Things that need to be tried: *not in any particular order*
- Pecan Pie
- Brownies
- Rice Crispies *suprise*
- croissants
- Barefoot Contessa's chocolate cake
- Martha Stewarts PB&J cupcakes
- Tarlets
Go To Recipies to do/try again:
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Banana bread
- Chocolate dipped short bread cookies
- Bagels
Friday, August 7, 2009
Marjie and Jenny come through! Buckeyes and Cupcakes.
So even though Marjie and Jenny haven't officially sent me anything. They have told me their submissions twice already, and I have finally remembered them and found recipes.
Jenny's submission is buckeyes and Marjie is going for a vanilla cupcake with some type of frosting I can't remember at the moment. I've been sifting through vanilla cupcake/cake recipes on-line and haven't found any one in particular that has perked my attention in particular. Will check in with Bev to see if she recommends anything. If not, I don't think I can go wrong with the Martha Stewart recipe or this one from Joy the Baker.
Also found this cute little recipe for PB&J cupcakes from Martha that I might have to try one day.
So there are we are in the submissions. The rest of my friends are failures. LoL.
Jenny's submission is buckeyes and Marjie is going for a vanilla cupcake with some type of frosting I can't remember at the moment. I've been sifting through vanilla cupcake/cake recipes on-line and haven't found any one in particular that has perked my attention in particular. Will check in with Bev to see if she recommends anything. If not, I don't think I can go wrong with the Martha Stewart recipe or this one from Joy the Baker.
Also found this cute little recipe for PB&J cupcakes from Martha that I might have to try one day.
So there are we are in the submissions. The rest of my friends are failures. LoL.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
This takes the cake!
Ha! I knew I wasn't crazy. Cake shows are really a thing.
Personally, they are entertaining to watch for like 5 minutes, and then you get bored. I think the only cake show I watched was the Bobby Flay throwdown cake decorating episode. I don't know what it is about Throwdown, but it is oddly addicting to watch even if it stars Flay.
Anyway...
Personally, they are entertaining to watch for like 5 minutes, and then you get bored. I think the only cake show I watched was the Bobby Flay throwdown cake decorating episode. I don't know what it is about Throwdown, but it is oddly addicting to watch even if it stars Flay.
Anyway...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Cause starting classes again is never fun.
So I thought I would make the first day of classes a little more interesting by having a little competition among my friends. The jist is they send me recipes, then they vote, whichever recipe has the most votes is the treat I will bake for the first day of class. Plus the person who submitted the recipe gets an additional treat. Haven't decided what that is going to be yet.
Anyway. First submission comes from Will. S'mores Brownies from Joy the Baker.
I'm thinking even if this recipe doesn't win I'll end up making a small batch and adapt the recipe to follow Katharine Hepburn's three rules about life: 1. Never quit; 2. Be yourself and 3. Don't put too much flour in your brownies."
Anyway. First submission comes from Will. S'mores Brownies from Joy the Baker.
I'm thinking even if this recipe doesn't win I'll end up making a small batch and adapt the recipe to follow Katharine Hepburn's three rules about life: 1. Never quit; 2. Be yourself and 3. Don't put too much flour in your brownies."
Monday, August 3, 2009
Heartful story and new addition to banana bread
So found this blog via foodgawker. It is a very sad but inspirational story, and a great way to spruce up your banana bread recipe with a crumble topping. See what food and blogging can do for people!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Egg in a Cloud and the NYT
So made egg in a cloud to go with my bagel this morning and had a good read of the NYT. Found this fun little interview of Nora Ephron, write/director of Julie & Julia. It's worth reading if you have two minutes to kill.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Bagels: Success and Failure.
So since I've been missing Denver lately, and craving a bagel, I decided to make bagels this weekend. This again reaffirms my credentials of being Jewish by association. (For other credentials please see ZBT membership and my reference Peter Belsky at the New York Deli News).
