**BAKING**

🐑👑

Cornbread with onions.

Manicotti, last night.

Brownies, Tuesday night.

My momma's homemade Swedish Rye Bread.

Me. About 30 minutes ago.

I can't remember, OP, it's been too darn hot to use the oven.

A batch of granola Wednesday night

Homemade pizza dough and calzones with leftover turkey and gravy.

Blackberry cake with cream cheese frosting. The recipe is a pain in the ass, but it's worth it.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cauliflower cake

[quote]Serve this cake as a light supper

That FUCKING Bucket woman!

A potato.

Probably "roasted" potatoes and carrots.

Too hot, right now, to be firing up the oven for very long.

I had some leftover egg yolks, so yesterday I made creme brûlée. Absurdly easy -and people go crazy as if it were a big deal. Whisk five egg yolks with a half-cup of sugar and set aside. In a heavy saucepan bring three cups of heavy cream and a quarter-teaspoon of salt to a simmer. Add the hot cream to the eggs a little drizzle at a time while whisking steadily (tempering the eggs, they call it). When all the cream has been added, whisk in one-and-a-half teaspoons of vanilla. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into ramekins and bake in a water bath at 325 for about 30 minutes. It's done when the sides are set but the center jiggles like jello. Don't over-bake it! If you're in doubt, you can leave the ramekins in the water bath for a few more minutes after you remove the pan from the oven. When done, cool to room temp. on a wire rack, and then cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, sprinkle a bit of sugar evenly on the top and use a torch to caramelize the sugar. No torch? Put the ramekins on a baking sheet under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Watch carefully or it will burn.

Five ingredients, no skills required. I actually skip the broiled sugar on top when it's just me...

Orange-blackberry cake

The broiled sugar is what makes it creme brulee.

I agree that it's easy to make. Gotta eat it *cold* though, with the burnt sugar on top.

Prinsesstårta for a friend's birthday yesterday.

Turkey meatloaf.

Vegetable lasagna and garlic bread

Key Lime Pie about 2 days ago. Though baking is minimal, I admit.

Yeah, Creme Brulee is easy. Not sure why people go "oooh" over it.

R18 MARY!

Put an accent or an umlaut on it, and it's suddenly special. Or, even better, say it in French! The arrivistes wet themselves over it. Simple baked eggs become oeuf en cocotte. Leftover cold leek and potato soup is transformed into vichyssoise. Not sure if it is more ignorance or snob appeal...

OP,, between your headline and misspelling of Ms. Crocker’s name, I think you’re cute as a damn button.

Maybe I’m just in a great mood, but you be sexy!

[quote]Homemade pizza dough and calzones with leftover turkey and gravy.

*drool*

Oh, I want to marry you! A man who makes his own damn pizza dough? Oh, HELL yeah!

I've made both creme brulee (made once, came out good) and flan (made several times, mixed results). I think creme brulee is easier because it doesn't involve egg whites. Flan does involve egg whites, which can give the flan a tough texture if overcooked.

Also, all the times I made flan, never had problems with cooking the sugar (making the caramel). Now, when I watch people make it on YouTube, they're always warning you about how your sugar can seize up, get ruined.

I'm not that great of a baker. I think these YouTube cooks just need to be "warning" people about something (like scrambled eggs, burnt garlic, and lemon pith, ad nauseam).

There's a touch of Scottie from Star Trek about many home bakers -They prefer to be thought of as miracle workers rather than just engineers. There are dishes that are hard to make due to complex procedures or actual skills needed -but most things are just a matter of reading and following instructions.

R28, I agree. The princess torte I posted is dreadfully simple. It basically just stacking a bunch of stuff. It looks fancy, but it isn't.

Last thing was night before yesterday and I baked a pan of honey cornbread.

I have an asparagus and mushroom quiche in the oven now. It's very heavy and fattening - half and half, eggs, and 2 cheeses. This time I remembered to pre-bake the crust, but cheated by using Jiffy pie crust mix instead of making my own.

cheese tortillas?

r18 Did you really make that cake?

Cinnamon raisin bread, extra cinnamon and raisins.

R33, yes. It is painfully easy. The hardest part is slicing the cake into thirds. After that, you a basically just making a triple layer sandwich.

^^^ How did you get the marzipan sitting on top of whipped cream without making it all lumpy and a mess everywhere?

R36, The pastry cream (50% custard, 50% whipped cream) has gelatin in it. It is pretty stable. The marzipan is rolled over a rolling pin and applied like a pie crust. It is easy .

Even with A/C, why the hell would anyone turn the oven on when it's been 90+ degrees outside for the last month? The oven will only make the A/C work harder which = higher electric bills.

Ask the question again in 6 months.

r37 Are you a baker by trade? This recipe looks anything but easy to me.

R39, no, but I do all the fussy stuff. My husband bakes bread, quick breads, simple cakes, etc. I do the fussy cakes, apple strudel, petit fours, croissants ,etc. To put it another way, if it takes one bowl, my husband makes it. If it takes a dozen bowls, I make it.

Brownies

r40 Are you two fatties?

R42, no. The bread is baked weekly. Good German bread that takes jaw muscles to chew. Otherwise, baking is for company and special occasions. The Prinsesstårta was for a friend's birthday. We go crazy with Christmas baking (Stollen, Lebkuchen, etc.) but otherwise, there are very few sweets in the house.

Does reheating in an actual oven count?

Put frozen mac and cheese (gourmet from Whole Foods) into the oven. It is quite good.

Raspberry Cheesecake bars, to go along with lemon sorbet that is firming up in the freezer right now(will have pretzel rods for the purists) My stitching group meets tomorrow, and I usually bake something for these get-togethers.

Probably some jiffy corn muffins. I added raisins.

What kind of stitching, r46?

Not baking today -It's too hot. Instead, I'm making homemade lemon-limeade. Something simple that people have made for centuries. How do you make it special? I peel the lime zest with a peeler and steep it in the sugar for a a couple of hours to absorb the oils, then add the water and boil it down to a simple syrup. Strain and pour into a pitcher, add the juice, and then additional water to taste. Very refreshing on these hot summer days!

Okay -so maybe I'll bake some old-fashioned sugar cookies to go with it...

just tell your cat next time and spare us all!

r43 Do oyu have a good recipe for stollen? I have German neighbors who I would love to give one for Christmas, but they are very expensive on Amazon.

[quote]It is easy

The Great British Bake Off didn't make it look that way, r37.

r48 Knitters and crocheters, some do both(one of the group's members refers to it as being 'bi-stitch-ual') occasionally someone will do embroidery or counted cross-stitch. All are great hobbies. Are you a fellow stitcher?

r49 I have an even more-involved recipe that calls for rubbing sugar cubes over lemons to extract the flavorful oils. Boiling water is then added to dissolve the sugar. Very tedious but it makes the best lemonade, IMHO.

r51 Trader Joe's™ usually has stollen available beginning around Thanksgiving, in individual portions and also as the traditional flat logs. Can't remember the price of the log, but the individual ones were $1.29 Their pannetone is very good, also comes in individual sizes(at least for me it is) and the standard 7 or 8 inch cylinder. All highly-recommended.

