Daring Bakers a day late

I am happy to announce that we have now moved in to our new place! Our stuff from the UK gets delivered on Friday and then all will be back to normal. We were moving yesterday and had no internet here or at my mom's place and for that reason I was not able to blog yesterday, when were were supposed to post the Daring Bakers challenge. Better late than never!

I love bread and I love potatoes so when I read the challenge was potato bread, I was really excited. The bread making was pretty straightforward, except for the dough being pretty sticky. I know I wasn’t the only person that experienced this. As a matter of fact, this recipe was picked because it was a sticky dough and hence it was a challenge.

I was expecting the bread to have a potato taste but it didn’t. If I had been given a piece of bread without telling me what was in it, I would have never guessed it was potatoes. That was a bit disappointing. In all honesty, I have had much better bread that has been easier to make and I probably won’t make this one again.

To read more about the recipe, go here.

Looking forward to the next challenge!

Waiter, There Is Something in my Topless Alsatian Apple Tart!

Ah, another installment of the WTISIM..... event hosted by Cooksister. This time around, she decided to strip it down to the bare essentials and go topless.......for the tart that is! I love a good apple tart and that is what I immediately thought about when I read this month's challenge. I was feeling a bit adventurous at the time and I decided I wanted to see what apples and thyme actually tasted like together. I found a good Alsatian Apple Tart recipe on a book I have and I decided I would infuse the cream for the custard with the thyme and mix it up that way. I did infuse the cream but at the last minute, I chickened out and made the custard plain. No complaints though, the tart was delicious.

I made it yesterday in the afternoon and by time I was done baking and cooling, it was dark outside and I don't like to take food photographs with artificial light so I left it till this morning. I got up and immediately shot the tart so I could eat it. Man was it good!!! I can only imagine how much better it must have been last night!

All wasn't smooth though during the making though, I was having a very off day. To start with, we lost the townhouse we were in the process of renting. After mixing up the pastry dough, I pushed the bowl full of it off the counter and all over the floor. Thankfully, the floor had just been cleaned so I picked it up and proceeded (that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger). After I had pressed all the dough onto the tart pan, I realized I hadn't buttered it! I went ahead anyway and baked the tart. When I pulled it out of the oven, as I was trying to transfer it from the baking sheet to the cooling rack, I dropped on the table. There was no damage but I was still at the brink of a screaming fit. If all that wasn't enough, I had to drive all over Miami just to find a bloody tart pan! I could not find one anywhere, then I remembered Williams-Sonoma and went there. Going there was taking a big risk considering Jimmy Choo is in the same mall! I went though and found the tart pan. I cannot believe there are no tart pans anywhere else!

After all that hassle, the tart looked like crap but it was delicious, even my mom said so. I'd definitely bake it again (although for slightly less time!) but I think I will wait until I'm over this cold and my luck has improved!



Alsatian Apple Tart

1 pound medium size firm sweet apples, such as Golden Delicious
1 9 inch tart shell, partially baked and chilled
3/4 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

about 1/3 cup apple jelly plus 1 teaspoon water for glazing

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Peel the apples, cut them in half from top to bottom and remove the cores. Cut the apple halves lengthwise into thick slices (about 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick) - you'll probably get about 12 slices from each - and lay them in the tart shell, arranging them in overlapping concentric circles and mounding a few slices in the center. If the apples stick up above the rim of the crust, so much the better.

In a 1 quart measuring cup with a spout (for convenience), whisk together the cream, sugar, whole egg, yolk and vanilla, and pour the mixture over the apples. If you had big apples or lots of them, you might not use all the custard, don't force it; the custard should come just below the crust's rim.

Bake the tart for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the apples can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife and the custard is set. Transfer the tart to a rack and allow it to cool to just a tad above room temperature or to room temperature.

