What are you baking these days? June 2011, part 2 [old]

[buttertart]

Hi all, for some happy reason the June thread got very big very fast, so I thought a part 2 was a good idea for ease in loading, since it's the 15th.

I see we're all baking our little hearts out. "It's a good thing."

Just wanted to remind everybody of souschef's fun challenge for the month: a Brioche aux Fruits...
"The challenge, should choose to you accept it, is to make a 'Brioche aux Fruits'.
As made by a former wonderful pastry shop here (the Swiss owner unfortunately died many years ago), it consisted of a brioche with the top knot cut off, the delicious contents of the brioche scooped out, and the brioche shell filled with pastry cream and fruit, then the top knot replaced.
There was a thin chocolate shell on the bottom (inside) to prevent the brioche from going soggy.
The terms of the challenge is that the brioche has to be made, not purchased, and it should be done by July 4th, 2011."

Come one, come all - what are YOU baking these days?

[burgeoningfoodie]

C/O Saveur

http://www.saveur.com/article/-/Frenc...

[buttertart]

Saw that on FB. Fun.

[Rella]

I don't know if I posted my endeavors on the black cherry clafouti
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Cherry-Clafoutis

The recipe is in the book
http://www.amazon.com/Saveur-Authenti...

It is excellent.
I thought the fact that one can remove the seeds (or not) was pretty remarkable. Mine were seeded.

[buttertart]

Hey you happy fellow bakers, here it is July 1st and so here we go with our new thread...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/793239

[LEsherick2008]

I made a Raspberry and Blueberry Crisp with some fresh fruit that needed used and some frozen blueberry's. from AllRecipes.com. The only tweak is i just used the two berries but made sure it added up to 4 1/2 cups
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
4 tablespoons white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups butter
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, gently toss together blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and white sugar; set aside.
In a separate large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Cover with berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over the berries.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

[THewat]

Greek "pita" but it didn't come out as I had hoped. I used this recipe: http://www.georgefamily.net/cookbook/...
Mine was a little sweet and not soft enough, even when I cooked it less than indicated. I tried both on a cookie sheet and directly on my pizza stone. If anyone makes a greek flatbread that they love, I'd appreciate any tips.

[shecrab]

Cantaloupes are taking over, can't freeze them or can them so I gut them, mash the flesh smooth, then make quick breads ( like pumpkin or zucchini). It's delicately flavored, a beautiful golden color and goes well with sweet cinnamon butter. It also makes great French toast and solves the overabundance problem.

[THewat]

Very, very cool!

[buttertart]

WOW that is a brilliant idea, they must be wornderful.

[twilight goddess]

shecrab,

Could I trouble you to post the recipe you use as a guideline for the cantaloupe bread? It sounds light. I tried a strawberry bread a couple of weeks back and I was utterly disappointed and couldn't even serve any (too too heavy). I would like to try this, though. Seems like the subtle flavors would be just right for breakfast or an afternoon snack with the cool island breezes floating around...

[Cynsa]

Baked yesterday morning for 9:30 am delivery: Flo Braker's "Baking for All Occasions" page 88 - Mocha-Almond O'Marble cake in a bundt pan instead of the pullman pain de mie loaf as in the recipe - a donation to the J-Town Art Workshop art sale.

[flourgirl]

Last night I made the berry cobbler from "Canal House Cooking" Vol. 4. The cookie-like topping was very good, I would definitely make this again.

[twilight goddess]

I had never heard of Canal House Cooking. Now I'm intrigued, so I hunted around and found this:

http://www.isthmus.com/daily/article.php?article=30045

and this:

http://thecanalhouse.com/

and, strangely, in my local library a 1992 book entitled Canal House Cookbook, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island. To quell my curiosity, I ordered that one, although I realize it has nothing to do with the one you used above ;-) It seems that the volumes you reference, however, are not available in the library but can be ordered from Canal House for $19.95.

So, flourgirl -- How do you find volume four (Farm Markets and Gardens, for those who don't know, and the one in which the aforementioned berry cobbler appears)? Worth it? Do you cook from it frequently?

[buttertart]

Half of that Marguerite was cluttering up the fridge (the two glazes subside into one as it sits, by the way, as they obviously would) so I rinsed off the glaze*, cut it up into roughly similar sizes and baked them at 350 deg F. Makes nice biscotti because of the almond paste in it. Have a rotten cold so that's as adventurous as I got this weekend.
*to appease the smoke alarm gods who would have been set off had it burnt...

[Caitlin McGrath]

To take to a friend's house this weekend, I baked raspberry-rose cupcakes, with a dollop of rapberry jam mixed with rose water in the center, and more of each to flavor the frosting. The rose flavor was subtle, not perfumey.

Of course some that were not the one I bisected with a knife had the filling all nicely centered. The cupcake paper that just reads as gray is matte silver paper in person.

[buttertart]

Lovely. What a great combination of tastes that is.

[souschef]

That looks like a really nice moist cupcake. Do you think that a bit of kirsch would go well in the filling ?

[Caitlin McGrath]

They were moist. Yes, I'm sure kirsch, or any liqueur that would complement the fruit flavor, would be good. The filling is simply jam with a bit of rose water stirred in - put half the batter in the cupcake cup, spoon in a bit of the filling, spread on the rest of the batter.

I started with this recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/strawberry-rose-cupcakes-50400000110994/ and added lemon zest to the cake batter and substituted raspberry jam for the strawberry (inspired by buttertart rhapsodizing on another thread about raspberry-rose sorbet she had at Berthillon in Paris). Instead of the cream cheese frosting with rose water in the recipe, I made the cooked flour-milk type of buttercream (this time I used this recipe roxlet posted where the sugar is cooked with them instead beaten into the butter separately, and liked it: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7600... ), and then beat in rose water and a spoonful of raspberry jam to flavor it in place of vanilla.

[souschef]

Ah, so that's how they get the caramel into the Caramilk bar :)

[buttertart]

Don't think we have that commercial here, souschef, but it's a goodie.
Caitlin: :)

[twilight goddess]

That looks and sounds gorgeous --- to the eyes and the mouth. Mmmmm. How romantic and delicate! great idea.

[roxlet]

For a southern dinner party, I made a coconut cake for dessert.

[buttertart]

And? It was wonderful, I bet.

[roxlet]

It's nearly gone, if that tells you anything,

[buttertart]

Not surprised.

