December 17, 2012

Salted Caramels and a Giveaway


My holiday candy making has pretty much been limited to cashew toffee, a well loved favorite among my family and friends.   Ironically, for me not so much.  I guess after all these years of making it I've become immune to the crunchy, buttery candy and was actually on the lookout for new inspiration.  

Lucky for me the very kind folks at America's Test Kitchen sent over a copy of one of their latest publications, DIY Cookbook.   Score!  I'm one of those people who's all about giving homemade food gifts for the holidays.  What better way to show you care than with something from your own kitchen?  I immediately headed to the sweets chapter and gravitated towards the Salted Caramels.  

There's nothing I love more than a sweet/salty combination and these candies fit the bill perfectly.  As with all of ATK's recipes this one was easy to follow and the results were fantastic.  I think my friends and family will definitely welcome to new addition to my candy repertoire.

Now to the giveaway....

One lucky blog reader can win their own ATK DIY Cookbook.  (Special thanks to  ATK for sponsoring the giveaway!)

Here's how to enter:

Just leave a comment to this post, as well as your email address, by 12PM PST Thur Dec 20 11:59 PM PST Thur Dec 20.  IMPORTANT: You must leave an email address, otherwise  there's no way I can contact you!  (Only open to residents of the US...sorry!)

Good luck and happy cooking!!!

UPDATE: The winner of the DIY Cookbook is #22 - tdlzing@gmail.com.  I'll be contacting you directly with instructions on how to claim your prize.  Thanks to everyone who entered!!  

December 10, 2012

Jam Thumbprints


These jam thumbprints are the latest addition to my holiday cookie repertoire.  I first saw the recipe on America's Test Kitchen's Feed and knew I had to make them.  The secret to the rich and tender cookie is cream cheese, definitely a good thing.   On top of that, if you're looking for a kid-friendly recipe look no further!

I filled my cookies with raspberry, apricot and pineapple jam and I  love how the centers look like  sparkling jewels.  

November 24, 2012

Deep Dish Apple Pie


No, no, I didn't drop off the face of the earth!  My three month absence from the blogosphere can be easily explained.  Basically, I was without a kitchen - no kitchen, therefore no baking.  See?  But now I'm back and making up for lost time.  Thanks to all of you who haven't given up on me.  

This Thanksgiving I hosted fourteen of my family.  If ever there was a reason to freak out that may have been it.  Luckily, with some pre-planning, preparation and lots of help from my mom and sisters things went as smooth as could be.  The 19-lb turkey was brined and roasted in three hours using a fantastic Cook's Illustrated recipe.  I've made it for the last few years and it always comes out absolutely delicious - so plump and juicy with super crispy skin every single time.  

As for Thanksgiving dessert, pumpkin pie is my all-time favorite but apple is definitely the runner-up.  I had been waiting to make CI's Deep Dish Apple Pie specifically for this occasion.  The recipe can be found at their online cooking school.  [You may recall that I was lucky enough to win a 1-year scholarship to the school many months ago.  I highly recommend checking it out if you're really interested in learning to cook or becoming a better cook].    

The crust uses vodka along with water to make it super flaky and pre-cooking the apples on the stove avoids the common issue of a soggy filling.  Accompanied with vanilla ice cream it was absolute bliss.

September 4, 2012

TWD Nectarine Upside-Down Chiffon Cake


Apologies for the lack of activity these last few weeks.  Work has been crazy busy and it doesn't look like it will ease up any time soon.  However, I am committed to trying to stay current with Tuesdays With Dorie baking assignments.


This week's recipe, Nectarine Upside-Down Chiffon Cake, appeared promising on paper, but in reality turned out slightly disappointing.  Don't get me wrong, the chiffon cake and streusel filling were delicious; my issue was with the fruit topping.  When baked, the nectarine slices leaked too much juice and didn't meld with the butter and brown sugar in to a nice and thick caramel topping.  Instead I ended up with a pool of brown sugar sauce that made the cake soggy in the center.   Maybe next time I should precook it to ensure I get the consistency I want.  

To try the recipe out yourself please go this week's hosts: The Little French Bakery or The Double Trouble Kitchen.

August 21, 2012

TWD Popovers with Gruyere and Cayenne


Want to easily impress family and friends at your next gathering?  Serve popovers!  You wouldn't believe how easy they are to make and how delicious they taste served with butter and jam for breakfast/brunch or for dinner with a roast.   