Bring the jelly and water to a boil. Using a pastry brush and a light touch, cover the top of the tart with the hot jelly. If the apples and the custard have separated, use the glaze to fill in the cracks. If you are not glazing the tart, just dust the top generously with confectioner's sugar.



for the tart dough

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 oz) plus 1 tablespoon very cold or frozen unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Put the flour, confectioner's sugar and salt in a food processor (or electric mixer) and pulse a couple of times to combine. Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse (or mix on low) until the butter is coarsely cut in - you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas. Stir the yolk, just to break it up and add a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, process in long pulses until the dough forms clumps. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

Butter a 9 inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Freeze the crust for at least 3o minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

To partially bake the crust, center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375°F.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust. Since you froze the crust, you can bake it without weights. Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. Patch if necessary then transfer to a cooling rack (keep it in the pan).

To patch, take a thin piece of dough, place it over the crack, moisten the edges and very gently smooth the edges into the baked crust.

That was along recipe!

While the tart was great, I can't help but wonder what it would have tasted like with the thyme infused custard.

Watch out Einstein Bros!

I have to admit, I can't get enough of the Kitchenaid and I keep finding excuses to use it but then again, I did pay an arm and a leg for it so I better get my money's worth!

This time around, I made bagels from The Bread Baker's Apprentice. It was my first time making bagels and I wasn't really sure what to expect but they turned out to be quite simple to make, if a bit time consuming. I got started with the sponge at around 7pm and by 10:30pm, I was done shaping the bagels. I'm sure it would take someone that makes them regularly less time. I was lucky my husband helped me shape the balls and eventually the bagels. As a matter of fact, the neater looking ones were the ones he shaped. He made sure I knew!



The bagels were delicious! They tasted great and the texture, inside and out, were just how I like them. We've eaten more than half of them already and it's not even noon yet! I love trying new things and these bagels did not disappoint. My only regret is not having made them sooner!

I made plain ones but next time I will try making cinnamon raisin ones and some with poppy or sesame seeds on top. Ah the possibilities!



Bagels

Days to make:2
day 1: 2 hours sponge; 10 to 15 minutes mixing; 1 to 1 1/2 fermentation, shaping, and proofing
day 2: 10 minutes boiling; 15 to 20 minutes baking

SPONGE:
1 teaspoon (.11 oz) instant yeast (rapid rise)
4 cups (18 oz) unbleached high gluten or bread flour
2 1/2 (20 oz) water, at room temperature

DOUGH
1/2 teaspoon (.055 oz) instant yeast (rapid rise)
3 3/4 cups (17 oz) unbleached high gluten or bread flour
2 3/4 (.7 oz) salt
2 teaspoons (.33 oz) malt powder OR 1 tablespoon (.5 oz) dark or light malt syrup, honey or brown sugar

TO FINISH
1 tablespoon baking soda
Cornmeal or semolina flour for dusting
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt, rehydrated dried minced garlic or onions, or chopped fresh onions that been tossed in oil (optional)

1. To make the sponge, stir the yeast into the flour in a 4 quart mixing bowl. Add the water, whisking or stirring only until it forms a smooth, sticky batter (like cupcake batter). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for approximately 2 hours, or until the mixture becomes very foamy and bubbly. It should swell to nearly double in size and collapse when the bowl is tapped on the counter.

2. To make the dough, in the same mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer), add the additional yeast to the sponge and stir. Then add 3 cups of the flour and all of the salt, and malt. Stir (or mix on low speed with the dough hook) until the ingredients form a ball, slowly working in the remaining 3/4 cup flour to stiffen the dough.

3. Transfer the dough to the counter and knead for at least 10 minutes (or for 6 minutes by machine). The dough should be firm, stiffer than french bread dough, but still pliable and smooth. There should be no raw flour - all the ingredients should be hydrated. The dough should pass the windowpane test and register 77º to 81ºF. If the dough seems too dry and rips, add a few drops of water and continue kneading. If the dough seems tacky or sticky, add more flour to achieve the stiffness required. The kneaded dough should feel satiny and pliable but not be tacky.

4. Immediately divide the dough into 4 1/2 ounce pieces for standard bagels, or smaller if desired. From the pieces into rolls (balls).

