Steven Blaski

You're right about nightscotsman's butter addition, Ling -- thanks! He reduced the oil from 3/4 c to 1/2 c and added 4 oz. of melted butter to the coffee-chocolate mixture. Here's the updated version: Double Chocolate Cake 1½ oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1½ oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 1½ cups cocoa powder (regular or Dutch process) 1½ cups hot brewed coffee 1 TB espresso powder 4 oz. (8 TB) unsalted butter, melted 1½ cups white sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 2¾ cups cake flour 2 teasp baking soda ¾ teasp baking powder 1¼ teasp salt 3 lrg eggs ¾ cup vegetable oil 1½ cups sour cream (or buttermilk) 2 teasp vanilla 1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease two 9”x2" pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper/parchment and grease paper. 2. Into a medium bowl, pour the hot coffee, mixed with the espresso powder, over chocolate, cocoa, and melted butter; blend till smooth. Let mixture cool slightly, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. 3. Into a large bowl sift together sugars, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 4. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a stand mixer). Slowly add oil, sour cream, vanilla. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined well. 5. Add dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until just combined well. 6. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes (watch carefully--timing may vary). 7. Cool layers completely in pans on racks. 8. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper. Ahead of time note: Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Wendy, I found one in my "Mennonite Community Cookbook" (1950). I haven't tried it, but other baked goods from the book have turned out well. It doesn't look very sweet, but you could always add more sugar if you wanted. DUTCH APPLE BREAD 2 c. flour 3 tsp. baking powder 2 TB sugar + extra for sprinkling cinnamon (to taste) 1 tsp. salt 2 TB butter 1 egg 1 c. milk 5 tart apples, pared & sliced Sift 2x together dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients as for pastry. Add beaten egg & milk. Beat thoroughly till well blended. Spread in a greased, shallow pan, 8 x 12 inches. Press apple slices over the top & sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve with milk. (!) --Mrs. P. L. Buckwalter, Atglen, PA

Okay, well I'll start, and others can chime in with additions/corrections to both ingredients and method. I just looked back at the original Epicurious recipe that Ling provided and it's actually quite similar after all the tweakings: We lowered the sugar by 1/2 cup (and Jay substituted brown sugar for part of the white, which I kept in); I suggested the sour cream substitution for the buttermilk (although perhaps this is still debatable?) we substituted half unsweetened for semisweet chocolate; we switched from AP to cake flour (and adjusted the amount up a quarter of a cup -- is that enough?); we increased the vanilla from 3/4 tsp to 2; and many of us have disregarded the original caveat in the recipe against using dutched cocoa. We also adjusted the mixing process -- adding the cocoa to the hot coffee -- to intensify the chocolate flavor. Double Chocolate Cake 1½ oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1½ oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 1½ cups cocoa powder (regular or Dutch process) 1½ cups hot brewed coffee 1 TB espresso powder 1½ cups white sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 2¾ cups cake flour 2 teasp baking soda ¾ teasp baking powder 1¼ teasp salt 3 lrg eggs ¾ cup vegetable oil 1½ cups sour cream (or buttermilk) 2 teasp vanilla 1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease two 9” pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper/parchment and grease paper. 2. Into a medium bowl, pour the hot coffee, mixed with the espresso powder, over chocolate and cocoa; blend till smooth. Let mixture cool slightly, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. 3. Into a large bowl sift together sugars, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 4. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a stand mixer). Slowly add oil, sour cream, vanilla. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined well. 5. Add dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until just combined well. 6. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes (watch carefully--timing may vary). 7. Cool layers completely in pans on racks. 8. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper. Ahead of time note: Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Okay, I'm going to take credit for one tiny portion of your cake: the sour cream=buttermilk+butter argument was mine! I also tried a version using sour cream and it was fabulous. Of course the cake was only fabulous because Wendy started the thread, Ling brought along the Epicurious recipe, chefpeon and nighscotsman tweaked it, etc. etc. And now I'm going to make the cake again this week for a friends's birthday using some of Jay's suggestions. What a team!

