brown sugar shortbread from "Cooks"

You can find the recipe in "Cooks Illustrated Holiday Baking" (Holiday 2009) magazine page 35

I enjoy this magazine, and the recipes are reliable.  The magazine is a little like AB - the articles explain how and why the recipe works, and what doesn't work.

These do get somewhat hard, so be sure to cut them soon out of the oven.

just mixed:

press into the pan, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and score deeply:

just out of the oven (I didn't score deep enough):

cut; recipe states 12 slices; I cut into 16:

aren't the points pretty!!!

Gesine's stars

starry starry nights

These are baked from a recipe in "Confections of a Closet Master Baker" by Gesine Bullock-Prado.  This is the cookie version of a chocolate truffle.

We Americans, who use soft wheat flour for baking, may find the almond meal/flour to lend a strange texture to these cookies.  I've been baking with almond meal/flour for a few months, and I like the added texture it gives cookies and cakes.

I mixed the batter, and refrigerated for a couple of days.  Then, with my #100 scoop, I formed the balls, rolled in sugar, and froze for a few days. They baked beautifully, and are delicious!

I stored the cookies in a tin for a couple of weeks.  They remained fresh and flavorful.  Bake a few of these for your 'chocolate lover' friends, and keep a few for your own cookie jar.

Here's the link to a video demo of these cookies.  Gesine makes 'starry starry nights,' and the video is posted on her blog.

enjoy!

caramel with golden syrup

addictive - addictive - addictive

It's like a drug.  You want one, then two, then all the pieces!  The rich, buttery, golden, creamy, sweet, vanilla bean flavor of this caramel is the best I've ever tasted.

I probably should have cooked this a few degrees longer; you can see in the above photo that the ends are curling.  The cut caramels hold their shape in the refrigerator, but soon become soft after removed from the refrigerator.

You can find the recipe here.

Since this begins with the addition of golden syrup, watching for the correct golden color is a bit challenging.  Err on the side of darker.

changing consistency:

Though I didn't scrape the side of the pan when I originally poured the caramels, I did scrape the pan onto a saucer.  I didn't want to leave any of this goodness in the pan. Notice all the vanilla bean specks in this caramel!

Someone had to taste......

d e l i c i o u s ! ! ! ! ! !

"praise God from whom all blessings flow..."

family of gingerbread people

What a nice looking trio!  And, they are standing outside Niece Ashley's gingerbread house.

I found my inspiration for the gingerbread men here; although, I forgot to add the sugar buttons before I baked the cookies - maybe I'll remember next year.

As long as the dough remained very cold, the cookies cut easily.  I kept the dough as cool as possible, and refrigerated the cut cookies before baking.

This recipe does create a cookie that puffs somewhat (and bakes into a soft cookie).  Niece Ashley thought the first little men we baked looked like ghosts...

The flavor compensates for any undesirable puffiness.  This recipe yields a sharp gingerbread, with a bit of hot bite - exactly what I wanted for my gingerbread men.

Packaged and ready to be delivered - - -

orange - sugar coated - pecans

Valerie's Orange Sugar-Coated Pecans

We were baking little almond pound cakes, and she casually mentioned these pecans.  They are wonderful.  The ingredient list contains no spices to distract your senses - just orange, pure orange.

The recipe is simple.

finely grated zest from one orange (original recipe states 1 T)

1/4 c orange juice (I used fresh juice, strained)

1 c sugar

4 c pecan halves

Combine zest, juice and sugar in heavy sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil.

Stir in the pecans, and continue to cook until all the liquid/syrup has coated the pecans (this took about 5 minutes)

Pour coated pecans onto parchment to dry.  Separate the nuts, as they tend to clump.  They begin to dry quickly.  Let these sit in a tightly covered tin for a couple of days; the orange flavor intensifies.

The syrup does coat the pecans, and eventually your pan should look like this:

cranberry bliss bars

My Starbucks connoisseur, Friend Karen, says these are prefect. I think she ate 2+ before she left my house with her box of Christmas goodies. That's quite the recommendation for this recipe, coming from one who is such a Starbucks fan.

The bars are good, consisting of a cookie base flavored with holiday spices, and topped with a cream cheese icing. Add a few cranberries for Christmas color, and you have a very festive, flavorful holiday treat.

You can find the recipe here.

Santa looks as if he is ready to jump into the middle of this 'bliss.'

The recipe makes a large 9x13 pan of bars. Cut the bars into squares, and then cut in half diagonally to form triangle shaped bars.

Herb de Provence + orange = 1 great cookie!

These were my favorite from the 2009 holiday baking session, which lasted 3 weeks. The freshly grated orange zest was a Christmas gift to the senses, as well as the addition of Herb de

Provence to the cookie and the glaze.

I included these in a few Christmas cookie gift bags. The positive reviews were overwhelming. They really are that good!

Recipe can be found here.

All packaged for Christmas and ready to travel...

Cappuccino Brownies

Niece Ashley chose these from the (huge) stack of magazines and books on the coffee table. She chose well!!!!!

While I tried to feed her festive, holiday dried fruit bars, and gingerbread, and orange cookies....she just wanted chocolate...

This recipe is from a "Land O Lakes Recipe Collection" magazine dated 2004.

I make this comment often while I'm baking, but 'who needs potpourri' when you have Cappuccino Brownies in the oven?

brownie:

1 T instant expresso powder

2 t hot water

1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

1 c all purpose flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

frosting:

1 t instant espresso powder

2 - 3 T milk or cream

2 c powdered sugar

1/4 c butter, softened

drizzle:

1/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 t shortening

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 1 T expresso powder and hot water in bowl; stir to dissolve.

Melt 1 c chocolate chips and 1/2 c butter in saucepan over low heat, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in espresso mixture, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well mixed.

Spread mixture into well greased 8" square baking pan. Bake for 33 to 38 minutes, or until brownies just begin to pull away from sides of pan. Don't over bake; cool completely.

Combine 1 t espresso powder and 2 T milk in small bowl; stir to dissolve. Add powdered sugar and 1/4 c butter. Beat at low speed, adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled brownies.

Melt 1/3 c chocolate chips and shortening in saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate over frosting; swirl with knife for marbled effect.

A few of my notes:

The brownie base is very soft; I lined the pan with parchment to aid in removing the brownie from pan.

These cut like cheesecake - that means, clean the knife between every slice for a pretty, smooth cut.

The brownies are best on day 2, after the flavors blend. Freshly baked, there may seem to contain too much espresso or chocolate, but just step back and wait a few hours.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but these are DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

Enjoy.

my clementines - not the song

The recipe uses the entire clementine, including the peel. I had never tasted a clementine, and baking with the entire fruit sounded interesting.

As I read in one of the foodie blogs, "the clementine is this cake." It's true. From the aroma to the texture to the taste - it's all clementine.

The cake is made with almond meal. This meal has a course texture, much unlike our wheat flour. I like the added texture the almond meal provides in this cake.

As the recipe states, let this cake sit for a couple of days. I have tasted the cake directly from the oven and also a couple of days later. It is much better after it rests for a couple of days.

