Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: Cinnamon-Raisin Bread
April 25, 2023 at 10:30 pm | Posted in breakfast things, BWD, groups, sweet things, sweet yeast breads, tuesdays with dorie, yeast breads | 5 CommentsTags: baking, cheese, savory
For the past couple of years, I’ve been playing around with sourdough bread at home. While I enjoy the long process and the suspense of making naturally leavened bread, my results can still be a bit hit-or-miss. Baking a yeast bread, like this Cinnamon-Raisin Bread, every once in a while is kind of nice. I was able to mix this dough up in the morning, give it two quick rises and butter up a nice, thick, squishy slice for my after-lunch snack. Looking to boost the standard white bread flavor of the recipe a bit, I did replace a little of the AP flour with whole wheat (something like 75-100 grams worth) and added in a fat tablespoon of my sourdough discard. Although the black tea idea sounded nice, I soaked my raisins in a combo of hot water, more cinnamon and Combier.
I used my 9″ pullman pan here because I like its straight sides, but it’s a bit smaller than my regular 9″x5″ loaf pan, so this was a seriously high riser. (If I make it in the pullman again, I’ll probably scale the recipe back to 75% of the original.) Nervous that it might explode in the oven, or something like that, I scored the top of the loaf before buttering and cinnamon-sugaring it. My bread came out of the oven sporting a golden brown bouffant. I will definitely be having another slice with breakfast tomorrow, and I’m very much looking forward to it.
If you don’t have the book Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan, get it and join us as we bake through it every second and fourth Tuesdays! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll and all the other participation deets over on Tuesdays with Dorie!
Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: Mocha-Walnut Torte
April 11, 2023 at 7:40 pm | Posted in BWD, cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 7 CommentsTags: baking, brekkie, cake
A Mocha-Walnut Torte is the answer to the question of what to make for your GF friends, for Passover, for whenever you need a super-elegant yet super-easy dessert. This slim, flourless chocolate cake is made using the separated egg method, with meringued whites providing the bulk of the lift. A ground chocolate, walnut, coffee and spice mixture gives it flavor. I added a splash of nocino liqueur to the blend. Dorie gives the option of a ganache topping, which I viewed as mandatory, and a sprinkle of walnuts. Delicious cold, it kind of reminded me of a nutty candy bar.
If you don’t have the book Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan yet (you can also find the recipe here), get it and join us as we bake through it every second and fourth Tuesdays! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll and all the other participation deets over on Tuesdays with Dorie!
Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: Carrot Muffins
March 28, 2023 at 2:59 pm | Posted in breakfast things, BWD, groups, muffins/quick breads, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 3 CommentsTags: baking, muffins
I’ve spent a good chunk of my pastry career working in bakeries (and making lots of muffins), but I don’t work baker’s hours at home. The only muffin that ever gets served for breakfast here is a leftover one. These Carrot Muffins were made as a coffee break snack.
These are not carrot cake masquerading as muffins. Instead of a dense cake filled with add-ins and warm spices, these are really light and springy and are spiced with sunny flavors like ginger, vanilla and orange zest. They have a surprise ingredient, pomegranate molasses, which (surprise!) I didn’t have. I subbed it with date molasses and then turned the sitch into a double date by using dates as my chopped dried fruit component. They’re not just for brekkie- they’re good anytime of day.
If you don’t have the book Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan, get it and join us as we bake through it every second and fourth Tuesdays. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll and all the other participation deets over on Tuesdays with Dorie!
Everyday Dorie: White Beans and Smoked Fish (a pantry-and-fridge salad)
March 24, 2023 at 2:48 pm | Posted in cook the book fridays, everyday dorie, groups, other savory, salads, savory things, veggies | 5 CommentsTags: everyday dorie, salad, savory
A “pantry-and-fridge” salad is the kind I make for myself most days. Actually, my pantry is non-existent (I live in NYC, and there’s just one food cabinet in my kitchen), so my salads don’t always contain as many yummy things as the White Beans and Smoked Fish version that Dorie makes. Normally I’m just fridge-foraging for leftover veg and cheese scraps and hoping there’s half of an avocado in there somewhere. I had to make a stop at the fancy-pants little neighborhood grocery to get supplies for this one.
