Apple Fritters

I've always enjoyed apple season. We used to go and pick apples at Stephenson's Orchard as a family when I was young. My sister and I would climb the trees to get some of the best apples from the tops. I have fond memories of blue rimmed heart shaped sunglasses during these adventures. Yeah 80's. I don't think you were supposed to climb the trees but we were little and probably light enough it didn't matter. We picked a ton of apples, mostly Jonathan apples, and stored them in a fridge in the garage. I miss the convenience of having an extra fridge or freezer. I don't know if the orchard still exists for picking in the Kansas City area, but the restaurant that had some of the best apple desserts does not. I was always fascinated by their caramel apples, and still am to this day. I'll be making my own soon so don't fret. I also have a special place in my heart for fried dough balls filled with apple chunks. 

I picked a variety of recipes for the month of September for the Easy Bake cOven blog but I chose to make the fritters first. I usually get around to making quite a few of the recipes but these were calling me. Michael asked why I bought so many apples at Trader Joe's when we got back from our NYC trip, my response was baking. It's usually baking when I buy an excess of one particular ingredient. Unless butter is on sale... 

I don't fry things often. Sometimes Michael and I will make tortilla chips if we're out and have nothing but corn tortillas, but this is the extent. Desserts are excessive to start and I feel worse eating something fried. Doughnuts fall in this category. I love doughnuts but don't have them often. Guilty pleasures. I really enjoyed these little fried dough balls. Simple and quick yet small enough you don't feel bad eating a few. 

Apple Fritters
Pioneer Woman
I halved the recipe and it made about 2 dozen ping pong ball sized fritters. 


2 C all purpose flour
1/2 C sugar
3 T sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 C milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 T melted butter
2 whole granny smith apples peeled and diced
powdered sugar for dusting

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

Melt the butter in a large liquid measuring cup and add the milk, egg and vanilla. Whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until little flour remains. Add in the apples and stir to combine. 

Heat a couple of inches of canola oil over medium heat. I kept my oil temperature around 325˚F and the fritters took about three minutes each. Using a small cookie scoop, drop a few blobs of dough into the hot oil, don't overcrowd or your oil will not stay consistently hot. Flip them over to insure even golden brown and test your first batch to make sure they are evenly cooked. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar for eating. 

Almond Spiced Granola

You know how much I like granola right? I like chewy granola and crunchy granola, and I like trying new recipes. I recently adapted a recipe from Whole Foods and though I may have cooked it two minutes longer than I should (I blame allergies for lack of smell) I've enjoyed it. It's versatile because it is sweet and crunchy and no flavor is too overpowering.

If you are like me and feel ravenous before dinner, you can eat it by the handfull while rummaging through your kitchen for something to cook. You could also sprinkle it on muffins before baking, make a delicious yogurt parfait with seasonal fruits and agave nectar (or honey), use it as a topping for ice cream, make trail mix, or scoop it from a bowl filled to the brim with milk.

I like to eat yogurt wearing a toga, but you can wear whatever you like. Any way you eat it, I'm sure you will like it. Feel free to make it something you really love.

Almond Spiced Granola
adapted from Whole Foods

3 C old fashioned oats
3 T whole wheat flour
1 C slivered almonds
1 C pecan pieces
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or equal amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger)
1 tsp almond extract (or substitute vanilla)
1/2 C honey
1/3 C canola oil

Preheat the oven to 275˚F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silpat. Mix the dry ingredients and nuts in a large bowl. In a measuring cup add oil, honey and vanilla and stir. Add the honey mix into the oats and stir to coat evenly.

Bake for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally to break up the larger pieces. Remove from oven when it's light brown and fragrant. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 hour or until completely cool (it will crisp up if it seems too wet after baking). Store in an airtight container.

