First Barefoot Bloggers Recipe: Herbed-Baked Eggs
Tara of Smells Like Home has started hosting a new online event called Barefoot Bloggers. This bi-weekly event has different members choosing recipe selections from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. This is such a great idea, Ina has so many wonderful recipes to choose from.
Now, not all selections will be baking and sweets related, which is actually kind of nice because I feel like I’ve been on a sugar high since starting this blog. And yeah, I know that some of these kind of recipes will go against the name “Something Sweet” but that’s ok. You could say it’s “Something Schweeet!” instead for posts where I don’t write about sugary things I’ve made. 
Anyway, I love Ina Garten. I recently expressed my admiration for her on a post for Coconut Cupcakes that I made for my Mom on Mother’s Day. I own all of her books and have already made a lot of her recipes in the past but there are still many more that I want to try. So when I saw the announcement for Barefoot Bloggers event starting up, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to join. Plus, I’ve always been more of a baker than a cook so I figure these challenges have the potential to get me in the kitchen more to make actual dinners for me and the Boyfriend.
The first selection was Herbed-Baked Eggs chosen by Tara herself.
Um… yum! This side view reminds me of an Egg McMuffin.
This recipe was super easy, there was barely anything to it. The taste was excellent. The only changes I made were using dried herbs instead of fresh and baking them in ramekins instead of gratin dishes. My advice would be that if you don’t have gratin dishes and use ramekins instead, broil for a few extra minutes. Unless you like your eggs barely done.
What a great beginning to the Barefoot Bloggers! Thanks, Tara for deciding to start this up. I can’t wait to try out June’s selections:
Pasta, Pesto and Peas chosen by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food and Parmesan Chicken chosen by Megan of My Baking Adventures.
Make sure to stop by here to see how the other member’s Herbed-Baked Eggs turned out!
Barefoot Contessa’s Herbed-Baked Eggs
from the book Barefoot in Paris
featured on Barefoot Contessa episode Bringing the Magic Home
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
6 extra-large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving
Click here for Directions!
Opéra Cake – Daring Bakers May Challenge
Joconde… ok.
Flavored syrup… ok.
Buttercream… ok.
Mousse… ok.
Glaze… ok.
I knew I could handle all of the above. No problem whatsoever. Well… unfortunately I had some issues putting all these elements together for my first Daring Bakers Challenge – Opéra Cake. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun along the way.
The joconde came out perfect as well as the flavored syrup. However, there was a major issue with my buttercream. It was just extremely runny. When it was put on the cake during assembly it just rolled right off and then totally disappeared after it set for a while. Things also did not go over well with my white chocolate melting for the mousse and I was not able to use it. That also means the finishing glaze was out of the question since white chocolate is the major part of that recipe. How many strikes is that? Oh yeah, three. I think I’m out!
Now, the problems I had did not affect the taste at all, just the appearance. This cake tasted wonderful. I made an almond joconde, vanilla syrup and banana buttercream. Bailey’s would have been my choice for the mousse had I been able to make it right.
Ok, after all the issues I finally got things ready to take some pictures. Since the cake is light colored, it did not make for the best photo subject but I thought I had gotten some decent ones. I go to hook up my memory card and guess what? ALL of my pictures somehow had gotten deleted. :shock: I only made mini cakes and had cut them all up already and eaten some. So… Uh oh. A second photo shoot wasn’t going to be in the works without making the entire cake again. Luckily, my BF found a memory card recovery program and he was able to recover ONE of the pictures for me.
And here it is! My only recovered picture of my Opéra Cake in all it’s glory??
Before taking this picture I added some more buttercream in the middle and hoped it didn’t run out too much. Otherwise, the cake looked like three layers sitting on top of each other. It doesn’t look too bad, I guess. But when compared to some of the other absolutely beautiful cakes other members did… hmm, I think a couple of notes on this Opéra went flat.
I guess I’m going to chalk this one up to experience. A good one, though.
This month’s challenge was hosted by Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, Lis of La Mia Cucina, Fran of Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie and Shea of Whiskful.
This post is dedicated to honorary Daring Baker Barbara of Winos and Foodies. Barbara is the force behind the food blog event A Taste of Yellow that supports Lance Armstrong’s LiveSTRONG foundation. 2008′s LiveSTRONG Day was May 13th. Look here to see this year’s amazing Taste of Yellow entries.
Opéra Cake
For the joconde
(Note: The joconde can be made up to 1 day in advance and kept wrapped at room temperate)
What you’ll need:
•2 12½ x 15½-inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans (Note: If you do not have jelly-roll pans this size, do not fear! You can use different-sized jelly-roll pans like 10 x 15-inches.)
