tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89986782024-03-13T14:36:44.996-07:00bakingsheetthe most important thing in the kitchen. except the oven. and ingredients.Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comBlogger519125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-34829930539045082322007-04-01T05:56:00.000-07:002007-04-01T05:57:04.725-07:00Introducing "Baking Bites"!!!<p align="center"><a href="http://bakingbites.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048317252599249666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hH4DO5wrlAoRwm8pxg4TMp4kHrhuj3ReE4KtC8z0q6j2lfl_wB7HMlp2jPfNIBF3wDmePcjkM2QnNQGBbSsIWu_7bgZuGFUpbxNdmNQ_B_Gl3wTeweWBLhhhWCM_FEnEezWGOA/s400/bakingbites.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>Thanks for your patience, everyone! I have migrated over to a brand new URL, and with the new address comes a new name: <a href="http://bakingbites.com/">Baking Bites</a>.<br /><br />The new site has a new look, increased usability (including a <a href="http://bakingbites.com/recipe-index/">top-notch recipe index</a>!) and all of the usual <a href="http://bakingbites.com/category/recipes/">recipes</a>. There will be lots of new content, as well as many new recipes, to look forward to now that the site is up and running.<br /><br />What are you waiting for - <a href="http://bakingbites.com/">head over and check it out</a>! There is a post about <a href="http://bakingbites.com/2007/04/peeps-smores/">Peep <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">S'mores</span> </a>just waiting to be read!Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-70532465617778370772007-03-26T05:34:00.000-07:002007-03-26T05:37:13.881-07:00Patience and changesI just wanted to thank everyone for being so patient lately. I'm making a couple of changes to the site and it is taking me a little longer than anticipates. I have a couple of recipes waiting to go, but am trying to hold off on them for a few more days.<br />Bear with me, guys. I'll be back at 110% soon!Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-4211144522758606362007-03-17T05:29:00.000-07:002007-03-17T11:48:48.379-07:00Traditional Irish Soda Bread<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU0oyCAVy3G4350kPy1AKFs_tGIe6T5FKCd02DQAgXiOXrg2o_A6fSKqHsbPQdFXE9uOVFlUWCpmnaNdyTIz_fVYgnJHFIAQHkxjRreBjUDn4QCEgOm6L7bIsEZ7fv635TG_fLA/s1600-h/CIMG2175.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXU0oyCAVy3G4350kPy1AKFs_tGIe6T5FKCd02DQAgXiOXrg2o_A6fSKqHsbPQdFXE9uOVFlUWCpmnaNdyTIz_fVYgnJHFIAQHkxjRreBjUDn4QCEgOm6L7bIsEZ7fv635TG_fLA/s320/CIMG2175.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br />The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/dining/14appe.html">ran an article </a>this week about traditional Irish soda bread - or rather, they ran an article that discussed how the loaf presented as "traditional" in the US is often not. The author's loaf had butter, sugar and eggs in it, as well as raisins, and turned into a very cake-like loaf. I myself am guilty, to a degree, of <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/03/cooking-school-irish-soda-bread.html">making a less-than-traditional loaf</a>. I don't use butter or eggs, but I usually add a bit of sugar, caraway seeds and raisins. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, it is good to know that the Irish soda bread that I typically make is a variation on the standard, not the standard itself.<br />The article hinted at the fact that the traditional recipe used only flour, buttermilk, salt and baking soda, but for some reason failed to include the recipe (it did include the cake-like version, however). I thought I'd step up and fill in the gap. I took out all the extraneous ingredients from my usual recipe and whittled it down to a plain, basic traditional loaf.<br />The bread is best when it is warm and comes out of the oven with a crisp crust and a tender interior. It is easy to taste the buttermilk in the loaf, but it is very plain bread. I like it with soup, where it can sop up broth, or cut into slices (I often simply pull pieces off the loaf) and topped with butter or jam. Irish butter is usually salted and will taste better with the bread than unsalted butter.<br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxpvOpw8Ov0l2K8pRrYnLIY5J97AGWZxII2L40H1JQFi54nDHHfSFPJf9D5r6YJd0Q6SmmYconJMqZMp7nqbQd6T4Eh1mbfK_RUIUvBt5yYQeOFJ6GCaGl09XieF_8W2oQ0Vkjw/s1600-h/CIMG2191.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxpvOpw8Ov0l2K8pRrYnLIY5J97AGWZxII2L40H1JQFi54nDHHfSFPJf9D5r6YJd0Q6SmmYconJMqZMp7nqbQd6T4Eh1mbfK_RUIUvBt5yYQeOFJ6GCaGl09XieF_8W2oQ0Vkjw/s320/CIMG2191.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><p align="center"><br /><br /><br /><strong>Traditional Irish Soda Bread</strong><br />2 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />1 tsp salt<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 - 1 1/4 cups buttermilk </p><p align="left">Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.<br />In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir together. Add buttermilk and mix with a large spoon (or with your hands, shaping your fingers into a "claw") until the dough comes together. You might need two tablespoons more or less buttermilk depending on the weather. The dough should be moist, but not so sticky it is very hard to handle.<br />Shape into a round and place on baking sheet. Cut an X into the top with a sharp knife and bake for about 45 minutes, until dark golden. A toothpick will come out clean.<br />Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before slicing. Bread is best served soon after baking. </p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-24838012306806751102007-03-14T15:14:00.000-07:002007-03-14T20:13:35.215-07:00Chocolate Mint Sticks<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UTh-yqhkTNxN_H1Qy99yE76_TsXMD048Zatpm249SmDkSi_b6B4YBkjSIzXcSO-mQtlarVmuaOfLZ0QK3IQcmdKFdkSUoD6xEiYS5gXyJrtNq8G1o4F_WKTZqN8lexXUu708qA/s1600-h/CIMG2065.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5UTh-yqhkTNxN_H1Qy99yE76_TsXMD048Zatpm249SmDkSi_b6B4YBkjSIzXcSO-mQtlarVmuaOfLZ0QK3IQcmdKFdkSUoD6xEiYS5gXyJrtNq8G1o4F_WKTZqN8lexXUu708qA/s320/CIMG2065.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><p align="center"><br /><i>"Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate, it's peppermint -it's delicious!"</i> -- Kramer, <i>Seinfeld</i></p><br /><p align="left">I know one person who does not like the combination of chocolate and mint, but to be fair, he does not care for peppermint-type flavors in general. Doubtless there are a handful of other people who also do not care for the combination, but the vast majority of people simply adore it. The freshness of mint complements the rich and intense taste of chocolate (particularly of dark chocolate) and makes the two a winning pair.<br />Junior mints and York peppermint patties are two of the best examples of this flavor combo, but Maida Heatter's Chocolate Mint Sticks might even be better. The little bars are dense, but tender, and intensely chocolaty. On top of the chocolate layer is a thin glaze of peppermint, which in turn is topped with a drizzle of melted, bittersweet chocolate for contrast. It tastes like a little candy bar, only better.<br />As if the outstanding flavor weren't enough, the "sticks" are even better when they are cold, so store them in the fridge or freezer and use them as a treat to cool off with on a hot summer day (or a hot winter day, if you have also been experiencing this year's rather odd temperature shifts!).<br /><br /><br /></p><p align="center"><br /><strong>Chocolate Mint Sticks</strong><br />(adapted from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts)<br />2 ounces dark chocolate<br />1/2 cup butter<br />2 large eggs<br />1 cup sugar<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />1/2 cup all purpose flour<br />1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional) </p><p align="left">Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square cake pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.<br />Melt chocolate and butter together in a small bowl in the microwave, stirring after every 30-second interval until smooth. Set aside to cool.<br />In a large bowl, beat eggs with sugar, salt and vanilla extract until smooth. Beat in chocolate mixture, then stir in the flour at low speed. Mix in chocolate chips, then pour batter into prepared pan.<br />Bake for 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.<br />Cool completely on a wire rack. </p><p align="center"><br /><strong>Mint Icing</strong><br />2 tbsp butter<br />1 cup confectioners' sugar<br />1 tbsp milk or cream<br />1/2 tsp peppermint extract </p><p align="left">Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Spread evenly on cooled chocolate base, then refrigerate for exactly 5 minutes while you make the chocolate glaze. </p><p align="center"><br /><strong>Bitter Chocolate Glaze</strong><br />1 ounce unsweetened chocolate<br />1 tbsp butter </p><p align="left">Melt together chocolate and butter in a small bowl, in the microwave, stirring after every 30-second interval until smooth. Immediately pour the hot glaze (it should be fairly fluid) over the chilled chocolate/mint base. Tilt the pan around to coat the mint layer as much as possible, or drizzle over evenly. Some white will show through; this is ok.<br /><br />Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before removing foil and chocolate bars from pan and cutting into 24 thin bars with a sharp knife.<br />Sticks can be served at room temperature, but are best when chilled or frozen.<br /><br />Makes 24. </p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-70213216275623254602007-03-09T15:10:00.000-08:002007-03-10T18:24:03.161-08:00Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread<div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7McGW1MWqqUm3HKKdrMbwyYTUy07S9t_LiOLMoIH8tjtdiyY4IfxUoAKwE4ZtF2QeERv4CqR-uuAacP8x9UnYnRZ6R8XxqMxQbwXI0eYdZyuwEFYB9Cli0PyRfuTPo1W34Bkkw/s1600-h/CIMG2081.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7McGW1MWqqUm3HKKdrMbwyYTUy07S9t_LiOLMoIH8tjtdiyY4IfxUoAKwE4ZtF2QeERv4CqR-uuAacP8x9UnYnRZ6R8XxqMxQbwXI0eYdZyuwEFYB9Cli0PyRfuTPo1W34Bkkw/s320/CIMG2081.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="left"><br />It has been a while since I have posted a yeast bread recipe. This isn't because I haven't been baking them, however. I have simply been sticking to old favorites for a while, like Sourdough and Country White Bread, and have been working on a new baguette recipe that I really like (not ready for prime time yet, sorry!). What this all boils down to is that I have been in a bit of a rut and was finally kicked out of it by a box of cinnamon raisin granola. The granola was so good that after running through a box of it for breakfast (and snacks), I decided that I needed to make some cinnamon raising bread for toasting in the morning as a replacement.<br />Cinnamon and raisins obviously played a role in the bread, and I went for a fairly plain loaf, rather than doing the slightly more traditional cinnamon spiral. Since granola is a whole-grain product, I also decided to go with whole wheat in my bread. I used both whole wheat flour and white whole wheat flour, as I wanted to maximize the amount of whole grain in the bread but didn't want the texture to be too coarse, which can be a fault of whole wheat-only breads. I used honey, instead of regular sugar, to add some sweetness to the bread, and I used both buttermilk and butter to ensure that the finished loaf had a hint of a buttery taste to it. The buttery taste is a good feature in bread meant for toasting.