsyudz1bm0JC0TRO7zFaH4O8RXFUmVfM6KtwlGKtTK_nUBXGZj2f7jMLD8sKc_Kj__zhrOPemz8KoC_81FJ5UgleBexZQW_rXXBcW8tyUxbwTkro7rc/s1600-h/102_0663.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2c3ZQE_Ab6f0JEZwhPYWNlClfhsyudz1bm0JC0TRO7zFaH4O8RXFUmVfM6KtwlGKtTK_nUBXGZj2f7jMLD8sKc_Kj__zhrOPemz8KoC_81FJ5UgleBexZQW_rXXBcW8tyUxbwTkro7rc/s400/102_0663.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262995298275562114" /></a><br /><br />One of the fun parts to this recipe, was the "tossing" of the dough! Which my wonderful husband was gracious enough to capture on the camera :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrdLUphsVtEx47Uq5ubZ1BIZjofcPNdCQ-PieGztvgESTQIiPofzdp7hLoMn9zJ7zl32tZf6urFHOhEM63cr4NYzsQOh7DLS-j1_FP7k7veTjRsvYe6S2JeWPavMJz_TJb3AB3FeOMeA/s1600-h/102_0675.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrdLUphsVtEx47Uq5ubZ1BIZjofcPNdCQ-PieGztvgESTQIiPofzdp7hLoMn9zJ7zl32tZf6urFHOhEM63cr4NYzsQOh7DLS-j1_FP7k7veTjRsvYe6S2JeWPavMJz_TJb3AB3FeOMeA/s400/102_0675.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262995306595874626" /></a><br /><br />After tossing the dough, I took the hot baking stone from the 500 degree F oven and placed it on the stove. The tossed dough was then laid on the baking stone and fresh tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and more cheese was sprinkled on top the crust. Then the stone and pizza were placed back into the oven for a lifetime wait of 6 minutes :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYODDW55DKMVrrRSv9sn_TpEnoTQyvLirHBoia0NbTUS89oI96NL4ueqncv-27SC19Ig3eWEq6lOUpgCs0UQuJV7_b5fks8sM2YJEpmwXT4dY4_gr6yeHro3OBlEOWvzEqc7y8TbRz9Bc/s1600-h/102_0670.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYODDW55DKMVrrRSv9sn_TpEnoTQyvLirHBoia0NbTUS89oI96NL4ueqncv-27SC19Ig3eWEq6lOUpgCs0UQuJV7_b5fks8sM2YJEpmwXT4dY4_gr6yeHro3OBlEOWvzEqc7y8TbRz9Bc/s400/102_0670.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262996282137555378" /></a><br /><br />And VOILA! PIZZA TIME! Ahhh the wonderful smell of heated bread and cheese!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWJIHlsUod7Qwe24KIE2rfEIdqvPtjsfTfmA9fvY98WWrrY43uiJ1RQGLWDko6LCbaXvAbLH7WO0w5KWlGwQ2GtPAxVd2SN8BN8yjzdG2X2MpihcKYvHyoEVXG7iLscn7zEdtZ_c9aT0/s1600-h/102_0671.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWJIHlsUod7Qwe24KIE2rfEIdqvPtjsfTfmA9fvY98WWrrY43uiJ1RQGLWDko6LCbaXvAbLH7WO0w5KWlGwQ2GtPAxVd2SN8BN8yjzdG2X2MpihcKYvHyoEVXG7iLscn7zEdtZ_c9aT0/s400/102_0671.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262996288023602114" /></a><br /><br />Top it all with a wee sip of my favorite vino, and life could only get sweeter :)<br />But No, I didn't actually have any wine, but the bottle looked nice next to the pizza :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96ienrB5GQyhEL1XeZb0auln-iJhtulw276flFz8Vsi0sNG5C8jhshqC67Eh3rrbfdutIICFeJqc5ofxnhTz6pDnIJdaforbc4T45WoJyg0BIry2SsswcnQPl42-bNOd2PS9V0efNA7U/s1600-h/102_0677.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96ienrB5GQyhEL1XeZb0auln-iJhtulw276flFz8Vsi0sNG5C8jhshqC67Eh3rrbfdutIICFeJqc5ofxnhTz6pDnIJdaforbc4T45WoJyg0BIry2SsswcnQPl42-bNOd2PS9V0efNA7U/s400/102_0677.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262995322450247090" /></a><br /><br /><br />I didn't have any trouble with the recipe, except the 24 hour wait from making the dough to being able to EAT the product!<br /><br />I'll maybe make this recipe again, but will definitely do it over the weekend, when I have more time to let the dough rest. Two hours from when I get home, take the dough out and then make the pizza was way too long to wait when you have a hungry toddler!<br /><br />~ BASIC PIZZA DOUGH ~<br />Original recipe taken from “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” by Peter Reinhart.<br /><br />Makes 6 pizza crusts (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter).<br /><br />Ingredients: <br />4 1/2 Cups (20 1/4 ounces/607.5 g) Unbleached high-gluten (%14) bread flour or all purpose flour, chilled - FOR GF: 4 ½ cups GF Flour Blend with xanthan gum or 1 cup brown rice flour, 1 cup corn flour, 1 cup oat flour, 1 ½ cup arrowroot, potato or tapioca starch + 2 tsp xanthan or guar gum<br />1 3/4 Tsp Salt<br />1 Tsp Instant yeast<br />1/4 Cup (2 ounces/60g) Olive oil or vegetable oil (both optional, but it’s better with)<br />1 3/4 Cups (14 ounces/420g or 420ml) Water, ice cold (40° F/4.5° C)<br />1 Tb sugar - FOR GF use agave syrup<br />Semolina/durum flour or cornmeal for dusting<br /><br />DAY ONE<br /><br />Method: <br />1. Mix together the flour, salt and instant yeast in a big bowl (or in the bowl of your stand mixer).