Bakers Love

A Martha FLOP

I was lucky enough to be the recipient of a gigantic bounty of  apples right off the tree.  Early estimates were that I had about 100 apples, that is a lot for a little kitchen.  I made pie filling and froze it for later, apple sauce for a month, and apple muffins.  I decided to try something new and consulted the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook.  In Martha's book there was an interesting recipe for an apple cake with goat cheese frosting.  I made a little more apple sauce for this cake and was positive this was going to become a new fall favorite.  The first thing I noticed about this cake was, while it was baking, there was a lack of fabulous aroma wafting throughout my house.  I was doubly concerned because I had increased the amounts of ginger, cinnamon, and all spice since I was shooting for a real spicy cake.  When the cake was finished and cooling I took a little nibble.  Bland!  Yes BLAND!  I assumed the frosting would help, it was good but I think my cream cheese frosting would have been better.  I decided to add some walnuts, which helped a little. I know I had a flavor in my mind that I craved, I am not sure why this cake was such a disappointment to me since it looked like everything I wanted in a fall spicy cake.  Please feel free to share your favorite apple cake recipe with me, I am in hot pursuit for one with all of these apples! 

Sunday Morning special

Sunday mornings are a true treasure.  I love waking up before the kids and sitting in the big leather chair with a piping hot cup of Peet's coffee.  I breeze over our local paper, sadly it takes about 15 minutes to read, and then I linger over the New York Times.  Well, I WISH I could linger, truth is I  maybe get through the opinion section when I hear the stirring of kids.   Once everyone rises I usually make a big breakfast, most of the time getting pancakes on the griddle.   Today I needed to use some of our new bounty, about 100 apples picked off a tree in McCloud.  I decided we needed a  Dutch Baby, also called a German Pancake.  Really a  I don't know about you, but I have a difficult time putting anything into the oven called 'baby', just does not sound right.  So, I kept the old fashioned name.  Easy to make, quick to bake, and presents quite a show. 
I found a great recipe over here. 

 

Pizza Friday

Pizza on Friday always sounds so good and easy. I would love to pick up the phone at about 5:30 and call up a local pizza joint and in 45 minutes or less, have dinner on the table.  Too bad I live in an area that is surprisingly lacking in a great pizza place, so we just make our own.  Cheaper in the long run of course, and sometimes it is a sneaky way to clean out the fridge of leftovers.  I make enough pizza dough for two pies, either using both that night of freezing one for later.  Sometimes the kids get to make the pizza for us, which leads to some rather interesting um....'choices'.  I decided to play it easy with this pie, my favorite, just cheese and a sprinkling of fresh cut basil. 

SUPER DUPER EASY PIZZA CRUST

This recipe makes enough for 2 large-ish pizzas.

2 Tablespoons Yeast
2 Cups milk-warmed
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cups unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 Tablespoons flax meal
1 Tablespoon salt (sea or kosher)

Combine all ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Using dough hook, mix on low to combine all ingredients.  Increase speed and knead dough until it starts to pull away from the mixing bowl, about 3-4 minutes. 
Cover bowl with a damp kitchen towel and set aside.  Allow to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.  Then roll out your pizzas!

ENJOY!

In my mind it's already fall

The mornings have started to cool down to about 65, so in my mind I think it is fall.  You can see how easily my mind can be duped into this way of thinking.  My kids are back in school, sweaters are in all of the stores, and of course the litmus test of early falls arrival; Costco has Christmas decorations up.

Aaah.  Yes, fall has indeed arrived in my mind.  Sadly, the afternoons here are still in the 100's despite my desire to pull out my favorite gray sweater. 

Another inappropriate use of bacon

I have been fascinated by what I would call inappropriate uses of bacon for awhile.  I wrote about Bacon ice cream and a  fried bacon appetizer last year, and I just seem to find more interesting bacon-thingys.   Recently I was also introduced to  bacon coffee by a friend who also shares an odd curiosity of things we can make with bacon.  One popular odd use of bacon comes from the  Portland doughnut shop Voodoo doughnut .  They have an interesting treat on their menu.  A maple bacon doughnut.  Thanks to that doughnut I was intrigued enough to get my own baking wheels spinning.   I have been talking about making a maple bacon cupcake for a few months now, never really following through for really obvious reasons to me.  One, sounds like a maple bacon cupcake could be pretty gross.  Two, the cupcake could be GREAT and then what?  I doubt a sweet and savory combination would be popular at the next band bake sale.   Lastly, do I really want to go down the road of sweets with bacon?  Well, curiosity got the best of me today.  I fried up a few pieces of the best apple-wood smoked bacon and got to the task of baking a few cupcakes.  I used a simple batter and added cooled diced bacon just before baking.  My goal for the bacon cupcakes was to make sure the cupcake did not have that greasy bacon aftertaste or texture.    As my cupcakes were baking I made some maple frosting with egg yolks, syrup, and butter.  What more do you need really? 
My  guinea pig for the maple bacon cupcake was Westley.  He has anticipated the arrival of this potential gem since I mentioned making it.  His well seasoned opinion was that he loved the mapley-bacony flavor, but wished there were more bacon in the cupcake.  I liked the cupcake, but have to disagree with the big guy regarding the amount of bacon in the cake.  Then again, his opinion is that, "there is NO SUCH THING as too much bacon!"  Duly noted. 

