TWD: Rugelach

It's Tuesdays with Dorie time again, and this week we're making Rugelach. I'm a little late to the Rugelach party, as this is only the second time I've made or eaten them, but it's better late than never with these little jewels!


I think I used too much filling in mine because they don't look as nice and compact as those in the book, but they were still fantastic. I used apricot filling (Solo brand) with figs, almonds, macadamia nuts, and the requisite cinnamon sugar inside and out.


I only made 1/3 batch and shared with family. They went quick!


If you'd like to see the recipe, please check out the hosts' blogs, Jessica of My Baking Heart and Margaret of The Urban Hiker.

TWD: Kid's Thumbprints & TWD Top 10

Wow, here it is. Finally. The L.A.S.T. recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie. After four years of baking along, week by week, here we are. I'm not going to go on and on here, because I'm sure everyone feels the same way. I just want to say thanks so much to Laurie of Slush for starting and maintining this group, along with all of the great helpers, and mostly to Dorie Greenspan for writing this most-excellent baking book from which I've learned so much and grown so much as a baker. I now feel like I could tackle most any baking recipe without getting too worked up. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

OK, for this last recipe, Dorie chose Kids Thumbprints. What a great recipe to end with. These were fantastic - slightly peanuty cookies wrapped in crushed peanuts and with a little dab of jam (or chocolate) on top. Perfect! I underbaked just a tad to keep them soft.


I'm going to share my favorite recipes from the book. Interestingly, I never knew I was such a big fan of fruit desserts before. Who knew?

My Top 10 Tuesdays with Dorie Recipes

- Coconut Butter Thins


- Blueberry Pie


- Banana Cream Pie


- Blanc-Manger


- Lenox Almond Biscotti


- Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops


- Real Butterscotch Pudding


- French Pear Tart plus I'm going to add the Rosy Poached Pear and Pistachio Tart.


Brioche Raisin Snails


- Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp


OK, that's all folks. You can find all of these recipes in Dorie's book "Baking, From my Home to Yours".

TWD: Mini Madeleines plus some Catch Up

Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook chose Mini Madeleines for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. (Valerie of Une Gamine dans la Cuisine also chose Fall Butternut Squash Pie, but it seems my childhood experiences of being made to "clean my plate" have scarred me for life when it comes to squash. Needless to say, I didn't make the pie.)

Madeleines are a cake-like cookie, baked in a special pan. They are famous for sticking to the pan and for being prized for the little hump formed on the tops if you "do it right". Sadly, mine were hump-less, but happily they didn't stick to the pan.


I'm also going to share some recipes I've made but haven't blogged about over the past few months.

Last week, Nicole of Cookies on Friday chose Far Breton. A French dessert, it's 80% custard, 20% cake. I used dried cranberries and cherries rather than the prunes and raisins called for in the recipe. I thought it looked like bacon-covered quiche.


It was definitely eggy! I liked it but then, I like eggs.


In mid-October, Hindy of Bubie’s Little Baker chose Ginger Jazzed Brownies.

These spicy little guys had both ground ginger and fresh ginger for a double whammy of ginger. As usual, when mixing spices with chocolate, I couldn't decide if I liked them or not. But they were interesting and something different.


Going all the way back to August, Margie of Tea and Scones chose Golden Brioche Loaves.

I actually made this a loooong time ago when we made one of the bread puddings (can't remember which, though). The brioche by itself was really nice. Come to think of it, I should make it again.


Also in August, Gaye of Laws of the Kitchen chose Tropical Crumble.

This was an unusual crumble made with bananas and mango. I wasn't really sure I would like it, but with the first bite... true love!! It was kind of weird, but the taste reminded me a lot of banana baby food. I remember when my kids were babies, when banana baby food was on the menu it would be - a bite for you, a bite for me, a bite for you, a bite for me... (gee, that sounds terrible, doesn't it?) I love that stuff!


I made 1/2 recipe and it fit in two mini pie pans.

Too bad I didn't have this recipe before. My poor kids would have been better fed!


Another August recipe, Caitlin of Engineer Baker chose Cornmeal and Fruit Loaf.

For me, this was just OK. One by-product of baking EVERY single recipe in a baking book is that you find out what you like and what you don't. I've found out that I'm not a huge fan of muffins, biscuits, or quickbreads. I mean, they're OK and I'm not likely to turn down banana bread, but you won't find me chosing them over cookies and pie.


