Baking Obsession

Dog Biscuits

Vera — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:32:50 +0000

I bake these often. And we don’t even have a dog. We do have a son, though, who loves them; honestly, the whole family enjoys these bones with soups and salads, and on their own – they are very munchable. If you are hesitant to offer the biscuits to guests thinking they might accuse you [...]

French Yule Log

Vera — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:46:19 +0000

December’s Daring Bakers challenge hosted by Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux was Yule log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand. This was not the usual Christmas log that first comes to mind. This one was a frozen dessert (I’d say semifrozen, the mousse doesn’t freeze hard) [...]

Princess Cake for a Little Girl

Vera — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:23:47 +0000

If a little girl wants a princess cake for Christmas, especially if this day happens to be her 4th birthday, she gets it. I wish I had a bit more time for this project. I had an elaborate midcentury design for the princess’s dress in mind. But being pressed on time, I put this idea aside. [...]

Not Quite a Fruitcake

Vera — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 03:32:24 +0000

I’m willing to admit that my opinion regarding the fruitcakes might be preconceived. I am planning to experiment next season; it is too late now. Now we are eating the moist pound cake where the part of the flour is replaced by ground almonds, studded with brandy-soaked dry fruits and glazed with marmalade/Grand Marnier glaze. As [...]

Eggnog

Vera — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:33:09 +0000

Very Merry Christmas to everyone (in case I don’t have time for another pre-christmasy post )! I wish you all stress-free and full of joy holidays! We’ve already started sipping eggnog, and I suspect I’ll be making at least a couple more batches before the Christmas time. I prefer to make this beverage myself. The flavor [...]

Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies)

Vera — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 10:56:06 +0000

Maybe not so photogenic, these cookies are amazingly good. There are a lot of similar recipes around, and I, myself, have tried about four or five of them. But I’m not in search for the perfect recipe anymore, I’m quite content and happy with this one. I bake exactly the same cookies for three years [...]

Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake with Nib Brittle and Balsamic Strawberries

Vera — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:57:32 +0000

I don’t know what to say to people who tell me that this cake is better than sex. I guess, it’s entirely depends on a personal experience. But I do know for sure the cheesecake is quite good. I prefer my cheesecakes crustless (there… I said it). I like something crunchy to be served on [...]

Cocoa Nib Pudding

Vera — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:35:21 +0000

This pudding is so creamy, so wonderfully smooth, so delicately flavored. I wish the picture could have been more persuasive. The lack of decent daylight here adversely affects the quality of the photographs. But you can trust my words – this pudding is very much worth to be made. It can be enjoyed warm, cool, [...]

Chocolate Basil Crinkles

Vera — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:44:19 +0000

Basil pairs nicely with chocolate, well, at least in my opinion. The crinkles are not the only chocolate things I flavor with this herb. I like to flavor French chocolate ganache tart and pots de crème with basil, it is lovely. If you are not convinced, you can chose a different flavoring for the cookies. [...]

Honigkuchenwürfel (Honey Cake Squares)

Vera — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:12:38 +0000

Thanksgiving is finally over everywhere and now I can return to my cookies, this time - very christmasy ones. I’ve been willing to share this recipe for a while but it didn’t seem quite appropriate back then. This is a traditional German lebkuchen sandwiched with a moist and flavorful filling of apricot jam, raisins, candied [...]

Caramel Cardamom Cake with Caramel Cardamom Brown Butter Frosting and Strawberry Gelée

Vera — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:02:42 +0000

This cake was the November Daring Bakers’ challenge (hosted by Dolores, Alex, and Jenny). The recipe for the caramel cake and brown butter frosting was generously provided by Shuna Fish Lydon. I added ground cardamom to the cake batter, and flavored the butter with cardamom as well, by heating the butter with crushed cardamom pods. [...]

Honey and Cardamom Fleur de Sel Caramels

Vera — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 07:01:37 +0000

These soft caramels are not difficult to make and very easy to eat. I infused the cream with cardamom flavor and added a good portion of fleur de sel. I do have an addiction to salted caramel. I guess, it shows… The recipe is from “Pure Desserts” by Alice Medrich (I’m addicted to her recipes, as [...]

Milk Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tart

Vera — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:35:16 +0000

There are total of four layers in this tart and I’m not counting the tart crust as a layer. At the very bottom there are honey roasted salted peanuts covered with fleur de sel caramel. Then goes a layer of barely sweetened tangy sour cream-cream cheese mousse followed by the milk chocolate pastry cream. The [...]