Apricot Blueberry Cobbler

The other night I blew up a pyrex in my kitchen. I realize now I shouldn't put my trust in a brand name that has been around forever, claiming you can transfer your bakeware from freezer to oven and such. I could trust something made in the 1920's but not recently. They changed the glass product from borosilicate glass to soda-lime glass which can't handle the swing in temperatures and results in a shatter. I lost some good pastry cream and spent way too much time cleaning little glass shards out of my kitchen. Note to bakers: don't use pyrex on the stovetop (and definitely use caution in the oven with change in temperature). This little disaster put a bit of a hold on my baking for a while. I remade my pastry cream and finished a birthday tart for my office, but since then, I haven't been baking much. sigh.

Kitchen disaster behind, I decided to use some new ramekins to make individual apricot blueberry cobblers. Sugar Dough was the monthly recipe for June over at the Easy Bake cOven  and since I had some very ripe fruits in my fridge, I put together this incredibly simple dessert.

I think most people are more familiar with cobbler that has a fruit filling and a sugar dough topping. Sugar dough may range from a biscuity dough to a thick crumble, and even hunks of bread. The sugar dough recipe we used came from the restaurant stove in Portsmouth, Virginia. I was reading a blog post the other day and someone said they were skeptical of restaurants who published their recipes. Would they leave something out? Why would they reveal their secrets to ordinary people? Well, I can't tell you the answers to these questions, but I'm glad that some restaurants are confident enough to do it. I have a feeling knowing Stove's recipe will not keep Sarah & Eric from going back! Thanks for picking this recipe, it was fantastic!

Mini Fruit Cobbler 
you can use any stone fruit or fruits that won't obliterate when cooked

for one 10 oz ramekin:
slice 3 small fruits into a buttered ramekin
add 2 tablespoons blueberries
break up 1 scant tablespoon of butter and distribute evenly
sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the top
top with sugar dough and press lightly into the fruit (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
set ramekins on a baking sheet
bake for 20-25 minutes at 350˚F or until the fruit is bubbly

Stove’s Sugar Dough

This is not a dough for rolling, you have to pat this dough out into the pan your using for dessert. It’s rich and wonderful and can also be made into a short bread as well. I have even used it for bottoms of pans mixed with pecans and then a cake batter over that for a crunch factor. Just don’t over mix it or you will have some good rubber dough

1 cup white sugar, baker’s sugar if you can find it

1lb unsalted double A butter

6 cups of all purpose flour, (unbleached and without chemicals if possible, King Arthur is good stuff and easy to find)

In the bowl of a 4 to 6qt. mixer cream the sugar and butter until light and somewhat fluffy. Stop the machine, scrape down sides and add all at once 6 cups of flour, raise the bowl and on the lowest speed blend the dough until it pulls together. If it’s winter and your environment isn’t warm you may need to spray from a mister water a little at a time till the dough starts to combine. Pinch a bit of dough to see if it will hold together, if so it’s ready for use. 

this dough stores in the refrigerator for a week or so. It also makes a ton, so feel free to half the recipe.

Low-Fat Blueberry Coffee Cake

I use the Whole Foods Recipes app for my iPhone a lot. The format is great. You can search for foods on hand, or in a certain category (vegan, slow cooker, quick and simple...) which I find is a huge help for making quick meal plans. I have a couple other apps for recipes but this one I use the most. I keep recipes bookmarked in my "Favorites" tab and have a fairly dynamic collection. I finally made the time to try this recipe recently and am very happy with the results. 

I happened to be babysitting the day I decided to make this coffee cake and finished up the prep with a one-and-a-half-year-old on my hip. He seemed mesmerized by my one handed mixing, all the while educating him on each ingredient I was using. He also liked to peek in the oven window with me to check the progress. Thankfully, amid the distractions of the wee one running amuck in a non-baby-proof house, the coffee cake turned out stunning. 