5. Cover the rolls with a damp towel and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes.

6. Line 2 sheet pans with baking parchment and mist lightly with spray oil. Proceed with one of the following shaping methods:
a) Poke a hole in a bowl of bagel dough and gently rotate your thumb around the inside of the hole to widen it to approximately 2 1/2 inches in diameter. The dough should be as evenly stretched as possible (try to avoid thin and thick spots)
b) Roll out the dough into an 8 inch long rope. (This may require rolling part of the way and resting if the pieces are too elastic and snap back, in which case, allow them to rest of 3 minutes and then extend them again to bring to full length) Wrap the dough around the palm of your hand, between the thumb and forefinger, overlapping the ends by several inches. Press the overlapping ends on the counter with the palm of your hand, rocking back and forth to seal.

7. Place each of the shaped pieces 2 inches apart on the pans. Mist the bagels very lightly with spray oil and slip each pan into a food grade plastic bag, or cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let the pans sit at room temperature for about 2o minutes.

8. Check to see if the bagels are ready to be retarded in the refrigerator by using the float test. Fill a small bowl with cool or room temperature water. The bagels should be ready to be retarded when they float within 1o seconds of being dropped into the water. Take one bagel and test it. If it floats, immediately return the tester bagel to the pan, pat it dry, cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator overnight (it can stay refrigerated for up to 2 days). If the bagel does not float , return it to the pan and continue to proof the dough at room temperature, checking back every 10 to 20 minutes or so until a tester floats. The time needed to accomplish the float will vary, depending on the ambient temperature and the stiffness of the dough.

9. The following day (or when ready to bake the bagels), preheat the oven to 500ºF with the two racks set in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (the wider the better) and add the baking soda. Have a slotted spoon or skimmer ready.

10. Remove the bagels from the refrigerator and gently drop them into the water, boiling only as many as comfortably fit (they should float within 10 seconds). After 1 minute flip them over and boil for another minute. If you like chewy bagels, you can extend the boiling time to 2 minutes per side. While the bagels are boiling, sprinkle the same parchment lined pans with cornmeal or semolina flour. If you want to top the bagels, do so as soon as they come out of the water. You can use any of the suggestions in the ingredients list or a combination.

11. When all the bagels have been boiled, place the pans on the 2 middle shelves in the oven. Bake approximately 5 minutes, then rotate the pans, switching shelves and giving the pans a 180 degree rotation. If you are baking only 1 pan, keep it on the same shelf but still rotate 180 degrees. After the rotation, lower the oven temperature to 450ºF and continue baking for about 5 minutes, or until the bagels turn light golden brown. You may bake them darker if you prefer.

12. Remove the pans from the oven and let the bagels cool on a rack for 15 minutes or longer before serving.

I never said recipes from this book were short!



The windowpane test is simple, take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it, pull it and turn it to see if it will hold a paper thin translucent membrane. If the dough falls apart before it makes this windowpane, continue mixing for another minute or two and test again.

I woke up at around 8 am and by 9:30, we were eating warm bagels. I think my family is going to miss me when we finally move out!

I asked Matt I didn't know why people didn't bake things like this more often, after all, they tasted better than the bought stuff and it wasn't difficult to make. He burst my bubble by pointing out how long I spent on the bagels from start to finish and that most people don't have that kinda time. Hhhmmmm......maybe everyone should just quit work and stay home baking!

Mrs. Bakermam'.....Challah....

ROFL OK, I know that was incredibly dorky but I just could not resist! I hope someone gets it!

Since I got the Kitchenaid on Sunday, I have been finding excuses to use it. I have already made sponge cake batter and buttercream with the whisk and paddle respectively so I still had the dough hook to try! I looked through The Bread Baker's Apprentice but all the breads took too much time and I was looking for a quick one I could knead, proof and shape that night and then leave in the fridge overnight for the second proofing. I decided the best place to look for something like that would be in a cookbook with everyday recipes, like The Taste of Home Baking Book.

I came across the challah recipe and I immediately knew I wanted to make it (it was previously bookmarked). I had all the ingredients at hand so I got down to business. I have to say that I am in love with the Kitchenaid because as much as I like to knead dough, nothing beats not feeling like your arms are gonna fall off. Besides, you still have to knead it a bit to shape it so I get my fix there.



