"Baking: From My Home to Yours" (Part 1)

[DiH]

I made the Applesauce Spice Bars last night.  What a success!   They are definitely a 10 on the yummy scale.  Perfectly spiced & the apples, pecans & raisins give them a wonderful texture.

Wow, those pictures had me wiping drool drips off my monitor!

I picked up my copy of this wonderful book the other day and checked out this particular recipe... 'm'm'm'm'm'm. I'd wanted to bake and freeze them (since hubby is on the road 90% of the time) but the accompanying note sez "Because of the glaze, they cannot be frozen."

Why is that... anybody? Glaze ingredients are heavy cream, brown sugar, unsalted butter, corn syrup and vanilla extract. I rarely freeze finished baked goods so I'm not up on the whys and why nots of freezing.

Di

Edited October 10, 2006 by DiH (log)

[Dorie Greenspan]

Di, you can freeze the bars without their glaze, but if you freeze the glaze it will get gloppy (I think that's the professional term) when you defrost it. Fortunately, the bars are good without glaze, so I think you should jump in and bake them.

Pat, the biscuits look soooooooo good. It's always risky when you've got a time-treasured recipe and then you try something new (if it weren't risky, it wouldn't have taken me way too long to get that terrible stringbean casserole off my Thanksgiving menu!), but I'm delighted (and relieved) that you and yours were happy.

[DiH]

Di, you can freeze the bars without their glaze, but if you freeze the glaze it will get gloppy (I think that's the professional term) when you defrost it.  Fortunately, the bars are good without glaze, so I think you should jump in and bake them.

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Thanks, Dorie... you're sooooooo fast! Yes, gloppy is a good reason for not freezing... so I'll probably freeze the naked bars, minus a couple for me of course. Those I'll glaze so that I can sample the whole shabang!

I absolutely love this book and all the gorgeous photos! What a sense of pride for you. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up with you at one of Dallas' Central Markets while you're here.

Di

[Nina C.]

Dorie -

I love the book! I had intended to make the Dimply Plum Cake this weekend but I got immersed in my research and the time got away from me. The plums are now a little on the soft side - do you think it is still okay to make? Or will it be gloppy and weird?

(And yes, gloppy is a professional term!)

[Dorie Greenspan]

Nina, I think you'll be fine with soft plums -- they might meld into the cake a little more, but how bad can that be?

[Jean Blanchard]

Okay, this is getting boring. I made the applesauce spice bars (because the picture looked SO fantastic) and they were as good as it gets. Everything I make from this book is as advertised... really wonderful and so easy and probably like most of you, I have hundreds of cookbooks. I guess I can take this kind of boredom. This weekend, I was at a cooking class and I started talking about this book. My 2 sisters-in-law went out and bought it the next day. Guess I won't be in charge of all the baking anymore!

Jean B

[MelissaH]

And I just had a second go with the Dimply Plum Cake. We're getting deeper into fall, and the Italian prune plums won't be around for much longer, although the ones I got at our orchard store were once again very sweet and even a little overripe. Last time I made it, I'd thought the cake was too sweet and the plums too tart in comparison. So this time, I cut the brown sugar in the cake batter to half a cup, and used the last quarter cup to sprinkle on top of the cake, aiming (and mostly hitting) the plums and not the cake batter.

The cake itself (made with 7.2 ounces of flour as weighed on my scale ) was much better, because it was less sweet. And because this time I took it out before it overcooked, it didn't feel dry, like I needed to guzzle milk or tea or something alongside. But alas, the plums were still mouth-puckeringly tart in comparison to the cake. Worse, the sugar directly on top of the plums drew out more moisture, so I had to wait much longer than the prescribed 15 minutes before unmolding the cake from the pan. After half an hour, I worried that the cake would get soggy, but there was still liquid on top that hadn't soaked back in. I wound up placing a rack on top of the pan, and inverting it over the sink.

I'll keep the sugar reduced next time, because I think it tastes better that way and because it hasn't hurt the texture of the cake. But I need to try something different for the plums. Maybe I'll try making an orange juice and confectioners' sugar glaze, and applying it to the top of the cake through a ziplock bag's snipped off corner after it comes out of the oven? That way I can amp up the orange flavor, because it's getting somewhat overshadowed by the other flavors...and also make use of the denuded orange that donated its zest to the cake. Next time I may also need to try a different fruit, since the local plums are pretty much over and done till next year.

MelissaH

[srhcb]

"Well, you can knock me down,

Slap my face,

Slander my name

All over the place" (Carl Perkins via Elvis)

I've been checking this thread off and on, but hadn't made the connection between Baking: From My Home to Yours > Dorie Greenspan > Baking With Julia!

Needless to say, my Amazon.com Wist List has been updated.

SB

[Dorie Greenspan]

Thanks for the giggle Steve. Actually, the thread that's got all the recipe stuff is the one that says Baking, From My Home to Yours, "Post your recipe notes here."

Hope I'll see everyone there.

[FoodMan]

The latest breakfast treat was the Apple Muffin Cake. Very good and definitly muffin-like with a good texture due to the apples and oats. However, the phenomenal Sour Cream Pecan Biscuits really ruined it for many other baked goods and lots of stuff including this one will pale in comparison.

