Archive for the ‘TWD’ Category
More February baking~Katz’s Brownies for Julia
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under Announcements, Business Related, Desserts, For Friends, TWD, Tuesdays with Dorie
Love is in the February Air. All the covers of the magazines are splashed with happiness and hearts. Pink and white, red and lace, cookies and candies. Implying that if all the stars are aligned and the appropriate exchange of gifts are made that all will be right with the world, at least maybe for one day and night. Right? Well, you can take that where you will.
Romance between two can be shared without a designated day of forced merriment. Don’t misunderstand….I am one of those girls, (ha ha… who are we kidding? I’m old, anyway) who can never have too much romance or chocolate. I love hugs and kisses, a stolen glance, a great romantic comedy, sweet notes, a great meal and of course chocolate. Oh yea, I love to laugh. I love it a lot. Tasting different chocolates from different makers has been a fun almost hobby of mine. Chocolate can have a variety of flavor notes and there are many chocolate artisans all over the world who craft their product with a passion that exceeds our expectation. How fun is that? Essentially, its up to you, your journey, and your very own tastebuds to determine your own chocolate preferences.
This week the Tuesday’s With Dorie baking crew made a brownie recipe from Baking From My Home to Yours, however Dorie writes that she obtained this brownie from Rick Katz. Either way, where ever it originated, its a delicious chocolatey brownie recipe. The first baking I didn’t bake them long enough, nor follow the directions properly. They were under baked and so I popped them into the freezer. Oh wow! Folks they were amazing! I did bake again and yep, this is a brownie recipe you will want to try. Don’t pass it up! Especially if you are a chocolate lover. A little crusty top layer providing the initial crunch as you bite into the fudgy-ness in the middle. Oh my! Don’t miss out folks. Enjoy. I did!
ChocolateChic helped continue our chocolate love this month. She loves chocolate. Surprised? Not me! I highly recommend you visit her site for the recipe, or purchase Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to visit the TWD Blogroll for more fun. Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your love!
Dear Dorie, Your Chocolate Souffle is genius!
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under Desserts, For Friends, TWD, Tuesdays with Dorie
Dear Dorie,
You are genius! I remember the first time I collected the gumption to make a classic french souffle. I was a nervous wreck. With your version, I can now whip out a lovely chocolate souffle with little risk of failure. Sunday night, my daughter brought over a small group (6) of her friends and we officially launched a “Treat Taster’s Group.” These are college age, darling kids (at least to me) who are kind enough to indulge me the pleasure of sharing your recipes with the intent of getting their responses. Thus, giving me lots more practice at a bargain basement calorie discount. Don’t you love the concept? I am so excited to have yet another audience.
I have to say I got Tweets on Twitter and text messages with compliments to you for your Magic Dorie Chocolate Souffles. I made 7, in 8 ounce ramekins and to a few of them I added some of Dorie’s Vanilla Ice Cream as well. They were devoured entirely.
Dorie, among the books in my collection is the book you authored entitled Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme. As I was combining the melted chocolate with the yolks there was this feeling that I had made this recipe before and then I remembered that I had made the chocolate mousse from Pierre’s book multiple times. There is a very close relationship between the two and so all at once I felt very comfortable with the souffles and knew they would be a hit. They were. My “Treat Taster’s Group” loved them and managed to leave with smiles on their chocolate faces.
Thanks Dorie for taking the fear out of making souffle’s! You are a genius! Now, all the Tuesdays With Dorie bakers can launch their journey toward many more souffle adventures to come.
Sincerely,
AmyRuth
If you would like Dorie’s recipe please stop here and visit Susan at She’s Becoming Doughmestic. Isn’t that a cute name for a blog. I think she must just be fun with loads of personality. However, if you’ve visited before and you’re a wee bit curious, maybe a book purchase is in order. Baking From My Home to Yours is the title of Dorie Greenspan’s book full of a variety of sweet treats sure to capture your heart or at least your sweet tooth. A recent article in the Star Tribune of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota featured an article entitle Cookbooks That Rise to the Top. Among the food professionals, Zoe Francois of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, listed Baking From My Home to Yours as her favorite new cookbook.
As always, thank you so much for coming by and feel free to leave a comment. I love chatting with friends and making new ones.
I baked a half recipe tonight again, so they could be photographed. I agree with Dorie’s suggestion and many of the TWD bakers, that a creme anglaise would be a perfect accompaniment to the chocolate souffles. I filled three of my 8 ounce ramekins and baked them about 15 minutes in a 375 to 400 degree oven. I think they could have been removed a little sooner. I enjoyed this delicious chocolate dessert.
A new look at Tiramisu -TWD
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under Desserts, For Friends, TWD, Tuesdays with Dorie
- Megan of My Baking Adventures is the featured member this week. She has a lively blog and I know you would be impressed with her energy in the kitchen as you can see on her many posts each week. She will also have the recipe for Tiramisu on her blog so stop by and give her a clap, clap clap. In case you are interested in joining in the weekly blogging routine check out TWD right here and get the details.