[Cynsa]

oooh - love coconut cake. What frosting?

[roxlet]

I use the flour frosting. I don't think I will ever make buttercream again,

[somervilleoldtimer]

By request, bringing many Silver Palate oatmean/raisin cookies to a party. I've been making these for years, hard to go back to any other oatmeal cookie.

[Blancmange]

Ohhhhh.......I ♥ that book! Have not made those before...are they on the chewy-side? Am going to pull it off the shelf now :)

[buttertart]

I don't have the book - recipe or link please? Thank you kindly.

[mcel215]

Got my copy of this month's Bon Appetit and in the pouring rain all morning, played in the kitchen. I made their Blackberry Buttermilk Cake and it was so easy and delicious. Just fill the bottom of a sprinform pan with fresh blackberries, sprinkle on a 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Make a simple batter with orange zest and vanilla extract. Bake and invert. Pretty looking cake.

Here's a couple of shots I took.

[Blancmange]

Stunning!!! Have not looked through that one yet....great summer cake.

[mcel215]

Thank you. It's very light too. My blackberries were huge....

[buttertart]

Nice. Maida Heatter has a cranberry one in "Great American Desserts" that's very similar, with more sugar of course, that we usually have at the holidays.

[mcel215]

Thanks, BT. I am not sure I'd like cranberries as well though. But, around the Holidays it would be nice to try.

[buttertart]

It's a different breed of cat but quite beautiful and very tasty.

[THewat]

My umpteenth batch of Clotilde's Very Chocolate Cookies: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/09/... My batches of these vary a little, but when they're good, they are among my favorites.

[Rella]

In the last few days I made from "Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" her recipe named "Seed Crackers" although seeds were not a big part of this recipe.

It did use whole-wheat pastry flour, which I am not fond of in a cracker, but after about the third day, every ingredient must've melded into the other and it tasted pretty good.

No pictures, sorry. The crackers went pretty fast even though I doubled the recipe to 2 cups flour. They were strong enough in flavor that they could be eaten alone as a snack with afternoon espresso/coffee.

[THewat]

Both the crackers & the soufflé appeal to me - thanks for posting! I do so LOVE things I can do ahead.

[Rella]

In the last few days I made

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/as...

Maman's Cheese Soufflé Contributed by Jacques Pépin

The explanation of how this souffle came about is worth reading.

I used (good) cheddar instead of the Gruyere. I believe it was probably much richer because of the cheddar.

The next day I served the rest of it COLD. It was even better cold than fresh out of the oven. I wish I'd have taken a photo, but didn't.

[souschef]

Buttertart, I goofed (sort of) when making the brioche, but it worked out in the end.

After removing the dough from its required 6-48 hour rest, I put it into the brioche mold, screwed in the top knot, and set it aside to rise (1.5 - 2 hrs is the recommended time). After 2 hrs it had doubled, but did not fill the mould; it was just over half-full. RLB does not have pictures of the before (or the after IIRC), so I looked at the book "The Roux Brothers on Patisserie" (great for pictures), and it showed the dough filling the mould, and they use 6 eggs instead of RLB's 3, and a whole bunch more flour.

So I went through all of RLB's books, and in TBB she states that you need to make a double recipe to fill a giant (8.5 inch) mould, which is what I have. And I had only a single batch.

I decided to bake it as is. Tried a piece a few minutes out of the oven, and two hours out of the oven, and it's wonderful. A light crumb, and very buttery. To be served with chicken livers for supper today.

It has a diameter of 6.5 inches, and a height of about 5 inches. It is the perfect size for a Brioche aux Fruits.

Notes:

1) I found the dough a bit too sticky when manhandling it to make the top knot. I will dust it with a bit of flour the next time.

2) When putting the dough into the mould, make sure you press it well into the curves on the bottom. It will not just expand to fill them. Learning from my mistake.

3) My top-knot fixing techniques need to be developed. I felt it was not securely attached to the bottom, so it puffed up a bit more than it should have. Or maybe it's okay ?

Pictures attached

[Caitlin McGrath]

The crumb looks just lovely.

[buttertart]

Mais elle est belle, ta brioche. I'll make a double recipe of the RLB, then. Caitlin is right, the crumb looks perfect. What flour did you use? Gluten content labeled by any chance? I got some King Arthur Flour bread flour to do this - it's the highest gluten one regularly available - and I believe I saw bread flour mentioned in the (or a) recipe.

[souschef]

Buttertart, For the 7-inch mould you have, a single recipe will suffice; as I said, what I used is the perfect size for a BaF. I used Robin Hood AP unbleached flour. The gluten content is not labelled. I use it for pretty much everything - cakes, scones, crepes, etc.......all purpose, indeed :) I wonder if Robin Hood and King Arthur are rival companies :)

It's late in the day, but if you like, I'll call the company next Monday and ask about the gluten content. I did not see bread flour mentioned in any of the recipes.

[buttertart]

Not necessary, that's a hard flour, I'm sure the gluten would be pretty much the same. Robin Hood may be a descendant of King Arthur!

I'll see...might just have to make some brioche-based rolls...Chelsea bun type...so need 2x the recipe.

[Cynsa]

delicious :^)

[souschef]

Cynsa, thinking about your toasted brioche with butter and cinnamon sugar, I decided to do something similar, but no cinnamon for me, of course. I have chocolate sugar (which I got as a gift from a restaurant in Montreal at the end of a dinner). So that was my breakfast - really yummy.

[Cynsa]

yummm - what is the chocolate:sugar ratio? ahhhh - toasted brioche with more butter, a slice of heaven.

[souschef]

I don't know what the ratio is, but it seems that there is more chocolate than sugar, so I would go with two parts chocolate to one part superfine sugar, by weight.

Yup, you can never have too much butter with brioche!

[buttertart]

Souschef, what fruit? Not baking today due to nasty cold dragging me down, maybe tomorrow.

[souschef]

Cynsa, eating toasted brioche again, with chocolate sugar. I think that in the future I would just do the chocolate and skip the sugar as I'm not enjoying the gritty feeling of the sugar today.

BTW before you apply the butter make sure it's at room temperature so that it soaks well into the brioche.