I baked cornmeal (polenta) cake with orange zest and orange flower syrup brushed on top!

Butter Moochi. I read about how great it was and looking at the recipe decided it was simple enough to make, as long as you use the right flour. It came out as it should and tasted of vanilla and coconut, which I like, and it's dense and gummy, which is the correct texture, but I just didn't enjoy eating it. Oh well, it was fun trying something new.

Day before yesterday, semolina bread. Think i'll bake some honey whole wheat berry bread today.

R52, If the Great British Bake-off made it look easy, it would not be compelling TV.

Pot brownies 😎

R51 - My son makes amazing stollen! I normally hate candied fruit, but he makes homemade candied peel and marzipan. I think it’s just basic egg bread (like challah), but with spices and (hopefully) home-made candied fruit and almond paste…

Nothing to do with actual baking (though I worked as a baker while in university and am good at it)… My sister, who is definitely NOT a baker, loves watching The Great British Bake-Off (I don’t! The mere thought of it stresses me out!)

Upon watching it, she got so enthused she bought a KitchenAid mixer on Amazon one night, even though she’s a minimalist with a tiny kitchen and a dodgy oven and would have had absolutely no idea what to do with said mixer.

She woke up the next morning and cancelled her order, which is good for me, as I would not have liked teaching her the basics of baking.

Two loaves of this Keto bread. Turned out surprisingly tasty with great texture.

I looked briefly at Ops picture and thought “not another Monkeypox thread!”.

R53 the lemon limade has the juices from both incorporated too right ?

Lemon pepper chicken and garlic.

Blueberry buckle, a summer staple which is about as far as my from scratch baking goes. I’m impressed by all the accomplished bakers here, my attempts usually fall flat.

Today's baking: banana bread

I used to use my great-grandmother's hand-written recipe -but then I found a better one online. Such is life. I do a couple of things to jazz it up. First is lots and lots of chopped walnuts. The second is adding a quarter cup of good brandy to the batter before baking. It really compliments and brings out the banana flavor. Smells heavenly when baking!

Another cherry clafoutis -Can't let the cherries go bad.

I made a peach crumble last night (pioneer woman’s recipe). It was absolutely delicious with fresh whipped cream. The Colorado peaches are so good this year.

Inspired by the blueberry crumble up thread, made some blueberry breakfast cake (I don't have a muffin pan). It's cooling.

r68^^ I'm surprised you didn't use the "Mackinaw peaches, Jerry - the Mackinaw peaches!"

When I saw OP's picture I thought this was another thread about monkeypox.

The clafoutis is out of the oven and making the whole house smell wonderful.

If you've never had it, I really encourage you to give it a try. It couldn't be simpler to make -other than the cherries, you just dump everything in a bowl and whisk it together.

Recipes will go back and forth on whether or not you pit the cherries -I always do. A cherry/olive pitter is a $6 purchase, and lives in a drawer until it's needed to make your life a joy.

Another Fat Whore thread.

r71 Do you have a recipe you suggest?

Here you go:

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of fresh sweet cherries, pitted

2 tablespoons of blanched slivered almonds

3 eggs

3/4 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1/3 cup of all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of milk (2% or whole milk)

3/4 teaspoon of almond extract (can sub 2 teaspoons of Amaretto) 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Powdered sugar for dusting

Grease and flour a baking dish (I use a nine-inch oval). Put the cherries in, and sprinkle the almonds on top. In a bowl, whisk eggs and sugars, then add the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the cherries. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Sides will be fully set, and center should be a little jiggly. The custard continues to cook a bit after you take it out of the oven, so be careful not to overcook it or it can get rubbery. Serve slightly warm or at room temp.

While driving a mini van around rural France in the 1990's, I pulled off the toll road into what looked like a town with a big cathedral on a hill (i.e. any town in France) to find a place for lunch. Saw two handsome young men dressed in suits park their car, so decided to follow them. Ended up at a wildly eclectic restaurant in Brive that had an Art Deco Lesbian theme. OMG. Jackpot.

Had been taking water samples since 5am in a nearby national park and was muddy. Was only peering in from outside the restaurant when an elegant woman in a Tux with slicked back blonde hair handed me a key to a room upstairs in exchange for my passport and instructed me to make myself presentable for lunch. I used every face cream, lotion, and hair product. My sport coat was wrinkled. The woman grabbed a random scarf off the wall and ties it around my neck, just so. What. A. Scene. Small town chic lesbians on the downlow meeting their girlfriends, with a smattering of gay men, maybe some of them husbands, in on the arrangement? All manners and discression... or were they just fucking rich? Nobility? Couldn't stop staring. I'm on a new job overseas, collecting aquatic parasites and hauling them down to a lab in Toulon. Twenty minutes ago I smelled like hippy pond scum and now I was the impeccably groomed foreign guest of honor using every word -- quietly -- of French I ever learned in High School, while dinning alone in utter amazement, in the middle of the Indiana of France.

After two hours of plate after plate with wine pairings, I see these lipstick lesbians everywhere delicately eating the dessert special, carefully spitting the cherry pits into their napkins between sips of champagne, and dabbing the corners of their mouths. Everyone smoking. This was a Wednesday afternoon! What IS that, I wondered. They were individual servings, baked in their own ceramic pans with handles. It was heaven. The pan reminded of me of those escargot pans with the holes for the snails, but here there were unpitted cherries in the holes, with the batter poured over the whole pan.

Years later, I would discover how to make what turned out to be Cherry Clafoutis, that Elegant French Lesbian Pie! You must use the best ripe cherries and leave in the pits, and as r74 says, don't over bake. Also, don't over blend the batter.

PS, my quiche turned out shitty. I added crumbled bacon, which made it vomitly salty.

Yes, it's traditional to leave in the pits, as they add to the flavor. But they make it hell to eat. The compromise I can live with is to pit the cherries, but put the pits in a container, and pour in the milk you'll use for the recipe -let it steep overnight. The milk will turn pink/lavender and take on a lot of flavor. You can also do this with cream to make cherry-flavored whipped cream...

R75 is quite right about not over blending the batter. You don't want to activate the gluten in the flour.

R38, some of us enjoy cooking, including things that must be cooked in the oven. By about this time of summer, I’m getting sick of thinking up hot weather foods to make. How many different ways can you make rotisserie chicken salad or cold poached salmon? I want real FOOD.

Besides, even if I’m not cooking, items often need to be reheated. Some things – pizza for example – can’t be successfully reheated except in the oven, and in fact the oven is almost always better than the microwave for reheating.

