Tuesdays with Dorie: Alsatian Apple Tart
November 15, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 6 CommentsTags: baking, dessert, tarts
This Alstatian Apple Tart made me think of cooking school. We made one very similar during my first few weeks at the FCI. That was years ago, but I liked it then and I like it now, too. In fact, it was much nicer to make it at home, where the only judge is yours truly and I don’t have to wear an annoyingly scratchy neckerchief or wobbly paper toque. It’s a pretty easy tart to make…a sweet dough, apple slices and a little custard. I lightened up the custard in the book by only using one egg (and skipping the extra yolk), using a combo of milk and cream (rather than all cream) and skimping on the sugar. My CSA is done for the year, but I’m still trying to use up the apples we got in the final couple pick-ups. I have no idea what kind they are, but they are little, have red skins and were just fine in here. Because this tart has the custard built-in, you don’t even need ice cream!
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Jessica’s blog, cookbookhabit. And see Lethally Delicious for Bittersweet Brownies, this week’s other recipe (which I unfortunately din’t get a chance to make this week). Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie (on Friday!): Mini Madeleines
November 11, 2011 at 11:21 pm | Posted in cakes & tortes, cookies & bars, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 2 CommentsTags: baking, cookies
OK, Tuesday has come and gone (happy 11/11/11, by the way), but I did bake both of this week’s TWD recipes, so I wanted to show you my Mini Madeleines as well. Better late than never, right? I like madeleines…so much that I got a little greedy and swiped one from my photo session…oops.
Good reasons to make madeleines include:
*Little cakes that disguise themselves as shell-shaped cookies– how cute!
*A batter that’s hand-whisked and allowed to rest for as long as a couple of days– how easy!
*A soft crumb that you can flavor a zillion different ways– how tasty!
*Less than ten minutes of baking time– how energy efficient! (alright, that’s a stretch)
If you’ve avoided making them because you don’t have the traditional madeleine baking pan, I’m pretty sure a mini muffin tin would make a fine substitute. I browned my butter for these and used lots of lemon zest. They had great flavor and were nice with chamomile tea.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Di’s Kitchen Notebook. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Depths-of-Fall Butternut Squash Pie
November 8, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 11 CommentsTags: baking, dessert, pie
I’ve noticed this Depths-of-Fall Butternut Squash Pie many times while flipping through the book. Or, I should say that I noticed the title and thought it sounded good. It wasn’t until this weekend that I actually read it and realized it is not a smoothly puréed, single crust pie similar to pumpkin. Nope, this is a pie with real character….lumpy and bumpy under the top crust because everything inside is chunky and retains its texture. It’s stuffed with a hearty combo of butternut squash, apples (or pears, which I didn’t have on hand), nuts and dried fruit. The filling reminded me of mincemeat pie, with its mix of fruit and spices (but sans the suet, thank goodness). The pie is slightly earthy, not too sweet, and totally great with vanilla ice cream!
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (it’s also on The Splendid Table’s site) or read Valerie’s lovely blog, Une Gamine dans la Cuisine. And see Di’s Kitchen Notebook for Mini Madeleines, this week’s other recipe (which I did make and will show you later in the week). Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Far Breton
November 1, 2011 at 12:13 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, pudding/mousse, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 6 CommentsTags: baking, cake, dessert
It’s hard to believe, but TWD is coming close to the end of the book! There are two recipes a week from now till the end of the year, but I think I’ll only be able to choose one because I can’t do much baking at home during the work week. This week, I’m making the Far Breton, chosen by Nicole of Cookies on Friday (Jeannette of The Whimsical Cupcake chose Honey Nut Scones as the other recipe). I’ve been intrigued by this one for a long time…just the name sounds so classy. And there are Armagnac-soaked prunes–yum! Falling somewhere between custard and cake, it’s made from a no-brainer batter that gets whizzed up in the blender, crêpe-style. The finished dessert actually reminded me a lot of an unmolded clafoutis. I like eggy desserts, so this was just the ticket. I also like easy desserts that are totally dinner party worthy, and this one fits that bill, too. Next time I’ll add a splash more booze.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Cookies on Friday. And see The Whimsical Cupcake for the Honey Nut Scones. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: A Fig Cake For Fall
October 25, 2011 at 12:15 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 14 Comments