[souschef]

CYNSA, from the same source I have lemon sugar. Would you put THAT on top of your toasted brioche ? I can't try it right now as the brioche is long gone, and the next one is destined to be stuffed. I need to find something to do with the stuff I cut out of it - maybe toasted and served with Vanilla Swiss Almond ice cream from Haagen Dazs? Or would it be too delicate to toast?

BUTTERTART, I hope your cold is better as it seems to be cramping your baking style, and we can't have that since the challenge deadline is just round the corner.

[mamachef]

You could use the "stuffing" as the base for a grand small Summer pudding, seems like. Especially allowed to stale up just a titch.

[buttertart]

I'm fairly recovered and girding for battle this weekend, I hope. Thanks for asking.

[souschef]

I just figured out what RLB meant when she said "roll it from the top in three turns":

She does not expect you to make a turn out of a piece of dough that is only 7.5 x 5 inches. What threw me was her saying "roll it from the TOP", but it does make sense - when you are making puff pastry you roll in only one direction - top to bottom or bottom top, but not both. So she does expect you to roll it into a larger rectangle, make a turn, then make 2 more turns in the same way. You could just as easily roll it from the bottom.

[buttertart]

Aha. Of course she couldn't have been WRONG! Not RLB.

[Cynsa]

her way
btw, July 4 is Monday

[souschef]

We do need SOME things in this world we can believe in! I believe in ice cream, dim sum, and RLB!

Cynsa agrees with me. BTW she has been in the presence of the great lady.

[Cynsa]

RLB is delightfully charming, kind, with a sense of humor - a passionate baker.
All bakers I have known and loved have generous hearts and never hesitate to share wisdom, experience, dreams and encouragements - as in these posts.

[buttertart]

I believe in deadlines but I fear due to being sick I'm going to have to ask for an extension to the following weekend - last year's deadline was Bastille Day, could it be this one's as well?

We're also having company the weekend of the 9th who I'm sure would be happy to put paid to such a confection.

PS nice to know about RLB, I admire her very mcuh.

[souschef]

For you Buttertart, anything ! The deadline is extended to Bastille Day. Vive La France !

My brioche dough is resting in the fridge. I am planning to bake and fill it today - dessert to start the Canada Day weekend.

[buttertart]

A thousand thanks, souschef. And happy Canada Day.

[Cynsa]

Happy Canada Day to you and thank you from the bottom of my heart - the W-S store here didn't have the brioche pan in stock. Now, I can 'shop around' before Bastille Day.
buttertart, are you feeling better?

[buttertart]

Intermittently, thanks. It's one of those knock you down and drag you out colds.

[souschef]

Hey Cynsa, you're welcome.

You can shop for the brioche pan from the comfort of your chair - amazon carries them, made by Matfer, no less, and they're quite reasonably-priced.

[buttertart]

That's where I got mine.

[letsindulge]

I've been in a "bundt cake kinda mood" lately. This past weekend I baked a pumpkin bundt with a orange-cream cheese tunnel. Before that it was a pineapple upside-down bundt, and prior to that a carrot cake bundt, and banana chocolate chip bundt.

[buttertart]

Where are you finding these recipes? They all sound very interesting.

[Cynsa]

yes, inquiring minds want to know the recipes for the bundts: pumpkin with orange-cream cheese tunnel, carrot, and pineapple upside-down, please.

[sweetTooth]

I don't know what I am doing lurking here, seeing as I have a 3 year old and a 3 month old and zero time to bake.. but I just keep coming back to this thread to torture myself with the gorgeous goodies yawl keep turning out. Sigh, maybe in a few more months I'll actually bake something decent. For now I'm wallowing in my Anadama bread rut - 5 or 6 batches in the past 2 months. Oh and one batch of Parker House Rolls. Turns out they are perfect for Pav Bhaji.

[mamachef]

300+ macaroons with bittersweet drizzle, bushwickgirl's peanut-butter jelly bars, and your marshmallow/chocolate bars. Must needs to hit the industrial kitchen space manana.

[inaplasticcup]

Holy cow. That's some party.

[mamachef]

Not a party per se, iapc: it's for my darling son's memorial service a month hence. He liked his sweeties, he did - and so did his friends. Since it's a casual event, casual desserts are indicated; these are perfect.

[inaplasticcup]

Thoughtless of me, mc. I didn't make the connection. I'm sure your guests will remember him fondly through the sweets he liked so well. And I'll bet he blessed those cookies for you, too.

[buttertart]

You're making my mom's? I truly do love you, sweetie. She would be so happy.

[mamachef]

I am, bt. I made them first for my other fellas up in the Frat - reception was beyond excellent. Next time you "talk" to your ma, you tell her thank you from me, all right? Love love.

[buttertart]

Snif. She knows.

[souschef]

I'm on my second attempt at making brioche from RLB's "Heavenly Cakes". So far everything has risen on schedule, indicating that the last batch of yeast was dead.

The dough is now in the fridge, awaiting the final shaping and rising. In the book it says, "Roll the dough into a rectangle 7-1/2 inches wide and about 5 inches long. Roll it from the top in three turns....". This makes no sense to me. If I made just one turn I would end up with a piece of dough 2.5 inches by 5 inches, and immensely thick. I checked her other books, and this step is not there, so I'm going to ignore it, despite this book being her latest, and just shape it, put it into the mould, and let it rise. Opinions ?

[blue room]

souschef, do you know that Rose B. has a blog, and she actually answers questions there? Well, I just looked and she's away on vacation 'til July 5. But maybe for next time. The direction you're asking about *is* puzzling.

[buttertart]

Seems odd, but souschef, you dare to question the Ultimate Authority dear to your heart? Just kiddin'.

[souschef]

Hey, you try making a turn out of a square that small and you would be questioning St. Honoré himself, let alone the redoubtable Ms. Beranbaum, whom I hold in the highest of esteem !

I tend to have an aversion to blogs (find them too chatty), but I should get onto her blog and ask her, per blue room's suggestion. I should also ask her about the horrible Bernachon cocoa cakes, though I might couch the question in more diplomatic terms (hope she does not read this forum).

[buttertart]

Do, she sent me a reply to the mash note I sent her about the chocolate Valentine heart.

[souschef]

What did you tell her, and what was her response?

[buttertart]

That I loved her new book and that cake in particular. She thanked me. Nothing serious. On the other hand, I'm "friends" (ha ha) with another baking goddess on Facebook and asked her a very specific question about two of her recipes (in a nice and complimentary way) and got no reply. Guess who's suffered a tiny bit in my estimation.