The cake has a much lighter crumb topping than most coffee cakes (remember it's low-fat) but the almonds help give texture. There is hardly any fat in the recipe, so the moisture comes from fat free yogurt. Michael says you can tell it's low-fat but he is also not a big fan of blueberries. The girls in my office liked it a lot and I enjoyed it as well. I'd definitely make it again and recommend serving it to guests. It's fast to put together and friendly for your summer bikini body. 

Low-Fat Blueberry Coffee Cake
from Whole Foods Recipes

2 C fresh or frozen and thawed blueberries divided
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C plain non-fat yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 C sliced almonds

for the topping:
2 T whole wheat flour
1/4 C brown sugar
2 T butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside. Mix together the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl with your fingers until it you have pea sized clumps.

Whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Combine yogurt, eggs, and vanilla in another small bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Add half the blueberries and smooth into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter and add the remaining blueberries. Top with the almonds. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove the sides of the pan. Let cool another 20 minutes before serving. Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

You can also use a standard 12 tin muffin cup with liners instead of the springform pan. Reduce the baking time to 22-25 minutes.

There's No Cake In Cheesecake

This past week we celebrated our friend Rebecca's birthday. She doesn't like cake. I have known her for four years now, and it still amazes me. How do you not like cake? We are going to keep asking!

So, instead of cake, I made her a cheesecake. It happened to work out well since cheesecake was one of the monthly recipes for the Easy Bake cOven for April. I made a lemon base cheesecake, and instead of topping it with the lemon glaze, I used fresh strawberries and kiwi.

It's been a long time since I made cheesecake! I also had never made a cheesecake without the water-bath technique. I decided to go ahead and try it without since the recipe said to... and the top cracked. Thankfully, I could cover it up with pretty fruit. No one seemed to care, and the cheesecake turned out well. I'd make this again, and it would be fun to try with the lemon glaze. I hope you enjoyed your birthday un-cake Rebecca!

Photo by M

Easy Bake cOven - Traditional French Desserts

This month's recipes were chosen by Rebecca, who I'm sure would pack up at any moment and move to France if she thought it at all possible. That said, French desserts are at the top of her list (especially since she has an abnormal disorder... not liking cake) and she chose two to try this month. 

The first, a Clafoutis, which is kind of similar to a dense sponge cake with a layer of berries on the bottom. I made it for a group of friends we were having dinner with this week. I had not planned on making both of the desserts but I had everything on hand to make this the night before our dinner. 


The Clafoutis is very simple to throw together. Thanks to the food processor (or blender) all you really have to do is some measuring and press a button. I'm pretty sure this dessert might be great for all of those people who say repeatedly, "I can't bake..." so if this sounds like you, give it a try. Your friends will enjoy it. We enjoyed it topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. yum. 

I'm not sure how, but this week ended up being incredibly busy. Except for Monday and Friday, we had something planned. I wanted to make the Fruit Tart for Rebecca's birthday (since she hates cake remember) and I had a time crisis. I sat on the couch Monday night feeling like I might not have time for the tart after our dinner Tuesday night. Something about baking for purpose - for someone - must send me into overdrive because I was able to make a bunch of little Tartlettes for her happy hour celebration. Yes, it would have been much easier for me to make one large tart, but bringing a tart to a bar and slicing it up... and serving it on flimsy paper plates did not sound appealing. Two bite morsels were more appropriate for the situation. 

They turned out incredibly cute (the tiny tarts with two blueberries and one strawberry looked a lot like duck faces) and increased my biceps. So much whisking... my arm... and wrist... almost fell off. It may have been better if they had. All wimpy-ness aside, the pastry cream turned out like it should. Much better than my first attempt at lemon pastry cream about a year ago that killed my food processor. These tartlettes are perfect for a party, and if you have the time you can make everything in advance and assemble just before serving. 


Thanks for choosing a few great recipes Rebecca. Looking forward to next months recipes. Check out the cOven monthly post for the recipes and other posts this month. 

