tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279719362024-02-19T07:25:06.612-05:00Ooples and Banoonoos...better than "I like to eat, eat, eat..."Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06739345626431350252noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-762097007732391972012-07-31T08:00:00.000-04:002012-07-31T16:28:31.827-04:00Pie, Y'all!Fittingly for the season, our recipe this week was the Nectarine and Blueberry Pie. I like how versatile this recipe seems. Nectarines and blueberries are great for summer but it could be adapted easily to fall or winter fruits.<br />
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I had a few issues making the pie dough. A: I didn't have ice for the water, which I know is weird, but true. B. The shortening was mushy even though I put it in the freezer for about an hour before I used it. And C: I don't think the dough needed a whole cup of water. It was so sticky that I added probably close to another 1/2 C of flour and put the whole bowl into the freezer for a couple minutes before I even shaped the dough into disks to rest.<br />
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Aside from making the dough, constructing the pie was nice and easy. As I mentioned last week, I think my oven cooks on the cool side. This baking confirmed that 100%. After the recommended 40ish minutes I still had uncooked eggwash on the top of my very blond pie. The total cooking time was nearly 1:30 but it finally bubbled and got good color. Fortunately, I had to go to work this morning while it was cooling so there wasn't temptation to cut into the pie before time. This crust is delicious and flaky, but I do feel like it's a little heavy. Maybe I should just roll the top crust a little thinner if I'm making it again. I did make the full dough recipe so I'll have at least another pie's worth to play around with.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Check out the hosts for this week's recipe: <a href="http://manchegoskitchen.typepad.com/">Hilary</a> and <a href="http://thatskinnychickcanbake.blogspot.com/">Liz</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">For the rest of the TWD bakers check out the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">blogroll</a>.</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-76641231112177877452012-07-18T00:09:00.000-04:002012-07-18T00:10:07.898-04:00Semolina Loaf - TWD/BWJ<div>
Ironic that I made this loaf a week early and it took me so long to get the post written up! Oh well. My initial impression of this bread was not great. If I bake, it's usually on my days off...and that means I have more things to do than schedule my day around bread dough rising. That being said, I tried to stick to the schedule, but every rise went over the recommended time. By the evening, though I had shaped the loaf, it was time to go to a birthday party and I just ended up putting the bread in the fridge overnight. In the light of day, my bread looked...sad and flat.
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I carried on and baked the bread for the recommended time. I'm beginning to suspect my oven is a little on the cool side, as it had NO color. So I turned the broiler on for a couple minutes. Mucho better. </div>
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While my loaf wasn't good for sandwiches or anything (was it even supposed to be?), it made great crostini! I made some fresh bruschetta and rubbed the slices with garlic and put it in the oven to crisp up. I think the subtle texture difference from the semolina was a nice change.</div>
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For the recipe, check out this week's hosts: Anna of <a href="http://www.keepitluce.com/">Keep it Luce</a> and Renee of <a href="http://www.thewaytomyfamilysheart.blogspot.com/">The Way to My Family's Heart</a>.</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-30798099172687380652012-06-05T16:19:00.001-04:002012-06-05T16:19:24.324-04:00TWD: BWJ Oasis NaanI enjoyed the simplicity of this naan recipe after some of the other more complicated ones lately. Some of mine ended up stretching out like the recipe said for the Persian naan, but it wasn't a big deal. <br />
I just did simple garlic and kosher salt since I didn't have scallions on hand. My only problem seemed to be that they didn't get much color on top, even though I left them for longer than 8 minutes. <br />
Verdict: tasty, but I might want to play around with the toppings more next time.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XAxIpmPb27OHiqcmDK57Q9E-x1ZVxxN5N0OJfmTPXKwyq99dF0Nrv2n8eyzjctQNb9Yup8l04JSF8xKCVPzrjP3JezgvBvGRtEBCc82b7uy3ePjFz7KSyPA5RwdZdWezemqrJA/s640/blogger-image--696917150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XAxIpmPb27OHiqcmDK57Q9E-x1ZVxxN5N0OJfmTPXKwyq99dF0Nrv2n8eyzjctQNb9Yup8l04JSF8xKCVPzrjP3JezgvBvGRtEBCc82b7uy3ePjFz7KSyPA5RwdZdWezemqrJA/s640/blogger-image--696917150.jpg" /></a></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-33475674181077852432012-04-17T16:17:00.001-04:002012-04-17T17:04:46.354-04:00TWD: BWJ Lemon LoavesOne thing I can say first off about this week's selection is that it comes together very quickly. As in I went to get lemons at 8:20 this morning and was enjoying the results by 9:45. I made two mini loaves out of a half-recipe and it worked perfectly. Baking time was right around 33 minutes for that. The texture is great - kind of <br />
