"Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Part 2)

[RuthWells]

RuthWells : You mean after you remove cookies from oven, you press the hole ?? Hmm, i should try that way.. so that the hole is deep enough

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Yes, exactly. After baking, you reinforce the hole that you made previously, making it deeper.

And do this very soon after the cookies come out of the oven, while they are still soft.

You can see my version of the thumbprint cookies here (scroll down a bit) -- note the nice deep cavities!

Edited December 6, 2007 by RuthWells (log)

[Simonne]

wow both RuthWells & prasantrin thumb got deep hole to hold the jam. Thanks for the tips!

Wanna ask anyone try "Devil's Food White-Out Cake". As the recipe say 8"x 2 pans. My oven can only fit in one pan at a time. Do you all think is possible i bake one pan at a time and leave the other batter at room temperature (while the 1st pan baking in oven ?

Thanks!

[onehsancare]

I am making the Cranberry Upside-Downer right now. As we speak. I better turn off the mixer. I read the recipe and thought I'd be able to follow it without difficulty, but I'm stymied.

The recipe says to melt the butter, add the sugar, and cook, stirring, until it boils. There was a lovely spot where the sugar and butter were all foamy and cohesive, but no big "boiling" bubbles, so I kept going. My sugar caramelized, the butter separated, and it's pretty ugly. (I just redid the process with a witness. Mr. Care said, "Well, OF COURSE that's boiling!" at the really nice foamy stage. I went with the second try and the cake is now in the oven.)

I read the other comments about this cake. Some people had trouble keeping the cranberries on the top (bottom), and one suggestion was that they hadn't cooked the sugar and butter long enough to get a really "sticky" mixture.

So, how long is long enough?

(Edited to clarify my stupidity and describe rescue by the most reasonable man in the world--maybe I'll save someone else from the same mistake.)

Edited December 10, 2007 by onehsancare (log)

[BarbaraY]

I made the World Peace Cookies today. When I handed the first one to my grown daughter she said. "Mmmmm! These really could bring World Peace." They're really a wonderful cookie, too good for children.

[Kim D]

I am making the Cranberry Upside-Downer right now.  As we speak.  I better turn off the mixer.  I read the recipe and thought I'd be able to follow it without difficulty, but I'm stymied. 

The recipe says to melt the butter, add the sugar, and cook, stirring, until it boils.  There was a lovely spot where the sugar and butter were all foamy and cohesive, but no big "boiling" bubbles, so I kept going.  My sugar caramelized, the butter separated, and it's pretty ugly.  (I just redid the process with a witness.  Mr. Care said, "Well, OF COURSE that's boiling!" at the really nice foamy stage.  I went with the second try and the cake is now in the oven.)

I read the other comments about this cake.  Some people had trouble keeping the cranberries on the top (bottom), and one suggestion was that they hadn't cooked the sugar and butter long enough to get a really "sticky" mixture. 

So, how long is long enough?

(Edited to clarify my stupidity and describe rescue by the most reasonable man in the world--maybe I'll save someone else from the same mistake.)

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The first time I made this cake, I just made it. I didn't think twice about what "boiling" meant and it turned out great. The second time, I couldn't remember just how long I cooked that sugar/butter mixture. I thought the same thing as you. Foamy didn't seem like boiling. After making it several times, I've decided that foamy does mean boiling. Thanks to your post, I've added that comment to the recipe in case I forget again.

[laniloa]

Taught my sister-in-law how to make the world peace cookies this weekend. She is a new cook and baking scares her. She did marvelously and thought the cookies were simple. Friends came over Saturday night and raved about the cookies -- some good positive reinforcement.

[tamiam]

I've been away from this thread for a while, so it is nice to catch up and see all this happy baking. I recently made the Thanksgiving Twofer--very good and very popular.

And this morning I made the Almond Scones, but substituted pecans and vanilla for the almonds and almond essence. I have to say that these are the lightest most melt-in-your mouth scones I have ever made. Love them. Might add 1-2 t more sugar next time, but love love love them.

[Terrasanct]

I finally made the World Peace cookies after reading so much about them. They were very popular at my house. I was going to send some to my kids, but they didn't quite make it that far.

[BarbaraY]

I finally made the World Peace cookies after reading so much about them.  They were very popular at my house.  I was going to send some to my kids, but they didn't quite make it that far.

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I put mine in the freezer to protect them. Do you know that they're delicious even frozen.

[Chufi]

I made the white chocolate brownies today. They were destined to be a friend's birthday cake, so I sprinkled some chopped pistachios on top to make them look a bit more festive.

They were very good, light and elegant. The combination of almonds, orangezest, fluffy meringue and tart raspberries is wonderful. I used frozen raspeberries and that worked just fine.

You can't really tell there's white chocolate in there though. If I make them again, I think I'll decrease the amount of sugar and add some chopped white chocolate to the cake batter.

