Tuesdays with Dorie: Brioche Plum Tart
July 14, 2009 at 1:35 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, sweet yeast breads, tuesdays with dorie | 37 Comments
I’ve been itching to make a tart with the gorgeous summer fruits that are popping up at the Greenmarket. Thanks to TWD and Denise of Chez Us, I got the push I needed this week…albeit in a slightly different direction. Rather than a pastry dough, the tart shell here is made from brioche. It’s pressed into a ring and topped with jam, fruit and nuts. Juice from the jam and fruit seeps into the brioche while it bakes. The end result is a really classy tart that temporarily turned my teensy-weensy Manhattan kitchen into a European bakery! By the way, this particular brioche recipe is the easiest I’ve ever made. The butter is melted, and all the ingredients are basically chucked into a bowl at once and mixed. (I’m thinking cinnamon rolls may need to start making more frequent appearances at my breakfast table!)
Although Dorie intends this tart to be a breakfast or tea-time treat, due to my work schedule this week, we enjoyed ours for dessert. As you can see from the picture, I made a couple of indiviual tarts so I wouldn’t have soggy leftovers. One night I used some little purple plums, hardly bigger than golf balls. They softened up quickly in the oven, which is good because the brioche browned awfully fast! The next night, I pressed out a couple more shells and used sweet cherries instead. With a little vanilla whipped cream, both were good, but I think I liked the cherry tarts better…next time, I should give it a go with apricots and a bit of my homemade jam!
The recipe, of course, is in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, and is also on Chez Us. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll and Denise’s post over at Chez Us!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Tribute-to-Katharine-Hepburn Brownies
July 7, 2009 at 1:09 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 42 Comments
As a child, there were a few movies I was a bit obsessed with…so you don’t think I’m too demented, I won’t mention that as a six-year-old I could recite lines from The Elephant Man or pretty much the entirety of Mommy Dearest. Instead I will tell you that I’ve seen On Golden Pond, starring none other than Katharine Hepburn, more times than I can count. So for years I’ve known what a wonderful actress she was, but until Lisa of Surviving Oz chose Tribute-to-Katharine-Hepburn Brownies for TWD, I did not know that she was also an accomplished brownie-baker. (By the way, our guest hostess Lisa designed our fantastic new TWD logo, which you can see over there in my sidebar.)
These dark, deeply chocolate brownies are made with cocoa powder and lots of bittersweet chunks. They’re on the thin side, and since they have very little flour (one of Miss Hepburn’s tips for good brownies), they are really fudgy. I know that some people fervently oppose nuts in brownies, but I’m a die-hard with-walnuts fan, so I was glad to see them here. I also liked the strong hit of coffee from the espresso powder in the recipe, but I left out the suggested cinnamon so I wouldn’t have too many competing flavors. After reading a comment from Caitlin, I cut back on the butter by a tablespoon, and they were still wonderfully rich. A half-recipe baked up nicely in a loaf pan, although these were so good, we could easily have polished off a full batch!
The recipe, of course, is in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, but she also has it here on NPR’s site, and Lisa of Surviving Oz has it as well. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Perfect Party Cake
June 30, 2009 at 1:21 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, layer cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 52 Comments
Like many of you, I’ve made the Perfect Party Cake before, but it was so good that when I saw that Carol of mix, mix… stir, stir picked it for TWD, party or no party, I was happy to give it a second go! Since I had stayed pretty true to the original last year, this time around I thought I’d switch up the flavors a bit. Instead of using lemon zest and juice, I put almond extract in the cake itself and matcha powder in the buttercream frosting (I just added both flavors to taste). I skipped the jam component and sprinkled toasted sliced almonds over each layer. Good, good stuff!
The original cake is made from two thicker layers that are halved to make a four-layer cake…I simplified things a bit here, and just baked three thinner ones and used them as-is (or as-was, I guess). After making it twice now, the cake doesn’t seem to be an incredibly high-riser…but it was soft, moist and had a great fluffy texture both times, so I’m assuming that’s the norm. Dorie herself weighed in on the TWD site with some tips to achieve party cake perfection– check them out here.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read mix, mix… stir, stir (Carol always has some cool tricks up her sleeve, so definitely check her post out). Don’t forget to scan the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise
June 23, 2009 at 4:45 pm | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, layer cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 35 Comments
Wow. I almost thought this Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise wasn’t going to get done, but I really wanted to give props to Andrea in the Kitchen and the Aussie contingent of TWD, so I busted the recipe out this morning.