This is what A/C and heating are for – to enable us to do as we like indoors regardless of the season.

R49 – You know you can buy simple syrup in the supermarket or liquor store, right? If you prefer making your own, more power to you, but the store-bought stuff tastes and same (neutral sweetness) and can be mixed with other flavors or used to soak fruit for the same effect you describe.

I bake all the time. Just turned 44 and was always a little fat boy in my heart, even after I wasn't wearing Husky sizes anymore

Last things I made were Brownies (BEST BROWNIES EVER- YOU USE BROWN SUGAR! DAMN!!!)

And a Hersheys Chocolate Cake (right off of the Hershey's Cocoa Box) It really is the best chocolate cake ever.

R49 here...

R77, a really great way to heat up a couple of slices of pizza is to put them in a heavy-bottom skillet for a minute on high heat. Add a spoon of water and cover. About a minute. The hot bottom of the pan heats and crisps the crust, while the steam heats the toppings and melts the cheese. Just popping it into the oven can dry the pizza out.

R78, I'm going to admit a deep, dark secret: I don't drink, so I never go into liquor stores. Frankly, for me it's easier to boil a little sugar and water than to make a trip to the store. But thanks for the info -it could come in handy! Meanwhile, please don't tell anyone I don't drink. I don't want my Gay Card taken away.

R79, I have baked many a chocolate cake -chocolate chiffon, chocolate genoise, etc. The Hershey's Cocoa recipe is indeed excellent -good texture and flavor. There are other recipes I'll use for specialty cakes, but when I just want a chocolate cake with buttercream frosting, the Hershey's version is a go-to. It's also a very simple cake to make.

Simple syrup is just granulated sugar dissolved in hot water.

Is there a cherry clafoutis troll now?

To stone or not to stone? That is the question.

[quote] Do oyu have a good recipe for stollen?

I did, but it got stolen.

Hey! Unhand me, you brute. I’m capable of seeing myself o—

[quote] It really compliments and brings out the banana flavor.

Oh, dear!

Does it say, “What a nice little banana you are”?

Oh, dear, indeed, R85. Serves me right for letting autocomplete finish my word without checking back.

Thank god you were here to point it out!

I made a ton of really great cookies to send with my brother up to my sister’s new house, which they’re redoing themselves. My niece texted how they had sustained her through the flurries of sawdust, and I got her the recipe [bold]: )[/bold]

Now she is armed for adulthood with a fail safe crowd pleaser.

(Her mother probably had this recipe already but lost it. Typical!)

R86, it was my pleasure. Especially for someone as good looking as you. AND a baker to boot?

Mmmmmmm. Bananas.

I wanna get married.

lol -you win, R86.

Are the rumors true that you have an enormous, thick dick and can go six times a night? I sure hope so!

Does anybody have a good recipe for fondu and french bread? I just bought a 2lb lump of Swiss cheese (on sale), kirsch, Italian bread flour and a baguette pan. Now what? How do impress the unimpressionable?

R80 – thanks for the tip about reheating pizza. Pre-pandemic, I often stayed in all-suite hotels – the kind with a “full kitchen” - except, oops!, they forgot the oven. In those places, I heated pizza in hot frying pans, but I never thought of adding the water. I guess the secret is the very hot pan that turn the water to steam immediately, so it doesn’t make the crust soggy …?

Anyway, I only wish two slices of pizza were enough dinner for me. It’s hard to reheat most of a large pizza in a frying pan! 🍕🍕🍕🍕

I'm not sure this counts as baking vs. cooking in the oven, but:

Potatoes dauphinoise. Potatoes sliced quite thin, layered in a baking dish or pie plate. S&P and sprinkle thickly with shredded Gruyere. Repeat. Add heavy cream up to the top of the potatoes. Dot with butter if you're concerned that your coronary arteries are insufficiently clogged. Bake at 375 until potatoes are very tender and cream+cheese has cooked down to a thick sauce. Take a bite. Have a taste orgasm. Eat the rest. Feel guilty but happily full. Live well. Die young.

Espresso cheesecake, but really it was just the brownie base that was baked.

I baked a Southern cornbread to go with an Italian vegetable and sausage soup I made.

Yes, R91 -it's the steaming that's important.

Sorry, but it’s 99 degrees outside. Being in Arizona means the oven is locked between May 1st and October 1st. No need to let the a/c work overtime.

Here's the fondue recipe I use:

1 garlic clove, halved

1 pound Gruyère cheese, grated

1/2 pound Emmentaler cheese or other Swiss cheese, grated

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons kirsch

Freshly ground pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Rub the garlic on the inside of your fondue pot, and then discard. Combine the grated Gruyère and Emmentaler with the wine, cornstarch and lemon juice in the fondue pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses begin to melt, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add the kirsch and a generous pinch each of pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring gently, until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes; don't overcook the fondue or it will get stringy. Serve at once.

I baked two loaves of wholemeal bread because they last a week each.

I have been using this method for the last year; I have a satisfactory 'crumb' but I'm never happy with my 'oven-spring'.

I have experimented by increasing the quantities 50% to get a taller loaf but the inside is undercooked.

r98 You may need a different size of bread pan to get what you want. King Arthur™ sells such a pan(IIRC it's narrower and taller) designed for wholemeal breads that are usually a bit more difficult to rise(raise?) in the oven. This might be the answer to your problem.

^ Thank you, BAG.

K - although I prefer it steamed, not baked.

[quote] I have experimented by increasing the quantities 50% to get a taller loaf but the inside is undercooked.

Perhaps, your oven is too hot? Hot ovens make the outside cook faster, leaving the middle raw. Might help to use an oven thermometer.

Good point, Tallu. Sometimes as ovens get older they DO burn hotter.

Baking bread on the bottom rack can help, that will also lessen the chances of the top crust getting burnt before the loaf is sufficiently baked.

The dryness of the oven will set the top crust limiting expansion. Make your dough wetter, spray the oven and the loaf with water as you set it in the oven and consider putting a pan of hot water IN the oven to provide a steamier atmosphere. It's all about the wet. 😉

A lemon coconut pound cake. It was to die for.

^^^^ Hey BronzeBoy, didn't you help me with my old-fashioned gingerbread cookie recipe a couple of months ago? They were was fantastic! They lasted about two months in my tins and everyone gave rave reviews. A light dusting of powered sugar on top solved the sticky bits that remained after drying them out on the counter fora few days. It was a bit difficult to make, but well worth it! Kisses!

Please repost the gingerbread cookie recipe; I love good gingerbread, but it's surprisingly hard to find a good recipe.

This thread makes me look forward to fall. I don't want to bake now & make the house even hotter than it is, but I love baking bread or making soup on a cold fall weekend.

