TWD, French Pear Tart (aka: I can't believe I made something so delicious!!)

Well it's a big week here in Tuesdays with Dorie, as this week our recipe was chosen by the baker extraordinairre, la grande dame herself, Dorie Greenspan! Her choice was her French Pear Tart. It's a big week in this household as well, more on that later! First, let's talk tart:

Now with all the blogs in the roll, not sure that she'll find her way through to my little world, yet even still, just the thought of making a recipe this week that was chosen by Dorie herself sort of made me feel like she was coming over to the house to share it--like I was making it FOR her...I was really looking forward to tackling the tart and kept my fingers crossed the whole time that I would have a decent photo for this week!

I am jumping to the end because I am giddy over the outcome--I swear, I have never baked anything that tasted as good as this tart. That almond cream and the tart crust combo...it's superb...it's sublime...it's perfect! I can't believe I made this! I really was proud, I have to say!

Now, backing up a bit--It was a fun recipe to make, and I did so on Sunday late afternoon...I liked the back and forth and pauses in between--made for an easy time actually. While the shell baked, I put together the almond cream. While the shell cooled, I made Dear Husband and I dinner...and while we ate dinner, meanwhile the shell, the cream and the pears were turning themselves into one big meld of yummy goodness in the oven!

The only substitutions I made were a 9.5" pie plate in lieu of a tart pan, and the stand mixer in lieu of food processor for the pastry dough. (I had dough issues with the food processor and dough making during rugelach week--it's just not quite big enough I think is the issue). I may have overworked it a bit as I would not call the texture 'granular' when it came out of the bowl and putting it into the pie plate...but the end result was tasty once put together with the other elements. I loved how the almond cream puffed up a bit and just hugged the pears....I'm sorry, I know I sound like a broken record (or 'skipping CD' for the younger crowd), but truly this is a bit of heaven on earth.

The pears were a slight issue--only because my canned pears were quartered, not halved...so it made for smaller pieces. I tried to arrange them best I could in the spoke-type formation, and I think next time I would put more on top, maybe in a different pattern so every bite is sure to get a good ratio of pear to the almond cream (have I mentioned the almond cream? Someone, please pass me the almond cream...)

Dear Husband was quite thankful for the tart this week after having to sit out my very first cheesecake last week, and so I was thrilled that he loved this as much as I do. Honestly, I can't see anyone 'not' liking this.

Dorie, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your book, your ability to make things seem so easy and un-intimidating to try and for this tart! I can already see myself impressing people with this next time we have friends over! As I type this up Monday evening, we have just enjoyed Day 2 of your formidable French Pear Tart! Vive la almond cream!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE MADE THIS, PART II:
(a.k.a Lisa is a Baker--with a Bun in the Oven!)
I am happy, thrilled, scared a bit, and just overall excited to report, that God willing, come July 15th (or thereabouts) Dear Husband and I will be parents!!! I'm 13 weeks along, and New Year's Eve we had a 12 week ultrasound and marveled at the little one growing in me (I guess one plus about being over 35 and labeled "high risk" are the extra ultrasounds I receive!) So our holidays were extra special this year as we had fun spreading the happy news, were so overwhelmed with everyone's excitement for us, and an already merry time of year was extra-merry. And so far, knock wood, I've not been nauseous--just super tired! (thus the reason for the post when I was MIA a month or so back! I was dead on my feet and had no energy!)

TWD: Cheesecake! (aka: Eat Your Heart out, Golden Girls!)

Anne Strawberry, thank you for choosing Tall & Creamy Cheesecake (Baking, from my Home toYours, Dorie Greenspan) for our last recipe of 2008 on Tuesdays With Dorie! I was excited to try it, yet fearing "can I really tackle this?" I don't know why it was such a big mystery before...maybe due to the fact that it is a favorite of so many...that it became worthy of a chain of restaurants bearing its name....Yet it turns out, I followed Dorie's instructions to the letter, and darnit, I made a good gosh darn cheesecake!

I chose Dec 23rd to put it all together, not only because I did not have to work that day, more because Dear Husband DID. You see, my dear lactose intolerant mate would have probably bust an intestine seeing the lineup of the ingredients....4 packages of cream cheese...heavy whipping cream...sour cream...the man would have spontaneously combusted just looking at all of that lined up on the counter! He can regulate having dairy by doing the lactaid milk, or taking the lactaid pills before eating pizza, or lasagna....but THIS?...NO amount of medicated preventative medicine in the cabinet would have saved his digestive system. He can take LOOKING at the finished product and appreciating in the way of: "it looks good---for those of you lucky enough to digest dairy." But I thought to spare him the whole ingredient list and showing him all that went into it (kind of like not wanting to know what goes into hot dogs or sausage, I suppose?!) Of course what he didn't see was me eat a piece of it Christmas night--with a side of egg nog! He would have accused me of showing off (but oh how I adore you, my lactose-loving digestive system!!)