If you’re wondering what exactly this is, it’s a cake made from layers of crisp almond-coconut meringue. It’s filled with a softly-whipped white chocolate ganache and pineapple slices. Sounds good, right? It’s not hard to make, but there’s a fair amount of wait-time involved, so it did take awhile from start to finish. I made a half recipe of the meringue layers and a just third of the ganache.
I totally of get a kick out of how retro this thing looks. I know that dacquoise meringue is used as a building block for many classic French desserts, but I think this particular cake looks like it belongs at a 70’s dinner party, which instantly makes me love it! I do have to admit that since I just assembled it about an hour ago, my dacquoise is still sitting in the fridge– uncut and untasted. I have taste-tested all the components separately, though, and I do think the final product will be a hit! I’m looking forward to a chilled slice tonight…probably with a few raspberries thrown around the plate.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Andrea in the Kitchen. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Honey-Peach Ice Cream
June 16, 2009 at 2:45 am | Posted in groups, ice creams & frozen, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 34 Comments
We are well into June now…never mind the fact that it’s been raining here constantly, and the thermometer can’t decide if it wants to read warm or chilly…it’s time to crank out some ice cream! Tommi of the colorful Brown Interior selected Honey-Peach Ice Cream for TWD, so that’s a good place to start!
Peaches cooked down in honey are puréed and added to a simple custard. I buy Cobble Hill Honey from Two for the Pot in Brooklyn. Every jar I’ve purchased tastes a little different, and my current one is quite mild. After churning, some extra chopped peach bits are supposed to be added to the ice cream. Peaches aren’t quite in season here, and the ones I bought were less than spectacular, so I just cooked and puréed the whole lot, rather than save some for add-ins. I added most of the purée to the custard, but didn’t want to thin it out too much, so I froze the rest in an ice cube tray…I see bellinis in my near future! As is, I liked this ice cream a lot, and would love to try it again with amazing peaches and a stronger batch of honey!
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Brown Interior. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
P.S.: By the time this post pops up, I’ll be in Michigan, visiting one of my grandmas. I haven’t seen her in a few years, so please forgive me if I can’t make the blogroll rounds this week. Also, because of the timing of this trip, I’m not sure I’ll be able to make next week’s recipe. I know, I know…I’ll do my best, but it may have to be one for the rewind files.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Parisian Apple Tartlet
June 9, 2009 at 2:54 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 49 Comments
I probably would not have considered making an apple dessert when I have two big quarts of greenmarket strawberries in the kitchen, but then Jessica of My Baking Heart selected Dorie’s Parisian Apple Tartlets for TWD. I’m actually glad she did, because I am in love with these little tartlets!
They are so simple (and pretty, too, I think)…a round of buttery puff pastry, topped with half an apple, then dotted with butter and brown sugar…c’est tout. Using good-quality store-bought puff makes this one of the quickest and easiest desserts to put together. In the oven, the apple turns soft, the pastry turns crisp, and the whole thing gets sweetly caramelized. The best part, though, has to be the center of the puff pastry– the part the apple had been sitting upon. It absorbs the brown sugar and the juices from the apple, and is indescribably yummy.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read My Baking Heart. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Cinnamon Squares
June 2, 2009 at 2:17 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 50 Comments
I’ve often wondered when Cinnamon Squares would have their fifteen minutes of TWD fame. Thanks to Tracey of Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, their time has come.
Chocolate, coffee, and, of course, heaps of cinnamon join forces here to form simple squares of cakey goodness. Add frosting, and it becomes simply outrageous. As an aside, why do I always accidentally stick my finger in frostings, and then notice only after I’ve taken pictures??
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Tracey’s Culinary Adventures. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Chipster-Topped Brownies
May 26, 2009 at 3:28 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 37 Comments
OK, so I totally thought that a Chipster-Topped Brownie was a brownie with some chocolate chips scattered on top (what can I say…my mum does that all the time to jazz up plain brownies). It wasn’t until Beth of Supplicious chose them for TWD, and I checked out the ingredient list to see if I needed to buy anything prior to baking, that I saw that they are actually brownies with chocolate chip cookies on top. Whaaat? Dorie, you crazy!
