Tuesdays With Dorie: Kugelhopf

This week's TWD selection, Kugelhopf, was chosen by Yolanda, of The All-Purpose Girl. . Dorie Greenspan's recipe can be found on pages 61-63 of Baking: From My Home to Yours and when I caught a glimpse of that beautiful photo, I couldn't wait to try this cake out. Her Kugelhopf nearly graces the sky with how tall its peaks are! The yeasted batter for my Kugelhopf rose as Ms. Greenspan said it would, until I chucked it in the fridge for an overnight rest, as recommended. I baked it the following morning and unfortunately for me, my poor kugelhopf remained shamefully flat, never achieving the glorious height that Kugelhopfs are renowned for. Although my Kugelhopf will never win over anyone other than those who enjoy yeasted raisin pancakes, I thought my Kugelhopf tasted pretty good, thanks to my addition of toasted almonds to the batter. For some successful Kugelhopf eye-candy, please visit the other TWD bakers. Thanks!

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Tuesdays With Dorie: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes + Happy Birthday, Dear Gabby

This week's TWD is Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes, chosen by Clara of IHeartFoodForThought. I hope I am within the bounds of TWD rules by letting you know that I made this recipe in September, for my daughter's first birthday. Overall, these cupcakes were a success, mostly thanks to the awesome ganache frosting. The cake part was not the best ever, but not too bad, either. It would work just fine in a pinch, I guess you could say. Since I have a phobia about the potential for dry cakes, I always add a smidge more liquid (especially if it's buttermilk) and a bit less flour than called for. I guess you can say that I don't buy that whole baking as a precise science school of thought. It seems like this additional buttermilk and a touch less flour make for a more moist interior. As you can see, these cupcakes turned out to be a hit, as evidenced by Gabby's face-plant into her cupcake.





I intended to post about these chocolate chocolate cupcakes on Gabby's birthday, which is in September, but I'm so behind the eight-ball, what with this move and all. But we're getting settled in and with a little luck, I won't be 6 weeks behind in my posting in the future! Happy first birthday, my darling Gabriella. You've taught David and I so much in the short time you've been with us. We joyously look forward to seeing the person you grow into.

For the full recipe, please visit Clara's site or find it in "Baking: From My Home To Yours", by Dorie Greenspan. Please visit the TWD blogroll to check out all the beautiful cupcakes.

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Tuesdays with Dorie: Pumpkin Muffins

This week's TWD was chosen by Kelly, of Sounding My Barbaric Gulp; the recipe can be found either on her blog, or in Baking: From My Home To Yours, by Dorie Greenspan. These pumpkin muffins sound promising, but I do not really care much for pumpkin. Every Thanksgiving, I bypass the often soggy pumpkin pies in favor of the other pies, those lovingly dotted with pecans, chocolate, or apples. So, why did I make this recipe, then, you might be wondering? Truth be told, I stumbled over a can of pumpkin in the kitchen, which is still a disaster, now going on two weeks status post move to New Jersey. Our place is a wreck, littered with half opened moving boxes and takeout food containers. But I unpacked a long forgotten can of pumpkin and instantly realized this week's TWD was kismet. Unfortunately, these muffins confirmed all my suspicions about pumpkin. But perhaps it's not the recipe, which seemed to garner many upturned thumbs on the TWD message board. I doctored it, trying to make it more healthy. See, I'm on a health kick, because I started eating oatmeal every morning for breakfast. So, I swapped a half cup of the all purpose flour the recipe calls for with a half cup of whole wheat flour. I also added flax seeds to the mix and used a bit less sugar than called for, and all brown sugar, at that, too. Lastly, since I haven't unpacked any sunflower seeds, yet, I decided to crush up some pistachios instead for the topping, thinking it might be a nice touch of green to the tops. Given all my changes, I thought the muffins turned out mediocre. They are what they are is how my husband would put it. The pumpkin flavor is subtle, they aren't overly sweet, so it's a good choice for breakfast, and boy do those flax seeds pack an Omega 3 punch! My husband, on the other hand, loathed the muffins. In fact, here is our conversation:

Me: "Try one."
David: (with mouth full) "These are dense and flavorless."
Me: "HEY! I worked hard on those! Just because I didn't follow the recipe and they're not loaded with white sugar, you don't like them!"
David: "No, I don't like them because it looks like you crushed an avocado on top."
Me: "hmph! I'm happy that the Red Sox lost!"