I was definitely looking forward to making the Baking With Julia version for this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe.   All it takes are ingredients you have in your kitchen: eggs, milk, flour, salt and butter.  I added gruyere and cayenne pepper to give it a more savory vibe.  

Now you don't really need to fork over money for a popover pan, but I think it's worth the investment if you plan on making these often; after one taste, trust me, you will! You can find the recipe here Vintage Kitchen Notes and here Bake With Amy.   

August 10, 2012

S'mores Cupcakes


Did you know August 10 is National S'Mores Day?  I didn't, until now!  To celebrate this all-American camping treat of toasted marshmallows and chocolate sandwiched between graham crackers I made my own rendition, in the form of a cupcake.  Much easier to eat than the traditional s'more.


Break the cupcake down to its three main components and you'll see how easy they are to create: graham cracker crust, chocolate cake and marshmallow meringue frosting.   Oh, and don't forget the blow torch at the very end to achieve the toasty marshmallow effect. 


August 7, 2012

TWD Berry Galette


I was actually "this close" to skipping this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, Berry Galette, which would have been a first for me.   Considering that we tackled Blueberry Nectarine Pie just last week it felt a bit redundant.  Luckily the galette was super easy to put together so I had to put my laziness aside.  

If you attempt this recipe a word of caution that I'm sure you probably already noticed - the berries tend to leak quite a bit during baking.   I used a triple berry combination of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.  In hindsight I probably should have omitted the strawberries, per the recipes notes, but I had some in my fridge and threw them in.  

Luckily the pastry didn't get soggy from all the juice and actually browned quite nicely.  Next time I'll add a little more sugar to the dough and also the fruit.  Other than that I thought it was a very tasty tart which would undoubtedly be even better with some ice cream!

Lisa of Tomato Thymes in the Kitchen and Andrea of The Kitchen Lioness have posted the recipe on their blog.

July 31, 2012

TWD Blueberry Nectarine Pie


I would have never thought to combine blueberries and nectarines but for this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe they worked so well together.  It's not often I'm pleasantly surprised.

Good thing this pie was a snap to make because I've been engrossed in the Summer Olympics on tv as I'm sure the rest of you are.  I used blueberries I froze a few months ago and also white nectarines.  To ensure that the filling thickened and set properly I added a tablespoon of finely ground minute tapioca.  It did the trick beautifully and my pie sliced like a dream.    

Everyone knows the best part of a pie is going to be the crust and this version was flaky and buttery.  My only issue was that it was almost too tender to roll out, but I could think of worse things to happen.

Head on over to Manchego’s Kitchen or That Skinny Chick Can Bake for this delicious recipe.  It's definitely Olympic medal worthy!

July 21, 2012

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies


I've spoken before of my particular penchant for store-bought treats, especially the ones sold in the supermarket bakeries.  I know, I know - as a devout home baker that's tantamount to blasphemy, but what can I say I can't help it!  

Lofthouse is famous for their soft frosted sugar cookies and when I saw a homemade on Annie's Eats I knew I wanted to make them.  Now it was a question of waiting for the right occasion.  My niece's tenth birthday party seemed especially appropriate.  

I warn you that these cookies are sweet so extreme moderation is almost a requirement, but boy are they good!  The fun frosting colors and sprinkles entice the kid, or kid-at-heart, in all of us. 

July 17, 2012

TWD Semolina Bread


This week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, Semolina Bread, was unsuccessful and quite disappointing for me.   I should have predicted failure when the dough was still really wet even after I used the entire amount of flour the recipe called for.  On top of that, during it's final proof before going in the oven the dough flattened out like a pancake.

The baked loaf looked more like a squat ciabatta and was a bit too salty.  Unfortunately Baking With Julia didn't include a picture of what the finished bread was supposed to look like.  At least then I could tell if my version was way off base.   Oh well, they all can't be winners I guess.  On to the next challenge!

Renee of The Way to my Family’s Heart and Anna of Keep it Luce are this week's recipe hosts.

July 8, 2012

Game, Set, Match Cupcakes


Tennis is one of my all-time favorite sports and I've been fortunate enough to attend three of the four Grand Slams.  (The last one, the Australian Open, is on my bucket list.) Of the three, Wimbledon is definitely my absolute hands-down favorite.  

I love everything about it: the tradition, the beautiful grounds of the All-England Club, the public queue for tickets, Henman Hill, strawberries and cream...I could go on and on.   If you're ever in London at the end of June I highly recommend you make the trip to SW19 - you won't regret it.

