[Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)]

Many thanks Richard, we'll make it tonight. Aria (my daughter) was literally jumping up and down. Should be fun.

I'll post when it's done...

[The "Modern" jam topic]

I've done blueberry lavender jam before, came out great. Just be careful not to go overboard on the lavender or you'll end up with something that tastes more like bubble bath. If you're not looking to make huge quantities and are planning on using the jam up within a couple of weeks, you could try doing some in the microwave. I did that with the apricots I had left over after making my regular jam recipe. Just cut up with half sugar to amt of fruit, juice of half a lemon, and microwave until it comes up to 220 degrees or so. It took about 10 min and I stopped it twice to stir. I put it in a really clean jam jar and let it set in the fridge. I didn't do the water bath, I kept it in the fridge and it was gone within a week or so. With blueberries you definitely could reduce the sugar to 1/4 the amt of fruit and it would work fine. Good Luck!

["Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Part 3)]

Made the buttermilk biscuits this morning for breakfast and they didn't even last long enough to get a picture. We covered them with butter and some homemade apricot preserves I threw together a couple of weeks ago. The perfect breakfast. I also made the Chocolate Banana bread, which was great. I added some walnuts for extra crunch and I really should go get a picture before everyone else realizes it's cool enough to slice and it all disappears!

[Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)]

Love the strawberry mousse. My four year old is reading over my shoulder and she agrees. She says give me the recipe so I can make it too, although I doubt it'll look as lovely as yours does. : )

BTW I made Chocolate Banana Walnut Bread today as well as some buttermilk biscuits that lasted approximately 30 seconds from oven to our respective stomachs, so I didn't get a picture. But you gotta eat 'em hot, they're just not the same once they've cooled off.

Happy Baking!

["Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Part 3)]

Yeah, if there's only one ingredient I don't have in the house and it's not one of the major ones (ie, peaches and I'm making a peach cake) I'll try to substitute to save the trip. Most of the time it works out fine, and if not, live and learn! I'm looking forward to the lemon cream tart, that's one of the ones that I'm planning on making in the next week or so, but I always overwork my tart crust, so we'll see how it goes...

[Things from the professional kitchen that every home cook should have]

Plastic "to go" containers. They beat the hell out of tupperware, they come in packs of 50 in up to a quart size for less than $10, and every size uses the same lids. You can use them to prep all of your mise and throw dinner together in about half the time. Plus if you forget one in the back of the fridge and rediscover it 6 months later you can throw it away with a clear conscience. I also agree with the commercial half sheet pans, and would like to add commercial round cake pans in varying sizes from 6 to 12 inches, as I'm a baker and none of the specialty pans work as well as a commercial aluminum pan with a parchment circle in the bottom.

I think the whole concept of mise en place is one that can really serve you well in a home kitchen, dishes turn out better when you have everything set up and ready to go before you get started with the cooking. It's a different state of mind.

["Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Part 3)]

I'm on maternity leave and I'm trying to bake something everyday, and this is the cookbook I'm usingfor most of the recipes. I made the brrrownies and the peach variation of the cranberry upsidedowner today. Both turned out really well although (pleading sleep deprivation) I inadvertently melted the peppermint patty pieces in with the chocolate rather than stirring them in at the end. I did realize my mistake before i finished putting them together so I added a little bit of extra flour to compensate for the potential extra gooeyness, a half cup instead of a third. I also realized that what I thought was unsweetened chocolate in the cabinet was actually bittersweet so I subbed really good cocoa powder and 3 extra T of butter for that. And despite the tweaks, they turned out great...that's a forgiving recipe! The peach cake was really good too but it was really juicy, I think it would have been more solid if I'd waited 10 min or so to turn it out of the pan. Live and learn...but I'll definitely make it again.

[Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)]

Here are the Peach Upside Down Cake, the Brrrownie, and also some Minnie Mouse themed cupcakes I did for a friend's daughter's birthday party this weekend. I warned everyone about the composition...

I assure you I bake better than I photograph. :rolleyes:

[Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)]

I've been reading this for about as long as it's been active, but although I bake frequently I've never posted anything I've made. Everything here looks amazing, and I definitely look to you guys for inspiration when I'm in the mood to bake...

