Sunday Baking & My New Favorite Magazine

We had a small group over for the Super Bowl. I didn't want to go to crazy with the menu because I wanted to relax and watch the game. We ordered a 3 Ft long Sub and put out a cheese and pepperoni tray. I made a simple layered mexican dip and some guacamole. For dessert I made Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lemon Bars and Reeses Peanut Butter Bars.

The Chocolate Cookies are a family favorite. The recipe is simple but makes a wonderful cookie. I found the recipe at AllRecipes.com a couple of years ago. I've provide a link so that you can give it a try.

The Lemon Bars were from Rose Levy Beranbaum's, Rose's Christmas Cookies. The recipe is quite lengthy. I don't have time to post, but will definitely post later. These were by far the best lemon bars I have ever made. The recipe is quite simple. The base is just shortbread with a nice lemon curd on top. (The lemon meringue pie inspired me. What can I say?) They were nice and tart and looked beautiful. (Alas I took no pictues.)

My husband actually made the Reese's Peanut Butter bars. The were from a box. (Shhhh.) He saw them in the Wholesale Club when we were picking up the Sub. I must admit. They were good!

As far as the game itself goes...SIGH. Let's just say that we were not so happy with the results!

MY NEW FAVORITE MAGAZINE

Okay. Probably many of you already subscribe, but I just got my first issue of Cook's Illustrated. I absolutely loved it. I read it from cover to cover. The articles are truly amazing. I got fabulous tips on everything from a pot roast to selecting the best cutting board. The website is also great. I love the recipes from the Test Kitchen. I can't wait for the next issue!

This weekend I hope to bake something interesting. Not the same old thing. We'll see what I can come up with.

Daring Baker's Challenge - Lemon Meringue Pie

I completed my first Daring Bakers Challenge this weekend. (Yes, I did procrastinate until the very end.) January's Challenge was a Lemon Meringue Pie. Many thanks to Jen at The Canadian Baker for hosting this challenge. I really enjoyed my "LMP" experience. I have never made a lemon meringue pie so this was indeed a challenge.

I must admit that I was a little nervous after reading some of the troubles that other DB's had with this recipe. However, there were also plenty who reported baking a perfect LMP. I was really worried about getting a runny filling. If I weren't making this for the DB Challenge, I might have modified the recipe a little. However, I wanted to stick to the DB rules. I followed the recipe exactly as written.

The crust did not turn out quite as well as I would have liked. I don't believe that it was due to any fault with the recipe. I made my crust in my new food processor. I have never used the food processor for a pie crust before. I may have over-processed a bit. I used all the water as directed. The recipe called for you to sprinkle the water over the dough and let it rest. With my usual crust recipe, I add water as needed. My crust also shrank a bit as you will see in the picture below. I always roll my crust out between two sheets of waxed paper, put it back into the refrigerator to chill again. Then I lay my crust over the pie pan and let it rest for 10 minutes before I crimp the edges. I think with that minor change, I would have avoided the shrinkage. The crust was not pretty, but it was tasty.

The filling seemed to come together beautifully. It thickened up quite nicely. It stayed thick even after adding the lemon juice and butter. The recipe instructed to let the mixture come to a boil after adding the tempered egg yolks then remove from the heat. I do believe if I had cooked the mixture for a few minutes extra this might have helped the filling to stay thick and firm up while baking. The taste of the filling was very, very good. It was very tart (which is a good thing for LMP).

I really had no problems with the meringue. It had the perfect flavor to compliment the tart lemon. The meringue did not weep on me either.

Overall, this is a very good recipe. I will probably try it again and try to get a better result with crust and the filling. I saw too many Daring Bakers show a perfect LMP to give up on this recipe. I had a great time trying this recipe. I look forward to trying new recipe each month and baking things I might never try otherwise.

Thanks again Jen. This was a great challenge!