like a lighter pound cake but still with a nice tight crumb. If I made it again, I'd definitely go for some sort of glaze per the top. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8D383_2lSOg9mr-t-qfYtzNHAhjHfruoOZYUc47aDx9qaeYWbwgm4vUQbZeT_jCN8bgvq4CH0meRSuDSREpeAtqo1dCBynSuMKp1PO5WF9SyTQ2OPG4z_2d7Il2lWhBSHWCHRQ/s640/blogger-image--129264360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji8D383_2lSOg9mr-t-qfYtzNHAhjHfruoOZYUc47aDx9qaeYWbwgm4vUQbZeT_jCN8bgvq4CH0meRSuDSREpeAtqo1dCBynSuMKp1PO5WF9SyTQ2OPG4z_2d7Il2lWhBSHWCHRQ/s640/blogger-image--129264360.jpg" /></a></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-27026497854603810972012-03-20T16:03:00.002-04:002012-03-20T20:41:17.493-04:00TWD: BWJ - Irish Soda Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Super simple recipe. Thank god. This really reminded me of just making a big biscuit or a scone, which if you are comparing ingredients, really all that's missing is butter or shortening. I may not have kneaded mine quite long enough but it never really got to the point where I could make a "disk" so into the pan it went. </span> </div>
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I chose to put raisins in mine, which I now regret, haha. I think it just kind of mars the nice taste and texture of the soda bread by itself. Fresh out of the oven, without even any butter, it was really quite good. I heard my mom mention something about soda bread french toast the other day; that might be how the rest of this loaf gets used up.</div>
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On a happy note, I made it to the bottom of my flour container! Wooo! Re-upped with some White Lily this time. For the recipes you can check out <a href="http://myculinarymission.blogspot.com/">Cathy</a> or <a href="http://chocolatemoosey.blogspot.com/">Carla's</a> sites and the main <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">TWD</a> site for the rest of the posters. Until next time!</div>
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Megan</div>
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Update: </div>
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Forgot to mention this earlier but I actually used fat free buttermilk (store only had a big jug of regular or the right size of fat free, so I went with that). From the taste/texture, it really wasn't affected by the lack of fat.</div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-10041870926259543292012-03-06T16:11:00.004-05:002012-03-06T16:11:38.083-05:00TWD: BWJ Rugelach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigX9GauT0ELHmHsul907oECHiihXiee3E_mnCTxuViZQ1TrKZ0Cq4z8q4vHr4SvN_7O8EIX5x1nA6zMT1-z5JWNqhDIFAm9B8fdk55GiVmgbhzpZP1caISPBpnbhsY0az12uEtIw/s1600/plated+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigX9GauT0ELHmHsul907oECHiihXiee3E_mnCTxuViZQ1TrKZ0Cq4z8q4vHr4SvN_7O8EIX5x1nA6zMT1-z5JWNqhDIFAm9B8fdk55GiVmgbhzpZP1caISPBpnbhsY0az12uEtIw/s320/plated+cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
For those who baked through BFMHTY, this sounded like it would be a pretty similar recipe. To my recollection, this one was a bit more fussy. I halved the recipe; living alone and having just received my order of Girl Scout cookies, this was necessary. The dough came together very easily and rolled out without any problems. I admit, when it came to the filling and rolling, I was a bit more loose with the directions. One half of my dough got apricot preserves, cranberries and almonds, while the second half got black cherry preserves, almonds and bittersweet chocolate chunks. Surprisingly, the non-chocolate rugelach ended up my favorite. I do have to say, if I was going to make rugelach again, I'd stick with Dorie's recipe from BFMHTY.<br />
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<img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fYB6cADmi0yAL0QKRO8eHzIjfsTuH9uRS75at8w7zlK0Cqn8-t0Y9aKJiVs8fuVH2YX35fXUr0I9c3OsKx6le8KShNb8r05kQ58GPEQ9TA2T_oZnmKu-tQ9Yn9dVC76w1K6QfQ/s320/rack+cropped.jpg" width="265" /> Thanks to Jessica of <a href="http://mybakingheart.com/">My Baking Heart</a> and Margaret of <a href="http://www.theurban-hiker.com/">The Urban Hiker</a> for picking a great recipe for the week!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-18010142232333099822012-02-07T12:41:00.001-05:002012-02-07T12:41:05.868-05:00TWD is BACK! White LoavesI'm so happy to be baking along with all you ladies and gents again!<div>
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For the first recipe of the new book, the white loaves were a great choice. Personally, I needed a good rebound from those flipping marshmallows. The dough came together so easily, wasn't too sticky, and even after the butter was incorporated it was nice and pliable. I chose to knead partially by hand because I'm paranoid about overheating my KitchenAid. What would I do without it?! </div>
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I probably could have left the bread in the oven for a little longer to get more of a golden color but honestly it smelled so good, I just wanted to get the bread out so I could have some. When rolling it out I added a layer of Parmesan cheese, which made a nice (small) swirl through the bread. It's been fantastic for sandwiches and grilled cheese. The crumb is nice and fine but it's not too dense either. Bottom line: I'm very happy with this and will be making it again soon!<br />
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For the recipe, visit either Jules or Laurie's blogs at <a href="http://wp.me/p5V26-oO">Slush</a> or <a href="http://someonekitchen.blogspot.com/">Someone's In the Kitchen</a></div>
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Le sigh...I might make these again when my kitchen is big enough to handle the mess.<br />
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<br />Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-65766607148324789642012-01-26T04:04:00.003-05:002012-01-26T04:04:35.846-05:00Fluffy GoodnessIn light of the fact that I'm still waiting on Rafael Nadal to show up in his match against RFed tonight, I've been plotting a return to some Dorie recipes before the new TWD begins in February. First up I think I'll do the marshmallows. I missed them the first go-round and what hot chocolate or mocha isn't improved by a homemade marshmallow? Results should be up soon. On one of her NPR appearances, Dorie shared the basic recipe <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6514512">here</a>.<br />
