by Aimee on September 30, 2008
I can honestly say that I have joined the ranks of Harry Houdini, but more on that in a moment. First I want to put out an important warning about bakeables. Sharing bakeables that is. Yes, all you would-be bakers out there must beware this important caveat, if you share the fruits of your labor, they will come calling when not regularly supplied with something from your kitchen. Case in point my Mom drifted through the living room the other morning dropping, “Hmmm, I’m in the mood for something . . . cake, pie, or canelés? What are you going to bake for me?” So there it is, the inescapable fact that if you bake and share, you will do so for the rest of your days and on a consistent basis or jeopardize every relationship in your life. This is the sad truth of when you weep in the kitchen if a cake falls it’s not because of all that work for naught, but because you most likely will be shunned from your family in response.
Here’s where I flex my magical skills. Click to continue…
Tagged as:
Breads,
Inescapable Baking Fact,
Polish,
Recipe!
by Aimee on September 30, 2008
I hate to show the same picture again so soon, but I wanted to give this contest a shot and the rules require a new post with the picture. Maybe I can get an honorable mention for “Most Amusing” or “Saddest Looking” award. Click to continue…
Tagged as:
Contest Entry
by Aimee on September 26, 2008
My kingdom for a … food processor/standing mixer??? I’d be hard pressed to make a decision on that one, if I had the money. Not to pick on the noble blender, but when it comes to performing tasks the right tool can make all the difference. I am a baker on a budget. My budget being virtually nonexistent, I actually made my first pie crust with the attachments from my hand mixer. While getting my MacGyver on can be a thrill, sometimes it’s just a plain drag.
For example, when the Plum Tart with Walnut Cream recipe called for walnuts to be ground into a “coarse powder” I had to entrust this task to my poor, overworked blender. As anyone who’s ever tried it can tell you, chopping nuts into a powder regardless of how coarse it might be isn’t easy to do with a blender. Nuts have a habit of becoming more like a paste on the bottom and large-ish chunks on the top. So what really was a simple recipe that could have been whipped up in a matter of minutes in a properly equipped kitchen, ended up taking me over an hour(s?). Click to continue…
Tagged as:
Baking On A Budget,
MacGyver Baking Tip
by Aimee on September 23, 2008
No, this isn’t some far off desert wasteland or a new image back from one of the Mars Rovers. This is the reason why I should always use my rolling pin when making any kind of crust.
This was the pâte sablée shell I made for Clotilde’s delicious Plum Tart with Walnut Cream. Très délicieux! (Sorry folks, I don’t speak French. Babel Fish is your friend.) The technique suggested to create the tasty tart shell called for “using the heels of your hands and your fingers” to press the dough into your tart pan. I’m guessing that someday scientists will link this ability to some French genetic marker because this Polish Princess just doesn’t have the knack. So instead of a nice, lightly golden tart shell I ended up with this blasted and barren landscape that could probably give Death Valley a run for its money on most depressing vista. Click to continue…
Tagged as:
Fruit,
Nuts,
Oops!,
Tarts