<br />All in all, the bread turned out to be very satisfying. It wasn't too heavy or dense because I gave the bread a long time to rise a develop small air pockets as the yeast did its thing. The final loaf also had the tenderness that the relatively low gluten (lower than regular flour, anyway) whole wheat flour provides. The cinnamon was mild in the untoasted bread, but came out beautifully in the finished product. I wish now that I would have tried a few slices of french toast with the loaf, but the call of the toaster was just too tempting and just about every single slice ended up there.<br />Butter, jam and peanut butter (not necessarily together) are my top three toppers for toast made with this bread, but use whatever strikes your fancy. But be sure to toast it. It's well worth it! </p><p align="center"><br /><strong>Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bread</strong><br />1 tbsp active dry yeast<br />1/4 cup warm water (approx 110F)<br />1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature or a bit warmer<br />1/4 cup honey<br />2 tsp salt<br />2 tsp cinnamon<br />1 cup whole wheat flour<br />2 - 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour<br />2/3 cups raisins </p><p align="left"><br />In a large bowl, combine yeast and warm water. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until foamy.<br />Mix in buttermilk, honey, salt, cinnamon and whole wheat flour. Stir well. Gradually mix in white whole wheat flour, stirring with a wooden spoon until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, adding a bit more flour as you go to keep it from sticking, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes (it won't get quite as smooth as breads made with other flours, but it will still be a bit stretchy). Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until doubled in size.<br />Preheat oven to 375F.<br />Turn bread out onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate. Shape into a rectangle, then form into a log by folding the short ends into the center, then pulling the long ends up and pinching them together. Place dough seam-side down into a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Let rise for 45-60 minutes.<br />Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes (until an internal-read thermometer inserted into the bottom of the loaf reads approx 200F). Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and toasting.<br />Makes 1 loaf. </p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-13672423940427567392007-03-05T20:32:00.000-08:002007-03-05T20:36:27.308-08:00Black Forest Tart<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlgdnxdl6GnGZj4sl1QrLmwK-G75Ys7fIh1jhd89VuTrYX9zLCGwu5MmWfYhBeJ8CSWqbQzaTBFP7CV5O7ZZ4tKiUUbJb6a9K81rPhhxwgnC-0OZAXvuMIhAW9aksHTYzsY-Znw/s1600-h/CIMG2051.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlgdnxdl6GnGZj4sl1QrLmwK-G75Ys7fIh1jhd89VuTrYX9zLCGwu5MmWfYhBeJ8CSWqbQzaTBFP7CV5O7ZZ4tKiUUbJb6a9K81rPhhxwgnC-0OZAXvuMIhAW9aksHTYzsY-Znw/s320/CIMG2051.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><p><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Forest_gateau">Black Forest Cake</a> was once the pinnacle of all desserts. Every restaurant worth eating at - or that wanted to look like it was worth eating at - had it on the menu. The cake is from, as you might suspect from the name, the Black Forest region of Germany, where it began as a cherry and liquor dessert before morphing into a cake. The cake itself has layers of chocolate cake with lots of whipped cream and cherries stacked between the layers. Some recipes will use rum or kirsch, but the important things are the chocolate, cream and cherries.<br />Combining these three things can turn anything into a "black forest." The <a href="http://coffeebean.com/">Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf</a> coffee shop chain in LA, for example, makes a delicious ice blended coffee drink with maraschino cherries, chocolate and coffee called the Black Forest. Faced with a jar of perfectly preserved (in cherry juice) Morello cherries, I decided to make my own version of the Black Forest - in tart form.<br />I made a crust out of chocolate wafer cookies (you can use the ends of Oreos or similar cookies, with all the filling removed), filled it with a smooth cream cheese filling and topped it with the cherries. The dessert was so simple, yet it managed to seem perfectly balanced. It definitely falls into the comfort food category before the gourmet one, but that's not always a bad thing, right?<br />If you don't have cherries or other fruits are in season, go ahead and top the tart with strawberries, raspberries or some combination of other fruits for a chocolate fruit tart. Don't forget a little dollop of whipped cream on top of each piece! </p><p align="center"><br /><strong>Black Forest Tart</strong><br /><i>Chocolate Crust</i><br />1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookie crumbs<br />1/4 cup sugar<br />1/4 cup butter, melted<br /></p><p align="left">Preheat the oven to 350F.<br />In a medium bowl, combine chocolate crumbs, sugar and butter and stir well. Pat into 9-in. pie plate.<br />Bake for 15-18 minutes, until firm at the edges.<br />Cool completely.<br /></p><p align="center"><i>Assembly</i><br />8-ounces cream cheese, slightly softened<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />2 tbsp cream<br />1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tbsp <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirschwasser">kirsch</a><br /><br />approx. 2 cups cherries, pitted (Morello or marischino) or other fruits<br />whipped cream<br /></p><p align="left">Combine cream cheese, sugar, cream and vanilla (or kirsch) in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. Spread evenly into cooled tart crust. Top with an even layer of fruit and a few dollops of whipped cream before serving.<br /><br />Serves 8. </p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-43837572246297708252007-03-01T09:24:00.000-08:002007-03-01T17:47:31.248-08:00Peach Passion Muffins<div align="center"><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6nox_7qoxtPj0FyV9LCVKnvzmQM_wo6CnLpqSwI-05D-zHlT7CYQhYl7jnbgQ_LZeiZjKiYpzykXLedfrTyNTfUNCevEt1q4urcQV8hyphenhyphenFn9fFRnxapbiOGcPikwlJWMX_x_Mvw/s1600-h/CIMG1852.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6nox_7qoxtPj0FyV9LCVKnvzmQM_wo6CnLpqSwI-05D-zHlT7CYQhYl7jnbgQ_LZeiZjKiYpzykXLedfrTyNTfUNCevEt1q4urcQV8hyphenhyphenFn9fFRnxapbiOGcPikwlJWMX_x_Mvw/s320/CIMG1852.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="left"><br /><br />The other day when I was at Trader Joe's, I noticed the most unusual fruit in the freezer department. Now, when it comes to fruit, I always like to have fresh on hand for eating and frozen on hand for baking. After all - it can be difficult to get wild blueberries (which I adore in all kinds of cakes, muffins and scones) in January. The fruit I found on this particular occasion was sliced, peeled peaches that were passion fruit flavored - by which they seemed to mean that the stone fruit slices had been soaked in passion fruit juice before freezing. I didn't think that you can go too far wrong with either peaches or passion fruit, so I bought a bag.<br />When still cold, but slightly thawed, I could taste both fruit flavors in the peaches and they went splendedly with yogurt. Sticking to my original plan, however, I duitifully chopped up some of the slices and folded them into a batch of muffins. The passion fruit flavor didn't quite carry over in the way I had hoped, but I like to think it was there in a (very) subtle way.<br />Despite the lack of passion flavor and the rather plain look of these muffins, they were actually very good. I added a fair amount of vanilla, which blended nicely with the fruit. The peaches worked out perfectly and had a great texture - far, far better than what you'd get with any canned peach and much easier than working with a fresh one (especially in the off-season!).<br />The only change I would make to this recipe is that I would add a sprinkle of coarse/raw sugar to the top just to make them look a bit prettier </p><p align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Vanilla Peach Muffins</strong><br />1 ¾ cup all purpose flour<br />1 ½ tsp baking powder<br />½ tsp salt<br />2 large eggs<br />¾ cup sugar<br />2 tbsp oil<br />2 tsp vanilla extract*<br />1 ½ cups peeled, diced frozen peaches (unthawed)<br />coarse sugar, for topping </p><p align="left"><br />Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.<br />In a large bowl, whisk/beat together eggs and sugar for about a minute at high speed, just until fairly smooth, then add in oil and vanilla. Add in flour mixture and stir until just combined. Briefly stir in peach pieces. Divide evenly into muffin cups and sprinkle with coarse sugar.<br />Bbake at 350F for 18-22 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.<br />These are best on the day they are made.<br />Makes 12 muffins.<br /><br /><br />*Vanilla paste, if you can find it, is a great substitute, since it will add attractive vanilla specks to your muffins.</p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-8543039553909575542007-02-25T06:05:00.000-08:002007-02-25T20:46:22.293-08:00Sour Cream Streusel Coffee Cake<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGN17LC8XdSQ0_NdeRn07jOfU-bQ_LKcIR4Hcu7RYmN7hTnh58NCRxFP6nPjxSXEEfgQKatxBRwLnoxpl2xz6rQdalZVWWfnktq9-vURLveHu1oSw4ne0IC9k1xr4DELJ7kq2Bw/s1600-h/CIMG1957.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeGN17LC8XdSQ0_NdeRn07jOfU-bQ_LKcIR4Hcu7RYmN7hTnh58NCRxFP6nPjxSXEEfgQKatxBRwLnoxpl2xz6rQdalZVWWfnktq9-vURLveHu1oSw4ne0IC9k1xr4DELJ7kq2Bw/s320/CIMG1957.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></div><p align="left">I might like a good superlative as much as the next person, but I'm not one to throw around words like "amazing" and "the best" lightly when it comes to a recipe. In fact, I probably wouldn't use them myself to describe this particular coffee cake. I will say, however, that the lucky people who got to eat this cake used those exact words to describe this moist, tender, light and crazily addictive cake.<br />Backtracking for a moment, the reason that I wanted to make this cake in the first place was twofold: I had a mostly-unused container of sour cream sitting around in my fridge that was looking for a recipe to work itself into and I had a package of Nutorious nuts that were also looking for a job.<br /><a href="http://www.nutoriousnuts.com/aboutus.html">Nutorious</a> is a Wisconsin company that makes <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2007/01/25/nutorious-gourmet-nuts/">gourmet candied nuts</a>. I'm not necessarily a big nut fan, but theirs are really outstanding. They use a mix of nuts and they come in flavors like Cherry Vanilla and Cranberry Orange. It is easy to breeze through one of their bags in no time flat, especially if you have someone to help you much, but the company goes out of their way to point out how good the nuts are in various recipes, so I wanted to try them out in something. I ended up using a mixture of their Original and Cherry Vanilla flavors with excellent results, as the candy coating blended right into the cake. Any candied or sweetly spiced nut will work in this recipe, and you can always opt for plain, toasted nuts, too. Nutorious mixes walnuts, pecans and almonds, so try to use a blend if you're not using theirs. </p><p align="center"><br /><strong>Sour Cream Streusel Coffee Cake</strong><br /><em>Streusel</em><br />1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />1/3 cup chopped candied/toasted nuts (Nutorious or other)<br />1/4 cup butter, melted<br />1/4 teaspoon vanilla<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br /><em>Cake</em><br />1 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup butter, softened<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />2 large eggs<br />2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup sour cream (light is fine)<br />1/3 cup chopped candied/toasted nuts (Nutorious or other)<br /></p><p align="left">Prehat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9-in square pan.