Lemon Meringue Pie from "Wanda's Pie in the Sky" by Wanda Beaver

(Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) pie)

For the Crust:
¾ cup (180 mL) cold butter; cut into ½-inch (1.2 cm) pieces

2 cups (475 mL) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar

¼ tsp (1.2 mL) salt ⅓ cup (80 mL) ice water

For the Filling:

2 cups (475 mL) water

1 cup (240 mL) granulated sugar

½ cup (120 mL) cornstarch

5 egg yolks, beaten

¼ cup (60 mL) butter

¾ cup (180 mL) fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

For the Meringue:

5 egg whites, room temperature

½ tsp (2.5 mL) cream of tartar

¼ tsp (1.2 mL) salt

½ tsp (2.5 mL) vanilla extract

¾ cup (180 mL) granulated sugar

For the Crust: Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt. Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or counter top) roll the disk to a thickness of ⅛ inch (.3 cm). Cut a circle about 2 inches (5 cm) larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about ½ inch (1.2 cm). Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

For the Filling: Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup (240 mL) of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

For the Meringue: Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

More Simple Pleasures Part II and other thoughts

Well, my husband was on a roll last week. On Wednesday night I came home to "Enchilada Lasagna" courtesy of Alton Brown's delicious recipe. This was a tasty little casserole that was just perfect on a cold Winter's night. As if that weren't enough, Joe also whipped up Emeril's "Kahlua Flan". OMG...that was delicious. It was creamy, rich perfection. I snapped some pictures and might add them later. My photography skills are still not quite up to par so I'm not sure they are worth posting.

Sunday was a No Bake Day

Shock of all shocks I did absolutely no baking this weekend. It was a very relaxed weekend of a little shopping and a little football watching. (Hooray Pats!) I rarely have a weekend where I do no cooking whatsoever, but this was one of them. Sadly, I have procrastinated on my Daring Baker's Challenge as well. I will most definitely be completing that this weekend.

Super Bowl Sunday Menu

I am beginning to think about what will be on the menu for Super Bowl Sunday. I was thinking some Southwestern Fare as an homage to the Arizona venue. Of course, I could go the opposite way and think of New England dishes in honor of the Patriots. (I am a Texas Transplant to the Boston area. I've been here almost 9 years. My husband is a life-time, die-hard Pats fan. Somewhere along the way, I became a pretty big fan myself. It's sort of a "When in Rome..." kind of thing.) I certainly could go for some good New England Clam Chowdah! I have a recipe from the Union Oyster House in Boston and it is to die for. I'm sure I'll decide on a theme by this weekend.

What I'm Reading

I have just finished reading A Passion For Baking by Marcy Goldman. Some might find it odd for me to say that I "read" a cookbook. Those of you who love to cook/bake and find new recipes know what I mean. I love to find cookbooks like Marcy's, Rose Levy-Beranbuam or Alton Brown's, etc. There is so much more in these books than recipes. I love the advice, wisdom and oftentimes wit of these authors. They don't just tell you how. They tell you why. Of course, there are plenty of people who aren't interested in why. But for those of us who or somewhat possessed with baking the perfect loaf of bread, or cake or whatever it may be--the knowledge and practical advice gleaned from these author's is priceless.

A Passion For Baking or Just plain Nuts?

As I have previously posted, I have literally researched the cookie making process in the past several months. While, I have always gotten compliments on my cookies. I wanted my cookies to be "perfect". While I don't feel I've achieved perfection, I am getting closer. I have made adjustments from the mixing process to the cookie sheets I use and every step in between. To some, a cookie is a cookie. Not to me. To me it is a science and an art form. That can be said for baking in general. I have learned so much about bread making and cake baking over the last few years. I've baked bread and cakes with success in the past but now I understand why there were a few disastrous results along the way and how to avoid them in the future.

I have unearthed some wonderful food blogs recently. I do believe I stand to learn just as much from the practical experiences of some of these very talented bloggers as I have from my ever-growing collection of cookbooks. There's a whole community of wackos out there just like me. We look at new Kitchen Aid mixers and food processors the same way my husband looks at a shiny Mustang Cobra. Walking into Williams-Sonoma give us that same rush a five-year-old feels upon entering Toys R' Us. We sit and think about a recipe and mentally prepare ourselves to bake it as though we were participating in some Olympic event.

Crazy? Perhaps.

