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Baking!

My apple tart recipe:
Preheat the over to 200 C
Mix 100g of plain flour, 50g of selfraising flour, 120g of cold butter, 90g of light brow sugar and the marrow of a vanilla bean (if you're lazy, you can use essence, but boo!) together with cold hands until you get a consistent dough. Form a ball, wrap in cellophane and put in the fridge for at least 30 min to firm up.

In the mean time, grab yourself a skillet or similar and melt 50g of butter over medium heat and add 1kg of Elstar apples in 1cm cubes. Stir gently until the pieces start losing moisture. Add 30ml of maple syrup, 50g of (light brown) sugar and the marrow of a vanilla bean (again, essence = boo!). Keep stirring gently for 5 min. Mix 1 tablespoon of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of the juices in the pan and add this to the pan. Keep stirring for another minute and remove from the heat. Mix in 100g of pecans.

Use the dough to cover the inside of a 24cm springform or pie pan, and coat the bottom with a thin layer of breadcrumb to absorb excess moisture. Add the apple-maple-pecan mix. Bake in the oven for about 25 min. Let it cool for 15 min before serving.
 
So, I made some rye bread dough today, and figured I'd share with you (apologies for the awful ancient cellphone pictures, only camera I had access to at the time):

Note: This is half of the recipe. This will make two 1-lb loaves. All measurements and ingredient names in United States-ese, apologies to the international crowd. :)

1 and ? cup of lukewarm water
2 and ? teaspoons of active dry yeast
2 and ? teaspoons of kosher salt
2 and ? teaspoons of caraway seeds
? cup of rye flour
2 and ? cup of all-purpose flour

Get your ingredients together:
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/16/rye1.jpg

Here is the yeast I used:
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/16/yeast.jpg
Note: if you are not going to use rapid-rise yeast, like the kind I used, DOUBLE the resting time.

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/16/watertemp.jpg
Make sure your water is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 C). Too hot, and you'll kill the yeast. Too cold, and it will take forever to rise.

Combine the yeast, salt, caraway seeds and water together in a mixing bowl (I use a Kitchenaid stand mixer, so I just combined them in that, but you can do this by hand in a regular mixing bowl).

Once combined, stir in the flours, without kneading, until a dough forms (use the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer):
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/16/mixed_dough.jpg

Now, you can let the dough rest in the mixing vessel you used, but I prefer to transfer my dough to a greased bowl:
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/16/prerise.jpg
^This is the dough pre-rise.

Cover (NOT airtight), and let the dough rest in a warm spot for 1 hour (2 hours if not using rapid rise yeast), until it rises and then flattens on top. I like to let it rise on the top of the stove, under the warmth of the lights from the range hood.
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/16/rising.jpg

After rising for 1 hour:
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/16/postrise_001.jpg

You can bake the dough after the initial rise, but it is easier to handle when chilled. Cover (not airtight, again) and store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.
I'm going to bake the first loaf tomorrow, and will update the post with pictures then.

Baking Day
Stuff needed:
Cornmeal
Pizza Peel
Baking stone
Broiler tray
Cornstarch wash
Caraway Seeds

To make cornstarch wash:
Using a fork, mix ? teaspoon cornstarch with a little bit of water to form a paste. Add ? cup of water and whisk with the fork. Microwave or boil mixture until it appears glassy, about 30-60 seconds on high. Will keep in refrigerator for 2 weeks, discard if it has an "off" smell.

1)Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with some flour, and then cut off a 1-lb piece of dough (about the size of a grapefruit).
2)Dust with more flour and form into a ball. Elongate that ball into an oval, and let rest on a pizza peel covered in cornmeal for 20 minutes (40 if using regular rise yeast).
3)Twenty mins. before the dough is finished resting, preheat your oven to 450?F with the baking stone on the middle rack. Place the empty broiler pan on another rack that won't get in the way of the rising bread.
4)Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the loaf with the cornstarch wash, and sprinkle with additional caraway seeds. Slash deep parallel cuts across the loaf, using a serrated bread knife.
5)Slide the loaf directly onto the hot baking stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler pan, and quickly close the oven. Bake for about 30 mins., or until the deeply browned and firm. Adjust time if making a smaller or larger loaf.
6)Remove from oven and let cool before slicing.
 
Last edited:
Nice write-up.
Thanks!
 
So I baked a loaf. T'was damn tasty. But there was a problem.

Here's the bread after resting 20 mins on the pizza peel, and being coated with cornstarch wash, caraway seeds and slashed:
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/17/prebake.jpg

After baking for 35 minutes:
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/17/baked.jpg

Oops. I guess I didn't slash it deep enough, so it kind of exploded on me. Oh well, live and learn.

And here are some pics of another baking adventure, that are fitting for St. Patty's day:

Chocolate-Guinness cupcakes, filled with Tullamore Dew-chocolate ganache and iced with a Bailey's frosting. Recipe here.

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/17/unfrosted.jpg
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/17/frosted.jpg
 
Coffee and Walnut Cake.

201258_10150552969105012_668295011_18079516_4028419_o.jpg


I'll post the recipe, when I find it again. XD
 
Okay, so that Coffee & Walnut cake recipe.

