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What Are You Baking?


monavano

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"Chocolate dump-it cake" from Amanda Hesser's new book, compliments of her mother. I messed around with the recipe a fair amount: didn't have unsweetened chocolate, so used bittersweet Callebaut chips and reduced the amount of sugar by 3/4 of a cup. "Floured" the pan with cocoa instead of flour. Changed 2 cups of all-purpose flour to 1 c. a.p. flour and 1 cup cake flour, and added a few T's of cocoa to the flour. I subbed a triple shot of espresso for part of the cup of water. And made more of a standard ganache for the frosting than the mixture of equal parts melted chocolate chips and sour cream that the recipe calls for--added butter and a few T's of Greek yogurt to the chocolate, since I didn't have any sour cream anyway, and a splash of rum and vanilla for flavor. Dusted the top with some crushed cocoa nibs for a bit of crunch. The cake batter was very thin, and the cake (baked in a bundt pan) came out very moist. We shall see how it slices and eats after it has had a while to firm up the frosting in the fridge.
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I have a chess pie in the oven. It looks much more promising than my first attempt. I also have made a batch of chocolate chip cookies to take to a baseball tournament. After my pizza making last night, I have to say my apartment smells wonderful!

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My first focacia! It was topped with cherry tomatoes, feta, rosemary, and shallots; I made a garlic oil to coat the pan and drizzle on top. This no knead recipe was really quite easy and very tasty; I can't think of a reason to buy the stuff in the store.

I needed some bread for a meal I made today and assumed I would have to find the time to run to the Harris Teeter. Then, last night, I saw this thread and thought I would make this. I measured out the flour and salt last night and put it in my Kitchen Aid bowl. At 8 am (!) this morning I threw the rest of the ingredients together and attempted to spread this out in the pan. It just seemed to sit there doing absolutely nothing. Was my yeast dead? Was the water too hot? Four and a half hours later, I decided to go ahead and cook this stuff. Surprisingly, the dough acted the way it is supposed to. I skipped the flavorings and simply drizzled olive oil and sprinkled some coarse sea salt on top. It baked up just fine and worked out well. Who knew? Next time, though, I think I will just leave the dough in the bowl to rise and then put it in the pan. This recipe seems to be fool-proof, no matter what you do to it. What a great find.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins. Using a recipe that turned out not to call for pumpkin, and having to add the baking soda after I mixed everything, I am anxious to see how they turn out. And am prepared to make another batch. Sigh. :)

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Pumpkin-heads think alike! Only meaning that I am making Pumpkin Stout Whoopie Pies. It's also a "we shall see" thing. In good company!

Wow! Whoopie Pies? That's cool. My muffins seem fine, a little dense. Somehow my muffins are always dense. What kind of filling did you make for the pies?

ETA: Woke this AM and remade the muffins. Found an oatmeal pumpkin recipe to which I added chocolate chips. However, I added too much baking powder this time but they are definitely lighter than my first batch. Had to run them out to friends before they completely cooled but they smelled and looked good. Again used oatmeal because I wanted the texture and the grains. I'll report back and post the recipe if my friends provide a positive review.

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Poppy seed challah ... so so good. I based it on one of the recipe's in Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America.

Oh, am so jealous.

I've not braided challah in many many years, though the kids did it in Hebrew School a few years ago as a class project. I was thrilled to have 2 loaves - one for dinner, and the other for Challah French Toast the next morning!

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Baguettes. I am beside myself with anticipation. In an hour or so I will be either elated or crushed. They sure look and smell good, though.

And?

I made chocolate shortbread with the Rodelle cocoa from Costco and some rice flour for nicer texture. The cocoa is much better than Hershey's, but I don't have anything else to compare. I'd do a taste test right now, but it's already gone.

Edited to say I used Kerrygold butter, and I'm not sure it is possible to make anything with Kerrygold butter and not have it turn out fantastic.

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Oh, am so jealous.

I've not braided challah in many many years, though the kids did it in Hebrew School a few years ago as a class project. I was thrilled to have 2 loaves - one for dinner, and the other for Challah French Toast the next morning!

I love making challah, though I don't always braid it. I like making it for sandwiches, too. Not that the first loaf ever lasts long enough for that, lol.

