Meeting-friendly snacks to bake

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Never could cotton to Nanaimo bars but I do know they have a huge following. So many things to try...so few meetings!

 

What's your objection to them?  If it's the tooth-aching sweetness, you can counteract that by using darker chocolates, adding cocoa powder to the base mix (and using less/not white sugar there), and then modding the snot out of the middle layer….

[Anna N]

What's your objection to them?  If it's the tooth-aching sweetness, you can counteract that by using darker chocolates, adding cocoa powder to the base mix (and using less/not white sugar there), and then modding the snot out of the middle layer….

OMG. I just read the ingredient list. My teeth are screaming. How would you "mod the snot" out of that middle layer?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

OMG. I just read the ingredient list. My teeth are screaming. How would you "mod the snot" out of that middle layer?

 

I make a lot of Nanaimo bars - they're extremely popular here in Ecuador (I am actually beginning to regret introducing them - I make 100-unit pans, 10 or so a week).  That middle layer?  For less-sweet versions, I omit the flan entirely and go for an IMBC type filling - once it's chilled it sets hard and keeps that consistency for quite some time.  IMBC is significantly less sweet than the traditional buttercream, and it takes sharp flavours, like passionfruit for example, extremely well.  That, paired with darker chocolate in the other two layers, reduces the sweetness to a bearable level.

 

ETA: which recipe did you find?  The one that uses Graham crackers is far sweeter than the one that uses oats.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Panaderia Canadiense (log)

[Anna N]

I make a lot of Nanaimo bars - they're extremely popular here in Ecuador (I am actually beginning to regret introducing them - I make 100-unit pans, 10 or so a week).  That middle layer?  For less-sweet versions, I omit the flan entirely and go for an IMBC type filling - once it's chilled it sets hard and keeps that consistency for quite some time.  IMBC is significantly less sweet than the traditional buttercream, and it takes sharp flavours, like passionfruit for example, extremely well.  That, paired with darker chocolate in the other two layers, reduces the sweetness to a bearable level.

 

ETA: which recipe did you find?  The one that uses Graham crackers is far sweeter than the one that uses oats.

Thank you. It was the Graham cracker one.

[Anna N]

Chocolate chip cookies. Will need to be shared between dad's sales meeting and daughter's band practice! Not much spare time this week due to app'ts and travel to Buffalo.

[Smithy]

Those cookies are beautiful. Sometimes, the basics are best.

[SylviaLovegren]

image.jpg

Chocolate chip cookies. Will need to be shared between dad's sales meeting and daughter's band practice! Not much spare time this week due to app'ts and travel to Buffalo.

 

If I could jump through my computer screen into that batch of cookies, I would.  Dang. 

Edited April 29, 2014 by SylviaLovegren (log)

[rotuts]

Exactly  

 

guess its good you can't send some out as e-mail attachments.

 

you would be pretty busy if that was possible.

 

[emmalish]

So are you supplying treats for both the meeting and band practice regularly now? Fun! Are you getting any feedback about which ones are most popular? (I'm sure they're ALL popular)

[Anna N]

So are you supplying treats for both the meeting and band practice regularly now? Fun! Are you getting any feedback about which ones are most popular? (I'm sure they're ALL popular)

Getting feedback is a little like pulling teeth and feels very much like compliment fishing.

I thought my baking mojo was missing in action this past week or two. I was about ready to throw in the towel. Today I decided to tackle blueberry muffins. How hard could they be to get right? I am not a fan of muffins of any sort but these could convert me. The recipe is from Fine Cooking. I have named them Over the Top Muffins not only because they are meant to overflow the muffin cup but because they call for extravagant ingredients. They are moist and light and fluffy.

[emmalish]

Getting feedback is a little like pulling teeth and feels very much like compliment fishing.

 

I have the same issue with my weekly cookies here at the office. I have to be sure to clarify that I've never tried the recipe before and want to know whether it's worth making again.

 

Those muffins? Look HUGE. I'm curious, what kind of extravagant ingredients were called for?

[Anna N]

I have the same issue with my weekly cookies here at the office. I have to be sure to clarify that I've never tried the recipe before and want to know whether it's worth making again.

 

Those muffins? Look HUGE. I'm curious, what kind of extravagant ingredients were called for?

Here you go

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/basic-blueberry-muffins.aspx

To me creme fraiche, whole milk and eggs are in extravagant bounty for muffins!