Thanks for posting the pic -- the cookies look delicious! A cookie made with yeast is something I've never baked -- so I'll give it a go, too. Oh, and just to give credit where it's due -- the cookies are indeed on the KA site, but the original recipe is John Thorne's, from his newsletter, Simple Cooking.

John -- Beautiful demo and final product -- thanks!

Kerry, you're probaby not using brown sugar, but if you are that would contribute to a less crunchy cookie. I just looked into my copy of The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion (eGullet link) and they have three sugar cookie recipes for three different textures-- chewy, crunchy and crisp. The crunchy version, the headnotes explain, are less sweet than most cookies, and the reduced sugar seems to make them crunchier. Here are the ingredients for the crunchy version: Yield: 26 cookies 1/4 cup vegetable shortening 4 TB unsalted butter 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 milk (not nonfat) 1 tsp white or cider vinegar 1 TB vanilla extract 1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 cups (8.5 ounces) unbleached AP flour 1/2 tsp baking soda Heaping 1/4 tsp salt Preheat oven to 325. Cream fats and sugar. Add milk, vinegar and vanilla to creamed mixture, beating till combined (it's OK if it looks curdled). Add in dry ingredients. Drop by TBs onto 2 parchment-lined sheets. Flatten balls to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of drinking glass. Bake for 20 minutes till they're a light gold and just beginning to brown at the edges. Transfer to a rack, where they'll crisp as they cool.

claire797 -- Let us know how they turn out -- I was intrigued by them too.

Why not go for the gold http://www.lacornue.com/an/prod1.htm the 180 model with gold accents of course ← OK, I'll take it! -- and I'll pay for it by renting out half of it as a self-storage unit. Or maybe as a studio apartment for very small people.

I second this. Tropp's voice is scholarly, intimate, and humorous, all in one. ← A lot of people feel this way, but she's a good example of someone whose voice really grates on me. Love both books and use them regularly, and I agree that her loss is very sad. But every time she says "impeccably clean," I dig my nails into my palms. ← Julia Child used "impeccably clean" a lot, too. I always thought she -- and Tropp -- both used it rather wryly.

My needs are modest. Just one little item is all I want: 40" Wedgewood Custom Color Cobalt Blue Classic Antique Stove

Kerry, here's a couple of crisp sugar cookie recipes from John Thorne, hosted on the King Arthur website: Crisp Sugar Cookies Caramelized Sugar Cookies. I haven't tried these, but I have made other recipes by Thorne that I've enjoyed.

Your AC s/s saucier, deep saute, and fry pans are all a great bargain right now at Cookware & More. Might share the link with dear hubby. Their cookware pieces are all "seconds" -- but you'd need a microscope to find any flaw. I've bought all my AC at this site and highly recommend it.

There was mention upthread of Ada Boni's "The Talisman"--it could use a new and updated edition. Also, Boni's "Italian Regional Cooking" is another wonderful book that's out of print in the U.S. These two get my vote.

Ruth -- if you try concocting gougeres from this recipe, please let us know how it turns out. I've been wanting to make up a batch of cheese puffs. My old standby is a roquefort gougere recipe from The New Basics cookbook which I like, but I'm looking to try something new.

I second this. Tropp's voice is scholarly, intimate, and humorous, all in one. I miss China Moon -- what a wonderful place to eat! And it's sad that she died so young. But at least there is the legacy of the books.