<br />In a medium bowl, stir together all topping ingredients until wet crumbs are formed. Set aside.<br /><br />In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until light. Beat in vanilla, followed by the eggs, adding them one at a time until mixure is smooth.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to sugar mixture, alternating with sour cream in two or three additions, until well mixed. Stir in nuts and scrape into prepared pan. Top with streusel mixture, spreading it into as even a layer as possible.<br />Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.<br />Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.<br />Serves 12. </p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-14737462393230713442007-02-19T06:59:00.000-08:002007-02-19T06:02:50.060-08:00Flourless Chocolate Mini Cakes<div style="CLEAR: both; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiku0_JEz0PZ7OYBFoJW7c6Jb_mywliQ7_ZpKLMRTLOD8XZwYEO3lAhxAM603Eb0JePJQooNtvicnf9zmcwdxyGowFNi2qNOJm59zqtSvvZhMpK7GvAUj0Dc7Q7cCugIrTPhJg6Zg/s1600-h/CIMG1747.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiku0_JEz0PZ7OYBFoJW7c6Jb_mywliQ7_ZpKLMRTLOD8XZwYEO3lAhxAM603Eb0JePJQooNtvicnf9zmcwdxyGowFNi2qNOJm59zqtSvvZhMpK7GvAUj0Dc7Q7cCugIrTPhJg6Zg/s320/CIMG1747.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><p><br />Flourless chocolate cake is a little bit overdone. And by "a little," I actually mean "quite a lot." It was the hottest dessert that a restaurant could serve for a while, but now it has fallen back into a comfortable, but permanent, position beside cheesecake on almost every single dessert menu.<br />That said, the reason that it became a dessert menu-staple is that flourless chocolate cake is very good and is still very popular. The rich chocolate dessert is difficult for chocolate-lovers to turn down.<br />As a belated Valentine's Day treat (as you might guess from the little heart-shaped pans that I used), I baked up a batch of mini flourless chocolate cakes.<br />Fudgy and flavorful, these cakes are not too sweet by any means. I used a 65% dark chocolate for these and would only go up to a 70% without adjusting the sugar level. I know that it's popular to get as dark as possible without increasing the amount of sugar in something, but that is one trend that is starting to get old. Of course dark chocolate is good - I just think that desserts still need to have some balance and that you're always going to find that a slightly sweeter dessert, when compared to a bitter one, is going to be more popular with guests.<br />I used <a href="http://www.alcoa.com/reynoldskitchens/fun_shapes/en/home.asp">Reynold's Fun Shapes pans</a> to get the oh-so-sweet heart shapes of my cakes, but these can also be made in a regular muffin tin. </p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxi0Ti63ajDxf9LtEzaF961zrM1KExFzBDQWR1hW7YEiioOW3EaYPUyv9BnRvhDMTWo3QhQHop8HOxMAkmXleW4UesX4z_SP8cd_nKEXyfyAA0wCj3McZQXkCgD75vacTiSy-Yg/s1600-h/CIMG1733.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtxi0Ti63ajDxf9LtEzaF961zrM1KExFzBDQWR1hW7YEiioOW3EaYPUyv9BnRvhDMTWo3QhQHop8HOxMAkmXleW4UesX4z_SP8cd_nKEXyfyAA0wCj3McZQXkCgD75vacTiSy-Yg/s320/CIMG1733.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="center"><br /><strong>Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes</strong><br />14 tbsp butter (2 sticks minus 2 tbsp)<br />7 oz bittersweet/dark chocolate (65 or 70%), chopped<br />1 cup sugar<br />4 eggs, room temperature<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 tbsp cocoa powder </p><p align="left"><br />Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a cupcake pan or set 12 foil molds (like the hearts that I used) on a baking sheet.<br />In the microwave, working in 30-second increments, melt together the butter and chocolate in a large bowl, stirring after each time increment. When melted, stir int the sugar and let the mixture cool for a few minutes before whisking in the eggs one at a time. Once all the eggs have been incorporated, whisk in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract.<br />Pour batter evenly into prepared pan(s) and bake for 10 minutes. Turn off oven and let cakes sit inside for an additional 10 minutes. Remove pan to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.<br />Use a spatula to gently turn out the cakes before serving.<br />Store any leftovers in an airtight container.<br />Makes 12.<br /></p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-35238864709520797192007-02-13T12:01:00.000-08:002007-02-13T12:09:53.891-08:00Red Velvet Cake Sandwich Cookies<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCD9LAybekGBn3Lzl0lu3ISIabOibnoWd_Rq7-htFqIq-e6oIx5XXl9cMWfrZSrOlI0uqgus8dKVyzVX2XxnQ5-kRaosMIsXf3xS-3Po6PQwtwaBVmU6pNSkHmakk7shyphenhypheni8jSRoA/s1600-h/CIMG1824.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCD9LAybekGBn3Lzl0lu3ISIabOibnoWd_Rq7-htFqIq-e6oIx5XXl9cMWfrZSrOlI0uqgus8dKVyzVX2XxnQ5-kRaosMIsXf3xS-3Po6PQwtwaBVmU6pNSkHmakk7shyphenhypheni8jSRoA/s320/CIMG1824.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="left"><br />Red velvet cake is one of my favorite types of cake. It is a buttermilk cake with a hint of cocoa - just enough for flavor, not enough to make it "chocolate cake" - that has a gorgeous red hue. The red, in theory, comes from the interaction between baking soda and cocoa powder, but more often than not food coloring is added. Some people are put off of the cake by the food coloring, but they're the ones missing out on a delicious cake.<br />Instead of going with a regular cake or <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/08/she-wore-blue-velvet-but-ate-red.html">cupcakes</a>, I opted for cake-like sandwich cookies, more similar to the <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/08/cooking-school-whoopie-pies.html">whoopie pies </a>that I made a few weeks ago than to, for example, Oreos. The cookies are moist and tender and the filling is a mascarpone cream cheese mixture that adds just the right amount of flavor and sweetness. The cookies themselves are actually low fat, although the presence of the filling makes up for that fact. I added a little bit of buttermilk as a nod to the traditional red velvet cakes, but I have to admit that you can't really taste it. You can, however, taste the cocoa, the vanilla and the delicious filling.<br />These are best if eaten within a day or two of being made. </p><p align="left">Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!</p><p align="center"><br /><strong>Red Velvet Cake Sandwich Cookies</strong><br />1 1/3 cups all purpose flour<br />2 tbsp cocoa powder<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce<br />1 tbsp buttermilk<br />1 cup sugar<br />1/4 cup butter, room temperature<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />2 large egg whites<br />1/2 tsp red food coloring (more, if necessary) </p><p align="left"><br />Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.<br />In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then set aside.<br />In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in the egg whites, followed by the applesauce, buttermilk, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add additional coloring, if needed, to reach desired color. Keep in mind that the color will dim slightly with baking, but I try to shoot for a burgundy/brown color. Stir in flour mixture until batter is smooth and no streaks of flour remain.<br />Drop batter two tablespoonfuls at a time onto the prepared baking sheet, forming 2-inch in diameter rounds.<br />Bake for 10 minutes, until set but not browned. Cookies should spring back when lightly touched, like a cake.<br />Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely </p><br />Makes about 40 cookies.<br /><br /><br />Mascarpone Cream Cheese Filling<br />4 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature<br />4 oz cream cheese, room temperature<br />2 tsp vanilla extract (vanilla paste is even better)<br />1 tbsp milk<br />1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar<br /><br />Beat together mascarpone and cream cheese until well combined. Beat in vanilla and milk. Add in confectioners sugar, scraping down the bowl as you go. When it has all been incorporated, beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes, until icing is very smooth and thick, but not stiff. Add more confectioners sugar, if necessary.<br />Spread filling between pairs of cooled cookies.<br />Makes about 20 sandwich cookies.Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-70371554465684646212007-02-09T18:57:00.000-08:002007-02-11T20:14:35.135-08:00Sour Cream Lemon Shortbread Bars<p align="center"><p><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDM6bkv6wSEMWhJQA7ep1XAuZBx3D32q2J5JNkn646Oicgq9QOG6pqqgAI7G-lthANE5jSMr5oQ-NRI-ZJQ3rBmT_zgPbDWFRz5s7CI5yipSYpqPiVYNmhBSyjAiOjhA2jZ8HKw/s1600-h/CIMG1768.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYDM6bkv6wSEMWhJQA7ep1XAuZBx3D32q2J5JNkn646Oicgq9QOG6pqqgAI7G-lthANE5jSMr5oQ-NRI-ZJQ3rBmT_zgPbDWFRz5s7CI5yipSYpqPiVYNmhBSyjAiOjhA2jZ8HKw/s320/CIMG1768.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><p align="left"><br />Since I love lemon, you might think that I love lemon bars. Unfortunately, this is not true. More often than not, lemon bars are just plain awful. The lemon filling is usually either gummy or too gelatinous and the base is almost always bland, soggy or both. The lemon flavor is rarely as clear as it could be and, while lemon bars shouldn't be as tart as the filling for a lemon meringue pie, where the meringue acts to temper the semi-tart lemon flavor of the filling, it should still be bright enough that one bite sends the "this is lemon" message to your brain. In short, I usually pass on lemon bars.<br />Of course, if I make the bars myself, I have no problems eating them. This recipe seems to solve all the lemon bar problems that I just listed, turning out bars that are as close to perfect as I can recall having.<br />The base is a light and tender shortbread cookie, which crumbles gently into your mouth and retains some crispness in spite of the moist topping. The topping is just thick enough to hold together well and has a bright, but not overly tart, lemon flavor. In fact, the flavor is tempered by the addition of some sour cream, which gives the bar a great mouthfeel.<br />I used my <a href="http://www.bakersedge.com">Baker's Edge pan </a>to ensure even baking. Don't have one yet? No worries - just use a 9"x13" baking pan and plan to take a couple of minutes off the final baking time.<br />I topped these off with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, but that is entirely optional. The whole batch will be gone in a flash - with or without the extra sprinkle. </p><p align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Sour Cream Lemon Shortbread Bars</strong><br /><em>Crust</em><br />1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1/3 cup sugar<br />2 tsp lemon zest<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />3/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into several pieces<br /><br /><em>Lemon Topping</em><br />3 large eggs, room temperature<br />1 1/2 cups sugar<br />6 tbsp sour cream<br />3 tbsp all purpose flour<br />1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/4 cup lemon juice<br />Zest of 2 lemons (1 generous tbsp)<br /></p><p align="left">Preheat oven to 350F.