Nigella's receipe can be found here.

pecan domed rum cake

Real bakers don't use cake mixes - - silly me for thinking such.

As I reached for the cake mix box on the grocer's shelf, all I could think about was, 'what preservatives and words that I cannot pronounce are ingredients in this box?'

I followed the old, traditional Bacardi Rum Cake recipe, which can be found numerous places on the internet. I must confess that, even though this recipe includes a cake mix, the cake is really good. I chose spiced rum, because 'spiced' is what fall baking is all about.

I would like to try a different recipe that does not use a cake mix, but I'm baking another rum cake next week, and I've already purchased the box mix. It works...what can I say?

These cakes were baked in the William's Sonoma cranberry molds. They made cute little bundts. A word of caution - don't overfill the pan. I know this from experience!

peanut butter fudge

No candy thermometer required!

Just mix, boil for 3 minutes, mix and pour.

This fudge tastes wonderful, is creamy, cuts easily, and freezes beautifully. There are no stray sugar crystals lingering to destroy the smooth texture of this fudge.

I'm trying this next with Nutella!

You can find the recipe here.

Pottery from Peter's Pottery.

Thanksgiving memories

Brother's hands carving turkey

Niece mixing southern cornbread and biscuit dressing.

Milky Way Madness...

...as in, this has been driving me crazy for years! No one can make the cake like Mama did, and she can no longer offer instructions.

Once again, Nephew only asked for one thing - a Milky Way cake like "Granny's." (I can't make it like Granny did!!! Aunt Gale replies)

This year was about the 4th year to try this beast of a cake. Monday night, I baked the cake in a bundt pan, I think to exert my power. (I'll show you, you thin, moist cake layers of Granny's past.) The cake was very firm, actually hard, on the outside. I tasted a pinch of the cake; it tasted like cardboard. It contains a cup of crisco; what can taste good with that much crisco?

I deviated from Mom's icing recipe slightly, and was pleased with the result. I had great icing on a bundt that I had sliced into three very uneven layers. As an aside, carefully mark the layers if you slice a bundt. Otherwise, the wheel of a bundt becomes a puzzle; needless to say, I didn't put the puzzle back together correctly.

It's now Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. Nephew is expecting Milky Way cake (like Granny's %*$&%#). I have an uneven mound of dark chocolate mass that looks like it has a cyst on the top (thank you, Brother, for pointing that out). Cardboard with good icing in an ugly shape...headed home for Thanksgiving.

Nephew looks at the cake and asks, "What is that?"

By some Miracle!, the warm, moist icing soaked into the cardboard cake layers, and resulted in a heavy, dense, moist Milky Way cake with good (soft on the inside, hard on the outside) icing.

A (freeking) Mazing!!!!

Niece and Nephew think "This is it!"

Brother gave me a 96%; would have given 100% he said, had the cake not had a cyst on the top.

So, after years of trying - - success.

Definitely let the cake sit for a couple of days before cutting. The icing moistens the dull cake layers. (The cake was even better on Friday.)

Even though the (my) cake is not very pretty, it is really delicious. A small piece goes a long way, for it is very rich. Chocolate lovers should try this recipe.

Here's Mom's recipe for the cake:

6 Milky Way candy bars

1 stick oleo

Melt and let cool slightly

1 c. Crisco

2 c. sugar

4 whole eggs

Beat well

2 1/2 c. plain flour

pinch salt

1 1/2 c. buttermilk with 1/2 t. soda added

Beat all; add Milky Way mixture

Bake in layers at 350 degrees

Here's the recipe I used for the icing; it's Mom's recipe, with the addition of extra milk and sugar:

2½ cups granulated sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1 cup marshmallow cream

6 oz chocolate chips

Combine sugar and evaporated milk; cook to soft ball stage. Remove from heat; add butter, marshmallow cream, and chocolate chips. Frost cake.

Work quickly; this icing sets up very fast.

The result will be a Dense, Moist, Rich, Chocolate cake. ...and a memory.....

Hugs to Mom...

love Gale

a sweet touch

There's no question here...

Even though the raw sugar does **sparkle** sitting atop the pumpkin cookies, the white sugar is far superior in eye appeal. We do eat with our eyes first, don't we.

Recipe adapted from here.

my name 'up in lights' ....

...well not exactly - more like on page 216, in the back of the book, in the middle of all the acknowledgments. However, it's there, and it's fun to see it there.

I, along with many, many others, tested recipes for cookbook author / Johnson & Wales University instructor, Peter Reinhart's new book, "artisan breads every day." He always responded to emails and offered encouragement and/or modifications when a recipe underproduced. I'm still flattered that this book author would take the time to reply to my emails and comment on my food photography.

Of the breads I tested, Chocolate Cinnamon Babka was my favorite (page 153). And, my largest mess was created while testing Best Biscuits Ever on page 175. The test recipe required butter in the size of dimes. I'm glad to see the final recipe requires grating frozen butter. Believe me, butter the size of dimes will melt out of the dough and all over the parchment.

I watched this book's creation from test recipe #1, through release day on October 27, 2009 via Mr. Reinhart's blog and emails. This is a great book for bread bakers. Here's the link; add this one to your library!

* * * * * * * * * *

(Reposting below old blog entries, photos, and emails during the testing process.)

testing recipes for a new book

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

another new adventure...

that’s what life is made of...

I love the adventures!

I’ve been reading Peter Reinhart’s book, “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice” for the past few months. It’s a great book, especially if you are interested in learning baker’s math.

******

October 6...a post on the “Wild Yeast” blog:

Peter Reinhart, author of several wonderful books including The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and Whole Grain Breads, is looking for recipe testers for his new book. If you’re interested, see Peter’s blog for more information.

******

October 7...an email from Mr. Reinhart:

Happy to have you aboard. Please forgive this impersonal note, as I am now up to 295 testers and need to write to all with this note. From now on, please check the blog every few days for updates. I will send out the first recipe next week and will then let folks what recipes are available for testing via the blog and you can request whichever one you want when you send back the previous response form. Please keep the attached file to use as your response form each time. ... Many thanks in advance for all your help and support.

Sincerely,

Peter

******

It looks like I’m going to be testing recipes for his new book...

Stay tuned....

04.25.09

What fun! I tested a few of the recipes for his new book. I would submit my reply form, along with pictures-of course-and Mr. Reinhart would reply to my emails! How exciting to hear directly from the cookbook author. What a wonderful experience. I anxiously await the release of his new book later this year.

fall morning

My baking list is extensive today....

But, for a few moments, I'll sit and admire God's handiwork in the pink streaks across the early morning sky...

...and enjoy a few cups of hot tea.

Pottery tea pot is from Peter's Pottery in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. I purchased this teapot last fall; however, Val and I made the trip to Peter's Pottery yesterday. Watch for future blog posts displaying my baked goodies on new pieces of Peter's Pottery.