In honor of today's Mens Singles Championship between Andy Murray and Roger Federer I made these tennis ball cupcakes.  I got the idea from Martha Stewart.  You'd be surprised at how easy they are to make.  Just use your favorite cupcake and frosting recipes.  The decoration is as simple as dipping the frosted cupcakes in yellow dots or sprinkles then piping the "seams."

Game, Set, Match...these cupcakes are a winner! 

***********************************************************************************************************
Congratulations to Jordan and Robyn who are the giveaway winners of the two-month enrollment to America's Test Kitchen's Cooking School!

Jordan's entry:
I'd like to win the cooking school enrollment so I can stop drooling on my computer screen and learn to cook that delicious-looking chicken noodle soup!

Robyn's entry:
We eat through the best of times, we eat through the worst of times, and unless I want to turn the former into the latter, I need to cook all those celebratory or comfort-providing foods with an understanding of solid ATK-supplied culinary foundations. 

You'll receive an email directly from ATK with more information about your prize.   Go forth and cook!!!

July 7, 2012

Chocolate Peanut Butter Patti Cakes


Here's a new flavor of Patti Cakes, one of my all time favorite quick cookies.  This time in the much beloved combination of chocolate and peanut butter.  In less than twenty minutes (prep and baking time) you'll have the most delicious, moist brownie-like cookies.  Instant gratification!

I'm gifting these "biscuits" across the pond to my friend Marina who is celebrating her birthday today.  Happy Happy Birthday M!  

July 4, 2012

Best Chicken Soups from ATK Online Cooking School and a Giveaway


A few months ago I mentioned that I was one of five lucky bloggers to win a year-long scholarship to America's Test Kitchen's Online Cooking School.  So far I've had the chance to try out a few of their courses and I have to say they're pretty fantastic.  But that's no surprise to me since I'm one of America's Test Kitchen's biggest fans.

The courses are easy to follow with guaranteed amazing results.  You can find my guest blog post about the Best Chicken Soups course here.  The homemade chicken stock and soups were some of the most delicious I've ever tasted.

In addition to winning a scholarship, ATK was generous enough to provide me with two 2-month enrollments to give away to my readers.   I hope you get as much out of the courses as I have.

Here's how to enter:

In one sentence, leave a comment telling me why you want to win the cooking school enrollment.  Conciseness counts here!  Any entries more than one sentence will be disqualified.  The two entries I find to be the most genuine, creative or funny will win.  You must leave your email address in the comment as this is the only way I can contact you if you're a winner. 

Giveaway ends on Friday July 6, Noon PST and winners will be announced by Sunday July 8.

Only one entry per person.  

Good luck and happy cooking!

July 3, 2012

TWD Hazelnut Biscotti


I discovered Nutella when I was living in France as an exchange student and subsequently proceeded to overdose on the chocolate-hazelnut spread.  Until recently my aversion of the hazelnut had reached a point where I couldn't even stand their smell anymore.   So you can understand my misgivings when this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe was Hazelnut Biscotti.   


Admittedly I was predisposed to dislike the recipe from the outset, but was pleasantly surprised to find that I was premature in my assessment.  The biscotti were crispy and crunchy with a hazelnut aroma that wasn't too overpowering.   They're perfect plain with a cup of coffee but if you really want to gild the lily try dipping them in melted chocolate. 


Head on over to Baking and Boys or Homemade and Wholesome for the recipe.   One thing I found helpful - skip the part in the recipe where it says to remove the hazelnut skins by boiling the nuts in baking soda water.  This caused a huge mess for me.  Instead, toast the nuts in a 350F oven for about 15-20 minutes.   Let them cool and then rub the hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel; the skins should come off pretty easily after that.

June 25, 2012

Petal Icing Technique


Ever since I saw an ombre petal cake on The Hungry Housewife I've been dying to have a go at this decorating technique.   

Decorating the cake does take some time but I think the end result makes it all worth it.   The perfectionist in me wishes the petals on my cake were more defined but the chocolate frosting I was working with was too soft.  Next time I'll let it stiffen up more or maybe use swiss meringue buttercream instead.

This yellow cake with chocolate frosting is dedicated to one of my dearest besties, Sirine, who is celebrating  her birthday today.  

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCHOUNA!

June 23, 2012

French Toast


My normal breakfast routine is pretty simple and purposely low maintenance - a cup of Early Grey accompanied by either warm buttered toast, dry cereal or a bowl of fruit with Greek yogurt and granola.  But every now and then, usually on Sundays, I like to indulge myself and partake in something truly decadent.

