Perfect Party Celebration Cake ~TWD
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under Desserts, For Friends, Fruit, Uncategorized
“Celebration.” Googling a word usually elicits a link for correct spelling and or definitions. The listings under Celebration brought up “Kool and the Gang.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwEMxYggoKQ If you are old enough you may remember that upbeat song. There are many interpretations of celebrations, occasions and businesses. You can’t imagine how many celebrations listing I found. Even a Hotel in Florida. The other really notable occasion that knocked me in the forehead was of course the 4th of July. Then of course there are always a host of family traditional gatherings called Celebrations. The list is infinite. Clearly defined, celebration is the action of marking one’s pleasure at an important event or occasion by engaging in enjoyable, typically social activity. (Yep, that’s from the dictionary, formerly in book form. Remember that ?) See, theses days that usually includes food. My favorite food is dessert or something sweet.
The Perfect Party Cake comes from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. She writes that she adapted this recipe from her very favorite Nick Malgieri. Who has authored numerous notable and award winning cookbooks. As part of a group of bakers called Tuesdays with Dorie, just under 400 bakers fire up their Kitchen Aid mixers, splatter flour on their cheeks and noses and proceed to bake a weekly recipe selection. Each member takes his or her turn with the honor of selecting a recipe from Dorie’s book. This week’s Perfect Party Cake was chosen by Carol of Mix, Mix, Stir, Stir and I think its a perfect cake for this time of year. Snowy white, lemony cake with a splash of fruitiness on the inside between the layers and or outside if you wish, with an optional coconut finish. White again. I think if you ventured along amongst the blog world you would find much associated with Fourth of July celebrations and this cake would certainly be pronounced among the top choices. Just in case this sounds and looks good to you, the recipe is posted on Carol’s Mix Mix Stir Stir website or you can find it in Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan.
I hope you’ll go a step further and go get the book for the bounty of fabulous recipes or visit Carol for this cake. Start your oven ~ and bake like a mad person. Its great fun, plus you can share with friends and make new ones all at the same time.
Thanks for stopping by for a visit.
I
Welcome to the new server
Posted by Corbin | Filed under Uncategorized
I’d just like to welcome you all to the new server. Everything should be working normally. If it’s not then drop me a line at corbin [at] corbinlane [dawt] com.
Parisian Apple Tartlet – for Dorie
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under Desserts, For Friends, Fruit
That’s right Dorie. This one is for you, or maybe not. After having dropped off the radar for a couple of weeks imagine how excited I was to see such a straightforward little sweetie on our June schedule. Even though apples are typically a fall fruit, I thought this would really be a lovely trade out for summer fruits. Even a medley of peach, mango, blueberries. I love apricots too. Perhaps a sprinkling of chopped nuts.
Dorie, most of the TWD bakers all know you love to be in your apartment in Paris as often as possible. So what would a “Dorie Book” be without the near and dear to the heart, apple tartlet? Dorie introduces her Parisian Apple Tartlet as a version of a widely enjoyed little treat that can be eaten out of hand or elegantly plated. So make it your choice.
On one end of the tray is an apple tartlet, the opposite is an apricot & blueberry. The beauty of this delicious treat (I ate them both after Corbin photographed them…..shhhh) is the “bang for the buck!” These can be produced in a very short amount of time. Start to finish, a little more than 1/2 hour. Depending on the size of the fruit the recommended baking time may be a bit shorter. Now, if you keep your secrets to yourself you can present a very tasty and impressive sweet treat to an unsuspecting loved one. :-)
Thanks goes to Jessica of My Baking Heart for the palmsized sweet treat that I enjoyed eating tonight. She had the fun choice this week. You can get the recipe on her site as well. Get into that Baking From My Home to Yours cookbook by Dorie Greenspan if you have it on your shelf. If not ? Seriously, why don’t you? Thanks again Dorie for such a nice, homey little treat. It is way better than a donut!!!
