Baked Sunday Mornings: Speculaas

THESE SPECULAAS WILL MAKE GREAT CHRISTMAS COOKIES.....ABOUT A YEAR FROM NOW

This “BAKED” version of the German Biscoff Cookie is delicious, but I wish I’d baked them for Christmas as I did Dorie's recipe a year ago.

Every time I have a kitchen project that is inspired by the German part of the world, my mind wanders to my Grandmother, Charlotte, who immigrated from Switzerland during WWI.  She, along with her mother (her father had died) and an older sister, Bertha, braved the war areas and made their way to Germany, to the American embassy.  Had she been a boy she would not have been allowed to go further as she would have been forced fight in the German army.  Even though her travels were dangerous,  she arrived in Salt Lake City at the age of 18.

Grandma Charlotte was highly educated for a woman in her time, and was also a skilled seamstress.  Her clothes were extraordinary with hand made lace and beautiful, perfect stitching.  Before immigrating, her family’s Swiss home was a four story mansion and she lived in luxury...the home is in use today as an inn. But she came to America with nothing, married young, bore ten children (my father was the10th) and always lived in poverty.  She was always happy, however, and I remember her singing in her soothing alto voice  as she did her chores and continually served others.  By the time I was born, my grandfather had died, and she was homeless.  All her children did well and she divided her time with them all, living with each for a month or maybe two of every year. 

I loved her staying with us because she would mend all the clothes, help me sew outfits for my Barbies, clean the house, cook, do dishes...anything.  After our sewing projects, I remember how she always crawled on her hands and knees under the sewing table with an empty spool that she used to wind every small piece of thread for future use such as sewing on a button.  She wasted nothing.  Not only had she escaped war-torn Europe with only the clothes on her back, but she lived through the Great Depression and other very hard times, and she never forgot.

I’ll never forget the one time I became angry with her.  I returned home from my Jr. High classes at the end of the day, and found that all my dresses and skirts (yes, we used to wear nice clothes to school every day), had been lengthened...to mid-calf ...and this was the mini-skirt era.  I was horrified and could not believe that she would do such a thing without first talking to me.  She had seen me growing like a weed and thought she would surprise me with her kind deed, but I could only envision how I would be humiliated by my friends at school.  Yet, back in the day, when we were taught to be respectful of our elders and to have good manners, I was unable to voice my frustrations.  I remember crying myself to sleep.  I know things got worked out and my clothes were “fixed,” but I don’t remember how that all happened.  I only remember my trauma.

Back to the cookies...my grandma loved to cook and enjoyed good foods.  With her strong German accent, she reminisced about special days and holidays from her youth, and I wonder if a similar cookie had made it to her family’s holiday table.  I think so.  She often spoke of pfeffernusse, ginger, and other spice cookies which she loved.

I’ve had a couple of people ask me if these cookies are the same as Dorie’s recipe that we baked a year earlier.  I would say no.  They are really very different.  The mixing method is different, and the texture is different, and some ingredients are different.  (Cardamom is listed in the procedure part of the recipe, but not in the ingredient list.)  And I always have fun running to the back yard where I can pick a fresh orange to zest, and that flavor is also different in this recipe

ALTHOUGH I EXPECTED THEM TO BE SIMILAR, THIS SPECULAAS RECIPE IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM DORIE'S SPECULOOS,

When I  mixed the dough, I cheated by using my food processor.  It was very dry and crumbly.  I was really worried when I took it out of the fridge this morning after chilling all night, that it would not roll out nicely, as it still appeared to be crumbly, but everything came together and the dough was actually sticky and needed a good dose of flour on the counter top and also sprinkled on the dough top.

Once rolled, the dough cut out well, baked nicely and tastes delicious.  I only baked the cookies for 10 minutes instead of the suggested 15.  At 10 minutes, the edges were browning and I feared they would be burned with 5 more minutes in the oven.

This shorter baking time produced a softer, chewy cookie where Dorie’s were crispy and remind me of those Moravian cookies that sell for a high price at Williams-Sonoma during the holidays.

We are still into holidays at our house, so this recipe still fits into our family.  Seems like holidays keep marching on: the fall holidays lead into the Christmas season, then New Year’s, and somehow we keep catching up on good foods and treats we feel we have missed.  (we made more pumpkin pie this week, and peppermint topped brownies) And this week we celebrated 2 days of Chinese New Year with our Singapore friends, and now we are thinking about Valentine’s Day.....and we have had lots of birthdays and other fun days through it all.  Christmas cookies are still appreciated, especially when in the shape of a heart.