[Patrick S]

Let me add another recommendation for the applesauce spice bars. They are addictive. Last night I also made the double apple bundt cake, which I look forward to trying tonight.

Flickr images:

#1

#2

[RuthWells]

Let me add another recommendation for the applesauce spice bars. They are addictive. Last night I also made the double apple bundt cake, which I look forward to trying tonight.

Flickr images:

#1

#2

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Oh lord, you're killing me, Patrick. In a very good way.

[RuthWells]

Thanks for the giggle Steve.  Actually, the thread that's got all the recipe stuff is the one that says Baking, From My Home to Yours, "Post your recipe notes here." 

Hope I'll see everyone there.

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Dorie, are there any updates on your signing/travel schedule? I don't want to miss any updates that might have gotten buried in other threads...

[FoodMan]

I know it is getting redundant, but jeez Patrick these pictures are too much...too bad I have no applesauce in the house or I'll be making those right now.

[scarlett]

You guys are KILLING ME! I just got an e-mail from Amazon. My copy of the book is on backorder and won't be available until the 20th! For Dorie's sake, I'm glad to see the book is so popular but I hate to be sitting on the sidelines until then....Ugh.

Edited October 10, 2006 by scarlett (log)

[laniloa]

I like tobring a sampling for my boss and his staff of whatever treats I bring in to my office. I generally get the cleaned, empty container back with a note saying thanks. Earlier this week I brought them the honey nut brownies (which I have decided to call chocolate nut honey cake). I got the container back with a note that said MORE PLEASE!

I guess that recipe is a keeper!

[Dorie Greenspan]

FYI -- I contacted the publisher about Scarlett's post saying that amazon reported the book is on backorder. As far as the publisher knows, amazon still has stock, which is what amazon lists when you go to the Baking From My Home to Yours page. It's a puzzlement.

Great story about the Honey-Nut Brownies, Laniloa.

And Patrick, a friend called and didn't know what she should make to top off a chicken dinner, so I sent her your pictures of the Applesauce Spice Bars -- she'll be serving them Saturday!

[hosinmigs]

I finally got some time to try something from the book. I went apple picking this weekend and got a bunch of fresh granny smiths and pink ladies. So, I made the apple spice bars.

WOW

I absolutely love them. I left out the raisins and nuts (not a big fan) and still found them to be fantastic. The glaze....yum. My girlfriend, her mom, my coworkers, and everyone else loves them. A keeper for sure.

And I think the best part is th color. The dark, rich earthtones are perfect for apples and fall.

Beautiful.

[Joni]

My cookbook is at home! To make the apple spice bars, do I need both applesauce and apples? Thanks...

[Patrick S]

My cookbook is at home!  To make the apple spice bars, do I need both applesauce and apples?  Thanks...

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Yes. You need 1/2C no-sugar-added applesauce, and two apples, IIRC.

[hosinmigs]

My cookbook is at home!  To make the apple spice bars, do I need both applesauce and apples?  Thanks...

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Yes. You need 1/2C no-sugar-added applesauce, and two apples, IIRC.

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I believe it's actually only one apple.

[tamiam]

Dorie and others,

Thanks for your responses about the silicone pans. If I have a shopping urge, I might pick up a bundt (since mine does indeed stick), and will remember to stay away from SiliconZone, even though I love their catchy name.

I am with FoodMan, those Pecan Sour Cream Biscuits are great. They are just barely sweet, which is one of my favorite flavors, and they were rich and satisfying, even with walnuts in place of pecans.

And, I'm sorry that I forget who it was, but it is strange that mixing with your hands was so difficult. Then again, I like digging my hands into doughs. It made me wonder if your butter was cold. I like to cut mine up and refrigerate it a while before mixing it with the dry ingredients. You can also grate cold butter on a box grater.

My other thought was that if you happen to have really warm hands, then hand mixing butter into coarse pea sizes might not work. Some folks just radiate heat.

[scarlett]

FYI -- I contacted the publisher about Scarlett's post saying that amazon reported the book is on backorder.  As far as the publisher knows, amazon still has stock, which is what amazon lists when you go to the Baking From My Home to Yours page.  It's a puzzlement.

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I appreciate you checking into that. It's interesting, here's the message I received yesterday:

"Hello from Amazon.com.

We wanted to let you know that there is a delay with some items

in the order you placed on October 03 2006."

When I cliked on the link, it said my book was due to ship on the 20th. Then, to my surprise, my copy of the book arrived today! Strange.

Anyway, I'm so excited...I love the range of content. I can hardly wait to start playing with you all!

[tamiam]

Does anybody have a phot of the Fold-Over Pear Torte, page 348? I am having trouble "getting" what is is supposed to look like, but it sure does sound good.

[Becca Porter]

Well I finally did it. Between my success with Baking With Julia and this thread I couldn't hold out any longer. I just ordered this book from Jessica's Biscuit. Of course I wanted the free shipping and free magazine so I also ordered: Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme and The Zuni Cookbook. Thanks alot everyone , I can't wait to join in!