Please visit the TWD blogroll to see the other members' creations. Next week: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes. Thanks!

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TWD - Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake

It has been a long, long time since I lasted chatted with you all in the cyber world. Like Shirlie -- life has been unbelievably busy. Funny how we both ended up moving in the same month and both ended up in kitchens that are not our own. Shirlie is in the process of moving to her new place at the moment, and I am still here with my in-laws for a few more months while my new house is being built. Good news on that front -- they start framing the house tomorrow!

Shirlie has been picking up the slack for me lately, so I promised her I would be in charge of the Tuesday's with Dorie post this week. (Thanks to my friend Becca who let me take over her kitchen to make the cake!)

This week's TWD challenge, hosted by Tammy of Wee Treats by Tammy, was a Caramel Peanut Topped Brownie Cake. Brownies and peanuts! I had high hope for this dessert. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. I am sure part of it was my fault. Not sure exactly what I did wrong, but I did not think this cake was worth the calories. My cake baked up like a bowl -- the edges rose, but the middle didn't. And, it was dry. The caramel helped, and perhaps a scoop of ice cream would of helped more, but overall the cake tasted more like cake than brownie -- which is not what I was expecting.

So, no ringing endorsement for this cake here, but it looks like other TWD members had better luck, so please go check them out .

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Tuesdays With Dorie: Creme Brulee

Creme Brulee is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and since I haven't had it in so long, I was practically foaming at the mouth in anticipation for this week's TWD. I'd like to share with you my creme de la creme of creme brulee recipes: Ginger and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. It's from Bon Appetit and it has 200 reviews with a 97% "would make again" score (which is quite high!). The ginger adds a dimension to this dessert which is very special and also a bit unusual. I've stuck to this recipe for the last few years and have found that it's easy to leave out the ginger and equally as easy to sub in other flavors, just like Dorie mentions in her book, as well. I couldn't wait to see how Ms. Greenspan's Creme Brulee stacks up against my favorite. Unfortunately, the custard part of Dorie's Creme Brulee sat in the oven for ages, barely baking at a wee 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The recipe calls for a baking time of 50-60 minutes "or until set." At 80 minutes, I got nervous and took it out, even though it was still a bit jiggly. I figured it would set a bit more in the refrigerator, as it should chill for at least 3 hours, preferably longer. I really love Baking: From My Home To Yours, and, of course, I adore Dorie Greenspan but this recipe just fell short for me. It's cloyingly sweet, and the vanilla extract seems to cheapen the taste. I know that makes me sound like a snot-nosed home baker, but the vanilla bean in the Bon Appetit recipe gives it much greater depth, it seems. It might follow the whole argument regarding recipes with very few ingredients: use the best components you can. Furthermore, I had the issues of baking it for so long at such a low temperature and not feeling like it quite set like it should. I refrigerated the custards for 5 hours and then made the crackly topping and found that the custard was not quite set. Although it was delicious, the custard was too loose to do it's job, which is to support that awesome sugary topping. I refrigerated another custard to see if it fared better after a 24 hour rest in the refrigerator. The next day, the custard was really perfect and I was much happier with the texture. But the sugar! It's as though the sugar became concentrated overnight and became tooth-achingly sweet, which did not sit well with me. I compared Dorie's sugar specifications to my Ginger and Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee recipe and there's a bit more sugar in the Bon Appetit recipe, but also 2 extra egg yolks, which seems to dilute the sugar. Anyhow, the Bon Appetit recipe is still number one in my book. I'm glad I tried this week's TWD, though, and if you'd like to try too, check out Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking: From My Home To Yours. Also, please visit the other TWD bakers to see how their Creme Brulees turned out! And, Thanks for a great choice, to our hostess this week, Mari, of Mevrouw Cupcake.

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TWD: Dimply Plum Cake

It's been a while since I've participated in Tuesdays with Dorie. It's been so hectic for both Erin and me in the last month or so, which is why we had to take an unwanted hiatus. Way back in 2007, when we decided to start Smell The Basil jointly, we figured that if life got too busy for one of us, then, certainly the other would be available and capable of picking up the slack. Crazily enough, we both ended up moving at the exact same time and now, Erin's stuff is in storage, my stuff is in storage, and neither of us are able to cook or bake in the comforts of our own kitchens. It's frustrating to try to cook in other people's kitchen's, isn't it? I'm temporarily living at my parent's house, and I'm loathe to re-purchase any necessities since I know all my favorite pans, whisks, and fancy vanilla extract are patiently waiting for me in a cold, dark storage unit in Central Jersey.


