TWD/BWD: Coconut-Milk-Chocolate Marble Cake

 

The second August bake from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan is the Coconut-Milk-Chocolate Marble Cake.  Marble cakes are always such a surprise.  Each slice is different, so I just want to keep cutting slices to see the internal design.

 

The batter uses coconut milk, which I always have on hand, either in the pantry or the freezer.  Melted milk chocolate is stirred into one portion of the batter, and unsweetened coconut is stirred into the remaining portion.  After placing the two batters into the loaf pan, they are carefully (and hopefully artfully) swirled together.

The cake is tender and delicious.  The coconut adds a bit of texture and crunch, and it keeps well for several days.  This is definitely a cake I would make again.

 

See what the other bakers thought over at the Tuesdays with Dorie website. 

  

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.