Tuesdays With Dorie: Orange Madeleines and Pebble Bread March 18, 2015

Last weeks Tuesdays With Dorie was Lemon Madeleines which are located on page 212 in Baking Chez Moi.  I did actually did makes these on time and like most things I forget to post.  Funny thing was is that I made my husband a Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake that day, so I was out of lemons.  However, I did happen to have grated orange zest in my freezer.

SCORE

So, I was about to make orange Madeleines but since I didn’t actually have an orange on hand I couldn’t make the glaze. So they got the powdered sugar treatment.  When I made these I was actually on a 10 day cleanse, so I was unable to try them until they were almost a week old.  They still tasted really good especially since I hadn’t had any sugar in awhile 🙂

On Sunday, I made the starter for the pebble bread.  I had ever intention of finishing them on Monday, but I was also prepping for Saint Patrick’s Day.  I ended up running out of time by the time I had to leave for work at 4:30 pm.  But I did end up making Irish Soda Bread, Irish Brown Bread, Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes, and Jameson Chocolate Ganache.  I ended up leaving for work and I forgot to tell Mike to put the rising dough in the refrigerator. But he noticed it and gave me a call. The fully risen dough ended up taking an overnight rest in the refrigerator.

On Saint Patrick’s Day, in the midst of making Cornbeef and Cabbage, Steamed Kale with Lemon zest and Chives, Roasted Leeks, Colcanon, Irish Rarebit, Cauliflower Gratin, and finishing the cupcakes my filling them with the ganache and icing them with Irish Cream Icing; I was able to finished the Pebble Bread. I did modify the recipe slightly so that it wasn’t as complicated. Well for starters, we couldn’t find Barley Flour so Mike picked up a bag of barley and I ended up grinding it in the dry blender of my Vitamix.  It worked perfectly.  When cooking the bread, I did a slight modification.  I placed a pizza stone in the oven and set it for 475 degrees Fahrenheit. I did do the dip in water and cook in a skillet until the bottom was firm, but then I threw them in the oven on the pizza stone until they were brown.  It made it easier because I could fit more than one in the oven at a time. They did puff up more than they should have, but that was fine by me.

I ended up snacking on one of the breads while I was finishing up making dinner. The girls also snag themselves a quarter of one and really liked the bread.  So did Eomer, one of our dogs, because he kept stealing Maureen’s bread.  Mike said it reminded him of French bread.  I wouldn’t mind making this dough again but the baking method is a little involved especially with one person.

Tuesdays With Dorie: Bread and Cake January 28, 2015

Surprisingly, I have actually made everything on time, but then the posting just doesn’t happen on time.

When I was placing my King Arthur Flour order the other week, I blanked and forgot to get Rye Flour.  So I sent the husband out to get some from the store and the Eastern European Rye Bread was actually pulled out of the oven at 10 pm the night we were suppose to post. Incidentally, I never actually took pictures of it, but one of the loaves is in the freezer.  I ended up making them in loaf pan since the husband LOVES rye bread and wanted to make sandwiches from it.  He made Tuna Melts one night when I was at work and said that it was really good. I have yet to try it since I am not really a fan of rye bread unless it is housing a Rueben.  This recipe is located on page 98 of Baking With Julia.

Now the Brown Butter and Vanilla Weekend Cake, located on page 6 of Baking Chez Moi, I actually made the weekend before so that we could have a dessert. Once it was cool enough to handle, I slicing myself a piece.  I was actually caught in the act by my 3.5 year old, and she insisted on a piece.  So we were standing in the kitchen eating the cake and we were caught by my 1.5 year old.  Then all three of us are in the kitchen and we get caught by the husband. So needless to say, me sneaking food did not work this time.  All of us ended up with a piece or two and eating it in the kitchen before dinner.  My oldest actually ate her entire piece which is surprising since she usually doesn’t eat the crust.  The cake was very good, and I loved the combination of brown butter and rum.  I ended up using 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Bean Paste to replace the vanilla bean and it turned out fine. I am pretty sure we will be making this cake again since it was easy and everyone loved it.As you can see from the picture, Emma was hanging out eating slices while I was taking pictures 🙂

Tuesdays With Dorie: Walnut Bread December 2, 2014

This weeks Tuesdays With Dorie is from Baking With Julia, and the recipe for the Walnut Bread is located on pages 121-122.  You start out by making the Mixed Starter Bread located on pages 113-120, and once the kneading phase is complete you move on over to the Walnut Bread to complete the recipe. The Mixed Starter Bread starts out with a walnut sized piece of dough from a previous yeast dough recipe (pizza, bread, etc.).  The only yeast dough I had in my freezer was Pita Dough that I had made in September, so I sawed a piece of that off to use.  Granted, I wasn’t suppose to use it since it had whole wheat flour in it, but oh well.