The bread was a hit with my family and I have to say I loved it too. I liked how easy it was to make and because I proofed it overnight, all I had to do in the morning was bake it. Nothing beats the taste of just out of the oven bread in morning, nothing. I have said that before but there it is just in case you missed it. My mom said the amazing smell of bread baking woke her up. That too was surprisingly satisfying to hear.



Challah

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110°F - 115°F)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp salt
4 eggs
6 to 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour

topping:
1 egg
1 tsp cold water
1 tsp sesame or poppy seeds, optional

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil, sugar, salt, eggs and 4 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a firm dough.

2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Punch down the dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, divide in half. Divide each portion into thirds. Shape each piece into a 15 inch rope. Place three ropes onto a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover and let it rise overnight in the refrigerator.

4. Beat the egg and cold water for the topping; brush over the braids. Sprinkle with the sesame or poppy seeds in desired. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.



This recipe is a slight variation of the one found on the book. The recipe assumes you are kneading but it is easily adjustable for a mixer. I used the paddle attachment for the first part of the mixing process and then moved on to the dough spiral once I added the remaining flour. If you don't want to do the second raising overnight, you can raise the braids in a warm place for one hour and then bake. As I have said before, the oven set to about 170°F is a perfect place for your dough to rise. If you are rising in the oven, use a metal bowl just in case, however, Cling Film will not melt at that temperature so feel free to cover the bowl with it. I did.



I can't finish this post without adding a video of my baby in action! It is my blog and I do whatever I want!



I'm in love.

Wilton Course 1 Done!

I just finished my very first cake decorating course and I was waiting to post all the cakes together. I have to say it was fun, if frustrating at times. I still have a long way to go (look at my roses!) but it was definitely a good start. I conquered my fear of buttercream which was the main reason I decided to take the course. My fingers are sore from piping those roses (and the hundred other that didn't work) but I am definitely considering starting Course 2 tomorrow!

Here are the cakes:

1. The Rainbow Cake. This one was a hand breaker with all those stars but I am happy with how it turned out.



2. The Clown Cake. I did the two sitting clowns during class but then when I got home I decided it would be cool to add a 3rd clown. Well, it looked better in my head!



3. The Rose Cake. This was the final cake for the class. When I signed up, I thought we'd be practicing the roses all through the 4 sessions because it is one of the most difficult things to make. In reality, we were taught bits of the roses every week and then the finished one yesterday. Roses were the main reason I took the class and I am a bit disappointed more time wasn't spent on it. I am not happy with the way these came out but I just couldn't pipe any more, my fingers were about to fall off. I will be practicing though!



On a different note, I just wanted to show you my very small container garden! About a month ago, a bit after I moved here, I sowed some tomatoes which grew incredibly fast. Today, I finally got around to repotting them because I just couldn't leave 10 plants in a single round pot. The tomato variety is Gardener's Delight and they give small but incredibly sweet fruits. I hope to be eating tomatoes in a couple of months.

While at Home Depot getting the pots and compost, I decided to pick up some strawberry plants to put into the pot the tomatoes were occupying. They only had one variety, Ozark Beauty, and I don't know anything about them so we'll see how they turn out.

And just because my hands were already dirty, I sowed some Dark Opal Basil in a plastic pot I found in the backyard.

I am currently living with my mom but I do enjoy vegetable gardening and I have nothing else to do so why not! Besides, home-grown tastes so much better!


Little pot is basil, the three rectangular pots are tomatoes and the round pot strawberries.

I have a new baby!!!!

After many, many years of wanting one, I finally got it! I convinced my husband to let me buy a Kitchenaid stand mixer! I had wanted an Artisan but I figured I'd get a bigger one that can handle small AND big loads. So, I got myself a brand spanking new Professional 600 mixer in lovely Onyx Black. I already used it to make the sponge for the cake I am bringing to the decorating class tomorrow and I am in love. I took a video of the first use but it's on my phone and I need to buy software to move it to my computer so maybe next time! I'll be making buttercream tomorrow and I can't freaking wait!

Is it terrible that I have actually kissed it???? Thank you MasterCard!

Introducing the baby....