<br />In the bowl of a food processor, whizz together the flour, sugar lemon zest and sald. Add in butter and pulse until mixture reaches a crumbly, sandy (with some pea-sized chunks of butter remaining) pieces. Press evenly into the Baker's Edge pan (or 9"x13" pan) bake for 16-19 minutes, until just slightly golden at the corners.<br /><br />While the crust is baking, beat together the remaining ingredients until smooth. When the crust comes out of the oven, pour in the lemon filling while it is hot, then return pan to the oven.<br />Bake for 25 minutes, until set and slightly browned at the corners.<br />Set pan on a wire rack to cool completely.<br />Makes 16 large bars.<br /><br /></p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1169530381987167652007-01-30T07:32:00.000-08:002007-01-30T06:14:37.456-08:00Chai Latte Muffins<div align="left"><br /></div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4230/637/640/941196/CIMG0978.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4230/637/320/991931/CIMG0978.jpg" border="1" /></a><br />I usually have a small jar of pumpkin pie spice sitting around. It's easy to make, but in the morning it is very convenient to have some ready to go when I want to spice up my oatmeal on a chilly morning. A few weeks ago, I picked up a jar at Trader Joe's and was very surprised to discover that it tasted nothing like the classic <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/10/pumpkin-spice-mocha.html">pumpkin pie spice mix</a> that I know and love. I also discovered that it's not necessarily the greatest thing to blindside your tastebuds shortly after waking up. Their version of pumpkin pie spice included lots of cardamom, ginger, cloves, pepper and cinnamon. Call me traditional, but that's not what I want my pumpkin pie spice to taste like.<br /><div align="left">The point of this little story is that when I was deciding what recipe I wanted to try from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FVegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World%2Fdp%2F1569242739&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;camp=1789&creative=9325">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</a>, I realized that the spice combination in the Chai Latte Cupcakes was very similar to my non-pumpkin pie spice mix. I made the cakes and used it instead of the original recipe's combination with great results. The flavor was very spicy and chai-like, but not too aggressive.<br />The only complaint that I have is that I don't think these are actually cupcakes. They have a less refined, more muffin-like texture than I want for a cake. I would have added more sugar if I wanted to try for more cakiness from this recipe. Fortunately, the muffins went beautifully with a cup or tea or coffee and, as they weren't frosted with anything more than a bit of spiced up confectioners' sugar, I didn't feel the least bit guilty about having them for breakfast instead of dessert. And this time I wasn't surprised by the spicing - just pleased by it.<br />By the way, these turned out just fine with regular yogurt instead of the soy, so don't worry if you need to make a small substitution to make the recipe fit the ingredients that you keep at home. </div><div align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Chai Latte Muffins</strong><br />1 cup soy milk (I used vanilla)<br />4 black/chair teabags<br />1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />1/2 cup plain soy yogurt<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 1/3 cups all purpose flour<br />1/4 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1 tsp ground cardamom<br />1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />1/4 tsp ground cloves<br />pinch of ground pepper<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Prehat oven to 375F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.<br />Heat milk to almost boiling (in the microwave or a small sauce pan) and steep the tea bags for about 10 minutes, making very strong, milky tea. Don't worry about making the tea bitter (which can happen as a result of oversteeping) because you won't taste it in the end product.<br />In a large bowl wisk together oil, yogurt, sugar and vanilla.<br />In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Pour half into the yogurt mixture, stirring well, followed by the tea mixture and the rest of the flour. Stir only until just combined, then evenly distribute into prepared muffin tin.<br />Bake for about 21-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the muffin springs back when lightly pressed.<br />Cool completely on a wire rack.<br />Makes 12 mufins.<br /></div><div align="left"><br />Top with sifted <em>confectioners' sugar</em> when cooled. Mix 2 tbsp <em>cocoa powder</em> with 1 tsp <em>cinnamon</em> and 1/4 tsp <em>ground nutmeg</em> together in a small bowl. Sift lightly over top of the sugar (<a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/12/15/how-to-make-cupcake-stencils/">using a stencil for accuracy</a>, if you want) to add a bit of extra spice.</div>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1169735368161478002007-01-25T05:31:00.000-08:002007-01-25T06:29:28.770-08:00Pecan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread<div align="left"><br /></div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4230/637/640/532152/CIMG1608.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4230/637/320/450578/CIMG1608.jpg" border="0" /><p align="left"></a><br />The only problem that I have with loaf cakes/breads is in choosing the pan size. I tend to prefer using my 8x4 inch pan because I like the higher rise, but the 9x5 inch size is slightly more common and I often feel pressured to write my recipes for that particular pan. Pressure or no, however, I usually just go ahead and use the pan I like, simply indicating the size instead of changing the recipe around. All that said, this time I did opt to use the larger, slightly wider pan for my loaf.<br />This recipe is a twist <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/03/banana-bread-fluffernutter.html">on my standard recipe</a> for banana bread, with a little bit more butter and loads of chocolate chips and pecans. Normally I'm not one for nuts in my baked goods, but here the pecans add a nice textural contrast with the chocolate chips. The bread is best when it is toasted and topped with butter or cream cheese, but if you prefer to eat it untoasted, you might want to keep it well wrapped overnight to make sure it is at its moistest when you go to eat it.<br />Because the pan makes the bread thinner than it might ordinarily be, it will cook more quickly and there is a greater chance of the bread overcooking. Make sure to check it with a toothpick and take it out of the oven as soon as it is done. I would check it a couple of minutes early, just in case your oven runs on the hot side. </p><p align="center"><br /><strong>Pecan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread</strong><br />1 ½ cups all purpose flour<br />½ tsp baking powder<br />½ tsp baking soda<br />½ tsp salt<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />1/3 cup butter, softened<br />¾ cup brown sugar<br />1 egg<br />2 medium-sized, ripe bananas, mashed (about ¾-1 cup)<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />½ cup chocolate chips<br />½ cup chopped pecans </p><p align="left"><br />Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9x5-in loaf pan<br />In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon<br />In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. When light and fluffy, beat in egg, followed by mashed banana and vanilla extract. Blend in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.<br />Bake for about 45 minutes at 350F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool on a rack in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn loaf out of pan and let cool completely before slicing.<br />Serve toasted, with butter and/or cream cheese. Store well in an airtight container (or plastic wrap).<br />Serve 8-10. </p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1169609014346026672007-01-24T07:20:00.000-08:002007-01-24T09:41:00.870-08:00Guess who I met?<p><br /></p><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4230/637/1600/82630/nicolefoodshow.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4230/637/320/51910/nicolefoodshow.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Want to know what I've been up to for the past couple of days that has kept me away from blogging? I've been at the Winter Fancy Foods Show in San Francisco! Check out <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2007/01/23/impressions-from-the-sf-winter-fancy-foods-show-2007/">this post</a> for a full report. <p><br />And, yes, I do have a recipe ready to go for tomorrow.<br /></p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1169009846703674502007-01-16T20:41:00.000-08:002007-01-16T21:04:43.613-08:00Bailey's Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Crust<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG1427.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG1427.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left"><br />When I got a bottle of the new <a href="http://www.baileys.com/en-row/TheRange/">Bailey's with a hint of Caramel Irish Cream Liqueur</a>, I knew that I wanted to bake something with it even before I tasted it. I had two reasons for this. First, I don't often have a full bottle of Bailey's sitting around, so it seemed to provide ample resources for creativity. Second, while I like the taste of Irish cream, I'm not that interested in having more than a few sips at a time. The creaminess of the liqueur is just too rich for me on its own, even over ice, in large doses.<br />That being said, the Bailey's Caramel doesn't really taste like your typical Irish cream at all. Without sharing a drink with you (would that I could!), I'll simply say that it tastes very similar to a caramel macchiato from Starbucks, albeit an alcoholic one. Caramel is such a versatile flavor that I couldn't initially decide what to do with it. Brownies came to mind, but somehow I ended up deciding to start with cheesecake.<br />I have made <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/06/19/cheesecake-bars-and-testing-the-bakers-edge-pan/">plain cheesecake bars </a>using <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/06/rocky-road-brownies-and-bakers-edge.html">my Baker's Edge pan</a> before and they turned out so beautifully that there was no doubt in my mind I would have to use it again. I still think that the unusual design of the pan makes it perfect for anything that is likely to end up with overcooked edges and an undercooked center when baked in a normal pan, like cheesecake bars and brownies, in addition to whatever else you want to put in it.<br />These bars turned out beautifully. I used quite a bit of Bailey's, so they are rather "grown up" and probably won't be a big hit with the kids, but they should be a big hit with the adults, especially if you like Bailey's to begin with. The cheesecake is creamy, with notes of caramel and Irish cream and the chocolaty crust provides a wonderful, shortbread-like contrast in texture. They're easy enough to make on a weeknight, fancy enough to serve at a dinner party and taste fantastic. What more could you want?