TWD/DAC: Breton Buckwheat Butter Cake

The cake of the month from Dorie's Anytime Cakes is the Breton Buckwheat Butter Cake. Brittany is known for its buttery treats, so this was a perfect choice.  I did have to search for the buckwheat flour -- found it on the fourth try at Whole Foods, so now it's stored away for the next time I need it.

Once placed in the tart pan, the batter is brushed with an egg wash, then sprinkled with turbinado sugar and Maldon salt.  Those bites of cake with the pop of salt were delicious!

(To make it easier to remove the cake from the pan, I always line the pan with parchment.) 

I thought the cake was a bit dry on the first day, but it mellowed nicely, so the second and subsequent days were just fine. While I enjoyed it with the simple toppings, I'm sure it would be fine with whipped cream or other similar toppings.

 

Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see what the other bakers thought of this cake. 

BBB: Tabatière

 

This edition of the Bread Baking Babes features Tabatière, or Snuff Box Bread, a flavorful bread from the Jura region of France.  Coincidentally, when I was making this bread, I was watching the Tour de France, and the participants were cycling through the Jura Mountains.

 I added some rye flour to the bread flour along with cool water, salt, and yeast.  There were some challenges along the way, and I definitely researched the recipe on the Internet.

Challenge number 1 was creating the flap.  The bread is supposed to proof upside down, I guess to hold the flap in place, but I thought that sounded strange, hence the research. Trying to turn it right side up before baking was another challenge.  As you can see, there's a hint of a flap.

 

Challenge number 2 was scoring.  I have a fear of scoring, or, more realistically, a fear of deflating, so my scoring showed up as texture. During my research, I noticed that not every baker scored their Tabatière, so I didn't feel so bad.  Count me in the camp with the smooth-topped Tabatière.

 

I also decided to make four small loaves, and they were perfect for one person and made excellent sandwiches.  Other than the shaping issues, they turned out great.

August's Kitchen of the Month is Cathy from Bread Experience. You can find the recipe on her website.  You can also visit the other Babes and see their results. 

 

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen

• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly

• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna

• Bread Experience  - Cathy (Kitchen of the Month)

• Thyme for Cooking - Katie

• My Kitchen in Half Cups – Tanna

 

 

 

   

TWD/BWD: Cocoa-Cornmeal Biscotti

 

This month's offerings from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan are both delicious.  I'll share the first one today, and the second in two weeks time.

We start off with Cocoa-Cornmeal Biscotti.  What's not to love about biscotti?!  They are fun to make and fun to eat. 

These have a crunchy texture because of the cornmeal, sliced almonds, and mini chocolate chips.  It's a good thing I only made half a batch, otherwise I would have polished off 46 biscotti in the blink of an eye.  If you want a fancy version, just dip them in melted chocolate.  They are sure to be a huge success with everyone!  

Visit the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see which treat the other bakers made. 

TWD/BWD: Mary Dodd's Maple-Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I'm always ready to try a new version of a chocolate chip cookie.  Since I love bacon and maple syrup, I was looking forward to tasting these particular cookies.

They were somewhat disappointing, I have to admit.  First, they were overly sweet.  Second, the bacon flavor was rather faint.  Third, the bacon bits became rubbery in the cookie, so, texturally, that wasn't appealing.

 While I'm glad I tried them, I won't be making them again. 

Visit the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see what the other bakers thought about these cookies. 

 

TWD/DAC: Corn Toasties

 

Our cake of the month for the Tuesdays with Dorie group is Corn Toasties from Dorie's Anytime Cakes.

This is Dorie's version of a corn muffin, and, oh, so much more delicious!  Buttermilk, honey, butter, and olive oil add to the texture and flavor.  I found they were very tasty on their own with a little added butter, and this is definitely a recipe I would make on repeat.

Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to read what the other bakers thought about these savory cakes. 

TWD/BWD: Candied Almond Tart

 

One of the choices this month for our Tuesdays with Dorie group was the Candied Almond Tart.  I've been wanting to bake this for quite awhile, and had all the ingredients on hand.  The timing was perfect, too, since I could share the tart with my quilt group.

 

This tart didn't disappoint!  It was delicious with every bite.  The crust was easy -- blend the ingredients and press into the tart pan.  Then, make a caramel sauce, add the sliced almonds, and quickly pour the mixture into the prepared crust.  After a short bake, the tart is ready.   

 

It's so buttery and scrumptious.  All of my friends agreed this was a top quality dessert, and definitely worth a repeat bake.   

Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see which dessert the other bakers made.

 

TWD/BWD: Tea and Honey Madeleines

Madeleines are such a treat.  I've made a variety of flavors, and Dorie's recipe for Tea and Honey madeleines adds to the list.

For this recipe, I used some Earl Grey tea, which was both infused into the melted butter and rubbed into the sugar, local honey, and a clementine/tangerine from my backyard tree.  The batter can be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.  Typically, I also put my madeleine pan in the freezer for about 15 minutes before baking.  I did note that these took a bit longer to bake (12 minutes) so that they were done in the center.

They did turn out lovely and didn't last very long in spite of good intentions to freeze some. They were delicious eaten plain as well as dunked into hot tea.

Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to what the other bakers made for this week's posting.