At the Baker's Bench

BYOB Roundup ~ March 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:44:00 +0000

Kira of Blogs from a Homesick Aussie made lots of bread this go-round! Check out her Whole Wheat, Wheat Germ, and Steel-Cut Oats Loaf; Roti; 10-Grain Whole Wheat Bread; and her yummy-looking Sourdough Toast with Vegemite and cheese!

Frieda of Lovin' from the Oven brings us some gorgeous Light Wheat Potato Rolls. Her step-by-step pics makes these pillowy rolls look like a cinch to make alongside your next late-winter soup or stew.

Leslie of Recipes by Leslie made good use of her oven time! She shows off some wow-some Quick Beer Pizza Crust (you already know my weakness for pizza!), not one but two pound cakes: Pumpkin and Mississippi Mud, and a recipe that has gone right to my to-bake list ~ Dessert Empananadas! Que rico!

Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi give the popular no-knead formula a go and produce this lovely 100% Whole Wheat No-Knead Sandwich Loaf. If you're still skeptical about this method, do yourself a favor and go check out their post! Get ready to be converted.

Andrea of Family & Food kept her oven busy last month! This busy baker produced Tuscan Bread, Vienna Bread, and White Bread (BBA); Sunflower Seed Rye, Stollen, and Swedish Rye (also BBA), adorable Spanish sweet buns called Ensaimadas (Bread Baking Buddies), Colombian Pan de Yuca, Pumpernickel, Poilane-style Miche, and a pretty little Princess Cake! Yeah, wow.

Beth of Kitchen Courage baked up a picture-perfect Whole Wheat Loaf andserves it up with a wonderful commentary on conscientious consumerism. Go . . . read . . . think.

Cathy of The Bread Experience kept her oven hot all month long with a series of drool-worthy offerings. Check out her Fastest Homemade Pizza Ever, Stollen (BBA), her gorgeous Valentine Bread with Cherries and Almonds, Whole Wheat Olive Oil Bread with Home-Milled Flour, and nearly 30 other breads for the Stir It 28 event in Atlanta ~ whew!

Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook made a brag-worthy Italian Bread to share with us! Be warned . . . if you're the jealous type, maybe you should avoid taking a peek at this post. ;)

Jennifer of The Lollipop Kids turned out some yum-licious baked goods . . . go see her Apple Strudel Bread (!), Sandwich Bread, and Hamburger Buns! Yay for moms who bake (and blog about it)!

And as for me . . .

Among the breads and burger buns, etc., I've been baking birthday cake. But not just any birthday cake, my beautiful birthday girl's special-order 14th-birthday celebration masterpiece. I told her she could have whatever kind of pastry she wanted. (Having a mother as a pastry chef has to have some perks!) So . . . what did she want? Four layers of chocolate genoise separated with layers of chocolate and peanut butter mousse. Satiny whipped fudge frosting would keep the layers in line, and the chocolate and peanut butter mousses would be combined and piped into rosettes to decorate the top. Oh yeah . . . and all that mousse had to be sturdy enough to support the cake layers without benefit of gelatin ~ my son is a vegetarian and we didn't want to leave him out of the party.

So, how did it turn out?

Delicious. The chocolate genoise took three tries to achieve a successful version and the loose-mousse situation was a bit of a dicey situation without a molding pan . . . but thanks to parchment paper, masking tape, and a little help from my talented friend and baking colleague Olivia, the cake rocked. Maybe it wouldn't have won any decorator's awards, but it exceeded the "client's" expectations, and that's the important thing.

Chocolate Genoise with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mousse

A happy birthday girl!

Happy baking!

~Sandy

From the Cookshelf: Artisan Breads at Home with the Culinary Institute of America

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:01:00 +0000

Once upon a time, I took a boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America. It was the Hearth Breads Boot Camp, and it was taught by Chef Eric Kastel. If you read my cooking blog, Eat Real, you know I wrote about my experience there more than once. It was that significant. The boot camp was a one-day session, but the lessons I learned there that day have stuck with me since. Every time I form a round or oblong loaf of bread, I use the techniques I learned from Chef Kastel. Ditto for braiding a challah bread or cutting a perfect fougasse.

Back on that day, Chef Kastel mentioned a project he had in the works. He'd written a baking book, which was, at the time, making its way through the publishing machine ~ a long and somewhat convoluted process made up of a series of deadlines and precariously interrelated schedules. I made a mental (and, actually, a literal) note to keep an eye out for it as soon as it hit the shelves.

Well, I am very, very happy to report that, at last, Chef Eric Kastel's Artisan Breads at Home with the CIA has hit the shelves! And it is everything I'd hoped it would be. All those boot-camp techniques are here, and so much more. And as for the pictures? Well, let's just say that it's a good thing this book isn't scratch-and-sniff. There are nearly 170 full-color photos to complement the recipes and methods presented.

The day after I received a review copy from Wiley, I set about choosing recipes to test. First up, Ciabatta. Full disclosure: I'd made Chef Kastel's Ciabatta in the boot camp, so I knew exactly how good it would be. What I didn't know was if I'd be able to replicate it at home. Answer: The recipe produced 3 perfect loaves of flavorful, crusty Ciabatta with big gassy "eyes" in the crumb. Sorry ~ all three loaves disappeared before I could snap pictures. But here's some poolish for you.

Second, I made the Caraway-Rye Bread, which did not call for a preferment. It was one of the quickest rye breads I've ever made ~ and one of the most successful. Two large, hearty loaves with perfect flavor. {Note: This one's not a sour rye; another recipe fits the bill there.}

This text covers the hows and whys with plenty of pictures of both finished product and process. Unlike many books that teach advanced breads (this one covers advanced artisan breads, breads with preferments, and enriched doughs as well as basic doughs and flatbreads), the language is straightforward and accessible, even for novice bakers. Chef Kastel ~ and I speak from personal experience here ~ is an excellent teacher. His discussion on the 12 steps of bread making (pp. 26 through 43) is superb.

More experienced and professional bakers will appreciate the charts accompanying each recipe, giving ingredient measures by volume, weight (metric and standard), and bakers percentage. Bonus features include a section on Sauces and Dips and an Appendix with diagrams showing braiding and knotting techniques.

Chef Kastel has provided a resource full of useful information, clear and insightful instruction, and a trove of compelling recipes. This one is a buy/don't borrow bread book.

Artisan Breads at Home with the CIA by Eric W. Kastel (Wiley Hardcover; January 18, 2010; $34.95)

BYOB Roundup ~ February 1, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Kathy of Cooking on the Side and Panini Happy starts off the new year with a bang: Honey Oatmeal Bread. This looks so yummy and comforting ~ perfect for a PB and J or whatever your pleasure!

Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi serve up something I've never seen before: Ragi-Sweet Potato Sourdough Bread. Ragi, as they mention, is related to teff. They've made some pretty-as-a-picture knotted rolls with it, and they're vegan to boot!

Beth of Kitchen Courage has some yum-riffic Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies for us, as well as some lovely loaves of bread. And she's also got a new blog banner ~ very cool!

Apu of Annarasa treats us to something really unique, a Lime-Glazed Pepper and Lime Cake. If you've never experienced what black pepper can do for a dessert, now is your chance to be wowed. Don't miss this one!

Leslie of Recipes by Leslie has a special cake to share with us: Pumpkin Pecan Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. Do yourself a favor and eat something before you visit this one ~ you don't want to click on an empty stomach!

Zhulaiha of Ovenhaven tempts us with Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls (which hit the table in less than an hour!) and Strawberry Wholemeal (that's whole wheat, for us Yanks) Muffins. That's right, folks, vice and virtue, vice and virtue ~ it's all about the balance. (I recommend one in each hand.)

Margaret of Tea and Scones also brings a double header . . . French and Italian breads (BBA) ~ and they're both gorgeous! If you've been wanting to attempt either of these but haven't gotten up the gumption, go check out her post for inspiration! And then she whipped up some Beer Bread, Flat Bread, and . . . a Dutch Baby!