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Photo credit Alan RichardsonMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-89152731747597842672012-01-17T01:38:00.001-05:002012-01-17T01:38:30.845-05:00Good To See You AgainHere we go! I'm reactivating the old blog, brushing the dust and cobwebs off in advance of the new <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">Tuesdays With Dorie</a> Baking With Julia adventure. I have been reading blogs the whole time, obviously, but it's going to take some getting used to with all the changes that have happened along the way. My last post was May 26, 2009. This shit's complicated now, yo!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-16596436352535957972009-05-26T17:55:00.002-04:002009-05-26T17:55:57.103-04:00No TWD this weekI'm all baked-out from Memorial Day festivities. I'll be back next week.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-38804849920496870312009-05-19T22:57:00.003-04:002009-05-19T23:29:45.647-04:00TWD - Fresh Mango Bread<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsvJ9TEbDBLZOP5PW-boc_V3EyskXefEx9k2jbDnasrIUDEjgutOeRU43Qo9rk6j7tZuSOKYXSbQFUosjBXPd3DeWVMuLN_MTQ6Bj9YBl__9LQRUC1oPX7AGUi7SGtwRx_IZKGg/s1600-h/DSCF1802.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAsvJ9TEbDBLZOP5PW-boc_V3EyskXefEx9k2jbDnasrIUDEjgutOeRU43Qo9rk6j7tZuSOKYXSbQFUosjBXPd3DeWVMuLN_MTQ6Bj9YBl__9LQRUC1oPX7AGUi7SGtwRx_IZKGg/s320/DSCF1802.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337741115154110002" border="0" /></a><br />This week Kelly of <a href="http://bakingwiththeboys.wordpress.com/">Baking with the Boys</a> chose Dorie's Fresh Mango bread for us to make. For once I actually had the special ingredient (aka mangoes) ahead of time - like last Thursday. This is a big step for me. Not like I made the loaf early or anything, I definitely only made it today. Howeeeever, this was a snap to put together. I like how Dorie branched out to include recipes in BFMHTY that don't require a food processor or stand mixer...it's nice to go lo-tech every now and then ;).<br /><br />As far as fiddling with the recipe, I left out raisins altogether, upped the amount of zest to that of a whole lime, subbed applesauce for half of the oil, and used maybe 3/4 tsp of fresh grated ginger rather than ground ginger. I don't think the end result had an overpoweringly gingery taste, but I like ginger anyway so it might not have really been a problem. I didn't end up using a foil tent so the top got nice and brown; it has a great crunch which I think might be partially due to the brown sugar. The loaf turned out nice and moist; it'll be great for breakfast...and second breakfast...and elevensies too.<br /><br />Stop by Kelly's <a href="http://bakingwiththeboys.wordpress.com/">blog</a> for the recipe and the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">blogroll</a> for everybody's results!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-36403288372229779522009-05-13T00:20:00.002-04:002009-05-13T14:06:51.058-04:00TWD - Tartest Lemon Tart<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfVE6zv3sjDNii-So973-GrqyPLapyw6J2QTSesrKE9BRNVBOFpPpNJKXZ_CbjokWJ1WoIIdKKMXV__BEeB0gLbIHEDAc8gESZ-kvMfb3jc5mzgFuHnTVcGxhlwPG3FdN0oAbFg/s1600-h/DSCF1782.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfVE6zv3sjDNii-So973-GrqyPLapyw6J2QTSesrKE9BRNVBOFpPpNJKXZ_CbjokWJ1WoIIdKKMXV__BEeB0gLbIHEDAc8gESZ-kvMfb3jc5mzgFuHnTVcGxhlwPG3FdN0oAbFg/s320/DSCF1782.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335371186431862930" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>These are some tasty tasty tarts. Barb, you picked a great recipe to break up all the chocolate madness.<br /><br />Because I sometimes get overly ambitious (which results in the tarts coming out of the oven after midnight), I decided to do two things with these tarts. First, I made four mini tarts; second, I made two with a Meyer lemon and two with a regular lemon. You could really only tell the difference pre-baking in the color but the tarts with Meyer lemon are definitely not as tart as the others. The texture of the tarts reminds me of lemon bars but the crust is way better. Mine stayed nice and crumbly and fortunately didn't overbake in the oven.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn_4hERq5c7wlmuyq17CduSVfbC-P25ZF0_3_zn3aVLypYRyhPhn7L3jIr-T-OK8rEwTJh1DBifHsOUe8PDXcLiza8q3eQl-ixR_xMSpkbDjXqUyKfpPAV0Q9s4jh3j6fXg4eQQ/s1600-h/DSCF1775.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn_4hERq5c7wlmuyq17CduSVfbC-P25ZF0_3_zn3aVLypYRyhPhn7L3jIr-T-OK8rEwTJh1DBifHsOUe8PDXcLiza8q3eQl-ixR_xMSpkbDjXqUyKfpPAV0Q9s4jh3j6fXg4eQQ/s320/DSCF1775.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335371171819606754" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />The point of the "mini" tarts was so that hopefully I would eat less at a time but I'm not sure how that's going to work out. Oh well. Time to lace up the tennis shoes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7bqEy8W1dDJkLyuQTz5LTAnDNjeIKYoJHeeXfuuPozFpff3vu_scuklhzzuz-G4lzHeKfCjaNbnmP4XsLxEXdJ6LaP2FNIhZ765okRxOznBuXUYpU5STH4iGVlxdepJjje4MEQ/s1600-h/DSCF1780.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7bqEy8W1dDJkLyuQTz5LTAnDNjeIKYoJHeeXfuuPozFpff3vu_scuklhzzuz-G4lzHeKfCjaNbnmP4XsLxEXdJ6LaP2FNIhZ765okRxOznBuXUYpU5STH4iGVlxdepJjje4MEQ/s320/DSCF1780.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335371182092047410" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Check out <a href="http://babettefeasts.com/">Babette Feasts</a> for the recipe and the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">blogroll</a> for everyone elses tarts!