TWD Cran-Berry- Apple Crisp

For this weeks TWD Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef selected Cran-Apple Crisps on page 422 from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

I have wasted more time than I care to admit trying to see if I could find frozen cranberries.  No dice in sunny Darwin.  I did see them months ago but it was one of the few times I did not buy and hoard!  Anyway, mixed berries were the sub.

I probably should have decreased the sugar a bit in the filling but the crisp topping was stunning.  Did I mention stunning…

All in all a great result.

TWD- Sugar Topped Treacle Spice Cookies

For my happy return to TWD baking Pamela of Cookies with Boys decided on Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies on pages 76 and 77 of Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.  We are lucky enough to get to pick and choose this months tasty selections in our own order.  I love cookies, my boys love cookies it seems like a good fit.

These are lovely and simple although the high butter content meant that even after a couple of hours in the fridge they were melting in our 35C heat in just moments.

Molasses isn’t common in Australia but treacle is in every grocery store so I swapped that out.  My other sub was using native pepper berries.They are very similar to pepper but have a really lovely and subtle floral note.  To me it has a similar note to juniper.

I am a fan.  Matt liked the crispy edges best and I was fond of the chewy centres.  Happiness all round.  Good to be back and baking again.

Sorry Folks, Andrea is away for a bit

I have just had to take a break from my baking as I have had to travel to the States to go to my Grandmothers funeral.  I will be back hard at it soon but for now, taking a brief break

TWD- Chocolate Souffle

This weeks TWD is the very grown up Chocolate Souffle, selected by Susan of She’s Becoming DoughMessTic from page 406 of Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

This came together quickly and with no dramas.  My fan forced only oven made some of the top a bit dark brown but it was still lovely.

Now go and check out the TWD blogroll for all the other high achievers out there.

Planet Cake

So I finally made it to Sydney for the Planet Cake workshop.

I am here for a whole week of cake decorating fun.

Here is a link to the photos.   With limited internet it is easier to post on facebook.

Having a great time.

TWD- Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

Sorry I am running a bit late, life took over.  I am sure you know!

Melissa of Life in a Peanut Shell chose Espresso Cheesecake Brownies, from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan on pages 104 and 105.

This is another of Dories riffs on old favourites.  Brownies for the base and cheesecake laced with espresso with a brownie swirl and if you feel the need lightly sweetened sour cream.

These were ok but given Dorie has something for just about every brownie lover these weren’t my fav (for the record I was silly busy on my birthday this week and the Katherine Hepburn brownies were my choice for something cake like in hurry).

Although I am deeply keen on next weeks recipe I may be running late as I am going to Sydney for the Planet Cake week long cake workshop.  Wish me good cake luck!

Daring Bakers- Dobros Torte

The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers’ cookbook Kaffeehaus:  Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

This was a very auspicous time for the recipe.  I had finally moved both Kaffehaus and Deserts By the Yard from my Wish List to my bookshelf.  I had just read about the Dobros Torte in both of these books.  I mean,think about it, vanilla sponge, chocolate buttercream, and caramel- is that not the Holy Trinity of Cake?

Here is my production line for the cakes coming together.

I really, really liked the chocolate buttercream.  To me it was more like chocolate mousse.  The caramel for the topping browned much too quickly.  I wondered if that had anything to do with the amount of lemon juice in the caramel (for the record I wouldn’t use anywhere near as much lemon juice in my caramel again).  Because I didn’t cook my caramel enough it was a little soft.  Nice to eat but I was hoping more for some crunch factor.  Next time.

This was great fun.  I will absolutely make it again.  Thanks for a great pick!

TWD- Creamiest LIme Cream Meringue Pie

For this weeks TWD Linda of Tender Crumb decided on Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie on pages 337-339 of Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

My good husband feels very stongly that a lemon or lime meringue pie should have a cooked cornflour based filling.  I spent a good part of my childhood in Florida so the key lime pie made with condensed milk was what I grew up on. This was a good middle path.

This is the first time I have made Dorie’s/Pierre Hermes citrus cream.  I joined just after the lemon and orange cream was made and haven’t done too many rewind recipes.

I followed Dorie’s recipe fairly faithfully- with the exception of making the sugar into a syrup for the meringue.   I also used a blow torch on the meringue but I would happily pop it in the oven for a more crispy meringue.

The ginger in the lime cream took a day to shine through for us.

Sadly I have never been able to have picture perfect pie slices.  I am willing to move past that as this was very very tasty.

Now go and check out the TWD blogroll for all the other lime meringue pies.

TWD- Applesauce Spice Bars

For this weeks TWD Karen of Something Sweet by Karen picked Applesauce Spice Bars on pages 117 and 118 from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

This recipe is very similar to a popular Australian desert- sticky date pudding.  If you replace apples with finely chopped dates then you end up with sticky date pud(ding).  It was interesting to have a riff on an old favorite.

Matt was just sad I didn’t make custard to serve with it.

I loved pouring the molten caramel on top of the cake (poor thing didn’t know what was coming).  I preferred some of the technique from Dories take on this than I have tried before.  All in all a success.

Now go and check the TWD blogroll and see what others thought of the recipe.

Daring Cooks- Rice with Mushrooms, Squid and Artichokes

Here are some words from our happy host of this months Daring Cooks (there was no compulsary tag I could find for this months Daring Cooks)

Hi all, this is Olga from Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes and I’m pleased to be your host at August Daring Cooks Challenge. I’ve chosen a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes by José Andrés, one of the most important Spanish Chefs at the moment.

The recipe I bring you is from his US TV show Made in Spain.

This was an interesting recipe.  I used calamari as cuttlefish wasn’t available in my neck of the woods.  My artichokes were from a tin and a bit non special.  All in all I liked it but wouldn’t race out to make exactly this version again.

I tried the tradtional aoli as well.  I stirred and stirred my garlic paste slowly drizzling in olive oil- for 30 minutes and no thick sauce.  I almost gave up and added some vinegar for flavor, and suddenly it all came good.  The flavor (of garlic) was very dominant.

I made a Puglese loaf to go with this and that was rather lovely.