Ooh, la la! Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook also does the French bread thing and hers is an absolute beauty. You won't see nicer loaves in a bakery, folks! But she didn't stop there. She went on to make Crusty Cheese Bread. Oh, you know you want to see it ~ and her sourdough starters, too!

Speaking of bakeries . . . Cathy of The Bread Experience has been a very busy baker. If you're not the jealous type, go check out the wonderful stuff that's been pouring out of her oven: Hearty Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaf, Classic Sourdough, Whole Wheat Wreath Bread, New York Deli Rye, and Pepperoni Pizza Rolls.

And believe it or not, more black pepper for dessert! This time, Chrystal of The Duo Dishes adds a spicy spark to Molasses Pepper Cookies. Intriguing!

Jennifer of The Lollipop Kids was also keeping her oven busy this go-round. She's showing us her Crackers, a Boule, and a super-Looking Epi, all made from the Healthy Bin5 master dough. What a great demonstration of this dough's flexibility ~ it's hard to believe the three items came from the same base dough, they look so different (and all delicious)!

And a late-breaking addition: just in time for your Valentine's Day celebration, Frieda of Lovin' from the Oven shows us how to make Puffy Heart Dinner Rolls. Adorable! (And not just for V-day!)

And as for me . . . I made naan, and English muffins, and ciabatta, and caraway rye and this and that and some more of this. But time does fly, and I've been a little lax in writing up my oven-love exploits. I'm excited about the new year, and new recipes, and new members of our ever-expanding BYOB group! I hope that you've got plenty to be excited about too. We've got some perfect baking weather, here in New York ~ it barely broke double digits today, despite the sun. A busy oven makes for a cozy kitchen.

May your buns always be warm!
Cheers, Sandy

Daring Bakers January 2010 Challenge ~ Nanaimo Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:55:00 +0000

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

This month's DB challenge was a completely new item for me. I'd seen Nanaimo (pronounced Nuh-nye-moh) bars, those beloved Canadian bar-cookie-type treats, around the foodie blogosphere, but I'd never actually encountered them in person. Necessity inspired a few adjustments to this recipe, but by and large I'm pretty sure I captured the general gist. For a really good rundown, though, stop by and visit Lauren's site ~ her excellent pics and post will walk you through all the steps.

I didn't have any gluten-free flours on hand so I decided to go with AP flour. I've worked with GF flours in the past, though, and my experience is that they can be utilized with success to make some really wonderful pastries. I've never tried to make GF graham crackers, but I'm sure the result would be delicious.

The second change I made was a little more involved. I didn't have custard powder on hand, nor did I have a clue where I might find any on short notice. (Yep, another last-minute race to complete the challenge.) Furthermore, I don't really use powdered pudding mix, so I did the next best thing and made a vanilla creme patissiere to use as a filling. To stiffen it up for slicing, I added a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch, but it was still a bit looser than ideal. (All the icing sugar called for in the original recipe serves the purpose of making this layer nice and solid, and therefore much easier to cut through.)

Third, and this is minor, instead of cutting the graham dough into squares before baking, I used the method that I use at work to make graham cracker crumbs. I simply rolled out the dough into one large sheet, baked it, broke it up, baked it again for a few moments to dry it out a bit, then processed it in the food processor. I could have rolled it thinner to avoid the second bake, but this way is much easier and less time consuming.

Ultimately, I'm sorry to say that I didn't love my version. I can't say I don't love Nanaimo bars in general because I did play around with the formula, so I will just say that my batch was "meh," and too difficult to cut neatly. On the other hand, my teens liked these a lot, and I'm betting that their review would be a lot more enthusiastic than mine. Not a difficult dessert to make, but not one I'd probably add to my repertoire, unless I could get my hands on some of that custard powder. I will say that the graham cracker element was very tasty ~ in fact, it was my favorite part.

I'm glad I got to give these a whirl, though. Thanks, Lauren!

ABin5 ~ Naan

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:25:00 +0000

I've got a confession to make. I've been baking my own breads (etc.) now for over a year, and though I try ~ Lord knows I try ~ to keep the family in sandwich rolls and English muffins, there are times when I drop the ball. Just flat-out leave my poor little darlings without a single kaiser roll or slice of honey wheat to make a sandwich on.

And the double-edged bread knife of BYOB is that getting a family used to home-baked bread spoils them for anything else. I could buy a loaf of sandwich bread but more than likely it will languish on the countertop as my kids eat peanut butter from spoons and sliced turkey breast straight from the deli package.

Which would be okay, if it weren't accompanied by a chorus of complaints: "Mom, why is there no bread?" "Mom, you bake all day and we have no bread." "Mom, can you please, please, please stop making pastries and bake a loaf of bread, for crying out loud?" (Yeah, I'm serious.)

So, there are those days when we find ourselves scrambling to make school lunches with nary a piece of bread, not even a cracker, to be found. And on these days, I pull out my ever-present tub of ABin5dough and make some naan so my kids can go to school with still-warm hunks of buttery, garlic-and-herb-scented flatbread to satisfy their lunchtime longings. {That's correct: this makes up quickly enough to throw lunch together and still make the bus.}

This naan is so easy and so absolutely delicious, I'm starting to wonder if one day I'll find a stash of loaf bread buried somewhere in the backyard.

You can find the recipe for this wonderful bread here. {Bench note: I use clarified butter to make my naan.}

From the Cookshelf: Rose's Heavenly Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:32:00 +0000

Every now and then I get the opportunity to review a cook- or baking book that keeps me up into the wee hours, turning pages and slapping Post-its into margins, making grand plans and mental shopping lists. Rose's Heavenly Cakes (Wiley) by the award-winning Rose Levy Beranbaum is one such book.

If you're an avid cake baker, you probably already have Beranbaum's Cake Bible. If bread is your thing, her Bread Biblecertainly has a spot on your shelf. And if it's pies and pastries that move you, no doubt her Pie and Pastry Biblehas been an invaluable asset.

If you're at all familiar with Beranbaum's books, then Heavenly Cakes probably won't need much of an introduction from me, other than to say that it meets or exceeds the excellence of her other works ~ and I'm not hyperbolizing here. I've seen a lot, and I do mean a LOT, of baking books, and it's a rare thing to find books that blend recipes with technique so seamlessly into a book that both home cooks and professional bakers can embrace.

As a pastry chef and pro baker, I've gone to Beranbaum's Bibles countless times for guidance. Not only does she do an excellent job of writing a recipe, but she explains the hows and whys behind her method ~ terribly valuable to those who want to develop their baking chops.

Heavenly Cakes is a comprehensive, trustworthy guide to baking the most amazing cakes possible ~ from whoopie pies to wedding cakes and pretty much everything in between. Tutorial photographs, clear and easy to follow instructions, as well as more in-depth exploration into decorative touches and techniques make this what I consider an indispensable book for cake bakers of all skill levels.

For those you who collect cookbooks for the food porn (come on, we're all a little guilty ~ Tastespotting didn't get popular by accident!), Heavenly Cakes is the baking book of your dreams. Every single cake in this book is accompanied by a full-colored picture. That's right . . . full color, baby.

And if you're a novice cake baker and feel a little intimidated by the prospect of working through some of the more advanced projects in the book, here's some exciting news. There's a bake-along blog: Heavenly Cake Baker. Others in your shoes will be baking the same cakes along with seasoned bakers, and everyone benefits from the shared experience ~ failures and successes included. If you've never participated in a bake-along blog, I can assure you, it's one of the most proactive things you can do to advance your skills (and meet some pretty cool like-minded folks).

Click here if you want to see a brief clip of Rose Levy Beranbaum discussing Heavenly Cakes ~ she offers some useful tips (really only the tiniest tip of the iceberg of valuable information contained in the book) for cake baking in general.