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-82079963875316352642009-05-05T23:33:00.003-04:002009-05-05T23:58:32.421-04:00TWD - Tiramisu Cake<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BbTlvme_wngwMuWdtjT3IcUynZUjSkf81Oznzto61Iz4lizFhphXuk-ni5yzYtjE-Uh7wJUEYQG0mLLbZ1YsWxE1kgRnAfQb5x9FgNvsE5ujHkH23vqiAD35C06FfGtL4Mosgw/s1600-h/DSCF1767.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BbTlvme_wngwMuWdtjT3IcUynZUjSkf81Oznzto61Iz4lizFhphXuk-ni5yzYtjE-Uh7wJUEYQG0mLLbZ1YsWxE1kgRnAfQb5x9FgNvsE5ujHkH23vqiAD35C06FfGtL4Mosgw/s320/DSCF1767.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332554946582895570" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />This week's choice was great and when I ate some this evening after getting off work, it definitely lived up to its name as a pick me up. Good call Megan (I'm Megan too!) on your choice.<br /><br />I finally broke down this week and got some 6" cake pans so that I can make mini cakes and not feel so guilty about having a huge (full size) cake sitting around. The recipe was easy to halve and I just ended up using 2 eggs for it, as well as just using cream cheese for the mascarpone. I probably let my cakes stay in the oven for the recommended baking time because although they tested done a few minutes earlier they were still very pale looking instead of golden.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bMD7uWhITeaTZMPAFcubIbpwQm7iad1CThPGIUAehjhi2xtMOrPzlQV8mFnVC71qxeEDdExG5gpA7wlIzIht6NedtX4y44PqbVUsFtiXBByxjFgZf4nkjJZWLjWCzPXISnrsyw/s1600-h/DSCF1763.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bMD7uWhITeaTZMPAFcubIbpwQm7iad1CThPGIUAehjhi2xtMOrPzlQV8mFnVC71qxeEDdExG5gpA7wlIzIht6NedtX4y44PqbVUsFtiXBByxjFgZf4nkjJZWLjWCzPXISnrsyw/s320/DSCF1763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332554942833774850" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />In general the cake was very easy to put together. Yes there were several steps to assemble all the components, but nothing was that difficult. What I did have an issue with was trying to whip "light cream" to stiff peaks. That was a no go and I had to dash out to the store to get more cream before I had to run to the airport. That being said, it all came together well and I put it in the fridge before heading to work.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZu_X6M-6f9-w2jaj-UcdkdCmZxbqS2lPhftuaXipVJdpZO-4BW3Gvq8ENtyz2RNOBmOEpEyYKoGT5z07R_TKR08qTgW4ygKLST-vmoJpP4MIMqG0j1sWb2vsHe-VrAaanl7nwQ/s1600-h/DSCF1769.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZu_X6M-6f9-w2jaj-UcdkdCmZxbqS2lPhftuaXipVJdpZO-4BW3Gvq8ENtyz2RNOBmOEpEyYKoGT5z07R_TKR08qTgW4ygKLST-vmoJpP4MIMqG0j1sWb2vsHe-VrAaanl7nwQ/s320/DSCF1769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332554950882117714" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />On tasting the cake, I wish I had added more of the espresso syrup to the cake layers. You can taste the flavor well, but I just wish there was more! This cake definitely gets the seal of approval from my family.<br /><br />The recipe can be found on Megan's blog at <a href="http://mybakingadventures.com/">My Baking Adventures</a>.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-89809858886642616982009-04-21T23:15:00.002-04:002009-04-21T23:19:25.357-04:00TWD - Four Star Chocolate Bread PuddingWell, it would have been four stars if I hadn't put the raisins in it. WHY did I do that? I sort of questioned it beforehand but went ahead and added them. Raisins and chocolate do not go together like this. Other than that, this is a super tasty dessert. I made a half recipe today in an 8x8 pan and it's almost half gone already. Aside from having to toast the bread before mixing everything together, it was a very simple and straightforward recipe, but then again most bread puddings are. I do think this would benefit from a creme anglaise as Dorie suggests...I'll have to work on that for next time.<br /><br />Pictures to come!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-71713721563994050462009-04-07T23:14:00.003-04:002009-04-08T00:00:12.856-04:00TWD and a Celebration 2.0I originally didn't think I was going to have time to make the Banana Cream Pie for this week, chosen by Amy at <a href="http://singforyoursupperblog.com/">Sing for Your Supper</a>, because I was in Chapel Hill all weekend and this happened:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-AjkbA5LoWiQX5jVyzEp0Ycm0s6LbYVROiVMDaa8MX8cZNK5nnY-lC8vaUGTPLsBHPO9cvMqxRXb5yErDTOxiPQoDnJ3Dep1q4LNSA-YSQ1VSFUJEIyXJwxfv6C7mMVaYPkZdg/s1600-h/DSCF1643.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-AjkbA5LoWiQX5jVyzEp0Ycm0s6LbYVROiVMDaa8MX8cZNK5nnY-lC8vaUGTPLsBHPO9cvMqxRXb5yErDTOxiPQoDnJ3Dep1q4LNSA-YSQ1VSFUJEIyXJwxfv6C7mMVaYPkZdg/s320/DSCF1643.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322164605000684690" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Followed by this:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxqVLFsr-drPneuRV724pSIPUl0-hVwxBDHZc7LqaKQ3jOPav_dQmmrT3EfReVDBeTRJ1b38BHzHopYJdQdbm4YQs6chr7QHhwzTV8Knh67BBuNLfXzd5i-W5NeDHzKvtBntMCw/s1600-h/DSCF1652.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxqVLFsr-drPneuRV724pSIPUl0-hVwxBDHZc7LqaKQ3jOPav_dQmmrT3EfReVDBeTRJ1b38BHzHopYJdQdbm4YQs6chr7QHhwzTV8Knh67BBuNLfXzd5i-W5NeDHzKvtBntMCw/s320/DSCF1652.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322164606675331218" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Needless to say it was freaking awesome watching my boys win the national championship for the second time in five years, but it was also awesome that I <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span> have time to make the pie!