This baking group I participate with each week, on Tuesdays, is titled “Tuesdays With Dorie.” To clarify if you’re not familiar, our 350 some bakers bake weekly, post on Tuesdays and fight the calories the rest of the days of the week. You should hear the stories about how we produce scaled down recipes for photographic and tasting purposes. Oh sometimes, we make the whole recipe and then sometimes we cut the recipe down to 1/4 or even less. One of our members who is famous for trimming those delicious, Dorie Greenspan inspired, and lovingly written recipes from Baking From My Home to Yours, is Nancy at the Dogs Eat the Crumbs. She is genius with her calculations. One of the many benefits of making friends in the blog world is the exchange of information.
Each week I ponder how I can actually sample the finished product and offer an appealing presentation of the remaining baked good for sharing. You see, I figure if I am going to invest time and resources why not share Dorie’s lovely creations “with friends.” This week’s recipe was perfect. A “pick me up” excuse. I used my 9 x 13 baking pan so I could present squares, while still having a morsel for tasting. Isn’t that smart? he he
Tomorrow “my friends” at the gym will get to have a little “pick me up.” Yea, I know, you think all those fitness buffs don’t eat like this. Guess what? Sometimes, they do. Surprised? They do it behind closed doors. he he Can’t let all their secrets out. Shhhh.
Typically, I intentionally follow Dorie’s original recipe. I can then later adjust as I like in the future. The only variation was the use of a 9 x 13 pan rather than 9″ rounds. The second was the choice of liqueurs. I used Di Saronno Amaretto for the syrup. Also I used chocolate shavings rather than small chopped chocolate. It was simply a softer texture to compliment the soft creamy coating of the mascarpone and cream.
Tiramisu trio of flavors reminds me of one of the fancy schmancy coffee drinks typically in the $4 to $5 price range. Mascarpone and cream along with the espresso and chocolate. Oooo La La. Hope you enjoyed! I surely did.
My morning coffee is usually brewed from beans obtained from a locally owned and operated roaster, Lakota Coffee. I like a couple of different varieties from there, Tanzania Peaberry and Ethiopia Yirgacheffe. What is your favorite coffee?
TWD~Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding & a bit of Playa del Carmen
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under Desserts, Personal, Playa del Carmen, TWD, Travel, Tuesdays with Dorie
Of course this is most of what we spent our time doing…..and my daughter (the middle child) was joined by three of her closest friends. Days of these
The trip photos courtesy of Corbin. I hope you don’t mind that I am sharing his fun with you. We will get to the baking, I promise. The first born male child of 21 was the body guard, for the four young ladies, along with Corbin. It was pretty fun to watch them bond and enjoy their time together during break.
You know that question in the OSI on the Tuesdays with Dorie website? The Day Off question? Gloriously, I am having one of those days off. The hubs is off in St. Louis for a weekend with his Tri-sport friends. I am totally in the kitchen…. accompanied by, at the present, one of my favorite chick flicks. A Nancy Meyers film, (a woman whose work I adore) Something’s Gotta Give. Do you love it?
Dorie, you have provided a certain element of therapy for those who connect with the creative, organic practice of baking. Dorie, do you know how many lives you have saved, or been the object of seriously funny stories posted on TWD, how many temper tantrums you have thwarted or how many happy baking experiences you have facilitated??? Dorie…..are you reading? he he I hope so. Oh and how about eating the finished product and sharing with those you love? Okay now, I am not writing a romance novel, the bread pudding is coming.
“Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding,” this weeks recipe selection by Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle. It will be fun to see what she does with this simple concoction. Check with her for the recipe. She is an accomplished Pastry Chef whose blog I enjoy visiting to see her beautiful photos and her interpretation of Dorie’s recipe from Baking From My Home to Yours. Thank you Dorie for the suggestion of a fine little “bread sponge” such as challah or brioche. A nearby grocer makes challah, so for convenience that was what I bought and toasted for the suggested 10ish minutes. Besides its absorption quality, the buttery sweet flavor was unique to any other bread. I had a little over 3 ounces of 70% cocoa chocolate chopped up already and to that I added the balance of the bittersweet with 60% cocoa chocolate. For a person who really likes an intense chocolate flavor, by all means add more. I liked its simplicity and ease of assembly. That’s bread pudding for you. A nice comfort food.
The End! {It really is delicious chilled!!! Enjoy}
Devil’s Food White Out Cake ~ TWD
Posted by Amy Ruth | Filed under Desserts, For Friends, TWD
A classic example of something my husband always says to me when he discovers what I am doing. Makes me laugh. ”You haven’t made this recipe before and your going to serve it to guests, tonight?” ”Well, yea!?!” is usually my response. He rolls his eyes and just laughs at me. Do you do that? I am that fly by the seat of my pants girl. How else are you going to find out if the food is good, right?
I’ve never made this recipe before so there were some ups and downs. As of this writing the cake has not been cut and tasted other than the crumbs and the remnants of cake batter in the mixing bowl. Which by the way were really pretty good. By all appearances the cake is nice and moist. That is a relief with a dark chocolate cake.
You know that recipe I haven’t tried before? I’m sending it (minus one piece in the frig) to work with my husband so maybe his coworkers can hash out if it is something I should buy 8″ cake pans for future baking and refining. Tomorrow I will post an update after I have a taste. Yum!
Thank you to Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater for choosing this wonderfully fun recipe this week. Don’t forget to check out the cake art of the entire Tuesdays With Dorie Blog roll. It should be so amazing to see all the black and white cakes. The recipe for this weeks baking art is here and at Stephanie’s site. All of the TWD bakers are baking from Dorie Greenspans Baking From My Home to Yours.