FALL red & green

Not Christmas red and green. However, as I removed these cranberry pumpkin cakes from the oven and the tops of the cakes burst with red cranberries, green pepita seeds, and glistening raw sugar, I did think - - - Christmas. And, I'm not one to skip Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law makes the best southern style dressing, and her sister makes candied sweet potatoes. So, I'm not skipping any of those treats, but these cakes just have that "Christmas" look. Dress them up with a celophane bag and some ribbon, and you will have created merry, merry, merriment for some lucky people.

The recipe is in a book by Lou Seibert Pappas, "A Harvest of Pump

kins and Squash." I did handle the batter gently, and the cakes baked with perfect rounded domes and no cracks. Perfecton! They are tender and moist and delicious.

The recipe lists white or yellow cornmeal as one of the ingredients. I chose a medium grind to add a little extra crunch. I also used the puree from well drained pulp of a pink banana squash.

This squash baked to a smooth pulp with bright orange color.

For the details:

9 oz of batter in each of 4 - 3" x 6" pans

I didn't calculate calories...

gingerbread biscotti

easy, easy recipe -- ginger 'bite' lingers after you consume the biscotti -- perfect for fall

"Soft Gingerbread Biscotti," that is. I don't like the 'hard as a brick' type found in some trendy stores, but freshly baked biscotti is another matter. Even biscotti skeptics would probably enjoy this treat made without preservatives, etc, etc, etc.

My new book of the week - "Gingerbread" by Jennifer Linder McGlinn

My niece and nephew still remember the gingerbread house I made when they were but toddlers (20+ years ago), and I still search for gingerbread recipes to this day. I love the hot bite of the ginger, blended with cinnamon and other spices. I've searched for the perfect gingerbread, and finally found one I like (see this post.) However, this book by J. McGlinn holds additional promise of great ginger things to come. I hope to bake from several pages of this book.

This biscotti was a huge hit at work yesterday. The dough mixes easily, although you do have to get your hands into this one. I will omit the additional sprinkling of sugar during the second and third bake; but, otherwise, the recipe is perfect. The baking fragrance is everything fall. Today, on day 2, the biscotti is slightly crunchy on the edge and slightly soft inside - perfect with my morning Tazo 'Earl Grey.'

I highly recommend the book and the biscotti recipe on page 62.

tunnel of fudge

A warm, dark, delicious tunnel anyone (who loves chocolate) would want to indulge in. This is Ashely's new apartment cake. I was concerned there was too much chocolate in the cake...what was I thinking?!

Look at the picture. You can see the tunnel of fudge, and that's just what it is. Dense, chocolate, moist, better than a brownie, tunnel of fudge. Surrounded with chocolate cake, and topped with ganache.

Calories? I have no idea, and I don't want to know.

The recipe is in "Cook's Country - Best Country Recipes" It's on sale in the bookstores now. www.cookscountry.com

This cake is delicious. I knew I had found a 'keeper' recipe when I tasted the raw cake batter; it was the absolute best cake batter I have ever tasted. Good quality chocolate really makes a difference.

There is no chemical leavening in this cake, yet it rose and baked to chocolate goodness. A small piece goes a long way, so, share with your family and friends.

roasted tomatoes become pizza sauce

I pureed 6 roasted roma tomato halves (here's the link to the roasted tomato blog post) and I had instant pizza sauce.
The pureed roasted tomatoes / pizza sauce needs no ingredient additions to achieve great flavor. Everything was added during the roasting stage.
Add a little browned sausage and some shredded cheese. Transfer from bread peel to a very hot, hot baking stone in a very hot oven. The semolina in the image above helps the pizza slide off the peel and onto the stone, and it adds a little crunch to the bottom of the pizza.

"as much fun to make as they are to eat"

No, it's not Jiffy Pop. Do you have to be as old as I am to remember Jiffy Pop?

I saw cranberry almond baked apples on sophistimom's blog and knew I wanted to try these. Along with a little help from my friends, we set up an assembly line. K prepared the apples, A molded the pastry, and I photographed the process. A couple of hours later, we all enjoyed a delicious dessert on this beautiful fall Saturday afternoon.

There was a learning curve to master with the peeler/corer/slicer. K only lost part of a fingernail; thank goodness there was no blood. By apple #3, she was a pro.

Here's the link to sophistimom's delicious recipe. Next baking, I might add a little more cinnamon and a little more almond flavoring. The pastry does break away from a few of the apples in places, but this does not affect taste nor presentation. Actually, steam was escaping in a curling stream through one of the pastry holes as I took the apples from the oven. It was pretty.

Notice the 'dish tiles' handmade by glass artist My Friend A.

Here's the link to other pictures from today's baking.

dish 'tiles'

No, I didn't misspell dish towels. These are small glass dish 'tiles.'

You will be seeing these throughout my future posts. Aren't they cute! They were a birthday gift from a friend who knows I love to bake. A set of these tiles and a dry erase pen, and I'm ready to bake.

You simply write, place, enjoy, (photograph), and erase. It's that simple. And, they are ready for the next dish.

They could actually be used to identify anything - cheese, wine, dinner guests place settings - but "as for me and my house," I plan to use them with my food photography.

"My Friend A" made these! Wouldn't they be a great Christmas, birthday, just any day gift for someone you know? Comment on this blog post and I'll help you contact "My Friend A" if you are interested.

They are soooo cute...

a can of soup

Tommy's soup

aka

Weight Watcher's Taco soup

aka...it's good by any name.

This idea is not new, and the recipe is not mine, but the soup is simmering in my kitchen and it smells good. This is a taco soup recipe, and it is spicy (and a bit salty) - I love spicy. I've scaled the ingredients for a Viking recipe for cheddar corn muffins made with whole-grain cornmeal. These will make great 'dippers' into the soup bowl tomorrow.

Open these cans and pour contents into a large pan. (I opened these with a hand can opener - it's time for an electric model!) Listed below is my version of taco soup.

1 lb ground turkey, browned (don't add salt)

30 oz can of kidney beans, drained

2 - 10 oz cans of Rotel / I used traditional / this soup is very spicy without adding heat here

4 oz can of chopped green chilies and juice

11 0z can shoepeg corn, drained

2 - 15 oz cans Chili Beans Ranchero Style including juice

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

28 oz (empty crushed tomato can) water

2 packages of dry taco seasoning

2 packages of dry ranch dressing mix

Mix all ingredients in a large pan. Heat slowly and allow to simmer to meld flavors. I made mine the night before it was to be served.

This makes a big, big pan of soup. Freeze some for later.

My version of the recipe calculates to approximately 150 calories per 8 oz serving.

ginger - bread

This gingerbread is a lower fat version (approximately 150 calories per square) of the traditional fall favorite. I included last fall's apple and pear butter in the batter, along with chopped candied ginger.

Long after the last bite, the ginger flavor will linger among your senses. If you like ginger in your gingerbread, this is the recipe to sample.

The recipe can be found in Mia King's "Good Things" page 333. The book is a work of fiction revolving around a remote diner run by an awesome cook- recipes included!

I have recently contacted the book author for permission to post the recipe here.

UPDATE:

She was so kind to answer my email very promptly.

She gave her permission for me to reprint the recipe, and you can find all the recipes from her books on her web site here.

