baking and cooking are in my familys blood. whenever we are with one another, food is often what brings and keeps us all together. i cannot help but share the comforts of these recipes with those of you who appreciate good food like i do.
last month my mom and i ended up on nephew and niece duty for a football saturday. mom planned to make a big ‘ole pot of chili and suggested cheese straws might be the perfect snack to accompany a piping hot bowl for dinner. say no more! instead of just picking some up at the nearby grocery store, i got to googling and stumbled upon this cheese straws recipe featured in food & wine magazine. i’m finding they are a reputable source, which shouldn’t be surprising but is comforting.
i don’t know that i have ever eaten a cheese straw, much less made one. so i was sure to read the recipe through several times before i got to mixin’. the minimal ingredient list gave me a short pause, but sometimes less is more. what i ended up finding as i prepared, rolled, and cut this dough is that these cheese straws were quite easy to bring together. many of the components are staples that were already handy in the pantry, and i’ll tell you now that the house smelled heavenly as these sweet little things baked up in the oven.
i decided to use a fancy fluted cutter my dad got me ages ago (8 years ago to be exact) and definitely wiggled each straw as suggested in the instructions to create an appealingly curvy shape. just make you smile, don’t they?
and then you know what made me chuckle? how these cheese straws looked so much like crinkle fries once done. much amusement. so they were good looking, but were they good tasting? i’m happy to report they were. if you make these, don’t you dare omit the cayenne pepper. it’s extremely necessary to keep the straws from tasting bland, and if i’m being honest, i think (somehow) the straws tasted better the next day. cheesy? zippy? easy to eat? you can bet this recipe is going in the binder.
oh, and this month i have a bonus for you all! i was suddenly inspired to try my hand at a roll cake. yes, i’ve made cake. yes, i’ve made whipped cream. but have i ever rolled a cake? no. this recipe from john with preppy kitchen will be a keeper. i think my only flub is that the cake was overbaked by maybe just a minute or two. i say so because when i unrolled the cake, filled it with the cream, and rerolled it, some cracks started to appear. the good news is that you drown it in chocolate ganache, which covered up all my mistakes! i am not embarrassed at all to say that i did share a slice with phillip but then managed to eat the whole rest of the cake all by my lonesome. at least i paced myself throughout the week. 🙂
last week i was looking at what else september had in store for us, and it was then i realized i was running quite short on time for this month’s bake! we’ve got some commitments soon that will severely limit my availability to be in the kitchen, so i was quite grateful when fate dealt me a sweet hand.
long story short, i ended up getting to host our book club meeting for september. and even though i usually just bring a couple bottles of wine, i figured it would be the perfect occasion to whip up something special for my ladies. so, i knew the when, but now remained the what. as i pondered my options, it made perfect sense to let the book lead me to an idea, and this month we read the good left undone, a multigenerational novel that carried us from the shores of viareggio in italy to marseille and even the rolling hills of scotland.
quickly i let google guide me through numerous searches of traditional italian and scottish desserts (i decided a french dessert was out since i did eclairs last month 🙂 ). page after page presented endless options, many a little ambitious for the short amount of time i knew i would have on hand. a girl can only do so much on a wednesday night after a full day of work!
after much consideration, i landed on panna cotta. i know nothing about this dessert, not even how it should taste, so figured i had nothing to lose. the element that excited me most was the gelatin. i’ve never worked with it before and was intrigued to see the results. knowing it would be a larger crew, i doubled the recipe and got everything going. the cream was simmering, the gelatin was doing whatever gelatin does, and i prepared these sweet little ramekins of batter. can we call it batter?
as tempted as i was to check on their progress, i let these little buddies sit overnight and whipped up some raspberry coulis in the meantime. many of the recipes i read mentioned it was a common accompaniment for panna cotta, and since i rarely do anything halfway, i heated the water and sugar, blended them with raspberries, strained out all those pesky seeds until my arms gave out, and topped it with a generous spalsh of chambourd. the good news? it was ALL worth it. 🙂 each panna cotta was topped with a lovely spoonful of coulis and paired with a glass of dessert wine. jennifer at local vine always helps me find the right blend for the meeting’s theme, and tonight was no exception. the panna cotta was silky and firm but easy to enjoy with a spoon, and the tart, sweet coulis complemented the slightly vanilla flavor of the panna cotta. if anyone has an italian-inspired evening coming up, i implore you to make this dessert. easy but impressive, it will be sure to delight any guest!