If lovin' food is wrong...I don't wanna be right!

Simple Pleasures

Sometimes its the simple things in life that make me smile; a good hair day, finding a forgotten $5 bill in my coat pocket, a new pair of shoes--you get the drift. Today my husband's thoughtfulness and sense of culinary adventure created one of those simple pleasure moments.

Joe was at home today and was in the mood to cook. This doesn't happen too often. He is actually a very good cook. He just doesn't usually have the inclination. I had planned on having pork chops for dinner. He decided that the same old boring pork chops wasn't what he wanted. So instead of suggesting we order out, he found one of Emeril's recipes for Smothered Pork Chops. He had his inspiration and was ready to conquer the world (or at least the kitchen). He only had to call me a couple of times to ask where to find some of the ingredients he needed.

But wait...it gets better. My dear sweet husband decided to make some dinner rolls! He found the recipe all by himself and did not phone me for any assistance whatsoever. I must say I was thoroughly impressed. He has never made bread before. He was not afraid of yeast. He even kneaded the dough by hand. The rolls were wonderful. I must say that I am impressed. Many an experienced baker have not fared as well with their first experience with yeast!

I asked him if I could snap some pictures so that I could brag about him on my blog. The kids and I are not opposed to him cooking every week night! The pork was cooked to perfection and included a little sausage and potatoes. The sauce that they were smothered in was divine. The rolls melted in your mouth. Thanks Joey! You made my day.

The kids cleaned up and I settled in to peruse my latest Amazon.com purchase, A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman. I want to bake everything in the book so far. However, a recipe for Popcorn Bread immediately caught my eye. You make popcorn flour by putting some freshly popped popcorn in the food processor for this recipe. I can't wait to try this one! I'll definitely post about it once I do!

In the mean time, here's to simple pleasures!

True confessions of a scratch baker...

Okay, usually I frown on boxed cake mixes. I'm a cake elitist. Why settle for a cake made from a mix when it's not that much more trouble to just bake it from scratch? BUT...today I made a cake from a box and it was very good . Delicious even! There! I said it.

Indulge me while I explain. As I said in my previous post, I got a gift certificate from Williams-Sonoma for Christmas. Right before Christmas I bought a new Nordicware Bundt pan. (To make our traditional Christmas Morning Monkey Bread.) So as I was browsing through W-S to see what kitchen doo-dad or nifty spice I might like to purchase, my gaze settled on a box of Double Chocolate Bundt Cake Mix. It boasted all natural ingredients and Guittard chocolate inside. I made sure no one was looking...and then quietly made my purchase.

We were invited to my mother-in-laws for lunch today and I wanted to bring dessert. I decided it was time to bring out the box of cake mix (which I had been hiding in the back of my kitchen cabinets). The mix called for me to add my own eggs, butter and milk. That was promising. My daughter helped me make it. We tested the batter and knew his would be a tasty cake. I added a little of my own glaze made with powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. (I had to add some sort of homemade touch to ease the guilt.)

The cake looked beautiful and it was rich and delicious. Very intense chocolate flavor. I'm not sure I would buy the mix again simply for the $14.95 price tag. However, the Guittard chocolate bits and cocoa would certainly be expensive to purchase on their own. It certainly is no ordinary mix. The ingredients were high quality.

Monster Cookies revisited

I decided to give Paula Deen's Monster Cookies another shot. The first time I made them, I didn't get them quite right. I had a problem with them browning too fast on the bottom. However, one of my Christmas presents was a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma. Oh my how I love that store! One of the things I purchased was some good cookie sheets. I can't tell you what a difference that has made in my cookie baking experience.

I've done a lot of research on cookie baking. (I know...I have no life.) I realized that my cookie sheets were part of the problem early on. The optimal cookie sheet (so I've read) should be shiny and have no sides. All my cookie sheets were dark with sides. I improvised for a while by flipping the cookie sheets over and lining them with aluminum foil. This did help them to cook more evenly. However, the new cookie sheets really took my cookies to a new level. Perfectly browned without burning on the bottom.