[The Naughti Literati]

That is beeyoooootiful!!! Today I'm going to bake a carrot cake cheesecake and I'm thinking about doing the Brrrr-ownies from this book and perhaps something else I'll let my mom, aunt and grandmother request. This thread is spectacular. It's what made me buy the book, I'm so glad many of my questions have already been answered too!

[Chufi]

My stepdaughter wanted to make dessert today and I gave her Dories book, she marked a number of recipes but finally decided on the Tenderest Shortcakes.

She did an amazing job, they were delicious - just a little sweet, which was great with the sweet cream and the raspberry compote.

[Dorie Greenspan]

Bonjour from Paris!

I just wanted to wish everyone the happiest holidays. I hope you'll all have a Merry Christmas and that the New Year will be one filled with peace, joy, happiness and sweets, sweets and more sweets.

Dorie

[memesuze]

I made the Cranberry Lime Galette for a holiday party - I wasn't sure whether the 1 1/2 inch knob of ginger was from an arm or from the body - but, since I'm a ginger fanatic, I used the body - no picture, because it came out looking exactly like the book - and got raves, as has everything else I've made from here

[nakji]

I finally got this book for Christmas, and tried my first recipe today. I made the orange blueberry muffins, and they were well received. I really liked the instruction to rub the sugar with the orange zest, which gave a lovely smell to the muffins.

I look forward to tackling more recipes from this book. I'm home for my mum's birthday for the first time in 5 years, so I've asked her to choose a recipe out of the book for her birthday cake.

[DesertCulinary]

I finally got around to making the Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars today! I didn't get to sample the finished product, but have been told that they taste like that retro Chunky candy bar encased with a salty/sweet oatmeal peanut cookie! Very clean to cut too - the fudgy layer is somewhat soft, yet firm enough to hold its shape.

[Malawry]

I made Dorie's chocolate pudding today. It's got a great flavor--it's very similar to other chocolate puddings I've made and loved, with both cocoa powder and melted chocolate. I made her recipe specifically because I wanted to see how using the food processor affected the finished product. I have a Cuisinart food processor--the original model (it says "Cuisinart Original" on the front). Apparently this is too small to use for this recipe, because when I added the hot milk to the feed tube the blade flung the liquid up and over the sides of the processor. I didn't see a headnote warning about this (there is such a warning in the excellent pie crust recipe). Sigh. I ended up finishing the pudding by hand, the old-fashioned way. It came out great, but there was a bit of a mess to clean up afterwards.

I also used Dorie's bourbon bread pudding recipe, both for a private cooking class and then to bake off the leftovers at home afterwards. That was far less messy and equally full of deliciousness. I added a sauteed Granny Smith apple to the home-baked batch and drizzled with caramel sauce (the students wanted to learn caramel sauce, so it was hanging around the house). Nice, basic recipe.

[Marmish]

Updated the list since some of you have made new things! Those Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars are calling my name!

Also alphabetized this time.