<br /><br />2. Add the oil, sugar and cold water and mix well (with the help of a large wooden spoon or with the paddle attachment, on low speed) in order to form a sticky ball of dough. On a clean surface, knead for about 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth and the ingredients are homogeneously distributed. If it is too wet, add a little flour (not too much, though) and if it is too dry add 1 or 2 teaspoons extra water.<br /><br />NOTE: If you are using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for the same amount of time.The dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom of the bowl. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle in a little more flour, so that it clears the sides. If, on the contrary, it clears the bottom of the bowl, dribble in a teaspoon or two of cold water.<br />The finished dough should be springy, elastic, and sticky, not just tacky, and register 50°-55° F/10°-13° C.<br /><br />3. Flour a work surface or counter. Line a jelly pan with baking paper/parchment. Lightly oil the paper.<br /><br />4. With the help of a metal or plastic dough scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (or larger if you want to make larger pizzas).<br /><br />NOTE: To avoid the dough from sticking to the scraper, dip the scraper into water between cuts.<br /><br />5. Sprinkle some flour over the dough. Make sure your hands are dry and then flour them. Gently round each piece into a ball.<br /><br />NOTE: If the dough sticks to your hands, then dip your hands into the flour again.<br /><br />6. Transfer the dough balls to the lined jelly pan and mist them generously with spray oil. Slip the pan into plastic bag or enclose in plastic food wrap.<br /><br />7. Put the pan into the refrigerator and let the dough rest overnight or for up to thee days.<br /><br />NOTE: You can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag if you want to save some of the dough for any future baking. In that case, pour some oil(a few tablespooons only) in a medium bowl and dip each dough ball into the oil, so that it is completely covered in oil. Then put each ball into a separate bag. Store the bags in the freezer for no longer than 3 months. The day before you plan to make pizza, remember to transfer the dough balls from the freezer to the refrigerator.<br /><br />DAY TWO<br /><br />8. On the day you plan to eat pizza, exactly 2 hours before you make it, remove the desired number of dough balls from the refrigerator. Dust the counter with flour and spray lightly with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured surface and sprinkle them with flour. Dust your hands with flour and delicately press the dough into disks about 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick and 5 inches/12.7 cm in diameter. Sprinkle with flour and mist with oil. Loosely cover the dough rounds with plastic wrap and then allow to rest for 2 hours.<br /><br />9. At least 45 minutes before making the pizza, place a baking stone on the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven as hot as possible (500° F/260° C). <br /><br />NOTE: If you do not have a baking stone, then use the back of a jelly pan. Do not preheat the pan.<br /><br />10. Generously sprinkle the back of a jelly pan with semolina/durum flour or cornmeal. Flour your hands (palms, backs and knuckles). Take 1 piece of dough by lifting it with a pastry scraper. Lay the dough across your fists in a very delicate way and carefully stretch it by bouncing it in a circular motion on your hands, and by giving it a little stretch with each bounce. Once the dough has expanded outward, move to a full toss.<br /><br />NOTE: Make only one pizza at a time.<br />During the tossing process, if the dough tends to stick to your hands, lay it down on the floured counter and reflour your hands, then continue the tossing and shaping. <br />In case you would be having trouble tossing the dough or if the dough never wants to expand and always springs back, let it rest for approximately 5-20 minutes in order for the gluten to relax fully,then try again.<br />You can also resort to using a rolling pin, although it isn’t as effective as the toss method.