</div><div align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Bailey's Cheesecake Bars with Chocolate Crust</strong><br /><em>Crust</em><br />1/3 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup butter, softened<br />1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />1/4 cup cocoa powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br /><br /><em>Cheesecake</em><br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1/4 cup half & half/light cream<br />1/2 cup Bailey's Caramel (or regular Bailey's)<br />2 (8-oz) packages plain cream cheese, room temperature<br />3 large eggs, room temperature<br />1 tbsp all-purpose flour<br />1 tsp vanilla extract </div><div align="left"><br /><br />Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a Baker's Edge pan (or 9x13-inch baking pan). Begin by making the crust. In a large or extra-large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until smooth and fluffy. Sift together flour, cocoa and salt in a small bowl. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture. Mixture will be crumbly when all the flour has been incorporated. Press evenly into prepared pan and bake for 15-17 minutes.<br />While the crust bakes, combine sugar, half & half, Bailey's and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time, waiting until each in incorporated to add the next, followed by flour and vanilla.<br />Pour the filling over the hot crust when it has finished baking. Return pan to oven and bake for 22-26 minutes, until the filling is set (a 9x13 pan might need an extra couple of minutes, so be sure to test that the cheesecake is set by gently jiggling the pan before removing it from the oven).<br />Cool completely before slicing (don't worry if the cheesecake appears to deflate as it cools), or refrigerate overnight.<br />Store in the refrigerator.<br />Makes 16-20 bars.<br /><br /><br />Note: Use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe, or substitute Neufchatel cheese to reduce the fat, but do not use whipped or fat free cream cheese.</div>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1168525217782682062007-01-12T06:20:00.000-08:002007-01-12T17:00:21.903-08:00Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG1391.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG1391.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br />Remember when I pointed out a few weeks ago that <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/12/secret-to-really-chewy-cookies.html">cashew butter could be used </a>to make extra-chewy cookies? It turns out that the very same property carries over to brownies, although this time I used peanut butter instead of cashew butter for something a little bit different.<br />Besides - who doesn't like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate? It wouldn't be such a popular pairing in the candy world if it wasn't well-liked.<br />These brownies use both peanut butter and cocoa for a tasty twist on a favorite. The texture is wonderful, as they are chewy and rich without being extremely wet or heavy, as some "fudgy" brownies tend to be. They also keep quite nicely and taste just as good on the second day as they did on the first. I can't vouch for the third day because I suspect that they won't last that long.<br />I really recommend including the chocolate chips in this recipe because the brownies themselves are not super chocolaty and the chips will keep chocoholics content, but if you want to go really peanut-buttery with this one, try using peanut butter chips instead. You can also try using other nut butters, although your results may vary slightly from mine if you use a natural nut butter, since I used a regular brand.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies</strong></div><div align="center">1/4 cup butter, room temperature</div><div align="center">1/2 cup creamy peanut butter</div><div align="center">1 cup brown sugar</div><div align="center">2 large eggs</div><div align="center">1 tsp vanilla extract</div><div align="center">1/3 cup all pupose flour</div><div align="center">1/3 cup cocoa powder</div><div align="center">1/4 tsp baking powder</div><div align="center">1/4 tsp salt</div><div align="center">1 cup chocolate chips</div><div align="center"> </div><br />Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x9-in square pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.<br />In a large bowl, cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth, then beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.<br />In a small bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Mix in to peanut butter mixture at a low speed, stopping when just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and scrape batter into pan, spreading into an even layer.<br />Bake for 26-29 minutes, until set. Edges should feel slightly firm and the center should not look wet or jiggly.<br />Cool on a wire rack and lit brownies out with the foil when ready to slice.<br />Makes 16 brownies.Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1167511666668626752007-01-08T06:42:00.000-08:002007-01-08T16:41:22.126-08:00Double Chocolate Peppermint Chip Cake<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG1299.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG1299.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left"><br />Over the holidays, I found myself with the need to make a dessert for some guests - surprise, surprise, right? I somehow got it into my head that a bundt cake would look good, not to mention that since these guests happened to be family members, I didn't feel the need to go over-the-top and made an especially elaborate dessert. I wanted something that would go well with a bit of cofee.<br />My first inclination was to make <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/12/pear-bundt-cake.html">the pear cake </a>yet again, but I ultimately decided that the inclusion of chocolate into my dessert would probably make it more appealing to everyone. So after much deliberation and a few twists, I arrived at a double chocolate peppermint cake. The cake is a black and white swirl bundt that uses melted bittersweet chocolate in the black layer and melted white chocolate in the white layer. I spiked only the white layer with some peppermint extract, which added a lovely flavor without being too overwhelming, since it was tempered by both the plain chocolate cake and the chocolate chips that I stirred in to both batters before baking.<br />The swirl in the cake was self-made, by which I mean that I simply layered one batter on top of the other. The lower layer, the chocolate batter, rose up around the white batter because of the way the cake cooks in the oven, creating a gorgeous swirl without the need to force the different batters to "marble."<br />The finished cake was moist and minty, with a good hint of chocolate that could be emphasized even more if you add a chocolate glaze, rather than a simply dusting of powdered sugar. It was substantial, but neither as heavy nor as dense as a pound cake. It went beautifully with coffee and even better with hot chocolate. </div><div align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Double Chocolate Peppermint Chip Cake</strong><br />1 cup butter, room temperature<br />2 cups sugar<br />4 large eggs<br />2 cups buttermilk<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br />4 cups all purpose flour<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />2 tsp baking soda<br />1 tsp salt<br />4 oz bittersweet chocolate (or semisweet), chopped and melted<br />4 oz white chocolate, chopped and melted<br />1 tsp peppermint extract<br />1 1/2 cups chocolate chips<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a 10-in. bundt pan thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.</div>In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Set aside.<br />Combine vanilla and buttermilk in a measuring cup. Set aside.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Working in three or four additions, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, mixing only until just incorporated and no flour remains.<br />Scoop half of the batter back into the medium bowl. Into one bowl, stir in melted bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate. Into the other half of the batter in the other bowl, stir in melted white chocolate and peppermint extract. Divide chocolate chips and stir half into each bowl.<br />Pour chocolate batter into prepared bundt pan. Smooth surface. Pour white batter evenly into bundt pan and tap gently to smooth surface. Do not swirl the batter.<br />Bake cake for 70-75 minutes at 325F, until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when gently touched.<br />Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.<br />Serves 12-14.Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1167511368583982192007-01-03T12:42:00.000-08:002007-01-04T11:53:31.660-08:00The Cheeseboard's Currant Scones<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG1130.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG1130.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="left"><br />It's not really possible to eat low fat all the time, not without missing out on something really tasty every once in a while, so even if your New Year's resolution is to eat healthier, just keep in mind that eating healthier doesn't have to mean excluding everything that could be described as "decadent." It just means eating less of those items. Really good scones usually get that way because of the liberal use of butter and cream, so it is best to eat just one, but do take that one because you'll be missing out if you're never had a really good scone.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/rediscover.cfm?archiveDate=10-17-03">This recipe</a> is from the The Cheeseboard in Berkeley, easily one of the best - not to mention one of the most interesting - bakeries in the SF bay area. It is a collective, so all the workers are part owners of the bakery and basically seem like one big family. The Cheeseboard sells everything from baguettes to sticky buns depending on what day of the week and time of day it is, but everything they sell is excellent. This scone, although fairly simple, is one of their best sellers. It was their "original" scone and on a busy Saturday, the tiny shop can sell through over 500 of them.<br />The scones are moist, flavorful and tender, with a nice, but slight, crispness to the outside. Dried currants are more easily found at natural foods and gourmet stores, but if you cannot find them at all, use small, dark raisins.<br /><br />Oh, and Happy New Year, everyone! </div><div align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Currant Scones</strong><br />(from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCheese-Board-Collective-Works-Pastry%2Fdp%2F1580084192%2F&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">The Cheese Board: Collective Works</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />)<br />3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1/2 tsp baking soda<br />1 tbsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp kosher salt<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />1 cup butter, chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes<br />1 cup dried currants<br />3/4 cup heavy cream<br />3/4 cup buttermilk<br /><br />coarse sugar, for topping </div><div align="left"><br />Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.<br />Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.<br />Add in butter, toss to coat, and rub in with your fingers (or a pastry cutter, if you prefer) until only pea-sized chunks remain.