Jam Crostada - A Daring Baker's Challenge

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.

Sugar Cookies - A Daring Baker's Challenge

The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.

Well, this month, I was so busy that I wasn't sure I would have time for another challenge!  However, I decided that I could at least get some experience in frosting cookies, and making royal icing.  So, here's my simple attempt at decorating sugar cookies.  My husband was, of course, supportive in this decision.  Thanks for the challenge, and I'm looking forward to the next :)

Petit Fours, Ice Cream Style - A Daring Baker's Challenge

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

Baked Alaska - A Daring Baker's Challenge

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.

Swiss Swirl Ice Cream Cake - A Daring Baker's Challenge

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

This was a really fun challenge, and perfect for July in Tucson, where it is 105 degrees F everyday.

Buttermilk Ice Cream

I know, it sounds a little weird, I was hesitant. But, oh boy, this is a delicious alternative to vanilla ice cream. It has that same goodness that sour cream has when you add it to cheesecake or sour cream apple pie. I found it from this website. It is simple, creamy, and delicious.

Birthday Cake 2010

Happy Birthday Stéphane!!

This is a creation that was inspired by a combination of The Cuban Opera Cake and a delicious cake we once had at a local coffee shop. That cake was a basic chocolate cake that had mint buttercream frosting and a thick outer layer of ganache. Y-U-M!

Croquembouche Cupcakes

Johanna noticed these cute little goodies on this website as part of the May 2010 Daring Baker's challenge. I recently joined The Daring Bakers, and my first challenge was in June, with the decadent Chocolate Pavlovas.


So, I thought there wouldn't be any harm in going back a month and trying out that one too, since we were looking for some festive cupcakes to make for the 4th of July. So, here is our version adapted from here.

Chocolate Pavovas with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse - A Daring Baker's Challenge

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

Crème Anglaise - Part of A Daring Baker's Challenge

Crème Anglaise (translation "English Cream") is a very light, pourable custurd. It can be used as a base or decoration for other desserts, it is almost a pastry cream, and is basically the same as some ice cream batters that I've used. This was supposed to be a part of my first Daring Baker's challenge, to be drizzled on top of the Mousse Covered Pavlovas. However, I decided that they looked nice as is, and didn't end up using it as a drizzle. I still made it and will use it in something else, maybe with floating islands.

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake

This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen. I made a few changes because (a) I had some leftover graham crackers I wanted to incorporate, (b) I simply forgot to add flour to the cheesecake filling, (c) I just didn't have dark rum, but instead had white rum. And, luckily, these changes still resulted in "the best cheesecake I've ever had", said one of my friends. So, here's the changes I made, or you can backtrack and make the original recipe from Epicurious or The Smitten Kitchen's adapted version linked above.

Molten Lava Cake

The cake, if cooked correctly, resembles melted chocolate in the center enveloped by a moist cake. The oven temperature and length of time that you bake it is therefore very important.

The recipe for the cake, which has been adapted from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen is here: Tasty Kitchen's Molten Lava Cake

Poached Eggs

Hubby has mastered poached eggs, they are soooo good, and to top it off, he makes a delicious, beautiful presentation shown here. He made a guacamole with our homegrown cilantro (bottom), veggies stir-fried shown on top of our homegrown greens (left), and the main act: a poached egg on top of an english muffin. He fills a sauce pot with water, a little salt, and a good splash of white vinegar. Bring to a boil, then turn the burner to low. Wait until the water stops boiling rapidly. You must break the eggs in a shallow cup and gently lower them into the water to avoid them spreading out. Leave the burner on low and cover the pot, let sit for about 5 minutes. He likes to slice cheese on the english muffin, spread some good dijon mustard on it, place the finished, poached egg on top, and stick in the toaster oven just to evaporate all of the water. Sometimes he gets even more creative by putting some herb de provence in the water as well. See why I married him?

Granola: 1st Attempt

I told you that I would post about my attempt at granola, well here's my first try. It was (a) really simple, and (b) really good! I adapted the recipe from here:
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2009/01/easy_homemade_g.html

Who Knew? Yogurt!!

So, I FINALLY tried making yogurt, and why did I wait so long? I have no idea. It's almost silly how easy and nearly foolproof it is to make, AND it's much tastier. No additives, simply milk and some starter yogurt: can't get more natural than that! People suggest using a specific brand of yogurt, but I used something different and it worked out fine. As long as you have the friendly, little bacteria guys in there to start, they'll do the work on your new batch. And those are the guys that make yogurt so healthy, so don't be scared of them. They are like the ladybugs in your garden, welcome visitors!

Homemade Oreos (so worth it!)

I got the recipe from Smitten Kitchen, as I do a lot of recipes. This one is a definite keeper as it was a huge it with hubby + our friends. It wasn't even that hard to make. If you like to bake and have a sweet tooth, this is for you:
http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/05/my-kingdom-for-a-glass-of-milk/

I found that my chocolate wafers were a little bit too puffy, Smitten Kitchen's wafers look flatter and more oreo-like than mine. Next time, I'll push 'em down a little more. However, puffy or not, these are damn good.

Oh Delicious Crepe Cake!

Ok, I don't want to brag, really, I don't. BUT, we have perfected the Crepe Cake (or Gateau de Crepes)! My husband and I changed up the recipe to our taste, because as he says, "everyone likes chocolate better than vanilla". I don't always agree with that, but hey, maybe the majority prefer chocolate...

Chocolate-Hazelnut Layered Mousse with Fresh Whipped Cream

Canard Hachis Parmentier (Minced Duck Topped with Mashed Potatoes)

Hi Everyone! We had a lovely dinner party with some of our good friends a couple weeks ago, and I've been meaning to share with you the main culinary characters. We made canard hachis parmentier with a stuffed tomato, and chocolate-hazelnut layered mousse (see separate post) for dessert. We just returned from France and had a fabulous time with my husband's family, and of course, there was lots of great food which provided inspiration for this dinner party. My brother-in-law's Aunt made hachis parmentier (which translates to shepherd's pie, according to a quick google search, but I believe that hachis alone means minced. I need my French family to help translate parmentier). Anyway, this was no shephard's pie, it was much more elegant than a simple peasants dish. I can't take credit for this dish alone, my wonderful husband and I did this together. He was responsible for putting the finished product together, and what an excellent job he did! I was reminded once again that I made the right choice for my partner.