i don’t know how this month’s bake came to mind but ended up deciding on chocolate eclairs. i was drawn to them because (1) i’ve never made choux pastry (2) there were multiple components and i felt up for the challenge and (3) i felt like it would be a good test of my baking skills.
oh, and this bake was doubly fun because mom was in town! now, she worked in food service her entire career, so she could smoke just about anyone in the kitchen (myself especially) but she was patient as i got all the ingredients organized, equipment laid out, and oven preheated. using this recipe from food & wine magazine, we got right to work on the choux pastry. i’ve seen chefs make it countless times on baking competition shows and was excited and nervous to see if it would work out for us. and despite the handful of negative reviews on the website, we powered forward. after boiling our water/butter mixture, i diligently removed the pot from the heat and vigorously stirred in the flour. much to our amazement and relief, the dough started to come together from the sides and leave the trademark film on the bottom of the pot! it was a baking miracle, i tell you! we were on top of the world.
we threw it in the mixer to cool off, added the eggs one at a time, and piped those bad boys out on a baking sheet. they might not look like much now, but just you wait. 🙂
while the oven was hard at work, we fixed up the pastry cream (blessedly easy and dangerously delicious), washed our dishes, and let the anticipation rise. i think i am a capable enough baker to have completed this one on my own without issue, but it was a much more enjoyable experience with mom by my side. love ya, mom!
about 40 minutes later, we pulled open the oven door and grinned from ear to ear. the eclair shells were golden but not burned and had a nice hollow sound when you tapped the bottoms. we’re on a roll! nothing can stop us now.
once those little shells cooled on the baking racks, it all came together pretty quickly. we split them horizontally, dunked the tops in a melted chocolate-butter mixture (YUM), and spooned in generous heaps of the pastry cream.
even though dinner was right around the corner, we immediately indulged. these eclairs are extremely decadent without being overly sweet, and we each scarfed ours down in just a matter of bites. as we say in our household, this recipe is a “keeper” for sure, and i look forward to a special occasion (or, you know, just another random monday) when i can make them again.
a little over halfway through the year now, and the july bake definitely “takes the cake” in terms of fun. as you may have seen, phillip, mom, clark, and i visited london last month. as the plans started coming together (and knowing we were would be there on my birthday), i did a little looking and uncovered a little thing known as the big bakes. likely inspired by the great british bake off (but of course with no official affiliation), the big bakes makes baking classes accessible all over london and just happened to have some classes available while we were there. well, we knew what our plans would be that evening!
i won’t spoil for you what else we got to do that day, but after a lot of walking and a pint and a quick dinner, we took the tube to their east location off haggerston and stepped into our baking adventure. are you surprised to know i was squealing with excitement as we stepped through the refrigerator entrance? if you know me, you’re not surprised at all.
we had arrived a little early so “oohed” and “aahed” as we entered their charming pantry bar. it’s like they know exactly what their clientele will like! with eats and drinks galore, there’s something for everyone, us included. we plopped in the corner booth and enjoyed coffees and champagne and bubbled over with anticipation. i think we were all still stunned that we were actually there, and it warms my heart immensely knowing that we can have such a blast just about anywhere we go. 🙂
oh, and in between sparkling sips, i squeezed in a little selfie session, too!
suddenly remembering we were there to bake and not just drink (which you can actually do), we were summoned to the tent! now, it was a typical rainy london day, so we hurried across the platform and to our stations. if you’ve ever watched the show, the format here is like the technical challenge. you don’t know what you’re making ahead of time, you’re given a recipe, and you have a time limit. it was exciting and terrifying all at once! now, to ensure these classes feel welcoming (and to ensure you tell all your friends about it and come back for more), the recipe is extremely detailed, the ingredients are premeasured, and all your equipment is already laid out for you. talk about being spoiled! oh, and to make it even better, you can bring your beverages from the bar with you and even order more throughout. this is my kind of baking!
