Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Cranberry Crackle Tart

The photo in BCM of this Cranberry Crackle Tart was the reason why I wanted to try it out for myself - not so much for the baking experience, but to see what this combination of flavors would be like.  It's a tart with a layer of jam, topped off with a combination of meringue and cranberries.  Luckily it is Thanksgiving week, so there are a lot of fresh cranberries available.

Apple Weekend Cake

Although there was no photo in Baking Chez Moi for this Apple Weekend Cake, I had a general idea of what it was supposed to look like.  According to Dorie, the French use the term "weekend cake" because that's how long these cakes will last before being completely devoured.  I also learned from her book that the French will call anything that is loaf-shaped a gateau (cake), vs. what we may call bread (i.e., banana bread, zucchini bread, etc.).

Monday, November 17, 2014

Orange Macarons


It has been a month since I learned how to make macarons with an Italian meringue.  A small group of us went to Paris and we all learned how to make macarons from La Cuisine Paris. Our instructor was incredible and I can't wait to go back to learn more!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Crispy-Topped Brown Sugar Bars


I was going through Dorie Greenspan's latest book, Baking Chez Moi, and this recipe caught my attention.  It's basically a brown sugar bar/cookie with  a layer of chocolate, and topped with caramelized Rice Krispies.  Words don't do this justice! If you have BCM, I highly recommend using caramelized Rice Krispies instead of cereal straight out of the box; it adds an intense crunch and a great rich flavor.

Caramelized Rice Krispies

I wanted to make another recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking Chez Moi called "Crispy-Topped Brown Sugar Bars."  She said that it can be made one of 2 ways: 1) by using Rice Krispies straight out of the box, or 2) by putting just a little more effort into it and caramelizing Rice Krispies first.  I decided to go the extra mile (which really felt like a few extra steps) and cook some Rice Krispies!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Edouard's Chocolate Chip Cookies


Thanks to Dorie Greenspan's latest cookbook, Baking Chez Moi, I now have many new recipes to try out! This was the first recipe I tried from Dorie, and I think it's a keeper!  It has a nice crunchy texture, and the amount of chocolate that's in the recipe is perfect!

Edouard's Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe is on page 298 in Dorie Greenspan's Baking Chez Moi.
 "Do the work you are most proud of."  -Dorie Greenspan