<br />Stir in currants, then add the cream and buttermilk, mixing only until the ingredients just come together into a ball. It is ok if there is a little flour left at the bottom of the bowl.<br />Divide dough into 12 balls (about 2-in in diameter, although the cheeseboard's seem to be larger in the shop) and dip the top of each in coarse sugar before placing on the prepared baking sheet.<br />Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.<br />Cool on a wire rack.<br />Makes 12. </div>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1166583890623924432006-12-29T19:04:00.000-08:002006-12-30T12:42:06.586-08:00Margarita Cupcakes<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG1034.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG1034.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br />Chocolate and vanilla are classics for a reason, but that doesn't mean that you can't think outside of the box a bit when it comes to cupcakes. And I'm not refering to boxed cake mixes here. I'm talking about using more unusualy flavors, like <a href="http://www.cupcakeblog.com/">Cupcake Bakeshop</a> does, to really let cupcakes shine, not just act as pacifiers when we're in the mood for a little nostalgia.<br />You have probably never had a margarita cupcake before, let alone heard of one. This recipe comes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FVegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World%2Fdp%2F1569242739&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />, a book that I recently got to try a few recipes from. Not only are they creative, but they taste great. This batch of cupcakes, for example, was served to a group of omnivores and I didn't even mention that they were vegan. They were a huge, huge hit. It could have had something to do with the taste of tequila in the outstanding frosting, but even so, there were no complaints about the texture or the flavor of the cake. And yes, I mean this as a complement because anyone who has tried vegan baking will tell you that the flavor is not the problem, it's the texture. This cupcake has it all - excellent flavor, nice moistness and even crumb, and a great frosting. The lime/tequila flavors really shine.<br /><div align="left">Because they're modeled after a cocktail, these are kind of "adult" cupcakes. Make them for a party - how about New Year's?<br /><br /></div><strong></strong><div align="center"><strong>Margarita Cupcakes</strong><br />(from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FVegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World%2Fdp%2F1569242739&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />)<br />1/4 cup lime juice</div><div align="center">1 1/2 tsp lime zest (1 lime)</div><div align="center">1 cup soy milk (plain or vanilla)</div><div align="center">1/4 cup vegetable oil</div><div align="center">2 tsp tequila</div><div align="center">1/2 tsp vanilla extract</div><div align="center">1 cup sugar</div><div align="center">1 1/3 cup all purpose flour</div><div align="center">1/4 tsp baking soda</div><div align="center">1/2 tsp baking powder</div><div align="center">1/2 tsp salt</div><br />Preheat oven to 350F. Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.<br />In a large bowl, mix together lime juice, lime zest, soy milk, oil , tequila, vanilla and sugar.<br />In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to lime mixture and stir until just combined. Divide evenly into muffin tins.<br />Bake for 20-24 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.<br />Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Tequila and Lime Frosting</strong></div><div align="center">1/4 butter or nonhydrogenated shortening, softened</div><div align="center">1 tbsp soymilk</div><div align="center">3 tbsp lime juice</div><div align="center">1 tbsp tequila</div><div align="center">2+ cups confectioners' sugar</div><div align="center">coarse sugar for "rims"</div><br />Cream together butter/nonhydrogenated shortening (depending on whether you want the frosting vegan or not), soymilk, lime juice, tequila, and 2 cups of confectioners' sugar. Add in more sugar as needed to make frosting stiff, but spreadable.<br />Spread on cupcakes and roll the edges in a small amount of coarse, colored sugar (poured into a small bowl, so it's easy to direct it.Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1167163704309054302006-12-26T12:07:00.000-08:002006-12-26T18:28:21.070-08:00Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Rugelach<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG1195.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG1195.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br />I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas (Hanukkah, etc.) with their families and friends this year. I know I did.<br />I feel that I am a bit late with these rugelach because they are a tradititionally Jewish cookie and very popular during Hanukkah, especially at parties. This doesn't preclude them from being eaten the rest of the year, of course, but I must say that these were a huge hit as holiday gifts this year.<br />This rugelach is made with a lightly sweetened cream cheese dough that is very rich, but very easy to work with. The dough is spread with a filling that can include fruit, spices, preserves, nuts or - as in this case - chocolate, then is cut into thin triangles and rolled into individual crescent shapes. The finished cookies look quite impressive, but they are surprisingly easy to make because the dough is, as I said, very easy to handle.<br />The pastry is soft and tender without being crunchy, brittle or flaky, unlike shortbread and other types of pastry dough. The filling is has a nice balance of chocolate, fruit and nuts that has been ground almost into a paste. It is lightly sweetened and very flavorful, but not overwhelming to the dough. Like so many other cookies, these go perfectly with a hot cup of tea. If you have never had rugelach, I highly recommend giving them a try.<br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG1201.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG1201.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><div align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Cranberry Chocolate Pecan Rugelach</strong><br />(adapted from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/3049">Bon Appetit</a>)<br /><br /><em>For dough</em>:<br />1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature<br />8-oz. (1 package) cream cheese, room temperature<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />2 3/4 cups all purpose flour<br />1 tsp salt<br /><br /><em>For filling</em>:<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup dried cranberries<br />1/2 cup chocolate chips<br />1/2 cup unsalted pecans (raw or lightly toasted)<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br /><br />1 large egg, beaten lightly<br />coarse sugar, for sprinkling</div><div align="left"><br /><br /><em>Make dough</em>:<br />Beat together butter and cheese in large bowl. then beat in the sugar until light. Gradually mix in flour and salt and when the dough comes together into a smooth ball (you might need to help the mixer with your hands), divide into 2 equal discs and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Divide each of the discs into four pieces (for a total of 8) before rolling out.</div><br /><em>For filling</em>:<br />Mix sugar, cranberries, pecans, chocolate chips and butter in the bowl of a food processor and blend until spreadable and fairly smooth.<br /><br /><em>Assembly</em>:<br />Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchmemt paper.<br />Working with one disk of dough at a time, roll into an 8-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Spread the round of dough with 3-4 tbsp of filling, spreading it in a thin, even layer to the edges of the dough. Use a pizza cutter and cut each round into 8 "slices." Working from the outside edge, roll in towards the point, then place the cookies tip-point-down onto the baking sheet. Curve slightly into crescents. When the whole tray is filled, brush each lightly with the beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar (regular sugar can substitute).<br />Bake about 20 minutes, until light golden.<br />Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely and repeat with remaining dough.<br />Store in an airtight container.<br />Makes 64 cookies.<br /><br />(Bon Appetit said that these will keep for 1 week in an airtight container and can be frozen for 1 month.)Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1166583791146935172006-12-22T07:03:00.000-08:002006-12-22T14:21:41.933-08:00Rum Raisin Oatmeal Cookies<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG0995.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG0995.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br />If you haven't noticed by now, I reallly, really like oatmeal cookies. Past favorites include <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/05/banana-oatmeal-cookies.html">Banana Oatmeal Cookies</a>, <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/08/cooking-school-oatmeal-chocolate-chip.html">Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies</a>, <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/12/maple-pecan-oatmeal-cookies.html">Maple Pecan Oatmeal Cookies</a>, <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/04/coconut-oatmeal-cookies.html">Coconut Oatmeal Cookies</a>, <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/08/heart-healthy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip.html">Heart Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies</a> and <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/08/oatmeal-cookie-biscotti.html">Oatmeal Cookie Biscotti</a> - and even with a list of recipes that long, I don't feel the need to stop yet.<br />This recipe was a spur of the moment idea and is a variation on one of my favorite <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/07/18/light-life-low-fat-oatmeal-cookies/">lowfat oatmeal cookie recipes</a>. I decided to jazz up the regular cookies with a splash of rum to give them some holiday spirit and it worked beautifully. The rum flavor was present, but subtle. You could tell that there was something different about the cookies, but until you knew that there was rum, it was hard to pinpoint the source of that flavor. The result was delicious and slightly adult.<br />The cookies, although they are low fat, still have a nice chew to them and stay moist when you store them in an airtight container, although they don't have the same light texture that a really buttery cookie will have. Frankly, I don't mind in the least. These still taste great and I'm not going to complain when I can eat an extra cookie or two without feeling guilty.<br />If you don't want to go with the low-fat cookies, just make the run raisins and use them in <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/08/cooking-school-oatmeal-chocolate-chip.html">this recipe</a> instead!<br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Rum Raisin Oatmeal Cookies</strong><br />3/4 cup raisins<br />2-3 tbsp dark rum<br />1 cup all purpose flour<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />1/8 tsp ground nutmeg<br />2 tbsp butter, room temperature<br />1/4 cup plain apple sauce<br />1 large egg<br />1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />1/2 cup white sugar<br />1/2 cup brown sugar<br />2 cups quick cooking oats<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Combine rum and raisins in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for a few seconds, until just warm. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at least 30 minutes.