Leaf-Shaped Fougasse

 

It’s been eight years since my last post.  Left Kailua, Hawaii for Eielson AFB (near Fairbanks, Alaska) in 2013 and moved to San Antonio, Texas in 2015. After nearly a year of staying mostly at home because of COVID-19, we are spending more time reading cookbooks and baking. 

This recipe is from Baking with Julia. Neither the Williams Sonoma nor the Sur La Table near me carried a bread lame. But I don’t think the lack of the lame hurt the loaf.  It was difficult to shape the dough and keep an even thickness.  Taste was okay. I wouldn’t make this recipe again. 

Lemon Loaf Cake

This week I learned that you can substitute 1 cup of all purpose flour for cake flour by replacing 2 Tbsp of the all purpose flour with 2 Tbsp of corn starch.  So happy not to buy cake flour that I might never use again.  I almost didn't bake this recipe because of the cake flour and the so-so reviews.  But I thought if I skipped, it might make it too easy to skip again. 

I decided to top the loaf with a mixture of the juice of 1 lemon and 1/4 c sugar.  This was poured over the loaf when it was still hot in the pan.  My cousin has a great recipe for lemon bread that includes this step and it really makes the bread. 

My neighbors liked it.  My son (my toughest critic) asked for another slice today.  I liked the texture of the cake but the lemon taste wasn't as strong as I would have liked. 

Check out all Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Julia Lemon Loaf blogs and the recipe can be found on this week's hosts' blogs. 

Pizza Rustica

So excited to bake another recipe.  So excited to use my food processor for the second time this year -- it might be a record!  Similar to a quiche.  Husband, daughter, and I all liked it.  Picky son said maybe if it didn't have meat and had onions instead.  I might try this one again.  Serrated lattice top would be much prettier.  The dough was very soft and hard to work with but my kitchen was 80+ degrees. Here are all the Pizza Rustica links.  Recipe can be found on the hosts' blogs.

Irish Soda Bread

This week's recipe challenge for Baking with Julia was simple and quick.  This recipe had 4 ingredients:  flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk.  I added dried cranberries to make it more appealing to my family.  They all liked it.  Will make this one again.  All the other baker's links are here LYL: Irish Soda Bread and the hosts' blogs have the recipe.

Rugelach

Can't believe I'm 3 for 3 now with the recipes.  This was by far the most time consuming.  And lots and lots of dishes.  I didn't think my family would like the prune and apricot (and my son has a peanut allergy and doesn't like any nuts) so I did half with raspberry jam and half with mini chocolate chips.  My family liked it but I didn't think it was worth the time.  It was very difficult to roll the dough up and I ended up rolling it out on parchment paper and then using the parchment paper to roll the cookie up (like a bamboo sushi mat).  Maybe I will like it more tomorrow.  Taking it to my Bible Study for snack. 

All the other bakers' links can be found here LYL:Rugelach and the hosts' links have the recipe posted. 

Chocolate Truffle Tart

I almost chickened out this week.  The recipe had a lot of steps.  I actually dug out my food processor that hasn't been used in at least 8 years.  The chocolate dough came together with no problems.

Rolling the dough out was a big problem.  I think my kitchen was too hot and the dough was too soft.  Managed to pat and patch.  I used the tart pan I had (and not the tartlet pans in the recipe) since I am trying not to buy more kitchen equipment.  I baked the empty crust a few minutes longer.  It's also been a long time since I separated 9 eggs!  I think my favorite part of the recipe was watching the egg yolks thicken up while they were beating.  Also baked the filled tart a few minutes longer than the recipe. 

My family loved it.  This tart is very rich.  My biggest critic, my son, even gave it a thumbs-up.  He proclaimed himself my "Kerry Vincent" for those of you who watch Food Network Challenge.  All the Tuesdays with Dorie Baking with Julia links are here and the recipe can be found on the hosts' blogs.  I haven't watched this yet (maybe I should have!) but here is the link to the PBS show with Julia Child.

Chocolate Truffle Tartlet Part 1
Chocolate Truffle Tartlet Part 2

Next up is Rugelach.

White Loaves

This is the first recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie, Baking with Julia.  Lily (my 9 year old daughter) and I made these loaves on Sunday before the Superbowl.  It was 80 degrees in our house so we didn't have any trouble with the dough rising.  My KitchenAid mixer bowl got stuck on the stand but there was help on the KitchenAid website.  Everyone in my family liked the bread.

The plan is to bake two recipes a month from Baking with Julia.  Next up is Chocolate Truffle Tartlets.