Remember the challah I made the other week?  It was the perfect bread to use for french toast.  There's nothing worse than soggy french toast and challah's firmness really stood up to the rich, creamy custard.  A light dusting of confectioner's sugar, a drizzle of warm maple syrup and some mixed berries and you've got yourself a breakfast to remember.



June 19, 2012

TWD French Strawberry Cake


Here's a fabulous dessert that showcases summer's quintessential fruit.  While this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, French Strawberry Cake, may look and feel decidedly American, the French factor comes from the vanilla genoise cake. 

Unlike most of the genoise I've made or encountered this sponge cake was quite delicious and not dry in the slightest.  The whipped cream is out of this world.  I strayed slightly from the cookbook recipe by adding softened cream cheese.  It's a trick I learned from Cook's Illustrated and provides a slight tang and additional stability to the heavy cream that is truly scrumptious. 


For the cake recipe please make your way over to Sophia's Sweets or Think, Love, Sleep, Dine who are this week's hosts.  I've included the whipped cream recipe below if you'd like to try it for yourself...you won't regret it!

June 15, 2012

Challah


My quest to become a master bread maker continues in earnest.  The latest endeavor - Challah, a Jewish classic.  What's not to love about this rich, egg-y braided bread?  Can I get a holla for challah?  Sorry, I couldn't help myself...hehehe.

Once again I turned to my friends at Cook Illustrated for a recipe.  The dough was a snap to make and the best part was the actual braiding.  Stay tuned because the challah is going to be a key ingredient in an upcoming post.  Here's a hint...think Sunday brunch staple. 

June 9, 2012

Battenberg Cake


Reading about all the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations this week inspired me to make a quintessential British dessert.   Ironically enough the origins of Battenberg Cake are actually German.  Pastry chefs in the court of Queen Victoria, herself of German ancestry, created the marzipan covered sponge to celebrate the wedding of Victoria's namesake granddaughter, Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, to Prince Louis of Battenberg.  

In all the times that I've visited England I never actually tasted Battenberg cake but knew of it, especially because of the pink checkerboard design.   How cute would it be at afternoon tea or a bridal or baby  shower? 

The recipe can be found here from the BBC website.  The sponge cake itself was a bit dry for my taste so next time I think I'll make it with either pound cake or high ratio butter cake.   Hmmmm...now that I think about it maybe I'll try to get my hands on a real Battenberg cake tin.  One more pan couldn't possibly make a difference in my already stuffed pantry, right?

On another note.....

Today is my very dear friend Gullet's birthday so I am sending her my best wishes.  Wish I could be in Norway to celebrate with you but I'll definitely be there in spirit!  Have a glass of Veuve for me!

June 5, 2012

TWD Oasis Naan


Oasis Naan, this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, was the perfect vehicle for my favorite Sabra hummus, roasted red pepper.   I'm the first to admit that Indian food and I don't really get along so I was very hesitant about this recipe.  But my love of carbs, especially breads, trumped any  uncertainty I was feeling.

The Baking With Julia recipe calls for sprinkling the dough with scallions prior to baking.  I don't know about you, but I find the smell and taste of fresh scallions a bit too pungent.  To tone it down I fried them quickly in vegetable oil and then brushed both on top of the naan.  A sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and black sesame seeds and they were good to go. 


The recipe can be found at Always Add More Butter and Of Cabbages and Kings Cake

May 28, 2012

Parmesan, Cayenne and Poppy Seed Cheese Straws


These cheese straws are a super quick, easy and delicious appetizer to serve at your next cocktail or dinner party.  It just takes a few ingredients: puff pastry (homemade or store-bought), parmesan cheese, poppy seeds and a dash of cayenne pepper.  Cut in to long strips, twist and then bake in a hot oven.   Buttery, savory and with just a kick of spice, they are perfect accompanied with a glass of bubbly!

May 20, 2012

Brown Butter, Pistachio and Poppy Seed Financiers


Blogger La Tartine Gourmande, aka Béa Peltre, recently appeared on The Martha Stewart Show to make these financiers.  If you haven't seen her blog yet I highly recommend it; the pictures alone are  absolutely divine.

Lately I'm finding myself more and more drawn to simple, easy and delicious recipes and this one fits the bill.   No stand-mixer required; essentially just a mixing bowl and whisk.   Since pistachios are one of my favorite nuts these little cakes were definitely calling my name.  Add to it poppy seeds and brown butter and it's a done deal.  