*Many thanks to Lauren of SpruceTV.com for providing me a review copy of Rose's Heavenly Cakes and the video link that appears in this post.

BYOB 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 22:02:00 +0000

Happy New Year! It's hard to believe that a year of BYOB has gone by already. In some ways, it feels like I was just formulating this project a month ago, weighing the pros and cons and deciding to take the plunge. In other ways, it seems like I've always been baking my own breads . . . it's that much a part of my family's lifestyle now.

So, here we are in 2010, ready to begin year 2 of baking all are own breads, rolls, cakes, and so forth. If you're new to baking bread, this is a great way to jump in. There's nothing quite as effective at improving your skills as necessity. When you feel like eating a baguette and know that it's got to come out of your own oven, that's a pretty successful motivator to learn how to bake a decent baguette. If you're an experienced baker, you probably already know that baking all your own breads is a terrific way to build your repertoire and your confidence.

If you already are a part of BYOB, thank you for participating in 2009 and I look forward with great anticipation to sharing (visually, anyway) your wonderful breads and pastries in 2010. If you'd like to join us on our "Bake Your Own Bread" adventure, please do! As with last year, the commitment is a personal one: to bake as many of your own baked goods as possible. There may be times when you'll choose to rely on store-bought products, and that's fine. You may have a bagel place you simply can't live without visiting, and that's okay too. This goal is a dynamic one, meant to enhance your life, not add more stress to it.

If you're interested in joining us, send me an e-mail at Sandycastle1 [@] gmail [dot] com and I'll send you the specifics. You can link to At the Baker's Bench on your blog, and I'll add you to the blog roll. What you bake and how often you bake are up to you and the needs of your family. There are no deadlines for posting, though I do a monthly roundup on the first of each month. We'll have our first BYOB 2010 post on February 1, 2010.

If you have questions regarding this event ~ or baking in general ~ feel free to e-mail me and I'll answer them as quickly as possible.

Here's to a year of much oven love in your life! Happy New Year!

Best,
Sandy

12 Days of Cookies ~ Days 6, 7, 8, and 9

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:30:00 +0000

So, um, we have some catching up to do. And that means that instead of bringing you one cookie today, I'm bringing you a whole cookie platter!

Chocolate and Almond Dipped Sandwich Cookies ~ Day 6

I took a lot of license with this recipe. Not that I didn't like the original as presented, on the contrary, I liked it very much. Unfortunately, though, the dough was difficult to work with. Like a lot of butter-rich cookie doughs, this one required chilling at every step of the process: before rolling, during rolling, after rolling, after cutting, etc. After one batch, I realized that staying up till 2:00 a.m. rolling out cookies was not in my game plan, so I cut small circles and pressed them into a greased mini-muffin pan. After chilling these, I baked them to form cookie cups, which I piped full of Nutella (aka, dessert in a jar). Heavenly. And with much less effort required.Win-win.

Chocolate-Glazed Mocha Fans ~ Day 7

This recipe is a winner all the way around. It comes together in moments, bakes up in one batch, is incredibly easy to cut and handle, and offers flexibility for decorating. (The original recipe calls for edible gold leaf. I drizzled mine with semisweet and white chocolates instead.) Best? It looks and tastes like something you would purchase in a high-end bakery. Which makes it perfect for bringing to those holiday parties where you have to impress someone or where you just don't have time to fool around with chilling/rolling/chilling/cutting/etc. A standout.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies ~ Day 8

These are a cute addition to your cookie plate, especially if you're making cookies with kids in mind. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that my testers weren't overly enthusiastic about the flavor of the mint in this cookie. My teenage son, who nevertheless consumed about a third of the batch, compared them to "a bad reality show you just can't tear yourself away from." (I will add that he felt similarly about these cookies, which he compared to "eating a brownie after you've just brushed your teeth" ~ he ate the majority of that batch too.)

Hazelnut Shortbread Sticks ~ Day 9

These are by far one of my favorite cookies ~ in this series and in general. Crunchy hazelnut shortbread with milk chocolate. Score! This one goes into my permanent collection.

So, now that you've seen what I've been baking . . . why don't you visit the rest of the gang and check out their cookie platters?

Andrea of Andrea's Recipes (honorary member and our founder but not participating this year)
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dog
RJ of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker's Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

White Chocolate, Cranberry, and Macadamia Nut Cookies ~ Day 5 of the 12 Cookies of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 02:07:00 +0000

White Chocolate, Cranberry, and Macadamia Nut Cookies were a pick for a few members of my family, and I was relieved to add such a straightforward recipe to my list.These easy, unfussy drop cookies turned out exactly as I thought they would, which at this point in the cookie odyssey is a welcome result.

I'm not generally a big fan of white chocolate, but it does match beautifully with the crunchy macadamias, and the tanginess of the cranberries is a perfect foil for the sweetness of the white chocolate. I added a bit of orange zest to brighten things up. Texture-wise, they're lovely ~ pleasantly dense in the middle, crisping up toward the edges.

The great news about these cookies is that they freeze well, unlike many of the others I've made in the 12 Days of Cookies event thus far. I fed a few to my kids and their friends and packed up the rest of the generous batch for the freezer.

You can definitely use unsalted macadamias in these ~ I did ~ but don't forget to toast them if you do. For this recipe, and the recipes of the other cookies in this 12 Days of Cookies extravaganza, visit Bon Appetit's Holiday Cookie-a-Day Slideshow.

Now that you've seen mine, why don't you treat yourself and go see what the rest of the gang is up to?

Andrea of Andrea's Recipes (honorary member and our founder but not participating this year)
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dog
RJ of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker's Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

Orange-Almond Lace Cookies ~ Day 4 of the 12 Cookies of Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:06:00 +0000

I'm a fan of lace cookies, so I was excited to make these Orange-Almond Lace Cookies from the Bon Appetit cookie slide show, even though I'd taken on the Pecan Lace Sandwich Cookies just a couple of days earlier. For one thing, these were made with almonds, and they were spiked with orange ~ a combination of flavors that I always find difficult to resist.

To shake things up a little, I turned most of this batter into tuiles. The only thing that made them different from the flat lace cookies was that while they were still hot on the sheet pan, I removed them with a thin metal spatula and molded them over my rolling pin to set until cool. When cool, they retained this classic tuile shape.

The taste of these is really good ~ rich, buttery, with orange and almond in balance. The texture was a little vexing; the edges kept wanting to break off and the centers were thick on a few of them.

Overall, I doubt I'd make them again. Though the taste was excellent, I've got other tuile recipes I prefer, and I liked the texture of the Pecan Lace cookies better ~ finer and somehow less fragile. I will probably crush the remainder of these into crumbs for ice cream topping, a prospect I find really appealing at the moment.

Now that you've seen mine, why don't you treat yourself and go see what the rest of the gang is up to?

Andrea of Andrea's Recipes (honorary member and our founder but not participating this year)
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dog
RJ of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker's Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

Chocolate Mint Cookies ~ Day 3 of the 12 Days of Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:11:00 +0000

These Chocolate Mint cookies were a high priority for me from the moment I saw them in the Bon Appetite cookie slide show. Chocolate and mint is one of my favorite combinations, and a classic pairing for wintertime desserts. The recipe was an interesting one to work with. Raw, the dough is dense and velvety. It looks like fudge or fondant, and tastes like it as well.

There is one thing I'd do differently at the prep stage, and that is to roll and shape the dough logs more carefully before refrigerating or freezing. I did this part carelessly, assuming I'd fix it later, before cutting. Not so much. That log of dough is pretty dense and hard to roll, and you really don't want to soften it too much or it will spread out on the sheet while baking. So, make sure your cookies are nice and pretty (that is, shape and round your dough logs conscientiously) before you chill them.