<br /><br />11. When the dough has the shape you want (about 9-12 inches/23-30 cm in diameter - for a 6 ounces/180g piece of dough), place it on the back of the jelly pan, making sure there is enough semolina/durum flour or cornmeal to allow it to slide and not stick to the pan.<br /><br />12. Lightly top it with sweet or savory toppings of your choice.<br /><br />NOTE: Remember that the best pizzas are topped not too generously. No more than 3 or 4 toppings (including sauce and cheese) are sufficient.<br /><br />13. Slide the garnished pizza onto the stone in the oven or bake directly on the jelly pan. Close the door and bake for abour 5-8 minutes.<br /><br />NOTE: After 2 minutes baking, take a peek. For an even baking, rotate 180°.<br /><br />If the top gets done before the bottom, you will need to move the stone or jelly pane to a lower shelf before the next round. On the contrary, if the bottom crisps before the cheese caramelizes, then you will need to raise the stone or jelly.<br /><br />14. Take the pizza out of the oven and transfer it to a cutting board or your plate. In order to allow the cheese to set a little, wait 3-5 minutes before slicing or serving.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-53670490444621293302008-10-29T11:23:00.000-07:002008-10-29T11:27:25.719-07:00About TIME!I've recently been bitten by the baking bug, specifically, the "I MUST BAKE WITH PUMPKIN!" Bug :)<br /><br />Though I've been a wee bit neglectful of taking pictures and taking the time to blog about my baking lately (ummmm... if EVER!) I've since learned to keep the camera on the kitchen counter, so at least it's close at hand and I have less excuses!<br /><br />I've also got to learn how to take pictures in the right light and setting, but for now, I'm going to concentrate on at least blogging and posting a pic about each yummy delight I've concocted :)<br /><br />Later today/tonight, I will post about a Pumpkin Cheesecake I made yesterday as well as the Daring Bakers October Challenge! :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-72401208710559155632008-09-28T18:48:00.000-07:002008-09-28T18:49:23.845-07:00Daring Bakers September ChallengeI was unable to complete this month's challenge due to family illness. Please check back in a couple weeks for a new post.<br /><br />Thank you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-21152761509041632282008-09-02T09:37:00.000-07:002008-09-02T09:48:44.119-07:00August Challenge: Éclairs!My FIRST Daring Baker's Challenge was to make Chocolate Éclairs! :) <br />At first I wasn't too thrilled, as I seriously had never ever had one before! I didn't know what to expect as far as taste, and the thought of making something I might not even like kept my spirits low... at first! Then I got into the rhythm of baking, and I was quite happy, excited even, as my dough rose beautifully and the chocolate sauce filled the air with happiness :)<br /><br />I made the Éclairs as directed (recipe follows pictures)with the exception of the filling. I used a Banana Cream filling which was nothing but heavy cream, butter, sugar and bananas. It turned out soggy but yummy. I didn't get to make the chocolate cream filling but should have, as I heard it tastes wonderful (even on its own!).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxLjig9sZO8Qv0ByOkJkMMtpsdUFtq6dOnEGRK6QXap8q2saO2eiiAyVV8tQNQ4HvXEoFSC2J2YslCYww2PDrmZ4RCTtWJHL5ZpiBuYYAcXprDnyvVwjXIFbMEno72i_MpcqFEyYrbUo/s1600-h/1149_CIMG0403.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxLjig9sZO8Qv0ByOkJkMMtpsdUFtq6dOnEGRK6QXap8q2saO2eiiAyVV8tQNQ4HvXEoFSC2J2YslCYww2PDrmZ4RCTtWJHL5ZpiBuYYAcXprDnyvVwjXIFbMEno72i_MpcqFEyYrbUo/s400/1149_CIMG0403.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241466742213208626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweqxV7dzjHFoRAQOZ52jXWqUtLW58vg5UZQnaTzFmZpH3Q9uM0EMfCXrSoE59siPUiu2wFLEPNxO9tgnoPhCfB5yoS8rsmJW7DqmmlIqLkp7c3fC0hd6ZezP-mFDRZqFF8LrMOmUCX2M/s1600-h/1149_CIMG0404.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweqxV7dzjHFoRAQOZ52jXWqUtLW58vg5UZQnaTzFmZpH3Q9uM0EMfCXrSoE59siPUiu2wFLEPNxO9tgnoPhCfB5yoS8rsmJW7DqmmlIqLkp7c3fC0hd6ZezP-mFDRZqFF8LrMOmUCX2M/s400/1149_CIMG0404.