Whew! That's about it. If you'd like to see the recipes, check out Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking, from my Home to Yours", or click on the links (i.e. click on the names of the desserts) above.

TWD: Flip-Over Plum Cake & Cocoa Almond Meringues

Becky of Project Domestication chose Flip-Over Plum Cake for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.

Yah, I know, those don't look much like Plum Cake, do they? That's cause they're not. After baking the cake, sharing it with friends and family and enjoying it very much, I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of it!! Duh. Anyway, the cake was fanTAStic. It almost seemed to be more of a crumble than a cake, but whatever, it was GOOD.

Just so I would have a picture to post, I made the Cocoa Almond Meringues, chosen by Mike of Ugly Food for an Ugly Dude back in August.


YUM! they were light and crumbly and melt in your mouth good. Not to mention a little chewy inside.

Thanks to Becky and Mike for two very good picks. If you'd like to see the recipes you can visit the links above or check out Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking, From my Home to Yours".

TWD: Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbreads

Wow, has it really been three months since I've blogged? Chalk it up to a long and busy summer. Thanks to an extra goofy school year schedule, the kids got out of school in late May and didn't go back until Sept. 6. (Pretty sure someone was conspiring against us stay home moms, but I have yet to prove it.)

I barely baked at all this summer, aside from the occasionally requested batch of chocolate chip cookies. Good thing too, because I would have probably been hitting the baked goods hard come August.

Blah, blah, blah... anyway, back to baking. This weeks Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbreads, was chosen by Tianne of Buttercream Barbie.


Salt definitely has it's place in baking, but pepper? Weirdly enough, you couldn't really taste the pepper even though there seemed to be quite a lot (especially when any-at-all seems like a lot... for cookies!) It was more of a warm mouth-sensation punctuated by a little kick in the back of your throat. They were very good, with the crumbly, dry texture you expect with good shortbread, and just the right amount of chocolate.

I say, bring on the pepper! Thanks for a great pick, Buttercream Barbie. If you'd like to see the recipe, please check out Tianne's blog (link in first paragraph) or Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking, From my Home to Yours".

TWD: Chocolate Biscotti

I feel like I won the lottery this week! and I kind of did. Believe it or not, after three years of baking, chopping, caramelizing, and mixing, all of the Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) bakers have had a turn picking the weekly recipe and we're (kind of) starting over. Instead of going back to the beginning of the list, however, Laurie, founder of TWD, has opted for a "pick a name out of the hat" approach and so I get to pick this week. YEAH!!

I have to take a moment to applaud Dorie for a really fabulous baking book. After making 150 or so of the recipes from this book, I feel qualified to say that this is one of the best baking books EVER. The recipes are consistently good, the directions clear and precise, and there's so much variety. Bravo to Dorie!

There were still plenty of tempting recipes to choose from and I went with the Chocolate Biscotti.

Dorie's directions first call for mixing the ingredients and rolling halves of the dough into 12" logs, then flattening them out. I opted for a lazier approach and dropped hunks of the batter into loose rows.

I dipped my fingers in some cocoa powder and nudged, prodded, and coaxed the cookie dough into flattish logs. Then I sprinkled on some sugar, as directed.


Next came the first round of baking, about 25 minutes.


The baked logs were allowed to cool slightly and then sliced.


Next, the slices are placed cut-side-up back on the baking sheet and then into the oven they go for their second round of baking. Here's my secret, though, I only bake about half of them the second time. I leave some on the racks to cool because I think they're just perfect at this point.


Then all that's left to to kick back and enjoy! These biscotti were perfectly chocolate and just plain delish. If you noticed, I left half of them plain and half of them had chopped pistachios and dried cherries added. Either way, they were awesome!

Chocolate Biscotti

Reproduced with permission from "Baking, From my home to yours", by Dorie Greenspan.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped almonds, blanched or unblanched
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
sugar, for dusting

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or silicone mat.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes; the mixture may be crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes; don't worry if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until a dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead in any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into 12 inch long logs. Flatten both logs with the palm of your hand so that they are 1/2 to 1 inch high, about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular, then carefully lift the logs onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle each log with a little sugar.

Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until they are just slightly firm. The logs will spread and crack - and that's just fine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the logs for about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)

Working with one log at a time, using a long serrated knife, cut each log into slices between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet - you'll have an army of biscotti - and bake the cookies again, this time for just 10 minutes.

Transfer the biscotti to a rack to cool.

TWD: Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

Valerie of Une Gamine dans la Cuisine chose Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.

