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 October 27th, 2011
The Daring Baker’s October 2011 challenge was Povitica, hosted by Jenni of The Gingered Whisk. Povitica is a traditional Eastern European Dessert Bread that is as lovely to look at as it is to eat!
There’s always something special about bread with a spiral inside. Its unassuming exterior renders it almost indistinguishable from any other loaf of bread. But far from being just any other loaf of bread, it has something special to offer. Perhaps it’s a savory, herby filling that, when surrounded by dense bread, could just about pass itself off as an entire meal. Or that classic cinnamon swirl that so many of us loved as a child. Or just maybe, an autumn treat filled with spiced pumpkin butter. No matter your filling of choice, this Povitica recipe will have you racking your brain for new flavor combinations to pair with the slightly sweet, dreamy dough.
Continue reading “Daring Bakers Challenge: Povitica” »
By Jeanne, on July 17th, 2011
It’s that time of year when the population of squash grows at a seemingly exponential rate. You may enter your garden to find a new squash under each leaf, just when you thought you had consumed every squash in sight. We didn’t plant zucchini this year, but we’re still overwhelmed with the amount of squash to be consumed from our CSA and our friends’ gardens. We did, however, plant strawberries. Today we got the first three perfectly ripe and sweet berries that the bugs didn’t chomp first. And there are many more blooms that will soon turn to sweet red berries.
Continue reading “Strawberry Zucchini Muffins” »
By Jeanne, on June 27th, 2011
Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava.
Are you still looking for that perfect arm workout? Or perhaps you’re searching for that zero-net-calorie dessert. Well, look no more, because made-from-scratch baklava is the answer! It will have you on your feet in the kitchen all day, running from stove to countertop to oven and back. You’ll be completing the near-impossible task of rolling dough into paper thin sheets. You’ll easily burn more calories making it than you gain by consuming it. And since every killer workout has an element of pure torture, you won’t even be able to enjoy the baklava until it sits overnight.
Continue reading “Daring Bakers Challenge: Maple Walnut Baklava” »
By Jeanne, on January 13th, 2011
I need to prepare for the 2011 LA Cupcake Challenge. I’m not sure what it takes to prepare for such an event. Cupcake visualization? An all-you-can-eat cupcake contest? Avoiding cupcakes for weeks prior to the event? I’m open to suggestions.
Last year, I made it through almost all of the cupcakes. I have been invited to judge the contest again this year, so maybe I can improve upon my ability to put away dozens of mini cupcakes within three hours.
Continue reading “Spiced Yogurt Muffins” »
By Jeanne, on July 21st, 2010
Does your sourdough starter have a name? I’ve noticed that many of my blog friends name their sourdough starters. Now, I know that the starter is technically alive, but somehow I’ve never felt the need to call mine by name. Since it’s non-sentient, it doesn’t seem to mind. It bubbles along from day to day, always ready to help me when I’m craving some sourdough goodness. It was all too happy to jump into this sourdough zucchini bread along with some fresh squash from my CSA.
Continue reading “Sourdough Zucchini Bread” »
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