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241466746630196850" /></a><br /> <br /><br />Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs<br />Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé<br />(makes 20-24 Éclairs)<br /><br />1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds by<br />positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with<br />waxed or parchment paper.<br /><br />2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.<br />Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers.<br />Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.<br />The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.<br /><br />3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the<br />handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the<br />oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue<br />baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking<br />time should be approximately 20 minutes.<br /><br />Notes:<br />1) The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.<br /><br />Assembling the éclairs:<br /><br />• Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)<br />• Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)<br /><br />1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the<br />bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.<br /><br />2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40<br />degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of<br />the éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the<br />bottoms with the pastry cream.<br /><br />3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottoms<br />with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream<br />and wriggle gently to settle them.<br /><br />Notes:<br />1) If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water,<br />stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create<br />bubbles.<br /><br />2) The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.<br /><br />Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough<br />Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé<br />(makes 20-24 Éclairs)<br /><br />• ½ cup (125g) whole milk<br />• ½ cup (125g) water<br />• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces<br />• ¼ teaspoon sugar<br />• ¼ teaspoon salt<br />• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour<br />• 5 large eggs, at room temperature<br /><br />1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the<br />boil.<br /><br />2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium<br />and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very<br />quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You<br />need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough<br />will be very soft and smooth.<br /><br />3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your<br />hand mixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,<br />beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.<br />You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do<br />not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you<br />have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it<br />should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.<br /><br />4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.<br /><br />Notes:<br />1) Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.<br /><br />2) You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking<br />sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the<br />piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.<br /><br />Chocolate Pastry Cream<br />Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé<br /><br />• 2 cups (500g) whole milk<br />• 4 large egg yolks<br />• 6 tbsp (75g) sugar<br />• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted<br />• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted<br />• 2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br /><br />1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.<br /><br />2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.<br /><br />3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.<br /><br />4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.<br /><br />5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.<br /><br />Notes:<br />1) The pastry cream can be made 2‐3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.<br /><br />2) In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.<br /><br />3) Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.