<br /><br />I chose to make a vanilla wafer crust instead of a regular dough crust after seeing the suggestion made in the P's and Q's...this is essentially a banana pudding anyway. I think the banana cream pies I've had in the past are the cafeteria style ones that don't actually contain any banana, so at first I looked askance at the inclusion of <span style="font-weight: bold;">real pieces of banana</span>! Everything came together pretty easily, though my pudding tasted kind of like pumpkin pie because of the spices. This recipe did leave quite a trail of destruction through my kitchen from the cornstarch that went poof to the 34 pots and bowls it took to mix everything together.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurycU_U0JoGzxlWCknHh7dUq5aRZ2LMUGxfEUPvaX3lnv0syW5eP5vYKAy95N9kxt30vxScdap_2-63WRB8mhSkfsMekaez1YwaDbGYj-ZHh8rJuUdik3AeDikp5syoDN-uyzPw/s1600-h/DSCF1662.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurycU_U0JoGzxlWCknHh7dUq5aRZ2LMUGxfEUPvaX3lnv0syW5eP5vYKAy95N9kxt30vxScdap_2-63WRB8mhSkfsMekaez1YwaDbGYj-ZHh8rJuUdik3AeDikp5syoDN-uyzPw/s320/DSCF1662.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322164618875394626" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3Rmfhfcfjy9TjejwmIJRJZHaddTViKnmK2z_94b7zPqTudiUPw-EieiZBNqO6-fiv8NM5xEMSu9MfYdHn-QdhpJU4hpyZUuBFVCokFqM3B3bwAWlbvD-bN-GxCF9eBgAXLE9KA/s1600-h/DSCF1665.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3Rmfhfcfjy9TjejwmIJRJZHaddTViKnmK2z_94b7zPqTudiUPw-EieiZBNqO6-fiv8NM5xEMSu9MfYdHn-QdhpJU4hpyZUuBFVCokFqM3B3bwAWlbvD-bN-GxCF9eBgAXLE9KA/s320/DSCF1665.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322164617918234290" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />But - this is tasty and I'm thinking it will get better in a day or so when the banana flavor spreads all through the pudding...if it lasts that long.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD8hrJ3T34qlXE4P_urHlugc6PqbidQQ6L7fdHi62DGHotOCwKK7I8HdBoGpuudLXOTXbfkqigf8SigwBhQpgrEcBmsJrhkq3knxvs1lWsXq83v_kLKuMi6D0bd6Qw21sWflxZw/s1600-h/DSCF1667.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD8hrJ3T34qlXE4P_urHlugc6PqbidQQ6L7fdHi62DGHotOCwKK7I8HdBoGpuudLXOTXbfkqigf8SigwBhQpgrEcBmsJrhkq3knxvs1lWsXq83v_kLKuMi6D0bd6Qw21sWflxZw/s320/DSCF1667.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322164623794681010" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />This post brought to you by Gwen Stefani.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-24076991873032200462009-03-31T22:03:00.002-04:002009-04-01T15:30:19.595-04:00Alas...Due to work constraints I wasn't able to make the coconut butter thins, but hopefully I'll get to enjoy their tastiness later.<br /><br />In the meantime, please watch the best commerical EVAR! (especially since Duke lost)<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r0TPodgomLs&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r0TPodgomLs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />(for those who don't rabidly follow college basketball, from L to R that's UNC coach Roy Williams (yay!), Louisville coach Rick Pitino, former coach Bobby Knight and Duke coach Krazywisky, aka Rat-face)Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-17615684013490247212009-03-24T22:43:00.003-04:002009-03-24T22:54:00.703-04:00TWD - Blueberry Crumb Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi018O7SRHg24ak598SXFvn13wFxuiQ74GQ4YHo3nUAGU2FsRO_8R4WoRDG2NwvNYSF6v1_R9oD0z9iYYw565g7l4hpFKlr6Yucjtne7D_0bsdLpv2zpI0j9XUAQSdRsPcNrs56hQ/s1600-h/DSCF1625.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi018O7SRHg24ak598SXFvn13wFxuiQ74GQ4YHo3nUAGU2FsRO_8R4WoRDG2NwvNYSF6v1_R9oD0z9iYYw565g7l4hpFKlr6Yucjtne7D_0bsdLpv2zpI0j9XUAQSdRsPcNrs56hQ/s320/DSCF1625.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316952749625823906" border="0" /></a><br />Chosen by Sihan of <a href="http://www.fundamentally-flawed.blogspot.com/">Befuddlement</a>, this week's Blueberry Crumb Cake was a hit, especially in the category of the not too-sweet sweet. I'm glad that I got to use some of my frozen blueberries - I keep forgetting they're in the freezer. With the flour to help bind them in the batter, the amount of berries in the cake is just right. The crumb topping I might play around with more if I choose to make this again; I got a big pool of butter and I noticed others had the same result as well. It also ended up in giant chunks that would break off and then leave the rest of the piece without crumb topping :(.<br /><br />I also need to find a pan that's actually 8x8 or 9x9...this one is definitely just a little small:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcDOIk0ItP-vo7gSCy4Qi1AQD4hoNIK4jkA0C0pNoGMNDt9Eyq0uOAm-1NgFU4u3LZpAnM0A2UU_1XnRs_tIkRvDWukIkuVWO1xm51RhgLMRhSIuMl2uyJPTEOtuq-jKjZKLuOQ/s1600-h/DSCF1621.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcDOIk0ItP-vo7gSCy4Qi1AQD4hoNIK4jkA0C0pNoGMNDt9Eyq0uOAm-1NgFU4u3LZpAnM0A2UU_1XnRs_tIkRvDWukIkuVWO1xm51RhgLMRhSIuMl2uyJPTEOtuq-jKjZKLuOQ/s320/DSCF1621.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316952743406822882" border="0" /></a><br />The recipe can be found on Sihan's blog and check the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com">blogroll</a> for everyone else's results.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-89730125843521406302009-03-17T23:35:00.003-04:002009-03-18T00:01:13.287-04:00TWD - French Yogurt Cake w/ Marmelade Glaze<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwml5FW-Qdaj7jIm-HP9mfaYgPqiFNskzG3wu3VCzDzqEMu6CeiB6IGFrXHv2JWpJ2W2SKZtpvko6UnvjCEGEjO7CN0uZ71bkoes64Exu96CpyP8APzX9Rv0LFmxgKEXo2WaA2Q/s1600-h/DSCF1585+cropped.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwml5FW-Qdaj7jIm-HP9mfaYgPqiFNskzG3wu3VCzDzqEMu6CeiB6IGFrXHv2JWpJ2W2SKZtpvko6UnvjCEGEjO7CN0uZ71bkoes64Exu96CpyP8APzX9Rv0LFmxgKEXo2WaA2Q/s320/DSCF1585+cropped.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314372067850492018" border="0" /></a><br />For this week, Liliana of <a href="http://www.cookbookaddiction.blogspot.com/">My Cookbook Addiction</a> chose Dorie's French Yogurt Cake with Marmelade Glaze. I've been looking forward to making this recipe for a while and it did not disappoint. This is definitely one of the ones you can decide to make semi-spur of the moment and you will likely have all the ingredients on hand for it - I didn't even have to make a run to the grocery store for this cake. I also got a chance to use some of the farm fresh eggs that a friend of a friend gave us; they're so much prettier than regular white eggs!