Your Daily Sweets: What Are You Making and Baking? (2017 – )

[Anna N]

12 hours ago, Pete Fred said:

How to turn stale cake into Danish truffles. (A pinch of salt and a generous hand with the jam and booze won't do you any harm either. 😉)

I have made dozens of these in the past and never once have I heard they had a connection with Denmark! My husband was Danish. Very interesting.

[Pete Fred]

Rose Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookie by Thalia Ho...

 

 

The rose didn't really come through. It might be the brand of rosewater, but I'd definitely have to up it if I bothered again (although it's tricky to judge the balance between 'a hint of' and full-on skin toner).

 

[Pete Fred]

Tahini Cake with Lemon and White Chocolate from Honey & Co at Home...

 

 

I'm usually a fan of Honey & Co creations but this was a bit of a mixed bag. The topping was delightful (mascarpone, cream cheese, cream, sugar, vanilla, rum). I could've (and did've) eaten it by the spoonful. I was less convinced by the cake, though. It was a little too fudgy and I doubt I would've known it was tahini if I hadn't poured it in myself (the recipe they riffed on was originally peanut butter so perhaps that works better). It was certainly different. Maybe it'll grow on me. Dunno. 🤷‍♂️

[MaryIsobel]

On 3/26/2023 at 2:21 AM, Pete Fred said:

Rose Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookie by Thalia Ho...

 

 

The rose didn't really come through. It might be the brand of rosewater, but I'd definitely have to up it if I bothered again (although it's tricky to judge the balance between 'a hint of' and full-on skin toner).

 

I'm inexperienced with the use of rosewater. I was traumatized at a bridal shower where the baker must have figured "more is better" with rosewater. Yup, skin toner and a rose-scented soap that my Nana used came immediately to mind.

[TdeV]

Tahini Cake with Lemon and White Chocolate from Honey & Co at Home...

 

Your report doesn't sound too encouraging, @Pete Fred, but the cake looks lovely and the ingredients sound delicious, and I sure am curious. Got a recipe to share?

[heidih]

1 hour ago, TdeV said:

Tahini Cake with Lemon and White Chocolate from Honey & Co at Home...

 

Your report doesn't sound too encouraging, @Pete Fred, but the cake looks lovely and the ingredients sound delicious, and I sure am curious. Got a recipe to share?

I can "taste:: the tahini lost so the peanut butter sounds more promising.

[Pete Fred]

7 hours ago, TdeV said:

Your report doesn't sound too encouraging, @Pete Fred, but the cake looks lovely and the ingredients sound delicious, and I sure am curious. Got a recipe to share?

 

It's a pleasant cake, just not quite what I was expecting. The fudginess is partly down to immediately inverting the cake to flatten it. There was a bit of dome so I think I would reduce the leavening next time, or maybe just level it with a knife. The topping is lovely, and the white chocolate chunks in the batter caramelize on the base of the tin...

 

 

It's very easy to make and something a bit different for a curious baker. Recipe here.

[Pete Fred]

Update: I gave some to a colleague who loved it, and her husband said it’s the best cake he’s ever eaten. To be fair, neither knew what tahini was before I told them (!) so they may have simply been dazzled by the novelty, but just goes to show…

[kayb]

6 hours ago, Pete Fred said:

 

It's a pleasant cake, just not quite what I was expecting. The fudginess is partly down to immediately inverting the cake to flatten it. There was a bit of dome so I think I would reduce the leavening next time, or maybe just level it with a knife. The topping is lovely, and the white chocolate chunks in the batter caramelize on the base of the tin...

 

 

It's very easy to make and something a bit different for a curious baker. Recipe here.

Damn, that sounds marvelous. Must try. Thank you.

[Pete Fred]

Now that I have a pot a tahini to use up, I took the opportunity to make some tahini and date cookies by Benjamina Ebuehi that had been on my to-do list for a while...

 

 

They were good, with a nice chew and a pleasant halva flavour. Simple to make and vegan, too, if that's your thing.

 

A couple of adjustments for larger, thinner cookies...

 

 

But overall I preferred the thicker ones.

[Kim Shook]

1 hour ago, Pete Fred said:

Now that I have a pot a tahini to use up, I took the opportunity to make some tahini and date cookies by Benjamina Ebuehi that had been on my to-do list for a while...

 

 

They were good, with a nice chew and a pleasant halva flavour. Simple to make and vegan, too, if that's your thing.

 

A couple of adjustments for larger, thinner cookies...

 

 

But overall I preferred the thicker ones.

They sound excellent.  I, too, end up with tahini to use up fairly often and I'd love to try these!  Is this the recipe?  And does that recipe result in the thicker cookies that you preferred? (Love  Benjamina!)  When I'm looking to use up tahini, I sometimes make these tahini and almond cookies from David Lebovitz that were recommended to me years ago by @Darienne.  

Edited March 29, 2023 by Kim Shook (log)

[Pete Fred]

1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:

Is this the recipe?  When I'm looking to use up tahini, I sometimes make these tahini and almond cookies from David Lebovitz that were recommended to me years ago by @Darienne.  