•a few tablespoons of melted butter (in addition to what’s called for in the ingredients’ list) and a brush (to grease the pans)
•parchment paper
•a whisk and a paddle attachment for a stand mixer or for a handheld mixer
•two mixing bowls (you can make do with one but it’s preferable to have two)
Ingredients:
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds (Note: If you do not want to use almond meal, you can use another nut meal like hazelnut. You can buy almond meal in bulk food stores or health food stores, or you can make it at home by grinding almonds in the food processor with a tablespoon or two of the flour that you would use in the cake. The reason you need the flour is to prevent the almonds from turning oily or pasty in the processor. You will need about 2 cups of blanched almonds to create enough almond meal for this cake.)
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1.Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.
2.Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C).
3.Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.
4.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.
5.If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.
6.Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).
7.Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.
8.Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.
9.Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.
10.Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.
For the syrup
(Note: The syrup can be made up to 1 week in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.)
What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan
Ingredients:
½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of the flavouring of your choice (i.e., vanilla extract, almond extract, cognac, limoncello, coconut cream, honey etc.)
1.Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.
2.Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
For the buttercream
(Note: The buttercream can be made up to 1 month in advance and packed in an airtight container. If made way in advance, you can freeze the buttercream. Alternatively you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days after making it. To use the buttercream simply bring it to room temperature and then beat it briefly to restore its consistency.)
What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan
•a candy or instant-read thermometer
•a stand mixer or handheld mixer
•a bowl and a whisk attachment
•rubber spatula
Ingredients:
1 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 grams) water
seeds of one vanilla bean (split a vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds) or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract (Note: If you are flavouring your buttercream and do not want to use the vanilla, you do not have to. Vanilla will often enhance other flavours but if you want an intense, one-flavoured buttercream, then by all means leave it out!)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
flavouring of your choice (a tablespoon of an extract, etc.)
1.Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.
2.Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) [*Note: Original recipe indicates a temperature of 255◦F (124◦C), however, when testing the recipe I found that this was too high so we heated to 225◦F and it worked fine] on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.
3.While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.
4.When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!
5.Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).
6.While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.
7.With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.
8.At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.
9.Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).
For the white chocolate ganache/mousse (this step is optional)
(Note: The mousse can be made ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.)
What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan
•a mixer or handheld mixer
Ingredients:
7 ounces white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liquer of your choice (Bailey’s, Amaretto, etc.)
1.Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.
2.Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.
3.In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
4.Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.
5.If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.
6.If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.
For the glaze
(Note: It’s best to make the glaze right when you’re ready to finish the cake.)
What you’ll need:
•a small saucepan or double boiler
Ingredients:
14 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)
1.Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.
2.Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.
3.Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
Assembling the Opéra Cake
(Note: The finished cake should be served slightly chilled. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day).
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
Working with one sheet of cake at a time, cut and trim each sheet so that you have two pieces (from each cake so you’ll have four pieces in total): one 10-inch (25-cm) square and one 10 x 5-inch (25 x 12½-cm) rectangle.
Step A (if using buttercream only and not making the ganache/mousse):
Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.
Spread about one-third of the buttercream over this layer.
Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.
Spread another third of the buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde. Spread the remaining buttercream on top of the final layer of joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).
Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.
Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.
Step B (if making the ganache/mousse):
Place one square of cake on the baking sheet and moisten it gently with the flavoured syrup.
Spread about three-quarters of the buttercream over this layer.
Top with the two rectangular pieces of cake, placing them side by side to form a square. Moisten these pieces with the flavoured syrup.
Spread the remaining buttercream on the cake and then top with the third square of joconde. Use the remaining syrup to wet the joconde and then refrigerate until very firm (at least half an hour).
Prepare the ganache/mousse (if you haven’t already) and then spread it on the top of the last layer of the joconde. Refrigerate for at least two to three hours to give the ganache/mousse the opportunity to firm up.
Make the glaze and after it has cooled, pour/spread it over the top of the chilled cake. Refrigerate the cake again to set the glaze.
Serve the cake slightly chilled. This recipe will yield approximately 20 servings.
Pecan Honey Sticky Buns – TWD
This week’s Tuesday with Dorie selection was Pecan Honey Sticky Buns chosen by Madam Chow of Madam Chow’s Kitchen.
I was happy to make these. I’m not the biggest pecan fan but I thought they tasted really good. Very easy to put together once the brioche dough is ready to go. And they roll up so nice and cute too. Look…
A little closer look…
It seems to take forever from the time you start this recipe until you actually get to taste it because of the dough rising and chilling time. AND then an hour and a half of rising time before you can bake after you have rolled and cut the buns. They are so worth the wait though.