I followed the recipe for the filling exactly--and opted for a package of Nabisco chocolate wafter cookies as the crust--which was sooo gooooood!! I'm not one for too many flavors in the 'cake' part, so liked having a nice chocolate base for the crust. Great compliment.

VOILA! A cheesecake fit for the likes of Blanche, Rose, Dorothy & Sophia!!

I had to show this next photo only because it hit me going through my pictures how the top of the cheesecake's color looks just like the kitchen table! Even down to the bubble 'knot holes'! Maybe I'm the only one amused with that...anyway...humor me:

TWD: Grandma's All Occassion Sugar

Ok, speed baking.... Read post below to see why this is being posted so late on a Tues!

Dateline: Tuesday, 8:30pm. I procured the baking powder tonight on my way home, and threw these together...I did slice & bake route so I can properly test the dough (must compare to mom's old sugar cookie recipe and just want a 'control' group of cookies..plus, let's face it--cut-outs at 9pm on a Tuesday? Nah, I don't think so.) So here I am at the computer to at least start my entry while the dough is chillin'!

The dough came together super easily, and I tried to follow through and not over mix the flour/dry ingredient step...by 7pm the dough was put in the fridge and I was put in front of our TV as we ate and watched Jeopardy! (we live SUCH an exciting life--and yes eat in front of the TV way too often he and I. It wasn't even a good episode...no good TV/pop culture subjects, and there was a run-away winner...those smug 'returning champions...')

I'm looking at the clock--time to go preheat the oven and slice!..be right back!

Dateline: Tuesday, 9pm: The dough chilled for for 1hr 45 min and it was perfect for slicing--nice and firm, just like the store-bought Nestle/Pillsbury dough you cut up...only...mine wasn't round--the slices came out oval. Not sure what happened there, I think when I wrapped, I sorta flattened at the same time. Oops. Alas, no time to lament, I cut 'em, threw red/green sugar on 'em, (and cinn/sugar on a select few), threw 'em onto cookie sheets, and popped up here to continue the blog entry while I hope for the best during the first half of baking.

Ding! 9:05....Time to rotate the cookie sheets to opposite racks in the oven, hold on.

9:07pm. So the only thing I was bummed as I cut them was there were slices with some flour 'shrapnel' that did not break apart...most likely due to my stopping the mixer a bit TOO soon?

I curtailed my baking session and only cut up 1 log..got about 22 cookies out of that half. No re-chilling needed, it really was a great slice-n-bake consistency!

DING!! It's 9:11 They're done...time to taste test!

9:30: Final Judgement: well, other than the shape looking odd for Christmas cookies, they came out really tasty. I would make the dough again--it's slightly 'thicker' butterier than my mom's traditional sugar Christmas cookie dough (which probably was not 'her' recipe, but the one we used each year...so I call it hers!) These are a bit thicker. For me, I am a fan of crispy cookies, not 'cakey' cookies...If I want cake, I'll make a cake. I think there's just more butter going on in them. With that said, it did not stop me from popping 4 of them in the past 5 minutes. I may make as a head-to-head comparison with the other sugar dough from the old days to really compare.

Well, that's it folks, 2.5 hrs to spare, my post has been submitted! Thank you Ulrike of Küchenlatein for choosing such an easy recipe--one that can be made/posted in under 3 hrs on a Tuesday night!! :) Now, I'm off to have a couple more of my "Easter Egg" Christmas Cookies!

ok, truly...I'm still trying!

OK, I've been awful with Tuesday posts, this I know...but there's a reason that has been taking up tons of time and mostly energy and sucking me away from baking... More on that in a few weeks...BUT the thing that really gets my parchment paper in a bunch is I WAS going to bake Sunday night, opened the pantry for the brand new container of "Baking Powder" that I grabbed from Trader Joe's the day before (my old one expired and I had thrown it out). Well, come to find out what I bought was NOT baking powder afterall. Now who, I ask you, WHO PUTS BAKING SODA IN A CONTAINER SHAPED JUST LIKE TRADITIONAL BAKING POWDER?! Yes, come to find out, I grabbed baking soda by mistake because I glanced at the shape of the container and did not read carefully...shame on me, but c'mon Joe, this is total BS (and for any kids out there in Blogger Land, by that I mean "baking soda"..)

Dear Husband looked at me, an emotional wreck..it was 7pm on a Sunday...offered to go out and get the right ingredient, which was just so sweet that I had to say no. (Though I think he his real motive was he wants these sugar cookies!)

Monday was no-go I had to work late...BUT then again..Tuesday is a long day--perhaps if I can get out of work on time...Who knows, maybe I'll get a post in by 11:59pm of the sugar cookies if I can make them quickly tonight!

