Yes, that is Dorie’s brioche recipe you see up there.  No, it’s not Mary, the Food Librarian’s pick of Banana Bundt Cake, but I had to leave town to take care of a sick relative, and I’m posting things that I made before I unexpectedly had to travel.  Thank you, Laurie, for giving us a summer break on the rules.

I had some of Dorie’s brioche dough stashed in the Time Machine, also known as my freezer.  I thawed it in the freezer refrigerator overnight, then rolled it into a rectangle, filled it with cinnamon, and baked it in a pie plate that I’d coated with brown sugar, butter, and walnuts.

Diet food, you see.  I am on the Dorie high-butter diet.

This time, I just improvised the recipe; before, when I made these, I followed it exactly.  The dough had been in the freezer for about five months, and while it had not lost any flavor, it did not rise as much as fresh dough, or brioche that had been frozen for a shorter period of time.  Bottom line:  next time, I’m going to use up frozen brioche dough within two to three months.

Now, if you go to the blogroll, you can see what people did with the banana bundt cake recipe!  I love seeing the creativity and funny stories that everyone has each week.  It keeps me laughing.

And be sure to check out Susan’s weekly roundup of all things yeasty, YeastSpotting.  It is one of the bright spots of my week, particularly when I’m stressed out, as I have been lately.  Thanks, Susan!

Shirley Corrhiher’s Touch of Grace biscuits, to be exact.

“But, Madam Chow!” you say.  “Where is the “digestivo,” the limoncello that you made with organic lemons bought on sale at Whole Foods?”

At home.

“And the “antipasta,” the bruschetta?”

Eaten, with photos on my computer.  Which is at home.

The bruschetta was excellent, and I haven’t tried the limoncello, which I made with Stolichnaya vodka and the aforementioned organic lemons.  Both were lovely choices by our hostess this month, Lauren, of Fried Pickles and Ice Cream.  So, what’s going on?

I am out of town on taking care of a family emergency.  I managed to upload a few things before I hit the road, but not everything.  So, please check out the blogroll to see how others faired this month with the recipes, and read on for my review of these biscuits.

If you want to make light-as-air, fluffy biscuits, these are the ones for you.  I discovered several things when I made these.  First, I can make a decent biscuit.  Second, White Lily flour keeps for 8 years in the freezer, if it has been well wrapped.

Don’t judge me.

Third, I am a flaky-biscuit girl after all.  I will, however, keep this recipe tucked away in my repertoire of baked goods, to be served to those who like fluffy biscuits.

I think the original recipe would be waaaay to salty, not to mention too sweet, so I cut down on the salt and sugar, and substituted low fat cream cheese for the lard.  I baked all the biscuits in a 9-inch pie dish so that they would have soft sides.  Worked like a charm!

I found the following excellent explanation over at Orangette:

“This recipe relies on two principles: 1) that low-protein flour makes tender biscuits, and 2) that a wet dough creates lots of steam in the oven and makes biscuits extra-light. . . . The only tricky part is that you need Southern self-rising flour. It sounds finicky, but there’s a method to Corriher’s madness: Southern brands of flour are milled from a soft wheat that contains less gluten, meaning that they make a more tender biscuit. My favorite brand is White Lily, although I think I’ve also used Martha White, maybe, and Aunt Jemima brand. . . .  White Lily is hard to find outside of the East Coast and the South. Williams-Sonoma used to carry it, but they’ve stopped, and now I have to mail-order mine. Crazy, I know, but these biscuits are worth it. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll order some too.”

Recipe after the jump . . . .
continue reading "Here for Recipes to Rival? I Have Some . . . Awesome Biscuits for You!"

If you’re here for the Daring Bakers or Tuesdays with Dorie, I had to leave town on a family emergency.  I did not get a chance to make and/or post for those events.  I did, however, manage to bake a few things before I hit the road, so you’ll be seeing those posts on this blog.  If I can manage to get some TWD in while I’m gone, I will!

I think that baking, particularly baking bread, is a form of therapy for me.  I love to bake, and then give most of it away.  Rarely do I have more than a slice or a bite.  Nevertheless, in the past couple of weeks, I’ve broken that pattern not once, but twice:  first, with some cinnamon buns that I will be blogging about soon, and second, with these TOTALLY AWESOME Lebanese Tahini Swirls, Sukkar bi Tahin. 

There is a group of bread bakers called the Bread Baking Gals who get together, bake a top secret bread, then invite anyone who is interested to join them.  This month, Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, picked a Lebanese yeasted flatbread called Sukkar bi Tahin, a type of flat roll filled with sesame paste and sugar, which caramelizes a bit when baked.  Natashya found the recipe in Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid‘s wonderful book, Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Traditions from Around the World.