following a brief explanation from the instructor, we suited up (i had purchased the birthday package so that we could don our hats and aprons, of course), and got to work. the theme that month was safari cakes, so we were tasked with baking our sponges, cooling them, and decorating them. oh, and then they would be judged in front of the entire class! although that tracks with the show, i definitely was intimidated. worry not; there were lots of home bakers and amateurs there, so we were in great company.
with only two hours on the clock, we dove on in and got to work. we mixed, we scraped, we filled, we baked. i’ve made countless cakes (excuse me, sponges) before, so that came naturally.
the part that stressed me out (and i sensed this in clark, too) were the choices we had to make. everyone got to pick their own flavors and decorations and finishing touches, and when you’re in a flurry of flour, sugar, and butter, it’s hard to focus! talk about being spontaneous. thankfully our partners were the calming force we needed, and soon enough our creations came together and were placed on the front table.
one by one, the instructor used an overwhelming large knife to cut an overwhelmingly large slice out of each of our cakes. each pair shared what kind of animal they chose, the flavors of their sponges and frostings, and (why not) the animal’s name. the instructor then provided a cursory judgment on our sponge textures, and a supporting applause was given to all. with so many creative and unique designs, it truly was such a cheery atmosphere!
now, are you dying to know what we made? mom and clark went for an almond sponge with orange zest and almond slices baked in and an orange frosting to create a tiger affectionately named aubie. phillip and i added some pink to our sponge to support the strawberry flavor we chose for everything on our zebra named woody. they make a dashing pair, don’t you think?
now, this whole “a year of bakes” blog series is focused on things i’ve not ever baked. the element new to me during this experience was the fondant we used on our zebra. i definitely don’t keep fondant stocked in our pantry so knew i wanted to include it. the eyes and nose and ears came about easy enough, although the proportions may have been a little off. where i struggled mightily, though, was with the stripes. i think my mistake was rolling the brown fondant too thinly, which caused it to tear tremendously as i tried to cut out each piece and lift if off the counter. i’ve a feeling it takes a lot of practice to really get the hang of working with fondant and don’t know if i’ll be trying my hand at it again any time soon. regardless, though, we got to use new ingredients and new tools and definitely make something i’ve never made before!
oh, and of course we had to see how they tasted! we lugged our cakes all the way back to stratford in their charming cake boxes and had a piece in the hotel lobby. writing about this bake makes me smile from ear to ear, and i will gladly cherish this memory for many years to come.
i know i have been tardy in my baking posts but promise i have not been tardy in my actual baking! i did do a june bake and even already did my july bake! i’ve just been a little preoccupied with some fun activities but am happy to get back to it.
there wasn’t any particular strike of inspiration for my june bake, so i thought i’d turn to a reliable source for ideas. i present the alternative baker cookbook. i’m certain i’ve mentioned this book before, but long story short, it was a suggestion from a former coworker whose wife is gluten-free. i tolerate gluten just fine but welcomed the recommendation to expand my baking knowledge. over the past five years or so, i’ve made several of these recipes (most quite successfully) so flipped through its pages to see if anything would strike my fancy.
after considering a few options, i landed on the buckle. this “old-timey” dessert features ripe fruits that sink into batter, which then buckles up and around. seriously, that’s it! these alternative flours were familiar to me, but i don’t often bake with stone fruits so thought this new-to-me recipe seemed like a comfortable choice.
when i launch into a recipe (especially new ones), i read the instructions several times. i get out all my ingredients and organize my bowls and utensils and measuring spoons so that once i begin, it’s smooth sailing. with this buckle, that included smoothly sifting my dry ingredients (what a relaxing sight) and browning my butter (what an intoxicating smell). each step matters, and the first few are no exception.