I do plan to do major power baking (or should I say POWDER baking)---I've got a work cookie swap to plan for next week so there's no way I can go without baking for that!

Signed,
Lisa is a (poor excuse for a) Baker

PS: Please, powers that be at TWD, don't take me off the blog roll yet--I promise, I'll be better in living up to my baking potential!!

TWD: Arborio Rice Pudding

I was so happy when I saw this would be on tap for this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe! I LOOOOVE rice pudding...love, love it. I have not made it in ages--and what I do remember in making it involved putting it in the oven, in a pan of water...It was one of my mom's recipes that I have since lost track of...(anyone ever make it that way?) Another thing I know about rice pudding--many times the recipe calls for raisins. I was pleasantly surprised that Dorie did not call for them in the main recipe (though I know she had some spin-off recipes in the margins), because, to be honest, I would have left them out anyway--so this way I didn't feel like I was flaking out on Dorie's creation! Mom used to make 2 batches--one with, and one without!

I decided this was the recipe I would break out my new copper pot that I bought several months ago now, and had not yet used. It's the only copper one I have, and I just love it. I guess I was waiting for 'the' perfect recipe to christen it, and this ended up the perfect size pot for this recipe...I felt like I was "really" cooking when I used it!

I must note that I think I enjoyed this recipe partly because it is a fave of mine, partly because I was able to admire my copper pot whilst making it, and partly because the recipe actually was a nice and "quiet" one. No going back and forth with melting things on the stove, to going to a Kitchen Aid, sifting, etc. This was a low key, simmer and stir, and phase out while you stare into the milk, looking for the rice to surface. It was a nice change of pace.

BUT--it was not without its hiccups. The only glitch came when I had the feeling after the 30+ minutes on the stove it was still not thick enough, but I gave up and poured it into the bowl, threw the Saran Wrap on top as instructed to prevent skin, and put it into the fridge...Then I went right to the computer, and consulted the notes left on the TWD site, to see the post by Dorie herself, warning of the "fatal" misprint about how long to let it simmer...No, not 30 minutes--more like 50 minutes! So I rushed downstairs (after my very soupy version was sitting in the fridge for about 10-15 min) and dumped the bowl back into the pot, let it simmer 20-25 minutes more, and it finally did in fact absorb 80-90% of the liquid--disaster averted! Believe me, I would have been CRUSHED if I didn't do this recipe correctly, I had such high hopes!

So here is my rice pudding--in 'Round 2' on the stove (note bowl w/ ripped off Saran Wrap to left!)


Quick note--I found I had to stir it almost constantly towards the end of the simmering time--otherwise a skin would form...

So back into the fridge it went...and later that afternoon while it set, I cracked open my new Everyday Food and decided to make the Lighter Chicken Enchiladas---yum!! They came out awesome! (Of course, I'm partial to anything covered in melty cheese....)



So Saturday evening, Dear Husband and I enjoyed enchilada dinner, compliments of Martha's Everyday Food, and topped it off with Dorie's rice pudding--which was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! How proud I was that the best rice pudding I've had was by my own doing! I can't ever see making the chocolate version-and my chocoholic husband actually noted the same thing...maybe one day I'll say I'm a believer (cue The Monkees), but I don't feel I'm missing anything right now. For me, all I needed was the classic vanilla rice pudding, and the only other requirement for me is a happy sprinkle of nutmeg on top (Much like my theory on egg nog, it's all about the nutmeg!)

Dorie, thanks for a winner! And thanks for posting about the typo and saving me from rice soup! I would have been so disappointed as I was so excited to try this!

If you want the recipe, visit Isabelle of Les Gourmandises d'Isa. She chose this great recipe this week! She's got some amazing looking photos of her creations on her blog too--hello puff pastry! And you can hit a button on it to translate it into English (though I'm having fun trying to read it in French, just to see what vocabulary I remember from all those classes in high school and college. Turns out, sadly, I can't say I retained a lot--sorry, Mrs. Beaulieu!)

Hope everyone was able to enjoy this recipe and avoid any soupy under-simmered pudding. If you didn't I urge you to try it again--it's worth it!

(PS: "Melty" came up in my spell check as misspelled?! Hey, it may not be a formal word, but darnit, I'm keeping it in--how else can you describe the Monterey Jack atop my enchiladas?! Though, "nog" came up too, so that just makes me think blogger needs an updated dictionary! Especially for kitchen/cooking/baking words!)

I'm a TWD Slacker this week..

Ok, so after all my excitement over baking that Kugelhopf bread-cake hybrid, and after purchasing my fancy pan for it....I didn't get to making it being out of town 4 days last week, plus having a weekend filled with little things to do that prevented me from caring for the rising of the dough......but I WILL make this later this month! I am determined!!



In the meantime, having no Kugelhopf to share, I give you "Hassel-hopf"...