Cake:
7oz Self Raising Flour
7oz Caster Sugar
7oz Unsalted Butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 1/2oz Chopped Walnuts
2 tablespoons Instant Coffee Granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Icing:
5oz Unsalted Butter
11oz Icing Sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water

Preheat oven to 180c or 160c for fan assisted ovens. Gas Mark 4. Line 2 20cm cake tins.

This is easy done with a food processor/hand mixer.

Beat the butter an' sugar together.
Continue beating whilst adding the eggs one at a time with a few spoonfuls of flour with each egg. You can also add the dissolved coffee mixture now.
Gradually fold in the remaining flour an' baking powder. Also add roughly half of the chopped Walnuts.
Divide the mixture between the two tins an' bake for roughly 20-25 minutes until golden an' springy to touch.
Leave to cool right down.

For the icing, beat the icing sugar an' butter until fluffy an' pale. Mix in the coffee mixture well.
Use half the icing to sandwich the two cake halves together, then use the remaining icing to cover the top of the cake.
Use the remaining walnuts to decorate the top of the cake.


Done! ^__^
 
Last edited:
Chocolate-Espresso Cheesecake:

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/07/14/chocespresso.jpg

I can add the recipe if anyone is interested. It's from the March 1991 issue of Bon Appetit.
 
Apologies for the United Statesian measurements and the lack of pictures, but here's a recipe for banana bread that always turns out well. It's nice and dense and moist.

Banana bread

1 cup sugar
? cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 ? cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup banana (2 bananas), mashed
? cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
? cup walnuts, chopped, optional

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, beat together. Sift dry ingredients together in separate bowl, then combine with butter mixture. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla, blend. Add chopped nuts. Pour into well-buttered loaf pan, bake at 350? for approximately 1 hour.

Variation: Add 2 cups blueberries, pour into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
 
I'm taking all your recipes when I move out next year. kthxbi.
 
Last Saturday, I discovered what is now to me the holy grail of baking, or rather patisserie:

Opera.jpg

Op?ra cake

While in Paris, I popped into a shop and asked for what I thought to be a piece of chocolate mille-feuille. The lady behind the counter was a bit confused at first, because there was no chocolate mille-feuille on sale - and such a thing doesn't really exist anyway - but she was quick on the uptake and gave me exactly what I had wanted.

Now, I like cocoa, coffee and cakes with rich, tasty creams in them. What I had accidentally bought was the most perfect combination of all this that could possibly be made. I know I'm waffling, but eating that was an almost orgasmic experience. :drool:
 
beeemdubau said:
And here are some pics of another baking adventure, that are fitting for St. Patty's day:

Chocolate-Guinness cupcakes, filled with Tullamore Dew-chocolate ganache and iced with a Bailey's frosting. Recipe here.

https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/17/unfrosted.jpg
https://pic.armedcats.net/b/be/beeemdubau/2011/03/17/frosted.jpg
Click to expand...

Good.. God man... :drool:

I will be in my bunk!
 
i realy don't understand the obsessions with cupcakes they have in some countries :dunno:
 
I love Bailey's, so having a recipe for frosting that uses Bailey's... @_@ :drool:
 
ChelsDS said:
Good.. God man... :drool:

I will be in my bunk!

I love Bailey's, so having a recipe for frosting that uses Bailey's... @_@ :drool:
Click to expand...

Good! Be sure to let us know how they turn out. You can adjust the quantity of Bailey's to your taste (read: you can put a shitload in), just remember it will thin out the icing and make it more difficult to pipe. Play around with it until you get it just right (an excuse to eat a lot of Bailey's icing). :)

bone said:
i realy don't understand the obsessions with cupcakes they have in some countries :dunno:
Click to expand...

They became quite trendy here in the US a few years back, I suppose because you could go to a bakery and get a variety of interesting cupcakes instead of buying one large cake. I can't really explain the popularity, to be honest. :dunno:

Though I am pretty sure cupcakes have had their 15 minutes of fame, and the hardcore foodies have moved on to some other trendy dessert. :lol:
 
beeemdubau said:
Good! Be sure to let us know how they turn out. You can adjust the quantity of Bailey's to your taste (read: you can put a shitload in), just remember it will thin out the icing and make it more difficult to pipe. Play around with it until you get it just right (an excuse to eat a lot of Bailey's icing). :)



They became quite trendy here in the US a few years back, I suppose because you could go to a bakery and get a variety of interesting cupcakes instead of buying one large cake. I can't really explain the popularity, to be honest. :dunno:

Though I am pretty sure cupcakes have had their 15 minutes of fame, and the hardcore foodies have moved on to some other trendy dessert. :lol:
Click to expand...

Hardcore foodies don't even believe in dessert.
 
I think cupcakes became so popular is because you could have a lot and not realize you most likely had a two layer 13 inch cake. That and you are able to be more creative with cupcakes as they really are mini cakes.

So I did make the frosting, pretty sugary, not sure I like it. I need to find a frosting recipe that doesn't use butter or cream cheese, perhaps something like a light butter or cream cheese instead? Devil's food cupcakes taste more flour with a touch of cocoa than I was expecting. Good thing I have friends who willingly eat my creations so I'm not stuck with them :)
 
I thought it would be much better :dunno: Perhaps I should be using cake flour instead of regular flour to get the effect I'm looking for? Bleh, I should just take a class in baking and learn this shit for real.
 
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