Just like the Biscoff airline cookies being an addiction for the Baked boys, I’m finding these Speculaas are a new addiction for me...I'm munching while I type up this post...a nice change from my chocolate addiction.

Since it is now afternoon, I’ll get this “morning” post up and see what you all have done with your cookies.  I’m sure they will look delicious as you all are fantastic bakers!

Well, after 2 hours out of the oven, these cookies are now "thin and crispy" but I would say are still not the same as Dorie's.  My opinion. 

French Friday with Dorie: Broth Braised Potatoes

QUICK AND SIMPLE BRAISED POTATOES WITH SO MUCH GREAT FLAVOR

Who doesn't love potatoes in all their varieties and with so many recipes to choose from, but...the usual problem with potatoes at our house is that they get loaded with fats from many sources.  We love them fried, mashed and loaded with cream cheese and butter, in gratins and twice baked, with cheeses, swimming in gravies and sauces, in funeral potatoes and casseroles,  in soup, in spudnuts and breads...and the list goes on.  And all loaded with oils and fats of every kind.

THESE POTATOES WERE GREAT THE NEXT MORNING FOR BREAKFAST--EVERYTHING ON THE PLATE IS HOMEMADE--MAKES ME FEEL GOOD

Except for a very little olive oil, these potatoes are fat free.  Amazing.  And they taste good.  They are full of flavor from fresh herbs, lemon zest, garlic and other seasonings.

AND THEY FRIED UP NICELY WITHOUT EXTRA FAT---MAKES HUBBY HAPPY!

And, especially over the next month or so I'll be very thankful for simple, quick recipes because it is tax time for our business.  Today I did last quarters taxes (which were unusually horrible...I lost 50 cents and had to work hard and long to find it), tomorrow is W-2s and 1099s, next week is payday, and then I really get going...everything needs to get prepared for those April 15th taxes. I'd much rather be baking goodies or cooking tasty foods.

This morning's breakfast was also tasty with these potatoes.  I'll be making them again for sure.

It will be fun to see what you all have done with your potatoes...I expect to see some very yummy meals!

French Friday with Dorie: Quatre-Quarts

A DELICIOUS VANILLA CAKE THAT CAN BE USED IN WAYS SIMILAR TO A POUND CAKE

I am excited by this simple cake that can compliment a meal in so many ways or is lovely on its own.  I had thought about getting fresh strawberries but decided to use what I had on hand.

THIS CAKE HAS A LIGHT AND LOVELY CRUMB--GREAT TEXTURE

With a little dark brown sugar sprinkled on the cake top before baking, this cake has a nice top crust with just a little crunch when sliced or eaten.

GARNISHED WITH ITEMS FROM THE PANTRY--DELICIOUS!

I had caramel sauce from a previous project and my grandkids were here eating bananas, or halves of bananas, so I found a good way to use those other halves.  A dab of whipped cream was a perfect addition to these garnishes.

This cake would be good with fresh peaches, any berries, grilled and coupled with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate, it could be cut in half and assembled like a Boston cream pie..........lots of good toppings come to mind.  Quatre-Quarts is a homey version of a pound cake, but it is lighter due to stiffly whipped egg whites that have been folded into the mixture.

We enjoyed this cake warm from the oven.  It was a perfect addition to our family meal and was especially enjoyed again as a bedtime snack.

All ingredients are regular pantry items.  From the process beginnings to eating our version took only 45 minutes, and most of that was baking time.  We love fast and easy desserts...we will make this again soon.

Baked Sunday Mornings: Pecan Tassies

THESE ARE A FAVORITE AT OUR HOUSE

This recipe for Pecan Tassies is simple and relatively quick; only an hour from start to finish.  With such an easy recipe I should have had it ready for posting on time, however, with holiday guests still at our house and more coming tomorrow, I continue to run behind.

MY TASTE WAS WITH CHOCOLATE--DELICIOUS!

The only change I made was to add chocolate pieces to half the tassies.  I added bittersweet chocolate chunks to each pie bottom along with pecan pieces.  So that we could tell the difference between the pies with and without the chocolate, I baked 2 different shapes.

HUBBY PREFERRED WITHOUT CHOCOLATE

This without chocolate shape was created in a mini muffin pan.  (Baked as suggested by the recipe.) They would have been perfect except that we took them to a party, and because I needed to rush out the door as soon as the tassies were out of the oven, their tops cracked a little when being removed, while still very hot, from the baking pan to the serving platter...but they were still pretty and very delicious.

YUMMY ON THE INSIDE

This crust recipe is flaky and flavorful.  My grandson, Baby M, thinks this crust is the best part, and kids are often known to leave the crust. so I was impressed.