[inaplasticcup]

I'm a cook. Not much of a baker, so I'm learning lots by reading this thread. Thanks!

I've been having mad carb and sweets cravings this week though, and snickerdoodles were one of the few baked goods I actually have all the ingredients for (well, no cream of tartar, but when you're jonesing...).

And since we're moving in about a week, I'm trying to just up as much pantry stuff as possible, so I gave in and baked some genmai tea snickerdoodles using Martha Stewart's Holiday Cookies 2005 recipe.

[buttertart]

I saw those on WFD and was thinking it's be nice for you to show up here. Very nice!

[inaplasticcup]

Thanks, buttertart! :)

[auburnselkie]

Yesterday was my birthday, so I made cupcakes. I was never allowed the Hostess-type cupcakes growing up (or really, any junk food whatsoever), but the cream-filled ones always appealed to me. For my own spin, though, I topped them with a cream cheese frosting instead of chocolate and added silvery sprinkles. They were really good (and gratifying). My almost-three-year-old asked for a spoon and proceeded to scoop the filling out first!

For the actual celebration, though (in August), I plan to make a dobos torte a la smitten kitchen ( http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/06/dob... )

[kathleen221]

Oh, I love the sprinkles! So pretty!

I love the idea of homemade Hostess-style cupcakes. I tried out a recipe a couple of weeks ago.

[auburnselkie]

Those look fantastic! What did you use for a filling?

[kathleen221]

Thank you! Cook's Country had a recipe for them in an issue called "Best Country Recipes". Very fun to make.

[Cynsa]

Bon Voyage Road Trip cookies for friends' 3-week sojourn: black bottom cupcakes, matzo crunch, and breakfast cookies.

[buttertart]

Can I be your friend? How nice.

[souschef]

Don't we ALL want to be Cynsa's friend? She's THE most prolific baker here, foot problems not withstanding. Guess it's will power !

[Cynsa]

Friends, there are more prolific bakers who lurk on the fringe - I'm just the gal who tells all.

[buttertart]

Bake 'n' tell is more beneficial to the reputation than kiss 'n' tell.

[blue room]

My new mixer is making it too easy to bake...in excess. (Am I allowed to say that here?)

Raisin bread--straightforward classic cinnamon raisin bread--what fun!

[souschef]

You are allowed to confess all here, my child :)

That's great-looking raisin bread. I wanna piece of that ......NOW !!! Recipe please. TIA.

[Cynsa]

It's a beauty - I'd like my slice toasted, buttered and a smear of cinnamon-sugar - all melty, please.

[buttertart]

What means "excess"? It does not compute...

[Cynsa]

it's a curse, it's a blessing - the KA casts a spell and you cannot stop baking. hehehe - like "The Red Shoes" fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

[kathleen221]

I've been baking my way through The Gourmet Cookie Book, which my mom gave me for Christmas. So far, I've tried the lace cookies, kourambiedes, mocha cookies, walnut acorn cookies, and lemon sandwich cookies. The guys at my husband's office have been well-fed lately. =)

[roxlet]

So, what do you think? Which cookies have you (and the guys at your husband's office) particularly enjoyed?

[kathleen221]

Lace Cookies - My least favorite of the ones I've tried, but still very good. Full disclosure: I used almond flour instead of finely ground almonds, so they didn't look "lacey". My bad; I didn't feel like going to the grocery store. The taste was good, though.

Kourambiedes - Tried out my Kerry Gold butter on these, and oh my goodness. They were so tender that they sort of melted and stuck to the roof of your mouth. Never had anything like them.

Mocha Cookies - Exactly what I expected them to be: Rich, brownie-ish cookies with a hit of coffee flavor.

Walnut Acorn Cookies - Looked (and tasted) like something from a bakery. Very easy to make, and impressive-looking.

Lemon Sandwich Cookies - Beautiful little cookies. I don't usually go for citrus desserts, but I thought these had a good balance of sweet and lemon. (I do have a sweet tooth, though.)

I've been going through butter at an impressive rate lately!

[Blancmange]

Kathleen--how do you like it? I have had my eye on that book for over a year. Crate & barrel had it on sale at christmas 50% off , but each time I thumb through it, I can't get excited about it.....maybe I wasn't looking at the right recipes....any particulars you have loved?

[kathleen221]

I love it! Out of curiosity, I looked at the Amazon reviews the other day, and it got a lot of fair-to-middling reviews. Seems a lot of people don't like the layout: The right side of the page is a photo, and on the left side is a paragraph about the recipe on the top, and the recipe is at the bottom, with blank space in between. I kinda like the layout; I think it's unique, and I enjoy reading the stories behind the recipes.

One thing I really like is that there aren't really recipes for "standard" cookies. I already have go-to recipes for sugar cookies, chocolate chip, etc. These are more unique ideas. There's also a wide range of difficulty, time commitment, and equipment required.

See my reply to Roxlet, above, for the recipes I've tried thus far. I think I have about 1/3 or 1/2 of the recipes flagged to try.

[roxlet]

I am doomed to making the same things over and over and over again. Tomorrow, my son is having (what was supposed to have been a surprise) birthday party for twin friends of his. For a snack, I am made my version of Chipwich sandwiches with chocolate chip cookies and a nice premium ice cream. (BTW Kirkland brand gives Hagen Daz a run for its money.) And tomorrow I will make the epicurious chocolate cake with the flour frosting. So unmotivated with the sticky weather, though! So all the kids want to know who's coming and who is on the guest list. My husband instructed my son to tell his male friends that there would be "swimsuit models and strippers." That shut them up pretty fast, lol!

[buttertart]

Good move! Hope the party is a blast.

[souschef]

Thanks for the info on the Kirkland brand. I find it strange that Haagen Dazs that normally goes for $7.29 at the grocery store is on sale every now and again for $2.99 at the same grocery store. Someone is making a killing !

[burgeoningfoodie]

I was just given The Bread Baker's Apprentice as a gift and since it was given by my fiancee, I told her she gets to choose what I bake from it first... so that will be something I bake though it will probably happen more in July than June... However, I do feel a raspberry or blueberry and cream cheese braid will be coming soon.

[buttertart]

One...more...time...the cookies:

[buttertart]

Not to toot my own horn or anything (or as my husband says, if you do say so yourself, which of course you do), these are some of the best cookies I've ever made. I do hope you will try them. The texture is great (from the Crisco and cream of tartar - I have no idea why, but cookies made with c of t are always brilliant).

