Tuesdays with Dorie comes to an end

I just had to share this link to an article in the Washington Post featuring the Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) group that I have been a part of since I first started blogging two years ago. It is sad to close the chapter and say goodbye to what has been a wonderful baking experience through the book "Baking" by Dorie Greenspan. Read the article here: TWD Comes to an End - Washington Post, December 26, 2011.

Fortunately, in February 2012 there will be a new group starting into another book, "Baking with Julia", written by Dorie. To join the group and for more info, visit Tuesdays with Dorie.

TWD: Sour Cream Pumpkin Tartlets

TWD this week is brought to us by Judy of Judy’s Gross Eats, who chose Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie/Tarts. For a higher pastry to filling ratio, I made them into tartlets using mini muffin tins. The recipe is found on page 324 of Dorie's book or on Judy's blog under today's date.

I thought they were the perfect choice and I would make them any time of the year - not just at thanksgiving! I'm not usually a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but with this much flaky pastry surrounding it I thought they were delicious.

TWD: Bittersweet Brownies

This Dorie recipe was chosen by Leslie of Lethally Delicious Blog. We enjoyed them - good texture, good rich flavor. Sometimes all the fancy treats in the world just can't beat a good brownie.

TWD: Caramel Apple Cake for Fall

I am ashamed to admit that I have never tasted a fig in my entire life. This statement still holds true today. I used apples in mine as I am sure a lot of other TWD-ers did as well.



One day I will get around to baking with this with figs, but for now this was a delicious alternative.



Today's recipe was chosen by Alvarosa of Cookie Rookie. The recipe will be found in Dorie's book "Baking" or on today's date on Ursula's blog.

TWD: (Not So) Basic Biscuits

Today's TWD was chosen by Jennifer of Cooking for Comfort blog. I have made these before following the recipe to a T, so this time I opted to jazz them up a bit. I added chopped red peppers, cheddar cheese, green onions and a dash of chipotle powder. They were so good on their own, but made into ham and cheese sandwiches, they were even more amazing!



Find this recipe in Dorie's book ork on Jennifer's blog (link above).

TWD: Apple Nut Muffin Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie pick by Katrina of Baking and Boys blog. Katrina is an amazing cook and her site is full of wonderful recipes. She is also a sweetheart blogger who I have "known" for a few years now through TWD. Thanks for this yummy pick Katrina!!! Find the recipe for this cake on her blog.

So, I got back from my NY vacation two days ago and I am so sad to be back. Just like with any vacation, it is hard coming back to all the pressures of reality. The even harder part was saying goodbye to my boyfriend. We usually only see each other on the weekends because he lives in the USA and I am in Canada, so the 9 days of vacation was the most time we had ever spent together. Leaving him and knowing that we will have to go back to weekend visits was so hard.

I was planning on making this bread last night but he surprised me and came up to visit after work! I didn't end up baking last night, but luckily I had made this cake a few weeks prior - even before it was chosen for TWD. I added a streak of streusel through the middle and omitted the raisins and nuts. It was well enjoyed and a definite "will make again" for me.

TWD: Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbread

Today it is my turn to host TWD! As we near the end of the book I was lucky enough to be chosen to pick a SECOND time. I am a huge fan of salt and pepper (and all condiments, come to think of it!). I usually sprinkle so much pepper on my bagel and cream cheese that you can't even see the cream cheese. No exaggerating.

These cookies really intrigued me and I'm happy to report that they were well received. Most people could not even distinguish the presence of the pepper, so it was really more like cocoa shortbread with a little "je ne sais quoi". I also dunked mine in a bowl of sugar before baking to give them a sugar-coated finish. To all the other Tuesdays with Dorie Bakers, thank you for taking the pepper challenge and baking along with me this week. This week is a bit of blur for me as my boyfriend and I count down to our long-awaited New York trip (leaving in 4 days!!!)

Salt and Pepper Cocoa Shortbread
"Baking" by Dorie Greenspan

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the flour and cocoa together in a bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer beat the butter until smooth and add in the sugar, continue to beat until they incorporate. Add the yolk, salt, pepper and vanilla, beat until smooth. Add the flour and cocoa mixture in a few separate additions. Mix until combined.

Turn the dough out onto your workspace and divide the dough in half. You want to roll 2 six inch logs, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Once the dough has chilled cut the logs into 1/2 inch rounds (you will end up with 24 cookies) bake for 12-15 minutes in a 350 degree until firm. Let them cool a minute on the hot trays before moving to cooling racks.

TWD: Cornmeal Strawberry Bread

This week's recipe was chosen by Caitlin of the Engineer Baker blog. She is such a sweetheart. I have been following her blog for over a year now and I love her posts. She is super smart too!!!

For today's recipe, I used strawberries, which have a high water content, so I added a touch more flour to compensate. I was not expecting much from this bread (cornmeal is not a favorite ingredient of mine) but it was quite pleasant and enjoyable. Thanks Caitlin for an unexpected hit! You can find the recipe in Dorie's book "Baking" or on Caitlin's blog for today's date.

TWD: Golden Brioche Orange Cream Buns

Margie of Tea and Scones chose Golden Brioche Loaves on pages 48-50 of Baking by Dorie Greenspan.

I adore brioche and Dorie's recipe is one of my favorites.

Lately I have been addicted to baking with orange, so I filled these with an orange-cream cheese filling that made these buns so moist and fluffy. The cream cheese baked up into the buns, leaving a hint of orange taste with a slight tang of cream cheese. They had a subtle sweetness, not as powerful and decadent as a cinnamon bun. It was just right for a breakfast treat and so pretty with the flecks of orange throughout.

Orange Cream Filling
Cooks Illustrated

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 tbsp flour

Combine all ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth. Store in refrigerator until ready to fill the buns.