This was a perfect recipe for Easter week because it was simple and the cookies were delicious.


They were buttery with just the right amount of sweetness, plus they had an added crunch thanks to the cornmeal. I really loved them and was glad I only made 1/4 recipe.

The only change I made to the recipe was to bake them for shorter than called for - only about 17 minutes, so they would stay a wee bit soft.

Thanks Valerie for a great pick and thanks Dorie for another fantastic recipe. Please check out Valerie's blog (link in the first paragraph above) or Dorie Greenspan's book "Baking, from My Home to Yours".

TWD: Pecan Powder Puffs

Tianne of Buttercream Barbie chose Pecan Powder Puffs for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. Oh, except that mine were ALMOND Powder Puffs. They were awesome. And crumbly. I loved them. If you'd like to see the recipe, please check out Tianne's blog (see link in first paragraph) or find yourself a copy of Dorie Greenspan's book, "Baking, From my Home to Yours".

TWD: Muffins and Cookies and Cake, Oh my!

Whew! January is almost over, which brings me back to the world of blogging.

Hi. Hello. I've missed seeing all the lovely blogs and even lovlier baked treats. I needed a break from blogging, but I kept up with the baking. It's been a fantastic month of Tuesdays with Dorie recipes, too. There hasn't been one stinker in the bunch.

Here we go in reverse order... first up, or I guess that would be last up, Jennifer of Cooking for Comfort chose Nutty, Chocolaty, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake.



I wasn't expecting to like this, what with the dreaded cinnamon-chocolate combination in the swirl. But guess, what? I loved it, it was SO fantastic. The cake was nice and moist and the swirl was sweet and tasty. I made a few modifications, namely, leaving out the orange zest from the batter and the nuts and raisins from the swirl. Care was also taken to make sure the swirl was well hidden beneath layers of batter. I also used my 1/2 sized bundt pan for the first time... the cake was so adorable to boot!



Before that, Betsy of A Cup of Sweetness chose Lemon Poppyseed Muffins.


I made these as directed and they were just perfect. Lemony and crunchy from the poppy seeds, moist and tender from the sour cream in the batter. They weren't terribly sweet but that's OK because they were muffins, not cake. No complaints at all with these little yummies.

Next, Margo of Effort to Deliciousness chose Fluff-Filled Chocolate Madeleines.


My madeleines, without their fluff filling, or chocolate glaze were the poor cousins of those lucky madeleines that were made like they were supposed to be. (I soooooo did not need an almost-full jar of marshmallow fluff in my pantry, so I skipped the filling. Plain old laziness dictated that mine would not get a dip in the chocolate pool.) But you know what? They still tasted awesome, like bite-size chocolate cakes.


Of course, they didn't have the much-coveted hump on the back. But, really, who cares? Not me and not my taste buds.

And finally, that brings us to the first recipe of 2011, Midnight Crackles, which were chosen by Laurie of Slush (and founder of TWD) and Julie of Someone's in the Kitchen for the third anniversary of TWD.


It's been a while, but I seem to remember these might have had some spices in them... whatever it was, I left them out. I wanted pure, unadulterated chocolate.

And this cookie delivered just that. They were seriously good. If they would have had some chocoalte chips in them, they would have been the best ever Chocolate chocolate chip cookies. Underbaking them a little was key, by the way.

OK, folks, that's January! In a nutshell. If you'd like to see the recipes, check out the lovely ladies' blogs, or get ahold of a Dorie Greenspan's book, Baking, From my Home to Yours.

TWD: Maple Tuiles & Devilish Shortcakes

Hindy of Bubie’s Little Baker chose Translucent Maple Tuiles for this week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe.

(I also made the chocolate shortcakes from last week. You can see those a little further down. )

The tuiles bake up super thin and lacy.


It takes a quick hand and just the right amount of cooling to get the tuiles off of the pan in one piece, without scrunching them up.


They're super crunchy, almost on the verge of being candy-like. The taste is mapley and caramelly and reminds me of the candy portion of pralines. My son and I made quick work of getting rid of the one tray I made.

Meanwhile, Tania of Love Big, Bake Often chose the Devilish Shortcakes last week.


These were a light and biscuity, chocolatey, not-too-sweet shortcake that was perfect with fruit and whipped cream, or all by itself.


These were a fun change of pace and fantastic warm out of the oven.

OK, I'm all caught up! Thanks so much to Hindy and Tania for choosing these great picks. If you'd like to see the recipes, please visit either baker's blog or find yourself a copy of Dorie Greenspan's book, "Baking, From my Home to Yours".