[Cynsa]

...and cookies were needed - I started your recipe at 9:10 am today and had to be out the door with cookies in hand by 10:30 am. My batch is flat not puffy - but we were out the door at 10:26 am. Now, buttertart, if these were 'father's favourites', now they are mine, also. I love this texture; delicate, crisp crunch to the tooth, but not hard. Recipe goes to the top of my 'satisfaction' listing.
Thank you to my friend, buttertart. (where did I go wrong in technique? perhaps I need a NEW jar of cream of tartar)

[buttertart]

You are most welcome. I'm beyond tickled you liked them! They aren't terrifically puffy, yours look very like mine. The texture is killer, isn't it? (Insert happy face here.)
To make the real Dad's faves, use half brown sugar and half white, put currants in them, and roll them in sugar before baking. The contrast between the cookie and the currant is really nice.

[buttertart]

And cookies were needed - these were my father's favourites BUT with half brown sugar (I use 1/3), with currants instead of chocolate, and rolled in sugar before baking. They're wonderful like that but certain people like them better this way...

1/2 c butter

1/2 c shorrtening (HAS TO BE SHORTENING FOR THE PROPER TEXTURE)

1 1/2 c sugar, half or 1/3 light brown

1 egg

Cream fats and sugar, beat in egg until fluffyish, add 1 tsp vanilla

Sift together 2 1/2 c sifted ap flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cream of tartar

Stir into creamed mixture.

This makes a lovely, friable, nice-handling dough.

For the right way, stir in 1 c currants that have been rinsed and dried, form into 1" ball, roll in granulated sugar.

For this way, form into small lumps (I'm anal and weigh them, 20 grams each), semi-flatten them, put a piece of chocolate (a kiss or a few chips or a bit of a cut-up chocolate truffle, which is what I used here) in them and form them into balls. Press a whole pecan or walnut on each (or roll them in chopped walnuts - I used pecans because we had more of them than walnuts for once).

Bake on parchment 20 to a half-sheet for about 8-10 mins at 400 deg F (the right way) or at as close to that as you can get it if you're using a wonky oven like mine for about 15 mins, until risen, collapsed (thank you baking soda), crinkled, and lightly brown on the bottoms.

Nice hot and lovely cooled - sandy and crisp.

Disregard pic which is of a very good soup dumpling with a beautifully thin skin from another adventure this weekend.

[Cynsa]

I like the xlb - very impressive.

[buttertart]

Not mine, believe you me. About the best in NYC at the moment (Old Shanghai, Manhattan Chinatown - used to have just ok ones but must have gotten a new dumpling maker recently, the skins are as thin as they're supposed to be). I couldn't remove the pic from the post, for some reason.

[limoen]

I'd really like to make these but I tend to work in metric, converting a stick of butter to 115g. Is 1/2 cup shortening also 115g or is there a particular way to measure a half cup of shortening by volume apart from just scooping it in and levelling?

[buttertart]

I just weighed 1/2 c shortening - 100 gm (I suppose 1/2 c butter is 115 gm because of the water content).
If measuring, you can do it by water displacement - put 1 1/2 c water in a 2 or 4 c glass measure and add shortening until the water level rises to 2 c with the shortening submerged.

[souschef]

Eureka !!!

[buttertart]

Wonder if Archimedes liked cookies.

[souschef]

He probably did, in principle.

[limoen]

Brilliant, thanks very much. I have a block of shortening and a bunch of raisins to use up, so I will make these soon!

[souschef]

That brings to mind something I have wondered about - how long does shortening keep? I use it so rarely that it stays forever in my fridge, then when I need some I end up throwing out the old stuff and buying a new block

[buttertart]

I freeze mine so indefinitely, I'd say. It changes in quality if stored at room temp - gets clearer and has a stronger smell.

[buttertart]

Hope you like them! Have only ever made them with currants, but raisins are certainly conceivable in them.

PS they are brilliant formed around a piece of marron glacé, then rolled in finely chopped nuts (usu walnuts) before baking. Could also use sugar.

[buttertart]

Father's Day so a special dessert was in order - a Japanese cheesecake that the last of the frozen sour cherries will garnish...
8 oz cream cheese
3 egg yolks
1/4 c cornstarch
grated rind of 1 lemon + 2 tb juice
1/4 c milk or cream
1 tsp vanilla
Combine in food processor until smooth
3 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Beat to soft peaks and beat in 1/2 c sugar, beat to firm peaks
Fold cream cheese mixture into egg whites
Bake in deep 8" pan in water bath 40-45 mins at 350 deg F
It will inflate and fall, but the texture is wonderful, more like a spongecake than a cheesecake.

[somervilleoldtimer]

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm!

[buttertart]

Make it!!! I beg you. It is terrific.

[six dower]

Buttertart - I want to try the recipe. I had my first piece of this type of cheesecake at Fa di Lay Bakery on Canal Street in Chinatown. I am forever smitten....

Any tips before I forge ahead with the recipe?

[buttertart]

No, it's pretty straightforward, really. You just need a fairly light hand with the folding.

[THewat]

Still on my quest for daily bread. Hopeful about this:

[Cynsa]

beautiful loaf - I wish I had a slice right now.

[mollyomormon]

That looks amazing.

[THewat]

Thanks Cynsa & Mollyomormon.

This try was:
12 1/2 ounces ap KA flour (or three cups less all other flours by volume)
2 3/4 ounces rye flour (2/3 cup)
3/4 ounce mixed grain flour (two tablespoons)
10 1/4 ounces water (1 1/3 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoons yeast (I used red star)
polenta, for dusting pan

Mix all dry ingredients (except polenta). Mix in water. Let rise at room temperature overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 450˚ with cast iron pot & cover in it.

Shape loaf, and let rise again, covered & on a polenta covered peel, for at least 40 minutes.

Take (wicked hot) pan out of oven, dust the bottom with polenta, load & dock loaf. (I actually turn the loaf into the pan very unceremoniously). Put lid on pan & replace in oven.

Cook 35 minutes at 450˚. After 35 minutes, remove cover and reduce heat to 350˚. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

I find this bread to be pretty great toasted & not so good otherwise. I like the flavor and it really does take about fifteen minutes active time.

