By Jeanne, on December 20th, 2011
On these chilly winter mornings, it’s essential to fire up the oven and create something warm and comforting. Something with a hint of holiday spice and a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Brew a cup of tea and wait for the sun to rise over the trees, finally slanting into the window later and later each day. During the dark days of December, my one small kitchen window receives only a precious hour or so of sunlight. This little window looks out on the white brick wall of our neighbor’s garage, which is about four feet away. My window faces east, but receives no direct sunlight due to the proximity of this garage. Instead, the early afternoon sunlight bounces off the white wall and into my kitchen. It’s the ultimate reflector for photography, and I am rewarded with great natural light if I time my baking just right.
Continue reading “Sourdough Gingerbread With Spiced Whipped Cream” »
By Jeanne, on December 15th, 2011
Have you ever developed jaw fatigue as a result of candy cane overindulgence during the holiday season? It happens to the best of us. Why not give your teeth a break from the jarring crunchiness of candy canes and sink them into a soft, pillowy version of your favorite pepperminty treat instead? This traditional angel food cake is jazzed up with peppermint extract and dressed in candy cane stripes, so you won’t even notice the difference!
Continue reading “Candy Cane-gel Food Cake” »
By Jeanne, on December 9th, 2011
Take a long look at this picture. Allow your eyes to drift in and out of focus. Let the thoughts and stresses of the day drain from your mind. Introduce your brain to this whoopie pie and let the words flow through like a river. Cookie…cake…pie…filling…peanut butter…chocolate…ganache…sandwich. Acknowledge each word as it appears on your mind’s screen, briefly consider how it might describe this confection, then let it go. Take a minute to relax and just breathe. When you’re ready, remove yourself from your sweet reverie. I invite you to share your whoopie pie epiphanies in the comments below.
Continue reading “Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies: A Pictorial Meditation” »
By Jeanne, on November 28th, 2011
 Shot with Polaroid Spectra camera and Impossible Project PZ 600 Silver Shade film She keeps her Moët et Chandon
in her pretty cabinet
“Let them eat cake” she says,
just like Marie Antoinette
–“Killer Queen” by Queen
Have a Monochrome Monday post to share this week? Leave a link in the comments.
By Jeanne, on November 27th, 2011
Catherine of Munchie Musings was our November Daring Bakers’ host and she challenged us to make a traditional Filipino dessert – the delicious Sans Rival cake! And for those of us who wanted to try an additional Filipino dessert, Catherine also gave us a bonus recipe for Bibingka which comes from her friend Jun of Jun-blog.
It may be ambitious to title a cake “Sans Rival”, meaning “without rival”. But with four layers of gluten-free dacquoise (nut meringue) cake, slathered in French buttercream, there aren’t very many cakes that come close to this one in decadence and taste. The Sans Rival cake is a popular dessert in the Philippines though its origin is French. The many Filipinos who went abroad to study in the early 20th century brought back the French cooking techniques that would make this cake a Filipino favorite.
Continue reading “Daring Bakers Challenge: Chocolate Sans Rival Cake” »
By Jeanne, on September 30th, 2011
We all work long days, and the temptation to grab a quick take-out lunch or another slice of the office birthday cake is something that we can all relate to. Consuming unprocessed, whole foods in the modern office environment is a task that takes incredible willpower and a knack for planning ahead. But there’s good news: there is evidence that your willpower muscles can be strengthened! October is the perfect month to start, since over 1,000 of us have already pledged to eliminate unprocessed food from our diet for October Unprocessed.
Continue reading “October: Unprocessed” »
By Jeanne, on August 9th, 2011
This weekend, we celebrated two milestones: a birthday and the continued world travels of Simple Math Bakery’s cookies. The Boyfriend’s birthday was last week (one of the big ones – it ends in a “0″). What better way to celebrate than with a giant cookie (cake)? As for my cookies, they have now officially been consumed by fish and humans 61 feet underwater in the Mediterranean Sea. My friend Susannah travels the world as an underwater archaeology photographer. Someday I hope to accompany her on expedition as her official Personal Baker, but until then I send cookie care packages across the Atlantic Ocean.
Continue reading “Birthday Cake for a Sandwich Cookie Lover” »
By Jeanne, on July 27th, 2011
Jana of Cherry Tea Cakes was our July Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges us to make Fresh Frasiers inspired by recipes written by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson in the beautiful cookbook Tartine.
Fluffy lemon chiffon cake, ice cold whipped cream, and just-picked organic strawberries. What more could you want from a summer dessert? Though it may appear daunting, all of the components can be broken down into manageable segments that can be spread over a few days. You won’t have to be in the kitchen all day to create such a masterpiece. And believe me, the taste is just as impressive as the presentation. The cake has a pleasant lemon flavor, while the pastry cream filling manages to bring out the fresh flavor of summer strawberries without overpowering them with artificial sweetness.
Continue reading “Daring Bakers Challenge: Strawberry Fraisier” »
By Jeanne, on July 2nd, 2011
Happy Summer! If ever there was a Happy Summer counterpart to the Happy Winter cake, this is it. Berries fresh from the CSA, fleetingly ripe and fragile, paired with a simple layer of vanilla cake makes for a perfect welcome to a sweltering hot holiday weekend.
Continue reading “Cherry Boysenberry Upside-Down Cake” »
By Jeanne, on May 17th, 2011
How to develop a recipe featuring New Belgium beer:
1. Buy two six-packs of beer to inspire recipe creation (I decided on Mighty Arrow and organic Mothership Wit).
2. Drink most of the beers, making sure to save a few for the recipe.
3. Spend all morning in the kitchen, creating a recipe that ultimately fails. Drink the remaining beers.
4. Buy another six-pack of organic Mothership Wit, because it will pair perfectly with the organic Meyer lemons from the CSA.
5. Bake cupcakes (make sure to add some beer!), and enjoy the remaining beers.
Continue reading “Meyer Lemon Mothership Cupcakes” »
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