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0B_pbrSRdrhKODAsY4qG_YSeq1kkrTY7ur2TuRJYl0KC41xJ22YNuZXgdJTmGeI-MoxSNZekEJYl9Vv482UTuYeo38fFT3dzC3-ipyd7HJNrEBDmD-hLXtF9NwZJ3iGrdKZW9w/s1600-h/DSCF1579.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia0B_pbrSRdrhKODAsY4qG_YSeq1kkrTY7ur2TuRJYl0KC41xJ22YNuZXgdJTmGeI-MoxSNZekEJYl9Vv482UTuYeo38fFT3dzC3-ipyd7HJNrEBDmD-hLXtF9NwZJ3iGrdKZW9w/s320/DSCF1579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314372063331725522" border="0" /></a><br />The batter for the cake was a breeze to put together, except I wasn't paying attention and added the oil with the other wet ingredients rather than waiting til after I added the dry ones. Fortunately it seems like everything worked out OK. In my oven, which I think usually runs a little warm, this took the whole 55 minutes to get done on the inside. The outside, however, was a bit more colored and the sides were slightly more crispy than I would like but it doesn't really affect the taste. I might try this in some of my smaller loaf pans when I next bake it (because I really want to try the Riviera version) and hopefully that will help with the brownness.<br /><br />I used orange marmelade with a little lemon juice added (saw someone did that in the Ps and Qs), but I'm actually not that crazy about it. I've got some lemon curd too and that is just scrumdidliumptious on the cake. I should not keep jars of lemon curd in my house.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSLzwugfLnaS0F4E4b5KfUHMg5b61PzDvi4w-6myAdv953-PpF6hQP5Ox74tUxUcdzfo73nex0xEldKaIUmtbUnD0HhYP6dSL6CNnVf2rhiu_U3SyDaomHZoUpRIS68KRE2MR8g/s1600-h/DSCF1582.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSLzwugfLnaS0F4E4b5KfUHMg5b61PzDvi4w-6myAdv953-PpF6hQP5Ox74tUxUcdzfo73nex0xEldKaIUmtbUnD0HhYP6dSL6CNnVf2rhiu_U3SyDaomHZoUpRIS68KRE2MR8g/s320/DSCF1582.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314372058768993298" border="0" /></a><br />Anyway, thanks to Liliana for a great recipe. Stop by the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">TWD website</a> to see what everyone else ended up with.<br /><br />PS - I have had a new food blog addiction for this past week: <a href="http://alineaathome.typepad.com/alinea_at_home/">Alinea at Home</a>, by a lady in DC. She had previously cooked through the French Laundry at Home and is now taking on Grant Achatz's Alinea cookbook. It's great reading to see a normal person tackle molecular gastronomy.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-25141844162054795192009-03-03T17:31:00.003-05:002009-03-07T00:34:21.974-05:00No TWD for me this week....With all the sledding and playing in the snow I had to do yesterday and the fact that I'm working a double today, I chose not to take on the Chocolate Armagnac cake chosen as this week's recipe by Lyb of <a href="http://andthenidothedishes.blogspot.com/">And then I do the dishes.</a> (no offense!)<br /><br />I'll be back in action next week for the Lemon Cup custards, so be sure to stop by.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpOuV9MjwxQbRj6fHDqw5jVWKCwV5_zXWdMr9ZqUhG_dMUVmGbgfvNgSj_EC2u3Efe_0RrsH8zlSLh614SqnXOhEMtxmJVJJ9_P3HJojOqkwW2fz8rWqhpRwb_FCFs_jLe-JmjA/s1600-h/DSCF1491.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpOuV9MjwxQbRj6fHDqw5jVWKCwV5_zXWdMr9ZqUhG_dMUVmGbgfvNgSj_EC2u3Efe_0RrsH8zlSLh614SqnXOhEMtxmJVJJ9_P3HJojOqkwW2fz8rWqhpRwb_FCFs_jLe-JmjA/s320/DSCF1491.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310314869433597890" border="0" /></a>Bruno says hi!<br /></div>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-9235875169684848322009-02-24T22:36:00.002-05:002009-02-24T22:45:54.815-05:00TWD - Caramel Crunch BarsThis week's recipe was chosen by Whitney of What's Left on the Table (haha in my house, not much). Great call...these bars are sweet enough to satisfy any sweet tooth but have enough saltiness from the toffee as well as the instant coffee that it's not overly sweet.<br /><br />I chose to make a half recipe in an 8x8 pan...honestly the 2 sticks of butter in the recipe made my eyes bulge just a little bit. Everything was going swimmingly until I reached for the tin foil and realized we were out, so I used wax paper instead. Cut to 10 minutes later and the wax paper is smoking and two of the smoke alarms are going off. Awesomeeee. I almost dropped the whole mess on the floor trying to get it out of the oven. Fortunately after I cut off most of the excess wax paper and put it back in the oven everything went OK, though I was paying careful attention to any suspicious smells.<br /><br />One of the things I like about this recipe a lot is that you can whip it up in under an hour, and it's great warmish or cooled. I will probably have to hide these from myself so I don't eat all the rest of them.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-69889756718069763872009-02-17T22:14:00.003-05:002009-02-17T22:41:29.100-05:00Tuesdays with Dorie: The Cover Cake!This week, Stephanie of <a href="http://confessionsofacityeater.blogspot.com/">Confessions of a City</a> eater chose the cover cake of "Baking From My Home to Yours," also known as the Devil's Food White Out Cake.<br /><br />Part of me wanted to make a mini-cake this week (I guess that's latent holdiay/Valentine's eating guilt setting in) but a. I have no mini pans and b. I feel like everyone's been waiting to make this cake for ages, so why not go big?