TWD : Oasis Naan

For this round of Tuesdays with Dorie (Baking with Julia) we made Oasis Naan......a kind of Persian Naan.  I almost didn't make this since we're right in the middle of packing......but after reading the recipe I thought I'd give it a try.  I'm so glad I did!  

There are only a handful of ingredients and once you've got the dough together you can let it sit for a few hours while it rises (or overnight in the fridge).  When it's time to form the Naan you need to prick the dough all over (I used a fork)......but I think I should have pricked the dough a tad more vigorously......look how much it puffed up!  No matter......the hubby loved this!  Topped with some sea salt, cumin, and chopped scallions......delicious!

To see the other bakers' results, check out Tuesdays with Dorie.......and for the recipe check out our hosts, Maggie at Always Add More Butter or Phyl at Of Cabbages and King Cakes.....and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

Cast Party Wednesday

TWD : Irish Soda Bread

This round of Tuesdays With Dorie, Baking with Julia, is Irish Soda Bread.  I'd made this once before, years ago, before kiddos.....when I was first learning to bake.  I can't remember anything about how it had come out, so I didn't know what to expect with this one.

This recipe could not have been easier!  There's only 4 ingredients!  Flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk......that's it!  Throw the ingredients into a bowl, mix together, the knead the mixture for about a minute.  Form into a loaf and bake.  In about an hour you'll be slicing up some delicious, hot bread (yes, I know you're supposed to wait until it totally cool.....but really, can you wait??)  We had our with some creamed honey on top.  Delicious!!  I'm sure a lot of the bakers will have added some fun additions (dried fruit, nuts, herbs), but I kept mine nice and simple.

To see the other baker's results, go to Tuesdays with Dorie.  For the recipe, check out our hosts.......Cathy at My Culinary Mission or Carla at Chocolate Moosey.......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

Show Me What You Got - Tasty Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - What's New Wednesday - Link It Up Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff

TWD : White Loaves

Welcome to the first round of baking for the new Tuesdays with Dorie baking group!  We're baking our way through Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America's Best Bakers.  Julia Child and Dorie Greenspan?  You can't go wrong!  

First up, we're baking the White Loaves recipe.  I'm not a big bread baker, although after flipping through Baking with Julia, it looks like I will be by the time we're done!  This one was a pretty straightforward recipe, as far as bread goes.  I only ran into one, slightly large-ish problem.  Midway through using my standing mixer to knead the dough, my 13+ year old standing mixer decided to die on me.  Such a sad day......we'd been through so many recipes together!  Sooooo.......I finished kneading the bread by hand....and oh boy, was that an arm workout!!  I think that because I was kneading by hand, I wasn't able to incorporate the butter into the dough as well as the mixer would have.....but it was still delicious!  The hubby went to town with this bread!  And let me tell you how delicious it was toasted with some jam.....yummy!  I noticed that there were several people planning on doing a cinnamon sugar swirl in the bread, and I wish I had tried that......I'm sure it was delicious!

To see the other baker's results, check out Tuesdays with Dorie, and for the recipe check out co-host Julie's blog over at Someone's in the Kitchen.......Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
Crazy Sweet Tuesday - Link Party - Tuesday Talent Show - Tea Party Tuesday - T' Time - Tasty Tuesday - Link It Up Wednesday - Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Friday Favorites - Feature Friday Free-for-all - Anything Goes Linky - Fusion Fridays - Friday Food - Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Merry Christmas!

So do you have everything done yet?  What?  No?  What are you waiting for?  Kidding!  I will be busting my butt tonight finishing up everything.......last minute wrapping.....baking.....and cleaning.  We'll be heading over to my in-laws house for Christmas Eve (with all 9 of their grandkids, and my parents, who flew in from Texas).  Then we'll have Christmas Day at our house with my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, and our dearest family friends.  I'm so excited.....just got to get through today! 

I usually end up passing out cookies to all of our neighbors as a little Christmas treat.  But then, everyone else also does that, so you just end up with a pile of cookies.  So, I decided to be a little bit different this year and bake up little breads instead.  I settled on this Cranberry-Walnut Bread from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.  It's bursting with fresh cranberries, walnuts, and an added zing from orange zest and orange juice.  I had found the paper mini bread loaf pans at Sur laTable a while back, and I figured it was the perfect thing for a holiday gift!  Give this a try.....tastes like the holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope that you are able to spend the holidays with your loved ones near.....and may your New Year be filled with many sweet things.

Enjoy!

CRANBERRY-ORANGE WALNUT BREAD

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan; set aside.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2.  With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until combined.  Add egg, and beat well.  Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until combined (dough will appear very dry).  Reduce speed to low; beat in orange zest and juice.  Fold in cranberries and walnuts.

3.  Spread batter in prepared pan, smoothing top.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour (tent with foil if top is browning too quickly).  Cool in pan 10 minutes; run a knife around edges of loaf, and invert onto a wire rack.  Turn top side up; cool completely before slicing.

This post is linked to:

Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - Tuesday Talent Show - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - T' Time - These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Full Plate Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Bake with Bizzy - It's a Keeper Thursday - Anything Goes Linky - Show Off Your Stuff

Pumpkin Tea Cake

I've got a new favorite pumpkin bread!  I had just had one of those days last week, where it felt like nothing was going right, and the boys just seemed to be at eachother's throats for one reason or another.  I needed one of those "Calgon take me away!" momements, but since locking myself in the bathroom to take a nice bath would have resulted in the boys starting a wrestling war or beating on eachother with lightsabers, I decided I just needed some time in the kitchen.  Now, what to make........