from there, i buttered my springform pan generously, plopped in the batter (which had me skeptical since it barely covered the bottom), and added the cut fruit. i couldn’t find good apricots in our produce section so settled on peaches instead. i mean, after all we are here in the peach state. 🙂 then, into the oven it went. i wasn’t really sure what to expect and thought there surely was not enough batter to create the buckle effect described by alanna. however, i’ve found this year that i’ve been surprised more than once so let science do its thing.
the oven filled the kitchen when nutty aromas and cozy feelings, and i had a smile on my face when the timer chimed. look at this scrumptious masterpiece! please trust me when i say this buckle tasted even better than it looked.
although described as a dessert, i greedily ate a slice for breakfast the next day and enjoyed it with a mug of piping hot coffee. the buckle batter was moist and delicate yet not tackled by the heavy peach slices. the alternative baker does it again, and i can see this buckle being a new go-to when we have visitors in town.
this post is about a recipe, yes. but, it’s the kind of recipe post that starts with a story. if that’s not your jam, feel free to proceed. otherwise, it’s time to hear a story about two friends and how life has a purposeful way of bringing folks together.
allow me to set the stage. it’s the summer of 2006, and i’ve moved to athens to start my freshman year at uga. my older brother had already paved the way, and i was tagging along. thankfully, he was good with it. 🙂 before school began, though, i had to survive band camp. yes, if you didn’t already know, i was in marching band throughout high school and college. can a kid get much cooler? i think not.
the dorm wasn’t open yet, so i had to crash at my brother’s place (lovingly named “the sousa house”) for a few nights. i walked through the kitchen and into the living room and was greeted by a fellow incoming freshman with highlighted hair. “hi, i’m kelsey,” i said. “i’m kyle,” he replied. he was quickly nicknamed bank because there were already too many kyles around, my brother included. little did we both know a nearly 18-year old friendship had begun.
through hype nights and football seasons to changes in majors and everything in between, we both eventually graduated with degrees in MIS. and, wouldn’t you know it, ended up working at the same consulting firm for a bit (with my brother kyle, too)! bank got married, got a dog, got a house, and had kids. i got married, got a dog, and got a house. we churched together, worked from home together, and have been there for each other through life’s many seasons. and somehow the old inside jokes are still funny and still we take joy in watching each other grow. we certainly could not have know then what the next decade had in store for us, but man, is it fun getting to cheer each other on.
so, now that you have the whole story, what’s all this got to do with a recipe? well, everything! i needed an idea for my may bake, and when bank got wind, he suggested i make a lemon tart. i learned it’s one of his favorites and a tradition in their house for his birthday. i asked if he grew up with lemon tarts, and he laughed, saying, “dessert in my house was little debbie.” hey, nothing wrong with that! the cupcakes and cosmic brownies are still my favorites. he went on to explain he just wanted something different, and his wife liz (who is a master baker) stumbled upon this lemon tart recipe. she described it as her go-to, so i borrowed her tart pan and got to work.
i’ve made a couple pies before, so fixing up the crust dough was quick work. and i double-, triple-checked the parbake instructions to ensure it wouldn’t overbake. ah, what a lovely crust!
i then tackled the filling. i think it’s quite cool that you deseed the lemon and essentially throw the whole thing in there. and although the color looked right and the fragrance was pleasing, i was worried about the texture. it was pretty grainy, and i was hesitant to put it in the crust. would the filling smooth out? would everything come together?
well, when i had bank and liz and phillip try a slice, they all said the crust was delicious and the filling had great lemony flavor that wasn’t too sweet or too tart (see what i did there?). and i would agree; however, the texture never really resolved itself. you can see the top of the tart was pretty rough, and the inside wasn’t much better. even though i don’t think this tart would win any competitions, flavor is always king over looks, so i guess i had that going for me. overall, for my first tart, i’d say i should be pleased. reliable crust recipe and new techniques. onto the next bake!
so far i’ve found inspiration in cookbooks and online blogs, but i thought this month i’d reference something a little closer to home: a family recipe! i most certainly don’t have any recipes i’ve made up myself so decided to try and tackle stanka’s strudel.