Ina Garten has the best ginger cookie recipe in the world. We only make them for Christmas.

r106 Here you go, sweetie! Enjoy.

r105 Glad it eventually worked out to your satisfaction. Would you use the same recipe again, knowing what you've learned and how to correct the deficiencies?

If you'd like to try a different recipe I can recommend the one in the iconic red and white Betty Crocker cookbook from the 1950's, page 198. The recipe is called 'Gingies,' and it is the one I always use at Christmas time. 30 ounces(1 lb. 14 oz.) of flour is the perfect amount, and I roll my cookies out to 1/4", not the 1/2" the recipe calls for. Chill the dough at least 24 hours after you make it.

Christmas will be here before you know it, start planning now.🎄

^^^ Sounds delightful. Is this the same recipe? ----- GINGIES!

They may be served plain, or frosted with a simple white icing. They are delicious warm . . . or can be kept for weeks (if hidden). The same dough with a little more flour added may be used for Gingerbread Boys. Make pattern for them by tracing on tissue paper the outline printed on this page. Then cut pattern from cardboard.

1/3 cup Shortening

1 cup Brown Sugar (packed in cup)

*1 1/2 cups Molasses

6 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL “Kitchen-tested” Flour

1 tsp. Allspice

1 tsp. Ginger

1 tsp. Cloves

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup cold Water

2 tsp. Soda

3 tbsp. cold Water

*You cannot get the best color and flavor unless you use black New Orleans molasses.

CREAM SHORTENING, add sugar gradually, and cream thoroughly. Blend in molasses. Sift the flour with spices and salt, and stir into molasses mixture alternately with the 1/2 cup water. Mix last of flour mixture in by hand. Dissolve soda in the 3 tbsp. water and blend into dough.

Chill dough, then roll it out 1/2 inch thick (this thickness is necessary for soft, puffy cookies) on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cutter. Place cookies far apart (they “grow” during baking) on lightly greased heavy baking sheet. Bake about 15 to 18 minutes in a moderate oven (350°). Do not overbake! This recipe makes about 32 Gingies.

^^^^ That's the one. Rolling them thinner obviously gets you more cookies, and prevents too much spread so you get better definition from all the fancy cookie cutters you've used.

I must say, I did love the texture/taste of the rye flour in my old recipe, but this certainly looks like less work. Looking forward to Christmas. 😘

Please tell us more, R104!

OK. It was not difficult. I cheated. I think I may have talked about this in another thread. I used a box cake. Yellow or white will do. Instead of 3 eggs I used 4. Instrad of oil I used melted butter, and instead of water, I used 2 parts Coconut Milk and one part whole milk. I added a few drops of lemon extract, and almond extract, and I grated lemon zest into it. When it came out of the oven and cooled, I made a cream cheese butter cream icing laced with coconut cream, and just a whiff of almond extract and vanilla extract,. I wanted it to be gooey not stiff, so it would seep down the sides. I toasted some coconut (unsweetened) and then sprinkled it on top along with a bit of lemon Zest. Everyone was raving about it. I served it with fresh berries.

Oh. I forgot. I think I may have added a scant teaspoon of baking powder. And I used a bundt pan.

Thank you :)

[quote] Fondu ~ Combine the grated Gruyère and Emmentaler with the wine

R97 What's the difference between the two cheeses? Cannot I just use my big block of Swiss cheese (on sale) for the whole recipe?

Emmentaler is, for lack of a better term, "real" Swiss cheese, as opposed to the American version which is labeled "Swiss." Gruyere is traditionally from Switzerland, but it is a different variety of cheese. In most recipes Emmentaler, Gruyere, and Swiss are interchangeable. All three are mild, and melt easily. The blend in the recipe above is similar to combining mild and sharp cheddar cheeses. You should be fine with your block of Swiss. I've found that real Gruyere is pricier, and often aged to a stronger flavor, but well worth the cost. With fondue, the ingredients are simple, so their quality is what makes the difference.

I use a blend of Gruyere, Edam, and fontina (grated together) for grilled cheese sandwiches.

^will the gruyere from Costco do or do I need to spring for the expensive stuff at Whole Foods or a specialty cheese shop?

It should be just fine, R119. :) It's really a matter of personal preference as to flavor. If you like, I'm sure your guests will, too.

Even though this is a baking thread, can't resist cheese fondue! This is r97's recipe, almost verbatim, but with some great tips from Chef John. Also, don't limit yourself to just bread for dipping. Cooked, bite sized veggies and sliced green apples are a wonderful combo with the cheese and add nutrition and fiber to make this a meal. I use a not too cheap white wine (must be DRY - not sweet) because I end up drinking what's left.

I don't bake during a hot summer. The next time we have a cool and rainy day, I'll make stuffed shells.

I'd just use your Swiss cheese (on sale). Never mind trying to get 2 different cheeses. I think your "Swiss" cheese is probably an American product. Since you say it's a "block" (vs. shredded or pre-sliced) I'm thinking it may be decent quality. This article tells you what "Swiss cheese" is and compares it to Gruyère and Emmenthal.

[quote] PS -I loved you in Lifeboat!

Oh, Darlin' ~ you are too, too divine! I adore you!

John Hodiak was not conventionally handsome, but there was something virile and appealing about him.

Anyway, Gruyere has a nuttier flavor than Emmental or American Swiss or any of the Swiss-style cheeses like Finlandia or Jarlsberg. The difference is subtle, and I doubt it would matter much in a fondue. I do think Gruyere makes a better quiche, but I'd use Swiss if that's all I had.

That reminds me - I haven't make a quiche in quite a while (and it involves **BAKING**, so I'm on topic). It's a nice summer dish since it can be eaten warm, at room temp or even cold (but not refrigerator cold; take it out 30 minutes before eating). Make a spinach salad and serve with white wine. Finish up with strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar. It will be a 1970s feast!

Thank you BAG for the cookie recipe; I've never made cookies using purely rye flour (if anything, rye or wheat is blended with mostly white) so I'll be interested to see how they turn out. Gingerbread should be dense and full of flavor, so I'm hoping they turn out great

While I have appreciated the discussions about cheeses and cooking, when I saw the heading of this thread I was hoping for a more dessert-ish discussion. I have a question. How can one make their own frozen yogurt. I have this huge carton of plain greek yogurt, 0% fat and I don't want to waste it. I also have some deliciously sweet fresh pineapple that will go bad. Ditto raspberries. A friend told me in order to make my own frozen dessert I would need full fat yogurt. What say you DL? OK. I know this isn't a baking question, but still...

I baked brownies from a box.

I substituted butter for oil, milk for water, and added a teaspoon of vanilla extract. I also added semisweet chips.

I made an apple crisp last night. I use less sugar and toss the apples in lemon juice. I also use 2 extra apples. You could add raisins to the apples, but this is already quite sweet.