Next time, I will add a nut-less filling  to the crust which has a few nut pieces sprinkled into the shells.  I think it would be easier to pour only the liquid into the mini shapes.  And then I will add more nuts to the tops after the filling has been poured into each pie.  I think I would see more nuts, creating a look more like a mini pecan pie.  However, since there is not photo for this recipe, this is just my idea of how to make these tassies even more beautiful.

Hope you are all staying warm.  I look forward to Speculaas for our next post.

Baked Sunday Mornings: Buckeyes & Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Cane Filled Sandwich Cookies

ENOUGH TO SHARE

I actually made this p-nut butter candy recipe when assigned, however, I struggled with this one in the dipping stage, made a mess, got frustrated, and put this write-up on hold.

Getting each part of the recipe ready was simple and everything moved along well.  My p-nut butter balls were waiting to be dipped, my chocolate was melted and smooth, my set-up pans were lined and waiting

Then the mess happened.   I put the p-nut butter balls into the chocolate and tried  covering all but their tops (thus the "Buckeye" appearance)  in the luscious chocolate coating.  I rolled them around with a fork...and then I tried with with a chocolate dipping tool... and then I tried with a skewer...well, that lovely chocolate  was just a globbed on mess, looked ugly, and my Buckeyes went from bad to worse as the chocolate cooled more.  I was embarrassed to serve them to my family, and did not want to admit I had made such ugly candies.

I tried reheating the chocolate a little, and it was quite thin, but obviously not thin enough to nicely coat the Buckeyes.  As soon as I tried to roll them, the balls again got messier as the chocolate seemed to be too thick.  Also, none of the excess chocolate dripped off when I held them above the dipping bowl.  When I tried scraping off any extra chocolate, the mess got bigger.

I decided to make a different dessert, waiting to see what my cyber friends had done before trying again.  I knew the p-nut butter balls would keep and the chocolate could be melted for a second use.

One huge plus about this "Baked" group with experienced  bakers who make beautiful foods is that I get ideas.  Maybe this time I will get a needed help.

A HOLIDAY FAVORITE--CHOCOLATE AND PEPPERMINT

We attended Frolicking Night Owl's and children's magnificent Christmas concert and afterwards we all returned home for food and treats.  I had wanted to have the p-nut butter balls, or Buckeyes, ready for our table, however, I decided to make Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Peppermint Candy Cane Filling as our treat when the Buckeyes did not cooperate.

The sandwich cookies were  quick to prepare, baked up nicely, and were a hit with my family.  I doubled the recipe and made 48 cookies. (These could also be called Whoopie Pies, or Hubby calls them Moon Pies.  We had friends from Singapore and Hong Kong come for dinner the next night so I  assembled  more of these yummy desserts, and our guests also called them Moon Pies.)

YUMMY SANDWICH COOKIES...THESE DISAPPEARED FAST!

CHOCOLATE SANDWITH COOKIES WITH CANDY CANE FILLING

These cake-like cookies are baked in a 375^ oven on two lined baking sheets for 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 C flour

2/3 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium size bowl, whisk above together and set aside.

Then in a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment beat:

1 stick butter

1 cup brown sugar

When above is smooth and creamy add:

1 egg--room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat again until smooth and creamy

Then slowly beat in 1 cup milk and the flour mixture, in two additions.

Beat until combined, about 2 minutes.

Using a 1+ Tablespoon mini ice cream scoop, I portioned the batter onto the baking sheets, leaving enough space between each mound for the cakelets to grow while baking.  I put 24 per sheet and when 2 sheets of 24 are baked, this will make 24 sandwich cookies.

The cookies are done when they spring back when gently pressed.  Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.  Then place on a cooling rack.  Assemble when completely cool.

To make the filling, cream together until smooth and fluffy:

1 Cup (8 oz) cream cheese

1 Cup (2 sticks) butter

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Blend all of above again.

Then add 6 Cups confectioners sugar

Blend again until creamy.

Fill a piping bag with a large tip with the filling.

While the cookies are baking, crush candy canes to use as a garnish.

To assemble the cookies...and this was goes fast...match up cookies by size and shape to make a top and a bottom for each cookie, pipe filling on underside of one cookie and add its matching top, roll cookie sides in crushed candy canes to finish.  This assembly process takes only 5 minutes.

These cookies should be eaten soon after filling as they become moist from the filling and do not keep.  The baked cookies keep well for a day, so only make what will be used.  (I did have 5 or 6 filled cookies  leftover and they were OK the next day, but not as good.  It's better to assemble them as needed.)

ROLLED BALLS OF PEANUT BUTTER FILLING SIMILAR TO A REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP

Back to the Buckeyes...