Strawberry Filled Cupcakes

Cupcakes are pretty, and topping them with beautiful, red strawberries and lemon buttercream makes them quite glamorous. I have been making cakes for our office birthdays this year which I really enjoy. My office is so thrilled to have something better than you can get at Safeway (which was our default two block walk for cake). This time they were expecting cake and I brought them cupcakes instead. Whew, what a surprise. Mostly to change things up a bit and simplify the cake cutting awkward waiting period that happens while everyone sits around the conference room table. (Our office might rival "The Office" in awkward moments -I'm not joking).

We lit a candle and sang for Joey. It was a special birthday year (I made her two cakes!) and I made her favorite cake combo - White Cake with Strawberries. I added some flare by filling the cakes with strawberry filling (aka good quality jam - seeds removed) and topping them with delicate buttercream. The edges got a little crispy in the pan (my oven decided to overheat in the middle of baking) but everyone seemed to like the texture contrast. Thankfully they didn't taste burnt. Perfectionism is a good and bad quality. I almost remade the whole batch....

The white cake recipe I have is delicate and makes a good cupcake. Moist, not crumbly. I used buttermilk this time and think it is a good change. I was asked if the cupcake could be called the "Joey Cupcake" but I was thinking something that rolled off the tongue like "Favaloro's Favorite." I think I can do that.

White Cake with Strawberry Filling

adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

For the Cupcakes

1 1/4 C cake flour

1 C all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 C buttermilk

4 egg whites (this is what makes the cake white not yellow)

1 1/2 C sugar

zest of one lemon

1/2 C butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or lemon extract)

Fresh strawberries for decorating (at least 1 pint)

Line two tins with 18 muffin cups. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Sift the dry ingredients excluding the sugar. Whisk together the buttermilk and eggs.
In the bowl of a mixer, rub the zest into the sugar until it is fragrant. Attach the paddle and fix the bowl to your stand mixer. Cream the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again for another minute. Add half of the milk/egg. Mix 1/3 of the flour mixture. As soon as it is almost incorporated, mix in half the milk/egg mix, and repeat ending with the flour. Mix for another minute or two to make sure everything is fully incorporated. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full, you should yield at least 18. Bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

For the filling

Heat 1/3 C seedless raspberry jam in the microwave (or stovetop) until it is thin enough to pour.

Once the cupcakes are cool, use a pairing knife and cut a cone shape out of the top of the cupcake. Don't worry if it isn't perfect - the frosting will cover it. Spoon about 1/2 Tablespoon into the opening and place the cone back on top. Frost, decorate, and chill to set the buttercream.

For the buttercream

1 C sugar

4 egg whites

3 sticks butter at room temperature

2 T lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk sugar and egg whites in a stainless steel bowl and set over a saucepan with simmering water. Make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk until the mix feels hot to the touch. It will be very shiny. Add it to the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the bowl comes to room temperature. Switch back to the paddle attachment. Cut the butter in half. Add one piece at a time. Wait to add more until the previous butter is mostly incorporated. Once all the butter is in, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 10 minutes. The buttercream will probably start to curdle but do not fret, it will become smooth again. After it is smooth, add the juice and vanilla a little bit at a time and voila, a perfect buttercream. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface and chill in the fridge a few minutes but not too long! Pipe onto the cupcakes (be sure to cover the cut portion).

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

I had a pint of strawberries left over from making Strawberry Cupcakes for my office. Since the strawberries were perfectly ripe and M and I would have made ourselves sick to eat them all before they got mushy, I turned these beauties into a delicious frozen yogurt. Fro-Yo has gained a following here in California beginning with Pink Berry in LA, and moving into every San Fran neighborhood with names like Tuttimelon and Yocup. It's tangy, and topped with your choice of fresh fruit or candy pieces. My yogurt didn't come out of a machine in a cute little twist, and the fresh fruit was incorporated into the mix, but it was just as good (and maybe a little more sweet than its corporate counterpart).