From: GOOD THINGS (Berkley Books, February 2007)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil
• 6 tablespoons applesauce
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup boiling water
• ¾ cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons crystallized ginger, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely chopped
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 cloves, ground

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, brown sugar, egg, egg white, crystallized and fresh ginger, lemon zest , buttermilk, molasses, and boiling water.
• Sift the flours, baking soda, salt, ground ginger and cloves. When ready, stir the dry ingredients into the applesauce mixture.
• In a butter and floured 9” x 12” baking pan, pour the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes clean.
• Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool for 30 minutes. Cut into squares or slices and serve.

(Also, notice my pretty fall teacup found last weekend at an antique store near St. Louis, MO.)

biscotti wraps your senses in a warm blanket of 'divine'

Fall is in the air here in TN; I saw frost on the neighbor's rooftop this Sunday morning.

I was born in October; I have always loved this month. My uncle Bennie, now deceased, would speculate every year whether the first frost would be before or after my birthday (14th). I think about that every year when I see the first frost...

But, I'm not baking with pumpkin - yet. Today it's a super simple recipe for biscotti.

I'm a sucker for books of fiction which include recipes. I rationalize it as double value for my money. I recently found Mia King's series, and today's recipe comes from "Sweet Life."

Kava Java's Kona Mocha Mac Nut Biscotti. It's quite obvious that the story is set mostly in Hawaii. The recipe is on page 322. (recipe makes 24 & I calculate about 155 calories each)

I have a biscotti recipe that I really like to bake. However, this recipe captured my attention due to its simplicity. Cake mix! My theory is that biscotti may have developed as the result of a baker's desire to not waste yesterday's leftover cake; so, I decided to try the recipe.

My entire house smells divine!!!!!!!!!! A warm blend of chocolate and espresso on this beautiful sunny, but cool, fall afternoon permeates every room of my home.

(as an addition to the original post: it's now October 30. The biscotti has been sitting on the kitchen counter inside a glass cake dome. It still tastes great, and has a good crunch; yet, it's not too hard. This has a long shelf life.)

Here's the link to Mia's web page where she posts recipes from her books.

From: SWEET LIFE (Berkley Books, September 2008)

Recipe courtesy: Debbie Davis, Kamuela Coffee N’ Cones

Yields: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 package chocolate cake mix
• ½ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup instant Kona espresso powder
• ½ cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Cut parchment paper to fit large cookie sheet
2. In a large bowl, blend dry ingredients for biscotti. Add eggs and blend just to mix.
3. Add melted butter into biscotti mixture. Blend until thoroughly mixed.
4. Add the macadamia nuts. Continue to blend until thoroughly mixed.
5. Using your hands, shape the dough into a log and lay it on the parchment paper. Roll it out to approximately 5” wide and ½” thick.
6. Shape into a rectangle.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. Remove pan from oven and cool for 20 minutes.
9. Cut biscotti into even horizontal strips, approximately 1” wide. Lay each biscotti on its side on the cookie sheet, leaving space between each one.
10. Bake at 350º F for another 10 minutes, then lower the oven heat to 200º F and continue baking for another 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Glaze

Ingredients:

• ½ cup powdered confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons Kona coffee, cooled

Directions:

1. Mix confectioner’s sugar with 1 tablespoon of cooled Kona coffee. Stir until consistency is a little thicker than maple syrup, adding the remaining coffee as necessary.
2. Place glaze in a plastic sandwich bag and squeeze the glaze to one end. Cut off the tip of the corner of the bag.
3. Glaze top of biscotti in a zigzag pattern. Let the glaze cool completely before serving. Store any remaining glazed biscotti in an airtight container.

a Charleston cookie legend...spirited

Charleston, SC - food and restaurants and bakeries at every turn.

I remember benne wafers from a Savannah, GA trip to Byrd Cookie Company 20 years ago. But, I didn't make the connection in Charleston i.e. Olde Colony Bakery until I was leaving the city. And, the benne wafers at the airport were not packaged as a product of Olde Colony Bakery. Thus began the internet search for a benne wafer recipe. I found several, and decided to try one of the versions I found here.

I really should follow the recipe exactly on the first baking attempt, but I seldom do. I'll list my variations below. In short, my cookies don't look exactly like the cookies in the above blog post, nor do they look like the wafers in Charleston, but they are delicious nonetheless.

The benne wafers being sold at the Charleston airport list ingredients as follows:

sugar

unbromated wheat flour

egg whites

white sessame seeds

palm oil

salt baking powder

baking soda

(If I can acquire a package of Olde Colony Bakery benne wafers, I'll update this post.)

Listed below is the recipe I followed; my adjustments are in capital letters:

Benne Wafers (adapted from a recipe by Jean Anderson)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar FIRMLY PACKED
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 TEASPOONS
1 large egg 1 EXTRA LARGE EGG
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour 5 OZ KA WHITE WHEAT FLOUR
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup lightly toasted sesame seeds THE BROWN ONES

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add the egg and beat until just incorporated. Add the flour and salt, mixing to

combine. Fold in the sesame seeds.

Drop the dough from rounded 1/2 teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread when baking.

Bake on the middle oven shelf for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

Thank you for sharing, Tim! Visit Tim's blog, Lottie + Doof for more really good cooking and fabulous photography.

Visit Tim's weblog:Lottie + Doof (giving credit where credit is due)

My cookies did not spread, as listed in the recipe above, but they are DELICIOUS.

Once I realized my recipe/ingredient mistake, I began using my #100 scoop (which is about 1 1/2 teaspoons) to portion the cookies.

And, I added 2 teaspoons of Praline Liqueur to the last half of the benne wafer batter. This added a richness to the cookies. I could not really taste the liqueur in the cookies, but I could smell the praline. I will add this ingredient to my permament benne wafer recipe.

Though not the traditional southern, small, thin, crisp benne, I'm very pleased with my benne wafer/cookie version.

Gesine's (Ghe-see-neh's) new book

I've just finished reading Gesine Bullock-Prado's book, "Confections of a Closet Master Baker." I would highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys baking and/or a touching, life changing story. I, too, can relate to the loss of a parent and the life changing events that follow.

I baked her 'Golden Eggs' (page 12) and they are delicious. Two weeks later, after being frozen, they are still moist and springy to the touch. Here's the link to her video where she bakes the little cakes. I must say, my cakes did not turn out of the decorative bundt pan. That didn't affect the flavor, and I baked the remainder of the batter in regular muffin pans, which turned out beautifully.

Buy the book!

It's a great book. Along with the touching stories, and the grueling details of a baker's daily life, there are several recipes sprinkled in the mix. I can't wait to try the others.

Buy the book!

CIA snapshot - day 1 & 2

CIA Pastry Bootcamp is everything I had imagined and more. The same Chef is teaching this class that taught baking bootcamp last year! What a treat. And, I've seen one of the TAs from last year and another Chef from one of our classes last year. How wonderful of them to take time to stop by and say hello!

I'll post bootcamp details next week, when life returns to normal. In the meantime, I'll give you a short summary of day 1 & 2. (15+ hour long days, and we love it!)