[emmalish]

Thanks for the link, Anna! Those look fantastic. And I'd definitely agree with the crème fraîche being extravagant... they must be so rich. 

[Anna N]

Today's offering. Sorry for the poor photograph. Member ElsieD introduced me to a version of this recipe. It contains no dairy, no eggs, and can be mixed right in the cake pan -- how easy is that?

The cake is known as Crazy cake, Wacko cake, Cowboy cake, or Depression cake. After much research I adapted this recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Wacky-Chocolate-Cake-106041?

replacing the water with brewed espresso coffee and sprinkling chocolate chips on the batter before it went into the oven. Strangely all the chips migrated to the centre. Not a biggie since one can now choose a piece with or without chocolate chips. Thank you, Elsie.

[Tammi Townsley]

How about mini quiches?

[Anna N]

How about mini quiches?

Thank you for the suggestion. Food safety becomes a problem here. There are no refrigeration facilities. Meetings are sometimes early morning and sometimes late afternoon. So I thought I would avoid anything that might pose a problem in this regard.

[Anna N]

So last week I had a baking day which I reported on in the "daily sweets" topic and sent my son-in-law off with Nigella Lawson's Cherry Almond loaf. It bombed. I needed to redeem myself this week so I made Alice Medrich's Cocoa brownies. I let my daughter do a taste test to be sure but I think they might do it. Brownies have a way of winning hearts no matter what.

[rotuts]

""   Brownies have a way of winning hearts no matter what.  ""

 

just so.  Betty helps me make  mine, and the library staff love them

1/4 cup of rum / box is also helpful.

[SylviaLovegren]

Here you go

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/basic-blueberry-muffins.aspx

To me creme fraiche, whole milk and eggs are in extravagant bounty for muffins!

 

The eggs and the sour cream may be extravagant, but the amount of sugar is amazing!  How sweet were they? 

[CatPoet]

Dead easy no fail chocolate balls

 

100 gram butter

150 ml sugar

4 tablespoon unsweetend cocao powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch of salt

2 tablespoons water, bozze or coffee

500 ml rolled oats.

 

Rolling:

Non pralines, coarse grained candied sugar,  chopped nuts, dedicated coconut  or melted chocolate  or candy melts. 

Mix everything up,  butter and cocoa first and then the rest, end with the liquid.

 

roll into 30 small balls and then roll them in something  or  for a more posher look, dip them in chocolate or candy melts

[Anna N]

The eggs and the sour cream may be extravagant, but the amount of sugar is amazing!  How sweet were they?

Sorry they disappeared before I got to taste them but they were very well received (which, knowing the audience, suggests they were indeed sweet!)

[Anna N]

Dead easy no fail chocolate balls

 

100 gram butter

150 ml sugar

4 tablespoon unsweetend cocao powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch of salt

2 tablespoons water, bozze or coffee

500 ml rolled oats.

 

Rolling:

Non pralines, coarse grained candied sugar,  chopped nuts, dedicated coconut  or melted chocolate  or candy melts. 

Mix everything up,  butter and cocoa first and then the rest, end with the liquid.

 

roll into 30 small balls and then roll them in something  or  for a more posher look, dip them in chocolate or candy melts

Thanks for sharing. They sound like they would be delightful at a children's birthday party but perhaps less suitable for a business meeting.

[CatPoet]

Actually Swedes do eat them for that too.  It sort of the best way of calming people, that and vacuum cleaners  another odd thing that doesnt need a oven to make.  

I know we are odd.  

When we do business meeting we try to have a good fika planned,  fika is coffee and and sweet treats  and talk and the  it shows how much you care about people.  I been told to bake  vanilla rolls,  5 types cookies, chocolate balls, vacuum cleaners and make a cake  ( with frosting and all) for an important  meeting  when I worked as housekeeper.   I have helped my dad fix up fika for the place he worked at when the local bakery had a fire and well they cant have a meeting with out cookies and in autumn apple pie. We live with the coffee mug firmly grown into out hands.

[Kerry Beal]

Never baked a vacuum cleaner before - suspect it might require a bit of tenderizing first.

[CatPoet]

Here is a picture  http://raz.nu/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/dammsugare_punchrullar.jpg , you have to think old school vacuum cleaner to understand it.