———

BETTY CROCKER BEST APPLE CRISP

4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced (4 cups) - 3/4 cup packed brown sugar - 1/2 cup all purpose flour - 1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats - 1/3 cup butter, softened - 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon - 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg - Cream or Ice cream, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with shortening.

2. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.

3. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream.

Maybe I should branch out and try this version:

^^^ r129 Was that from the authorized Betty Crocker cookbook from the 1950's, page ????? Huh, huh, huh????

It was from their current website. I was pet sitting for friends with an apple tree and googled “best recipe apple crisp” because I like America’s Test Kitchen/Cooks Illustrated, but that’s what I got.

R128, don't worry about baking from a box. I saw a video recently where they compared a cake from a boxed cake mix (Duncan Hines, I think) to one from scratch. The mix cake was rated overall better - lighter and moister. The host said that it was difficult for a home baker to achieve the same perfect proportions and fluffiness as a manufacturer. I don't remember which Youtube channel this was or whether the host seemed to know what he was talked about, but I don't care. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

(They did find that homemade frosting was MUCH better than canned, so you can knock yourself out on that.)

Question for those of you baking cakes, brownies, apple crisps: Are you eating all this yourself? Are you cooking for a couple or family?

I ask because I love to make cakes and pies but I've had to stop because I live alone and I was eating WAY too much of them, having huge slices of cake or pie after dinner for several nights because they don't keep long. I don't mind throwing some away, but I don't want to do all that work and end up eating only 1/4 of a two-layer cake. Sadly, cake is just about the unhealthiest thing to eat because it's not only loaded with sugar but loaded with carbs as well. As an eldergay, I have to at least pretend to think about my a1c and weight now and again.

That's what I'm wondering ... what do you bakers do with all that cake, pie, etc.?

R134, things like cookies or brownies usually freeze well as long as they're not frosted. For a cake you can either make 1/2 of the recipe for a two layer cake (or 1/3 for a three layer), cut it in half top to bottom and frost it like a two layer cake. Or you can make the entire cake recipe and freeze any unfrosted layers for later. Pie is tough -- smoke a little weed and it'll be gone in no time! 😉

Great questions, R134. I still work for one more year before I retire (jealous, bitches?), so I never bake on Friday or Saturday -that way I can take whatever it is to work with me the next day. It disappears instantly, and I don't have the temptation to eat more than I should. When I've been off work I have resorted to taking a quarter of a cake to each of my immediate neighbors.

In response to R133, I agree that cake mixes make very light, moist, fluffy cakes. But they don't taste good! Do a blind test -have someone give you a bite of unfrosted cake while you're blindfolded. Unless it's a strong flavor profile (lemon, spice, etc.) you can't tell what it is. Chocolate cake mixes don't taste chocolatey -they just taste sweet. A cake made from scratch always has mush more specific flavor.

r136 - Your point is why I made all the substitutions I did with the brownies.

In a lemon cake, I'd zest a lemon. In a chocolate cake, I'd add some cocoa and a teaspoon of instant coffee (I forgot I added a teaspoon on instant coffee to the brownies, as well).

r134 - I made a pan, cut it up, then wrapped each slice individually, then froze 2/3 of the pieces in a freezer bag. I've been pulling out a couple slices each week.

I made two types of zucchini bread yesterday: rosemary/lemon/olive oil and blueberry.

My lazy default is the Baked Feta Pasta.

R134, I bake for myself or for special occasions, or for others. But here's what I do. When I get a craving for cake, I use one of my box cakes and make something. A few weeks ago it was a banana chocolate chip bundt cake. To die for. But I cut it up into about 12 slices and the put the slices in individual freezer bags and freeze it. Out od sight, out of mide. Until I get a craving. It takes 25 seconds to microwave a slice and have some with tea. And yes, I use a basic box cake and doctor it.

R138 Recipe?

[quote] I use a basic box cake and doctor it.

Is this you, r140?

Bless her! Sandra Lee seems to have disappeared since her bout with breast cancer and her break up with Andrew Cuomo. I always liked her. But no, R141 this is not me. First of all, store bought frosting is gross. I remember when it wasn't. I think they changed the formula or something because I remember canned frosting tasting better when I was a teenager. As for the peach juice, the oil and the raspberry extract, uh, no. I didn't even know raspberry extract existed. I'm pretty basic. I use orange, lemon and almond extracts as recipes call for it, as well as the reliable vanilla. Maybe I need rethink that. And vegetable oil? No. When I "doctor" a box cake I use melted butter and milk. I have heard of people using syrup from canned fruits for the liquid, but, IMO it makes the box cakes way too sweet.

I've enjoyed reading this thread while prime time was on for days on end.

I bake gingerbread fairly often as it's a family favourite. Most recently I tried Delia Smith's, but it was very plain. Mary Berry's was better and a BBC Good Food one with icing was better still.

Now I make it like a lemon drizzle cake - poking holes in the hot, cooked ginger cake and pouring ginger syrup over the top. It's utterly divine.

r143 The Summer before I turned 16 I worked in the kitchen of a Girl Scout camp up in the Adirondacks(first time for an all-male staff) The cook, a Navy vet, made good food and his baking was outstanding(I learned a lot from him) Favorite dessert of the girls? A really delicious, soft, moist, spicy, molasses-y gingerbread sheetcake that was made even better by having a hot lemon sauce poured over each slice. If we didn't have any lemons, Arthur(the cook) stirred together applesauce, some of the same spices that were in the cake and red food coloring enough to tint the mixture a very pale pink. This concoction(very clove-y IIRC) was used to frost the cakes, and as they sat the excess liquid from the applesauce oozed into the cakes upping the moisture level and OMG were they tasty. The gingerbread cake the "Two Fat Ladies" made looked similar(I think the two dears were baking in aid of a church restoration fund?)

I've been baking & eating these Alexia crinkle-cut, salt & pepper sweet potato fries. Pretty good.

I like to bake but I'm also impatient. I often "cheat". I rarely make things from scratch. For example I buy cake mix, then just add butter/oil etc. I swear the cake tastes just as good as one you make from scratch with just half the effort. I have also started to make my own bread, also from a bread mix I buy at the store. I try to lose weight and get more healthy. There's nothing better than freshly baked bread! Eapecially considering the food prices in my country have gone up by 20-30 %. I save money by making my own bread (even if they are from a bread mix).

Chef Boyardee Cheesy Beef Ravoili Casserole. (Two layers of CB beef ravioli intertwined with two layers of mozzarella and ricotta mix.) Top with a parmesan cheese crust.

Chocolate Brownie dump cake for a splendid dessert

[quote]—I Type Fat

And I love ya for it!

R134, you can always send some to me.