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cinnamon if using raisins, instead of chocolate chips.<br />In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars. Beat in the egg, followed by the applesauce and the vanilla extract. Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oats until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the rum-raisin mixture.<br />Drop tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, flattening each cookie slightly. Bake for about 9-12 min at 375F. Cookies will be light brown at the edges when done.<br />Let cool on sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.<br />Store in an airtight container.<br />Makes about 2 dozen cookies.</div>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1165585226001288562006-12-19T05:40:00.000-08:002006-12-18T19:11:17.600-08:00Foolproof Lemon Tart<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG0823.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG0823.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br />Meyer lemons, the non-bitter lemon hybrids that are growing in popularity with cooks everywhere by leaps and bounds, are in season right now. It is much easier to find them at stores and markets than it was only a few years ago, and more people are familiar with them as an ingredient. Even if you're not, the only thing you need to know is that they seem sweeter than the average lemon but no less lemony.<br />I've used them in <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/10/meyer-lemon-scones.html">scones</a>, <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/04/meyer-lemon-and-blueberry-bread.html">quickbreads</a>, <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/11/lemon-cornmeal-bundt-cake-with.html">cakes</a> and <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/03/asparagus-and-meyer-lemon-risotto.html">risottos</a>, but they can be used in place of lemons in any recipe. With this in mind, I didn't hesitate to substitute them in for the regular lemons in this recipe for a <a href="http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/RecipeController?action=recipe&language=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;recipeID=1010&recipeType=1">Foolproof Lemon Tart</a> from the LCBO magazine, <a href="http://www.lcbo.com/fooddrink/index.shtml">Food & Drink</a>, which is one of my favorite <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/07/spiced-up-ginger-cookies.html">recipe</a> <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/01/lemon-meringue-pie-cupcakes.html">sources</a>.<br />The tart is, as promised by the name, pretty foolproof. The "hardest" part is the crust because it needs to be prebaked. Prebaking basically means that you bake the crust after filling it with pie weights or dried beans to prevent the crust from getting soggy once the filling is added and to stop it from puffing up during baking once the filling is added, which could ruin the look of the finished tart. Prebaking a crust like this one is no different from prebaking a graham cracker crust, so there is no need to be intimidated by it in a recipe even if you're a novice baker.<br /><div align="left">There is a bit of lemon zest in the crust, but the star of the tart is the lemon filling. Not only is it incredibly simple, but it is bright, perfectly balancing sweet and tart flavors so that all you taste is lemon. It is also very smooth and light. The tart would probably be quite refreshing during the summer, but in winter, it is a nice change from heavier, spicier desserts.</div><div align="center"><br /><strong>Foolproof Lemon Tart</strong> </div><div align="center">(from <a href="http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo-ear/RecipeController?action=recipe&language=1&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;recipeID=1010&recipeType=1">Food&Drink</a>)<br /><em>For the crust</em>:<br />1 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />3 tbsp granulated sugar<br />1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut in cubes<br />1 large egg yolk<br />2 tbsp lemon juice (meyer or regular)<br />2 tsp lemon zest<br /><br /><em>For the filling</em>:<br />3 large eggs<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled<br />1 tbsp lemon zest<br />1/2 cup lemon juice (meyer or regular)<br /></div><br /><div align="left"><br /><em>For the crust:<br /></em>Preheat oven to 425F<br />In a food processor, combine flour and sugar and pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture is coarse and sandy. Add in egg yolk, lemon juice and lemon zest and whizz until dough starts to come together, adding an extra tablespoon of water or lemon juice, if necessary.<br />Turn dough into bowl and knead gently until it forms a ball.<br />Place dough on a lightly floured board and roll until it is large enough to fit a 9-in tart pan. Lay dough gently into pan and press (do not stretch) into the corners. Cut excess from the top of the pan.<br />Prick the crust with a fork and place a sheet of foil on top of it, filling with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and beans and bake for 5 more minutes. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the filling.<br /><br /><em>For the filling:<br /></em>Reduce oven heat to 350F.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar. Whisking steadily, add in melted butter, lemon rind and juice. Pour into pastry shell.<br />Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling is set and jiggles only slightly when the tart pan is pushed.<br />Cool before serving.<br /><br />Serves 10. </div>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1165585138049451962006-12-14T05:58:00.000-08:002006-12-14T10:04:17.746-08:00Cranberry Orange Cookies<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG0862.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG0862.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br />Every year I try to make one "different" cookie recipe around the holidays. I'm not saying that I go for something extreme, like chocolate chip bacon cookies, but I do like to have one thing on the Christmas cookie plate that isn't just chocolate chip oatmeal, gingerbread, shortbread or a sprinkle-laden butter cookie. Bright with orange zest and packed with chewy dried cranberries, these cookies fit the bill perfectly. They're delicious.<br />The cookies themselves are light, with an excellent texture, and are very buttery tasting. They get crisp at the edges after baking, but are left with a soft chew by the next day. The orange zest is not overwhelming and it gives the cookies a light flavor that makes you reach for another straight away. I think that cranberries are a good match for the orange, but dried blueberries would probably also work out very well if you want something different. And, of course, you can always toss in either white or dark <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/12/08/christmas-cookie-of-the-week-cranberry-orange-and-dark-chocolate/">chocolate chips</a>.<br />Don't overbake these cookies. They should only be ever so slightly colored at the edges when they are done baking. Leave them to set up on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool, or you could end up with cookie crumbs, instead of whole cookies.<br /><div align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Cranberry Orange Cookies</strong><br />2 cups all purpose flour<br />1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp baking soda<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />3/4 cup butter, room temperature<br />1 cup white sugar<br />1 large egg<br />zest of one large orange (about 1 tbsp)<br />3/4 cup dried cranberries </div><div align="left"><br /><br />Preheat oven to 350F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.<br />In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar, beating with an electric mixer until light. Beat in egg and orange zest. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture, stirring only until just combined. Stir in the cranberries.<br />Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (about 1 1/4-inch balls) onto prepared cookie sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes, until edges are very lightly browned. Cool for 3-4 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.<br />Makes about 4 dozen.<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>By the way</em> - did you know that the <a href="http://wellfed.net/2006/12/11/2006-food-blog-awards-announcement/">2006 Food Blog Awards</a> are going on right now? It's a low pressure event, but it's nice to go and nominate your favorite bloggers. I'm not thrilled with the way that they have judges pick from all the nominated blogs to see who we will vote on, but hey - that's their system. And the idea behind the event, recognizing everyone's hard work and decication of every reader (who hopefully finds lots of tasty recipes), is definitely agood one.</div>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1165695450612555342006-12-12T07:15:00.000-08:002006-12-12T12:25:03.833-08:00A few holiday gift ideas<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG3775.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG3775.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p><br />I've been working on a lot of <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/12/12/slashfood-ate-8-great-gifts-for-foodies/">gift lists</a> to suit <a href="http://www.luxist.com/2006/12/04/luxist-holiday-guide-gifts-for-the-coffee-lover/">various</a> <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/12/04/slashfood-ate-8-great-holiday-gifts-for-bakers/">themes</a>, but I still feel like I haven't hit upon some of the best gifts that are out there. So, I've decided to make up a little list for fans of bakingsheet that has some of the best gifts that I can think of. These are all things that I have, have used, want or otherwise recommend and are pretty much guaranteed to please anyone who is a fan of this blog. Now, you might not want to get them for yourself (buying presents for yourself right before major holidays is a major no-no), but you can forward this post to friends and loved ones to nudge them in the right direction:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FGood-Home-Cookbook-Classic-American%2Fdp%2F1933112255&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>The Good Home Cookbook</em></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> - I was one of the recipe testers for this brilliant collection. My name is even listed in the back of the book - true, it's with all the other testers, but it was exciting for me to see regardless. The recipes are easy, work well and it covers just about everything the home chef might possibly want to make. The pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, cheese bread and black walnut cake are all great.<br /><br />I think that Beth Hensperger is a brilliant baker and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FBread-Bible-Henspergers-Favorite-Recipes%2Fdp%2F0811816869&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>The Bread Bible</em></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> is one of my favorites, although all her books are excellent. The range of breads, from <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/09/cooking-school-dutch-crunch-bread.html">Dutch Crunch Bread</a> and <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/11/cooking-school-cinnamon-swirl-bread.html">Orange Cinnamon Swirl Bread</a> to whole grain breads, tortillas, scones, quick breads and even bread-machine breads, you can find everything in here. Other bread books I highly recommend are Paul Hollywood's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2F100-Great-Breads-Paul-Hollywood%2Fdp%2F1844031438&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>100 Great Breads</em></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FBaking-Julia-Knead-Flute-Savor%2Fdp%2F0688146570&tag=bakingsheet-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>Baking with Julia</em></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> for breads and other things.