I used some of the leftover glaze that I made for the Brioche Raisin Snails. Very nice addition although certainly not necessary.
Mmm Hmmm…
Stop by Tuesdays with Dorie to check out all of the marvelous TWD bakers blogs to see how theirs turned out. Next week’s selection is French Chocolate Brownies chosen by Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook. See you next Tuesday!
This post is dedicated to my KitchenAid mixer for working overtime this week on the brioche. Love you KitchenAid, you are the best $125 deal I’ve ever gotten! 
Pecan Honey Sticky Buns
Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Blast From TWD Past – Brioche Raisin Snails
Since making the Brioche for the Pecan Honey Sticky Buns leaves you with extra dough, this was the perfect time to go back and get to one of the recipes that was selected for Tuesdays with Dorie before I joined the group. My intention is to eventually get through all the completed recipes I missed before I began with Bill’s Big Carrot Cake. One down, only sixteen more to go!
Brioche Raisin Snails were originally chosen by Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody for the week of March 18th. Check out Peabody’s post from back then here to see how her Tangerine Glazed version of Brioche Raisin Snails turned out.
Now, this recipe is kind of involved. There are a lot of things going on between making the brioche, the pastry cream, the glaze and igniting the raisins but this was a fun one to do. My favorite part was seeing the ingredients for the pastry cream change form from liquid whisked up eggs and milk to a solid cream. It seemed to happen in one second. Like magic.
On first taste you may not “get” these. I took my first bite and thought “eh, whatever”. But then, over the next few bites I really started to like them. The taste was subtle and not overly sweet. I finished the first one, tried one of the Pecan Sticky Buns and then had to go back for another one of these snails to taste it some more. Then I felt sick.
When I got up this morning I was craving one. Seriously, look at them… I couldn’t deny myself. Could you? (um, if you can somehow, don’t say anything about my lack of willpower. please? k, thanks!)
Brioche Raisin Snails
Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours
Traditional Madeleines – TWD
This week’s Tuesdays With Dorie selection was Traditional Madeleines chosen by Tara of Smells Like Home. This was my first time ever making Madeleines myself. Usually, I just get them in a little pack from Starbucks and I’m good to go. I’ve always wanted to try them at home but I knew Madeleine pans were hard to come by around here without ordering them from the internet. Luckily, a few weeks ago I had stopped by “Le Gourmet”, an outlet store near my house, and saw a Madeleine pan for $9.99. I didn’t buy it at the time but I made a mental note so once I needed it for TWD, I would know where to find it. Good thing.
Sponge cake has always been my favorite type of cake. That’s why I like these Madeleines so much, they are basically just a little sponge cake shaped like a seashell with a little lemon mixed in. You can’t go wrong with that.
I actually wished they had more of the seashell pattern. And I don’t know how good my “characteristic hump” came out but I was completely satisfied with the taste and texture. Now that I have the pan I can see myself making these again and again. Sorry Starbucks.
Come to me little spaceship…
Stop by and check out what all the other wonderful members of TWD did this week here. Next week, the selection is Pecan Honey Sticky Buns. See you next Tuesday!
Traditional Madeleines
Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours
WHAT I DID/CHANGED/THOUGHT:
I changed nothing from the original recipe except using 1.5 teaspoons of Dried Lemon Zest in place of fresh.
If you make this, save yourself the hassle and like Dorie suggests, just spoon the batter into the molds and refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake. Much, much, much easier!
I let the batter chill for about 18 hours.
These were gone in literally about five minutes between my boyfriend and I. And he thought he would hate them.
Let’s Go to the Movies
Waitress is one of my all time favorite movies. If you’ve seen it, you already know about the pies that the main character Jenna (played by Keri Russell) creates. If you haven’t, the main character Jenna dreams of getting away from her husband while she creates unique pies at a place called Joe’s Pie Diner (Joe is played by the *brilliant* Andy Griffith). Her plans to leave her husband are in motion until she finds out that she’s pregnant. Then things get even more complicated when she meets her married male obstetrician. 
It’s a great movie. It’s a little quirky, sad, sarcastic, funny and heartwarming all mixed up into one. Anyway, the pies Jenna creates throughout the movie take front and center stage. Like “I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby” pie, “Baby Screaming It’s Head Off in the Middle of the Night and Ruining My Life” pie or “I Can’t Have No Affair Because It’s Wrong and I Don’t Want Earl To Kill Me” pie. I have already made the Falling In Love Chocolate Mousse and it was REALLY good. I want to try my hand at the rest of them too. It’s great that these recipes can live up to the expectations of how good the pies were supposed to be in the movie.