I baked these a few hours before I left for the airport because I had to make such an intriguing bread and, of course, I had to have a little bite.  The recipe made six flatbreads and, honestly, I meant to have a nibble.  Just a nibble.  I ended up wolfing down an entire Sukkar bi Tahin, then I wrapped up two for my brother who was cramming one in his mouth as I shoved him out the door (I had to get to the airport, you see).

My brother and I LOVED these, my husband, who prefers sesame in savory dishes, thought they were okay.  The filling tasted almost like a crunchy peanut butter.  I added a pinch of salt to the dough, and I’m glad I did – my brother would have liked more salt, but I thought it was just right.  I will be making these again, and I will experiment with the fillings like some of the Babes did – Tanna filled some of hers with pesto!

Be sure to check back with Natashya after August 1 to see her roundup of participants, and her post of these breads for a list of the Babes, and the recipe, including a metric version of it. My very slight adaptations to the recipe are after the jump.  And this bread has been YeastSpotted!
continue reading "Delicious Lebanese Tahini Swirls, Sukkar bi Tahin, from the Bread Baking Babes"

I know this is Friday, and usually I post about Frugal Fridays, but I am out of town looking after my auntie, who has been quite ill.  I’m also still catching up with the rest of the Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge crowd, and I finally made some headway this week.  After forcing myself to make the challah, IN ORDER, I might add, I excitedly jumped into making my first ciabatta, ever.  More after the jump! . . .
continue reading "#7 – Ciabatta, sans Holes, but Very Tasty"

The photo you see is of the broccoli after I steamed it, but before I dressed it.  Yes, the broccoli you see is naked.  But it had been sitting in the refrigerator for almost a week, so I had to use it up, the theme of Frugal Fridays.

Steam some broccoli until it has reached a tenderness that you like.  For me, that’s about 7-8 minutes.  While it’s steaming, whisk together some extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, the zest of the lemon,  and some black pepper.  Basically, you have just made a vinaigrette, and you can increase or decrease the olive oil and/or lemon juice to suit your tastes. Have some parmigiano reggiano on hand.  When the broccoli is done steaming, toss it with the vinaigrette, and sprinkle some parmigiano over the top of it.  That’s it!  Light, healthy, and tasty.  And a post on this blog that does not involve cream, butter, or cream cheese – will wonders never cease?!

Ever since I was a wee sprout and read Louisa May Alcott’s classic, Little Women, I have wondered what “blancmange” was.  In fact, I remember being riveted by everything the March sisters consumed in that book.  See, I was already prepping for Tuesdays with Dorie!

Well, today, the mystery of blancmange, or blanc-manger, has been solved.  And I am in LOVE.  Basically, it is the French version of panna cotta, a cream and gelatin dessert that I adore.  I mean, it has cream, right?  And cream is the precursor to butter?  What’s not to like?

I followed the recipe pretty much, using blueberries, low fat milk (ridiculous, I know, in light of the cream), halving the vanilla extract, and substituting a teaspoon of almond extract for it.  I also used blueberries, and was able to fill two medium sized copper molds that belonged to my mother.  This is not a “light” dessert it terms of calories, but it tastes like one.  I really liked the addition of the almond extract, and the contrast of the blueberries with the cream.  I thought the dessert was refreshing, sophisticated and – thank goodness – not too sweet!

Thanks to Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy for choosing the recipe, and answering the question of “what I blancmange?”  You can find the recipe on her blog, or in Dorie’s book.

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge (BBA) is the brilliant idea of Nicole at Pinch My Salt.  You can see what we’re baking this week at our Flickr group, on Twitter (#BBA), or check out the challenge page.  For those of you who don’t know about it, we are baking everything in Peter Reinhart’s book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread, in order.  I must confess that, even though I post in order, I don’t necessarily bake these breads in order.  Some days I don’t have the time for three rises, numerous turns . . . well, you get the idea.

Well, so far this book is batting .1000.  Everything I’ve made from it has been delicious, if not exactly visually appealing (my fault, not his).  This time, I ended up with tasty challah AND beautiful bread that I shared with my neighbors.

I followed the recipe pretty much (you can find it on line, here, but buy the book!), except that I subbed about 5 ounces of atta flour, and sprinkled the loaf with flax seeds because I couldn’t find my sesame seeds.  Time to clean out that freezer!  And I did not make any braids, just baked the dough in two 8×5-inch pans.

The bread was beautiful and made great toast and sandwiches, as you can see.  If you’re wondering whether that’s bacon, the answer is no, it’s not – it’s Morningstar Farms Veggie bacon strips.  Before you knock it, consider that my meat-eating, pork-loving husband finds that it is a highly acceptable stand-in for the real stuff.  This sandwich was my breakfast the other day.  Great way to start the morning, I must say.