When this assignment was ready for posting, I read through your reviews and saw your photos on the Baked Sunday Mornings site.  I then tried coating the Buckeyes again and was frustrated again.  Many of you were quite successful, so I knew this project could work.  I used a good quality chocolate, but maybe it was not a good dipping chocolate.

As I became more and more frustrated by the Buckeyes, I thought of all my friends who tell me they can't bake, and how, even when I carefully explain a recipe to them, their results are not good.  I have one neighbor who tries hard to bake sugar cookies, but fails every time, and another who works at baking the  pies that her husband craves, but they are all gross no matter what.  These friends get to the point that they hate baking, say they just can't do it, and they actually dread any recipe that combines butter, sugar, and flour.

With my failing buckeyes, which seemed to be easy for most of you, I was sharing my friend's feelings...I was feeling the frustration.

I got online and found where dipping chocolate often has some added fat such as oil to thin it out a little.  I did not want added butter, and especially not shortening, which seemed to be the most popular fat to add, or added oil of any kind  in my good chocolate.

But after reading Elaine's post where she told about making a similar recipe with her mom and they rolled the balls with a toothpick inserted to help the process, a light went on in my head, and I was able to complete the buckeyes...still a mess, but I was making progress.

I  had read the recipe over and over where it instructed, "...using a fork or large skewer, dip each ball into the chocolate.  Roll the ball around from side to side to cover almost the entire peanut butter center, leaving a small part uncovered.  Manipulate the buckeye so that the dripping chocolate covers the holes made by the fork..."

I wondered how the fork made holes in the peanut butter ball?  It was not written, "INSERT a fork or large skewer into each ball..."  And now that I think about it, if I had done this, my peanut butter balls would have crumbled...a couple did crumble when I used a skinny toothpick for the rolling-around-in-the-chocolate process.

ROLLED IN MELTED DARK CHOCOLATE...BUT NEED TO HIDE THE HOLES

After using a toothpick, I see that I should have rolled these Buckeyes in a different direction to cover the holds...but the recipe says to let the "dripping chocolate" cover the holes...and I still had no dripping chocolate.  (And I did add a small amount of butter to thin my 120^ melted chocolate...100^, as instructed by the recipe seemed to set up as soon as I added a peanut butter ball.

So, I still had ugly Buckeyes.  But they could be fixed with some creativity...

HOLES ARE HIDDEN AND HOLIDAY SPRINKLES MAKE THEM SPECIAL

Chocolate drizzled over their tops and some holiday sprinkles did the trick.  No one knew that these should have looked like nuts called Buckeyes that grow on trees and are related to horse chessnuts.  

I need to find other chocolate dipping projects as I need to acquire better skills in this area.  I suppose that we don't do much chocolate dipping in AZ as it is usually too hot to dream about such things.  But this month is cool enough, so I'll plan to try again.

I FOUND MY KIDDIES WAITING TO CHECK OUT SANTA'S VISIT

And my grandkiddies did enjoy my treats over the holidays.  Any dipping tips will be appreciated!

French Friday with Dorie: M. Jaques Armagnac Chicken

 HOT OUT OF THE OVEN

Emmie Lou Who and Baby M are home for a few weeks and Emmie needs special care...expecting Baby #2, and her doctor wants her to take it easy for a few weeks...just a minor problem but we don't want anything to become a bigger problem.

Dinners like the one assigned for this week are perfect for Emmie who loves vegetables and healthy meals like this chicken dish.  We made 2 pots (barely fit into the oven) so that she can have healthy leftovers.  We shredded the second chicken and made BBQ sandwiches that were delicious and shared with other family who came to hang out.

MOIST CHICKEN AND FLAVORFUL VEGETABLES

We added sweet potatoes to Dorie's mix, clipped fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano, found a bay leaf,  and then added peach syrup to make the sauce...no alcohol for our house.  The syrup added a lovely sweetness that helped the veges to caramelize a bit and added great flavor.  But, this meal was being consumed before I could reduce the sauce and pour over the chicken and veges before serving.  No matter, the veges were tender and flavorful as was the chicken.

This chicken dish smelled so good that as soon as it was removed  from the oven, it was being eaten.  Even before I could get it onto a serving plate; just couldn't wait.  Hubby agreed that this meal is delicious.

And I like the fact that this meal is easy to put together.  These are common, pantry vegetables.  Everything goes into one pot, or two at our house, roasts relatively fast due to a high heat, cleans up easily, and tastes delicious.

2nd POT--COOKED A LITTLE LONGER FOR SHREDDING

This is a great winter dinner, perfect for families, and just right for busy people who want to put a meal in the oven and forget it while it cooks.  We'll make this again soon.