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Edited to say I used Kerrygold butter, and I'm not sure it is possible to make anything with Kerrygold butter and not have it turn out fantastic.

Does Kerrygold perform well for you in baked goods? I found it too soft, especially for pastry, but since I love the flavor I'll try it again if you say it works well. :)

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Does Kerrygold perform well for you in baked goods? I found it too soft, especially for pastry, but since I love the flavor I'll try it again if you say it works well. :)

I haven't tried pastry with it, just several batches of shortbread (Mr. lperry's favorite), and Goldenticket made butterscotch bars with it for the picnic. All those were really good. Maybe it needs to go in the freezer for a bit for pastry?

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Mantou from scratch and trying my hand at bread baking. Please keep fingers crossed for me!

Wow! Whoopie Pies? What kind of filling did you make for the pies?

Whoopie pies, made with Fisherman's pumpkin stout. Not authentic, more like a pumpkin creme sandwich, but tasty. The filling was a grand marnier-flavored whip cream. Didn't have cream cheese handy. Sorry for bad cell pic.

post-2127-015950800 1288574404_thumb.jpg

ETA: Disappointed in mantou results, but felt okay by bread result.

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Doctored up version of Trader Joe's in the box pumpkin bread/muffin mix. I add 1 extra egg, 1/4 cup extra vegetable oil, 1/2 can of pumpkin, pumpkin spice and cloves (about 1 tsp pumpkin spice and 1/2 tsp cloves) and then bake in muffin tins or loaf pan. Either way, the end product comes out moist and delicious! I think the cloves and the added canned pumpkin give it the extra kick. Try it!

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Just took a loaf of cranberry-nut bread out of the oven and looked over at the salt canister...and realized I forgot to put in the salt. All I can hope is that the amount of sodium in the baking powder and baking soda will keep this from being a disaster. It looks fine. It rose all right and everything.

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In a little bit, I'll get a chocolate chess pie going. I'm spending Thanksgiving with a crowd that isn't into pumpkin. Fine with me! I prefer chocolate, too.

I have my second chess pie in the oven. I thought about making it a chocolate version but opted to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies to appease the chocolate cravings... Are you a southerner too?

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I have my second chess pie in the oven. I thought about making it a chocolate version but opted to make a batch of chocolate chip cookies to appease the chocolate cravings... Are you a southerner too?

Virginian born and raised. This is actually a by-request from the hostess. My family always made apple & pecan pies for T-giving, and I still make a fabulous pecan pie, but my host & hostess don't feel the love for a fine nut pie.

I was a bit disappointed in the outcome tonight; I let it cook a little too long and it started developing that sort of spongey texture. I marked the recipe to start checking 5 minutes sooner. I'll also reduce the sugar by a couple of tablespoons.

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I made pumpkin pies using the recipe from Best Recipe. I tried using a quiche pan with removable bottom for the first time--saw AB use it on Good Eats. It worked out great.

Growing up, I always thought I didn't like pumpkin pie. It turns out I just didn't like the ones my relatives made. :)

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Virginian born and raised. This is actually a by-request from the hostess. My family always made apple & pecan pies for T-giving, and I still make a fabulous pecan pie, but my host & hostess don't feel the love for a fine nut pie.

I was a bit disappointed in the outcome tonight; I let it cook a little too long and it started developing that sort of spongey texture. I marked the recipe to start checking 5 minutes sooner. I'll also reduce the sugar by a couple of tablespoons.

It took a few tries but I finally found a recipe for Chess Pie that's a winner... many recipes are called Chess Pie but they are really buttermilk pies. Apparently Chess is a derivation of the Southern word "Jess" for just... just pie.

Now the question is can I freeze the second pie that did not get eaten?

P.S. I'm from West Tennessee where Chess Pie is a staple...

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It took a few tries but I finally found a recipe for Chess Pie that's a winner... many recipes are called Chess Pie but they are really buttermilk pies. Apparently Chess is a derivation of the Southern word "Jess" for just... just pie.

Now the question is can I freeze the second pie that did not get eaten?

P.S. I'm from West Tennessee where Chess Pie is a staple...

I've been able to freeze my pecan pies, which have chess-style filling.