And Durham needs a good bagel shop. Bruggers is just bruggers. It will do. Whole foods is ok but I personally think Weaver Street in carrborro makes better bagles. I haven't tried Mad Hatters yet. Bagels at Parker and Otis are good. I really want to try this shop in Chapel Hill called Bagels on the Hill. The Indy rated them the best. Then again, I just need to convince Peter or Mom to send me bagels or get out to Denver.
Anyway, used this nifty recipe from Tummywise, which is also a great blog that I will need to start following.
This whole bagel baking business is my first adventure into actually having to use yeast and kneading dough. So I was a little worried at first, but it all worked out ok. All in all, I had a lot of fun doing it and can't wait to do it again when the school year starts so I can actually make for people. It will sort of be odd though as none of us will have morning classes. All the first year MPPers will have morning classes. Feel sorry for them. So friends will just have to have bagels for lunch or save them till the next day for breakfast.
So success and failure with the bagels. is because I got about 4 of 11 to come out and actually look like bagels, 3 that sort of looked like bagels and 5 that were completely flat cause I flattened them to much before boiling/baking them. Hahaha, so yes, success and failure. And no I am not posting pictures of the failures. Next time I need to remember just to press them ever so slightly before boiling them. Also probably need to let the dough rise for more than an hour. I'm thinking hour and a half next time, and also 15-20 minutes once each individual bagel is shapped.
Here is the recipe. It tastes ok, but something is still missing taste wise. I will argue it is the best bagels in Durham at the moment/till the are gone because they are home-made. LoL. Yah right. I wish I was that talented.
This recipe yields 10 bagels, adapted from Jo Goldenberg's Parisian Bagel
3 1/2 cups bread flour [I ran out of bread flour and used half all-purpose flour]
1 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons, sugar
1/2 tablespoon, salt
1 1/2 cups, hot water (about 50 degrees)
3 litres water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg white – beaten with 1 teaspoon, water
cornmeal for sprinkling on the baking sheet
Instructions:
1) In a mixing bowl measure 3 cups of the flour and stir in all the remaining dry ingredients. Pour in the hot water, and stir vigorously with a plastic spoon for about 2 minutes.
2) Add the remaining half cup of flour, a little at a time, stirring by hand. When the batter becomes thick and heavy, lift the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface for kneading by hand.
3) Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Add flour as needed if the dough is sticky in your hands.
4) First Rising: When dough is kneaded enough, place it in an oiled mixing bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature until it has doubled in volume – about 1 hour.
5) Near the end of this rising time, bring the 3 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the sugar; then, reduce the heat and leave the water just barely moving – at a slow simmer.
6) When the dough has doubled in volume, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and punch it down with extended fingers to remove excess gas.
7) Divide the dough into 10 pieces (each will weigh about 34 ounces). Shape each piece into a ball. Allow the balls to stand and relax for a few minutes – then flatten each one with the palm of your hand.
8) With your thumb, press deep into the center of the bagel and tear the depression open with your fingers. Pull the hole open, pull it down over a finger and smooth the rough edges. It should look like a bagel! Form all of the bagels and place them on your work surface.
9) Cover the shaped bagels with wax paper or parchment paper. Leave them
at room temperature just until the dough has risen slightly – about 10 minutes (this is called a “half proof”).
10) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
11) Grease a baking sheet with shortening (or use a nonstick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with “Silpat” or similar material) and sprinkle the baking sheet with cornmeal.
12) Into the gently simmering water prepared earlier, slip one bagel at a time (use a large skimmer, and gently lower them into the water). Simmer only 2 or 3 bagels at a time – do not crowd the pan. The bagels will sink and then rise again after a few seconds. Simmer gently for one minute, turning each bagel over once during that time. Lift each bagel out of the water with the skimmer, drain briefly on a towel, then place each bagel on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels are simmered, drained and on the baking sheet.
13) Brush each bagel lightly with the egg white-water mixture.
14) Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 2530 minutes. When brown and shiny, remove the finished bagels from the oven. Place the bagels on a metal rack to cool.