Here's one of the chocolate chip cookie threads you might find helpful. There are also choc chip cookie recipes in RecipeGullet. If you use the search engine a bit you'll probably find more threads on the topic. My favorite chocolate chip cookie is from King Arthur's "Baker's Companion" cookbook (ironically, I prefer it to the ones in their new "Cookie Companion" book). It's chewy in the middle, crisp around the edges. My other favorite is Pam Anderson's (of CI fame) in one of her books. Here's the link to Pam's: http://www.usaweekend.com/01_issues/010819...9cooksmart.html My favorite peanut butter cookie is from the KA Cookie book I mentioned above. It's chewy but not fudgy (I'm not a fan of the no-bake kind). Here's a link to the recipe (renamed "Essential PB Cookie" in their book): http://kingarthurflour.com/recipes/getrecipe.php?id=R682 A Pam Anderson book has my other PB favorite. (Neither versions use "natural" PB btw). Hmm, I'm seeing a trend here ... ETA: links.

Sheer speculation, but the carcass quality of the cow might also be better at that two-year shorter date. This would also help offset things. There are many wholly-owned chains, e.g. Braums, that own the cows, and the stores and sell the meat from the cows in the stores. "Value-added" I think is the concept. ← Ah, yes, watch me continually expose my ignorance of the whole agri-business... It's really not appetizing, is it? although presumably knowing the meat is used is better than thinking it isn't. It just feels so calculating and profit-driven, to me. ← I agree, Deborah. It's sickening to think what is happening, healthwise, to these cows in the name of corporate greed. The most "logical" argument isn't necessarily the best "moral" argument. In this case I say screw "logic."

I recommend Turner Ham. Their sugar-cured country hams are incredibly delicious. You can purchase a whole boneless or bone-in ham. You don't need to soak them. The website has cooking and storage instructions. Turner Ham is a family-run business in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley -- they've been at it a long time. I love stopping by their country store to see all their products. They're really nice people. Highly recommended.

Jacques Pépin (in "Simple and Healthy Cooking") has a recipe for making potato chips in the microwave. Here's how he does it: Cut 3 potatoes into 1/16" slices; wash them in cool water; pat dry. Place potatoes in one layer -- only 10 to 15 slices at a time -- on a waffled microwave tray and nuke on high for 5 minutes or till crisp. Remove slices and repeat. Serves 6. He serves them with salsa cruda. I've never tried it -- but Jacques is pretty reliable.

You can sub milk / buttermilk for water in equal measure. Buttermilk, IMO, gives a superior result (better flavor, more tender crumb) and I always add it to my regular sandwich-type breads. Saco powdered buttermilk is nice to have on hand, too. There are different kinds of powdered milk. King Arthur sells a special Baker's Special Dry Milk forumated specially for yeast breads. I recommend it as well.

Ling, that sounds a lot like churros! (Maybe this is another one of those foods that every culture has -- like dumplings?) I'm surprised, given your love of chocolate, you didn't dunk the Egg Twist in hot chocolate, which is something I like to do with churros. Something for you to keep in mind for next time.

My local supermarket carries Smithfield brand lard in big plastic tubs. Is this any better than the awful Armour lard in tubs? Could it be used in pie crusts/baked goods successfully (until I find a source for leaf lard)? Is the Smithfield lard hydrogenated? TIA!

Speaking of banana cake, this week I made Wendy's Secret Banana Cake and it was fabulous. I liked it better than RLB's. I undercooked it a bit by accident -- it was in the oven for 45 minutes in a 9-inch pan and I was getting nervous as it was browning a lot. The center was a little undercooked, but I actually liked it that way, a little molten banana. It's has a delicate crumb (with lots more banana and sour cream than in RLB's version) -- so be careful when dismounting it. It was so good on its own I didn't even use the chocolate buttercream I had leftover in my fridge. It's perfect plain. Thanks Wendy!

I would take this advice with a grain of salt. Most official pronouncements such as this are very conservative -- as much as to protect themselves as us, I imagine. Consider the official pork people's edicts on how high a temp you need to cook a piggy -- inedible by their standards. Over in this French macaron thread lots and lots of people were leaving their egg whites out for days at a time. I left some egg whites out for 48 hours to make macarons and lived to tell.