TWD/BWD: Double-Chocolate Strawberry Tart

 

 June is the end of our local strawberry season, so I decided to use strawberries in this double-chocolate tart.  I also substituted berries because I'm not a fan of rhubarb and I rarely eat bananas.

The tart is made from a delicious chocolate crust spread with a layer of freshly made strawberry jam, followed by a chocolate frangipane, then topped with fresh strawberries.

 I thought that the flavor improved quite a bit on the second day, and the tart lasted nearly a week for me with no deterioration in flavor or quality.  One of the things I enjoy about Dorie's recipes is the ability to play around with ingredients and still end up with a great dessert.

 

Visit the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see what the other bakers made this week. 

Oatmeal Burger Buns

 

 

This month, the Babes are baking Oatmeal Burger Buns, thanks to Elizabeth from blog from OUR kitchen.  The recipe is rather a blend of several recipes, and the end result is a delicious roll that is good plain, toasted, or used as part of a sandwich. I chose to leave the tops plain, but did brush them with an egg wash.

 

In my case, I made a chicken BLT.  With all the layers (chicken, cheese, sauce, golden shallots, bacon, tomato slice, and lettuce), it made for challenging, slippery, juicy bite, but definitely a delicious one.

 

For the story behind the recipe and the recipe itself, head over to Elizabeth's ever entertaining website. 

 

Do be sure to stop by the websites of the other Babes as well.

 

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth (Kitchen of the Month)
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna 
• Bread Experience  - Cathy  
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups – Tanna  

 

TWD/BWD: Little Marvels

 

Do you ever have extra egg whites?  Then, Little Marvels are the perfect dessert.  These are like little fairy treats, discs of meringue that are filled and frosted with whipped cream and coated with crunchy bits.

For mine, I spread a layer of melted dark chocolate over the bottom meringue disc before adding a few spoonfuls of whipped cream. The chocolate layer set up very firmly, adding to the challenge of eating it.

 

After I frosted the meringues, I coated them with bits of chocolate wafer cookies that I had recently made.  I gave it a quick 10-minute chill in the freezer before devouring it.  These are fun treats that can be made ahead of time, and even frozen.

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

TWD/BWD: Lemon Meringue Layer Cake

 

 

For the final May bake from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, I made the Lemon Meringue Layer Cake.  This is truly a labor of love, but totally worth it.

I should say at the beginning that I highly recommend making the candied lemon slices.  They add such an intense pop of lemon to each piece of cake, that it's not to be missed.

Because this cake requires multiple steps, I prepped each step in advance so that the process went very smoothly.  I chose to make one-third of the recipe, so my calculations were written out ahead of time and I used a 6-inch cake pan, which was precisely one-third of the batter volume.  I made the lemon soaking syrup, the lemon cream, followed by the cake.  After the cake had cooled, I whipped up the meringue butter cream frosting while the cake had a brief visit to the freezer to set the lemon cream, then assembled the cake.  I let the cake chill overnight, making the candied lemon slices in the morning.

 

I love anything lemon, so this was a truly delicious treat. I would definitely consider serving it to guests, especially since it can be prepared the day before.

 

My lemons were freshly harvested from my backyard tree, which is loaded with especially tasty lemons.

All in all, a great dessert.

Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see how the other bakers fared.  

TWD/BWD: Oatmeal Cookies with Nuts and Chocolate

 

 

Today's Tuesdays with Dorie post features Oatmeal Cookies with Nuts and Chocolate. I used some healthier organic oats (less glyphosate) with walnuts and mini chocolate chips.  I didn't add any fruit because I'm not a fan of oatmeal raisin cookies. Not even tempted.

I served these to my small quilt group since I was the May hostess.  They were the perfect treat because they could be made ahead of time.  They were also especially delicious with the sprinkling of turbinado sugar on the tops.

The few cookies that were left went into the freezer for future snacks.

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

TWD/BWD: A Big Banana Cake

 

 

Today's bake from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan is A Big Banana Cake.  I made half the recipe, which was plenty for me, baking the cake in two 8" round cake pans.  I was surprised that there was no baking powder called for in the recipe, which may have contributed to the cake's different texture.

While I love cookie butter, I can't have it around (for obvious reasons), and, while I considered making it myself (ingredient issues), I chose to use something different.  I had some dulce de leche on hand, left over from a previous recipe, so I thought I would give it a try as a substitute, and it worked just fine.

I was also able to use my ingredient-friendly chocolate sprinkles for decoration.

The cake tasted great.  I think the allspice really enhanced the flavor of the banana.   If I ever have extra bananas hanging around, I will consider making this cake again.

 

Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see which treat the other bakers made for today's challenge.

Babes go to Dollywood (sort of)

 

 

I first heard of the special cinnamon bread served at Dollywood last fall, so I immediately went in search of the recipe.  Cinnamon bread in any form is one of my favorites.  I came across a recipe that was purportedly shared by Dolly Parton herself.  I added it to my to-make list.