So, here we have the Marshmallow Mermaid Pie.
I feel like a kid again. This is a pretty pie, don’t you think?
It’s not just pretty though. It tastes great, too. I was a little concerned about using Unsweetened Chocolate in the filling and more concerned after I tried the filling by itself because the aftertaste was very bitter. No worries though, once the filling is put together with the crust and the marshmallows, there isn’t any bitterness from the chocolate at all. This pie is even good on it’s own without the marshmallows if they’re not really your thing.
Please check out the link where I found the recipe here.
Florida Pie – TWD
This week’s Tuesdays With Dorie selection was Florida Pie chosen by Dianne of Dianne’s Dishes.
I couldn’t have been happier with this choice because Key Lime Pie is my absolute favorite dessert. I thought this recipe was interesting because it added coconut (which, if you’ve read my previous posts, you know I’m iffy on but just lately started coming around to) and meringue. I’ve never had either of those things in any of the Key Lime pies I’ve ever made or tasted… I’m a purist. But I guess that’s why this is called Florida Pie and not Key Lime Pie, huh?
Anytime you get to break out the blow torch… awesome.
This recipe was easy, fast to make and produced a great end result. I ended up liking the addition of coconut and meringue.
Florida Pie
adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan
1 9-inch graham cracker crust, fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, seperated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar
Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put pie plate on a baking sheet.
Put cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly (I got involved doing other things and totally forgot I had this on the stove but everything was fine). Continue to cook and stir until cream is reduced by half and mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape coconut cream into a bowl and set aside.
Working with a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until blended. Spread coconut cream in bottom of graham cracker crust, and pour over lime filling.
Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.
To Finish the Pie with Meringue:
Put 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into meringue.
Spread meringue over top of pie, and run pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you’ve got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.
Please check out what the other fabulous members of Tuesdays with Dorie did here.
Next week’s TWD selection is Traditional Madeleines chosen by Tara of Smells Like Home. I am SO EXCITED to be making these. See you next Tuesday!
For My Mom: Coconut Cupcakes
I thought I knew almost everything about my Mom, especially when it came to what she likes to eat. I got a big surprise though the other day when I asked her what her favorite kind of cake was and she answered “Coconut”. I said “Huh?”. This was news to me. I don’t even remember seeing her eat a piece. Ever.
Coconut is usually one of my LEAST favorite things to eat. Now I don’t mind the flavor so much. In fact, I have been known to enjoy many Pina Coladas in a row on occasion, but to actually eat coconut in little shreds and all that… blech.
But I knew I had to make my Mom her favorite kind of cake for Mother’s Day. It’s what any good daughter who likes to bake would do.
I remembered that Ina Garten had a Coconut Cupcake recipe that looked pretty good in her Barefoot Contessa Cookbook so I decided to go with that. You know, Ina has not let me down yet. Most of her recipes are basic and simple but have something different about them that delivers incredibly good versions of well known favorites. Love her, love her, love her.
And of course I love my Mom. So, Happy Mother’s Day to mine and all the other Mom’s out there.
Please check out Ina Garten’s Coconut Cupcake recipe here and make them, like, tonight. It gets five star ratings and the word “heavenly” is used to describe these in her cookbook. Really, how could you go wrong?
So, maybe I can live with a little coconut in my life outside of pina coladas. I survived putting it in Bill’s Big Carrot Cake for TWD and now these cupcakes. And let me just tell you, these babies were freakin’ awesome.
Cinnamon Twists
I love old cookbooks. But I especially love old ones where members of some organization pooled recipes together for a fundraiser and created one of those paper cookbooks with full length plastic binders. I have a few of these that I’ve picked up from yard sales, old bookstores or stolen from my Mom. I find them really interesting to look through. I like everything from the kitchen tips to the weird outdated pictures to the recipes that call for “1 pound of lard” (mmm, tasty) to the no-nonsense instructions that can sometimes leave you scratching your head. It’s comforting to know that someone at one time thought their recipe for ____ was THE BEST and offered it up for a compilation knowing their name would be attached to it forever. It’s almost like a seal of approval that it will be edible because you know nobody would submit something that wasn’t good that would make their aquaintances go “Can you believe So and So’s “Best Ever” Something and Something?? Best Ever?? Yeah right, it was so bad I threw the whole thing in the trash”. No one wants that.