Day 1 - I can't even remember without looking at my instruction book. We've baked and mixed and eaten so much!

Oh yes...pastry cream, pate a choux, and creme caramel. Long gone are my fears of a making a custard and caramelizing sugar. That's not to say that everything we made was prefect, because it was not. But, we learn from our mistakes as well as our successes.

Day 2 - Filled and glazed pate a choux; unmolded our beautiful creme caramel; mixed, piped, and baked spritz cookies; and, we made a vanilla sponge cake. The mixer turned the sponge cake ingredients into mounds and mounds of stabilized bubbles. Our cakes baked to a golden brown. Tomorrow we will soak them with a flavored simple syrup, and frost with buttercream. The chocolate demo offered instructions regarding various tempering techniques. And Chef brought beautiful, tiny chocolates for us to taste while she piped chocolate butterflies with wings in flight.

The tasting is one of the many benefits of a trip to CIA. Everyone wants you to taste everything. I gazed through the window of our TA's classroom late in the afternoon. They were making petite fours, invited me into the room, and offered a taste. I just didn't have room for another bite- what a shame!

Hyde Park, NY - CIA - how exciting

(bridge east across Hudson River, then north to Hyde Park and CIA)

Sunday September 13

I'm really here again! When I left last September, I knew I would return at some point in the future, and here I am. Alarm clocks (yes, more than one) are set for 4:30 AM EST. Orientation begins on campus at 6 AM tomorrow morning.

I drove around the campus earlier today, fondly remembering last year's week of Baking BootCamp (my links here), and wondering what wonderful experiences are yet to unfold at this Pastry BootCamp.

Does one week make one a pro? NO. But I do know where to park, where to attend class, and where to get the hot water for my morning tea.

It will be an exhausting week, as our days begin at 7AM and end around 9:30PM. I intend to post during the week (intend being an imaginary bold font).

As an aside, the Barnes & Noble bookstore here (in Poughkeepsie) is two stories high. I've never seen one that large. I now have the new book, "Confections of a Closet Master Baker - A Memoir." Rather than reading, I need to be sleeping.....

finally!!!!! - a cream scone that is awesome

I still believe Ina's orange cranberry scone is the absolute best scone (made with butter) that I have ever tasted. I've tried cream scones in the past - all very unsuccessful.

FINALLY!

"The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread" page 5 - 'Cherry Cream Scones' (this is going to be a great book after such success early in the book) I must admit, I mixed these and the shaping and cutting of the dough was a huge sticky mess. I added what I thought was too much flour. I cut them into something resembling a square, baked 2 (which turned out looking more like a puffy pancake), and froze the remainder. I'm done with this! (I thought.)

As an aside, the two I baked were DELICIOUS. The combination of tart fresh cranberries and the orange zest I added, along with the creamy scone was perfect. So, great flavor, but terrible presentation, and I like 'pretty.'

As I said, I froze the remaining 10 scones. That's where the miracle happened. Tonight, I pulled two out of the freezer, popped them into the oven as frozen cubes of dough, baked, and who!!! hooo! Beautifully shaped scones. They held their shape perfectly. And they tasted every bit as delicious as the fresh baked dough.

FREEZE this scone dough before baking. You'll be glad you did.

As an aside, the next time I bake these, I'm going to prepare the scone dough, and then scoop the dough into some very small pottery dishes and bake. I think they will be pretty in the pottery, and I will not have to worry about shaping and cutting.

Again, these are delicious. Do Not hesitate to try this recipe.

Joe Pastry on 'fruitcake'

Here's the link to his post today. He says it time to make your Christmas fruitcakes!

"Now is the time to make and bake your loaves. This way, they'll have plenty of time to mellow.."

And, here's his reply to my email:

From: joe@joepastry.com

Subject: Re: ahhhh

Date: September 8, 2009 9:09:02 PM CDT

To: studio1014@mac.com

Don't let ANYONE laugh at your fruitcake, Gale. Crack it open and eat it proudly!

(Then send me a slice because I'm going through serious withdrawal.)

- Joe

On Sep 8, 2009, at 9:00 PM, Gale Reeves wrote:

fruitcake...

I have one (Alton Brown's recipe) in the freezer from last Christmas. Maybe I should cut the cake and taste. My friends just laugh when I talk about fruitcake.

*************************************

(repost from November 16, 2008)

If you could smell the smooth, sweet aroma drifting through my entire house at this

moment, you would never make a ‘fruitcake’ joke again!!!!!!

Yes, I’m baking a Christmas Fruitcake...my first ever.

I’m using a recipe from Alton Brown, and adjusting a little here and there. Rather than the rum the recipe suggests, I have used Cruzan Vanilla Rum. I left out the candied ginger. There’s nothing in this fruitcake that I wouldn’t put in a scone or muffin...well maybe not the rum...

The pictures below will tell the story.

I had to taste while it was still warm. It was delicious. I will bake this again!

The three cakes are now wrapped in cheesecloth, and resting inside a tin. I’ll soak them over the next few weeks with more of the vanilla rum. The flavor should improve with each passing day.

(repost from December 4, 2008)

Would you rather taste a cake named Vanilla Rum Raisin Cake than one named Fruitcake? What is in a name?

I’ll call it whatever you want...it tastes good!

It passed a few food critics at work. Next week, I’ll serve slices to my brothers, who, up to this point have offered very ‘creative comments’ about my fruitcake.

Grey Goose and vanilla beans

(repost from April 4, 2009)

"even the plastic bags smell de-vine"

I couldn’t throw away the plastic storage bags in which the vanilla beans were shipped. They smelled sooooo goood. I kept them in the utility room for a week, enjoying the lingering aroma.

I split about 15 Vanilla Beans (Planifolia) [purchased from www.saffron.com] & about 5 tahitian vanilla beans. Then I added a bottle of double strength Nielsen-Massey vanilla, and filled the quart fruit jar with Grey Goose Vodka. NOW, THAT’S A RECIPE!

The jar of vanilla is brewing in the back of my cabinet. Every day or so, I take it out, shake it a little, wonder what is happening on the inside, and return it to it’s aging place in the cabinet. This project began March 7. I’ll open it on May 7th to see what I have created.

*********************** *********************** *********************

fast-forward six months:

I need to buy more Grey Goose! The vanilla beans need alcohol to continue to produce this liquor (the liquid from which a substance has been extracted - from Apple dictionary widget)

I have about $60 invested in this quart of vanilla liquor/extract.

Nielsen-Massey is about $19 per 8 fl. oz. at Williams Sonoma. Though there is a little savings in money, it's not as much about the money as about the experience of watching this process unfold.

Quiche

bacon - potato - asparagus - cheese

...sounds a bit healthier than my usual posts...

This quiche is very good. It's light and fluffy, and the flavors work well together. And, I think this will be a much healthier lunch option than some of my others during the work week.

The recipe is adapted from "Brunch," a Betty Crocker publication from March 2008 (page 21)

refrigerated pie crust (I blind baked mine before filling)

1 c. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed

1 c. asparagus, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 c. diced smoked bacon

6 oz diced Havarti cheese

I didn't pre cook any of the above; I chopped, mixed together, and placed in pie shell.