<br /><br />For non-breads, I really enjoyed Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FBaking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan%2Fdp%2F0618443363&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>Baking: From My Home to Yours</em></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />, which has tons of great recipes, great photos and great ideas. Just about every recipe in the book sounded appealing. I already made <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/11/chewy-chunky-blondies.html">Chewy, Chunky Blondies</a> and <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/10/cinnamon-chocolate-squares.html">Cinnamon Chocolate Squares</a> and am planning on trying the Cranberry Lime Galette and Apple Cheddar Scones in the not-too-distant future. I also, as always, highly recommend anything by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/002-1124320-7829618?ie=UTF8&index=books&rank=-relevance%2C%2Bavailability%2C-daterank&field-author-exact=Heatter%2C%20Maida">Maida Heatter</a>. Other top authors in my book are Donna Hay, Bill Granger (yes, I know he's not primarily a baker) and David Lebovitz, to name but a few.<br /><br />Vegetarians, vegans or anyone interested in diversifying their cooking/baking should definitely try <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FVegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes%2Fdp%2F1569243581&tag=bakingsheet-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>Vegan with a Vengeance</em></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FVegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World%2Fdp%2F1569242739&tag=bakingsheet-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World</em></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> (just tried a couple of recipes from this book and will report back in upcoming posts, but for now I'll just say they turned out great!), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FMoosewood-Restaurant-Cooks-Home-Recipes%2Fdp%2F0671679929&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home</em></a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FMoosewood-Restaurant-Low-Fat-Favorites-Flavorful%2Fdp%2F0517884941&tag=bakingsheet-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites</em></a>, both of which are not recent, but still worth having<img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />.<br /><br />Books on my wishlist include <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FPerfect-Light-Desserts-Fabulous-Calories%2Fdp%2F0060779292&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>Perfect Light Desserts</em></a><em><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />, </em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FArthur-Flour-Whole-Grain-Baking%2Fdp%2F0881507199&tag=bakingsheet-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking</em></a><em><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> </em>and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FPastry-Queen-Royally-Recipes-Countrys%2Fdp%2F1580085628&tag=bakingsheet-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325"><em>The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes</em> </a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FVegetarian-Times-with-5-Bonus%2Fdp%2FB000IOMPZ6&tag=bakingsheet-20&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Vegetarian Times</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> and <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/">Eating Well</a> are my two favorite food magazines this year. Cooking Light is getting a little bit... heavy for my tastes and if I want a full-fat recipe I'll turn to one of my many, many cookbooks. Both VT and EW have innovative ideas and the recipes almost always turn out wonderfully.<br /><br />I trust that you can all find your own spatulas, spoons and measuring instruments, but <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FOXO-Grips-2-Cup-Angled-Measuring%2Fdp%2FB00005RKOE&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">OXO's Good Grips 2-Cup Angled Measuring Cup</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> is a lifesaver for working with liquid ingredients and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FBakers-Secret-Basics-Non-Stick-12-Cup%2Fdp%2FB00091PMUS&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Baker's Secret Basics Non-Stick 12-Cup Muffin Tin</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> is pretty much the best that I've ever used. Nothing sticks to it, so cleanup is dead easy, and it cools down completely within minutes after taking it out of the oven! I also really liked the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FThe-Bakers-Catalogue-Edge-Pan%2Fdp%2FB000EAP09C&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Baker's Edge Pan</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />, partially because I usally like the "edges" on baked goods and partially because I hate ending up with undercooked cakes, etc. There are a lot of <a href="http://www.bakersedge.com/recipes.html">recipes</a> that can be used with the pan. My favorites are (obviously), the two I made: <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2006/06/rocky-road-brownies-and-bakers-edge.html">Rocky Road Brownies</a> and <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2006/06/19/cheesecake-bars-and-testing-the-bakers-edge-pan/">Cheesecake Bars</a><br /><br />As far as larger/more expensive kitchen equipment goes, I adore my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FShun-Classic-2-Inch-Santoku-Knife%2Fdp%2FB0000Y7KFO&tag=bakingsheet-20&amp;linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Shun Classic 6-1/2-Inch Santoku Knife</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" />, which seems like it could cut through just about anything, and my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=%2FCuisinart-ICE-20-2-Quart-Automatic-Frozen%2Fdp%2FB00000JGRT&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Makeer</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> gets a lot of use during the warm summer months and puts out an excellent product.<br /><br />Ignore the odd reviews of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FFrancisFrancis-X3-Espresso-Machine-Pallinato%2Fdp%2FB0000AFX4J&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> (check <a href="http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/detailed/francisfrancisx3">this one instead</a>). The machine works beautifully and turns out espressos and cappuccinos that will rival, if not surpass, your local coffee house. The only drawback is that it works best if you only want to make a couple of drinks. The heating unit gets noisy if you attempt to use it for serving a crowd. If espresso isn't for you, I can definitely recommend the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FCapresso-440-05-Electronic-Coffeemaker-Thermal%2Fdp%2FB000063XHI&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Capresso MT-500 </a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> coffeemaker with thermal carafe, which has never let me down. And, to go with a regular coffee machine, an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAerolatte-005-Frother-Satin-Finish%2Fdp%2FB0002KZUNK&tag=bakingsheet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325">Aerolatte Frother</a><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" height="1" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bakingsheet-20&l=ur2&o=1" width="1" border="0" /> can whip up some foam in seconds (and is superb for mixing up hot chocolate).</p><p></p><br /><br /><p><em>By the way, you can find the recipe for the cookies pictured above <a href="http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/12/soft-cutout-christmas-cookies.html">here</a>.</em></p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8998678.post-1165585101657782772006-12-08T17:38:00.000-08:002006-12-09T21:33:19.413-08:00Pear Bundt Cake<p align="center"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/640/CIMG0919.jpg"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 1px solid; MARGIN: 2px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 1px solid" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/196/2249/320/CIMG0919.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p align="left"><br />Speaking as someone who chronically does this, pears are an underutilized fruit when it comes to baking and dessert. This is a shame because they have great flavor, work well with a variety of spices and are easy to bake because they already have a soft texture and you don't have to worry about undercooking them (it can occasionally be a problem with apples, which is why many apple muffin recipes call for them to be shredded, or finely diced).<br />This is a pear bundt cake, relatively low in fat and made with pear sauce, which I found at Trader Joe's. Applesauce can easily be used instead without sacrificing anything in terms of flavor. The cake has a tender, but firm, crumb of the kind that is ideal for pairing with coffee or tea, when you want to pick up the slice of cake and eat it with your fingers, rather than delicately nibbling off a plate. The pieces of pear are wonderfully moist and blend in with the cake well. You would never know that it was low in fat.<br /><br />Tempted? I hope so, because I loved the way this cake turned out. Unfortunately, I spilled coffee all over my notes for the recipe and can no longer make out my final version. I'm going to go back through my notes and piece it together again, but I couldn't resist putting the photo up now. I'll bake another cake, if I must (not a big sacrifice, I assure you), to get it right again.<br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong> Here is the recipe: </p><p align="center"><br /><br /><strong>Pear Bundt Cake</strong><br />3 1/4 cups all purpose flour<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp nutmeg<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />2 cups sugar<br />1/4 cup butter, softened<br />2 large eggs<br />1/2 cup pear sauce (unsweetened apple sauce is fine)<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 1/4 cups milk<br />1 1/2 - 2 cups peeled, diced pear (1 large or 2 small) </p><p align="left"><br />Preheat over to 350F. Grease a 10-inch bundt pan well, brushing it with melted butter or nonstick cooking spray.<br />In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon.<br />In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. It will look sandy when well-combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by pear/apple sauce and vanilla extract.<br />Working in two or three additions, alternately add flour mixture and milk to the sugar mixture. Stir only until just combined, then gently stir in the diced pears.<br />Pour into prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when gently pressed.<br />Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.<br />Dust with powdered sugar before serving.<br />Serves 12.<br /></p>Nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13456007322213045872noreply@blogger.com