TWD~Fresh Mango Bread
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under Uncategorized
Its spring! Or is it almost summer? I don’t know. Do you know when the first day of summer is this year? Oh well, all I know is the weather where I live is awesome currently. I know, I know, its going to heat up. For now, its perfect weather for “being” outside. Hanging out in the swing or a cozy wicker chair. Lulling away the precious morning moments with coffee or tea and nibbling Fresh Mango Bread. Reading, hearing birds, catching a glimpse of my neighbor’s cat slink by to tease my dogs. You get the picture. Rewind…. does that happen in real life? Well, not everyday. Maybe we could do it on a Saturday morning. Then it would definitely be special, because the Mango Bread from Baking From My Home to Yours, I suspect would fall into the category of special treats for sharing with friends and family. The kind of offering that always goes with that hospitable pot of coffee or tea when a friend drops by for a visit. It could also accompany a comforting meal for a friend in need of a little TLC.
The flip side of that scenario can be experienced on the blog roll for Tuesdays With Dorie because i can assure you there will be many different interpretations of Mango Bread. I can’t wait….I think it will be fun. I am especially looking forward to seeing what kind of ice cream Pinkstripes will pair with Mango Bread. Also, I hear that the Engineer Baker who is famous for mini versions of Dories recipes will have her twist on it as well.
Mango Bread is really delicious so go on over to Baking With Boys and Kelly has the recipe posted so that you can enjoy some for yourself. I followed Dorie’s recipe including the ginger and cinnamon as written. Golden raisins were included even in the face of threat from those among us who are not fans of raisins. he he I really like all the spices included and the mango provided a very nice level of moisture in the yummy little bread. The only thing I didn’t like….. Dorie do I really have to wait a whole day to enjoy? Just kidding. Dorie suggests that its better the next day. So, being the one who follows instructions. I waited and its soooo goood! Put it on your list.
Tartest Lemon Tart
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under For Friends, Fruit, Tuesdays with Dorie
A Tartest Lemon Tart had to be a refreshing and seasonal choice from Babette of Babette Feasts. One might think of it as kind a passing of the torch from the recent infinity of chocolate to … woo hoo, its fruit season. I can only imagine how she must have “stewed” over Dorie’s many many recipes for the season before finalizing her selection. You might know we wait in a long line for our turn to make a recipe choice. ( There are many bakers in this group.) Some of those choices have been great cause for consternation, swearing, dancing merrily, taking photos of course, stirring, measuring, calculating and recalculating, he he, chilling, heating, freezing, typing and of course eating. Instructions as well as the recipe will be on Babbettes blog. You may also want to drop by your local bookstore for a copy of Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. For more information about joining in on the baking fun drop by Tuesdays With Dorie.
I made this tart a while back upon discovering its reputation on SmittenKitchen. I have to say as I read the varying comments I wasn’t sure how things would go. I used Meyer lemons before and also this time. This was my first experience with them. A much softer, less intense and not so tart lemon. Pretty little things, they are. I have to say it was really a nice and similar to an old southern lemon chess pie recipe I make all the time for my Mom. I love the translation of desserts from Dorie’s home to ours and the connections they often times have to our families.
My crisper drawer had Meyer lemons and regular lemons. They definitely called out so I made two tart shells and set about making Tartest Lemon Tarts. I love lemons. I know everyone asks “Did I say I love lemons?” But really…. I do! So, don’t worry even though I love them, well, Corbin had an Orthodontist appointment on Monday morning. I’m not the patient so its easy for me to say, “It’s fun” however Corbin might not agree. He’s always grumpy for a few days after. They don’t mind if I bring my baking to them and they actually seem to enjoy ???? They’re nice. The Meyer lemons are very small with thin skin. I used two, skin and all, minus the seeds. There is very very little pith in Meyer lemons. Aside from that everything else was according to the written recipe in Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan.
There were good suggestions about handling the pith from the regular lemons in the P & Q section of the TWD site. I considered my options,and decided I didn’t want to risk all my ingredients and time to a possible bitter aftertaste. I used my micro plane to zest my lemons, peeled away the pith, removed the seeds and cut up the 1 1/2 lemons. The unbaked tart filling tasted quite nice so I can’t wait to taste the cooled version. Mmmmm.
Thank you so much for your patience today because my post was an evening edition not an early morning one and for stopping by for a visit. I can’t wait to see all the beautiful Tartest Lemon Tarts out there in the Tuesdays With Dorie baking group. Take a look for yourself. You’ll definitely want to snag a copy of Baking From My Home to Yours for yourself. In the mean time take yourself back to Babette Feasts where you can get the recipe.