OK, my dears, I baked another delightful box cake adaptation: Yellow cake, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of melted unsalted butter, tablespoon of baking powder (because the box cake mix was a little past its "sell by" date, 1 cup of whole milk, a couple drops of lemon extract, some lemon zest, and then I folded in a lot of fresh blueberries. Pour it into a bundt pan, and when it comes out dust it with powdered sugar and it is ready. Serve with high quality Vanilla ice cream. Heaven!

My next cake will feature bananas and chocolate chips.

I had a special guest for lunch last week and served a mixture of vegetarian European dishes that were good to make ahead: Spanish tortilla, Italian caprese salad and French rattatuille. Desert was Swedish kladekaka (chocolate) cake and Portuguese orange sponge cake and (the only thing I didn't baked) some egg custard tarts with cinnamon. It was really nice.

Sounds lovely, R152

Little Timmy with garlic potatoes and a sprinkling of penis on top to give him some girth and texture.

Yesterday, used air fryer outdoors to make pan Quaker Oats cookies. Too damned hot to bake inside.

[quote]Desert was Swedish kladekaka (chocolate) cake and Portuguese orange sponge cake and (the only thing I didn't baked) some egg custard tarts with cinnamon. It was really nice.

I would think they’d be dry.

Tonight's baking: an orange spongecake filled and topped with orange creme diplomat.

Creme diplomat is a recent discovery for me. It's a custard that has been chilled, blended with whipped cream. Similar in texture to a mousse, but infinitely easier to make. I use the zest of an orange in the cake, and the juice goes into the custard. The resulting desert is light and refreshing, and has a lovely, mild orange flavor that is all-natural. If you wanted, you could increase the orange flavor with a liqueur whipped into the cream.

Now I want gingerbread men cookies.

Cherry pie.

[quote]Cherry pie.

Buy Pillsbury crescent rolls and cherry pie filling.

Unroll the doll. Use one triangle for the bottom, dollop pie filling in the center, use a second triangle for the top. Add slits and egg wash. Bake.

"Walla, all of a sudden"...cherry pie.

[quote] Now I want gingerbread men cookies.

Have some Biscoff cookies.

[quote]r160 Buy Pillsbury crescent rolls and cherry pie filling. Unroll the dough…

You’re not the boss of me!

R156 not at all! The kladekaka chocolate cake was refrigerated overnight and is served cold with vanilla ice cream or, in my case, whipped cream with blueberries (from my garden); the sponge cake is completely immersed in a syrup made with the oranges juices (the zest goes in the batter) so it's really moist, like a wet cake. And the tarts are a Portuguese speciality and only in Lisbon, in the original bakery that invented them, one eats them warm out of the oven. They aren't dry at all after a day. Anyway here's a recipe if you like to try, although nothing like the ones from the original place.

cheese fries

I don't cook anything that involves a nozzle.

Tonight I made a Cannellini Bean-Tomato Cassoulet. And I sprinkled bread crumbs on top!

My Dad's Bramley apple tree is bearing quite a bit of fruit now, so he dropped off a bag of apples for me, and I'm planning on making an apple pie once it cools down a bit. (I've just checked the weather - 32°c until Sunday!)

What recipes - if any - do you follow? I've got a very traditional English one which incorporates Wensleydale cheese in the pastry.

Bless your heart, R163.

Just…well, just bless it.

I'm skeptical of anything that has "kaka" in its name...

I baked a carrot souffle last weekend. It is very delicious. This is a stock photo as mine didn't last more than 2 days

Here's the recipe

-----------------

1 3/4 lbs peeled carrots

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons flour

3 large eggs

1/4 lb butter, room temp

Powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Steam or boil carrots til extra soft & drain well.

While carrots are warm, add sugar, baking powder and vanilla. Whip with mixer til smooth.

Add flour and mix well.

Whip eggs separately and add to mixture, mixing well.

Add butter and mix well.

Pour mixture into baking dish about 1/2 full.

Bake @ 350° about 1 hour or until top is light brown.

Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

R169 this seems like a good replacement for a Sweet potato casserole for the Fall. Thanks. I wonder if I can adda a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg. Think I will play with this.

I made corn muffins using the Jiffy boxed mix. I have made corn muffins using corn meal, flour, butter, milk, etc. but they always come out dense and compact. I don't overmix, but I never have any luck, so I go back to Jiffy because they come out lighter and fluffy.

R170, it definitely is a good replacement for SPC. I would try it first pure & simple before experimenting with flavor additions. Trust me you won't be sorry. The flavor comes from the sweetness of the carrots and the vanilla extract & butter. I bake it almost every weekend. It's just heavenly.

r171 Some things to consider:

-Use more AP flour and less cornmeal, you'll get a lighter product.

-Whip the eggs thoroughly, it'll help with the rise. If you're using smaller than large eggs, try the large instead.

-Use more baking powder(make sure it's fresh)

-If you're using baking soda make sure it's fresh and you are using enough(especially if your main liquid is buttermilk)

-Don't overmix. Once you wet the AP flour and beat it, gluten begins to develop and you want to keep that to a minimum. This is why the dry ingredients are the last things to go into the mixing bowl, once all the wet stuff has been properly mixed.

-Consider using a 'lighter' flour(pastry flour, or something like White Lily brand, which has a lower protein content) for at least some of the AP called for.

-Make sure you're using the right size pan. A too small baking pan will give you a denser product.

-Try your same recipe but bake it as muffins. That may give you the texture you're looking for. Each cup has a much smaller amount of batter to lift.

-Have you tried baking it in a well-greased, sizzling-hot cast iron skillet? It'll give the batter a quicker jumpstart on rising, even before it gets into the oven.

Now I'm hungry. 👅

I think it was apples, I dust them with cinnamon, sprinkle of lemon juice. I used to do a coffee cake from time to time, or even a simple fruit crumble.

Anyone here use an air fryer? (I know some of you caftan-wearing tootsies must!). Do you like the device? I have mixed feelings about it. Not really great for battered items (I tried to make a bloomin' onion without much success--the onion was cooked to perfection...completely denuded of its batter).

Any thoughts or advice, my droogies?

My friends in Lexington had one. I must say the hamburgers we had tasted quite good. What I did NOT like was the smell from the thing - yikes. No idea what brand they had but it seems to do the job. They love it.

Something to cheer up frustrated and would-be bakers:

I pride myself on my baking. I specialize in French-style cakes. Tonight I was in the mood for Boston cream pie. Custard -check. Chocolate ganache -check. Spongecake? Guess who totally forgot to add the baking powder to the bowl? It happens to all of us -you get distracted...

Guess what? The sponge was thinner and a bit dense, but it tasted fine. When you mess up, always give it a taste. It may still be edible. :)

r177 Sounds like you made a genoise instead of a spongecake, albeit accidentally, that's all.

r171, I don't usually bake from boxes, but love the convenience of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix. But it's kind of too sweet. I add a small (8oz "mini") can of creamed corn or sometimes a small can of drained corn to add texture and some fiber (the "Carol Channing Surprise") and bake a few minutes longer. They always come out moist and the corn somehow cuts down on the sweetness.