Back home and armed with a can of white beans, a tin of smoked rainbow trout (in the coolest packaging), a jar of preserved lemon and some arugula and crunchy veggies, I tossed this together with a mustardy white balsamic vinaigrette and some chopped up homemade pickled red onions (which I am never without). Maybe I should make more space for this stuff at home, because I inhaled this salad post-gym. I will call it my “cabinet-and-fridge” salad.
For the recipe, see Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, and head over to Cook the Book Fridays to see what we all thought.
Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: Lick-the-Pot Chocolate Pudding Pie
March 14, 2023 at 12:01 am | Posted in BWD, groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 4 CommentsTags: baking, pie
When I made my Lick-the-Pot Chocolate Pudding Pie, I didn’t realize that our TWD posting date would coincide with Pi Day– what a treat! I haven’t made a pudding pie like this in ages, and it was so simple to do. A crumb crust, pudding and whipped cream…no making pastry, prepping fruit, baking for two hours and then furiously scrubbing goopy bubble-over off your favorite sheet tray or the bottom of your oven.
Crumb crusts are the easiest and tastiest, IMO. I didn’t actually have the spice cookies called for, but I had some Teddy Grahams and a jar of pumpkin spice, so I made do. Watching a bowl full of teddy bears get zipped up in the food processor was highly entertaining. Making a luxe chocolaty tempered egg yolk pudding on the stovetop is the hardest part of this pie, but it really isn’t hard. The pudding is called “lick-the-pot” so sneaking a chef’s treat spoonful before filling the pre-baked crust and chilling the pie in the fridge is a must.
A mascarpone-whipped cream topping finishes the pie off, diner-style. Dorie says to serve the pie as soon as possible after the topping goes on, but I find that mascarpone is great way (and also the tastiest way) to stabilize whipped cream, and that it holds up for a couple of days without issue. I sprinkled some cookie crumbs and chocolate speckles all over the top for some extra pizzaz.
If you don’t have the book Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan yet, get it and join us as we bake through it every second and fourth Tuesdays! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll and all the other participation deets over on Tuesdays with Dorie!
Everyday Dorie: Salmon Brandade
March 13, 2023 at 9:42 pm | Posted in cook the book fridays, everyday dorie, groups, savory things | 3 CommentsTags: everyday dorie, savory, soup
I’m pretty embarrassed by how late I sometimes write up my posts, but one good thing about being late to the game is getting to read the recipe reviews from other group members before I head into the kitchen. I picked up some tips for the Salmon Brandade I should have posted on Friday, but didn’t make until last night. I am very familiar with brandade as an olive oil-whipped salt cod and potato spread (yum!), but Dorie’s version here is like a mashed potato-topped salmon shepherd’s pie, using both smoked salmon and chunks of salmon fillet.
From Shirley, I got the idea to add some veggies to the filling…really just the last handful of peas I had in a baggie in the freezer. Diane mentioned that her husband doesn’t like smoked salmon, so she only used half of what is called for in the recipe and all was fine. My husband doesn’t like it either, and I didn’t want to hear any complaints, so although I love it, I followed suit. I did save $10 not having to buy a second packet, so I owe Diane a coffee if she’s ever in town. She also noted that the bread crumb topping didn’t get very crispy in the oven, and the dish could have used some more textural contrast. I tossed my panko crumbs in a bit of olive oil and baked them separately until they were nice and toasty brown, then sprinkled them on top of the cooked brandade. So, thank you Shirley and Diane! This came out a nice, cozy dinner for a chilly night.
For the recipe, see Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, and head over to Cook the Book Fridays to see how the group liked this one.
Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: Peanut-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Paris Style
February 28, 2023 at 10:06 pm | Posted in BWD, cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 4 CommentsTags: baking, cookies, holiday
Peanut-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Paris Style are like PB cookies at fashion week. (BTW, what’s with hyphenating peanut butter in the title…shouldn’t that hyphen go elsewhere? Maybe “Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies, Paris-Style” would be better.) All the stuff that would normally be within a dough is on full display on the outside of these cookies. The cookie itself is made from a more or less blank slate chewy PB dough, but the dough balls get rolled in chopped nuts before baking, and after baking, they are smeared and sprinkled with all kinds of good things. There’s homemade peanut praline spread gluing down more chopped peanuts and chocolate bits. Peanut praline dust and fleur de sel are sprinkled all over the the place. Even though making peanut praline sounds like a pain, it’s easier to do than true brittle, and makes these very special. Dorie turns hers into large cookies, but I made mine a bit more petite, at about 2.5 tablespoons each. Everyone I shared these with liked them, and I did, too, although they were a little messier to eat than a cookie that wasn’t turned inside-out.
If you don’t have the book Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan, get it and join us as we bake through it every second and fourth Tuesdays. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll!
Everyday Dorie: White Wine-Poached Pears
February 25, 2023 at 10:32 pm | Posted in everyday dorie, general pastry, groups, other sweet, sweet things | 5 CommentsTags: cake, everyday dorie
Imagine pears bobbing around in a honey-sweetened white wine syrup flavored with ginger, vanilla, cinnamon and star anise. White Wine-Poached Pears are so fragrant! They make an elegant stand-alone dessert, but poached pears are also great alongside ice cream or a piece of “simple” cake. I have a jar of leftover syrup in the fridge…I might use it to make a champagne cocktail before the winter’s through.
For the recipe, see Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, and head over to Cook the Book Fridays to see all of our cakes this week.
Tuesdays with Dorie BWD: Swedish Fika Cake
February 14, 2023 at 10:31 pm | Posted in BWD, cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 3 CommentsTags: baking, brekkie, cake
I do a solo coffee break most afternoons, but wouldn’t it be fun to fika with friends, with a big pot of coffee and slices of Swedish Fika Cake? We’ve already done a related recipe for Swedish Visiting Cake Bars, but this one is a full-on butter-ball of a cake, crowned with a crisp, sugared almond topping. In the recipe, the cake part is just flavored with vanilla, but I added a splash of almond extract along with that to make it a bit more marzipany. I also tossed an extra handful of sliced almonds into the topping to take in more of the buttery sugar syrup that forms a baked-on shell on top of the cake. This was a good one, and I enjoyed more than one sliver of this moist cake in the weekday quiet of my kitchen.
If you don’t have the book Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan yet, get it and join us as we bake through it every second and fourth Tuesdays! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll and all the other participation deets over on Tuesdays with Dorie!
Everyday Dorie: Twice-Flavored Scallops with Lemon “Goop”
February 10, 2023 at 4:15 pm | Posted in cook the book fridays, everyday dorie, groups, savory things | 3 CommentsTags: everyday dorie, savory, soup
I made these Twice-Flavored Scallops with Lemon “Goop” way back in April 2020. Not sure why I chose to make them then…maybe I just wanted something nice that kind of reminded me of restaurant food when there were no restaurants open to go to. The first flavoring involves marinating sea scallops in a flavored soy sauce mix. After they are seared off in a hot skillet, they get their second flavoring– a cooked down lemon jam that Dorie calls “goop.” It’s sweet, sour and tart and kind of preserved lemon-like. (A by-product of the goop is the leftover cooking syrup, which kept forever and made a very good add to salad dressings.) The marinated scallops with little ploops of goop were really tasty. It’s been a few years, so could be time to make them again, or maybe use a different fish as Dorie suggests in her Playing Around notes.
For the recipe, see Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, and head over to Cook the Book Fridays to see how the group liked this one.
Baked Fresh Weekly
Blog at WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.
a whisk and a spoon 