Mix very will with hand mixer (you need the bubbles!)

4 extra large eggs

1 c. whole milk

(I added a little dried thyme and dried basil)

1/8 t. salt

Pour this over the ingredients in the pie shell.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 55 minutes. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean when the quiche is done.

Enjoy!

From www.ask.com:

"Quiche freezes well for up to two months after baking or for one month before baking. Use any favorite filling like bacon and green chilies, onion and cheese or ham and artichoke hearts. To freeze quiche before baking: Tray-freeze until firm; then wrap with freezer paper, heavy-duty aluminum foil, or slide it into a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze up to one month. Do not thaw before baking. Unwrap and bake as usual, allowing 10 to 20 minutes additional time. To freeze quiche after baking: Tray-freeze; then wrap with freezer paper, heavy-duty aluminum foil, or slide it into a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze up to two months. Do not thaw before reheating. Unwrap and bake in a 350 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through.  from: Missouri Families: Food Safety"

your point of concentration

Do you want to concentrate on the hazelnuts?Or, do you want to concentrate on the Nutella?Either way, these two ingredients and a few other healthy additions yield a delicious granola bar.
I've been testing granola bar recipes. The first recipe I tried was a huge hit with the work crew, but the bars crumbled too easily. You can find the original Barefoot Contessa recipe here. And, you can find another version here at Smitten Kitchen. I made a few substitutions based on the ingredients in my pantry.

The bars pictured above were my second attempt. They cut beautifully, and did not crumble as I nibbled on the healthy goodness.

Fresh Market and Whole Foods have isles of ingredients just waiting to be made into granola bars. I can't wait to try many more combinations.

Listed below is my latest version of the Barefoot Contessa/Smitten Kitchen granola bar recipe. I have decided that honey works better than maple syrup. And, a Nutella type ingredient (i.e. peanut butter/ nut butters) aids in the texture creation , holding the bars together, and cutting the bars.

This recipe makes about 16 granola bars. I baked the mixture in 2 - 8.5 x 5 loaf pans. Be sure to press the mixture into the pans really well (even roll over the ingredients with a small rolling pin). And don't cut the bars until completely cooled. (I pressed another loaf pan over the baked bars and allowed them to cool overnight before cutting.)

GRANOLA BARS

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup sliced almonds (any combination of nuts; I used 2 c. hazelnuts, skins included)

1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed (I used 1/2 sweetened & 1/2 unsweetened)

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ (I used bran cereal)

¼ cup brown sugar

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup Nutella

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cup dried fruit, or a mix of dried fruit (I used dates with the hazelnuts)

I added a few chocolate chips (about 1/4c.) to one pan of the granola bars before baking.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Toss the oatmeal, nuts, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. (Watch the sweetened coconut; it browns quickly.) Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the brown sugar/honey/Nutella (I heated these slightly to melt.) Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

Add all other ingredients.

Pour the mixture into your prepared baking pans and press it in the pans until the mixture is packed as tightly as possible. (Parchment paper placed inside the pan [before you add the granola mixture] and extended over the sides will aid in removing the full bar from the pan prior to cutting. - Butter the parchment paper.)

Bake for 25 minutes, until light golden brown.

Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares — your best serrated knife is great for this. ( I let mine cool overnight before cutting)

You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two, as you would cookies, or store them in the freezer. They should remain crisp frozen, as all granola tends to soften at room temperature after a day or more.

concentrated tomato flavor

I'm a southern girl and I don't like tomatoes. There...I've said it...

And then I tried Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Tomatoes page 183 (recipe here). I made a few adjustments based on other blog postings I have read, and I now have a tray of delicious garlic/vinegar/caramelized goodness. As I tasted these hot from the oven, the concentrated flavors begged to be used on pizza or in anything pasta, or just smeared on bread (or my finger).

I roasted the tomatoes at 300 degrees for about 3 1/2 hours.

peaches - the second ingredient

Flippen's peach orchard has been in Shawtown all my life. And Shawtown (google that - click here) is just a few miles from Hornbeak. As a child, I remember going there with my grandmother to pick peaches.

On a recent visit home, I stopped at the roadside stand and purchased a 'fried peach pie.' They are delicious. But, do I really want to know what's in the little hand held pie? And, I'm wondering why 'peaches' are listed as the second ingredient in my pie.

All ingredients considered, I'll continue to consume these little treasures given the opportunity.

not exactly the day..but you get the idea

Karen, Amanda, and I sat around the 'scrapbook' table today (09.05.09), working on various projects and remembering.

Starbucks

Blueberry muffins from "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread" (my newest book)

Asparagus Cheese quiche inspired by last week's Viking class

Chocolate Espresso cheesecake....just because

We had a great day...

repost from 09.07.07

Martha said we should meet....and at the Christmas party, I was nearing the door to leave...and we met.

And through the years, Marcille would say, “we almost missed Gale.”

Thank you, Lord, that we did not miss each other.

We have spent hours and hours working on ‘projects’ since early 2000.

Scrapbooks, food, fun, laughter, tears, hopes and dreams.

In the early years, it was Marcille, Amanda, and Gale. Karen joined us later.

We were reading Hemingway’s, “The Sun Also Rises” when she left. And now she watches over us from upon high...we will miss you...

As her ashes were tossed into the breeze at the farm she loved, granddaughter, Danielle read these words she penned:

God saw you were getting tired,

And the cure was not to be,

So he put his arms around you,

And whispered, "Come to me."

With tearful eyes we watched you,

and saw you pass away.

Although we loved you dearly

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,

Hard working hands at rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us,

He only takes the best.

Title

Heaven Was Needing a Hero

Artist

Jo Dee Messina

“I came by today to see you

I just had to let you know

If I knew the last time that I held you was the last time

I'd have held you, and never let go

Oh, it's kept me awake nights, wondering

I lie in the dark, just asking why

I've always been told

You won't be called home

Until it's your time

I guess heaven was needing a hero

Somebody just like you

Brave enough to stand up

For what you believe

And follow it through

When I try to make it make sense in my mind

The only conclusion I come to

Is heaven was needing a hero

Like you

I remember the last time I saw you

Oh, you held your head up proud

I laughed inside

When I saw how you were standing out in the crowd

Your such a part of who I am

Now that part will just be void

No matter how much I need you now

Heaven needed you more

Cause heaven was needing a hero

Somebody just like you

Brave enough to stand up

For what you believe

And follow it through

When I try to make it make sense in my mind

The only conclusion I come to

Is heaven was needing a hero

Like you

Is Heaven was needing a hero

and that's you”

I Can Only Imagine

Mercyme

“I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk

By your side

I can only imagine

What my eyes will see

When your face

Is before me

I can only imagine

[Chorus:]

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel

Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself

Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever

Forever worship You

I can only imagine

[Chorus]

I can only imagine[x2]

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship you”

5 Comments

Friday, September 14, 2007 - 10:35 AM

Lisa

Anyone that ever met this beautiful woman for more than 5 seconds fell totally in love with her and she with you. I used to tell her all the time that when I grew up I wanted to be just like her. Her spirit will live with me forever like so many others. Gale I'm so happy for you that you got to be with her through this, she was a blessing.

Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 08:38 PM

Cheryl Lawrence-Moore

I worked with Marcille for 10 years at BellSouth. She was always such a lady, such a classy lady. I loved her and I know her sprit will live amongst all of those who knew this wonderful creature. I hope she finds Scarlet in heaven and she can be her Mom up there until I get there. They would be great friends I am sure

I was so blessed to have known Marcille and enjoyed many great adventures over the 12 years we worked together. She shared her love and family freely. I got to spend some quality time with her while she was in the hospital and then rehab. We talked about the great friends and family we have and love. The Saturday before she left us, Danny and I told her how much she meant to us. IMy last words to her were, " I can count my very good friends on one hand, she was counted in my heart."

A friend told me not to worry, Marcille was in Heaven making plans for what we will all be doing when we get there. love Peg & Danny (South Carolina)

Monday, October 1, 2007 - 03:43 PM

Pam Hill

She was my friend, my relative, my church buddy and my co worker, she was so woven into to my everyday life that sometimes it takes my breath away to think she is gone. I miss her so much, but I know she is so much better now. I will never forget all the laughs, the tears, the crafts, the conversations they all hold such a special place in my heart. There are so many times a day when I think Marcille just saw that and cut her eyes, tilted her head and smiled. I went to a show recently and they sang a song from the play Wicked “For Good” and it said just about everything for me.

IT WELL MAY BE

THAT WE WILL NEVER MEET AGAIN

IN THIS LIFETIME

SO LET ME SAY BEFORE WE PART

SO MUCH OF ME

IS MADE OF WHAT I LEARNED FROM YOU

YOU'LL BE WITH ME

LIKE A HANDPRINT ON MY HEART

AND NOW WHATEVER WAY OUR STORIES END

I KNOW YOU HAVE RE-WRITTEN MINE

BY BEING MY FRIEND...

LIKE A SHIP BLOWN FROM ITS MOORING

BY A WIND OFF THE SEA

LIKE A SEED DROPPED BY A SKYBIRD

IN A DISTANT WOOD

WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?

BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD...

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 12:50 AM

CASSAUNDRA SIMMONS

God put special people in your life for a reason Marcille was that person for me. Marcille was special because of her wisdom, compassion and generosity. the first day that I met her she gave me a gift because she liked my smile ironically it was her birthday. Words cannot express the feelings that I developed for Marcille during the short time we were together. I can simply say that it has been a pleasure to have been her friend. Marcille loved her family and life itself this is why she so bravely met the challenges of coping with her situation on a daily basis. I celebrate your spirit of steadfastness and zest for life. You would have to search far and wide to find a better example of courage and compassion in anyone. Marcille was a woman that led by example i am truly blessed to have known her. I will greatly miss learning from my friend's wisdom

bran muffins

September is 'get healthier month' in my life. Though these muffins are somewhat sweet, they contain bran cereal and raisins. They are simple to mix, and they bake into nice large, dense, moist muffins. The baked muffins freeze well, and make a great 'grab and go' breakfast.

These are officially named Six Week Whole Bran Muffins, and the recipe can be found here. I think they are better baked in the first few days after mixing; however, the recipe states that the batter will keep for six weeks in the refrigerator.

CIA baking bootcamp photo gallery

Repost from September 2008

CIA day 4

original post titled 'braids - turtles - flowers'

6:15AM - banana foster crepe and Craquelin for breakfast

7:00AM lecture from Chef Ruder. Chef Welker went fishing for striped bass. Chef Ruder was our instructor for our final class. As their names imply, they are both German and both tell of being an apprentice at an early age and working under their Master to develop their skills. And skills they do have.

8:00AM - Tasting the biscotti from yesterday, as well a other cakes. Today we are again making bread...one lean and one enriched. Chef tossed partial handfulls of flour into the huge Hobart mixer as the dough transformed from flour, water, yeast, and salt into an aromatic mixture, ready to be rested, worked, and formed.

Chef Ruder’s baker’s hands....you would just have to see them work. The pictures capture only a small portion of the magic. Chef shaped two large perfectly rounded balls of dough, one using his right hand and one using his left hand, both at the same time. It’s as if he were a juggler, only with bread dough. The dough yielded to him and shaped perfectly.

Chef Thomas Ruder instructs today. He demos bread mixing, handling, shaping, and baking.

Click HERE to see Chef’s demos

Click HERE to see baking boot campers at work

And if that wasn’t amazing enough, Chef began to braid the dough. He braided using 5 ropes of dough, and then formed the braid into other shapes. After rising, the shapes were sprayed with water and sprinkled with seeds of choice, and baked in the huge, porous floor, steam ovens. The smell of baking bread reached throughout the rooms and up the stairs. Ahhhhhh!

Chef’s whimsical side surfaced as he formed turtles from the enriched dough, using raisins for eyes, and a few snips with the scissors to add authenticity. I asked Chef for a flower, and a flower he produced. Chef stated that sculpting dough would be of a different mixture, but his pieces of ‘art’ were impressive.

11:00AM lunch today was prepared by the students in the banquet section. The food had to be prepared and presented to all tables timely, hot food still hot, each plate looking identical to the plate nearby.

After lunch, we watched the TA’s pipe whipping cream and make Swiss Meringue for the cream pies from Day 3. They had also added the chocolate dip to the hazelnut biscotti, readying it for us to taste. It was quite good, and beautiful in form. The cross-section cuts of the hazelnuts in this dough are very pretty.

Daily, at the end of class, we boxed cookies, cake, scones, pies, breads. Today, we bagged bread for the final time, taking it with us to either give away or consume ourselves. Chef presented each of us with a group photo and we all said our good byes. How many of us will go home and bake? Or, how many of us have to return to our day-to-day world of work, rush, worry, stress, and McDonalds? One thing is for sure...we were all changed by the experience. Changed by the classmates with whom we worked, by the instruction of our Chefs and the three very valuable teachers assistants, changed by the handling of the ingredients, changed by the quality of the items we produced.

In summary:

scales are imperative

scale it out

mise en place

produce

my final walk by the windows of the Apple Pie Bakery...watching the students produce the beautiful breads and pastries

my final gaze over the campus, it beautiful buildings and landscaping along the banks of the Hudson, the aroma of the herbs in the herb garden

...final, only until I return to the CIA for the pastry bookcamp in the future!

I’m exhausted, but the experience was worth every ounce of energy and every cent of tuition.

happy baking...

pie and bread

repost from September 2008

CIA day 3

original post titled 'bread'

6:15AM - I don’t even remember what I ate for breakfast. My morning pre class routine includes a stroll by the huge windows overlooking the preparation area of the Apple Pie Bakery. Students are hard at work preparing for the day. I could watch them for hours.

7:00AM class greets us with an hour lecture(we begin talking about bread baking today!), and then into the kitchen to watch Chef’s demos and produce as directed. 8:15AM - Scones, cookies, and cake are plated for our early morning snack with coffee or tea.