Once I had that sorted, I developed in my head an expectation of what they would be like– specifically, a fudgy brownie base topped with a big, soft, brown-sugary chocolate chip cookie. Chalk it up to an overactive imagination, but oftentimes in life, and in baking, I just don’t get what I expect…this was one of those times. That golden cookie top you see in the picture was actually just a super-crisp, thin crust, and underneath it was a large pocket. It pretty much shattered when I cut into the bars. The piece in the photo was the only one who’s top halfway held together. And apart from that outer shell and the presence of chocolate chips on top and walnuts on the bottom, the two layers didn’t visually appear very distinct. The top did have a different texture than the brownie, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it “cookie-like.” The bottom, though, was most definitely brownie.
I had no problems with the cookie batter, and no difficulty spreading it nicely over the brownie. What went on here, I just don’t know. The bars were tasty, though, and my husband liked them a lot. I probably won’t make them again (even if they had come out the way I’d envisioned, I still prefer my brownies as just plain ol’ brownies), but I am curious to see all the other outcomes from the TWD Blogroll. For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Supplicious.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Fresh Mango Bread
May 19, 2009 at 2:47 am | Posted in breakfast things, groups, muffins/quick breads, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 48 Comments
This is a recipe that’s caught my eye many times while flipping through BFMHTY, partly because it is directly opposite one of the things I most want to make (that would be Oatmeal Breakfast Bread for those in charge of next month’s selection…hehe), and partly because it just sounds a little wacky. Well, since Kelly of Baking with the Boys picked it for TWD, it’s time to try this wacky stuff out.
When mangos are cheap and easy to find (like they are now), I usually have one on my counter…they’re great for smoothies. So, without even having to make a trip to the store, I was good to go on the star ingredient here. The supporting player, raisins, on the other hand, don’t usually have a place in my home, so I thought I’d play up the tropical flavors of this bread and swapped in a little chopped candied ginger instead. Each piece was a sweet and spicy bite.
So guess what? Mango bread is really not so wacky after all. It’s moist and well-spiced…quite like a muffin, but in loaf form. No pat of butter or slather of jam needed with this bread– just a big cup of coffee, and you’re good to go.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Baking with the Boys. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Tartest Lemon Tart
May 12, 2009 at 3:47 am | Posted in groups, pies & tarts, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 44 Comments
Have I told you how happy I am that it’s May? One of the best months of the year in New York, if you ask me. I won’t even let all the rain rain we’ve recently had dampen my enthusiasm for a great month. I’m at the Union Square Greenmarket every Wednesday, stuffing asparagus, ramps and sunchokes into my little tote. I’m walking around without a jacket. I’m looking for new flip-flops. And, I’m enjoying another ray of springy sunshine right now– the Tartest Lemon Tart, chosen by Barb of Babette Feasts for TWD this week.
At first glance this recipe may throw you for a loop– it uses the whole lemon. That’s right kids, take everything but the seeds and chuck straight into a blender (try and use an organic lemon if you can)…with sugar, of course. If you’re worried about overwhelming puckeriness, you can follow a suggestion Dorie made here, and blanch the chopped up lemon in boiling water before proceeding with the recipe. I did this, and you never know, maybe my lemon was not so tart to begin with, but the blanching seemed to do the trick of removing any bitterness.
Dorie says in her recipe intro that the lemon filling becomes almost jelly-like in the oven, and I have to say that it kind of reminds me of a soft gumdrop. In combination with the cookie-like Sweet Tart Dough, it’s just stellar. And it’s also quite pretty, in a rustic sort of way. I didn’t feel the need to do much to it…a little powdered sugar on top and some whipped cream on the side. When they come into season, a tumble of fresh berries will be wonderful.
For the recipe, see Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, or read Babette Feasts. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll!
As a complete aside, I saw Chef Cheryl Smith while walking down Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn the other day…does anyone remember her from the show Melting Pot from Food Network’s earlier days? I’m totally checking our her restaurant when I get a chance.
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