Fresh figs are a rare treat in my house…they are not so hard to find at the shops when they’re in season, but they don’t come home with me often. I was excited to buy a pint to make this cake with TWD. Beneath these flashy ruby port-poached figs is an appealingly rustic and sturdy cake, flavored with honey and cornmeal. I brushed a little of the reduced port syrup on top of the figs after the cake had cooled. Whipped cream on the side was a must.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Cookie Rookie. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Ginger-Jazzed Brownies
October 18, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 9 CommentsTags: baking, brownies, chocolate, dessert
Chocolate and ginger together? Yes, please! This is a combo I like a lot when the weather gets cool, and it makes for a brownie with some heat. The mixing method was kind of unusual for brownies– creaming rather than melting the butter– and my Ginger-Jazzed Brownies were more on the cakey side than the fudgy side (but not fluffy cake, like this delicious chocolate gingerbread). Perhaps that’s because while I made a half recipe, I used two eggs instead of the 1.5 I technically should have. Or maybe it’s because instead of the corn syrup called for (for chewiness, I guess?), I used golden syrup, but I usually make this swap and it doesn’t seem to affect other recipes. Or maybe that’s just how they’re supposed to be…I’m curious to see results from the other TWDers to compare. With ground and grated fresh ginger, these were good, and even better with a little frosting and candied ginger bling.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Bubie’s Little Baker. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Basic Buttermilk Biscuits
October 11, 2011 at 12:20 am | Posted in biscuits/scones, breakfast things, groups, tuesdays with dorie | 15 CommentsTags: baking, biscuits, breakfast
…or something like that. I had intended to make Buttermilk Biscuits. I had followed the recipe…it said it was “basic.” I had been having such good luck with scones recently that I thought biscuits would come out of the oven. I’m pretty sure that, while what came out was delicious, it was technically not a biscuit. It was something more bready, with a bottom that had essentially fried in its own butter on the baking sheet. More English muffiny maybe. Whatever happened, this little breakfast roll was great with homemade jam…both apricot and concord grape. I’ll have to try again for proper biscuits though.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Cooking for Comfort, as it was Jennifer’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Apple Nut Muffin Cake
October 4, 2011 at 12:09 am | Posted in breakfast things, cakes & tortes, groups, muffins/quick breads, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 10 CommentsTags: baking, breakfast, cake
This Apple Nut Muffin Cake is quintessential fall baking…apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, walnuts and raisins…all things that make your house smell great. Rolled oats (and swapping a little whole grain flour for AP) make this easy breakfast cake feel even more wholesome. It is just like a muffin in terms of technique and texture, but, not that I would ever really call muffin-making fussy, you simply slap the batter into a cake pan and go….ready for coffee in about 35 minutes.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Baking and Boys!, as it was Katrina’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Flip-Over Plum Cake
September 27, 2011 at 12:01 am | Posted in breakfast things, cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 11 CommentsTags: baking, breakfast, cake
Plums are one of the last tastes of summer fruit. Let’s not be too sad to see the summer go…instead, let’s celebrate with plum cake– Flip-Over Plum Cake. This is the world’s easier batter to throw together…a quick whisk and that’s it. It doesn’t even have any eggs. That was kind of a curveball, actually– I had to, like, quadruple check the recipe to make sure I wasn’t missing something. Scatter the plums over top and toss it in the oven. The plums magically turn into a sweet-tart jam layer on the bottom, and the bizarrely egg-less batter turns into delicious cake!
Dorie has this in the breakfast section, and it’s so tasty, I’m sure it would be a fabulous way to start the day, but a little whipped cream turns it into a perfectly lovely dessert, which is how we ate it over here. I’m betting it would also be great with peaches or nectarines, although I am partial to that intense plum-red color bleeding though.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Project Domestication, as it was Becky’s pick this week. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbreads
September 20, 2011 at 4:50 pm | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 8 CommentsTags: baking, chocolate, cookies
Chocolate shortbread with a little hit of salt and pepper? Sounds exotic, but the s&p doesn’t overpower (even though I added 50% more of each than the recipe called for). It just gives the slightest tickle on your tongue. I used a little of my precious Aussie pink salt here…love that stuff. After I baked off what you see here, I put the other half of my dough log into my freezer cookie stash. I’ve built a good selection in there at this point, and while I must admit that this one may not bring about world peace, it’ll be a nice addition to that massive cookie platter I’ll one day make from all the leftover dough hunks.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Buttercream Barbie, as it was Tia’s turn to pick again. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
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