I underbaked these by a couple of minutes, and the texture is fantastic. The mint is present but not overpowering. I didn't drizzle my cookies, preferring to have a more assertive chocolate presence. Instead, I frosted them with melted semisweet chocolate, then drizzled them with melted milk chocolate to which I added a bit of mint extract. On a few of the cookies, I skipped the drizzle altogether and sprinkled the tops with crushed candy canes for color.

Store these by themselves to avoid imparting a hint of mint to the rest of your cookies, and enjoy them with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk.

Now go and see what the rest of the gang is up to!
Andrea of Andrea's Recipes (honorary member and our founder but not participating this year)
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dog
RJ of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker's Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

Lime Snowballs ~ Day 2 of the 12 Days of Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:02:00 +0000

When I first saw this recipe for Lime Snowballs in the Bon Appetit cookie slide show we are choosing our recipes from, I immediately associated it with cookies I baked for last year's 12 Days event, the Pastelitos de Boda, or Bride's Cookies. That was a nut-flavored cookie, but similarly rich and buttery, and also coated in a heavy layer of confectioner's sugar.

Like that cookie, I flattened this one ~ the original recipe calls for it to be formed in a little ball. I prefer the flattened, patty shape, and it's easier to eat, especially with all that powdered sugar.

This cookie contains lime zest, lime juice, and lime oil ~ three potent citrus flavoring agents ~ and the lime flavor is perfectly balanced, not overwhelming at all, which I feared might be the case. I'm not inclined to tweak the amounts of any of these agents at all.

The texture of this cookie is interesting ~ lighter and more airy than a shortbread cookie, but richer and more tender than a butter cookie. I guess I'd place it somewhere between a shortbread and a melting moment.

The only changes I made to the recipe were those of technique. As mentioned, I flattened the cookies rather than shaping them as balls, and I let them cool before dusting them with powdered sugar. My favorite way to sugar cookies, by the way, is to fill a tea-steeping spoon with powdered sugar and use that to dust the cookies. Alternatively, I fill a small resealable plastic bag with powdered sugar and add a few cookies at a time, shaking them to coat. Both methods work very well and don't leave everything dusted with a layer of sugar.

I would make these again, and particularly in the springtime, with lime again or even lemon, orange, or grapefruit.

Don't forget to stop by and check out what the other group members have created today!

Andrea of Andrea's Recipes (honorary member and our founder but not participating this year)
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dog
RJ of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker's Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

The 12 Cookies of Christmas Kicks Off Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:06:00 +0000

It's that time again ~ the 12 Cookies of Christmas have arrived! I'm excited . . . and I know my fellow cookie bakers in our mad little group are very excited too. We've got 12 Days of Cookies for you, and trust me, you won't want to miss a single post. There are a lot of cookies to cover!

Last year we baked Gourmet; this year all our cookies will be chosen from Bon Appetit. Below you'll find a list of our illustrious, industrious group members:

Andrea of Andrea's Recipes (honorary member and our founder but not participating this year)
Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dog
RJ of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker's Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

Each day for the first 12 days of December, each one of us will choose a recipe from the Bon Appetit feature, make the cookies, and post about it on our own blog. We don't tell each other our plans in advance, so it's always a surprise ~ you may find us all baking the same cookie one day, each of us baking something different the next. Part of the fun is seeing everyone's interpretation of the recipes.

For Day 1 of the 12 Cookies of Christmas, I chose the Pecan Lace Sandwich Cookies with Orange Buttercream. I like lace cookies in general: they're easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. I ground the pecans in my mini-processor (which I love for this task) and the texture was perfect.

The batter wasn't hard to work with, though it did get quite stiff as it cooled. Don't let that worry you ~ carve out little pieces of batter with a teaspoon and carry on; the cookies will come out just fine.

I like the bright orange flavor of the buttercream but found it to be a bit sweet in combination with the caramelized-sugar lace cookies.

To provide a bit of contrast, I painted one side of the sandwich with dark chocolate (I used Taza brand) and the other side with buttercream, then sandwiched them together once the chocolate had cooled. My testers voted this combination ideal, and I think I'd go with it in the future as well.

I rate this recipe a keeper, and it's going into my file of holiday cookie staples. Impressive to look at and a hit with guests.

Don't forget to visit the other group members' sites to see the cookies they chose today, and stop by tomorrow for Cookie 2 of The 12 Cookies of Christmas!

BYOB Roundup ~ December 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:22:00 +0000

I almost can't believe that with this roundup, we've come through an entire year of Baking Our Own Bread (and many, MANY other things). It's safe to say that my relationship with baking has changed a lot of things in my life over the past year, personally and professionally, and in some weird and unanticipated ways. For example ~ as I write the introduction to the final roundup of 2009, I have close to 200 pounds of flour, at least seven different types, in my house. That might be considered extreme home baking, and that's what this year has brought me to. And, I have to tell you, I am in love with it.

So, without further delay, let me show you the art and talents of others in our BYOB group. Others who've also fallen in love with the rise and fall of dough, the smell of warming spices drifting from a rarely cool oven, the texture of beaten butter growing pale and light with air. (And who may or may not have a couple hundred pounds of flour in their basement.)

Cathy of The Bread Experience has been keeping her oven warm with a parade of oven love: Portuguese Sweet Bread (BBA), Cinnamon Pumpkin Crescent Rolls, Braided Holiday Pumpkin Wreath, Poolish Baguettes (BBA), Pizza Napoletana (BBA). Don't you wish you were her neighbor?

Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook got creative with this gorgeous Danish Braid, which she will be (hopefully) bringing to my house if we ever get together for coffee. Or, I guess, she could bring this insanely delicious-looking Cranberry Fudge Brownie Torte (TWD), because I am willing to be that flexible. Wow, Di.

Kira of A Homesick Aussie has some gorgeous breads for us! She's got a Whole Wheat 10+ Grains that makes you feel virtuous just looking at it! And be sure to check out her lovely from-scratch Sourdough . . . mmmm. Last but not least, she's made Pizza and Stromboli ~ two subjects very near and dear to my heart.

Sarah of Que Sarah Sarah has baked a perfectly shaped loaf of Sandwich Bread ~ bakery perfect! This loaf wouldn't last half an hour in my house; my teens would be on it in a heartbeat.

And never ones to disappoint, Chrystal and Amir of The Duo Dishes bring it big-time for our final 2009 roundup: Pear and Walnut Coffee Cake, Spiced Walnut and Maple Cream Cake, Apple Turnovers, Rosemary Breadsticks, 1-2-3-4 Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Cheese Frosting, Cranberry Walnut Pumpkin Bread, Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza, and Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Brown Sugar Maple Icing. See what I mean?

Happy holidays, all . . . God bless you and keep you, and may you give and receive much oven love!

~Sandy

A Day at the CIA ~ Holiday Pies Class 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:07:00 +0000

On the top shelf of my refrigerator is a pie plate in which sits 3 slices of sour cream pumpkin pie, all that remains of the 6 pies and various other desserts I made for our Thanksgiving celebrations this year. I don't really want to talk about that pie. In fact, I can't wait for it to go away, especially since tomorrow, December 1, is the official kick-off of Christmas cookie season and there's a lot of excitement around here about that.

But I'm not quite finished talking about pie yet. I want to tell you about the Holiday Pies Class I attended at the CIA last week. Regular readers will remember that I was pretty excited about it, and I can tell you, I was not disappointed: I loved every minute of it.

The class session I attended was filled with a delightful group of women who ranged from those who had never made a scratch crust before to others who'd made plenty but were unsatisfied with results that were unpredictable. We'd come from all over ~ I was nearest, driving less than an hour from the neighboring county. Others had come from neighboring, or not neighboring states.

{I learned that it's not uncommon for folks attending enthusiast classes to come the previous evening, enjoy dinner at one of the CIA's restaurants and stay overnight in a hotel or inn nearby, making a getaway of it. Incidentally, there's plenty to do in the area, so traveling companions who are not inclined to take the classes can while away their time doing something more to their liking while foodies indulge in the CIA class experience.}

Our instructor, Certified Master Baker Juergen Temme, was extremely gracious and accommodating in fielding all manner of questions and demonstrating techniques for the class. His trio of "pie fairies" took on the burden of scaling and prep work so that all this was done for us, leaving each student with a perfectly arranged mise en place waiting for our arrival.