Next up:  Ciabatta!  And check out Susan’s weekly roundup of all things yeasty, YeastSpotting!

If you’ve never tried a strata before, you should seriously consider making this one.  “Strata” means layers in Italian, and it is a great brunch/breakfast dish for two main reasons:  (1) you put it together the night before, saving you time in the kitchen the following morning, and (2) people love a good one.  I like fritatas, but I often find them to be very dry.  Not so with a strata, which you can doctor up to suit your family’s tastes.  Stratas are also a great way to use up odds and ends in your refrigerator, like little bits of cream, milk, or cheese, and are thus perfect for Frugal Fridays, wherein I use up the aforementioned odds and ends so that they don’t go to waste.

I’ve made a variation of this strata several times, and get rave reviews, as well as requests for the recipe.  I leave out the goat cheese, and add roasted bell peppers.  I use whatever combination of milk, cream, or half-and-half (light cream) that I happen to have around.  The two critical elements in this recipe, in my opinion, are a decent bread (I prefer an egg bread like brioche or challah), and the fresh basil.  I also add some fresh thyme, and Tabasco®, to which I seem to have formed an addiction.  You can find the recipe after the jump, and if you want to join me for Frugal Fridays, here’s what you have to do!

continue reading "A Breakfast Strata for Frugal Fridays"

Thanks to a loosening of the rules just for the summer, I finally had a chance to make the Perfect Party Cake that came up in the rotation a few weeks ago, chosen by Carol of Mix, Mix, Stir, Stir.  This worked in better with my life/entertaining schedule.

I did not split the layers, thinking that they were too thin, but I realized they were thick enough after I cut into the cake.  I used Wild Maine Blueberry Jam from Stonewall Kitchen,and a butter/cream cheese/lemon zest frosting.  I skipped frosting the sides – calories, people, calories.  The result?  My husband thought it was pretty good, although he didn’t rave about it.  As for me, I know this will shock a lot of cake lovers out there, but I did not like this cake – way too sweet for me.  In the end, I was glad that I had only one layer of jam – two more layers would have been too much.  The way I look at it, I like so many of Dorie’s recipes, that a miss every once in a while isn’t so bad!  And to see what others made this week, be sure to check out the blogroll.

I love it when I can do several things at once.  For example, blog about a chocolate cherry bread for Bread Baking Day (BBB), and that same bread uses ingredients that I had on hand (for Frugal Fridays), and closes out my week of chocolate!  For BBB #22, our challenge is Sweet Breads hosted by Hefe und mehr.

I tried chocolate bread for the first time about three years ago, and I wasn’t too impressed.  A year or so later, I gave it another shot and bought a loaf from Wegman’s.  Now, that bread was really good – it tasted of chocolate with a faint sweetness in the background.  They produce it seasonally, I think from December through February, and I decided to make some one day so that I could have a good chocolate bread whenever I wanted it.

Enter Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë Francois.  I’ve had the book sitting on my bookshelf for over a year, and it is full of post-its marking the breads I would like to try.  But it was not until recently that I finally made something out of this wonderful book.  Of course, I chose the Chocolate Bread for Chocolate Week.

I had never made a no-knead bread before, so I had to mightily resist the Urge to Knead.  You see, I like kneading, but I like learning about different breads and techniques even more, so when I caught myself stirring a bit too much with a wooden spoon I stopped immediately, even though there were still a few streaks of white through the dough.  You see, this dough as a LOT of chocolate – 9 ounces of chocolate and a full cup of cocoa, so it’s pretty dark, and unincorporated flour really stands out.

My thoughts on the bread: the chocolate flavor really comes through, so pick one that you like.  If you prefer milk chocolate, this bread may not be for you – it has the true intensity of bittersweet chocolate.   I think using chocolate chips instead of the 5 ounces of chunks would work out fine.  The bread was a tad too salty for me, so next time I might use just one tablespoon of salt.  The cherries that I added were a nice bright counterpoint.  As for the texture, the the loaf was tender and very rich – I could eat only small slices.  The crust was not chewy at all.  I liked the bread with butter, and Nutella was fabulous on it.  The original recipe says to bake it for about 35 minutes, but mine took 65 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 190 F. The loaf is on the repeat list, and I look forward to playing with the recipe a bit more.

I was really amazed at how quickly and easily this bread came together, and I’m looking forward to trying more recipes out of the book.  And be sure to check out Susan’s weekly YeastSpotting roundup every Friday – it’s a great source of inspiration and instruction for me and a lot of other bakers.  Next Friday, Nick of imafoodblog will be hosting for Susan, so be sure to check out his blog.

continue reading "Chocolate Cherry Bread – Day 5 of Chocolate Week, and Bread Baking Day!"