Well, this week's recipe is so easy that I could participate in TWD even with my mom's bare-bones baking supplies. My mom hasn't touched a cookie sheet in years, but she does have a glass pyrex 8x8 dish and we lucked into loads of fresh prune-plums last week, everything needed to make this Dimply Plum Cake, chosen by Michelle of Bake-En. The batter was a cinch to put together and tasted pretty good, as well. It's the perfect breakfast treat, punctuated with a hint of cardomom and orange zest. The crumb is moist, but also firm and it sets up quite nicely.





The only downside is that the cake rose up and over the plums, mostly covering them, but they're in there, I promise! I'd make this again, for sure. For the full recipe, please check it out, either in Dorie Greenspan's book, "Baking, From My Home To Yours," or visit Michelle's site! Thanks!

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Tuesdays with Dorie: Erin and Shirlie's versions of Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

First up: Erin's version of Dorie's Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

Instead of blueberries I used frozen blackberries. I used about 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of blackberry instead of the 1 cup it called for. I also put in the optional lime juice. Oh, and I used 2 % milk, not heavy cream. I didn't have heavy cream in the fridge and I am currently in an anti- "run to the grocery for just one ingredient" mode, so I used the milk I had in the fridge. This is also why I used blackberries because I had an open bag from Trader Joes in the freezer that have been there longer than I would like to admit.

This stuff is great. Not too much sugar, so it allowed some of the tartness to shine through. And, it was even healthier b/c I used milk not cream. So, this one was probably more like a sorbet, but I thought it was delicious. Even Eddie, my "dessert isn't dessert unless it involves chocolate" husband liked this one.

Shirlie's Version of Dorie's Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream



This week's TWD dessert was selected by Dolores, of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity, blueberry sour cream ice cream. Minimal fuss, fast set up and delicious pay-off. I hemmed and hawed about the recipe for a number of reason. I figured since it involved fruit, my husband would only tolerate it, and not actually enjoy it. I, on the other hand, can get behind another fruit based dessert, especially since I'm a new fruit dessert convert, thanks to this run of summertime desserts at TWD. Secondly, I really need to lay low with the cooking and baking because of our move, which is now right around the corner. I mean, we're finally able to see some space in the freezer so I wasn't sure it would be a good idea to make a vat of ice cream. Well, fast forward to Monday afternoon, and after another self-satisfied gaze at the progress I've made using up stuff in the freezer, I realized there was an old bag of frozen blueberries which had been hidden for a very long time! Total fate, I tell you. The other ingredients are easily found on-hand as well: sour cream, lemon zest, heavy cream. Since I didn't have heavy cream, I subbed whole milk which didn't take away from the richness or creaminess. This ice cream was really good, despite not having an egg-based custard, which usually means a creamy, delicious ice cream, in my book. I also added a splash of vodka, which is a tip from "Perfect Scoop," by David Lebovitz, to keep the ice cream from freezing solid. I was really happy with this ice cream, especially given how easy it was to prepare. And much to my surprise, my husband approved of it, even though there was no chocolate involved. He deemed it "refreshing." My daughter, on the other hand, wasn't a fan, but perhaps her palate is not quite sophisticated enough!






Please visit the other TWD bloggers to see their lovely creations. Full recipe after the jump.

Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream
Dorie Greenspan, Baking, From My Home to Yours


1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, if frozen, thaw and drain)
1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste (I used 1/4 cup and it was sweet enough)
grated zest and juice of 1/4 lemon(or lime, as you prefer), or more juice to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream (I used 1 cup whole milk)
3/4 cup sour cream (I cut back to 1/2 cup and compensated with an extra quarter cup of milk, totaling 1 cup whole milk)

1/2 teaspoon neutral flavored vodka*
*(this was my own addition, to ensure a creamier finish)

1) Put blueberries, sugar, salt and lemon zest and juice in a medium non-reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture boils and the berries pop and soften, about 3 minutes.

2) Turn the blueberries into a blender and whir until you have a fairly homogenous puree, about 1 minute. (it will not be completely smooth, and that's OK). Add the heavy cream and sour cream, and pulse just to blend. Taste and, if you'd like, add a squirt more lemon juice or a tiny bit more sugar.

3) Pour the custard into a bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled before churning it into ice cream.

4) Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Storage: Packed tightly in a covered container, the ice cream will keep in the freezer for about 2 weeks.
And here is the rest of it.

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TWD: Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

I wasn't sure what to make of this week's TWD challenge. Rhubarb is something I've never tried before, let alone purchased, prepped, and baked with. I was eager for the challenge, as my blogging partner, Erin, loves rhubarb. Every summer, I see this mysterious pale pink stalk-like vegetable, in bins next to the celery and eggplant and wonder if I can load up a dessert with enough sugar to tame the sour that rhubarb brings to the party. I say this because one of my favorite patients (I'm a physical therapist, I don't think I've mentioned that, yet) told me her husband only had eyes for her rhubarb pie, and her secret was a full 2 cups of sugar! Luckily, Ms. Greenspan's recipe cleverly uses the sweetness of cherries to its full advantage. I was ready to try this. I bought the rhubarb, brought it home, scrubbed it clean, trimmed it, and peeled a layer of it off, like celery, as instructed by Dorie. I pitted my cherries, using a paper clip contraption because I have yet to purchase a cherry pitter. One of these cherries was determined to cling to its pit and even after digging around in the bowl, I couldn't seem to locate this rogue cherry pit. So, I chalked it up to my imagination playing tricks on me and figured the pit never actually made it into my bowl of pitted cherries. I really should have been more careful, because I was serving this dish to 5 other people, 4 of whom are lawyers. Luckily my husband ended up with the cherry pit and luckily, he didn't break a tooth. Unfortunately, I have a birthday coming up and needless to say, he's told me that all I'm getting this year is a stupid cherry pitter.
I'm so glad I tried this recipe. I enjoyed the dichotomy of sour and sweet which melded together beautifully after 45 minutes in the oven. The topping is really unique, as it uses whole wheat flour and ginger as well. I tweaked it a little by adding 1/2 cup of cornmeal ala David Lebovitz who made a jam tart last week with cornmeal and whole wheat flour. I loved the texture and pleasant grit the cornmeal gave to the topping. And thank you, Steph, from A Whisk and a Spoon, and Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes for your advice on rhubarb. I was ready to give up, so thank you for responding on the TWD help board! For the full recipe, please visit Amanda, our hostess for this week's challenge, at Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake. And do check out what all the other TWD bloggers have created by visiting TWD and clicking on each blogger. Thanks!

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TWD: Double Crusted Blueberry Pie

Double Crusted Blueberry Pie was this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, chosen by Amy of South in Your Mouth. I know I've recently told you that I'm not partial to fruit desserts, so when I heard this week's recipe was a fruit pie, I was fully determined to sit this one out. Didn't we just make a fruit cobbler, I thought? So, I let most of the week go by without much thought about pie. Towards the end of the week, I received the current edition of Cooking Light Magazine, which was lovingly gifted to me by my dear friend, S., and lo and behold, you'll never guess what was on the cover! It was the most beautiful lattice topped cherry pie I've ever seen, with step by step instructions for mastering this intricate maze of pastry dough. Lattice topped pies have forever intimidated me; I mean, pie crust alone is scary, let alone trying to piece together fragile strips of dough on top of your pie. I decided to own up to my insecurities and overcome my fear of lattice topped fruit pies.
And how did my endeavors go, you might be wondering? Well, let's just say that I have a new respect for those who can lattice top a pie. It took me forever; so long that I had to re-refrigerate my dough at least 4 times. I would cut a few strips and lay it out, then, try to get another strip of dough up from the wax paper, only to find it tearing into remnants because the dough had softened too much. I had to reshape it and re-cut strips and re-refrigerate it and attempt all over again. It was demoralizing, but I finally did it. And as you are my witness, I fully recant my earlier declarations that fruit desserts were not for me. I misspoke. I had yet to try Dorie's double crusted blueberry pie. I suppose trying this pie at the height of blueberry season also helped. I used 3 cups of sweet cherries and 2 cups of blueberries in this pie. It was unbelievable. And now that I've made a lattice topped pie, I don't think I'll ever go back to merely topping a pie with just a plain slab of dough.
If you have put off trying to top your pies with a lattice design, I urge you to give it a shot. I swear it might make the pie taste even better! So, to re-cap, not only was the lattice top conquered, but I also came to the realization that some fruit desserts can be freaking amazing. I'll definitely make this pie again; perhaps with a different berry combination, although cherries and blueberries were sublime. Please visit the other TWD bloggers to see everyone's lovely creations. For the recipe, check out Amy's blog, South in Your Mouth, or get your hands on Baking: From My Home To Yours. You won't regret this purchase!