What takes this cupcake to great heights is the frosting.  Not super sweet but bursting with maple flavor.  Perfect.  After frosting the cupcake sprinkle with bacon and a little sea salt.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

If you too are curious, I say knock yourself out and give a maple bacon cupcake a whirl. 

Maple Frosting

3 egg yolks
1 cup good maple syrup
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature

Place egg yolks in the bowl of a mixer.  Beat for about 5 minutes or until the yolks are a light yellow and have thickened.  Bring the maple syrup to a boil, reaching 240 degrees on a candy thermometer, which takes about 15 minutes.  With the mixer on medium-high slowly add the maple syrup in a stream.  Continue mixing until the bottom of your mixer cools, about 5 minutes.  Add softened butter. Mix until combined.  Start frosting your cupcakes!

Dances and ....

So I picked Dexter up from his dance on Friday night. Sure I arrived about 30 minutes before the time to pick him up. I used the  excuse of not wanting to wait in a long pick up line.  But we all know the truth is I could not wait to hear about his night.  I think I was a little more nervous than he was about reaching this milestone in his life.  When Dexter walked out of the gymnasium  he was dripping in sweat, looking like a bald Meatloaf in the 'Bat out of Hell' video.   He plops in my car, exhausted, and admits he is a little sick from all the crap snacks he purchased with the five dollars I sent him with.  Dex tosses his head back and then lets out a giant sigh.  I ask him if he is tired and he tells me he is just exhausted.  Our talk went a little something like this.  Mom:  "did you have fun?"
    Dexter: "Yeah, I danced A LOT, I had 2 sodas and 1 1/2 Butterfinger bars and something else.."
    Mom:  "What else could you possibly have Dex?"
    Dexter:  "  Um.....I think I did something wrong."
    Mom:  Taking a DEEP breath and wondering what fire she is going to have to put out on Monday
    morning.  " What did you do wrong Dex?"
    Dexter:  Giant sigh..."I think I have a girlfriend now."

Yup, my little Tony Manero left his first dance feeling pretty great. 

Pies, Pies, and more pies

Recently I baked 6 pies.  2 for home, 1 for a friend, and 3 for a local auction to raise money for a great family.  (Read about that here At A News Cafe)   I had a few requests for the crust recipe.  I am old fashioned when it comes to making any sort of pie or tart crust.  I prefer to make it by hand, unless I am making 10+ pies, I will always use my favorite kitchen tool, my hands, to make a crust.  Below is a the easy Pate Brisee that you will find is used to make the finest French tarts.

Enjoy!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 sticks of  cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Ice water

In a large bowl blend the flour, the butter, sugar, and the salt until the mixture resembles meal like the photo above. Add 3 tablespoons ice water, toss the mixture until the water is incorporated, and form the dough into a ball. Knead the dough lightly with the heel of the hand against a smooth surface for a few seconds to distribute the fat evenly and re-form it into a ball. Dust the dough with flour and chill it, wrapped in plastic wrap or wax paper for at least 30 minutes.

Lads at work

My guys love to work.   As long as it is MAN work and not boring old housework like dishes or scrubbing the bathrooms.   Give them an axe, yes I let my guys use an axe. They went through rigorous training to obtain their axe welding carda.  Add a saw with a huge pile of wood and it is like a day at Disneyland to them.  I am not kidding.  They love it.  Think of all the money I save.

They love to tell me how hard they are working, and what a huge pile of wood that  has to get split.  The guys know I appreciate the hard work when I bring them their favorite sodas.  Nothing like an ice cold Hansen's to make a tough workin' guy feel great.

HUGE pile of wood tackled = two tired guys.

Away he goes.....

My  guy Dexter is going to his first dance tonite.  Actually, he is there right now. I dropped him off about 15 minutes ago.  I am still a mess.  How did this happen so fast?  I am not ready for the dreaded three D's.  Dances, dates, or driving.  As I  watched my little guy strut across the parking lot to a large group of kids, I had one hope.  I hope he has a blast. 

Clearly not my crowd

I have been working out at a new gym for about 4 months.  This gym is near my house, I can ride my bike to go to various classes and become the super stud that has been trapped in my body for the past few years.  I like this little gym.  Absolutely no one knows me.  No one.  Which is a little odd, but I like it.  I can wear my cut off yoga pants, (it was really hot one day and I need shorts, what is a girl to do?)  and  one of my husbands ridiculously bright green shirts to work out in. 
So, I was in my yoga class today.  We were in my favorite pose, pigeon, when one of my fellow students mentioned that she had gone out to see Julie and Julia.  The instructor asked her how she liked it and she mentioned that the film was awful, but, "I AM NOT A FAN OF JULIA CHILD"  I was just stopped dead in my pigeon, adding a gaping mouth to the pose.  THEN, as if it could not feel worse, the instructor looked around and added, "I know, really, who IS a fan of her?" 
Clearly not my crowd.