Anyway, these Cinnamon Twists came from “Jan”. I don’t know who or where she is now but she sure offered up a great recipe back in 1987. Thanks, Jan… I hope you guys reached your fundraising goal!
These are good on their own but adding decorating sugar and orange cream cheese frosting really takes them to the next level of super good.
Jan’s Cinnamon Twists
What You’ll Need for Day One:
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 cup milk, scalded (in other words, warm enough to melt butter in)
1 yeast cake or package dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup very warm water
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4 cup flour
What You’ll Need for Day Two:
Melted Butter (I would melt at least three to four tablespoons to start with and go from there)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs sugar
Day One: Melt margarine in milk and cool slightly. Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Beat eggs and add sugar, salt, yeast and milk. Stir in flour or use mixer until smooth. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Day Two: Divide dough in half. Roll into rectangle (about 10×14 inches). Spread with some melted butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Fold dough in half, pressing edges together. Cut into strips 3/4 inch wide (using a pizza cutter makes it really easy). Place on greased cookie sheet, twisting as you do this. Let rise (covered) for three hours. Preheat oven to 325 and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and drizzle with icing.
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
Enough milk to make the icing spreadable (do not make too thin)
Optional and Highly Recommended Additions:
Decorating Sugar
Orange Cream Cheese Icing for dipping (any basic recipe with a little added orange extract will do)
What I DID/CHANGED/THOUGHT:
I didn’t change anything from the original dough recipe.
I doubled the cinnamon and sugar amounts.
I tried getting fancier on a few with the style of twisting and stuff, but honestly, it really didn’t work. There was something about doing too much with the dough that made them too dense. They also didn’t brown as much.
My house smelled awesome while these were baking.
Peanut Butter Torte – TWD
This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie selection was Peanut Butter Torte chosen by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food. I was really looking forward to making this one because I absolutely love peanut butter. Unfortunately, I can only handle the taste in small doses now that I’m an adult. Man, growing up really is NO fun sometimes.
Anyway, this torte was super easy to make. And it tasted great, too. The peanut taste wasn’t overwhelming at all. I read that some of the other TWD members thought it was a little salty, but I left out the pinch of salt the recipe called for and used “lightly salted” peanuts instead of regular and didn’t have any issues. It never fails though, I forgot something on this recipe too. And I was so careful about checking off each step as I went along to make sure I got everything. I’m in my 30′s now, you would think i could follow a simple set of directions…. but noooooo. What I forgot was to butter the pans before I pressed in the crust. I was a little worried about this and how it would play out in the end, but I had no problems when it came time to remove the sides of the springforms. One of these days I’ll get everything right.
I haven’t bought a package of Oreos in forever. I forgot how good they are.
Chocolate + peanuts + sugar = Mmmm.
I’ve decided that I can’t cut a cake, a pie and now a torte. I’m ok with that. Really.
I had fun this week. This was my favorite recipe out of the three I’ve made so far. Check out other Peanut Butter Tortes from all of TWD’s talented and amazing members here.
See you next Tuesday for FLORIDA PIE (yay!) chosen by Dianne of Dianne’s Dishes.
adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
1 ¼ c. finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ c. mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Small pinch of salt
2 ½ c. heavy cream
1 ¼ c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ c salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; Dorie uses Skippy)
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
Getting ready: center a rack in the oven, preheat to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chips together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Put Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze crust for 10 minutes.
Bake crust for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack and let cool completely before filling.
Whip 2 cups of cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl. Beat cream cheese with remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until cream cheese is smooth. Beat in peanut butter, ¼ cup of chopped peanuts and the milk.
Using a spatula, gently stir in one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Then stir in the crunchy peanut mixture and gently fold in remaining whipped cream.
Scrape the mousse into crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight; covering with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.
To Finish The Torte: put chopped chocolate in heatproof bowl and set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.
Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate, gently stir together with a rubber spatula until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.
Pour ganache over torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the ganache, about 20 minutes.
When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
What I DID/CHANGED/THOUGHT:
This was a great choice and I think I would make this again in the future.
I used two 4 x 1 3/4 mini springform pans and halved the recipe.
Used Lightly Salted peanuts, regular Oreo’s, instant coffee granules and smooth Jif peanut butter. Left out the pinch of salt the recipe called for.
I had issues with the crust and getting it to do what I wanted it to do.
Forgot to butter the pans but this did not create any problems for me.
Didn’t use a hair dryer or a hot kitchen towel, just soaked the pans in a little warm water bath before removing the sides.