The first rise went fine, but the second rise was an utter failure.  There was no rise.  Since I knew that we were going to be adding more yeast by the third rise, I wasn’t too worried about it.  I just figured it wouldn’t have the depth of flavor that it would normally have. I had already used almost 3 cups of flour so I wasn’t about to back out now.  I ended up adding a bit more yeast at the third rise, just in case (I used 1 teaspoon).  From then on everything turned out great.  The bread looks awesome, but I have no yet tried any yet.  I will be cutting into in later today and then I will amend my post.

Day 29 and 30 & Tuesdays With Dorie: French Bread September 30, 2014

My days tend to run into each other, and I then I forget what is going on.

Currently, I am the only person in the household that has not succumbed to Hand, Foot, and Mouth.  Emma caught it at her second day of Mother’s Day Out and then proceeded to pass it around the house.  I am pretty sure that I haven’t gotten it because of my life in food service. I have been trained to wash my hands ALL the time, and surprisingly that is the one thing they say that will prevent you from getting it.

I would also like to confess that we went away for the weekend, without the kids and dogs, and I failed.

I have a new found respect for all vegans because now I know what you must struggle thru while traveling to find some place to eat with vegan options. Especially, when you are in the middle of the country.  I guess then you just plan ahead and bring snacks and meals with you.  I did not plan ahead and after sitting in a car for 5 hours and not having anything to eat since the night before (it was 1 pm by then), I caved.

I apologize now, sorry.

When I got home I went straight back to eating Vegan.  You know what, it was a good lesson to learn because I have figured out how to fuel my body.  Surprisingly, I really like the way I feel and my body looks when I am eating Vegan.  So, for the most part I will probably stick to a plant based diet/lifestyle.

Now, back to some yummy things that I made when I got back home.

Yesterday morning, I wanted something that reminded me of fall. Since we were up in the mountains it was cool and perfect, leaves weren’t falling yet.  I got back home and it was a bit humid, warmer, and just not pleasant.  I wanted something to remind me of the nice fall weather in the mountains.  So I made the Gingerbread Waffles from Vegan Brunch.  I tried to make them as pancakes for the girls, but they didn’t turn out right.  Granted, they still ate them but they were a little gummy.  Then I threw them in the waffle maker, I only have a Belgium Waffle Maker, and of course they wouldn’t crisp up.  So for these you definitely just want a regular waffle maker.  They did work nicely toasted in the toaster the next day.

Earlier this afternoon, I made the Chewy Coconut Date Bars from Isa Does It.  They turned out really good, but I think I needed to bake them just a bit longer.  They are currently individually wrapped in plastic and hanging out in the fridge.  I am sure these are going to end up being my breakfast for the next few days.  They would be perfect with a cup of coffee.  I am also planning to make the Chewy Peanut-Chocolate Chip Bars later this week.

Last but definitely not least is the French Bread that I made a couple of weeks back from Baking With Julia.  Oh, French Bread with your perfect ingredients of Water, Salt, Yeast, and Flour.  I alluded to my original problem and why I was a day late baking these, but lets revisit my quest for compressed yeast.

The last time that I bought compressed yeast was about a year ago, and I froze the left overs.  I knew that there was no way that the yeast was still alive, but I still had to wait 24 hours for it to defrost in the fridge before I could test it. Which involves sugar and a bit of water.  While I waited, I decided to take the girls with me to the last place I bought it.  I have both girls in tow, 1 year old and a 3 year old, of course I didn’t grab a cart so I am carrying one and holding the others hand. We get to where it would be and I see a sign for it, but no product.  I ask an employee, who brings another one over, and explain what I am looking for. He informs me that he has never seen it before, and I tell him that last time I saw it was a year ago.  So it looks like they don’t carry it anymore.

I did do some research and found a conversion factor to figure out how much active dry yeast I needed.  Which was 3 tsp (1 tablespoon) active dry yeast to the 0.6 oz compressed yeast. So, I just had to wait a day to figure out if the yeast was alive.  While I was waiting, I ended up with a day with no kids. How this happened, I have no idea.  I ended up swinging by a store I had never been to and talked to a nice gentleman that informed me that they didn’t carry it and he hasn’t seen it in any local grocery stores in awhile.  Oh well, I guess I will just go home and test the yeast….

it was DEAD.  Back to where I started with no compressed yeast and my conversion factor.  I guess I wasted 24 hours when I could have had the bread made and then entry posted on the blog.  Lesson learned…use what you have.

The bread turned out great, but my knives sucked for slashing the bread.  Even the REALLY sharp ones didn’t work well.  Guess I need a razor blade for next time 🙂

I am still planning to make some Boston Cream Donuts soon, so stay tuned for those, even though it won’t be Vegan MoFo anymore.

Tuesdays With Dorie: Country Bread and Vanilla Chiffon Roll January 28, 2014

I have been MIA for a bit but I have been baking and have actually completed each month, but I have had some issues with actually taking the time to post….opps.

The first Tuesdays with Dorie of the New Year was the recipe for Country Bread, which is located on page 136 in Baking With Julia. This bread was fantastic. It does take some time to make because you make your own sponge, but it was worth it. I especially enjoyed the bread still slightly warm from the oven and smothered in Kerrygold Irish Butter. I thought I had gone to bread heaven when I was eating a slice. My 2 year old (Emma) was also a fan of the bread and butter combo.