Chocolate Salami

Vera — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:37:43 +0000

Everyone who bakes regularly once in a while faces a problem of utilizing cake scraps after leveling layers, or/and some chocolate ganache-glaze leftovers. The most efficient and easiest way to get rid of them all at once is to make the dolce salami. This is not a classic Italian recipe required egg yolks but it [...]

Caramelized Phyllo and Pumpkin Marshmallow Napoleons

Vera — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:06:02 +0000

A pumpkin pie that I would love is an ongoing project. I’ve tested dozens of recipes but haven’t yet found the favorite one. As soon as I hit it I’ll certainly share my discovery with you. Meanwhile, there’s a whimsy but tasty alternative. Caramelized phyllo rounds (or it can be any other shape appealing to [...]

Gingersnaps

Vera — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 07:25:14 +0000

Or, I probably should say “the perfect gingersnaps”, because they definitely are! The recipe is from Alice Medrich, so their deliciousness didn’t catch me by surprise. The cookies are crispy outside, chewy in the middle, loaded with fresh and candied ginger; so pleasantly warm! They are my carb servings which combined with low-fat cottage make [...]

Apple-Cranberry Crumble with Orange-Carrot Frozen Yogurt

Vera — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:07:16 +0000

Don’t be surprised it wasn’t served with ice cream. See, I need to shed a couple of pounds here - I am trying to squeeze into this party dress by the end of the month. So, the dish is basically my diet food – less fat, more vitamins. If you are favoring traditional views you [...]

Apple Strudel with Cranberry Sauce

Vera — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 08:52:18 +0000

Farmers’ markets smell like apples. It’s impossible not to buy some when you are there. What’s more difficult is to resist the temptation of buying more apples than you actually need – happens to me all the time… The strudel is one of my favorite ways to utilize these fruits. I stuff the strudel [...]

Coconut and White Chocolate Windmills

Vera — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:47:52 +0000

And here’s another cookie. I hope you are not tired of them. Christmas is not too far, and I’ve been trying new and revising old favorite recipes preparing to a big give-away baking. So far, there are about two dozens recipes more to go. Don’t be afraid, I’ll dilute the cookie posts with something else [...]

Lemon Pepper Cornmeal Cookies

Vera — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:44:32 +0000

If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis, don’t try to pipe these cookies. And I’m not joking. My hands were quite sore after piping 4 dozens of these, even though I don’t have any of the aforementioned problems. The dough is quite stiff and not so easily piped. To alleviate the process, you [...]

One Crust and Three Pizzas

Vera — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:01:08 +0000

October Daring Bakers’ challenge was pizza, to be precise – Peter Reinhart’s wonderful pizza crust. To make it challenging enough, we were supposed to master the tossing technique. Although, it is definitely fun and adrenalin-releasing experience I prefer to stretch my dough on the fists letting the gravity to do its work. This way, the [...]

5-Spice Pumpkin and Date Loaf

Vera — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 22:51:52 +0000

There are pumpkins everywhere, in all possible shapes and sizes. Aroma of autumn spices invades the kitchens. And even if this is not my favorite season (please, don’t throw anything in my head :), I do love this comfy smell, and the taste of a moist spicy pumpkin loaf. Speaking of spices, I love 5-spice [...]

Checkerboard Cookies

Vera — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 06:47:27 +0000

This is an old classic, not really original – just simple chocolate and vanilla dough put together. Yet it always surprises me how people react when I offer them the cookies (or maybe they are just easily impressed here :) Kids simply go crazy over them. The recipe below makes an enormous amount of cookies. [...]

Hot Chocolate

Vera — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:28:18 +0000

… is comforting and delicious, especially on a rainy, or not-so-rainy, but chilly day. To be honest, I love it without any connection with weather conditions or time of the day. It can be topped with whipped cream but I prefer the hot chocolate as is. Theoretically, there’s enough for four (offer it [...]

Cranberry Orange Mousse

Vera — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:03:08 +0000

Cranberries are in abundance now. I believe it makes a perfect sense buying them and freezing for later use while they are so reasonably priced. I’m thinking about Christmas, in particular :) It’s probably too early but I’ve got this obtrusive idea… Does anybody else feel Christmas in the air? I even made sugar-glazed cranberries [...]