Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)

[Patrick S]

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Awesome -another example of your great skill when it comes to cake.

[ludja]

Since yesterday I found some nice muscat grape at the market, I decided to go with

Schiacciata con l'uva, a sweet focaccia from Toscana

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Yum, that looks great, Franci. I've made this once before with some generic supermarket grapes but I must try this soon with some of the more flavorful varietals I've seen at the farmer's market recently. The version I've made was flavored with fennel and sugar along with the grapes. It's a nice, not too sweet bread that is perfect in the fall.

Lots of other nice desserts offered here in the transition between summer and fall--the wild blueberry crumble and chocolate stout cake. I recently had some teriffic stout ice cream so I'm also intrigued by this cake. The final cake looks spectacular, chefpeon; thanks for sharing the photo with us!

I made a Southern Caramel Cake for a friend's birthday this weekend. This version is from Bill Neal's Biscuits, Spoonbread and Sweet Potato Pie and has ground pecans in the cake layers which are also soaked with a bourbon syrup. It was good, but even with the soaking the layers were a bit dry. Maybe the dryness would have been alleviated if I had soaked the layers while they were still warm and/or maybe I overbaked the layers. I've made another Bill Neal Pecan Caramel Cake several times from his first book. I can only compare this with faded memories since this was before I recorded more detailed notes, but I think I liked the cake layers better in the version from Bill Neal's Southern Cooking.

[Ling]

ludja, I love caramel and your cake looks great. Have you seen this Thankful Butterscotch cake? I've had it bookmarked forever but still haven't gotten around to making it!

For those interested in doing chocolate stout cakes next--I found another Guiness chocolate cake from Tish Boyle just now.

Also, this Indonesian spice cake looks really good, judging by the recipe. Very dense though.

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ETA: I've been eating junky desserts for the past two days. Breakfast this morning was two chocolate bars. Junky ones! Coffee Crisp (childhood favourite) and cinnamon Kit Kat (I can not resist anything with cinnamon).

Edited September 18, 2006 by Ling (log)

[ludja]

ludja, I love caramel and your cake looks great. Have you seen this Thankful Butterscotch cake? I've had it bookmarked forever but still haven't gotten around to making it!

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Thanks Ling! I tihnk I'm going to start a Caramel Cake thread in the P&B forum as there doesn't appear to be one yet. I also have had the Thankful Butterscotch cake bookmarked for awhile...

A Stout cake thread would be great too. It certainly seems like a theme worth exploring!

[prasantrin]

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Mmmmmmmm....I love anything caramel. Must find a copy of the cake--I will look for the Southern Cooking recipe.

I love the plate, too! We have a similar pattern, but in blue instead of green and with my grandfather's signature on it. Can you tell me the name of your pattern? I'm hoping to augment out set!

[ludja]

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Mmmmmmmm....I love anything caramel.  Must find a copy of the cake--I will look for the Southern Cooking recipe.

I love the plate, too!  We have a similar pattern, but in blue instead of green and with my grandfather's signature on it.  Can you tell me the name of your pattern?  I'm hoping to augment out set!

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I found a copy of the the Bill Neal Toasted Pecan Caramel Cake. This is the recipe that I used the first few times and that I think I like better. I used the same caramel frosting recipe that is given for this recipe. It's 'worked' all three times I've made it. I'll post the recipe link in the Caramel Cake thread I started.

My mom found these plates at a flea market/antique show. There is not a name on them, only a mark with M Z, a symbol with a crown and "Austria" on it.

[makanmakan]

I was in charge of dessert for a dinner party and decided on the Epicurious Double Chocolate cake.

I mixed in some cinnamon and sprinkled on some toasted walnuts in the middle layer. It's not perfect looking (as my cake pans weren't the exact same size) but it tasted pretty damn good!

[Shaya]

For the chocolate lovers, this is Caprese. Very moist chocolate cake from Capri: chocolates, eggs, butter and almonds. Very good.

Also posted in the Italian forum for the The Cooking and Cuisine of Campania

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Franci this looks wonderful. I shall have to make this soon. I made your Schiacciata con l'uva last night, with honey instead of suger. It was really great. I think my family was expecting more of a tart, but it was just as I was expecting - and craving; bread-like dough with sweetness interspersed throughout. Thanks for the inspiration. I used champagne grapes.

