Your Daily Sweets: What are you making and baking? (2014)

[lesliec]

I use candied ginger a lot in fruit cakes (when it's not called for in the recipe) - it should work just fine in this one, I suspect.  Chop it into small pieces first.

 

Fresh zest would give a different taste/feel to candied and you'd want to use far less, but I think it's worth doing.  Let us know how it goes.

[andiesenji]

andiesenji,

 That looks fabulous and I have everything in house at the moment but the mixed peel. How much different would it taste if it were omitted, or could you recommend a substitute to balance the flavors??  I do have some fresh limes and lemons, but no candied rinds. ( Do have candied ginger)    Could any of these be subbed??

You can use any dried fruit - chopped to the size of (smallish) raisins.  Candied ginger works fine - I've made it with ginger and dried apricots - those flavors "marry" well - just use the same volume (not by weight) of dried fruits and make sure they are distributed evenly throughout the flour mixture before adding to the (very stiff) batter.  You don't want big chunks of fruit that will not allow nice even slices. 

I've used the same basic recipe to make a "tropical" cake with finely chopped pineapple and mango. 

 

I added the following statement when I posted the recipe on my Facebook page:

This is a very "forgiving" cake. You can add flavors to it and it is not sensitive at all. On one occasion I had the power go off right in the middle of baking - I left it in the oven and restarted the oven and finished baking it when the power came back on two hours later. The cake was fine. Try and do that with most cakes - box cakes - and one would have a mess.

 

On one occasion, when I was pressed for time, I put the cake in the microwave (using the paper baking mold) for 8 minutes and then transferred it to the regular oven (preheated to 325°F) and finished baking it for about 35 minutes. 

I tested it with a probe thermometer to make sure the center was 205°F.   

It turned out quite nice. 

[Blether]

I suspect too that you can make a good substitute from your fresh lemons & limes, by chopping the pith-trimmed peel and candying it over a low heat for 5 minutes, as for lemon slices under Demerara Lemon Cake  here.

 

And, hey, then you can make lemonade too.

[Kim Shook]

Anna – I think those cheese muffins look and sound great.  How about adding some chives to them?

 

Matthew – I think that your strawberry creation looks and sounds extremely special!

 

Andie – your Dundee cake is gorgeous.  I know that Ted, my English stepdad would have approved!

 

Mr. Kim had a birthday in his office this week and she requested dulce de leche brownies:

Very good, but VERY sweet.

[Franci]

Made banana cookies from Martha Stewart's website http://www.marthastewart.com/338169/banana-walnut-chocolate-chunk-cookies

My son loved them. I didn't use any nuts and added some caramelized white chocolate. For my taste, I'd lower sugar a bit, pulse the oatmeal, add walnuts and dark chocolate chunks. And bake just 6 at the time freezing the rest.

[Darienne]

Have a choice as to where to post this dessert:  Capirotada, the traditional Mexican bread pudding, the Lenten variety without milk or eggs.  Love it.  (The big spoon is hiding the hole where we 'tested' the pudding.) 

 

[Panaderia Canadiense]

To celebrate the end of the lenten period, I'm making a candied fig cheesecake.  Will report back on how that goes.

[emmalish]

Made banana cookies from Martha Stewart's website http://www.marthastewart.com/338169/banana-walnut-chocolate-chunk-cookies

My son loved them. I didn't use any nuts and added some caramelized white chocolate. For my taste, I'd lower sugar a bit, pulse the oatmeal, add walnuts and dark chocolate chunks. And bake just 6 at the time freezing the rest.

 

I was just looking at that recipe the other day too. I'm definitely going to have to give it a try.

[Franci]

I was just looking at that recipe the other day too. I'm definitely going to have to give it a try.

Hi Emmalish, the recipe is very good, as everybody already mentioned in the reviews it's like a banana bread in cookie form, my only complain is that doesn't keep that well.

[Blether]

So I made the demerara lemon cake again (yes, repetitive, isn't it ?). I used a lighter flour and I made an effort to really whip the butter & sugar, and then to whip in the eggs. As the cake baked I watched the decorative lemon slices on the top sink without trace.

 

The cake itself is significantly lighter. I made some lemon curd, too, and with that and a spoonful of yoghurt, it still looks fine and is ridiculously good:

 

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Hi Emmalish, the recipe is very good, as everybody already mentioned in the reviews it's like a banana bread in cookie form, my only complain is that doesn't keep that well.

 

Franci, what type of banana are you using?  It will make all the difference - there are some varieties that are less prone to oxidation than others, and honestly the Gran Nain (Chiquita standard banana) and Cavendish (Dole/Corbana standard banana) are the worst offenders when it comes to oxidation after baking.

 

If you're still in NYC, you should have access to "ethnic" groceries.  Look for Latin American ones and ask for Plátano Limón, Plátano Burro, or Plátano Orinoco.  In Filipino or Malaysian groceries, ask for Saba.  And if you can find a Hawaiian grocer, cross your fingers and ask for either Iholena Lele or Maoli Popo'ulu.  The latter is a huge banana considered to be the gold standard for baking as it retains its gold colour for days.

[Matthew Kirshner]

I have been waiting a long time to make this cake,but I finally got around to it.  Vanilla Genoise, Housemade Raspberry jam, Italian Meringue Frosting, toasted Almonds Fresh Raspberry pile.  I  think the reason why I don't make this cake is it does not last long, it was sold in less then 20 mins after putting on display.  i don't have the man power to make a lot of Meringue, but here it is!!

[Franci]

Franci, what type of banana are you using?  It will make all the difference - there are some varieties that are less prone to oxidation than others, and honestly the Gran Nain (Chiquita standard banana) and Cavendish (Dole/Corbana standard banana) are the worst offenders when it comes to oxidation after baking.