Have you bought your ice cream machine yet? Good, then you will be able to enjoy this low fat ice cream with me. I took a chance and changed the full fat yogurt requirement to the thickest, creamiest fat free yogurt I know, Mountain High Yoghurt. It's what I eat for breakfast most days, and thick enough to make a tasty yogurt. When you make your own, be sure to get Plain yogurt, preferably with no added mystery ingredients or sugars. Then, find some strawberries, slice them, and macerate them with sugar and vodka for one hour. Go have a huge slice of pizza from your local pizzeria. Come back and add in some lemon juice and yogurt and give it all a whirl in the food processor until smooth. Refrigerate until it's chilled and freeze in your ice cream maker. Freeze for at least 4 hours and enjoy.

It's that simple, and delicious. It makes me happy for spring and all of the fruits that will soon be back in season. I heard the strawberries at the Farmers Market looked fabulous, and I can't wait to see what my CSA will deliver soon.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

adapted from The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovits

1 pint fresh strawberries

2 tsp Vodka

2/3 C sugar

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 C fat free thick yogurt (if it is not thick enough, strain through some cheesecloth over a wire mesh strainer and drain until it is thick enough to scoop and leave a spoon mark)

Hull Strawberries and slice them in quarters. Add them to the bowl of a food processor with the Vodka and sugar. Pulse to coarsely chop, cover and rest for one hour. Add the yogurt and lemon juice and process until smooth. Chill in your fridge (or your freezer if you are impatient) and freeze in your ice cream machine about 25 minutes. Place in a plastic container and freeze for at least 4 hours before you eat it. Enjoy! And feel less guilty since you used fat free yogurt!

Daring Bakers - Grapefruit Tian with Vanilla Bean Grapefruit Marmalade

I don't usually make a dessert solely for me... but selfishly, for this challenge I couldn't resist. I wanted to make a Grapefruit version of the Orange Tian recipe we were given to use and am happy I did. All morning I nibbled on extra segments of grapefruit, and consumed way too much juice, but it made me happy and what could be better than a happy baker?

The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse’s Cooking School in Paris.

There are a lot of steps to this dessert - even though the final product is fairly simple. A Tian is a layered dish, it can be savory or sweet, but most commonly it is made with vegetables. I chose grapefruit instead of orange because I like it more. I wanted to experiment with the marmalade, so I did some research and decided Vanilla Bean would pair well. I like the way it turned out - a little bitter - a little vanilla-y but mostly good.

The Tian is built with a layer of Pate Sablee (similar to a sweet pastry dough), a layer of marmalade, a thick layer of whipped cream with a little marmalade mixed in, and a layer of fresh fruit. The fruit was supposed to be covered in a caramel made with fruit juice, but I decided to use it only on the top. I may not make this again assembled as a dessert, but combining the marmalade with multiple ingredients is a great idea that I will try again. At least it is pretty and pink.

Here is the recipe if you want to try it... I recommend multiple days of preparation.

For the Pate Sablee:

Ingredients U.S. Imperial Metric Instructions for Ingredients 2 medium-sized egg yolks at room temperature granulated sugar 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon; 2.8 oz; 80 grams vanilla extract ½ teaspoon Unsalted butter ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams ice cold, cubed Salt 1/3 teaspoon; 2 grams All-purpose flour 1.5 cup + 2 tablespoons; 7 oz; 200 grams baking powder 1 teaspoon ; 4 grams

Directions: Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.

Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle.

Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

For the Marmalade:

Ingredients U.S. Imperial Metric Instructions for Ingredients Freshly pressed orange juice ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams 1 large orange used to make orange slices cold water to cook the orange slices pectin 5 grams granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked

Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.

Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).

Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).

Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

I added the seeds of half a vanilla bean and used 1/3 honey instead of all sugar. You can adjust the sweetness of the marmalade as you go, just make sure to bring it to a boil before you add anything, then lower the heat to maintain the simmer.