[oli]

Now of course, while I'm baking this thing, I'm thinking how I'm going to finish it. I like to have the cake finish reflect what's in the cake, and I'm going, "beer...hmmmm.....how do I reflect beer?" THAT'S IT!!!!! Chocolate bottle caps!!!! Funky? Yes. But cool. I made the bottle caps out of white modeling chocolate using a real bottle cap as a mold. Then I painted them with edible gold powder made into a paint with a bit o'vodka. Yeah, ok, a bit over the top for a family dessert, but sometimes I can't help myself. Once a PC, always a PC.....................

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Edited September 19, 2006 by oli (log)

[Franci]

Franci this looks wonderful. I shall have to make this soon.  I made your Schiacciata con l'uva last night, with honey instead of suger.  It was really great.  I think my family was expecting more of a tart, but it was just as I was expecting - and craving; bread-like dough with sweetness interspersed throughout.  Thanks for the inspiration.  I used champagne grapes.

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Shaya, I am happy I inspired you! I think it's a wonderful treat for the season. Did you make two layers or you just topped it with grapes? As Ludja was saying I heard some people sprinkle some aniseed on top, but I asked around and I have been told the tradition it's for a very simple and rustic sweet bread. It was the first time I baked this schiacciata and I was very happy with it, I love rustic and unsofisticated sweets.

[Shaya]

Franci, I did two layers. Here is a photo:

[Ling]

half a small loaf of pumpkin spice cake with goat milk caramel

a big bowl of chocolate fudge Clodhoppers

a slice of cheesecake my sister bought home

a Coffee Crisp

...and it's only 12:33pm

[gfron1]

My first calissons- yum!

[Kerry Beal]

My first calissons- yum!

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I thought you were going to tell me you made them until I saw the picture upload. I've tried to make them before, but no success yet.

Aren't they delicious!!!

[gfron1]

They're wonderful. After I ate them I rushed to my computer to find a recipe and EGulleters said it might be too hard - especially to get the right melon, so its on the backburner...so many desserts, so little time!

[Desiderio]

Had a pieace of this for dinner ( lonley dinner as usuall , cause I work )

I was going to make a black forrest but then I change little bit I made a pastry cream chantilly and used fresh frozen black cherry that I cooked with some turbinado and a dash of grand marnier ,yuppy.

[Kerry Beal]

They're wonderful.  After I ate them I rushed to my computer to find a recipe and EGulleters said it might be too hard - especially to get the right melon, so its on the backburner...so many desserts, so little time!

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I even had the right melon. Brought it back from Nice. The problem was forming and icing them. And a few of the directions got lost in the translation. My translator isn't a baker or confection maker so the translation of the processes was too literal.

[Swisskaese]

ludja, I love caramel and your cake looks great. Have you seen this [Also, this Indonesian spice cake looks really good, judging by the recipe. Very dense though.

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I made the Indonesian Spice Cake for my birthday and it was not dense at all. It is very light and delicious.

Here are my comments about the cake.

Edited September 20, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Ling]

^Really? I would have thought it would have been pound cake-like after reading the ingredient list, and also taking into account the small amount of leavening. I'm glad it's got your seal of approval though. I can't wait to make it! I'll increase the spices just as you did.

[Abra]

gfron1, about those calissons. I've only had calissons d'Aix, which I adore beyond reason, and I've always heard that they were the one and only real calissons. How would you compare those calissons de Montelimar (more famous for nougat, so far as I know) to those from Aix?

[gfron1]

gfron1, about those calissons.  I've only had calissons d'Aix, which I adore beyond reason, and I've always heard that they were the one and only real calissons.  How would you compare those calissons de Montelimar (more famous for nougat, so far as I know) to those from Aix?

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Well, since I was a Calisson virgin before yesterday, I'd have to say the Montelimar are by far the best I've ever tasted!

[Domestic Goddess]

I usually bake something sweet for my boys (including hubby). This month, I've been hooked on pineapple. I have been making making pineapple pie and pineapple-upside down cake for dessert The latter got rave reviews and dozens of request for me to make again.

[avocado]

^ Domestic Goddess, I made pineapple upside down cake for dessert too, and also had raves. I'm staying with my grandparents and it's their favorite. So nice to be showered with compliments.

[Domestic Goddess]

So ture avocado, so true. My mom makes it with crushed pineapple on the bottom, I make mine with whole pineapple slices. I wish I had maraschino cherries because it makes the cake so festive.

[Ling]

^How charmingly retro! I haven't made a pineapple upside down cake since I was...12?

I had a big slice of sour cherry pie from Savary Island Pie Company today. Also picked at a shared dessert plate--lemon tart, creme brulee, figs, and a selection of truffles from The Beach House in West Vancouver.

Edited September 21, 2006 by Ling (log)