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TWD: Apple Cheddar Scones

This week's TWD, Apple Cheddar Scones, was selected by Karina, of The Floured Apron. This was a quick and painless recipe which produced a crumbly, yet still moist scone. I thought the combination of apples and cheddar seemed interesting; I'd heard of people eating apple pie with slices of cheddar on top, so I was determined to give this recipe a try. As soon as they came out of the oven, I tried a bit of one and was surprised at how good it was. The taste of apple was subtle, and the savory component of cheddar delivered an unexpected twist. My husband kept saying he didn't taste the bacon. I kept telling him that these were Apple Cheddar Scones, not Bacon Cheddar Scones. He seemed vaguely disappointed that Ms. Greenspan left out bacon in her Apple Cheddar Scones. I told him the book was written by Dorie Greenspan, and not Bob Evans! Please visit the TWD bloggers to view their creations. The full recipe can be found at The Floured Apron, or in Dorie Greenspan's book, "From My Home to Yours".

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TWD: La Palette Strawberry Tart

Marie of A Year From Oak Cottage has selected La Palette Strawberry Tart, page 374, From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan for this week's TWD recipe. After making this recipe, I realized something about Ms. Greenspan's sweet tart dough. It can do no wrong. I could fill it with brussel sprouts and lingonberry jam from IKEA and I could still put a few slices away, no problem. I know I shouldn't knock IKEA, after all, IKEA's "as-is" room has furnished many an apartment in my past. I guess it's just the fact that a furniture & household goods store would sell perishables such as preserves and meatballs which cause me a certain amount of cognitive dissonance. But I'm working through that, because the last time I visited IKEA, I couldn't stop drooling over the beautiful granite countertops. Anyhow, this recipe involves fully baking her sweet tart dough and then filling the cooled crust with strawberry preserves and fresh strawberries. A twist of ground black pepper and creme fraiche, and voila! A simple and rustic dessert is yours. I halved the recipe and made 2 small tartlets, and used balsamic vinegar-doused strawberries in one and kiwi and blueberry with blueberry preserves for the second tart. Verdict: The strawberry tart was good, nothing to write home about, though, unfortunately, but it did have one saving grace. The real star was the buttery, just sweet enough crust. The blueberry-kiwi tart, on the other hand, was outstanding. The sweetness of the berries and the tartness of the kiwi was evenly matched by Dorie's delicious crust. I would definitely make this recipe again, using blueberries and kiwi.



The full recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan's book, "From My Home To Yours." Please visit the other TWD bakers to see their lovely creations. Thanks, Marie, for choosing a terrific recipe!

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TWD- French Chocolate Brownies - Shirlie's Take

This week’s TWD recipe is French Chocolate Brownies. Holy cow, the ease of which these came together belies the decadence! I had it in my mind that there are two basic types of brownies. Those that come from a box, and Ina Garten’s. All other recipes I’ve tried fall squarely into the former camp, i.e. they taste similar to box brownies, maybe a notch or two above. I know I might be speaking sacrilege here, but hear me out. One afternoon, my husband and I caught the Barefoot Contessa’s Outrgeous Brownie episode. We quickly got to work duplicating her recipe and these became our very favorite and most treasured brownie recipe. But the work involved! We like to joke that only Ina can pull it off because she gets to hang out in her gourmet kitchen all day, entertaining her florist and/or her architect. Anyhow, I’ve tried other brownie recipes over the years, but thus far, I’ve always acknowledged that Ina sets the bar with her Outrageous Brownie Recipe. Fast forward to this week’s TWD. Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook selected Dorie’s French Chocolate Brownies. This recipe is really easy, the only odd thing about it is the flambéed raisins, which soak up some nice, dark rum. I like raisins OK, but not as much as I love prunes! So, I plumped up the prunes in water, and soaked them in dark rum, ignited it all, and used those prune pieces in the brownie recipe. These French Chocolate Brownies were awesome. Dark chocolate (70% bittersweet), fudgy and with a crackly top, these were the perfect foil to vanilla ice cream. Sometimes I wonder if I just use baked goods as my vehicle so I can shovel ice cream into my mouth, but those thoughts should probably be saved for another post. At any rate, my family tried them and really enjoyed these brownies, remarking that the prunes gave the brownie an unusual tartness in occasional bites. I proclaimed these brownies perfect and would like to state for the record that Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies should look out because there’s a new brownie in town.