[buttertart]

Very nice indeed.

[mollyomormon]

I'm baking for a bake sale that I mentioned on another thread where I was soliciting ideas for fun jam flavors. I'm making the ono mochi butter cake that I learned about from Cynsa on another WAYBTD thread, my brown butter chocolate chip cookies with smoked salt (this is the best chocolate chip cookie ever, i think), raspberry chocolate jam, strawberry jam with black pepper and fresh mint, and strawberry/white peach jam with vanilla bean.

[Cynsa]

yay for you and jams :^) - please post your recipe for brown butter chocolate chip cookies with smoked salt.

[THewat]

+1 on chocolate chip recipe, please.

[mollyomormon]

sure!

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, browned, solids included
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Sift together the flours, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted brown butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

2. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

3. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.

4. Roll cookie into log on plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

5. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. Slice cookie log into 1/2 inch slices onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle cookies with smoked salt.

6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (check your cookies before they’re done; depending on your scoop size, your baking time will vary) in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

[THewat]

thanks!

[mollyomormon]

If you end up making them, I'd love to hear what you think!

[smilingal]

thanks - I love trying others' "best" cookies..... where do you get smoked salt? I have never heard of this salt! Is it just a sprinkling over the cookies before baking? I love that contrast!

[mollyomormon]

I buy it from these guys:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/45019726/...

but you may be able to find it if you have a really good spice store near you.

[smilingal]

k - I'll look for it - we don't have a spice store - but I will be on the lookout - it is a new one to me.

[Cynsa]

I love the taste of honey in souschef's Nocciollette - I reduced the baking time in my oven to 12 minutes. I will be baking these again and again, thx to souschef

[THewat]

Souschef / Cynsa, these are on my "to try" list - thanks for the photo reminder.

[souschef]

My pleasure Cynsa; glad you liked them. Sounds like I should post the recipe for amaretti from the same book; I have made those as well, and like them. In the interim you should make the biscotti recipe I posted a while ago (and which Buttertart was supposed to make despite her not liking biscotti, but never did).

BTW your Nocciolette look more like the ones in the book than mine do. Mine look like an engineer's version whereas yours look like an artist's version !

[buttertart]

souschef, it would be beyond terrific if you linked all of the recipes here, I feel a baking coming on and just maybe I'll do those biscotti since everything you've pushed has indeed been wonderful.
A souschef's finest post incl the choc chestnut cake, fig cake, and the 3 cookies?

[souschef]

"A souschef's finest post "?

We are missing a souschef here, buttertart. I am but a 'umble engineer !

I'll do as you suggest, after I post the amaretti recipe (so I can link to it), which I expect Cynsa to have made almost before I finish entering the recipe !

[souschef]

Here you go Buttertart. Some you have made and some you have not. Should we have a challenge between you and Cynsa to see who can make them all first ?

ALMOND GUGELHUPF WITH CHOCOLATE:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/729255#5861324
Picture:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/738272#5973080

CHOCOLATE FIG CAKE:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/638322#4886001
Picture:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/638322#4884651

CHOCOLATE CHESTNUT CAKE:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/638322#4889623
Picture:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/638322#6063671

HABSBURGER TORTE:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/738272#5992168

CHOCOLATE-GLAZED HAZELNUT SPRITZ WAFERS
(Hasselnuss Spritzgebäck ):
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/763270#6318250

NOCCIOLLETTE:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/777763#6473579

AMARETTI:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/790333#6614516

ALMOND PISTACHIO BISCOTTI:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7193...

[buttertart]

souschef, you are a doll. Thanks so much. No challenge, please, at least not this month!

[souschef]

That's the second time I've been called a doll here. Not sure how I should take that, as I'm far from doll-like :)

And, you're welcome. I should remember this thread any time I'm asked for those recipes.

[buttertart]

Sweetheart then. I seem to remember the doll issue.

[Cynsa]

urban dictionary 'you're a doll' means 'you're a wonderful person' or 'a generous or helpful person'. I will vouch for these statements of fact.

I am adding 'apricot kernels' to my shopping list - I've never found these bitter almonds at the Chinese markets but I will continue the search.

I have baked souschef's Nocciollette, Habsburger Torte, Chocolate Fig Cake and Chocolate-Glazed Hazelnut Spritz Wafers, but who's counting?

[souschef]

Thanks Cynsa. There's one more recipe you should have, if you like pistachios. Buttertart already has the book ("The International Cookie Cookbook" by Nancy Baggett) in her Great Library at Joisey. This recipe is Lebanese. The darned book lists ingredients by volume only (yeech!), so that's what I'm listing.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD (GRIBEE)

1/2 cup natural, unsalted pistachios
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-1/2 cups AP flour

Roast the nuts for 8-10 min in a 350 oven, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool then rub off the skins (have fun, Cynsa!). Reserve 1-1/2 tbsp of the nuts; put the rest into a food processor with the sugar, and process till finely ground. Add the egg and vanilla and blend.

Sprinkle the butter over, and process till till well-combined; make sure you do not melt or warm the stuff. Throw in the flour and pulse till combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Divide the dough into two. Roll each between wax paper sheets to 1/8 inch thick, making sure you do not have any creases. Refrigerate in a tray for 20 minutes, till the dough is firm but not hard.

Peel off one sheet of paper from the dough. With a 2-inch cookie cutter cut rounds from the dough. Place the rounds on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with other sheet. Reroll scraps and repeat process; you may have to re-chill the dough before cutting rounds again.

Finely chop the reserved nuts and sprinkle over the rounds, patting down the nuts slightly. Bake in a 350 oven for 9-11 minutes till golden. Remove from oven, let stand for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

May be stored for a week (or 2 days in Cynsa's case).

Makes 40-45.

[Cynsa]

here's another: ghorabiyeh recipe with pistachios - cookies from Tabriz) 

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup ground almond 
• 2 -1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pistachio
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix sugar, brown sugar, butter, almond and eggs in a large bowl by hand. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. The dough will be very stiff. 
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle pistachio on top. 
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown. The centers will be soft. Let cool completely then remove from cookie sheet.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Last holiday season I created a recipe for saffron-pistachio shortbread cookies, inspired by the Indian ice cream/kulfi flavor.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/29683-saf...

[buttertart]

Great Library indeed.
Doll in this sense is really, really American, I think.
Both of these recipes look fantastic.