Almost Fudge Gateau

Alsatian Apple Tart

Amaretti Torte

Apple Cheddar Scones

Apple Coconut Family Cake

Apple Nut Muffin Cake

Apple pie cake

Applesauce Spice Bars

Arborio rice pudding

Banana Bundt Cake

Basic Biscuits

Bill’s Big Carrot Cake

Biscotti

Bittersweet Brownies

Black and White Banana Loaf

Black and White Chocolate Cake

Blackberry Cobbler

Blueberry Brown Sugar Plain Cake

Blueberry Cake

Bostock

Bourbon Bread Pudding

Brioche Raisin Snails

Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake

Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

Brown Sugar Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Brownie Buttons

Brrrr-ownies

Buttermilk biscuits

Buttery Jam cookies

Caramel Brownie Cake

Caramel Crunch bars

Caramel peanut topped brownie cake

Caramel Pumpkin Tart

Caramel Topped Flan

Cardamom Crumb Cake

Carmelized Apple Bread Pudding

Carrot Spice Muffins

Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler

Chestnut Caramel Cake

Chocobanana Bread

Choco-ginger Crackles

Chocolate and Fresh Ginger Gingerbread

Chocolate Biscotti

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Chocolate Chip cookies

Chocolate Chocolate Chunk muffins

Chocolate Chunkers

Chocolate Crunch Caramel Tart

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Ganache Gelato

Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops

Chocolate Mint Chip ice cream

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars

Chocolate Oatmeal drops

Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate Raspbeerry Tart

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Sorbet

Chocolate Souffle

Chunky Oatmeal and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chipsters

Chunky Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chippers

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Cinnamon squares

Cinnamon Squares

Citrus Berry Muffins

Classic Brownies

Cocoa Almond Meringues

Cocoa Buttermilk Birthday Cake

Coconut Orange Tea Cake

Coconut Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

Coconut Tea Cake

Coffee Break Muffins

Corniest Corn Muffins

Cornmeal and Fruit Loaf

Cornmeal Maple Biscuits

Cottage Cheese Puffs

Cranapple Crisps

Cranberry Lime Galette

Cranberry Shortbread Cake

Cranberry Upside Downer

Cream Puff Ring

Cream Scones

Crunchy and Custardy Peach Tart

Depth of Fall Butternut Squash Pie

Devil’s Food White Out Cake

Devilish Shortcakes

Dimply Plum Cake

Double apple bundt cake

Dressy Chocolate Loaf

Earl Grey Madelines

Espresso Cheesecake Brownie

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread

Far Breton

Flaky Apple Turnovers

Florida Pie

Fluted Ricotta Cake

French Brownies

Golden Brioche

Good for Everything Pie Crust

Great Grains Muffins

Holiday Bundt Cake

Honey Nut Brownies

Honey’s Apple Cake

Katherine Hepburn Brownies

Key Lime Cheesecake

Lemon Cream Tart

Lemon Poppyseed muffins

Lenox Almond Biscotti

Linzer Cookies

Lots of Ways Banana Cake

Mango Bread

Marbled banana chocolate loaf cake

Marbled Cheesecake

Marbled Pound Cake

Midnight Crackle cookies

Milk Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes

Mocha Chocolate Bundt Cake?

Mocha Walnut Marbled Bundt Cake

Molasses Spice Cookies

Molten Chocolate Cakes

Normandy Apple Tart

Nutty Chocolaty Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Oatmeal Breakfast Loaf

Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones

Orange Blueberry Muffins

Orange Current Sunshine Muffins

Parisian Apple Tarts

Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

Peanut Butter Torte

Peanuttiest Blondies

Pear Torte

Pecan Honey Sticky Buns

Pot de Crème

Pound Cake

Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Quintuple Chocolate Brownies

Raspberry Coulis

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp

Rugelach

Rum-soaked Vanilla Cakes

Russian Grandmother’s Apple Cake

Sables

Sables

Salt and Pepper Cocoa Cookies

Savoury Corn Muffins

Snickery Squares

Sour Cream Pecan Biscuits

Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie

Split Level Pudding

Sugar Cookies

Swedish Visiting Cake

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Tarte Tatin

Tartest Lemon Tart

Tenderest Shortcakes

Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

Thumbprints

Tiramisu

Toasted Almond Scones

Toffee Brown Sugar Ice Cream Bars

Vanilla ice cream

Vanilla Pound Cake

White Chocolate Blonde Raspberry Brownies

White Chocolate Brownies

World Peace Cookies

Yogurt Cake

[Pam R]

Don't forget the allspice muffins that I loved.

[Malawry]

I made the vanilla-rum pound cakes today, without the rum syrup. This is simply one of the best simple pound cakes I've ever baked. The crust was fabulous, crisp and sweet, and the vanilla beans really added a lot of aroma and flavor to the cake. We had thick slices for dessert with softly whipped cream and fresh blueberries. Fantastic and easy to make with pantry staples, if you keep things like cream and vanilla beans around like I do anyway. Thanks, Dorie.

[emmalish]

I just made the Peanut Butter Crisscrosses... sorta... I didn't have any peanuts, so I added chocolate chips instead (can't go wrong with chocolate & peanut butter!). And because of my recuperating broken wrist, I skipped the rolling into balls, rolling in sugar, and crisscrossing steps, and just baked them as simple drop cookies. Fabulous! It's a great peanut butter cookie recipe. I'll definitely make them with chocolate chips again, but next time I'll make sure I have peanuts. I used crunchy peanut butter, but I'd like them to have a bit more crunch.

After seeing DesertCulinary's photo upthread, I reallywanted to make the Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars, but again, no peanuts.

Edited January 26, 2008 by emmalish (log)

[Dorie Greenspan]

I've been away and not checking up on you guys for a while -- wow! have you been busy. Really nice stuff, especially Desert Culinary's Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars. It's been a long, long while since I've made those, but seeing the picture makes me want to whip up a batch now -- something that would make my husband, who really loves that recipe, very happy.

Hope you're all having a great start to 2008!

[Marmish]

Don't forget the allspice muffins that I loved.

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Don't know how I missed them as I have made them myself. Will add them to the master list right now.

[Pat W]

I made the vanilla-rum pound cakes today, without the rum syrup. This is simply one of the best simple pound cakes I've ever baked. The crust was fabulous, crisp and sweet, and the vanilla beans really added a lot of aroma and flavor to the cake. We had thick slices for dessert with softly whipped cream and fresh blueberries. Fantastic and easy to make with pantry staples, if you keep things like cream and vanilla beans around like I do anyway. Thanks, Dorie.

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OK, I have to ask...

I haven't tried these yet, but why is it that almost everyone who has made the vanilla-rum pound cakes has done it without the rum syrup? It seems like the rum would have been a lovely addition to the pound cake.

pat

[Kayakado]

we made criss coss PB cookies but changed the PB to cashew butter and the p nuts to cashew nuts. We needed to add a little more salt, but other than that they were delish!