This weeks Tuesdays with Dorie is the Vanilla Chiffon Roll located on page 227 in Baking With Julia. This recipe is a vanilla sponge cake filled with a chocolate-walnut mousse. It sounds weird but it is actually very good. The cake has a very pronounced vanilla flavor and has just enough sweetness to balance out the richness of the filling. I would state that if you are not a fan of walnuts, then I would omit that from the recipe and proceed with just the melted chocolate. If you can eat nuts, then I would suggest a substitution of hazelnuts. Speaking of that, maybe I should have done that since I had some on hand and then the filling would be similar to a Nutella mousse. Which currently sounds fantastic.

Tuesdays With Dorie: Challah December 3, 2013

This weeks Tuesdays With Dorie recipe is Challah bread, which is located on page 93 in Baking With Julia.

Does anyone else want to yell CHALLAH like Holla when they see the bread or the word. I, or course, am either yelling it out loud or in my head. I yell it at home, in public I say it in my head or whisper it. I guess I am just weird that way.

This recipe worked out really well. I used my mixer for the most part, but then I was convinced the motor was about to go out so I finished the kneading by hand. Since I started making the bread pretty late at night and didn’t notice the 3 different rises it has to go through, I made a small adjustment. After the first rise, I punched it down and then covered the dough and placed it in the fridge for the second rise. Which of course it doubled it size perfectly, so when I woke up in the morning I let it come almost to room temperature. Hindsight, I should have let it completely come to room temperature, so the last rise took a bit long to double in size. Which was fine because I was taking care of the girls.

The bread actually turned out great, and I am looking forward to some French Toast and/or Bread Pudding later this week.

Tuesdays With Dorie: Pumpernickel Loaves November 5, 2013

This weeks Tuesdays With Dorie recipe is the Pumpernickel Loaves located on pages 95 to 98 in Baking With Julia.

The bread took a lot of elbow grease because I kneaded it by hand. I actually didn’t have any yogurt or unsweetened chocolate in the house so I used milk with distilled white vinegar and bittersweet chocolate. It seemed to work pretty well. Also, I wanted a sandwich loaf of bread so I formed them and baked them in loaf pans.

As I stand here writing this my daughter is picking at the loaves because she wants to try them. I guess I am going to slice into one of these in a second.

Tuesdays With Dorie Vegan Style: Sweet Berry Fougasse September 3, 2013

This weeks Tuesdays With Dorie was a choose your own adventure of recipes. It was between Blueberry Muffins and Sweet Berry Fougasse. These recipes cane be found in Baking With Julia on pages 208 and 194, respectively.

I decided on the Sweet Berry Fougasse because it was the simpliest recipe to make vegan. Granted I could have pulled of doing the Blueberry Muffins, but I already has some focaccia dough ready to go in the freezer. So, it was a very easy decision. Also, the only thing I changed in the recipe was the crumb topping. I substituted vegetable shortening for the butter. I know I could have just used vegan butter, but sometimes it leaves that not so nice soy taste in baked goods that I don’t really care for.

I am sure you are asking what is a Fougasse. With regard to this recipe it is a pastry made with a base of foccacia dough, which is slashed, filled with blueberries, and then topped with a crumb topping. Very easy to make, but after eating one of the pastries it was very bready. So next time I will roll/press the dough out thinner. My 2 year old loved the topping and insisted on eating the berries and the crumb topping off of a very small piece. She did eventually eat a small piece of the bread and answered with a resounding, “YUM, YUM.”

Tuesdays With Dorie: Savarin June 4, 2013

For the week of June 4, the recipe for Tuesdays With Dorie was Savarin which is located on page 416-417 in Baking With Julia.

For this recipe , I actually didn’t have a Savarin pan so I used my doughnut pan and made 6 mini Savarins. This recipe was actually really easy to make and the rise time for the dough was really short. I made some modifications to the recipe based on ingredients that I had in the house. The recipe called for pear water, which I didn’t have so I left it out of the recipe. For the raspberry puree, I didn’t see the point to making it when I only needed 2 tablespoons, so I tossed fresh raspberries with heated raspberry preserves. I think it turned out just as good. The Savarin dough did have a very yeasty flavor, but it wasn’t anything that bothered me since the simple syrup (rum), whipped cream, and raspberries balanced out the flavors.

Tuesdays With Dorie: Savory Brioche Pockets May 21, 2013

For the week of May 21st, Carrie of Loaves and Stitches hosted the recipe for Savory Brioche Pockets, which is located on pages 421-422 in Baking With Julia.

I actually made these for dinner when my father was here helping us with the girls. I changed up the filling a bit to make them a Main Course. I omitted the asparagus because I had been eating that a lot and wanted a break. In its place I added ham, and then I had to omit the roasted red peppers because I actually didn’t have enough room in the pockets for them since the ham slice was so thick. Everyone actually really enjoyed these, even my 2 year old who ate her pocket without the ham.