Even though this meal appears to be common in many ways, what made it different for me is cooking at such a high heat, and the addition of a sweet syrup which added great flavor and added to the wonderful cooking aroma...made everyone want to be home for dinner.  These little differences that work are one reason I enjoy this group...new ideas every time.

SIMPLE, HEALTHY, FLAVORFUL FAMILY MEAL

Just looking at these photos makes me want to eat this again.

Hope you all are enjoying the beginnings of a great new year.  I look forward to seeing your meals.

Baked Sunday Mornings: Stump de Noel

STUMP DE NOEL

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY CYBER FRIENDS!

Better late than never.  And speaking of never, I have never made a Buche or Stump de Noel.  When this recipe was posted for our New Year’s Day “Baked” assignment I was excited.  But...with all the parts to this recipe, and with all my crazy end of 2011 life,  it took me 2 weeks to complete...finally got it finished one week late and used the stump as a celebration for Baby M’s 1st birthday.  

 

MY FAVORITE PART OF THIS PROJECT WAS MAKING MUSHROOMS--LOTS OF MUSHROOMS

 Three of my grandkiddies came to help me make the decorations for this special holiday cake.

WITH A BATCH OF GROUND ALMOND FLOUR MARZIPAN  WE MADE PINE CONES

PENGUIN MADE ANIMALS AND PLANTS

PEACOCK MADE LOTS OF ANIMALS

TURKEY MADE ANIMALS BUT ATE THEM ALL

In the event that I would never get to the cake baking part of the recipe, I purchased a pan from Williams-Sonoma that would make do...and I did use it for Baby M’s cake and also for family members who requested a dark chocolate cake with a ganache glaze...try to please everyone.  (# 1 Son’s favored the “Baked” cake.  Frolicking Night Owl and Emmy Lou Who both liked the dark chocolate best.  Hubby enjoyed both varieties and considered skipping dinner and eating only cake. )

Emmy Lou Who and Baby M are home for a few weeks while her hubby is doing an internship in WA...he will visit here at the end of the month...more fun!!!  Then they return to NE Idaho for a final semester of University...almost finished...YEA!

I HAD LEFT OVER CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING AND WISHED I'D MADE MORE OF THE MALTED BUTTERCREAM IN FOR THE STUMP FILLING

I decided not to include process photos this time...too many processes.  (I think the Baked boys should hire me to edit their next cookbook...some of the instructions are vague and some and a bit confusing.  And if they are confusing to me, a home baker of many years, I’m sure they are more confusing to a newer baker!  Example: “It is thin but large.” Does this refer to the cake or to the slices?  I’m guessing the slices?  Why not just write, “For full effect, slice the cake horizontally into 24 thin pieces.”???  

A THIN BUT LARGE SLICE--FILLS A DINNER SIZE PLATE

 I found myself reading the recipe over and over...and over and over...to get all the steps accomplished and I was not at all sure I was getting everything done correctly and according to the Baked recipe. 

The finished project  made a lovely centerpiece for our continuing holiday table.

And, yes, it is delicious!

FRONT OF THE DARK CHOCOLATE STUMP WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

BACK OF THE DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

For those in my family who prefer a non-buttercream frosted cake I made the following:

Dark Chocolate Bar Cake with Ganache Icing

Preheat oven to 350^ and prepare a bundt pan by greasing/flouring.

Ingredients and Procedure:

8 oz chopped chocolate bar (I used a fruity 70% dark chocolate)
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup boiling water

Mix above 3 ingredients together until melted together and smooth.  Set aside while getting remaining ingredients readied.

2 cups flour
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup cocoa ( I used Trader Joe’s)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Whisk these dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

2 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, mix these three ingredients together until well blended.  Then add ½ the dry and ½ the melted chocolate mixture and blend again.  Add the remaining dry and melted chocolate mixtures and blend until smooth and well combined.

Bake about 45 minutes...begin checking at 40 minutes.  Cake is done when a tester is inserted and comes out dry and the cake is springy to the touch.

While cake is baking make the ganache: Bring to boil 1 cup heavy cream.  Pour hot cream over 1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate (I used the same as for the cake).  Mix until melted and smooth.

When the cake is done, remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes on a rack.  Invert onto a cake plate and let cool an additional 10 minutes.  Then drizzle ganache over the top; let set for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

A 3rd CAKE--A SHORTER HALF SIZE FOR BABY M'S  #1 BIRTHDAY CAKE--WAS BAKED BY TURKEY WHO LET ME BE THE BAKER'S HELPER

BABY M LOVED HIS BIRTHDAY CAKE

BACK SIDE OF THE STUMP DE NOEL