I've also learned to take my time and be patient. I now chill my drop cookies in the fridge after putting them on the baking sheet. I make sure to never put cookies onto a warm cookie sheet either. (No chance to let cookies spread too quickly.) I always use a cookie scoop to make sure my cookies are uniform in size. (The ones I purchased from Pampered Chef are great.)

Anyway, the cookies are very tasty. They are chewy and moist. They were a hit with everyone. Even my 21-month-old nephew! You can find the recipe on the Food Network website. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32570,00.html

The only change I made was to use a 1/2 cup of M&M baking bits instead of 1/4 cup M&M's & 1/4 Cup semi-sweet morsels.

Playing catch up

I never got around to posting my Sunday Baking results. No pictures to post either. I'm a bad blogger...

By the way, my Banana Bread from Saturday turned out very nice. Rose's recipe called for cake flour. This resulted in a very tender crumb. As written, the recipe is baked in "Texas" sized muffin tins. I don't have any of those so I decided to just go with loaf pans. I doubled the recipe and made 2 loafs. The loafs were a bit thin so I could have just made one loaf. However, when I make this recipe again I will definitely make them as muffins. The delicate bread tends to fall apart when sliced so I think a muffin would be a better way to serve. Any way you serve it, it is a wonderful recipe. Of course, I've never met a Rose Levy Beranbaum recipe I didn't like!

Now for Sunday. I baked up a nice batch of Emeril's Macaroni and Cheese. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34027,00.html My family really loved this recipe. There were four different kinds of cheese and a little pancetta. It will be a new "go to" mac n' cheese recipe in our house from now on. I did end up adding about 1 cup more half and half to the recipe (after reading the recipe reviews) and would suggest others do the same. This is not a creamy mac n' cheese. It's more of a "gooey" mac n' cheese. (Hopefully, I'm not confusing you with these highly technical culinary terms!) I have to say it. Emeril really did take mac n' cheese and KICK IT UP A NOTCH!

The only other baking I did this weekend was soft pretzels. I'm afraid I have created a monster. My husband and children now expect hot pretzels for football watching! (Scroll down to see pictures of pretzels from another Sunday's Baking.) I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com and have adapted to our preferences. The original recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buttery-Soft-Pretzels/Detail.aspx

When I first started making these I had a few problems with my pretzels browning correctly. I adjusted the baking temperature to 425 and instead of dipping in the warm baking soda/water mixture, I boil the pretzels. I basically am baking them the same way I make bagels. Traditionally, pretzels are dipped in a 6% lye solution before baking. Since I don't have any lye around the house and I'm a little bit nervous about cooking with such a caustic ingredient...I decided to boil them. You won't have the same shiny and smooth texture you get when you buy pretzels in the mall, but the taste is even better. I have a feeling that if I tried an egg wash instead of brushing them in melted butter, the appearance may be preferable. I may try it this weekend with a few and see.

Here's the Recipe as I have adapted for my family:

Soft Pretzels

INGREDIENTS

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Bread Flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups boiling water
1 tsp molasses (optional)
1/2 cup melted butter (unsalted)
1/4 cup sea salt, for topping

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Stand Mixer Method:

Mix flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, and the salt on low. Slowly add yeast mixture and oil and mix on low to medium speed using dough hook until dough forms a ball. If dough is too dry add a teaspoon of water. Mix on medium with dough hook for 4-5 minutes. Dough should be smooth, elastic and slightly tacky.

Hand Method:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one teaspoon of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (230 degrees C).

When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. (Place each pretzel on a lightly floured surface or Silpat.)

Bring the water, baking soda, and molasses to a boil. Carefully drop pretzels into the boiling water and boil on each side for 2 minutes. Place pretzels on a baking rack and let them dry (you can pat dry with a towel). Brush the pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with sea salt.*

Bake on greased baking sheet on middle oven rack for 7-8 minutes, until browned.

Serve with mustard, nacho cheese, or your families favorite dipping sauce.

(*Alternately you can roll the pretzels in a cinnamon and sugar mixture before baking.)


If you decide to try them, be sure and let me know how they turn out!

Enjoy!
Cyndi