But Chef Temme didn't just demonstrate the how-to part ~ he also explained the whys and wherefores, something I, as a professional baker, found particularly useful. There is the popular saying that "baking is a science," and, of course, that's true. But like cooking, there's a lot of art to it, and achieving success is found somewhere in striking a balance between the two. That's where, to me, this type of instruction is so valuable.

Over the course of the 5-hour class, we made pie crust to take home (which I was tremendously grateful for come Thanksgiving morning), classic versions of pumpkin and pecan pie, and a double-crust apple pie, all of which we took home in bakery boxes. Some students opted to make an additional cherry lattice pie, a technique that Chef Temme ably demonstrated.

During these gently rigorous hours, we were fortified with cookies prepared by an earlier pastry class taught by Chef Temme.

While our pies were cooling, we enjoyed a superb lunch in a private dining room ~ lamb and chicken kebabs, barley pilaf, fresh pasta we'd watched being sheeted in the adjoined kitchen as we rolled out our own crusts, breads, freshly made mozzarella salad, and Black Forest cake. Really, a highlight of the day. And after lunch, we returned to the kitchen to find our aprons and tocques neatly placed atop our boxed pies, our recipe booklets alongside, the benches spotless. Thank you, pie fairies.

This is my third Enthusiast Class, and an impression I had from the first two stays with me. These classes are unique in that they offer the opportunity to learn in a completely nonthreatening and supportive atmosphere from some of the most respected professionals in the field. The instructors are at the top of their game, true experts. And they're at your disposal throughout the class period. You can make mistakes without feeling foolish, ask questions without fear of condescending answers, and just immerse yourself in the experience of learning without fear of failure. There's ample help available ~ someone is always around to fix whatever goes wrong. And when you leave, you bring the fruits of your labor to show off to family or friends. All this and lunch, too.

It's no wonder that most people who've tried one Enthusiast Class go back for more. They're as addictive as Chef Temme's butter cookies.

Full disclosure: As regular readers of this blog know, last week I attended a one-day Holiday Pies Class at the Culinary Institute of America. I was there as a media guest of the CIA to report on the class experience and not specifically to learn about making pie. Nevertheless, in the presence of a certified master baker, you can't help but learn some valuable tricks and truc, and I will never, ever tire of the Enthusiast Classes at the CIA.

Daring Bakers November 2009 Challenge ~ Cannoli!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:36:00 +0000

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

My standard Daring Bakers practice is to read through the challenge sometime the day before the reveal is scheduled, then scramble like mad to complete it and put up a post. Which explains why I've been so terribly remiss in posting the challenge results lately. So this month, knowing that Thanksgiving was going to coincide with the reveal date, I checked in to discover the mission at hand early ~ weeks early, in fact. I was very proud of myself for this burst of diligence. I now knew what I was going to do, and what I needed to have on hand to complete the challenge. I confidently chalked it in on the blackboard that hangs above my baker's bench, smug at the room in my schedule.

And so, it was with some chagrin but absolutely no surprise that I found myself on Thanksgiving morning pouring oil into my deep-fryer and rolling out dough for cannoli shells. All I'd managed to do in advance was drain the ricotta for the filling. That morning, I'd gotten up at 7:00 to make the dough, and it was now relaxing in my refrigerator for a few hours while I made an apple-cranberry galette, a pumpkin-sour cream pie, a round of tarts, a pound of buttercream frosting, and some roasted kale. There is nothing quite like multitasking on a holiday morning.

Finally, with nothing remaining but to roll out the dough, I pulled it from the fridge and went to work with my rolling pin. I rolled and rolled and rolled. This dough would. not. budge. Really, it was impressive in its ability to resist my rolling pin. Ultimately, watching the clock tick away the minutes till dinner at my parents' house and keeping an eye on the oil heating in the deep-fryer, I called in my teenage son. Since his upper body strength exceeds mine, he was able to steamroll the dough into submission, and it wasn't much work after that to cut, roll, and form the shells.

I was a little hasty in dropping them into the oil before the egg white had a chance to properly seal the shells shut, and as a result, about half of the shells I drop in opened up and fell free from the forms. I doubt this would have been a problem had I let them rest long enough for the seal to develop. But, last-minute pastry prep being what it is, I didn't have the luxury of time to find out.

For the filling, I went with a pumpkin-ricotta blend, which was smooth and rich without being over-the-top sweet. Next time I'll make my own mascarpone, which I've done in the past and is well worth doing.

I didn't use my piping bag and a fancy tip to fill these, though I probably should have. I would have, in fact, except that my favorite (and most convenient) piping bag was filled with brown sugar-cinnamon whipped cream and I just didn't feel like making the transfer. I used a plastic sandwich bag with the corner snipped off to do the job. To dust with confectioner's sugar, I used my favorite tool for this purpose, a tea-steeping spoon.

Would I make these again? Yes! They're really delicious, and a bit more substantial than the store-bought version. However, I would do a couple of things differently. I'd prep the dough in advance and borrow a pasta roller to sheet it. With this application, thinner is definitely better, and I think a pasta roller would be an effective way to achieve a very thin dough. As they were, I did get the nice blistery crust that is a hallmark of the cannoli pastry, but a thinner dough would have looked nicer in my opinion.

Also, I would let them sit long enough to let that egg-white seal do its thing, and I'd make a bigger batch ~ they go pretty quickly.

Thanks, Lisa Michele, for choosing this challenge! I don't think I'd have made these otherwise, and they were a great repertoire expander.

Lidisano's Cannoli Shells

2 cups (250 grams/8.82 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons(28 grams/1 ounce) sugar

1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt

3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil

1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar

Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand (I used Pinot Grigio)

1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk)

Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres)

1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests, fruits etc. for garnish (I used cinnamon sugar)

Confectioners' sugar

Pumpkin Filling:

1/2 cup (123 grams/4.34 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained
1/2 cup (113 grams/4.04 ounces) mascarpone cheese (I substituted cream cheese)
1/2 cup (122.5 grams/4.32 ounces) canned pumpkin, drained like ricotta
3/4 cup (75 grams/2.65 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1/2 to 1 teaspoon (approx. 1.7 grams/approx. 0.06 ounces) pumpkin pie spice (taste)
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 2 grams/approx. 0.08 ounces) pure vanilla extract
6-8 cannoli shells

1. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta and mascarpone until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl, cover and chill until it firms up a bit. (The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated).

Directions for Shells:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.
Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.
Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes at first use. Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.
In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.
Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.
Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. (I used the tongs to hold the tube and gently pulled the shell off with a folded paper towel.) Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.
Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.

Assemble the Cannoli:

When ready to serve..fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a Ziploc bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side. You can also use a teaspoon to do this, although it’s messier and will take longer.
Press or dip cannoli in chopped pistachios, grated chocolate/mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or zest into the cream at each end. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and/or drizzles of melted chocolate if desired.

Holiday Pies at the CIA!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Years ago, my husband and I lived in Chicago. Every Thanksgiving, I cooked an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner with a huge turkey, various trimmings, an appetizer course, hors d'oeuvres, and a couple of pies for dessert. All this for three people: he, me, and my younger sister, who would take the train out from college to spend the week as our Thanksgiving Visitor. It was blissful.

When our son was born, we moved the hundreds of miles back to New York to live closer to our parents (both sets of whom live in the same town ~ !) so we could do family-type things like celebrate holidays and get free babysitting.

Because my dad is a chef, I no longer cook Thanksgiving dinner. He hogs the spotlight by making a huge turkey, 35 side dishes, homemade cranberry relish, and about 50 appetizers that do a pretty good job of making the big meal anticlimactic. As the baker, I get assigned desserts.