French Chocolate Brownies
- makes 16 brownies -
Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup raisins, dark or golden
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 12 pieces
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil, place the pan on a baking sheet, and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon, if you're using it.

Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum, let it warm for about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, stand back and ignite the rum. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside until needed.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Slowly and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring so that it melts. It's important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you've got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them—it's better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. Set the chocolate aside for the moment.

Working with a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter, mixing only until it is incorporated—you'll have a thick, creamy batter. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds—the dry ingredients won't be completely incorporated and that's fine. Finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula, then fold in the raisins along with any liquid remaining in the pan.

Scrape the batter into the pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the brownies to cool to warm or room temperature.

Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. With a long-bladed knife, cut the brownies into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.

Serving: The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they're even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside—good go-alongs are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or even all three!

Storing: Wrapped well, these can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

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TWD- Traditional Madeleines

This week’s TWD challenge, Traditional Madeleines, was selected by Tara of Smells Like Home. I have a serious crush on these cookies, but never thought to make them myself, because I believed the task to be far too daunting, given that a special pan is needed for those precious seashell shapes. Once I sprung for the metal pan at Williams Sonoma, the rest is easy. I believe I overfilled the shells of my pan, because there is very little definition so they just look like blobs. There is no "hump", to speak of, which is the defining feature of the madeleine. They still taste great, though. The possibilities are endless; I have seen so many variations, like this, or this, or this on the blogosphere, that I am so looking forward to getting my money’s worth from this pan! The traditional variety is flavored with lemon zest and vanilla extract. They are the perfect accompaniment to tea, especially once dusted with powdered sugar. Now that I know how easy they are to make, I won’t be buying the stale ones from Starbucks anymore, just to get my fix! Thanks, Tara, for a great selection! Please visit the other TWD bakers to view their creations!


Traditional Madeleines

Source: Dorie Greenspan, Baking: From My Home to Yours

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)
GETTING READY TO BAKE:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.
Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don’t worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven’s heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.
If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.
Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners’ sugar.
Makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies

Serving: Serve the cookies when they are only slightly warm or when they reach room temperature, with tea or espresso.

Storing: Although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, the madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. You can keep them overnight in a sealed container, but they really are better on day 1. If you must store them, wrap them airtight and freeze them; they’ll keep for up to 2 months.

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TWD - Florida Pie

This week’s TWD selection is Florida Pie chosen by Dianne of Dianne’s Dishes. I can’t tell you how much I love citrus desserts, especially lime. Unfortunately for me, Eddie does not. So, usually lime desserts don’t get made in my house because I am not about to eat the entire thing. Well, I could eat the entire thing, but by thighs wouldn’t thank me in the morning.
This weekend was Mother’s Day… a perfect reason to make Florida Pie and share it with the rest of my family.
This recipe was super easy and I would recommend it to any pie novice or expert. It took a little while to make, but most of that time was freezing the pie for various steps. The one interesting aspect of this pie is that in making the meringue the egg whites and sugar were heated on the stove before whipping them with a mixer. As usual, Dorie was spot on. The meringue was light and delicious, and the addition of coconut gave it great texture.
Needless to say, the pie was a huge hit. I had to beat off my family to get a few pictures for the blog before it was devoured. The coconut cream was divine and the lime filling was so fresh and light. I couldn’t find key limes. It took about 4 regular limes to get the half cup of lime juice necessary. Again, for any novice citrus users… ONLY USE FRESH LIME JUICE. When I first began to really learn to cook I always kept those little plastic bottles of lime and lemon juice in the fridge. I mean come on, how different can the fresh stuff be? Plenty different. The taste just cannot compare. So, if you find yourself making this pie only to realize you don’t have enough lime juice, the trip to the grocery store for fresh limes is worth it.
Okay, enough preaching. Just go out and make this pie. And please go check out the results from my fellow TWD bakers.



Florida Pie

1 9-inch graham cracker crust (page 235), fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, separated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar

Getting Ready:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

To Finish the Pie with Meringue:

Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into the meringue.

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.