in going through some old files, my dad stumbled upon a handful of family recipes and, knowing how much i enjoy baking and cooking, sent several my way. a few looked pretty intimidating, but the strudel recipe intrigued me just enough. flaky dough with fruity, tart filling. what could go wrong? thankfully, not a ton. 🙂
i’ve never made a strudel and wouldn’t say i’ve had my fair share so couldn’t quite wrap my head around the construction of this european treat. i know trial and error are part of trying new things, but with the power of the internet at my fingertips, i decided to do a little reconnaissance. my first and only necessary stop? youtube! i stumbled upon this charming fellow and his easy-to-follow apple strudel recipe. like lots of folks, sometimes i learn best with a visual aid, so after a few watches, i felt ready to go.
pastry dough rolled thin? check.
apples thinly sliced atop the crushed graham cracker? check.
dates, raisins, and walnuts layered next? check, check, check.
next up was the rolling. this step had me a little nervous just because the dough was pretty thin and the toppings were many. but i followed john’s advice and used the towel to help get everything nicely wrapped and snug and oh momma. look at the size of this thing! i texted this picture to my aunt cindy and she replied (word for word), “damn girl, that looks fabulous!” thanks, aunt cindy. 🙂
while i cleaned up my very messy countertops, i let the oven do all the hard work. an hour and 15 minutes later, i had crispy strudel with piping hot, ooey, gooey fillings. i really didn’t have anything to compare it to but thought, after a few bites, that it wasn’t half bad. it definitely gave pastry vibes, and i certainly hadn’t skimped on the filling. however, i found i don’t like dates as much as i thought i do and wished i had less of those and more raisins and walnuts. i also don’t think a little additional sugar or cinnamon/nutmeg would have hurt. regardless, it was very satisfying seeing this treat through from start to finish, and i still scooped up every bite from my plate. also, i like to think this kind of bake can bring back sweet memories of simpler times with the ones we love. bon appetit!
somehow it is already spring, and somehow march seemed to rush right on by without any notice at all. thankfully, i had the perfect occasion to fit my march bake: our neighbors are expecting their fourth child! i wanted to whip up something special before the baby’s arrival, so i asked the husband what the expectant mother’s favorite dessert was. his answer? cheesecake. i was excited by the challenge of this classic treat because, yes, it would be my march bake. however, i also looked forward to it because i feel like something like a cheesecake really tests your abilities. it might seem simple. a bunch of cream cheese, some sugar, and some eggs. however, something so iconic can so easily go awry. i expect we’ve all had a slice of mealy, dry, cracked cheesecake, which isn’t enjoyable on any level. in a bake like this one, even though science is certainly at play, experience really can give you an advantage.
i don’t have my own go-to cheesecake recipe, and if you don’t either or just are interested in something new, i will quickly direct you to this recipe by sam. this recipe is unique because it does not use a water bath (something super common when making a cheesecake), but i followed the instructions to a tee, and my cheesecake turned out smooth, rich, and easily edible. i will say, though, i did get a little nervous mixing the batter itself. i needed to ensure i incorporated everything evenly without letting in too much air, and that is where my prior baking experience was helpful. i kept a close eye on it, didn’t mix it on too high a speed, and didn’t second guess my instincts. when it looked done, i turned off the mixer and moved on to the next step. sometimes you have to fight that urge to overthink things!
i popped my cheesecake into the oven, set the timer, and resisted the temptation to open the oven to check on things. the minute you do, so much heat escapes, and all sorts of things can go sideways (no matter what you’re making!). about an hour later, the house smelled divine, and my cheesecake looked as happy as it could be. better yet, it tasted great, too! i had the neighbors over for a slice, and even their youngest (who doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth) ate most of hers. i think the only tweak i would make to this recipe is putting more of the graham cracker crust on the bottom. i didn’t know exactly how much filling there was going to be, and as you can see, i had an excess of graham crackers up the sides of my springform pan. aside from that minor adjustment, i think this one is a keeper!
i’d been waffling among several potential bakes for february, and considering we were nearly halfway through the month and about to be out of town for a week, time was not on my side. after much consideration and then an unexpected, brave flash of inspiration, it was decided: february would be for macarons.