Tartine to the rescue!  I had gotten the Tartine cookbook a little while ago, and just hadn't had the chance to make anything from it yet (my cookbook collection might be getting a little too big, but shhhh.....don't tell the hubby).  It's a great book just to flip through, love the pictures, and there are tons of recipes in there that I absolutely intend to try at some point.

This Pumpkin Tea Cake caught my eye, since I love just about anything pumpkin, and a quickbread recipe was all I really had time for since I could hear the boys fighting over who got what cars in the next room.  This recipe could not be easier to put together....and the response from the hubby and everyone else who tried a piece was that it was a hit!  There was an optional topping of pepitas that I didn't include.....I just wanted a simple pumpkin cake....but the little crunchy crust on top that the sugar topping provides is fantastic!  And all the spices in the cake (it may seem like a lot, just go with it), gives this cake a lovely, not too sweet taste, one that is great in the morning, or the afternoon with your tea (or coffee).  This cake also kept great.....three days later it was still fantastic.

Suddenly the day didn't seem so bad......the world was all rainbows and unicorns again, and the boys were all smiles.  Ahhhh.....the magic of baked goods!

Click here for the recipe......and Enjoy!

This post is linked to:
These Chicks Cooked - Link It Up Wednesday - Anything Goes Linky - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Thanksgiving Traditions - Show Off Your Stuff - Fusion Fridays - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - Friday Food - Sweets for a Saturday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday - A Themed Baker's Sunday - Monday, Mmm....Dessert - Tea Party Tuesday - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - T' Time - Crazy Sweet Tuesday

Grandma's Apple Bread

Disclaimer:  This isn't my Grandma's apple bread recipe......though I wish it was!

We got a couple of Granny Smith apples in our CSA box that were more than a tad on the tart side.  I tried giving one to the boys, and they both wrinkled up their faces after one bite and wouldn't eat anymore.  So, I started digging around looking for something yummy to make with them.  I found this recipe for Grandma Barb's Apple Bread at A Farmgirl's Dabbles.  It's got grated apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries.....yum! This bread is insanely moist and tasty, and is great for breakfast or for an afternoon snack.  Plus, the recipe makes two loaves....one for you, and one to give away and make someone else happy!

Check out A Farmgirl's Dabbles for the recipe.......and Enjoy!!

This post is linked to:
Monday, Mmmmm.......Dessert - Tuesday Talent Show - Tasty Tuesday - Crazy Sweet Tuesday - These Chicks Cooked - Cast Party Wednesday - Bake with Bizzy - Full Plate Thursday - Sweet Treats Thursday - It's a Keeper Thursday - Turning the Table Thursday - Show Off Your Stuff - Anything Goes Linky - Friday Favorites - Sweet Tooth Friday - I'm Lovin' It - Sweets for a Saturday - Fat Camp Friday - Seasonal Inspiration - Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Treats for Mommies

Usually when I'm making something sweet, I'm thinking of making both kids and their parents happy.....but there are times when I only have to worry about adults.......and those times tend to end up in a dessert with booze in it (there's nothing wrong with that right?). But in this case I needed to make something for breakfast/snack for my fellow Mommies at my oldest son's preschool......hmmm.....maybe too early for booze??

So in comes this recipe from my secret boyfriends (expect to see lots of their recipes).....Nutella Scones. I assume at this point everyone and their uncle knows what Nutella is......but just in case.......it's a chocolate/hazelnut spread, and according to their advertising is part of a healthy breakfast. I don't know about that part, but I do know it's delicious!! I remember having it for the first time when I was an exchange student in Germany in high school (I simply can't say the year because it was just too darn long ago!). My host family had a jar of Nutella on the breakfast table, and trying that for the first time on some amazing fresh baked bread......ahhhh...angels started singing :) Recently, I had been talking to some people about Nutella, and to my surprise, they hated it! Not just disliked it....but truly hated it! So, I guess Nutella is a love it or leave type ingredient.......that's why I also decided to make my favorite banana bread....for the Nutella haters.....or those who think chocolate at breakfast is a bad thing.

This was actually my first time making scones, and I found it to be a pretty easy recipe. I had to get used to the dough....it's a little different than doughs that I'm used to.....and I know that you do not want to knead the dough more than necessary so that the scones will come out tender. There is Nutella mixed into the dough as well as drizzled on top of the finished scones......so as long as you are a fan of Nutella, this is a recipe to try!

The recipe for these scones can be found in my secret boyfriends' latest cookbook, Baked Explorations. I also was able to find the recipe posted on the Baked Sundays blog (they do a recipe from the Baked Explorations cookbook every couple of weeks).

So to please the Nutella haters, I also decided to bust out my favorite banana bread recipe. It's a lowfat banana bread recipe that uses Greek yogurt. I've made this thing so many times that I've actually got the entire recipe memorized.....I don't think I can say that about any other baking recipe! I made it without walnuts this time (simply because I had run out).......I think I prefer it with walnuts, but it is still great without them. For the recipe, please check out the blog, Ingredients, Inc.

Enjoy!