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Tuesdays with Dorie: Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake

This week's TWD challenge was selected by Caitlin, of Engineer Baker. I love ricotta cheese, especially on pizza and in lasagna. I wasn't sure about using ricotta cheese in a sweet dish, but I know using ricotta is common in Italian desserts, such as cheesecake and in cannolis. This recipe is ridiculously easy. Well, except the part about finding figs. I couldn't track any figs down, so I subbed prunes in. I have a new appreciation for dried plums or prunes after hearing David Lebovitz present Parisian Desserts at Central Market here in San Antonio a few weeks back. David Lebowitz quickly turned my aversion to prunes into adoration with his chocolate prune aramagnac cake, which he effortlessly whipped together in minutes during the class. I plan to post about in the future, and will compare his version to Dorie's. Well, I decided I would bake more with prunes after his class so I thought this cake would be the perfect opportunity to test drive this new infatuation of mine. And it was. Like I mentioned earlier, this cake was easy to put together, with minimal dishes to clean up (ease of dessert is always directly proportional to the number of dishes dirtied, in my book). The crumb was nice, too, sort of crumbly like cornbread, but at the same time moist from the ricotta and prunes. I decided to quarter the recipe and it was perfect for one 4 inch tartlette, just because I feel like I've been on a sugar high these past few weeks. Thanks, Caitlin, for choosing this cake; it's one I think I would have bypassed but I'm so glad I tried it. Don't forget to check out the other TWD'ers for their creations.




Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake
(From Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours)

About 16 moist, plump dried Mission or Kadota figs, stemmed
1 c. medium-grain polenta or yellow cornmeal
½ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 c. ricotta
1/3 c. tepid water
¾ c. sugar
¾ c. honey (if you’re a real honey lover, use a full-flavored honey such as chestnut, pine, or buckwheat)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10 ½-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Check that the figs are, indeed, moist and plump. If they are the least bit hard, toss them into a small pan of boiling water and steep for a minute, then drain and pat dry. If the figs are large (bigger than a bite), snip them in half.

Whisk the polenta, flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the ricotta and water together on low speed until very smooth. With the mixer at medium speed, add the sugar, honey, and lemon zest and beat until light. Beat in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are fully incorporated. You’ll have a sleek, smooth, pourable batter.

Pour about one third of the batter into the pan and scatter over the figs. Pour in the rest of the batter, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, if necessary, and dot the batter evenly with the chilled bits of butter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be honey brown and pulling away just a little from the sides of the pan, and the butter will have left light-colored circles in the top. Transfer the cake to a rack and remove the sides of the pan after about 5 minutes. Cool to warm, or cool completely.

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TWD: Bill's Big Carrot Cake

This week's TWD challenge is from Amanda, of Slow Like Honey, who selected Bill's Big Carrot Cake, pages 254-255. Of course, I wondered who Bill is, and it turns out that he's Dorie Greenspan's late jeweler friend, Bill Bartholomew, who enjoyed her carrot cake which she makes using her 30 year old recipe. Talk about tried and true! He must have enjoyed his carrot cake hearty! And now that I've tried Dorie's recipe, I think I prefer my carrot cake hearty, as well. This cake has it all. Texture, crumb, flavor, and that irresistable, cream-cheese frosting.





I prepared her carrot cake batter with crushed walnuts made super-fine by way of a mortar and pestle, and added shredded coconut. Instead of a big party cake, I made cupcakes. I omitted raisins because David has strong feelings about raisins; he can't stand them and will stomp his feet and throw a tantrum if he finds one sneaked into a baked item. Well, he doesn't really have a tantrum. I'm just having some good old fashioned fun at my husband's expense. It's OK, he stopped reading Smell The Basil, anyhow, so he'll never find out about me exposing his secret disdain of the harmless raisin. Anyhow, my point is that this cake takes well to subsitutions and additions. Dorie Greenspan mentions that dried cranberries are a current favorite addition to this cake. I'll try that next time.
Please check Smell The Basil tomorrow, because my blogging partner, Erin, will post about her take on Bill's Big Carrot Cake. Thanks!
My cupcakes sank a little during the baking process, which could be due to the heavy batter, but this cosmetic flaw was easily repaired with an extra dab of frosting. Please check out the other TWD bakers to see their creations! Also, thank you to Amanda, for selecting a great recipe!

Bill's Big Carrot Cake

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan




Yields 10 servings



Ingredients:



For the cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs



For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick ( 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound or 3 and ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

½ cup shredded coconut (optional)

Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)



Getting ready:

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.



To make the cake:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.



To make the frosting:

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.

If you'd like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.



To assemble the cake:

Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft.

Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.



Serving:

This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it's good plain, it's even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.



Storing:

The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it's firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

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