 

That's the one (although I only had non-jumbo oats and I threw in a few more dates). I rolled 55g of cookie dough into balls. For the thicker ones I flattened them into Ø 6 cm discs and baked at 180C. For the thinner ones I flattened them into Ø 7 cm discs and baked at 160C. They don't spread much.

 

Thanks for the Lebovitz cookies. I shall add them to my adventures in tahini. 🙂

[Kim Shook]

1 hour ago, Pete Fred said:

 

That's the one (although I only had non-jumbo oats and I threw in a few more dates). I rolled 55g of cookie dough into balls. For the thicker ones I flattened them into Ø 6 cm discs and baked at 180C. For the thinner ones I flattened them into Ø 7 cm discs and baked at 160C. They don't spread much.

 

Thanks for the Lebovitz cookies. I shall add them to my adventures in tahini. 🙂

Thanks so much, Pete!  One more question - does it really only make 12 cookies?  If so, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to double the recipe - I usually share.  

[C. sapidus]

I am decidedly not a baker but I do make baklava. Usual method is a mash-up of Baklava, Baklawa by ChefCrash (clicky) plus another recipe and some improvisation. I like to enhance the syrup with cinnamon or canela, cloves, lemon zest, honey, and maybe some cardamom.

 

Used pecans for the nut filling, mixed with sugar and rose water.

 

I used to bring baklava to potlucks at work. We will be seeing some former co-workers on Friday and they specifically requested baklava. Hope it doesn't disappoint.

 

Just out of the oven - we shall see how it tastes in a couple of days.

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by C. sapidus (log)

[Pete Fred]

9 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

Thanks so much, Pete!  One more question - does it really only make 12 cookies?  If so, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to double the recipe - I usually share.  

Yup, a dozen 55g (2 oz) cookies. And when is it not a good idea to double a recipe!? 😉

[C. sapidus]

Following morning - baklava close-up.

 

[heidih]

28 minutes ago, C. sapidus said:

Following morning - baklava close-up.

 

Beautiful. I did not make it last year and there were disappointed faces. So you put the additional warm spices in the syrup. Ive always put them in the nut mixture.  Sounds like a technique worth trying to really bring the flavors together. And yes a little age I find is worth the wait.

[C. sapidus]

7 minutes ago, heidih said:

Beautiful. I did not make it last year and there were disappointed faces. So you put the additional warm spices in the syrup. Ive always put them in the nut mixture.  Sounds like a technique worth trying to really bring the flavors together. And yes a little age I find is worth the wait.

 

Thanks! I definitely prefer the warm spices in the syrup, but I have also put spices in the nut mixture (along with the rose water).

 

This time I used a strong simple syrup (1.5 parts sugar to 1.3 parts water) but it turned out sweeter than I like. Next time I will go back to using 1:1 simple syrup.

[Pete Fred]

This jar of tahini won't eat itself so I returned to an old favourite: Halva flapjacks (oat bars)...

 

 

It's based on a Dan Lepard recipe, but I increase the tahini and stuff it with add-ins, in this instance: dates, figs, prunes, cranberries, raisins, walnuts, coconut, and seeds (sesame, sunflower and pumpkin).

 

They keep well, and if you squint hard enough are almost healthy.

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, Pete Fred said:

This jar of tahini won't eat itself so I returned to an old favourite: Halva flapjacks (oat bars)...

 

 

It's based on a Dan Lepard recipe, but I increase the tahini and stuff it with add-ins, in this instance: dates, figs, prunes, cranberries, raisins, walnuts, coconut, and seeds (sesame, sunflower and pumpkin).

 

They keep well, and if you squint hard enough are almost healthy.

 

That looks good.  Do you suppose I could sub peanut butter for the tahini?

[TdeV]

2 hours ago, Pete Fred said:

This jar of tahini won't eat itself so I returned to an old favourite: Halva flapjacks (oat bars)...

It's based on a Dan Lepard recipe, but I increase the tahini and stuff it with add-ins, in this instance: dates, figs, prunes, cranberries, raisins, walnuts, coconut, and seeds (sesame, sunflower and pumpkin).

They keep well, and if you squint hard enough are almost healthy.

 

Looks tasty! How much did you increase the tahini and add-ins?

[Elkyfr]

Today a LongEars Easter Chocolate Bunny 🐰

 

[Pete Fred]

@ElsieD I don't see why not. Any nut butter would work, I guess. I've never done it myself with this recipe, but have swapped peanut butter successfully for tahini in hummus.

 

@TdeV I increased the tahini to 100g (mine is the dark type). The mix-in were: 125g dates/prunes/dried figs; 50g raisins/dried cranberries; 100g walnuts; 40g dessicated coconut; 50g seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin). I prefer a chewier flapjack so use 225g oats and keep the dried fruit and nuts chunky for a variety of texture. And salt! Double the recipe for a 9 x 13-inch tin.

[shain]

Beautiful things in this thread! Thanks for sharing, all.

 

 

 

Cream and strawberry cake.

 

 

 

Barley, ginger, tofu cooked in syrup, peanuts, jujubes, dates.

 

[Elkyfr]

Look how the smug bunny girl looks 🐰