That being said, while I'm on maternity leave with little human number three I'm trying to bake something (at least one thing) every day. I'm using the Baking from My Home to Yours cookbook (Dorrie Greenspan) since everything I've made so far from it has been pretty good, and I've never gone through an entire book and made everything in it before. I'm pretty sure I won't get through the whole thing for a while, probably at least 6 months, since it's a pretty hefty book although the recipes themselves are straightforward. Anyways, today I made the peach variation of the Cranberry Upside Downer cake, and the Brrrownies (with peppermint patties melted into the batter), and both turned out really well.

All my coworkers are accusing me of trying to make them fat, since I drop off most of what I make when I check in with work several times a week. Better them than me!

I've had no luck getting pictures uploaded here, but I'm going to try again tomorrow if the children will consent to napping at the same time. My apologies in advance for the lack of composition...

[Advantage: Home Kitchen]

I absolutely agree with the toast and scrambled eggs...it seems like breakfast food in general is better at home, if only because you don't have to trouble yourself to get out of your pjs to eat it. Also, I have yet to find a restaurant where the desserts (pies and cakes especially) are better than those I make at home.

[Sure-Fire Ingredients or Techniques for Family Joy]

Garlic, anything with pesto (chicken, shrimp, noodles, probably some of my two year old's playdough...) and they'll oink it down. Also, if it's got cheese on it (even, god help me, kraft singles) it usually disappears...

[Recipes That Rock: 2009]

I've recently been into halibut, which is a change since I'm not a big fish fan in general. So when I saw halibut cheeks (out of the ocean the night before) on the opening day of the farmer's market, I grabbed them. I also bought some local aged fontina (dry enough to grate like parm) and chard, local potatoes, etc, and made seared fontina crusted halibut with sauteed chard and horseradish mashed potatoes with a ridiculous amount of cream and butter. And it was fish, so totally healthy...anyways I felt virtuous, most everything was organic and grown or harvested within 100 miles. Not the most complicated dish I've ever made, but definitely one of the best of the year.

[Baking with Macadamia Nuts]

I've made chocolate sponge cakes with macs substitited for ground almonds and added bananas sauteed in rum to a chocolate mousse filling and done a crushed mac praline to coat the outside. Pretty tasty.

[What is your favorite meal to eat when its snowing]

Anything braised, red wine braised short ribs and polenta, irish oatmeal with chopped apples and toasted pecans for breakfast, gingerbread cake (warm) with lemon curd and whipped cream...we were stuck in the house for 3 days in outside of Portland and it's a good thing I'd gone to the store hungry, I overshopped and everything (for once) ended up getting eaten. I got a big bag of yukon gold potatoes and they are gone...mashed, fried, baked, hashbrowns, you name it.

[Food Resolutions for 2009]

I will eat one new fruit or veggie every week. There's too much to try to limit myself to the favorites. I will also visit one new restaurant per month with my husband, sans children. Budget be damned!

I will make my own sausage, bacon, or cheese (or all three).

I will find a local supplier for lemon verbena and a mexican grandma to teach me how to make tamales.

I will learn to cure my own bacon and make perfect macarons (this is a continuing resolution I have yet to master).

I will try to teach my 2 1/2 year old to make pancakes and my 14 month old not to throw them on the floor.

I will read The Omnivore's Dilemma and all the cookbooks I will hopefully get as late Christmas presents.

I will not stress about what I eat and I will not feel guilty about the occasional dinner of blueberry muffins or homemade chocolate cake.

Happy Early New Year!

[Bare Minimum]

I love kitchen gadgets but I always find myself coming back to my favorite basic things. I'm always amazed by how many little goofy metal thingies can be replaced with a good sharp paring knife. And a radio, can't cook without music!

[Christmas Presents for the Kitchen: 2010]

It was a sad year for Kitchen gifts...I got a Mario Batali 4 qt cast enamel dutch oven but the enamel had 3 big chips/flaws in it, so it will need to be shipped back (what a pain!) and a cookbook I already had. Oh, and a bottle of wine I don't like. Sigh...last year I got a $100 Williams Sonoma card and a Thermapen. Maybe next year I should be a little more specific when I say, "sure, I like wine, and cookbooks are always welcome..."

Merry Christmas anyways!

[Please help with cannele recipe]

I made canneles during culinary school as part of a plated dessert (with braised apples and rum creme anglaise) after having them in San Francisco at Chez Nous, which has since closed. I used the mini silicone molds (I think I got them at Williams Sonoma, it was a while ago) and they turned out pretty well. Anyways, I've had them at Ken's Artisan Bakery just down the road from where I live and they make a fabulous snack to munch on but I never seem to buy enough that any make it home. They actually recently started carrying them frozen at Trader Joe's, they're 4.99 for 6. They aren't crunchy but they taste pretty good, nice for a quick fix late at night after the kids are in bed.

