Tuesdays with Dorie: Kids’ Thumbprints
Posted: December 27, 2011 Filed under: everyday, TWD 38 Comments »
In keeping with tradition of the past 4 years, I woke up early this morning, on Tuesday, to hurriedly make this week’s recipe. The LAST recipe from Baking From My Home to Yours. There are a lot of things I would like to say, many that I have said before. When I started this crazy trip, my children were ages 10 months, 3 and 5. As a stay-at-home Mom, baking is a way for me to stay sane. I go into the kitchen, sometimes when the house is at its most insane and start to bake. Following a recipe is a way for me to relax and at the end, I have something wonderful to share with my family. This still holds true. I continue to bake 3 or more times a week. My boys have become total bakery snobs. They do not hold back in any way from telling me what they think of what I have baked up. Liam, our oldest, grades on a A-F scale. And I have received quite a few F’s along the way. 
I considered myself an ‘okay’ home baker when I started my way through BFMHTY. Now, I am very comfortable tweaking recipes and swapping out ingredients. (Almost to a fault.) I have made some of the best online friends a girl could have through TWD. That is the very best thing that has come out of this 4 year journey for me. The friendships I have made, I have no doubt, will last my lifetime.
Thank you to Jules for helping me out when life got so tough for me 2 years ago, and for continuing to be a source of support and endless humor. To the rest of my TWD family- Thanks for sticking it out with me. Love you all.
Dorie, sweet, sweet, Dorie– thank you, again for all of your support, encouragement and enthusiasm. I truly value your friendship. And I will forever be grateful to you for writing this book, that brought so many of us together. It was a life changer, not only for me, but for a good many of us in TWD.
Dorie hosted this week, you can check out the recipe on her blog. Check out the rest of the TWD folks cookies from the TWD blog.
For those joining us for the next round of TWD. We will begin to tackle Baking with Julia starting in February of 2012. If you have not bought your book yet, go buy it now!
Bake on! 
Tuesdays with Dorie: Unbelievably Good Chocolate Blueberry Ice Cream
Posted: December 12, 2011 Filed under: TWD 14 Comments »
So, Jules called me way back in October. We talked about how TWD: BFMHTY was quickly wrapping up. We needed to sort out the recipes left and who was going to make what. I contacted Dorie, so she could pick one, and I told Jules, “Just tell me what I am supposed to make.” Again, this was back in October.
I knew the date was coming up, I needed to get on the horn with the ice cream. Right, make the ice cream. So, I set out to make it last weekend. Alas, I was missing the blueberry jam. I could have subbed cherry or raspberry, but I was making a great attempt at not messing with the recipe. Over the past 4 years, I have become very comfortable with substituting ingredients. I don’t think twice before doing so. But, since this is the last time I would be hosting TWD for this book, I wanted to stick to the recipe. 2 store trips later and still no jam. What the hell, Laurie?
Fast forward this past Saturday, I had a list for the store, but had been procrastinating going to the store. I am a professional procrastinator. Finally, my good friend Peabody said “Go buy ice cream stuff!!” And I did. The end.
Okay, not the end. I think I should say a little something about TWD now. Almost 4 years ago, on this very little blog, I asked if anyone would want to join me in baking once a week from Baking From My Home to Yours, by the lovely Dorie Greenspan. At the time, I thought nothing of it. I figured I would get 2-3 people who read my blog to do it with me. TWD quickly grew and grew. It was quite overwhelming. Then, over the 4 years it took to complete this book, we have dwindled down to a very hardcore group of members. I want to thank each and every one of you for going on this journey. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I have. I hope you will all consider joining the next phase, with Baking with Julia, which starts in February 2012.
Back to the ice cream. We froze it. We tried it. I love homemade ice cream, I just wish my ice cream maker would allow me to make more in a batch. This one got mixed bag of reviews. That is the norm in this household, though. I say give it a shot and see what you think. You may just be a chocolate blueberry kind of person, you never know until you try.
Unbelievably Good Chocolate Blueberry Ice Cream
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons premium-quality blueberry preserves
Put the chocolate in a 1-quart glass measuring cup or heatproof bow.
Bring the milk and heavy cream to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid– this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they don’t curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the back of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170 degrees F, but no more than 180 degrees F, on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the custard over the chopped chocolate.
Let the mixture sit for 1 minute, then, using a rubber spatula, starting in the center of the measuring cup and working in ever-wider concentric circles, stir until the custard is smooth.
Refrigerate the custard until the chilled before churning it into ice cream.
Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream is thickened and just about ready, spoon in the blueberry preserves and churn to blend. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.
Serving: If the ice cream is very firm, allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes before scooping, or warm it in the microwave using 5-second spurts of heat. Serve the ice cream on its own or over the equally luscious Double-Crusted Blueberry Pie.
Storing: Packed tightly in a covered container, the ice cream will keep in the freezer for about 2 weeks.
Go check out the Tuesdays with Dorie site for more reviews on this week’s ice cream.
Jules made Double Puffed Plum Tart for this week. Go check her review out!