TWD: Rugelach

This week on a "very special" Tuesday's With Dorie...Lisa faces her demons of pastry dough...Will they ever come to terms and get along? Tune in and find out what is more thinly stretched and overworked--the dough or Lisa's last nerve...

But first a word from our sponsor:

This week's recipe is brought to you by Piggy of Piggy's Cooking Journal who chose Rugelach found on page 150 - 151 of Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours...If you want the recipe, check out Piggy's blog--to read more fascinating rugelach stories/blogs than you are right now, visit TWD by clicking here!

So the second I saw this recipe was on our list, I was SO excited and was itching to try it, yet there was a little voice in my head dreading the prospect of once again facing down my demon...me on one side, a blob of pastry dough on the other....a trusty rolling pin at my side, and a lightly floured surface separating us....(was that a tumbleweed that just went by?) The clock says High Noon...and we stare each other down....

Now, if you jump to the end of this story, you'll find me there enjoying rugelach...but not without my battle scars.

What came out really did not look much like they should, and I yielded maybe half of what I was supposed to. And the dough was not fun to work with--it was really soft, even after chilling overnight. By the 2nd half of the dough I got the hang of it somewhat. (But I could not roll it out nearly to 12" circle, more like 8"...and then I didn't get 16 triangles...more like 8. Oh, and the first half of the dough I just ended up just rolling in a full-jelly roll, freezing it a bit, and then cut it in cross-sections and baking from there.. tastes the same...but again, not nearly as many rugleach from that one either). Any way you cut it/fold it/bake it, they came out VERY tasty.


So, the dough. I once again had dough woe. I tried in the food processor (not a large-capacity, but one I thought should still work ok), but it totally overmixed the dough the first time (and I say "first time" because I had to do a dough-do-over). Actually, what happened was it mixed up some of the dough ok, but then I still had huge chunks of the butter and cream cheese that were not getting broken down. So trying to incorporate those meant the rest of the dough had to come along for the ride and it was way too worked over by the time things were 'blended'--and as I wrapped it up I saw chunks of bright white where cream cheese still was not incorporated. I threw it in the fridge on Sunday night...and there it stayed. Monday.... Tuesday... Wednesday... Thursday....Just taunting me every time I went in to the darn fridge. By Saturday, I just dumped it and started over. But not before going online to see some tips for making rugelach dough with a stand mixer, which is how I did it the 2nd time around....and it came together ok, but still a challenge for me to work with when it came time to assemble these suckers. Here is my not-quite-8-inch round o' dough:

I don't know what it is, I cannot get dough to do what I want it to do--I just doughn't enjoy the process. Pies, turnovers, and now add rugelach to the mix...I rarely can get as much as they say I will because half of it will stick to my rolling pin, it rips, or I may actually make it to the width called for, but not without the last inch tissue paper thin. Pastry dough can never just be a happy, calm, easy process. And yes I KNOW the only way I can improve is to keep making it--yet I get a sinking feeling EVERY time because I have yet to have a good positive no-mess experience where I am not stringing together expletives. Bring me a bread recipe any day--but pastry is a chore.

I already am getting a combination happy yet dreaded feeling know I have to attack pastry once more for that pumpkin-pecan "twofer" pie we have on tap in a few weeks. I know already that my crust will barely reach the edges of the pie plate, I'll probably have nothing hanging over to crimp....the only thing going for me is it' s not a 2-crust pie--happily just 1 needed! This should NOT be stressful activity. But it is..Every.Time.

So back to the rugelach and happy endings: For my fillings, I used:Polaner Raspberry (And as I opened it, I could not resist saying out loud the line from their old commercial,"would ya please pass the jelly?!"...and yes, I was the only one in the kitchen at the time...I do what I need to amuse myself) I also used currants, chopped walnuts, and bittersweet chocolate as called for. I will add I think the chocolate is overpowering-and I didn't use all called for--so next time I plan to load half the dough with sugar-cinnamon, bit o' chocolate, and the other half the jelly-currant-nuts and maybe a little chocolate rather than try to go all-in, so to speak.

So there you have it. Another pastry crust showdown and I came out ok, but not without the usual stress, and frustration that now goes hand-in-hand with this process. I'll be keeping at it, I am no quitter....and maybe, just maybe, one day pastry crust and I will learn to get along and work together, and not against each other. (What a great message on election day, huh? Let's work with each other across that aisle..be bipartisan...work for the common goal of a successful pastry crust!)

Hope you enjoyed this week's installment....Tune in next week where the recipe will be Kugelhopf! I'm quite excited--here is a sneak preview for those who don't know what this is: here's a photo I found of a Kugelhopf pan similar to the one I just got the other day!! Enjoy THIS photo, because who knows what mine will end up looking like! I just find I enjoy saying Kugelhopf---almost as fun as saying Farfegnunen!