<br /><br />I didn't read the P's and Q's this week, but my cake layers ended up being way more thin than I expected and they also didn't settle as well. I guess I will take Dorie more literally when she says to smooth out the top of the batter. I was glad to be able to put my cake lifter to good use - it's nice to not have to worry about cracking my layers in half like I have done in the past.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYSzkNSbmE5kH6hlmdGhO7fjwrmpF0RncKSoy8kNDYdRf14aZArQUKfFv3yMZMzcF_c442CqcsrUyxsBFDLtQ7xHgTlOcKyN0IWHBtz9R6HD0SdG7V_dEkTWyqqvM17fA-g3xaw/s1600-h/DSC00693.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYSzkNSbmE5kH6hlmdGhO7fjwrmpF0RncKSoy8kNDYdRf14aZArQUKfFv3yMZMzcF_c442CqcsrUyxsBFDLtQ7xHgTlOcKyN0IWHBtz9R6HD0SdG7V_dEkTWyqqvM17fA-g3xaw/s320/DSC00693.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303976401703263362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gm0iosTmmWG9cXi4GQxrBxpU2eBXBuexZukYd-_Gr40bZqS77u7utFoWlNJw75DUZsixV_knS5Qj0lxxBdk3hxbe_423U_YIGxtHf9eRD13Z5XZYp09vpeUJgAI3wdRYT_VPKw/s1600-h/DSC00701.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gm0iosTmmWG9cXi4GQxrBxpU2eBXBuexZukYd-_Gr40bZqS77u7utFoWlNJw75DUZsixV_knS5Qj0lxxBdk3hxbe_423U_YIGxtHf9eRD13Z5XZYp09vpeUJgAI3wdRYT_VPKw/s320/DSC00701.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303976405776953010" border="0" /></a><br />I am a big fan of the marshmallowy frosting that goes with this cake - it's not overly sweet and it complements the cake very well. I don't make cooked frostings that often but aside from taking longer than I thought it should have, it turned out very tasty and holds its shape very well for how light it is.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSARdDcqrkWpO58IyY9nvVDudpK8sUwjegXH7_74mdFNEG344zi2lI_ONtyMTurpuqIf3fJqsVA-vmL6b9YeZPeOc2HwONTMP7RalX5srkrXRfA_w6xoAXpFqGUjTQ5rHufYg_A/s1600-h/DSC00704.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 299px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPSARdDcqrkWpO58IyY9nvVDudpK8sUwjegXH7_74mdFNEG344zi2lI_ONtyMTurpuqIf3fJqsVA-vmL6b9YeZPeOc2HwONTMP7RalX5srkrXRfA_w6xoAXpFqGUjTQ5rHufYg_A/s320/DSC00704.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303976418190674946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHCyIzZvdd1YFv8XLpJS7hskGpkIhFs6u689tauEuG2gx_mE1gx-xd9CmLHrtiSRVeWvmaTBSzzYuLlmNHoGCnMFpcsjABd9G_ZjOaIg3plDXzg45SDfN65lJqSciPxNPnBwKQQ/s1600-h/DSC00705.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 297px; height: 229px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHCyIzZvdd1YFv8XLpJS7hskGpkIhFs6u689tauEuG2gx_mE1gx-xd9CmLHrtiSRVeWvmaTBSzzYuLlmNHoGCnMFpcsjABd9G_ZjOaIg3plDXzg45SDfN65lJqSciPxNPnBwKQQ/s320/DSC00705.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303976429144428386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheq97Qds4ovv008HskgsSkVWqPsEB0-u9EC7N682GcDIrJAezD6-_qMsnOaiLaY2YPL3euhvjdRv-ynDGuwvrYGS0Gbcykl9kBrJt7CdO4kqKEwbW8cFttZ8n5w4RdLYlWhEcMow/s1600-h/DSC00707.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheq97Qds4ovv008HskgsSkVWqPsEB0-u9EC7N682GcDIrJAezD6-_qMsnOaiLaY2YPL3euhvjdRv-ynDGuwvrYGS0Gbcykl9kBrJt7CdO4kqKEwbW8cFttZ8n5w4RdLYlWhEcMow/s320/DSC00707.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303976430071280114" border="0" /></a><br />So, thanks Stephanie for choosing the cover cake! Check out the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">blogroll</a> for everyone else's cakes.Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-26008626469865251222009-02-17T22:08:00.004-05:002009-02-17T22:14:22.908-05:00A late Valentine's entry...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgktib8nYGDW6dBz25knNWp0O3I3Y-D82nzTMfwzPfe6YALEVfJ6H9gtQ8T12fYo1ppZOgkePg_YbBm6WkU4yC_3_ICFJaFpDjg5pB9NyoL2XtC-4AvDDmeWa9jdlcrp1cugFmg/s1600-h/DSC00684.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgktib8nYGDW6dBz25knNWp0O3I3Y-D82nzTMfwzPfe6YALEVfJ6H9gtQ8T12fYo1ppZOgkePg_YbBm6WkU4yC_3_ICFJaFpDjg5pB9NyoL2XtC-4AvDDmeWa9jdlcrp1cugFmg/s320/DSC00684.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303970141582418418" border="0" /></a><br />I just wanted to share what I took to work on Sunday. Those who had been married/divorced got a kick out of the "sign a prenup" one especially.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHGleAXecyxNrKnrIIYFMl5wlWycz7XhK2zvEVGtBzaMs-5ELnHl28vP32FdoONvQ1HlRzLk-VeN2xFBzdAneDCeQ_wa6QOqlIUOL-9_351lFEl36Nlxg5hsH6sFqQE5Y2RYxHQ/s1600-h/DSC00685.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHGleAXecyxNrKnrIIYFMl5wlWycz7XhK2zvEVGtBzaMs-5ELnHl28vP32FdoONvQ1HlRzLk-VeN2xFBzdAneDCeQ_wa6QOqlIUOL-9_351lFEl36Nlxg5hsH6sFqQE5Y2RYxHQ/s320/DSC00685.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303970142425411778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-A078SfkNnbJu43T14lh-PfNaA0wNi2nTpO90optx9IOLIydB9gGQc91376LT2VxbZaKwVrnflXLyYknQGPrW5dPjoWsp2Xu6EO50-mF_UxCRCdfg046OhVZnmoU5KVi7iMlNQ/s1600-h/DSC00686.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-A078SfkNnbJu43T14lh-PfNaA0wNi2nTpO90optx9IOLIydB9gGQc91376LT2VxbZaKwVrnflXLyYknQGPrW5dPjoWsp2Xu6EO50-mF_UxCRCdfg046OhVZnmoU5KVi7iMlNQ/s320/DSC00686.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303970141863978354" border="0" /></a>Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-64759982872909641112009-02-03T23:13:00.005-05:002009-03-07T00:43:36.394-05:00TWD - Dorie's World Peace CookiesJessica of <a href="http://cookbookhabit.blogspot.com/">CookBookHabit</a> chose Dorie's renowned World Peace Cookies for this week. Reading the P's and Q's had me kind of nervous; everyone seemed to have issues with super crumbly cookies that didn't slice well. I've never made sables before so I didn't really know what to expect nor do I know if my cookies do or don't fit the sable description.<br /><br />I didn't have any fleur de sel on hand and used some finely ground kosher salt instead. When making mine, I possibly over mixed just a tad, but I didn't have issues with the dough not coming together as I made the logs. (well except for all the chocolate pieces falling out). I did notice that when I was trying to roll the logs out it felt like they were hollow and would start to kind of separate and so I'd have to smoosh everything together again.