finnicky, temperamental, unpredictable macarons. yes! why not? i’ve had enough great, reliable bakes and never again bakes that i was not afraid to test my skills with this unmistakable treat.
i wouldn’t say i’m a macaron expert but have had my share over the years. and after reading plenty of tips and tricks, the baking began. i ended up going with this recipe from sally mckenney, which included plenty of step-by-step photos, videos, tips, and treats. kudos to sally for putting in all the legwork! 😉
it was fun whipping up the egg whites and watching them form those stiff peaks (what a satisfying description!); it was a little tense ensuring i mixed the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients just enough but not too much; and it was stressful piping my shells and letting them cure, fearing i had overmixed the batter because they spread kind of thin on the sheet. sometimes, though, you have to just have a little faith and trust your instincts.
while the shells rested, i washed up dishes and cleaned up my mess, and 50 minutes later, they were no longer tacky to the touch. ’twas a baking miracle! into the 325 degree oven they went, and my heart did a little flutter. will they rise? will they be hollow? will their feet form? the anticipation was nearly more than i could bear, but after the 13 suggested minutes of baking passed, i nearly shrieked in satisfaction. the notable macaron feet were there! the shells were not cracked! and what i’ll go ahead and tell you is that they were divine. filled with sally’s vanilla buttercream, the characteristic almond flavor was perfectly noticeable, and it took so much self control to not scarf up the whole tray in one sitting. i know not every bake can turn out this great (especially on the first try), but imma take this one to the bank. i just made macarons!
i cannot deny that my blogging frequency has been, dare i say, infrequent? the mcu journey series was a treat to experience and write, but i hadn’t been struck with anything quite as inspiring and exciting since. that was until earlier this month when i was baking up a banana bread for breakfast. this banana bread recipe is reliable, easy, and delicious. however, if you are anything like me, sometimes you end up in a baking rut, doing the same bakes day in and day out. i wondered to myself, surely i am up for a challenge? surely i am brave enough to venture out and try something new? surely i am skilled enough to not be afraid to fail? energized by the thought and curious about what may i come, i am officially kicking off a new series: a year of bakes.
each month in 2024 i will whip up something new to me. sweet, savory, simple, advanced. i want to explore them all! i cannot tell you how many pinned or clipped recipes i have lying around the house or in my phone, and it’s time i dust them off and go on an adventure. join me, won’t you?
january’s bake was taken from a royal cookbook: seasonal recipes from buckingham palace. our friends dave and jenn took a trip across the pond last year and so thoughtfully brought this souvenir home for me. elegant and impressive, this book shares the history of the kitchen at the palace and includes recipes for some of their most iconic dishes. i cannot lie, many of them are very involved and include elements or ingredients that were a little intimidating. however, i searched the pages and did finally find something that felt very doable: the chocolate biscuit cake. a no bake treat, this cake includes traditional tea biscuits, butter, sugar, and plenty of chocolate. minimal ingredients also caught my eye. :)
i cleared the countertop, gathered my supplies, and opened the cupboard to search for my 15 centimeter cake pan. now, if i’m being honest, i have little sense of how the metric scale converts to the imperial equivalent and was very surprised when i learned that 15 centimeters roughly equates to only six inches. this cake was going to be tiny! good thing i wasn’t planning on bring it to a big ‘ole potluck or anything. however, it was kind of fun making something on a small scale; gave me the chance to slow down and really focus on precision.
now, this cake came together easy enough after mixing and chilling and then preparing the ganache, but i really was unimpressed by the end result. maybe it’s because my ganache wasn’t super glossy or maybe my biscuit pieces were too big? it is quite rich, and a small slice will do you, but i think it’d take a lot of convincing for me to try this recipe again. everything about it, to me, was just “fine.” i ate another couple slices throughout the week not because i was really craving it and really only because i don’t like to waste and was in the mood for a sweet bite of something. but you know? that’s okay. not everything you try is going to be a success or a “keeper.” there’s plenty of joy in exploring and keeping your brain sharp when learning something new, and i look forward to testing (and tasting) my skills this year. who knows what next month will hold! you’ll have to check back to find out. :)
kelsey v 