French Fridays with Dorie: michel rostang’s double chocolate mousse cake
Posted: January 21, 2011 Filed under: FFwD 19 Comments »
Liam and Brody had a snow day today. Colby did not. But, I was able to whip this cake up due to not having to run around first thing in the morning. The batter was so easy to put together. I was unsure which option to pick, since this recipe has several options. Cold versus warm. I chose warm.
We haven’t actually cut into it yet. The cake is still hot from the oven. I snapped photos as soon as the middle sank. If the batter is any indication, it is going to be fan-freaking-tastic. I was eating the batter straight from the bowl. Yum!
As I was making this, my son Brody said, “So, its a cake shaped like a moose?” Love that boy.
Go check out all the other moose shaped cakes on the FFWD blog. There were lots of variations for this recipe, so there should be lots of different cakes. Check them out!
Edited to add: Oh my is this cake so good. I mean like seriously, blow your mind good. Its so chocolatey and light. You’d think its going to be dense, but its not. The cake almost melts in your mouth. This recipe is a definite keeper. Brody delcared, ” These are the best brownies ever!” and are they ever.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Posted: January 18, 2011 Filed under: TWD 12 Comments »
They are muffins. Albeit muffins without lemon or poppyseeds. But, they are still indeed muffins.
When I went to make them, it hit me that I had no lemons. Nor did we have poppyseeds. So, they became blood orange muffins. We liked them all the same. Colby ate 2 before they were even done cooling. I’d say that means they were a success.
Check out the TWD LYL post for all the rest of what should be lemon poppyseed muffins.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Midnight Crackles
Posted: January 3, 2011 Filed under: everyday 29 Comments »Happy Anniversary Tuesdays with Dorie! TWD turns 3 this week. When I posted about TWD for the first time, I never ever imaged we would still be at it 3 years later. It seriously changed my life. I am a totally different baker. I have made some of the best online friends a girl could have. My tweetie ladies are the best, the BEST! And it pushed me to start French Fridays with Dorie as well. I am ever so thankful to the members of TWD for continuing to bake along week after week without fail. You have pushed me to become a better baker. Thank you! Lastly, thank you to Dorie for her continued support of both me and the group. It means the world to me.
To celebrate our 3rd Anniversary, Julie, my TWD sidekick and I decided on Midnight Crackles. We both wanted something on the easy side for right after Christmas. I have been wanting to make these cookies for a long time, so I was uber stoked.
I baked them up just today. I followed the original recipe exactly. They were easy to whip up. The texture seemed really sandy to me, even after chilling. I rolled a few in powdered sugar before baking, just for fun.The finished product came out kind of like the World Peace Cookies, but softer. We all liked them, but I think I will up the cinnamon next time and maybe nix the clove. Overall, good cookie.
You can find the recipe for Midnight Crackles on the Tuesdays with Dorie blog.
Happy Anniversary Tuesdays with Dorie’ers! Here is to another three years! xoxo
Happy 2011!
Posted: January 1, 2011 Filed under: cinnamon rolls, good times, nonsense, slacker 9 Comments »
Okay, first things first. Happy New Year! 2011. Wow! Where does the time go? Really, where does it go?
Last year, my blogging was somewhat.. lacking. Alright, it was awful. Down right, awful. In my defense, 2010 was the hardest year for me that I can remember. It was a mentally and emotionally exhausting. At some points, I did not know how I would get through the year. So, blogging took the back burner. So be it. My family comes first. The end. But, its 2011 now. And I am truly hoping to start blogging more again. I miss it. I really do. Hopefully, I still have a few readers out there. Hi there, nice to see you!
To kick things off, I decided to bake something yeasty today. I love the smell of a yeasty treat in the oven. One of Liam’s favorite breakfasts is cinnamon rolls. With that in mind, I decided to make monkey bread. If you don’t know what that is, you must have been living in a hole the past few years. Its been everywhere. Or maybe you are new to the interwebs. If so, hi there! Nice to see you!
I should have started this project earlier in the morning. It takes several hours to proof and put together. It worked out in the end, since we ended up having a monster brunch to start the New Year.
New Year, new stuff, yada yada. Liam rates all my baked goods. I am totally raising a pastry snob. He is harsh with his ratings. I figured it makes for good entertainment value. This is how he rated the monkey bread.
Liam’s Rating: Bread nice and soft, not too crunchy. Cinnamon really good, but I like a little more cinnamon, a tiny bit more, but otherwise, really good. Overall rating– A
I do not like publishing recipes on my blog. Maybe its my loyalty to Dorie that started it, but its expanded. If you want the recipe for Monkey Bubble Bread in BAKED Explorations, buy the book. Come on, do it. Its a great book with phenomenal photos, and you won’t regret it.
Happy 2011 to everyone! Hope it turns out to be a fabulous year! xoxo- Laurie
Total sidenote: The Pens play in the Winter Classic tonight. Go Pens!
Happy Birthday, Dorie!