I tweaked Béa's recipe just slightly and the financiers turned out delicious.  I skipped the cardamom pods (just didn't have any) and since my pistachios were more brown than green, a teeny tiny drop of food color.  My financiers were baked in this mini bundt pan, a great purchase I found at Home Goods, because I thought the shape would be perfect for these little cakes.


May 15, 2012

TWD Pecan Sticky Buns


Caveat comedentis: this week's TWD recipe, Pecan Sticky Buns, should probably be saved for special occasions.  Regular consumption of this much butter and sugar will have your doctor prescribing Lipitor and insulin to you in a heart beat, trust me. 

The sticky buns start with a rich, egg-y brioche dough that is laminated with butter.  (Laminate - just a fancy schmancy pastry term for creating layers in the dough with butter.) The dough was a dream to work with and super easy to roll out.  But with its 15 minutes of non-stop kneading I have to tell you it really did test the strength of my Kitchen-Aid professional stand mixer.  I'm happy to report that in the battle of dough versus machine, the machine prevailed.  A true workhorse, I tell you!


Rather than baking the buns on the same day I ended up freezing the cinnamon and nut filled brioche logs to finish at a later time.  Unfortunately I found that postponing the baking inhibited the dough's ability to proof and rise in a timely manner.   It took over 24 hours for the buns to expand enough to fill the entire 9-inch cake pan.

Once baked all was right with the world - the buns puffed and browned beautifully.  Sadly, I found the topping disappointing.  The butter and brown sugar separated and didn't meld in to the thick and gooey caramel that I was expecting.  Next time I think I'll reduce the butter used from 8 tablespoons to 6 tablespoons (per cake pan), substitute dark brown sugar for light and pre-cook it before pouring in the the cake pan.  This recipe wasn't necessarily a home run for me, more like a work in progress.

Head on over to Eat Drink Man Woman Dogs Cat and Cookies on Friday if you'd like to try the recipe for yourself.

May 13, 2012

Raspberry-White Chocolate Bombe


I've been wanting to make this Raspbery-White Chocolate Bombe for a while now but was waiting for the right occasion.  Mother's Day fit the bill perfectly.  I can't think of any mother - or grandmother, aunt, sister or daughter for that matter - who wouldn't love to receive a beautiful cake like this. 


"Pretty in pink" is the first thing that comes to mind when I see this cake.  The pink and white colors just make me smile.  This showstopper is yearning to be the center of attention at your next  celebration, e.g., bridal shower, baby shower, christening or birthday to name a few. 


Underneath a blanket of white chocolate curls lies fruit-studded raspberry mousse and moist, tender white cake.   Now I admit that I'm not much of a fan of white chocolate; it's just too sweet for my taste.  If you feel the same follow my lead and eat around it; the cake and filling are delicious!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!


FYI: The cake stand is a 2012 limited edition from Martha Stewart Collection that I bought at Macys.  I added the ribbon embellishment.  The chocolate curls were purchased at my local cake decorating store,  Sugar 'N Spice.

May 10, 2012

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake


In honor of my Dad's birthday I made his favorite cake - pineapple upside-down - an oldie but definitely a goodie.  Personally I love anything pineapple; it's my all-time favorite fruit.  Fresh, frozen, canned, in rings, crushed or sliced, I'll eat it in any and all forms. 

The cake recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated and was super easy to pull together.  I liked the fact that the fresh pineapple is cooked with the brown sugar so that the caramel topping is infused with more fruit flavor.   


The cake part was a little dense for my taste so next time I might use cake flour instead of all-purpose and whip the egg white to lighten the batter.   I think Dad will give his approval for the cake regardless of the technique used.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

May 6, 2012

Pistachio Pound Cake


Pistachio has to be one of my all-time favorite flavors so when I saw this version of Tish Boyle's marble pound cake on Kokken69's blog I instantly wanted to replicate it, with just a few tweaks.  I recently bought a bavarian bundt pan but had yet to use it and thought this cake would be the perfect inauguration.  Furthermore I wanted to take another crack at making a cake with a zebra stripe pattern.

Kokken69's adaption calls for using pistachio paste instead of a cocoa mixture to achieve the marble effect.   After finishing a massive macaron order for my brother my supply of pistachio paste was completely exhausted.   Necessity is the mother of invention so I found the next best thing I could, Jell-O instant pistachio pudding mix.  I sifted out the pistachio nut bits before mixing the powder with 3 cups of the vanilla cake batter.

