Buttermilk Pie

05Nov09

I think a lot of times I hesitate to make pie because it’s such a time consuming process. While I love a challenge and learning something new, there are many moments I am craving a comforting quick treat (see here and here).

Enter Joy the Baker and her press in pie crust. Fill it with her buttermilk pie recipe and heat up some jam for drizzling on top and you’ve got an impressive, quick dessert that travels well to dinner parties and holiday social functions. It’s that simple. And that’s all I’ll say.

Filed under: Pies, Quick and Easy   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: buttermilk pie, easy pie crust, Holidays, Joy the Baker

Yellow Birthday Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

03Nov09

I apologize for the hiatus but for the past few weeks I’ve been pretty busy making nice at my new job.  I have been baking, so be prepared for an onslaught of posts.

I’m still trying to get to know people at my new office.  So, when I heard in passing that a coworker’s birthday party around the corner I jumped at the chance to earn some brownie points.  I asked her what flavors cake she liked and she told me “vanilla/vanilla”.

While at first I was bummed at the idea of baking “boring vanilla cupcakes” I realized I hadn’t found a recipe for a good yellow cake, (which every baker should have on file for any emergency birthday situation).

I didn’t have any cake flour in the house and it was already way passed my bed time… too late to get to the store.   I looked online for hours trying to find a recipe for yellow cake that did not require cake flour and ended up adapting from several different sources.

I had enough batter for 24 cupcakes and a 2 layer cake (not pictured).

Filed under: Cakes   |  1 Comment
Tags: Cupcakes, celebrations, vanilla

Molasses Spice Cookies

15Oct09

Maybe it’s just my personal taste, but these cookies don’t satisfy the cravings I get for something soft, sweet and chewy.  I wanted to love these cookies, I really did.  But I just liked them.  They didn’t provide that taste I was looking for in a warm, comforting cookie.

After taking them out of the oven and tasting them last night, T. had to remind me that not every recipe is going to be blow me out of the water.  I hate to be wrong, especially about baking, but in this instance he’s probably right.  I’ve had my share of mishaps in the kitchen.  However, when you follow a recipe to a T and nothing goes wrong….  When the results are mediocre, it’s probably more even frustrating!!

I would say these cookies are worth trying, depending on your taste.  My three your old niece would probably not enjoy these.  My mother on the other hand would probably like the spicy flavor and the fact that these cookies aren’t bubblegum sweet.

Filed under: Cookies   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Cookies, Dorie Greenspan, molasses, spicy

Pumpkin Pie Bars

10Oct09

October is probably my favorite month of the year.  The weather is just right to wear all those cute fall clothes, the scent of the wind and the leaves, the rich taste and texture of anything cooked from the gourd family… not to mention  Halloween is right around the corner!!

I could continue to wax poetic about all this wonderful things you could make from a pumpkin, (or any gourd really) but I’ll get right to it.   My love affair with pumpkin began in college with Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Pie;  I’ve made it every year for Thanksgiving for over four years now. And while I love that pumpkin pie, this year I plan on trying something new.

With Thanksgiving in mind,  I didn’t want the season to go by without making this delicious pie.  So, I adapted Paula’s recipe into a bar cookie.  With a sweet, shortbread crust, the filling for the pie makes an excellent topping for the cookie.

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Tags: Baking Bites, Paula Deen, pumpkin pie

Almond and Pear Tart

06Oct09

This tart may seem like it has a lot of steps in it, but it’s actually quite simple to make if you do it in stages.  It’s a “showstopper” dessert that would impress any dinner guests.

On the Epicurious website there a few suggestions to cut corners, such as using canned pears, but poaching pairs is actually really easy to do and I always enjoy trying something new.

This is my second time making frangipane which is so delicious (and also very easy to make!  Another timesaver tip is buying preground almonds, usually found in health food stores labeled as almond flour.  It’s expensive, but useful in many recipes.  I recommend picking up a bag and keeping it in your fridge so it lasts longer.

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Pumpkin Whoopies

30Sep09

There are two things I’m really loving lately, the book “Baked” and pumpkin.  Fall is my favorite time of year, I love all the flavors, scents and spices.  All of my favorite treats are made in the fall, specifically, pumpkin pie.

And let me just say that all of the recipes from “Baked” are just fabulous. I’ve made the brownies and the red velvet now, and they both turned out great.  These whoopies are pretty delicious too.

These pumpkin whoopies “cookies” are moist and have a cake like texture.  A cream cheese filling sandwiched between each cookie is the perfect accompaniment.  It’s similar to a cupcake but a bit less messy and even more adorable.  The only thing is, they are difficult to photograph nicely (at least for me, an amateur)!

The recipe states that this will make 12 (24 individual cookies) small sandwiches, but I made about 30 (60 individual) cookies total using a small ice cream scoop.

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Tags: Baked, pumpkin, whoopie pies

Noodle Kugel

29Sep09

Yom Kipper break fast is one of my favorite meals, mostly because of this delicious dish. For the non-Jews out there, I would call this dish as a dessert casserole. It’s really sweet, but since we only eat it about once a year, it’s OK (right?)

This recipe comes from a family friend of mine. However, whenever I make it, it never comes out the same. There are different theories as to why this happens. One is that the recipe he provided is missing something… on purpose.

Joking aside we think he sort of just plays it by ear and when he sent us copies of the recipe he guessed on specific quantities. He emailed us both copies over the years and they both are different. To be honest, I don’t really measure what goes in bowl anymore. But, below is my approximation of this treat.

Filed under: Holidays   |  Leave a Comment
Tags: Holidays, noodle kugel, Yom Kipper