TWD: Tropical Crumble

Gaye of Laws of the Kitchen chose Tropical Crumble on pages 418-419.

I omitted the banana and added some peaches and served this with some strawberry and vanilla ice cream. It was a nice change from the standard apple crumble.

TWD: Carrot Spice Muffins (Loaf)

This week's pick was by Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs. She chose Carrot Spice Muffins on page 14. I made a loaf and did about half carrot and half zucchini. It was a delicately flavored 'healthy' loaf.



I've missed a couple of weeks of Tuesdays with Dorie because it is summer and because I have not really had an oven the past month and a half as I'm still undergoing renovations. My brand new stainless steel appliances are scheduled to be delivered this Friday! Yes, this Friday!!! I have been waiting for this day for so long. I wasn't planning on replacing them (to save costs) but my dear, sweet, generous mother offered to buy them for me as a housewarming gift! I have been baking in her oven the past couple of months. Hopefully by this time next week I will be in my own kitchen, using my new oven.

TWD: Mini Cream Scones

Lynne of Cafe LynnyLu chose Cream scones on page 27 of Dorie's book. Scones are a favorite baked good around here. I threw in some chopped apricots and cranberries and a handful of chopped walnuts. I also made them bite-sized. Built in portion control = you can eat 3 minis for the calorie price of 1 large! They were no more than 1 1/2 inches along their longest edge. Simply perfect tea time treats.



Find the recipe HERE on Lynne's blog.

TWD: Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake

This week's TWD pick - a decadent chocolate chunk muffin (which I made into a coffee cake) - was by Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles blog. It is found on page 18 of Dorie's book or on Bridget's blog.

I opted to omit the melted chocolate and cocoa powder from the recipe and to just stir in the chocolate chunks instead. I like chocolate but am not a big fan of double chocolate. On another note, I also noticed that more often than not I end up baking muffins in cake pans. I find the clean-up faster since you only have to clean 1 pan versus 12 little muffin tins. I also find that the coffee cakes are more moist than the muffins, which is an added bonus. We really enjoyed this week's recipe. Any excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast is a good one!

TWD: Chocolate Sour Cream Cake Cookies

This week's recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) was chosen by Spike of Spike Bakes.

Dorie calls these more handmade then handsome and she is right. There's nothing overly attractive about them and truthfully they do look pretty plain compared to iced sugar cookies or statuesque chocolate-dipped biscotti. But people keep reaching for another once they've tried one. I think part of their appeal is in their simplicity.

Truth be told I have never been totally sold on the cake cookie. Straddling both worlds, they are trying too hard to please and never quite excelling in either. But these ones, these sour cream chocolate cake cookies are good!

TWD: Apricot Nut Bread

Today's TWD recipe was chosen by Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet. Recipe can be found at her blog HERE or on page 228 of Baking by Dorie Greenspan.

I'm not a fan of dates so I used chopped, dried apricots and baked this in a cake pan with a sprinkling of streusel topping instead of a loaf pan. It turned out kind of like a coffee cake. Yum!

TWD: Chocolate Biscotti

Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes chose Chocolate Biscotti on page 144. Am I the only one who doesn't like dunking cookies in coffee/tea/milk? I prefer my cookies undipped. Even when they are really hard ones like biscotti.

I used hot chocolate mix instead of cocoa powder because I was out of cocoa. Oops. That's why they are a lighter shade of brown rather than the deep, rich brown you would expect them to be. I had to cut down on the sugar a little because the hot chocolate mix had added sugar already. We enjoyed them and I would make them again with cocoa as originally called for.

TWD: Blueberry Brown Sugar Muffins

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Cindy of Everyday Insanity. This Bueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake had delicious caramelly undertones. It baked up beautifully in muffin form. Just remember to grease and flour the heck out of your muffin tins.

The berries sunk a little bit more than I would have liked but the muffins were still a hit.



Check out her blog for the recipe or pick up a copy of Baking: From My Home to Yours.

TWD: Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Scones

Patricia from Life With a Whisk chose Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones on page 30. Check out her blog or Dorie Greenspan's book for the recipe. It's a recipe that is easy, quick and good to have in your baking repertoire.

I opted for cinnamon instead of nutmeg and added some raisins, making these taste a little like oatmeal raisin cookies. I like the texture of the oatmeal in these delicious scones - a little coarser and crumblier than regular scones. They remind me of oaty, scottish scones.



I made a baked goods platter for a staff meeting. These were one of the items on the platter along with super-chewy chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon buns, walnut banana bread, raspberry bars and marmalade crumb bars (recipes to come).

TWD: Honey Cornmeal Biscuits

First off, I want to apologize for not commenting much on everyone's TWD posts the past few weeks. I have not been baking as much as I like either because I have been really busy with buying an apartment and the long list of associated things to do with homebuying! I am no longer a "property virgin"!

This week, Lindsay from A Little Something Sweet chose Maple Cornmeal Biscuits on page 24 of Baking: From My Home to Yours. I used honey instead of maple syrup and was very pleased with the results. They were sweet, tender and overall pretty darn addictive. Mine turned out more cakey and muffin-like than biscuit-like in texture but they were still delicious.

TWD: Brown Sugar Apple Bundt Cake

Peggy I from Pantry Revisited chose today's TWD recipe. No prunes nor raisins nor ground up nuts in my version here. Just a pure and simple pairing of brown sugar and granny smiths. The only change I made was to substitute 1/2 cup strong black coffee for 1/2 cup of the buttermilk. This added another layer of flavor and depth and interest.



Dorie says this is better if kept overnight, tightly wrapped so the flavors can ripen. Ours didn't last long enough for that to happen so I'll just have to take her word for it. Check out Peggy's Blog or The Book for the recipe.