Tuesday, June 25, 2024

TWD/BWD: Berry Squares

 

For the second June recipe from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, I made the Berry Squares, also know as Strawberry-Rhubarb Squares. 



I've never cared for rhubarb, and our local strawberry season ends during the first week of June, so I decided to make the cake topped with blueberries and blackberries.  It's a nice and simple cake.

I decided to freeze individual squares, taking one out and reheating it when I felt like having dessert.  I noticed that the cake's flavor improved quite a bit after being frozen and then reheated in my toaster oven.  I thoroughly enjoyed the remaining pieces, and made a note that, for future bakes, that would be the way to go.


Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see what kind of jelly roll cakes most of the bakers made this time around.

Sunday, June 16, 2024

Detroit-style Pizza

 

It’s time for another bread challenge from the Bread Baking Babes.  This time, Karen, of Karen’s Kitchen Stories, asked the Babes to make a Detroit-style pizza.  This is a small-batch pizza that serves one very hungry person or two, if you must share.

I used the same-day dough approach and topped it with Muenster and Mozzarella cheeses, Cajun-style Andouille sausage, and homemade pizza sauce.  I did not add the jalapenos because the sausage was definitely hot enough!  A search for the traditional brick cheese turned up empty, although one local cheese shop had actually heard of it.  Even Whole Foods failed me!


 

This is a simple and relatively quick pizza to put together.  I had never drizzled hot honey on a pizza, so I did give it a try.  It was a nice bite, balancing the heat from the sausage.  I can see more of this pizza in my future, using a variety of toppings.


 

To quote Modernist Cuisine:  “You can’t talk about Detroit-style pizza without talking about cheese. The crust has the light, airy crumb and crispy bottom characteristic of all the bread-like pizza crusts. What differentiates a Detroit-style pizza is that the edge of the dough is bordered with cheese, applied so that it comes right up against the sides of the baking pan. In the oven, the cheese melts and bakes into a golden-brown, crunchy crust. The best pieces to get are the corners since they have two crispy sides to them, but the center ones are still plenty delicious.

And not any cheese will do. For a traditional Detroit-style experience, it has to be Wisconsin brick cheese mixed in equal parts with pizza cheese or cheddar cheese. Wisconsin brick cheese has a rich flavor best described as being like melted butter. If you can’t find brick cheese, use a combination of white cheddar and mozzarella.”  

 To read more comments and perhaps even try their recipe, follow this link to Modernist Cuisine.

 

Check out the other Babes for their take on a Detroit-style pizza, and stop by Karen's website to get the details and the recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

TWD/BWD: Jelly Roll Cake

 

 


For the first June bake from Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan, I'm posting about the Jelly Roll Cake.

 

I made just half a recipe, and the cake turned out just fine.  It was easy to handle and roll; no splitting; and I filled it with a mixture of pumpkin butter and mascarpone.  Although that's more a fall filling, I needed to use up some pantry items, and it was delicious even so.

 

This is a very versatile cake, and would be a favorite all year round using all kinds of fillings.

 

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

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

TWD/BWD: Cream Puffs with Crackle and Cream

 


For our second post and second cream puff recipe from Baking with Dorie, I made the Cream Puffs with Crackle and Cream.

I decided to have a bit of fun with the recipe, so I blitzed some freeze-dried strawberries and added them to both the crackle topping and the whipped cream filling.  The end result was both colorful and delicious!

 



 

Head over to the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see if everyone enjoyed the Gouda Gougeres!

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

TWD/BWD: Gouda Gougères

 


 

May must be cream puff month for the Tuedays with Dorie baking group!

 

For the first selection, I made the Gouda Gougères.  I've been making Dorie's gougères for many years, since they are perfect for potlucks and get-togethers.  This is a version using gouda cheese with a bit of cumin, and a topping of cumin seed and Maldon salt.  Needless to say, they didn't last very long!

Stop by the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see which recipe the other bakers chose.

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Tuesday, April 23, 2024

TWD/BWD: Double-Decker Salted Caramel Cake

 


Our second April recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie was the Double-Decker Salted Caramel Cake.  Apparently, there are quite a few April birthdays in this baking group!  (Actually, one of my daughters has an April birthday!)

This cake tasted to me like an old-fashioned cake doughnut, lightly spicy with a touch of caramel.  However, it took nearly twice as long to bake as the recipe suggested.  At 45 minutes, I could tell immediately that the center wasn't close to being baked. so it stayed in the oven for a good 20 extra minutes.

The other pet peeve I have about any cake, is that there is never enough frosting to both fill and cover the cake.  The recipe needs to be doubled to accomplish that.  So, there is a thin layer of filling, and a cake that is frosted 3/4 around.  (Not pictured in the photos.)  I did sprinkle some cocoa nibs on top, which added a delightful crunch.  Next time, I would also sprinkle some on the filling.

The caramel swirl showed up only in the top layer, but it was still delicious.

 


I liked the cake, but it was a lot for one person to eat.  I made notes in the cookbook about how to deal with that next time, as well as baking times and frosting amounts.

 

Head over to the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see comments from the other bakers.

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Bolo do Caco (Madeiran Tile Bread)

This month, the Babes have taken a virtual trip to Madeira to sample some Bolo do Caco, or, Tile Bread.  Elizabeth, of Blog from OUR Kitchen, introduced us to this delicious bread.  

They are circular yeasted flatbreads made with sweet potatoes, so they're basically a Portuguese-style sweet potato roll.  I was able to select some white sweet potatoes for my biweekly veggie/fruit box.  (I had one leftover that I turned into chips.)  The bread can be baked in the oven, on a grill, or on the stove top.  I used my comal, since it perpetually sits on one of my burners ready for the next tortilla or flatbread.


The dough came together nicely, and didn't take too long to cook on the heated comal.  They were terrific toasted and slathered with butter.  But, then, what bread isn't?!



Stop by the Babes' websites to see what clever changes they made to these traditional flatbreads, and, of course, if you want to make them yourself, you can find a great recipe on Elizabeth's blog.