Jump ahead to 2025, and Karen, of Karen's Kitchen Stories, asked the Babes to make the famous Dollywood bread.  She share two versions of the recipe, and, comparing it to the one I'd saved, that made three versions.

I decided to make the original version I'd found, and I ended up making it twice because I was puzzled by the instructions, which I decided to ignore.  That can't be right, I thought.  So, I ended up with a tasty, but plain, loaf of bread with a cinnamon topping.  

 

Somewhere on the web, I found a photo, so I decided to try again, this time following the recipe's instructions. They called for dividing the small amount of dough into two pieces, scoring them, dipping them into melted butter with a bit of corn syrup, then in a cinnamon-sugar mixture, and then placing each one into a 9" x 5" pan.

 

 After baking, the loaves are drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze.

It was better the second time around.  It's not really a loaf, per se, but more like crunchy, buttery, cinnamon sticks.

 

I don't know which recipe is the most authentic, but I will say it's a delicious version of cinnamon bread.   

You can find two of the recipes on Karen's website, and the third version here.

 

Check out what the other Bread Baking Babes did:

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen (Kitchen of the Month)
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna 
• Bread Experience  - Cathy  
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups – Tanna  
• Feeding My Enthusiasms – Elle

 

TWD/BWD: Chocolate Eclairs

 

 

For the first April challenge from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, I chose to make the chocolate eclairs.  I've made pâte à choux many times, but this is the first time I've made a chocolate version.

We had a choice of fillings:  pastry cream, whipped cream, or ice cream.  I made a chocolate-flavored whipped cream, because I didn't have enough milk to make the pastry cream.

In a fit of whimsy, I decided to decorate the chocolate glaze, using some melted white chocolate and a toothpick.  Clearly, I need more practice, but it was fun to try.

 

Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see what the other bakers made this week.

 

 

TWD/BWD: Biscuits Rose

 

 

For the second baking challenge from Baking with Dorie, I made the Biscuits Rose. These are crunchy pink cookies, similar to the harder lady fingers, and just perfect for dunking into any beverage.  Originally made to accompany champagne, I found them delightful with either tea or coffee.  I was able to practice my piping skills, which will also help with one of April's bakes.

 

These cookies had been on my radar for quite some time, so I was glad to have an opportunity to finally make them.  It definitely won't be the last time!

 Visit the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see what the other bakers thought of them.

TWD/BWD: Marbled Cheesecake

 

For our March challenges from Baking with Dorie, I chose to make the Marbled Cheesecake first, and I did a bit of playing around.   

Instead of making one large cheesecake, I decided, for various reasons, to make a quarter of the recipe, which resulted in two 4" cheesecakes.  What I discovered was that 1/4 of the crust made one crust, so, next time I would double the amount (make 1/2 a recipe); 1/4 of the filling makes two cheesecakes (I just put the extra in a ramekin and baked it along with the one 4" pan).  If I recall, I made 1/2 the syrup, forgot I did that, and used it all.  It didn't seem to matter as the end result was pretty tasty.

 

I also made my own graham crackers, using the recipe from Dorie's Cookies.  Too many iffy ingredients in commercial ones, so I always make my own.  Now, I have a bag full of graham crackers in the freezer, waiting for the next cheesecake.

All in all, it was a delicious cheesecake, one that I would definitely make again.

 

Check out the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see which recipe the other bakers chose to make first.

TWD/BWD: Brown Sugar Oat Squares

 

The first group of bakers who made these cookies raved about them, so I couldn't wait to make them.  They were absolutely divine!

They are quick and easy to prepare using a food processor, then pressing the dough into the pan.  A sprinkle of oats and turbinado sugar, and you're good to go.

The biggest challenge was not eating them all at once.

 They'll definitely go into my baking rotation for my small quilt group meetings.

 Check out the Tuesdays with Dorie website for more posts.

 

Rieska, a Finnish flatbread

 

To celebrate our 17th anniversary, the Bread Baking Babes made Rieska, a Finnish flatbread.

It's a simple and easy bread to make with several variations:  you can use barley flour, rye flour, potatoes.  It's your choice.

 While I was making my bread, I realized that I've been making a version of this for many years only without the rye or barley flours.  So, I decided at the last minute to make both recipes:  the original recipe and a modification of my long-standing recipe. I swapped out some of the AP flour with some rye flour.  You really couldn't tell the difference.

 

 It's a quick bread to make if you want a side dish or a sandwich or a snack.  I used some of the bread to make sandwiches with some shredded beef that I had in the freezer.  It was a delicious meal.

Our Kitchen of the Month is Kelly from A Messy Kitchen.  If you want to give it a try, go to her website for the recipe.  

Also, check out the results from the other Bread Baking Babes.

 

• Blog from OUR Kitchen – Elizabeth
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories – Karen
• A Messy Kitchen – Kelly (Kitchen of the Month)
• My Diverse Kitchen – Aparna 
• Bread Experience  - Cathy  
• Thyme for Cooking - Katie
• My Kitchen in Half Cups – Tanna