I'm partial to Mexican corn bread myself. Try adding a can of Fiesta corn, a small can of chopped chili peppers, some cheddar cheese & chopped scallions. It will turn a boxed cornbread mix into something wonderful.

The saddest part of r171's suggestions is that those probably seem so simple and common sense to someone who actually bakes, whereas for the rest of us, it's a tedious list of details most of which would slip our minds.

I wish baking (and cooking in general) came as easily as a spreadsheet or financial modeling did now that I don't have any need to do the latter anymore, but have years of the former in front of me...

r181, cooking is all about trial and error, and finding "backbone" recipes that work for you, and then trying to adapt them to your tastes. I'm a lab scientist, but it doesn't translate to the kitchen -- even though I understand the chemistry and physics involved. You have to get the "feel" of what works by experience. When determined, I keep notes on what worked and what went wrong and write down what might be better the next time (if I even care to re-attempt a recipe).

I think that baking is a science -- follow a recipe exactly as directed. Always weigh, not dry measure the ingredients. Make sure that things like yeast, baking powder, and baking soda are under a year after opening. Ensure that your oven is at the correct temperature. Buy a good meat thermometer. Don't be too stoned or drunk in the kitchen; don't be ME.

Have found that everything else in the kitchen is an art that you just learn by doing.

There's nothing tastier, cheaper, and healthier than fresh food made in your own kitchen.

PS, FUCK Spanakopita! Fuck it right up it's ass. I give up. Even my Greek mom got it from the deli or frozen when she could find it.

How's this, then, R181?

Eggs: use jumbo or extra-large eggs.

Cake mixes: Add an extra teaspoon of baking powder or baking soda.

I would love a simple recipe for a French style cake.

Le Gâteau au Chocolat l’Éminence Brune

7 oz of semisweet chocolate

2 oz of bittersweet chocolate (melted in 1/4 cup flavored liquid)

4 eggs (separated)

2/3 cup sugar + 2 Tablespoons (added separately)

1 stick butter

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3/4 cup cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare 2 eight-inch pans (grease, flour, line with parchment or paper). This cake is flourless, and extremely fragile. I use pan liners with handles that allow you to lift the cake out.

Melt chocolate in the flavored liquid (coffee, rum, liqueur, or orange juice). Separate eggs and cream yolks with 2/3 cup sugar until pale and a ribbon forms. Add butter to chocolate and then fold into egg mixture.

Beat egg whites until foamy; add cream of tartar, then add 2 T sugar as whites stiffen. Fold whites into chocolate mixture, alternating with cornstarch.

Pour into pans and bake immediately for 16-18 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from the edge comes out mostly clean. The center should be set, but a pick will come out slightly coated. Do not over-bake. Cool completely in pans before unmolding directly onto stand. You may chill in refrigerator to firm up the cake before removing it from the pans.

Ice with 8 oz. semisweet chocolate blended with 2 oz. bittersweet melted with 8 T of butter. If cake was chilled, allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Texture will be a cross between a brownie and a soufflé . Usually served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream on the side.

A chocolate lover's delight!

I'm not a sciencey person in the kitchen at all, and maths isn't my strong suit. For me, after I've followed a recipe, any tweaks are more like educated guesses. I know flavours and flavour combos pretty well, and I know how to get to the taste I want, and that comes with practice rather than calculations.

Everyone's different in the kitchen, though. What works for one person, might not work for someone else. What I think benefits us all is the peace and tranquillity to figure it out. I can't stand being interrupted when I'm in the kitchen!

Oh, looks lovely, thank you so much.

[quote] The clafoutis is out of the oven and making the whole house smell wonderful. If you've never had it, I really encourage you to give it a try. It couldn't be simpler to make -other than the cherries, you just dump everything in a bowl and whisk it together. Recipes will go back and forth on whether or not you pit the cherries -I always do. A cherry/olive pitter is a $6 purchase, and lives in a drawer until it's needed to make your life a joy.

r71 I must admit, I went to the store to buy cherries just to try this recipe. I didn't realize how easy it is to make! No mess at all, which usually happens with my French cooking. I have it in the oven now and it smells divine. It's still early here, so I will enjoy it with morning coffee.

Tell me, how you serve it? Plain or with cream? And, do you enjoy it cold, as well as hot? Perhaps, some ice cream on top for dessert.

I like this simple French apple cake recipe, courtesy Milk Kitchen, r184.

r188, I am not r71, but I do like a nice clafoutis. I eat it plain. No powdered sugar, no ice cream.

It's wonderful the next day, at room temperature. You may refrigerate the leftover portion if you like, but I have never done that.

Very nice recipes, thank you so much DL friends! The last thing I baked was Aztec pie. All the food groups are involved. is there are many recipes for it, I also include a layer of rice cooked in coconut milk with kale or spinach.

sorry for the grammar mistakes. The last thing that I baked was Aztec pie. All food groups were involved. There are many recipes for it.

[quote] sorry for the grammar mistakes. The last thing that I baked was Aztec pie. All food groups were involved. There are many recipes for it.

r192 Well???? Do you actually expect us to look it up?

I love baking. I may have mentioned that the key to really great brownies is BROWN SUGAR!!!

That little gay dude on Youtube is a GEM. The best brownie recipe ever.

I will sober up tomorrow and remember his name.

[quote]That little gay dude on Youtube is a GEM. The best brownie recipe ever.

Chef John on Food Wishes (who is actually apparently married to a woman) or this cutie.

R195- ITS HIM! THATS HIM!!!!!!!

HE IS STRAIGHT!!!!??????

He has a great brownie recipe- they are the BEST!

Sorry- The little gay boy ^^ with the glasses!!!!!! Those are the brownies-

A wife???? No way in HELL.

He seems like an utter GEM of a human being. The kind of kindness that is just inherent in someone.

Yesterday I made indigo scones. I use frozen raspberries; when they get a little too ripe or mushy, I freeze them, just for this. They are super easy. I don’t roll them out and cut them, either. Just spread the dough on a silpat in a rustic fashion. When it’s cool enough, I spread a thick icing of lemon zest, lemon juice and powdered sugar. You can use any berry or stone fruit, and any liquid for the icing.

R46 "Bistitchual" is a great word and describes my stitching interests. I crochet in the summer and knit in the winter. I wish I lived somewhere near you; I would join your group and bring my sweet potato pie to gain favor.

The thing I hate about baking is the batter which sticks to your hands and utensils and doesn't get into the mixing bowl/saucepan/baking dish etc.