For the Orange Segments:

For this step you will need 8 oranges. (I used 2 grapefruits and sliced the segments in half)

Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.

[See YouTube video in the References section below for additional information on segmenting oranges.]

For the Caramel:

Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients granulated sugar 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams orange juice 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons; 14 oz; 400 grams

Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it.

Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments.

Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). You can then spoon it over the orange tians.

[Tip: Be very careful when making the caramel — if you have never made caramel before, I would suggest making this step while you don’t have to worry about anything else. Bubbling sugar is extremely, extremely hot, so make sure you have a bowl of ice cold water in the kitchen in case anyone gets burnt!]

For the Whipped Cream:

Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients heavy whipping cream 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams 3 tablespoons of hot water 1 tsp Gelatine 1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon

In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.

[Tip: Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.]

Assembling the Dessert:

Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.

Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.

Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough.

Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.

Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

Easy Bake cOven - Lemon Bars by Tartine

I have a recipe for lemon bars that I really like. I like to think it was I who brought them back into fashion here in san francisco, but more realistically it was Tartine Bakery. They definitely serve more people in one day than I have possibly my whole "baking career". Every now and then I thumb through their cookbook when I'm at Therapy (one of the best stores ever) and never quite bring myself to buy a copy. Maybe it's because I know they are making a killing at their bakery (and newer restaurant) and feel no need to add to their success. But that might be a little harsh.... More likely, a flash of the overstuffed shelf of cookbooks I own enters my mind and I can't seem to find a place for it. I'm glad Angela chose this recipe for January. Even though I tend to think of lemon bars as a summery dessert - I brought them to life in our kitchen on this sunny Sunday (if only we hadn't eaten giant souffles for dinner we may have been able to enjoy them).

I was quite intrigued by this recipe. The shortcrust contains pine nuts - which sounded delicious and weird all at the same time. It also said you could use orange zest of a particular variety if available which was also interesting. Lemon bars with pine nuts and orange zest. I did not go searching for this specific orange but did opt to try the pine nuts. I wanted to do the crust a little different though and rather than leaving the nuts whole, I processed them until they resembled fine crumbs and mixed them in to the dough. I also wanted to make them into little tarts so I could experiment with different toppings. My lemon bars were more like mini lemon pies serving 4-6 people. Can't forget to thank the landlord for having my oven fixed on Friday! I actually thought I might miss the January recipe because of it.

Do I like these more than my own recipe? I can tell you they are different enough to make an easy choose. I like my very simple crunchy crust with just enough lemon to satisfy a craving - but these are a good change. Thick crust and a almost double the amount of filling I would normally use - they were nice with the hint of nuts. The filling was also a little bit creamier than the normal. Very tart with a nice nutty depth of flavor. I might try serving one with chopped toasted pine nuts.

If you would like to try out the recipe from Tartine, find the original post here. And don't forget to check out the rest of the lemon bars at the cOven blog.

My Top Ten of 2009

Today is the first day of 2010, so Happy New Year to you all. I thought today would be a good day to reflect on the past year of my blog and I have decided to recount my top ten recipes. Before we reflect, I'm going to tell you all about my baking plans for this year, resolution style. I don't typically make resolutions because they tend to get shoved aside or are so unrealistic that they are on the skirts of achievability. Food related resolutions are new for me and definitely attainable. Do you all have resolutions for the new year?


I'm going to attempt to use more whole wheat flour. Not so much for health reasons, mostly because I tend to run out of all purpose flour all of the time and the whole wheat bag sits in the cupboard feeling unwanted and depressed. If I had a repertoire of more whole wheat recipes I would definitely cook with it more often.


I'm going to try hard and not skip the Daring Bakers Challenges for the whole year. This will require me to plan ahead, not procrastinate, and make some items I don't like. It is difficult when you know the recipe at the beginning of the month and don't have to post something until the very end. I might have to make up more reasons to celebrate with baked goods during the month.