Now, as you might imagine, it takes some pretty spectacular desserts to rouse any interest at all after this stupendous feast. My father's Thanksgiving dinner is not an easy act to follow. Over the years, I've refined my techniques so that the pies I make and bring tend to actually get eaten, which, you'll have to trust me here, is a tremendous compliment on its own.

This year, I'll be bringing my A-est game though. I'm going to the CIA ~ that's the Culinary Institute of America, folks ~ for their "Holiday Pies at the CIA" class! I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this. Going back to the CIA is, for me, like what I imagine it would be for Alice to return to Wonderland (the good parts, that is).

When I told my chef friend at the restaurant where I work about my pie class, he said, "Do you think you really need a class on how to make pie?" (And yes, I did hug him, bless his heart.) I thought about it. And friends, the answer is yes. Because although I've made probably thousands of pies using scores of different techniques, there is never a point at which you stop learning. And every time I go back to the CIA for a class or a bootcamp, I learn something new, something expanding and relevant to the job I do at work or at home.

Plus, making all my Thanksgiving pies in someone else's kitchen with no cleanup at home and lunch at the CIA? Priceless.

If you want to get in on the action and live in the New York-Connecticut-Massachusetts area, check it out. The Holiday Pies class is offered on Monday 11/23, Tuesday 11/24, and Wednesday 11/25. And coming up in December, they'll be offering a Holiday Cookies Class. Wonderland, here I come.

Pear-Ginger Galette with Pecan Streusel

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:52:00 +0000

Welcome to the countdown-to-Thanksgiving pie clinic! We're a week away, so we have plenty of time to get comfortable with pie pastry and think about some options for our holiday pies.

I've covered basic pie pastry in an earlier post, so what I'd like to address here is a little different. If you're planning to make a number of pies but have only a few pie plates, this is the post for you. Here, I'll go over the basics of the galette (or crostata), a terrific way to simplify the pie-making process.

The galette is basically a free-form pie or tart, made on a baking sheet instead of in a pie plate. The effect is rustic and unfussy, with plenty of charm. You can simply pile your fruit in an untidy, wanton heap in the center of your pastry, or you can take pains to pretty up your galette by arranging your fruit slices in careful concentric rings, forming an eye-catching spiral that belies its simplicity. Either way, the end result is going to be beautiful.

Here, I've used pears and ginger, with a pecan streusel. Feel free to exchange the pears for apples, peaches, or plums; omit the streusel if you desire; or add cranberries, raspberries, or raisins. Once you master the technique of pleating the pastry crust, you'll have a wonderful pastry option at your disposal any time you need to put together a quick dessert.

For tips on how to achieve success with this and other, similar pastry, scroll down to the "Recipe Notes" section.

Pear-Ginger Galette with Pecan Streusel

1 single-crust pastry
1/4 cup graham-cracker crumbs
6 cups peeled, cored, sliced pears
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
11/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

For Streusel:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger (approx. .5 oz)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream
Turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out pastry in a circle about 1/8th inch thick. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and spread 1/4 cup graham-cracker crumbs in middle of pastry, leaving a 2-inch margin. Set aside in refrigerator or freezer.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, and lemon zest. Set aside. In another small mixing bowl or cup, combine ginger and lemon juice. Place pear slices in a large mixing bowl. Pour lemon-ginger mixture over and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with cinnamon mixture and toss again.
Make streusel: combine flour, sugars, and cinnamon. Cut in butter using a pastry blender. Add minced ginger and pecans; toss.
Mound pear slices in the center of the pastry, going to the edge of the graham-cracker crumbs. Fold up the edge of pastry, crimping and folding as you go, until you've made a complete circuit around the mound of pears and the entire margin is folded over the filling.

Sprinkle the Ginger-Pecan Streusel in the center, covering the pears. Lightly brush the crust with cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Place galette in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes at 400, then turn oven down to 375 degrees F and continue baking until crust is golden and crumb topping is nicely browned. If the top bakes faster than the crust, place a small square of foil over the center.
Let cool completely on pan before removing to serving plate. Serve warm with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Ice Cream, if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Recipe Notes:

Although I like to use all butter in my pie crusts, for my galette and crostata doughs, I prefer to use a bit of shortening. Because these doughs don't have the structure of a pie plate to keep them in line, they have a tendency to spread out over the pan and lose their shape. This isn't necessarily a problem, just a cosmetic issue that is readily remedied by replacing a portion (say, a third) of the butter in your favorite pastry recipe with a good-quality shortening.
If you roll out your dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, it's a piece of cake to transfer to your baking sheet. Just flip it over periodically during the rolling process to make sure both sides are uniform.

You can make several batches of dough in advance. Roll it into a round, wrap it well in plastic wrap, label and date it, and toss it in the freezer. When you're ready to use it, just defrost and voila! Ready-to-bake pie pastry.
Don't worry about breaking the butter down evenly into your flour mixture. In fact, you want there to be visible lumps of different sizes, ranging from lentils to green peas. In the oven, it's these lumps of butter that will melt down and create pockets of steam, which produce the flaky layers that comprise perfect pastry.

Peach Pepita Paleo Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:34:00 +0000

If you are a regular at The Baker's Bench, you'll know that this recipe is a little different from my usual fare. I can explain. I have a couple of friends who are very disciplined and health-minded and who subscribe to a "paleo" diet, which apparently consists mainly of meat and vegetables. They eat few or no processed foods ~ and that includes flour (even healthy, whole grain flour! ~ crazy, right? But I digress).

Because they insist on depriving themselves of butter-and-sugar deliciousness most days of the week but still enjoy oven love, I came up with this recipe. If you voluntarily choose to go through life without benefit of pizza or ice cream ~ something I'm quite positive I'm not genetically equipped to do ~ it's my feeling that you should at least be able to enjoy a cookie now and then.

So I carefully looked up all the ingredients and cross-checked them against various lists of accepted paleo foods. Honey is a little controversial, but I used raw honey, and since there are cave paintings that depict early man gathering honey from hives built into cliffs, I say that's good enough.

What do these cookies taste like? Pretty good, actually. On the level of a granola bar in terms of sweetness. The texture reminds me of a soft Florentine (the lack of sugar ~ white or brown ~ prevents this cookie from getting crispy). Overall, I consider these a good "weekday" cookie. Not indulgent, not swoon-worthy, but a nice virtuous snacking cookie. My kids liked them, and they're low in sugar, have no added fat, and have a good bit of protein and vitamins from the nuts, seeds, and peaches. Not bad for a cookie.

Peach Pepita Paleo Cookies

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ground almonds
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 T pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
¼ cup chopped dried peaches
Ground cinnamon and ginger to taste
Pinch salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Spoon out by scant tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake cookies at 350 degrees F for 10 to 11 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Let sit on pan 2 minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes:

You can purchase dried peaches but I like to dry my own in the dehydrator my wonderful husband bought for my birthday. I find dark, unsulfured peaches or apricots unappetizing, but I strongly dislike the idea of using sulfur to preserve the color. So, to prevent them from turning dark as they dry, I dip the peach slices in cold water to which a little bit of lemon juice, grated ginger, and honey has been added. They stay a beautiful vibrant color long after drying.
If you don't like peaches or want some variety, try raisins, chopped prunes, or chopped dried apricots instead. Craisins and other dried cranberries are almost always sweetened and would therefore not be considered paleo-friendly, so bear that in mind if it's a concern for you.
You can make these with ground walnuts or ground pecans instead of almonds. Grind them in your food processor; just be careful not to overgrind or you'll end up with nut butter.
You can add dried unsweetened coconut and banana chips for a nice variation. Just be sure to use unsweetened if you're on observing a paleo or similar diet.

'Tis the Season for Holiday Baking!

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:36:00 +0000

Thanksgiving is coming ~ are you ready? Maybe you've got your pantry shelves stocked with molasses and pecans, brown sugar and cans of pumpkin puree, and you're knee-deep in magazine clippings featuring recipes you can't wait to try.