I now use a plasterer's scraper with a wide blade to scape as much of that goop off as I can. (I wish I had Edward Scissorhand's range of washable utensils instead of my own sticky fingers)

Cranberry and Orange zest muffins.

Matcha roulade cake.

It is cooling down, people. Time to fire up the oven and try those recipes you've collected during the last few(not few enough IMO) hot months. You have dispensation to make ONE pumpkin spice baked good, but then it's on to other things:

Apples, apples, apples!!! New crop apples are appearing on the market, make use of them in quick breads, cakes, dowdies, grumps, slumps, dumplings, crumbles, betties, cobblers and pies. Have you seen the lovely little pastries made with almost paper-thin sliced apples and puff pastry? Too cute and not at all difficult.

Fall-bearing raspberries will make a brief appearance, this is your opportunity to make that red raspberry pie you never got to this Summer.

Hearty, more earthy things for you to start making is anything else that calls for molasses or treacle: gingerbread, crinkle cookies, Sticky Toffee pudding, Shoo-Fly pie, Joe Froggers and Hermit bars. When I lived in England many moons ago, a local health food store sold soft molasses cookies that were almost an inch thick and about as big as a dinner plate. One of those and a pint of milk was a tasty treat.

Fruitcake people unite! Time to get your holiday cakes baked NOW, so you won't be caught short THEN.

[quote] Apples, apples, apples!!!

I dice them into small cubes and place them on a muffin tray in the freezer so I can use them quickly to add to my morning porridge or muesli.

A yellow cake iced with whipped cream and fresh peaches. But before then, I try to bake bread in my bread machine every few weeks. I use a basic white bread recipe, then add some lightly cooked bulgur wheat and oats to give it more fiber and nutrition. It's very tasty and turns out very well.

4 cups flour

3/4 cup warm water

1 heaping tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

about 1 1/2 cups cooked bulgur wheat and rolled oats

1 heaping teaspoon of salt

a package of quick rising yeast

put in bread machine using French Bread setting

Lemon yoghurt cake for me followed by sultana cake..yum

I had a near-disaster day before yesterday. I was baking an orange cake for a friend's birthday, and taking it out of the oven the springform pan came apart, dumping a third of the cake back into the oven and through the racks. My own fault, of course, for holding the pan by its side instead of the bottom. So, what to do? I rescued what I could and crumbled it up, then basted it with the fresh orange syrup I had made to glaze the original cake. While that was cooling I made a custard and flavored it with Cointreau. Then I macerated some cherries in Chambord and brandy, used the juice and booze as flavoring for some whipped cream, and threw the whole thing together as an orange-cherry trifle. Topped with slivered almonds. The irony is that four people have asked me for the recipe!

Baking isn't always an exact science...

Trifle is a great idea, r207. Probably what I would have done. Next time, encase the bottom of springform pan in enough tinfoil to come up the sides a little. Bake it on a sheet pan. Again, great idea, that trifle.

Honey Caramel Almond Shortbread bars.

It's the second time I've made them and they were a big hit. Adding to my permanent repertoire.

Next up: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

r196, in at least one of his videos he mentions his husband (and their kids). I think he's adorable and would be a hot fuck (if I were a top...).

I cheated and baked fried rice. Baked the leftover rice and fried the eggs in a pan and added them.

Worked a treat!

Miss R209, your nail polish is lovely!

I baked “Bill Smith’s Atlantic Beach Pie” for a dinner party.

R205, no white bread. No, no, no!!! Put your efforts into whole wheat flour. More nutritious, more fiber. I will never go back to white bread now I'v gone to Whole Wheat. I have done the whole COVID bake your own bread thing ordering wheat berries (red winter berries) that I ground in my own little flour mill, and I have also used King Arthur Whole wheat flour. The bread made from the ground berries had a better taste, but both were delicious.

Shirred eggs for this morning’s breakfast.

Safeway Signature Brand sausage pizza and yes I ate the whole thing.

Baking is always an adventure (and frequently a misadventure).

I bake a cake and forget a crucial ingredient.

The oven is too hot or too cold. My biscuits are like rocks. Lovely texture but no taste. Pretty but no nutrition.

Nutritious but ugly.

^^^ You make it sound like dating an Instawhore, R217.

R215, please tell us how you made the shirred eggs. Were the whites cooked but the yolks runny and delicious? Because I would love to find a recipe that guaranteed such an outcome without having to deal with poaching.

Shirred eggs = pretentious eggs.

Julia will help you out, R219.

R220 might want to watch, too, as she clearly had a bad shirring experience in childhood.

[quote] Were the whites cooked but the yolks runny and delicious? Because I would love to find a recipe that guaranteed such an outcome without having to deal with poaching.

I've done research on this and the sad fact is that yolks set up at lower temperatures than whites do. Meaning: by the time your whites have passed the runny / snotty stage, your yolks are too far gone.

Poaching (in hot water) is probably the closest you'll get to having your whites set-up but your yolk runny.

Oh, another method is over-easy *with* a lid on the pan.

I want to try to make an opera cake, but the recipe I want to use looks daunting.

Thank you, R221!

R222, that's what I do, but it's a pain in the ass because sometimes the yolks break (a great tragedy!) and because you have to stand there literally the entire time - which, granted is only a couple of minutes - while they cook.

I don't cover the pan, by the way, and the whites come out fully cooked and the yolk stays mostly runny. It does cook a tiny bit, but there's still plenty of delicious golden goodness.

I asked about shirred because it would be lovely to pop the eggs in the oven and be able to work on other aspects of dinner as they cooked. Also, I hate brown, crispy white, which is always a risk when frying eggs.

R215, you just butter a ramekin, add two teaspoons of heavy cream, the egg and two tablespoons of grated Parmesan, salt, pepper. Baked for 12 minutes at 375. You could use half and half but not whole milk. You want the sweetness of cream and the salty Parmesan.

Aztec pie

I baked (shirred, I guess) a bunch of eggs in the oven. I used a nonstick muffin tin (one egg in each muffin slot). I was shooting for the set-up white / soft yolk thing, but I got the yolks set-up too much. I experimented a couple more times and gave up.

I'm looking for a good frosting for brownies, either chocolate or cream cheese. I like a thin layer of frosting on brownies and the one I've been using is too dry and doesn't taste that great.

there's some hersey's cocoa powder icing/cake that used to be on the box. old school favorite.

....

Corn casserole? When did I eat corn casserole?

One of the tricks for shirred eggs is to start them on the stove top, until the bottom is set, and then transfer to the oven.

Will you bring a piece R230? That's my favorite cake.

R228 I use a mixture of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, caster sugar and a small amount of milk.

[quote]Aztec pie

Doesn't that require a human sacrifice?

I just baked cabbage chicken. It is basically cabbage, butter, black pepper and chicken. I like baked cabbage but stinks up everything. Including everything in the frig.