Gingered Carrot Cookies, Crostata, Semolina Cake!

I am waaaaaay behind schedule this week. Not only did we host Thanksgiving dinner, but my parents came to visit (yeah!) and we also had my son's birthday party (I won't bother showing you a picture of the 12 brownies (from a box) with candles in each one.... boring).

So anyway, I'm going to get caught up on the sweets and treats I made last week.


We did a "rewind" (i.e. previous recipe) for Tuesday's with Dorie this week. I picked the Gingered Carrot Cookies that were chosen by Natalia from gatti fili e farina in August of this year. I didn't make them the first time around and figured I'd serve them on Thanksgiving.

These were a moist, spicy cookie that didn't really scream "carrot cake" but they had a great texture due to the coconut, carrots, raisins and nuts. I decided to pump them up a notch with a little cream cheese frosting on top. It seemed like an obvious choice. These were a big hit with the T-day crowd.

Next up is the Crostata we were challenged to make for the Daring Bakers. I chose to fill my crostata with the most lovely and delicious butterscotch pudding we made a couple of years ago for TWD. It's so good I want to hide it and not share with anyone.


OK, go ahead and say it, I won't get my feelings hurt... this is one of the most boring, drab, dull, tan desserts ever photographed and posted on the web.

This was another Thanksgiving dessert and I was lucky to get a picture.

The crostata crust was cookie like thanks to the inclusion of egg in the recipe and held up very well even after several days. A winner in my book, for sure.

Now a word from our sponsor... The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Last but not least is the Caramel-Topped Semolina Cake for French Fridays with Dorie.


This was a unique dessert. Honestly, I think it would have been perfect for brunch because it almost seemed like sweetened breakfast food. Not surprising since the ingredient list includes farina, which can be substituted with Cream of Wheat hot cereal.


Here's the thing, though. I do NOT like Cream of Wheat. And farina? Searching for that unusual ingredient was not going to happen during Thanksgiving week. Fortunately, I discovered that Malt-O-Meal hot cereal is also made with farina, and I just happen to love the stuff. So that's what I used.

It was quite tasty and had a very moist, dense texture. Almost like Italian polenta, if you've ever had that. But again, I would be more tempted to eat it for a weekend breakfast than serve it as dessert.

OK, that's about it! Now I can try to get caught up on this week's recipes for TWD and FFwD.

You can find the cookie recipe at Natalia's site. The Semolina Cake recipe isn't available, sadly, but you can find it in Dorie Greenspan's book "Around my French Table". As for the crostata, I used the this version of the crust recipe...

Pasta Frolla
Ingredients:

•1/2 c. minus 1 tablespoon [105 ml, 100 g, 3 ½ oz] superfine sugar (see Note 1) or a scant 3/4 cup [180ml, 90g, 3 oz] of powdered sugar
•1 and 3/4 cup [420 ml, 235 g, 8 1/4 oz.] unbleached all-purpose flour
•a pinch of salt
•1 stick [8 tablespoons / 4 oz. / 115 g] cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
•grated zest of half a lemon (you could also use vanilla sugar as an option, see Note 2)
•1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl
Note 1: Superfine sugar is often also referred to as ultrafine, baker’s sugar or caster sugar. It’s available in most supermarkets. If you cannot find “superfine” sugar, you can make your own by putting some regular granulated sugar in a food processor or blender and letting it run until the sugar is finely ground.

Note 2: There are different ways of making vanilla sugar. I keep vanilla beans in a jar half-filled with sugar until I need to use them, for example, to make vanilla ice cream. After I remove the split bean from the custard that will go into the ice cream maker, I rinse it, dry it and put it back in the jar with sugar.

Making pasta frolla by hand:

1. Whisk together sugar, flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Rub or cut the butter into the flour until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. You can do this in the bowl or on your work surface, using your fingertips or an implement of choice.
3. Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it (reserve about a teaspoon of the egg mixture for glazing purposes later on – place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use).
4. Add the lemon zest to your flour/butter/egg mixture.
5. Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.
6. Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.
7. Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.

Making pasta frolla with a food processor:

1. Put sugar, flour, salt, and lemon zest in the food processor and pulse a few times to mix.
2. Add butter and pulse a few times, until the mixture has the consistency of coarse meal.
3. Empty food processor's bowl onto your work surface
4. See step 3 above and continue as explained in the following steps (minus the lemon zest, which you have already added).