Mmm...pastry...

["Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Part 3)]

I have been browsing through the book since I bought it when it first came out but I hadn't tried any of the recipes until recently due to the overabundance of other baking books I've been playing around with (Caprial's Desserts, Cococlat, Pure Dessert, etc...) but after the chocolate sour cream cake turned out so beautifully I thought I'd try another one, and so in a fit of coconut craving I made the coconut bundt cake and added cardamom and black sesame seeds. Awesome! I brought a chunk to work for one of the women I work with and she said her husband waited until she was in bed and ate the whole thing...it was about 4 slices worth. I've been informed I'm to make another one for her to bring to her mother in law's house for Christmas. That's what I get for sharing!

[Worst thing you've had in your mouth 2006]

The "weight watchers" chocolate cake from Applebee's. I've made low-fat chocolate cake before and it was edible, good even, but this was an abomination. And the raspberry sauce, which doesn't even need to be modified to make it low-fat, was some kind of fake raspberry goo. Horrible. It actually made me angry it was so bad. My husband teased me for a week about the "angry cake." I honestly think I would have gotten more enjoyment out of eating the plate and napkin.

Heather

[Brainstorming - American Regional Classic Desserts]

I'm originally from WI, and I'm sorry to say my mom was a WRETCHED baker...on the upside I had to learn to bake in self defense. Some of the things I remember enjoying:

Frozen Custard (from Kopp's)

Cannoli (from Scortino's bakery)

Racine Kringle (sooo greasy but good) especially the cherry and almond flavors

Sour Cherry Pie made with Door County cherries I picked myself

Mmmm...now I'm hungry...gonna go grab one of the cookies I baked this morning...

[Filling for a fruit tart - which one?]

Are you just thinking of a non-baked filling? If not, I'd say go with frangipane and either apple or pear on top (or berries mixed in). It should keep beautifully and will definately survive a 2 hour car trip. As for keeping the crust from getting soggy, painting it with white or dark chocolate (depending on the filling) will stop the icky gummy crust phenomenon we all know and don't love. You wouldn't need to do this with a frangipane filling, but any other creamy filling that won't be baked would work with chocolate underneath.

Now that I think about it, peach might go pretty well on top too.

[Molded and Filled Chocolates: Troubleshooting and Techniques]

We're tempering chocolate in class, it's not that difficult, I promise!

The main thing is to make sure you have a digital thermometer. 5 degrees difference in temp can really affect the outcome of the product. So here's what you do:

Break your chocolate (I like the callebaut 63 percent, but you can use whatever you want) up into small pieces, but don't use chocolate chips, they have all kinds of other crap in them that will make it a pain to temper. Melt about 3/4 of the chocolate over a water bath in a bowl that just fits into the pan. If the bowl is too big for the pan, the chocolate at the edges can get overheated. Heat the chocolate to 118 degrees, and stir it often. When it's at 118 degrees, take it off the heat and set it on the counter to cool to 105 degrees. It goes faster if you stir it, but I definately wouldn't put it over an ice bath or even cool water since it'll cool too fast. When it's at 105 degrees, start adding pieces of the last quarter of the chocolate. Don't add them all at once, because you might not need them all. It's really important to keep stirring the chocolate once you've added the unmelted pieces. Keep taking the temperature and adding more chocolate pieces a little at a time until the temperature is at 88 degrees. There should still be a couple of little pieces of the unmelted chocolate you added left in the melted chocolate, you can fish them out with a spoon or even leave them in if they're small enough. If you've done everything correctly and the chocolate gods are in a generous mood, your chocolate should be in temper. You can test it by putting a little blob on a cool surface (not the fridge) for a couple of minutes. It should set up and you should be able to break it and hear a snap. If not, just melt the chocolate to 118 degrees and try again.

A couple more pointers:

Make sure no water gets in the chocolate. Wipe off the bottom of the bowl once you take it off the double boiler

Make sure your molds are clean clean clean. Any little bit of goo in them might cause the chocolate to stick. And obviously, make sure they're dry.

Once you've poured your chocolate into the molds, put it into the fridge for 10-15 min, to help it contract and pull away from the molds. If it's still sticking after half an hour or so, you might want to remelt the chocolate and try again, it might not be in temper.

Good Luck!