[souschef]

Cynsa, here's the recipe for the amaretti (from the book "Italian Cooking", general editor Maria Scarlatti):

AMARETTI

8 oz blanched almonds
2 oz bitter almonds
12 oz superfine sugar
1 oz AP flour, sifted
4 egg whites
few drops vanilla essence
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind

I have never been able to find bitter almonds, so I just use a total of 10 oz blanched almonds.

Set aside 2 tbsp of the sugar. Throw the rest into a food processor with the almonds and the flour. Process till the almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a bowl. In anothe bowl lightly whisk the egg whites, then add the vanilla and lemon rind. Add the egg mixture gradually to the almond mixture, till it is smooth and soft and holds its shape.

Place small spoonfulls on a parchment-lined baking sheet; space them well apart. Sprinkle with the remeining sugar. Baked in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes, till lighly browned.

[buttertart]

Ooh I have bitter almonds (they sell them in Chinese stores)...

[souschef]

Please let us know how they turn out. I should look for the almonds in Chinatown here.

My apologies for all the typo's in the recipe.....brain f**t !

[buttertart]

They're labeled apricot kernels, by the way. Homemade laetrile, anyone?

[Caitlin McGrath]

So are they really bitter almonds, or are they apricot kernels? Was my understanding that sale of bitter almonds is banned in the US (as well as their cultivation) mistaken?

[souschef]

This from about.com on bitter almonds:

"The bitter almond is a cousin to the sweet almond and contains traces of lethal prussic acid in its raw state. Although the toxicity is destroyed by heat, the sale of unrefined bitter almonds is prohibited in the United States. Fifty unprocessed bitter almonds can be lethal to a human. Yet, bitter almonds are successfully processed to make almond extract and almond-flavored liqueurs."

[Caitlin McGrath]

Yes, this follows what I've read and understood about them and their ban in the US, so I was surprised to see buttertart's post. Perhaps they are labeled apricot kernels because that is in fact what they are? After all, amaretto liqueur (and the di Saronno amaretti cookies) are made from apricot kernels, which comes as a surprise to a number of people who assume they're made from almonds.

[buttertart]

They're as close to bitter almonds as you'll get here. Not the actual critter but very like them without the worrisome aspect.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Thanks for clarifying. I suppose I must be dense, but I was thrown by your saying, "I have bitter almonds" but "they're labeled apricot kernels" - which sounded to me like you were saying they're mislabeled but really something else.

[buttertart]

They have a similar tang. I also have bitter almond extract a friend in Germany sent me but haven't used it yet. I really like Penzey's almond extract, by the way.

[Blancmange]

Souschef, these sound *amazing*....thank you so much for posting this!! Am going to make these this weekend with my italian father visiting.... he will LOVE them!

[souschef]

Per Cynsa, 20 minutes baking time is too long as they turn out hard; I also found that to be the case when I made them recently, after many years. Cynsa recommends 12-14 minutes for chewy centres.

Cynsa also recommends letting them cool completely on the parchment before removing them.

[souschef]

Hey Buttertart, I started the brioche today, and so that we may compare notes, I decided to use the recipe in "Rose's Heavenly Cakes", which is what you said you would use.

I had intended to use Cynsa's recipe, but since she said that she wanted to fudge with the recipe to improve it, decided against it.

[buttertart]

That RLB is the one I'll definitely use.

[Cynsa]

I think you should definitely bake both recipes. Time waits for no man.

[souschef]

I will bake your recipe after you publish your tweaked version. Tempus fugit !

[souschef]

Arrrrgh ! My yeast was dead, so the dough did not rise. Back to square one after buying more yeast....tomorrow.

[buttertart]

Fresh yeast? My instant SAF in the freezer from maybe 3 yrs ago (bought a 500gm pkg, and that is a LOT of yeast, especially for the long-rising breads I usually make) is still going strong.
The last time I baked with fresh was in 1976 (summer job at a bakery).

[roxlet]

I baked my Easter bread with fresh yeast this year. I have to say that I think it gave the bread a slightly more "yeasty" flavor.

[buttertart]

I suppose I could find it at Fairway or the like.

[roxlet]

The only place I found it was in a ShopRite in White Plains. No one had a clue about what it was or where it would be in the store. I found it in a refrigerator case in the back of the store.

[souschef]

It's the instant stuff, per the recipe.

[souschef]

Seems like the yeast was not dead after all. Leaving it overnight seems to have given it the kiss of life as the dough more than doubled. It's behind schedule, but instead of throwing out the dough, I am proceeding with the process. I may well have some half-decent brioche for breakfast tomorrow.

[buttertart]

It's the high sugar and butter ratio in the dough, brioche always takes a long time to rise. Hostile environment for yeast. Chelsea buns, anyone?

[souschef]

Buttertart, you just brought back wonderful memories, especially since it's Friday. I worked in a hospital in the 70's (doing the electronics for medical research), and every Friday the cafeteria used to bake fresh Chelsea buns. The taste and smell were incredible.

Needless to say, I never called in sick on a Friday. In any case, hospitals are used to sick people !

[buttertart]

JoanN's been talking about Dorie Greenspan's brioche dough buns on one of the "Baking from my home to yours" threads - was thinking of going that route myself, since the brioche pan is too small for a whole recipe. I bet Canadian Living has a great recipe for the sugary stuff...there used to be a bakery in Thedford (on the way to our cottage in Port Franks, near Ipperwash Beach) that made terrific Chelsea buns, homestyle bread, and dream cake. So they're the stuff of happy memories for me too.

[souschef]

It just occurred to me that the dough was probably unsafe to use as it contained raw eggs and sat out on the counter all night. Also, the rising in the mould just barely happened even after 4 hours. In any case, out it went. Back to square one with a new package of yeast, maybe tomorrow.

Shucks! I was hoping to beat Buttertart to it !

[buttertart]

You will, believe me.

[limonay]

Rhubarb Apple Crumble Pie! Rhubarb is in season now and this is a great spin on a traditional apple pie!

http://fortychestnuts.com/2011/06/13/...

@FortyChestnuts

Rhubarb Apple Crumble Pie

(Makes one 9″ pie

)

One 9″ flaky pie crust

1 pound (about 8 large stalks) rhubarb, ends trimmed and sliced 1/4″ thick

2 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tablespoons butter, coarsely cubed

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the rhubarb, apples, 1/2 cup brown sugar, white sugar, 1-1/2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon zest. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the crumb topping of 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, rolled oats, butter and walnuts.