Posted: October 24, 2010 Filed under: birthday, dorie 17 Comments »
In honor of Dorie’s birthday, Holly over at Phe.Mom.enon put together a fantastic virutal dinner party! There are a bunch of fantastic recipes from Around My French Table to check out. My favorite TWD ladies did a lovely job of making this dinner party special! You guys rock!
I made Quatre-Quarts from the dessert section of AMFT. (Secretly, I was running late, as usual, and the cake is in the oven as I type this. As soon as the sun comes up, I will snap a photo. Steathily.) This kind of cake is Jason’s favorite. Simple and plain but makes for a great breakfast with a cup of coffee, or an afternoon snack. I love cakes I can whip up in no time at all. (Like at 6:30 am when running late, and need to get something done quickly.)
The only changes I made were, I did not whip the egg whites as Dorie instructs. The kitchenaid bowl was in the dishwasher already. Also, I added vanilla extract that I made with gold rum. Yum. To top it off, I added a little vanilla rum glaze, because whats a birthday cake without a little frosting? We always have cake for breakfast on birthdays, this was no exception. Colby and I enjoyed cake as soon as it was cool. To quote Colby, “oOoo, cake!” Cake for breakfast really is the best. The best!
Happy Birthday, Dorie! I know you are in Texas right now. I hope someone has prepared a Texas sized celebration for you. Wishing you lots of love, laughs and sweets today! Much love from here in Pittsburgh. xo
Thanks to Holly for putting this shindig together! Love you! Go check out Holly’s blog for the round-up!
French Fridays with Dorie: Gougeres
Posted: September 30, 2010 Filed under: FFwD 29 Comments »
Welcome to French Fridays with Dorie! Am I a little insane to run 2 baking/cooking groups simultaneously? Yes, indeed. But, anyone who knows me knows I am a few doughnuts short of a dozen.
Dorie herself picked the first month of recipes for FFwD. The menu is fabulous and would make a memorable meal for sure. However, I am never on top of things like that. We do not have several course dinners in my household. Single course dinners get the job done here. So, the gougeres made a nice afternoon treat. A bunch of my fav TWD ladies and I did a tweet along as we cooked. It was really fun and pushed me into getting these babies made. I am a champion procrastinator. My TWD ladies keep me in line! I <3 them.
The gougeres were wicked easy to throw together. I followed the recipe to the letter, only adding a dash of black pepper. They were done in a flash and ready to be devoured. My husband summed it up best, “They taste like puffy cheese-its!” Yes, yes they do. And they make me want to make cream puffs really soon too.
Next week, Gerard’s Mustard Tart! (It is totally going to take me out of my comfort zone. Im a little scared.) Special thanks to Dorie and my staff at FFwD. A lot of hard work and a zillion emails went into putting this cooking army together. If you want the recipe, BUY THE BOOK!
If you haven’t heard of French Fridays with Dorie, check out the blog and sign up!
Tuesdays with Dorie: Tarte Fine
Posted: September 28, 2010 Filed under: TWD 7 Comments »
Tarte Fine. This was so easy to throw together! Why was I dragging my feet? I need a TWD member to get up in my grill and harass me about blogging. I make 85% of the recipes along with the group. But, I rarely blog them. What is my problem? For reals, if someone wants to harass me about blogging, please do. You have my email addy. Please. I beg you.
This tart kind of made my day.
I’m about to get serious here, so if you are having a really good day and want to move along and not hear some heavy stuff, move along now. Now. Okay, Ive been reading almost non-stop for days about biomedical treatments for autism and it is blowing my mind. I have been having a rough time sleeping because my head is so full from all this new alternative therapy junk I have filled it with. I do not like to get political, at least not in public, but I read 2 books this weekend and they were eye openers. The website generationrescue.com also blew my mind. And talkaboutcuringautism.org is another one. WOW! Waiting to talk to the Neuro about everything I have learned and possibly putting Colby on a new diet. We will see! It is hard being truly hopeful. But really, what other choice is there?
Next on my list today was my middle boy, Brody getting bullied on the bus. A kid is hitting the hell out of him. Last year, Liam has several altercations with this bullys older brother. What the hell? How do parents turn a blind eye to their children physically harming another child? I was furious. So, I called the kids parent. This is how it went..
“Hello?”
“May I speak with your mother please?”
*click*
The daughter hung up on me. A call was placed to the principal instead.
Like I said, the Tarte Fine made my day.
Check out Leslie at Lethally Delicious for the recipe and the TWD blog for more day makers.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Crunchy and Custardy Peach Tart
Posted: August 24, 2010 Filed under: TWD 16 Comments »
We are on vacation at Myo Beach again. I was lucky that I have made this tart several times and had a photo in the archives. Ive been keeping up with the TWD baking part just fine, but lousy with the blogging part. These are the times I love my photo archives.
This tart is so easy to throw together. If you have all the ingredients on hand, it comes together in minutes. I love the fresh summery peaches with the very simple homey custard. The almonds add a good crunch. 5 stars in our book.
Thanks to sweet tarte for picking this weeks selection, go to her blog for the recipe. Check out the TWD blogroll for the rest of the tarts. Next week, Cookies.