Unfortunately the zebra pattern I was after wasn't happening.  Rather than creating stripes, the two colors of batter blended together.   But, the cake itself was really delicious with a moist, tender crumb.   The pudding mix didn't provide nearly enough pistachio flavor so next time I'm going to use paste and also stick with the marble design!


May 1, 2012

TWD Hungarian Shortbread


Any time a recipe is a bit unorthodox, whether it be ingredients or technique, I'm instantly intrigued and perhaps a little skeptical.  Such was the case with this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, Hungarian Shortbread. It didn't make sense - a shortbread that was: a) Hungarian [apparently because of the jam filling] , b) contained eggs and c) grated in to the pan?  Say what?

I'd heard of recipes where cold pastry dough was grated in to a pie pan and pressed in to place, thereby eliminating the need for a rolling pin, but this was different.  The recipe specifically said NOT to press the grated dough in to the pan..just spread it evenly.   Ok, I played along, but I definitely had my reservations.


True to its word, once in the oven the dough settled in to the pan like it was supposed to.  Although the shortbread was tasty I wish it had been crispier, like the traditional cookie.  Perhaps it was the inclusion of eggs that was the culprit since shortbread is normally just made with butter, sugar and flour?  Maybe next time I'll leave it out. 

You can find the actual recipe at 1smallkitchen and the not so exciting adventures of a dabbler.

April 25, 2012

Crepe Cake


My family and friends have always been my biggest baking champions and ever since I started this blog their support has increased exponentially. I love to get suggestions and ideas from them about what I should make next.

Some of these recommendations have come from one of my oldest and dearest besties, Jill, who is celebrating her birthday today.  Jill was the one who suggested I try the famous Milles Crêpes Cake at  Lady M Confections the next time I was in NYC.  She had read about their celebrated dessert and and thought it would be ideal to attempt for the blog.

After one bite of Lady M's creation I knew instantly what all the fuss was about.  To call this cake amazingly delicious would not even begin to do it justice.  Aside from being beautifully constructed it tasted heavenly...layer upon layer of crepes filled with a whipped pastry cream.  I definitely had to try and make it at home.

My first attempt using leftover crepes and pastry cream wasn't as successful as I had hoped.   Problem #1: not enough crepes.  Problem #2: pastry cream filling that was too runny.  Result: a short cake that didn't hold its structure.   Oh well, it still tasted great!  Next time I think I'll use this recipe I found from the NY Times.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J !!!! 

April 20, 2012

Bánh Patê Sô


Growing up I was never much a fan of Vietnamese desserts.  Most were either too sickly sweet or the textures weren't to my liking.  [Xin lỗi to the relatives I may have offended!]   But when it comes  to Vietnamese savories I go crazy for them.

One of my absolute favorites is Bánh Patê Sô, a pork-filled puff pastry.  Their influence is definitely French and the name is actually a play on pâté chaud or "hot pastry."  My mom typically saved these treats for special occasions or when she had Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry on hand.   In Vietnam they're normally eaten for breakfast but I like to enjoy them any time of day. 


I took it as a sign that I should make these for myself when I had some leftover egg roll filling and quickest puff pastry dough sitting in my freezer.   I'm so glad I did!  I'm kicking myself for not making them from scratch sooner.  The great thing is that the shaped, unbaked pastries can be frozen well in advance of when you need them.  Just thaw them overnight in the fridge and they're ready to go in the oven.

April 17, 2012

TWD Lemon Loaf Cake


When I submitted my blog in the drawing to host this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe I was really hoping it would be chosen.   I love all things citrus and Lemon Loaf Cake was right up my alley.   

As soon as I found out Treats was one of the two blogs that were randomly chosen I immediately called my sister-in-law to ask for lemons.  A massive meyer lemon bush divides her driveway from the next door neighbor's so an abundance of fruit is literally at her fingertips.

 


As I read through the cake recipe I was pleasantly surprised to learn that its texture was similar to a pound cake but that preparation was all done by hand.  Any recipe where I don't have to bust out the KitchenAid stand mixer is an ideal one to me.


I took a little detour from the cookbook by brushing the baked loafs with a meyer lemon syrup and then topping with a meyer lemon glaze and candied meyer lemon slices - a triple citrus threat if I ever saw one.   Even with the addition of the lemon syrup I found the cake itself to be a tad bit dry but still delicious nonetheless.

Michelle from the blog The Beauty of Life is my fellow co-host for this week's recipe.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...