<br /><br />Chocolate Glaze<br />Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé<br />(makes 1 cup or 300g)<br /><br />• 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream<br />• 3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped<br />• 4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature<br />• 7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature<br /><br />1)In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.<br /><br />2) Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.<br /><br />Notes:<br />1) If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.<br /><br />2) It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.<br /><br />Chocolate Sauce<br />Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé<br />(makes 1½ cups or 525 g)<br /><br /><br />• 4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped<br />• 1 cup (250 g) water<br />• ½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream<br />• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar<br /><br />1) Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.<br /><br />2) It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.<br /><br />Notes:<br />1) You can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for two weeks. Reheat the sauce in a microwave oven or a double boiler before using.<br />2) This sauce is also great for cakes, ice-cream and tarts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-72837507705067409662008-08-11T21:46:00.000-07:002008-08-11T21:59:09.577-07:00Dorie's Perfect Party Cake<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoM9jba5BfQJGX0Ms6VmjmMH0kJ7Q1Lxn5fUro2pDpAhTI_SAs0bbSOxPmzv9MgN6uOU7gHbx1wdN10yiZ9r2KwfpfRPBOaNa8M5j4Z481D4I6ufZ_r85SOrmLK6frGVqqlh1X76kNDU/s1600-h/CIMG0398.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoM9jba5BfQJGX0Ms6VmjmMH0kJ7Q1Lxn5fUro2pDpAhTI_SAs0bbSOxPmzv9MgN6uOU7gHbx1wdN10yiZ9r2KwfpfRPBOaNa8M5j4Z481D4I6ufZ_r85SOrmLK6frGVqqlh1X76kNDU/s400/CIMG0398.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233490804025450722" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86XD2wIHlMavN2w_UumnK9JRjJ0aHi1Z15ypwi6cuailgR1rNn-JbG7Nv1zB4nm3cuCmmDWVX9Up5kXBxkISSUHOT4QIwOcGRHZ0nECvkYb6xuMRDGWEjBrYjRC-P_IxgnqZelvTutEU/s1600-h/CIMG0401.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86XD2wIHlMavN2w_UumnK9JRjJ0aHi1Z15ypwi6cuailgR1rNn-JbG7Nv1zB4nm3cuCmmDWVX9Up5kXBxkISSUHOT4QIwOcGRHZ0nECvkYb6xuMRDGWEjBrYjRC-P_IxgnqZelvTutEU/s400/CIMG0401.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233490817263401058" /></a><br />In honor of my Birthday, and as a practice piece for my sister's upcoming baby shower, I decided to try out a cake recipe I've heard so much about recently! <br /><br />Dorie's Perfect Party Cake, from the book by Dorie Greenspan, "Baking: From My Home to Yours".<br /><br />After hearing various opinions on 1) how lovely this cake is, and 2) how much time it can take, I gave myself an evening to just prepare, bake, cool, mix, slice, layer and enjoy! Total time from gathering ingredients to sitting back and enjoying a fresh slice: 4 hours. Now, there was plenty of time for chasing around my son while the cake was baking, then cooling, so at least I wasn't a slave for the entire time!<br /><br />I will definitely be taking a slice of this cake to my sister tomorrow for her to taste!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2TaAmCU30uwalVSXhgt1BPnzsQv9pacVHArmqvwWGpw7t3hyphenhyphenYhRtG9t1Za-emaGrJt5HZjrGxTVdaIk3W7VLUdbZsXIqf0AxJkMzwmPt599LDlTcxrjHYS81a77uRudJ5x0hP1xRx8o/s1600-h/CIMG0402.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW2TaAmCU30uwalVSXhgt1BPnzsQv9pacVHArmqvwWGpw7t3hyphenhyphenYhRtG9t1Za-emaGrJt5HZjrGxTVdaIk3W7VLUdbZsXIqf0AxJkMzwmPt599LDlTcxrjHYS81a77uRudJ5x0hP1xRx8o/s400/CIMG0402.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233491104123940834" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5697717564061855995.post-1096272096484132912008-07-29T15:21:00.000-07:002008-07-29T15:26:09.533-07:00First Things FirstWelcome to my humble blog which I will be devoted to that which I love almost as much as my family--BAKING!<br /><br />About me: I'm a working woman, who likes to dabble in the kitchen when I'm not chasing around my young son or three dogs. Though I'd love to have more time to develop my skills as a Baker, at this time it's more of an if-I-have-time-for-it thing :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1