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ73-1i78IsD58jHeCRhjWM_kzEazUGPkrEZe1EfSEwXq673dB_ud6o8jK3TasmkquFw9ANHlNyylgQ5YnGwenTkHwrPVRxHAoIdJuG6r8NE3HEY0NyFB9x9h5VkJgQCyFfnpkiw/s1600-h/DSCF1466.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ73-1i78IsD58jHeCRhjWM_kzEazUGPkrEZe1EfSEwXq673dB_ud6o8jK3TasmkquFw9ANHlNyylgQ5YnGwenTkHwrPVRxHAoIdJuG6r8NE3HEY0NyFB9x9h5VkJgQCyFfnpkiw/s320/DSCF1466.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310316590838538866" border="0" /></a><br />I froze my dough for about 2 hours and had no problems slicing the cookies. Suprisingly I got 30 out of this recipe. Usually I get much less than the amount Dorie projects.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtnLS4W2gy3hKDN00aU-TOctiBOw5nQjOuT9gKHdRxP1BhsKYyc10cGm_0GxTQ0fRnmZ_ZQ-8T8EgJVXszSQImXeiBlwDcJsEFT2b-Xo1jKg9nyqnUYrbJ2r5j9MU8dAJNdxmgg/s1600-h/DSCF1467.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtnLS4W2gy3hKDN00aU-TOctiBOw5nQjOuT9gKHdRxP1BhsKYyc10cGm_0GxTQ0fRnmZ_ZQ-8T8EgJVXszSQImXeiBlwDcJsEFT2b-Xo1jKg9nyqnUYrbJ2r5j9MU8dAJNdxmgg/s320/DSCF1467.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310316598642984338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32ue2QDIyu80rEbSNbWsXRM-x5V7s7AGLr76AcLeKuXG1QydY_MPlOPrOk2ii93roMtLHsVtwTMe25-bIuGBOF_Z3hvGsMg1mrZCWZKlxFgsmig5VXE2Dwm9ROKQK0d-51OrvKA/s1600-h/DSCF1470.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32ue2QDIyu80rEbSNbWsXRM-x5V7s7AGLr76AcLeKuXG1QydY_MPlOPrOk2ii93roMtLHsVtwTMe25-bIuGBOF_Z3hvGsMg1mrZCWZKlxFgsmig5VXE2Dwm9ROKQK0d-51OrvKA/s320/DSCF1470.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310316607766107186" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Taste test: very good, but super rich. My brother ate 3 in a row and I don't know how he did it. This may be partially because I ran out of bittersweet chocolate and used semisweet instead. Le sigh...I really need to start reading the recipes more than a day ahead of time so I have a chance to make sure I have all the ingredients. Check the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com/">blogroll</a> for everyone else's results!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27971936.post-54246540371058579642009-01-27T23:27:00.005-05:002009-01-27T23:57:07.235-05:00Tuesdays With Dorie: Fresh Ginger and Chocolate GingerbreadWell, let's try this again and hope for no blue screens...<br /><br />Firstly, I just have to share and say that the reason I didn't post last week is because I was in Chicago being touristy and enjoying inauguration festivities. See below:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaiP1yvOrOEpJXgDJqYuqohuuP5EFE_qWVk1ihE6etJ2M-VYqQeby6pUv3poplj-IgPFvSVAJDUU9JHPT3BrN2ZtedUGGFTbarKhXpotT6kDfXjGEb2h5snHwqT7-3t_MlOfzzw/s1600-h/DSCF1419.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNaiP1yvOrOEpJXgDJqYuqohuuP5EFE_qWVk1ihE6etJ2M-VYqQeby6pUv3poplj-IgPFvSVAJDUU9JHPT3BrN2ZtedUGGFTbarKhXpotT6kDfXjGEb2h5snHwqT7-3t_MlOfzzw/s320/DSCF1419.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296201787501004114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">(The shirt says "Obama in the house")</span><br /></div><br />On to the baking...<br /><br />This week Heather of <a href="http://sherrytrifle-lovelycats.blogspot.com/">Sherry Trifle</a> chose the Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread. Silly as I am, I had made Dorie's flan recipe the night before I was planning on making this gingerbread, so in order to stave off some guilt I decided to make a half recipe. I love ginger and was excited about all the types included in this one, although I didn't have any ginger in syrup and left it out. This was a pretty straightforward recipe, though after I baked it and got a taste, it reminded me a lot of one of my favorite bakery's pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. I guess the muffins are less pumpkiny and more spicy like the gingerbread. I'm always very happy when Dorie puts in little tips like, "Don't worry if your mix looks curdled here,"which is comforting when you're mixing and mixing and it still looks weird. I followed what I am seeing as general wisdom for halving things with odd numbers of eggs and used 2 eggs, resulting in a very moist cake. I have no problems with moist. (haha though I did have a teacher in high school who HATED the word moist)<br /><br />The icing...mmm. I think the coffee helped give the icing that something extra. I made the full recipe of icing for my half recipe cake and might have just eaten the rest of it. Hm...where are my workout dvds?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFJ34PUUC9kNPQH_dC0ZEdr6jCIv0DHcC3_1r72aC-D8mGVbFxPTov6rnqpF7cNXYryPPDZgMXckXU_sXJ6kplHWDvSXI9nPoU9D0bthoERiQ-ZWV8xa6O53RPLA6dAZ2scDfxg/s1600-h/DSCF1435.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZFJ34PUUC9kNPQH_dC0ZEdr6jCIv0DHcC3_1r72aC-D8mGVbFxPTov6rnqpF7cNXYryPPDZgMXckXU_sXJ6kplHWDvSXI9nPoU9D0bthoERiQ-ZWV8xa6O53RPLA6dAZ2scDfxg/s320/DSCF1435.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296201780283944530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIqgixCzC-Z6oueHY6SaXLvbeQwD-c9Cc3Jr83l3kJhvCGilZSR2sGNrdtmK1Dw4pYOA7REX7iRCPd-DGQ6qX76QSo7RYSAoUCsqTlSPo9YrXiMEhBQXFf-IHLAKNo2ZqlMIvRQ/s1600-h/DSCF1443.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIqgixCzC-Z6oueHY6SaXLvbeQwD-c9Cc3Jr83l3kJhvCGilZSR2sGNrdtmK1Dw4pYOA7REX7iRCPd-DGQ6qX76QSo7RYSAoUCsqTlSPo9YrXiMEhBQXFf-IHLAKNo2ZqlMIvRQ/s320/DSCF1443.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296201783260078338" border="0" /></a>Be sure to check out the <a href="http://tuesdayswithdorie.wordpress.com">blogroll</a> and see what everyone else is up to!Meganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12385422010861913917noreply@blogger.com4