I like the looks of that recipe -- would not have thought of adding vinegar to cut the sweetness in the pie. Thanks!

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I haven't tried pastry with it, just several batches of shortbread (Mr. lperry's favorite), and Goldenticket made butterscotch bars with it for the picnic. All those were really good. Maybe it needs to go in the freezer for a bit for pastry?

I've used it when making Dorie Greenspan's Sweet Tart Dough and it came out fabulously. The tart shells are frozen before baking.

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Okay, I made amazing cheese straws tonight. Here is the recipe:

Cheese Straws/Crackers a la Nancy

1.25 cups grated cheddar cheese

1.5 cups flour

1/2 cup of butter (softened)

1/2 tspn cumin powder

1/2 tspn smoked paprika

1 tspn alepepo pepper (from penzey's)

1/2 tspn salt

combine all the ingredients. It takes a bit to combine them but it doesn't have to be combined like dough because...

I roll the dough into thin logs.

I put the logs into the fridge to let them rest and become firm.

I take the logs out and slice thin (maybe 1/2 an inch) slices and put them on a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil.

Put the baking sheet in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees for 10-13 minutes depending on (a) your oven and (b ) how many crackers per sheet.

(you can also roll the dough out and cut into strips or put the dough in a pastry bag and make them that way).

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I put a Persimmon Cake in the oven a few minutes ago. My sense of triumph was completely shattered, however, when I turned around, after closing the oven door, and realized that I had completely forgotten to add the nuts and currants. :) That's going to be one boring cake. Those persimmons were so beautiful too....

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Thanks to my new Vitamix dry blade jar, I ground dried Umbrian chickpeas into flour, and made Socca for the first time. The pan and method I used for the first batch stuck a bit, but the flavor was there. The second and last batch of batter was made in the fashion that I make frittatas. Very good. I topped the warm socca with a cannelini bean, rosemary and feta (evoo, too) spread. Thumbs up!

I also made my first batch of caramels. I will try to unmold them in minutes, and will keep my fingers crossed that they release from the pan, are decent, and can be dipped in chocolate a la lperry.

I'm not optimistic.....

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I put a Persimmon Cake in the oven a few minutes ago. My sense of triumph was completely shattered, however, when I turned around, after closing the oven door, and realized that I had completely forgotten to add the nuts and currants. :) That's going to be one boring cake. Those persimmons were so beautiful too....

Not at all! IMHO most persimmon baked desserts taste like spices, dried fruits and nuts instead of persimmons. Your accident should allow the flavor of the fruit to speak for itself. Create a topping that incorporates what you left out, for example, soak currants in hot rum until they're soft. Sweeten and reduce liquid to make a simple syrup w a bit of Meyer lemon zest; cool, add drained, soaked currants and drizzle on slices. Top whipped cream w dusting of finely slivered, toasted walnuts or unsalted pistachios.

ETA: I swear I wrote this before reading new content that includes Zora's report from Raleigh/Durham NC where you'll find similar POV.

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Cranberry orange scones. I'd never tried this recipe before, but they turned out wonderfully tender and actually taste just as good slathered with butter as without :) . I used fresh, frozen cranberries, which were fine, but the dried cranberries that the recipe called for would be better.

Chocolate-cherry bark. This is easy as heck, and I whip it up every year--I always shudder that mail-order places charge obscene amounts of money for this simplest of recipes. I managed to screw it up in a few ways (bought cherry candy canes instead of peppermint; put the crushed canes in with the white chocolate on the double boiler, raising the melting point way too high), but it's still darn good.

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wheatbread-1.jpg

First attempt at making ANKB with part whole wheat flour (just 1 cup). I'm having a bit of trouble with a touch of burning on the bottoms of my ANKB loaves. I think I have to decrease the heat from 425 to 400 or lower during the second half of cooking (with lid off). Still, tastes good.

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wheatbread-1.jpg

First attempt at making ANKB with part whole wheat flour (just 1 cup). I'm having a bit of trouble with a touch of burning on the bottoms of my ANKB loaves. I think I have to decrease the heat from 425 to 400 or lower during the second half of cooking (with lid off). Still, tastes good.

ANKB?

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