Pour filling into prepared pie dish and cover evenly with crumble mixture.

Place pie dish on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or yogurt.

[buttertart]

I wish I could lay hands on rhubarb for under - get this - $4 a lb. I grew up with a patch about 20' long so paying for it just seems wrong. Especially that much.

[twilight goddess]

LImonay --

I am soooo enchanted by rhubarb desserts. I recently made a mango blueberry rhubarb crisp with pistachio topping. I've made it with the blueberries and rhubarb for several summers, and this time threw in some mango. YUM. Found it on epicurious a few years back.

paraphrased here:

Filling:
*1/3 cup sugar
* 2 TBSP flour
*2 cups berries (about 3/4 pound) and/or mango, cut in 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces
*2 cups rhubarb cut in 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 pound)

Topping:
*1/3 cup chopped (shelled, of course) pistachios
*3/4 cup flour
* 1/2 cup sugar
*1/4 cup brown sugar packed
*6 TBSP cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2-inch bits

Butter an 8 x 8 square glass baking dish and preheat oven to 375.

Filling: Mix the flour and sugar. Add the fruit and gently combine. Spread in pan.

Topping: Sir together flour and sugar. Mix in butter with your fingers, squeezing to combine. Add pistachios.

Grab some topping in your hands, squeeze, and drop in little nuggets atop the fruit.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes in upper third of oven until you see a merrily bubbling summer-deliciousness dessert.

Fun ideas: Add some lemon or orange zest for fun, or try almonds in the topping instead of pistachio, although I really recommend the pistachio.

[mamueller]

My 83 year old father comes for dinner every Sunday, and he loves dessert - so I'm constantly looking for something new to make that is quick, and not chocolate. I lean toward fruit desserts and have recently done the strawberry cake posted by Smitten Kitchen - excellent, quick and easy, and found a rhubarb pudding cake on another blog that was very good. I'm looking forward to the stone fruits that should be showing up soon - a whole new round of cobblers, pies, cakes and crisps

[miss louella]

Hi folks! I'm an old cook and a new baker. I don't actually care for sweets much but my DH craves sweets constantly.

Taking some much-needed hound advice on pan selection, last night I made angel food cupcakes. The batter tasted delightful but after cooking the cupcakes seemed very tough to me. I used this recipe: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/de... (I did not frost.

)

I have a hand mixer and took ~5 minutes to incorporate the sugar, then whipped on high for ~2 more (was not sure how to tell when it was the right amount of glossy without being too stiff). Any tips from experienced angel food bakers out there?

Thanks all!

[easily amused]

Yesterday, (Rainy)..I made a Banana Layer cake with a cream cheese icing , topped with crushed pecans and shaved dark chocolate.

[Ramius]

Yesterday I made a focaccia with sourdough, and olive oil from Sicily. Turned out alright, though it was the first time I made it.

I made myself a sandwich with pastrami, iceberg salad and garlic dressing.

[Blancmange]

Grasshopper Pie!

[roxlet]

That looks so cool! How was it? I've never made/had one.

[buttertart]

Used to make quick versions of that as a dessert when I worked at the fish and chips shop - small plastic disposable bowls, Oreo cookies crushed in the bottom, Cool Whip with creme de menthe* stirred in on top, more crumbs to garnish, frozen. You'd be surprised how tasty they were.
* aka "cream dee mint" to my dad...

[roxlet]

Is that really how it's made? I might pass on it then, lol!

[buttertart]

I'm by no means whatsoever implying that that's how Blancmange necessarily made this one!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blancmange, hope you understand and please let us know how this was confected.

[Blancmange]

omgosh, no worries at all! This was made with choc wafers/melted butter for the crust...the filling is whipping cream (beat stiff), marshmallows (melted with a little milk), crème de menthe, crème de cacao.

If you are at all into the chocolate & mint combo---this is the perfect summer pie for you. Super easy and gets tastier each day. I baked the crust for 10 min, but think it would be fine as a no-bake and just refrigerated .

[buttertart]

I knew I was wrong even on my fish shop version - it was marshmallow fluff with creme de menthe and some cool whip on top, then crumbs. Dang.

I love mint and chocolate together (and this pie) but it annoys me to see mint as a garnish on non-mint desserts. Superfluous.

[sweetTooth]

Sorry to hear, mc. Hugs.

[buttertart]

sweetTooth, you might want to post this down farther on the thread, mc may not see it in this position. I have no idea why posts end up in odd places on CH but they surely seem to.

[twilight goddess]

Blancmange -- could I get a more precise ratio for the butter to cookies in the crust, and the filling?

Also... there must be some kind of alcohol-free something for the flavoring for someone like me who doesn't use any alcohol in cooking? Hmmm. Chocolate and mint is one of my favorites! (ever tried the trader joe's peppermint joe joes?) I *want* to make this pie.

[buttertart]

Heat the cream, steep a good amount of mint in it, strain it out when it seems minty enough, chill it and whip?

[Blancmange]

Sure!! Yes, if you want to do alcohol-free for kids, use a bit of mint extract in lieu of the liquors. Have done that for kids before.

1 1/2 cups choc wafer cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter , melted
3 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup crème de menthe
3 tbsp crème de cacao
Few drops of green food color if you use clear creme de menthe

Heat oven to 350F. Combine butter and crumbs in 9-inch pie pan. Bake 10 min. Cool. Chill mixing bowl.

Melt Marshmallows with milk over lo-heat. Stir constantly. Chill until thickened.

In chilled bowl, beat cream until stiff. Add both creme's to marshmallow mixture and blend. Fold in whipped cream and food color. Pour into baked crust. Chill at least 4 hrs.

[julesrules]

I'd probably love that. Not-so premium mint chip ice cream is a guilty pleasure (although premium versions are also tasty!). One could also use the mint girl guide cookies to good effect here. Not sure my kids would like the alcohol taste so I might try peppermint extract...

[operagirl]

Made some gluten-free cornmeal lemon cookies this week -- they're actually quite good! I think I want to try ivory teff flour instead of sorghum flour for my next project, though -- I might be crazy, but I detect a hint of bitterness/chalkiness that I think is attributable to that ingredient. Anybody else have experience baking with sorghum flour?