Today we filled our pie crusts that we made yesterday. Just as a point of reference, we have 7 teams...each team made 4 pie crusts, and Chef made the full recipe, which was 8 crusts. We produce 20++ pies! Cooked fillings included blueberry, apple, and cherry. We made pecan pies. The custard pies are cooling and will be topped with whip cream or meringue tomorrow.

We tasted Chef’s apple pie, cut while still slightly warm. Delicious!!! And the curst......so flakey!!!

I went to the Apple Pie Bakery for lunch today...their paninnis are as good as their breads and pastries.

On to the bread. Dough mixing...dough rising, dough shaping...dough baking...Focaccia...baguettes...

Beautiful baked color, the sound of the crackle after the freshly baked loaves are transfered from the ovens to the work table via the bread peal. We should have waited at least 30 minutes to taste, but the aroma was more powerful than the clock. Delicious! Once again, we’re eating, and evaluating the texture of the bread.

We made hazelnut biscotti....and someone else wanted to make sponge cake. We tasted the cake today...the biscotti still needs to be dipped in chocolate tomorrow.

We had our class photo taken today, and tomorrow we will ‘graduate.’

A walk around this campus could cause one to gain weight. The smells from all the classes producing as instructed and from the restaurants cause one to just stand still and experience...

Dinner tonight at Escoffier. Quail as an appetizer, a chicken main course, and praline-caramel pastry for dessert

Alarm set for 4:45AM...tomorrow is the last day. We are all sad to see the classes end. Our quest for knowledge brought us here, and will continue to drive us.

CIA campus on Hudson River

repost from September 2008

CIA day 2

post originally titled 'pie dough'

Up and on campus before sunrise..(breakfast is served 5:30 - 7:00 AM) breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes, lemon poppy seed muffin, and what tasted like ham and cheese focaccia. Class lecture begins at 7AM.

8:15AM - Time to eat again...we taste the cookies and cakes from our baking the day before.

Today we learn to make pie dough. Chef’s method was the most amazing method I have ever seen. We created the flakiest pie dough ever!!!!! We will bake pies with the dough tomorrow.

Scones were next on the list. Ours were sun dried tomato, basil, and asiago cheese. They were very good...

There are 7 teams in our class, each team producing different items. Then we all taste.....that’s a lot of tasting.

11:00 AM - lunch...and we aren’t hungry. Rolls, soup, and an apple tart was my choice, and we’re back in the kitchen

3:00PM - Afternoon lecture was presented by Denise Hall on coffee/espresso. Afterwards, she took us to the Apple Pie Bakery (wonderful on-campus bakery) where we tasted the CIA’s specially chosen coffees. Along with fresh pastries baked by the students, we tasted 6 coffee varities. I’m not a coffee drinker, but the press coffee we tasted, along with the pastries for a touch of sweet, was delicious!

6:30PM - Dinner was at the Italian restaurant on campus...Caterina de Medici..my vegetable tart and pasta were an adventure into something new. Ah...but the tiramisu was wonderful.

Alarm set for 4:45AM.

almost 'same time last year'

This is a repost from September 2008. I'm preparing to attend another CIA bootcamp, and I wanted to take a walk down memory lane.

CIA day 1

repost...previously named 'butter & sugar'

First of three alarms sounded at 4:30AM EST. By 4:45AM (that’s 3:45 CST!) it was time to get up. My first day at the Culinary Institute of America was to begin with orientation at 6:00AM - Baking Bootcamp. My thought was...some real chef’s/bakers have to do this every day, and perhaps even earlier! When I arrived on campus at about 5:45AM, students were dressed in their uniforms and walking to class. PS: the sun had not yet risen

Orientation, a parking pass, a big bag of goodies including the textbook, workbook, and two uniforms and we are off to breakfast. French Toast was delicious. The fruit plate could have been photographed for a magazine. The kitchens were buzzing with culinary students working their way through the required classes.

Class lecture begins at 7:00AM - the creaming method, and some of Chef’s own personal suggestions for mixing methods & recipe variations. Chef Hans Welker is originally from Germany. He’s a wonderful instructor and has a great sense of humor. He has a little trouble understanding me and I have a little trouble understanding him...

8:15AM - dress in white chef jacket, black shepherd’s check pants, apron, side towel, and hat. Begin scaling, mixing, and ultimately baking. My team baked a blueberry/strawberry Streusel loaf. 15 students divided into 7 groups all trying to become familiar with the kitchen, the utensils, and the ingredients...all at one time...at best...chaos. Tomorrow should be better; at least we will know where the flour and scales are stored!

11:00AM - lunch prepared and served by the real culinary students...it was delicious and beautifully plated.

12:00 Noon - class resumes. Mix the cookies - Russian Tea Cookies. Chef taught us how to make a ‘perfect’ roll of cookie dough to refrigerate/freeze (a great technique using parchment paper and a sheet pan).

Great news..we don’t have to wash our own dishes!

Discussion time, review of the day’s baking, tour of the campus, a trip through the bookstore and library. Now it’s time to dress and return to campus for diner at 6:30PM. Dinner tonight at campus restaurant, American Bounty.

The photos cannot capture the essence of this campus. The smell of the herbs as I walk through the Italian Restaurant’s herb garden, and the aroma of the on campus restaurants preparing for dinner meals is just aahhhhh......

9:30PM-three course dinner complete; everything was wonderful; all the food was plated beautifully.

Alarm is set for 4:55AM

Viking class

Today's Viking class was "Cupcakes & Cake Balls." We made the obvious, and we worked with marzipan (aren't my apples cute - I hope you knew they were apples) and fondant.

Here's the link to pictures from the day:

afternoon light Kitchen Still Life

pecan pie Cookies

All the flavor of a piece of pecan pie, in a few handheld bites. These are delicious!

The cookies are soft, probably due somewhat to the filling in the center. Next time (yes, for sure!) I may try baking them in a mini cheesecake pan to see if I can form a more sturdy base to the cookie.

They freeze well. Here's the link to the recipe.

Tahitian Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

They look very simple....

Look closer...

The seeds from three vanilla beans perfume these simple sugar cookies. They are delicious.

I used a #100 scoop, and made about 6 dozen small, vanilla wafer size cookies. The cookie dough balls need to be scooped soon after mixing, as resting the cookie dough in the refrigerator causes it to harden.

You can find the recipe here. I didn't add the crystalized sugar to the cookies...it just seemed...wrong.

madeleines

Page 221 from David Lebovits's "The Sweet Life in Paris."

My book 'falls' open to this recipe, for I have made them more than once. The recipe is wonderful. Follow his mixing method, and definitely allow the batter to sit for 10 - 12 hours. This resting time allows the lemon flavor to permeate the batter.

Fresh from the oven, they have a slight crunch on the outside edge and are cakey inside. They are equally delicious glazed with the lemon glaze. And, to prevent excessive consumption, I freeze these baked beauties. They are quite good from the freezer.

In addition to the recipes, David has a way with words and is quite the storyteller. He relays every day life of an American in Paris. This is a must read for any American contemplating more than a weekend stay in Paris.