Or . . . maybe the thought of producing pastry for the most high-profile pies of the year makes you break out into the cold sweat of dread, and the pressure to produce feather-light biscuits just like Grandma's is starting to give you indigestion already. Relax, I'm here to help.

What's your biggest baking headache? Is it leather-tough pastry crusts? No problem, we can fix that! Soon, your legendarily tender, flaky crusts will be the talk of your family table, and before you know it, you'll be baking pies on demand every Thanksgiving! (Okay, so it's a blessing and a curse.)

Is it yeast dough that intimidates you and keeps you shelling out the big bucks for breads to grace your holiday table? Not anymore! You can make friends with that ornery little organism we call yeast and you'll be turning out artisanal-style loaves that will charm your guests without breaking your bank.

Frankly, we all have our baking betes noires, don't we? Especially when it comes to holiday favorites. (So much pressure!) But I'd like to help you break down some of the hurdles that may be causing you unnecessary trouble. So, let's get baking. By the time T-Day rolls around, you'll be excited to show off those mad pastry skills!

Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks as we work through pie and tart pastry, fall holiday yeast breads, biscuits, and the like. And I'd like to invite you to take the survey in the sidebar. Your answers will help me know where to direct the focus of my posts. Also, feel free to comment or e-mail me directly with specific requests for help tackling baked goods that you find especially troublesome or tricky.

Let's make some oven love this season!

BYOB Roundup ~ November 1, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:46:00 +0000

Beth of Kitchen Courage makes me hungry. She does. Even when I'm not hungry, she still has the power to entice me. But the best part? Her offerings are virtuous, folks ~ incredibly delicious-looking and -sounding breads and spreads that I could eat (even right NOW when I'm not even hungry) without the slightest bit of guilt. Don't believe me? Go and see for yourself. This month? Wheat-Beer Bread with (bonus!) Roasted Butternut Hummus!

Shirley of Plum Bush Cottage takes that daunting step every serious baker must eventually undertake . . . the Sourdough Starter! And wow, if you haven't done this yet and need some inspiration, be sure to stop by the Cottage!

I feel I must warn you . . . if you suffer from a lack of self-control or are trying to avoid dangerously tempting desserts, please do not visit Chrystal and Amir at The Duo Dishes! If you have an iron will or can master your passions with exceptional skill, go and see their alluring offerings of oven love: Almond Strawberry Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache, Sugar Cookie Pops, Chocolate and Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies, Frosted Sugar Cookies, Apple Raisin Walnut Cake, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Blondies. You've been warned!

Alyssa of Sour Cream and Jam has been a very busy baker, luckily for us! If you don't already have some baking time built into your schedule over the next couple of weeks, maybe you'll want to take a vacation day once you see these links! Poor Man's Brioche Buns (BBA), Casatiello (BBA), Challah (BBS), Ciabatta al Funghi (BBA), Beranbaum's Best Buns, Cinnamon Rolls (BBA), Cinnamon Rolls (Mom's recipe), Pumpkin Graham Crackers, Macarons (Daring Bakers).

Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook brings us a fall favorite ~ Cranberry Pecan Celebration Rolls. I'm thinking these would be a major hit for Thankgiving Day breakfast . . . with a cup of coffee and the Macy's Day Parade on TV, heavenly!

Cathy of The Bread Experience offers an absolutely lovely Pumpkin Cranberry Braid. Those of you dining at others' homes this Thanksgiving take note: this bread looks like the perfect hostess gift (but be advised that it may steal the show ~ so practice your humble face in advance).

Courtney of Coco Cooks celebrates Cinnamon Roll Day with us! No, she's not making this holiday up (but really, who would care if she were? Not me! I'd give her a hug!). Swedish folk (and if you've visited an IKEA, you know they take their cinnamon buns seriously) apparently set aside October 4 as Kanelbullens Dag to give this awesome piece of pastry the props it deserves. Thanks, Courtney, for helping us take part!

And as for me . . .

My oven has been keeping warm lately. Rye bread, ciabatta, a heavenly potato bread from Julia and Dorie,hamburger rolls, bulgur knot rolls, batards, baguettes, demi-baguettes. And breakfast goods including scones and muffins for 140. I've got pictures and recipes ~ lots and lots of recipes ~ for you . . . now all I need is some time to post them. Here's to hoping shorter days and longer nights will be good to us all.

Happy Baking, my friends!

Best,

Sandy

Peach Frangipane Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:16:00 +0000

"Frangipane." The word itself intimidated me for the longest time. I knew what the actual substance was ~ it was delicious. To be more specific, Sharon Tyler Herbst's New Food Lover's Companion defines it as, "a rich [pastry cream] flavored with ground almonds and used as a filling or topping for pastries and cakes." And I knew it was simple ~ and better yet, inexpensive ~ to make, so that wasn't the problem, either.

No . . . it was the pronunciation. I couldn't bring myself to say that word out loud. I wouldn't disgrace myself by attempting the drawling French, "FRAWN-zhee-pan," and I felt ridiculous sputtering out the idiomatic, "frangeepanee." But then, something wonderful happened that helped me to achieve complete liberation ~ in this area, anyway.

I was in the process of making custard tarts, not frangipane custard but something that looked similar, when an individual walked past who, although as American as myself, happens to be a fluent French speaker with enough innate Frenchness to be credible. He pointed at my handiwork and said, "Oh, is that fran-juh-pahn?" Ah-ha! "No," I answered, holding my breath a little, watching him carefully. "No, it's not fran-juh-pahn." "Hmm. Too bad," he said, shrugged, and walked off. Yes! That was it! The middle road ~ a pronunciation that was neither too French nor too Yankee but just right. And so, liberated in this way, I immediately set about finding a recipe to express my newfound freedom. And here it is.

Vive la fran-juh-pahn!

Peach Frangipane Tart

3 large fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar or granulated sugar
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
1 recipe Frangipane (follows)
1 pastry for single-crust pie
2 tablespoons mild honey, warmed (optional)
Turbinado sugar

For Frangipane:

½ cup blanched almonds (whole or slivered)
¼ cup white sugar
Pinch sea salt
1 large egg
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon ground vanilla bean or ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (1.5 oz) butter, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a rectangular or circular tart pan with removable bottom with nonstick pan spray. Lay pie pastry over tart pan and ease into place, lifting sides and gently molding them to fit the corners and interior edges of the pan. Fold the excess loosely over the top and run rolling pin over to cut off excess.
To make the Frangipane: Combine the almonds, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles fine meal. Add egg, almond extract, and vanilla bean or extract and pulse to mix. Add butter gradually, pulsing to incorporate. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl of the food processor and pulse again to mix thoroughly. Spoon a layer of Frangipane into crust, about 1/4 inch thick. Use a small offset spatula to distribute it evenly over the bottom of the crust.
Toss peach slices in lemon juice, then sprinkle vanilla sugar over and toss again to coat. Starting at one end of the rectangular tart (or on the outside edge of the circular tart), arrange peach slices so that they overlap slightly. Place blueberries around the outside of the row of peaches. Brush peaches with the warmed honey and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
Place tart in preheated oven and bake until the Frangipane is puffed and golden and the peaches are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. To serve, let cool on rack until barely warm, then unmold and dust with confectioners' sugar or top with vanilla ice cream or creme anglaise. Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe Notes:

You can make this without blueberries, but the visual contrast of the dark purple-blue against the yellow-orange of the peaches is appealing. If blueberries aren't available, you can substitute raspberries.
I used yellow peaches for my tart, but feel free to try white peaches, Saturn peaches, or white or yellow nectarines. You can leave the peel on if you prefer, but I find the texture interferes with the silkiness of the Frangipane.
You can use whichever pie crust recipe you like. Dorie Greenspan's version of sweet tart pastry has never let me down, and I like Cindy Mushet's pie pastry, though I do substitute a few tablespoons of shortening for some of the butter to help it hold its shape in the tart pan.