And Durham needs a good bagel shop. Bruggers is just bruggers. It will do. Whole foods is ok but I personally think Weaver Street in carrborro makes better bagles. I haven't tried Mad Hatters yet. Bagels at Parker and Otis are good. I really want to try this shop in Chapel Hill called Bagels on the Hill. The Indy rated them the best. Then again, I just need to convince Peter or Mom to send me bagels or get out to Denver.
Anyway, used this nifty recipe from Tummywise, which is also a great blog that I will need to start following.
This whole bagel baking business is my first adventure into actually having to use yeast and kneading dough. So I was a little worried at first, but it all worked out ok. All in all, I had a lot of fun doing it and can't wait to do it again when the school year starts so I can actually make for people. It will sort of be odd though as none of us will have morning classes. All the first year MPPers will have morning classes. Feel sorry for them. So friends will just have to have bagels for lunch or save them till the next day for breakfast.
So success and failure with the bagels. is because I got about 4 of 11 to come out and actually look like bagels, 3 that sort of looked like bagels and 5 that were completely flat cause I flattened them to much before boiling/baking them. Hahaha, so yes, success and failure. And no I am not posting pictures of the failures. Next time I need to remember just to press them ever so slightly before boiling them. Also probably need to let the dough rise for more than an hour. I'm thinking hour and a half next time, and also 15-20 minutes once each individual bagel is shapped.
Here is the recipe. It tastes ok, but something is still missing taste wise. I will argue it is the best bagels in Durham at the moment/till the are gone because they are home-made. LoL. Yah right. I wish I was that talented.
This recipe yields 10 bagels, adapted from Jo Goldenberg's Parisian Bagel
3 1/2 cups bread flour [I ran out of bread flour and used half all-purpose flour]
1 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons, sugar
1/2 tablespoon, salt
1 1/2 cups, hot water (about 50 degrees)
3 litres water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg white – beaten with 1 teaspoon, water
cornmeal for sprinkling on the baking sheet
Instructions:
1) In a mixing bowl measure 3 cups of the flour and stir in all the remaining dry ingredients. Pour in the hot water, and stir vigorously with a plastic spoon for about 2 minutes.
2) Add the remaining half cup of flour, a little at a time, stirring by hand. When the batter becomes thick and heavy, lift the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface for kneading by hand.
3) Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Add flour as needed if the dough is sticky in your hands.
4) First Rising: When dough is kneaded enough, place it in an oiled mixing bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature until it has doubled in volume – about 1 hour.
5) Near the end of this rising time, bring the 3 litres of water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the sugar; then, reduce the heat and leave the water just barely moving – at a slow simmer.
6) When the dough has doubled in volume, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and punch it down with extended fingers to remove excess gas.
7) Divide the dough into 10 pieces (each will weigh about 34 ounces). Shape each piece into a ball. Allow the balls to stand and relax for a few minutes – then flatten each one with the palm of your hand.
8) With your thumb, press deep into the center of the bagel and tear the depression open with your fingers. Pull the hole open, pull it down over a finger and smooth the rough edges. It should look like a bagel! Form all of the bagels and place them on your work surface.
9) Cover the shaped bagels with wax paper or parchment paper. Leave them
at room temperature just until the dough has risen slightly – about 10 minutes (this is called a “half proof”).
10) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
11) Grease a baking sheet with shortening (or use a nonstick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with “Silpat” or similar material) and sprinkle the baking sheet with cornmeal.
12) Into the gently simmering water prepared earlier, slip one bagel at a time (use a large skimmer, and gently lower them into the water). Simmer only 2 or 3 bagels at a time – do not crowd the pan. The bagels will sink and then rise again after a few seconds. Simmer gently for one minute, turning each bagel over once during that time. Lift each bagel out of the water with the skimmer, drain briefly on a towel, then place each bagel on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels are simmered, drained and on the baking sheet.
13) Brush each bagel lightly with the egg white-water mixture.
14) Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 2530 minutes. When brown and shiny, remove the finished bagels from the oven. Place the bagels on a metal rack to cool.
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