I am going to make more bread. Plain and simple. I can't really say quantity-wise what "more" is equal to, I'm just going to make more of it. I have a lot of great cookbooks at my fingertips and I enjoy bread a lot. (I believe I've mentioned before bread is one of my favorite smells). It would also be nice to have more home made bread with dinners or lunches. I'm not limiting myself to just hand made either, I'll bring my bread machine to this challenge too. 


I am going to post at least one non baking item each month. M and I cook a lot and I think some of these meals you might enjoy too. We have a plethora of food delivered to us twice a month from our local CSA and we cook with it each week, so why not share it too? After all, people who read this might not have the itch to bake quite as often as I do.


I would like to celebrate food more. This means all of you in San Fran might gain a few pounds with me. In an effort to appreciate the Slow Food Movement, and because M and I like to host dinners, I want to have people over more often for food. Cooking and eating together, good wine, what more could you ask for? (I haven't discussed this one with M yet, but I'm pretty sure he will be ok with it).


I think this is enough resolutions for now, I'll let you know if I come up with more later. Now, on with this recap of my favorites from '09. (What do we call 10 by the way? It seems so awkward without the "O" in front of it). Here they are in random order.


Savory Puff Pastry

I enjoyed this Challenge for Daring Bakers. We made puff pastry from scratch (which I may never do again) and I came up with this savory topping. I absolutely loved them. You can make it store bought pastry but I definitely recommend trying the filling. 


Wedding Cake

Making a wedding cake is one of the highlights of my year. The challenge of it was unreal. I would love to make another if the opportunity presents itself. 


Four Cheesecakes

I like cheesecake. I don't make it often because it is so terrible for you (though most of the desserts I make are not "good" for you) so I made the most of it using 4" mini spring-form pans. They were so cute and tasty. I'd definitely make some of them again. 


Cookie Cake Tower

Who would not like a three layer cookie cake for their birthday? I chose this one because I felt it was creative and good. Not to forget it traveled from California to Virginia in one piece! 


French Style Bread

Bread, one of the techniques I attempted to master this year. I can't say I am a master yet (hence the resolution to continue making more of it this year) but one day I might make bread like my dad numero dos. This french loaf was one of M's favorites his dad made growing up, and I wanted to continue the traditions. It makes two loaves so you can save one for later or feed a lot of people. 


Carrot Muffins

Are you wondering why there is a picture of carrots here? It is because carrot muffins come from my early days of the blog when I was not obsessed with taking photos of food (or they were so good we ate them all before I could snap a shot). I didn't post the recipe in my original post so you are welcome to view it here. 


Frozen Lime Pie

Not only was this a wonderful dessert, it brings back lovely memories of the Grenadines. After a week of sailing we relaxed at one of the most beautiful houses on St Lucia. Check out these amazing pictures by M. Then be sure to check out the website for the house if you feel like taking an extravagant vacation (pictures on the website do not do it justice). The house comes with the chef and two other house staff (one of which created this recipe). She also makes amazing curry chicken and mahi mahi. I'd like to be there right now. 


Walnut Ice Cream with Tomato Caramel Sauce

This recipe was inspired by my desire to make our plethora of tomatoes into a dessert. It worked, it just was not as literal as eating a tomato for dessert. Hidden in a caramel sauce the tomato gave a new depth of flavor to this amazingly creamy ice cream. If you have the supplies I recommend trying it. 


Mini Fruit Pizzas

I used to make this dessert a lot. I changed the recipe a little bit most recently and enjoyed it more than usual, especially served cold. A crowd pleaser when fresh berries are in season. 


Cornbread

One of M's favorites. It accompanies soups, jambalaya, gumbo, fish, and whatever else we can create to go with it. I think it would go wonderful with a new recipe I came across Pumpkin Turkey Chili. Give it a try, you won't even know the pumpkin is in there. We like it so much I sometimes think we choose recipes just so we have an excuse to make it. A good reason to keep buttermilk on hand at all times.