BYOB Roundup ~ October 1, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:59:00 +0000

Zhulaiha of Ovenhaven (a blog name I love, love, love) sent us two indulgent sweets: Glazed Chocolate Doughnuts and Nutella Swirl Scone Loaf (oh yeah, you read that right). I know I don't need to encourage you to run like the wind over to Zhulaiha's site to check these links out, but I will anyway. Turns out she sent them for the last roundup and they got lost in the ether and never made it in. Go, now! You don't want to deprive yourself a moment longer!

Chrystal and Amir of The Duo Dishes sent me a whole bakeshop worth of amazing delectables. Get your mouse hand ready: German Chocolate Cake Cookies, Sweet Potato Squares, Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Coffee Glaze, Coconut Cupcakes, Lemon Thyme Cookies, Glazed Lemon Polenta Cookies, and Peach Cobbler Cake. Amazing, right? I'm still swooning.

Cathy of The Bread Experience jumped right into the fray with a heavenly-looking Deep-Dish Semolina Pizza. And if that's not enough to keep you busy on her site, go and check out her gorgeous Kaiser Rolls ~ bakery perfect! And, wait for it . . . Marbled Rye Bread (BBA)!

Courtney of Coco Cooks brings us an absolutely luscious Pecan Apple Honey Challah. WANT. SOME. NOW.

Lucky for us, Alyssa of Sour Cream and Jam is another prolific baker! Grab your beverage of choice and go take a gander at her oven love: Anadama Bread (BBA), Artos ~ Greek Celebration Bread (BBA), Bagels (BBA), Dill-icious Potato Rolls, Crumpets (yes, crumpets, people!), Yeasted Banana Bread with Vanilla, and Mildly Corny Cheddar Pepper Muffins.

Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook celebrates the beginning of fall baking weather with an aromatic Cinnamon Raisin Bread and some seriously delectable-looking Apple Turnovers. Di ~ were the neighbors knocking on your door, "just dropping by to say hi," helplessly drawn by the seductive scents of warm cinnamon and apples?

Ever wonderfully creative, Sophie of Sophie's Foodiefiles made a Kefir White Organic Bread. It is my definite opinion that if all good-for-you food looked this delicious, we'd all be a lot healthier. Go, check it out, bake the bread, make a sandwich, smile with happiness!

As for me . . .

I am delighted that fall fruits are in season once again ~ the sheer variety of apples available in my neck of the woods has helped somewhat to ease the pain of saying good-bye to beloved summer berries and stone fruits. So what have I been baking? Breads, lots of breads. Tarts ~ playing around with frangipane lately, and the most lovely Pink Pearl apples I've ever seen. And I made a new pie, pear and ginger, with a pecan streusel, and some cinnamon-brown sugar ice cream with chili-pecan praline to serve on top. Stay tuned for those posts! I hope, I really hope to get back on track now that autumn is settling into a routine and I have my new computer ~ a kitchen laptop ~ up and running.

Till then, happy baking!
~Sandy

Blueberry Pie, for One

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:09:00 +0000

A pie is a truly wonderful thing, especially when you have a crowd of loved ones to dig into it with. But what if you're seized by a craving for butter-flaky crust and sweet, juicy blueberries and there's no one around to share dessert with? Just because you're flying solo doesn't mean you have to forgo this simple summer pleasure. A pie for one is easy to prepare and a sweet indulgence that's well worth the effort. Pull up a cozy chair and a good novel and prepare to live a little.

P.S.

Of course, once you make one of these for yourself, you may find yourself compelled to make them every time the mood for pie strikes ~ for yourself or for everyone at your table. They are adorable, and who doesn't like a perfect little pie of one's own?

Personal Blueberry Pies

1 cup wild Maine Blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw)

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch ground cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Approximately 1/6th of a single standard pie crust, rolled out to 1/8 inch thick

1 egg white

Turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss blueberries with sugar and lemon zest, dust with nutmeg and cinnamon and toss to coat. Using a fork, stir cornstarch into lemon juice and add to blueberries. Stir to combine. Pour blueberries into a 1-cup ramekin and scatter pieces of butter over. Lay dough over top. Roll over the dough with a rolling pin, sealing the dough to the rim of the ramekin and cutting off the excess.
Brush pastry crust with egg white and cut four slits into crust to vent. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Place ramekin on a baking sheet and bake pie for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove baking sheet, rotate, and return to oven. Lower oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue to bake until juices bubble at the sides of the crust, about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove and let cool for 2 to 3 hours on a wire rack.

Recipe Notes:

The next time you make a full-size pie, save your pastry scraps and reserve a portion of the fruit to make a "baker's cut" ~ your little pastry pat-on-the-back for making everyone else so happy with your offering of oven love.

BYOB Roundup ~ September 1, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Sandy Smith) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:34:00 +0000

Margaret of Tea and Scones baked up some lovely Cheddar Bread and some picture-perfect Hamburger Buns ~ just in time for your Labor Day cookouts! And for those of you with over-achieving tomato plants, she has just the ticket: Garden Tomato Bread (now doesn't that just sound great?).

Shirley of Plum Bush Cottage must have been reading my mind. All week long I've been thinking of baking some Broa, a Portuguese cornmeal bread, and she brings hers to the BYOB party! Now I'm craving it more than ever . . . and so will you if you visit her site!

Trisha of The Zest proves that BYOB really is best ~ go check out her Homemade Bagels. True bathing beauties!

Beth of Kitchen Courage continues to delight with thoughtful text and mouth-watering munches: Comforting Pumpkin-Peach Whole Wheat Muffins. I've said it before and I'll say it again: go for the food, stay for the story.

Sophie of Sophie's Foodiefiles brings us a healthy breakfast treat that sounds absolutely delicious: Wholemeal Spelt, Banana, and Coconut Breakfast Muffins. Go and check out these moist tasties ~ who needs a Pop-Tart when you can have this champion for breakfast?

Judy of No Fear Entertaining has outdone herself this time with this gorgeous Cranberry Walnut Celebration Bread. I, for one, am so grateful that Judy decided to add the BBA challenge to her plate so that we can add all these amazing breads to ours (literally or figuratively). Swoon.

Kira of Blogs from a Homesick Aussie tackles Zucchini Bread to present us with a healthier version! Since we're at the height of zucchini season, I'm sure those of us with monster zucchini plants taking over our gardens will be most grateful. And that's not all! Got some leftover bread dough lying around? Check out what Kira does with it . . . you'll probably want to make extra next time.

Frieda of Lovin' from the Oven shares her absolute favorite Multigrain Bread ~ and I, for one, can see why she loves this loaf! It looks soft and chewy and packed with nutty grains of goodness. Suddenly I'm hungry for a sandwich!

Jennifer of The Lollipop Kids tries a twist on making Pizza ~ she beats the kitchen heat by grilling this version! I'm so glad to see that hers looks so great . . . putting pizza on the grill is something I've always wanted to try, and now I'm suitably inspired. Go, see, and you will be too!

Di of Di's Kitchen Notebook has obviously been busy perfecting her bread-baking skills. This lady braids Challah like a pro ~ no mean feat! Plus, her Ciabatta is bakery-perfect. Bonus: Di lets us know what she did to improvise a couche ~ a great tip that'll save you a few bucks.

As for me . . .
August was a busy baking month, and I tackled some old favorites (white, wheat, honey oatmeal loaves, hundreds of demi-baguettes, cherry walnut granola bars) and some new challenges (genoise, brown butter pate sucre tarts, blueberry lattice-top pie). I hope you've had the chance to bake something delicious for yourself and your loved ones, or at least to eat some delicious baked goods!

I'll be sad to see the summer go, but cooler temperatures bring fall fruits . . . and oven inspiration.

Bake on!

Best,
Sandy