 

If you're still in NYC, you should have access to "ethnic" groceries.  Look for Latin American ones and ask for Plátano Limón, Plátano Burro, or Plátano Orinoco.  In Filipino or Malaysian groceries, ask for Saba.  And if you can find a Hawaiian grocer, cross your fingers and ask for either Iholena Lele or Maoli Popo'ulu.  The latter is a huge banana considered to be the gold standard for baking as it retains its gold colour for days.

Very interesting Panaderia. Unfortunately I don't have any ethnic grocery nearby but I'll keep in mind for the future.

You are lucky to be able to buy so many fresh and interesting fruits.

[jmacnaughtan]

I have been waiting a long time to make this cake,but I finally got around to it.  Vanilla Genoise, Housemade Raspberry jam, Italian Meringue Frosting, toasted Almonds Fresh Raspberry pile.  I  think the reason why I don't make this cake is it does not last long, it was sold in less then 20 mins after putting on display.  i don't have the man power to make a lot of Meringue, but here it is!!

 

Looks good- do you soak your génoise before adding the jam and frosting, or just leave it plain?  While I like génoise, they can frequently be bone dry (even when not overbaked).

[Kim Shook]

Matthew – gorgeous cake!  I wouldn’t have been able to resist buying it either!

 

I tried out my friend Christa’s German Shortbread recipe for a board meeting of the VA Episcopal Church Women our church is hosting in May:

Three different shapes – will decide which one to use tonight at church with some other members.  Detail of lettering:

This is a fantastic cooky – fragrant with almond paste and such an easy dough to work with.  It holds its shape when baked – even those tiny little letters!

[Matthew Kirshner]

Looks good- do you soak your génoise before adding the jam and frosting, or just leave it plain?  While I like génoise, they can frequently be bone dry (even when not overbaked).

 

I soak the layers in a raspberry syrup before sandwiching.  I understand what you mean by the dryness factor, I usually add a little more butter when I fold it in. 

[Shel_B]

Mr. Kim had a birthday in his office this week and she requested dulce de leche brownies:

Very good, but VERY sweet.

 

Oooo!  That is a great idea.  Toots, being from Argentina, loves dulce de leche.  There's a brownie recipe I make in which I add fudge to the mixture.  Do you think I could use DDL instead, and bake as usual, or might there be anything different  that has to be done?

[Kim Shook]

Oooo!  That is a great idea.  Toots, being from Argentina, loves dulce de leche.  There's a brownie recipe I make in which I add fudge to the mixture.  Do you think I could use DDL instead, and bake as usual, or might there be anything different  that has to be done?

I confess that I used a brownie mix - Ghirardelli is so good that I don't bother making from scratch usually.  I smoothed the batter in the pan and for the DDL I used a can of the La Lechera brand.  I nuked it for a few seconds to soften, spaced out a few plops of it over the batter and swirled it in with a chopstick.  Multinational brownies  !

[Shel_B]

I confess that I used a brownie mix - Ghirardelli is so good that I don't bother making from scratch usually.  I smoothed the batter in the pan and for the DDL I used a can of the La Lechera brand.  I nuked it for a few seconds to soften, spaced out a few plops of it over the batter and swirled it in with a chopstick.  Multinational brownies  !

 

   About half the time I make brownies, I use a Ghirardelli mix - the Triple Fudge mix.  It is very good, and Toots likes it quite a bit, so that's what I use when making brownies for her.  I'll have to play around with the DDL a bit, and see what works best for our taste and preferences.  Should be a nice project .  Thanks so much for the idea!

[andiesenji]

I confess that I used a brownie mix - Ghirardelli is so good that I don't bother making from scratch usually.  I smoothed the batter in the pan and for the DDL I used a can of the La Lechera brand.  I nuked it for a few seconds to soften, spaced out a few plops of it over the batter and swirled it in with a chopstick.  Multinational brownies  !

You can call them "Fusion" brownies.  A true instance of two cultural food favorites being "fused" into a cohesive new flavor excitement.

[janeer]

Matthew – gorgeous cake!  I wouldn’t have been able to resist buying it either!

 

I tried out my friend Christa’s German Shortbread recipe for a board meeting of the VA Episcopal Church Women our church is hosting in May:

Three different shapes – will decide which one to use tonight at church with some other members.  Detail of lettering:

This is a fantastic cooky – fragrant with almond paste and such an easy dough to work with.  It holds its shape when baked – even those tiny little letters!

Looks like it doesn't piffling up either. Would you're be willing to share?

[RobertM]

Kim....would you be willing to share that formula? I'm looking for such a cookie that will hold it's shape ... Those look awesome!

Thank You!

[Kim Shook]

I'm always happy to share: http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Kimberlyn/COOKIES/Christas_German_Shortbread_Cookies.html

[IowaDee]

What oven temperature should these beauties be baked at.?  Anxious to try them and thanks for sharing.

[shubashuba]

Hallo! I've been lurking on eGullet for quite a while learning and reading about interesting stuff but never really shared much. I'm currently on holiday (ah...the woes of being a student ^^) and so have been doing some baking...

 

 

Yann Menguy's Brownie Chocolat from a French TV patisserie competition. The only French I know are for food and cooking terms, so I pretty much just ogle at the video and use Google translate to get the recipes. Sadly, I can't pipe for nuts, and made it look rather like someone took a dump >.> Still tasted nice, though. 

 

 

Below is Amauary Guichon's Finger Praline, from the same show. It's basically a dressed up brownie. Very French, I suppose...

 

 

 

Goodness, my pictures are ginormous (I'll try to rescale)