Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baking. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The Great Cookie Debacle of 2010 pt 2

You might remember this posting about my cookie issue. Last night I bought some more dried cherries and had about 1/2 a bag left of dark chocolate chunks so I decided to try and tackle my dark chocolate chunk and cherry cookies. This was my outcome.

Not too bad if you are looking for a moist, chewy, nestle toll house type of cookie. Which I didn't want. I want crispy outside/yummy soft chewy insides. So, I am going to continue to try again and again until I get it right. I think that I might switch to milk chocolate chips as well. The dark might be a little to bitter for the sour cherries. Its a thought to ponder. I do apologize for my blog postings being light! I'm still transitioning and I hope you'll be patient and check back often for new posts!

cheers-

raechel

Monday, April 5, 2010

Happy Belated Easter!

We had a wonderful busy weekend! Family is in town and so with both of us working during the week we did some entertaining this weekend. I had about 6 people over for Easter and did the majority of the cooking, which I love doing. Its so much fun! I think I'm going to start a new tradition and make this cake every Easter. We had it last Easter and its super simple to make but tastes amazing.


Pear Cardamom Cake from "The Wednesday Chef Blog". If you click on the title it has the link to her blog with the recipe. Something I did notice is that her topping was much more crunchy and carmelized then mine. Mine was more soaked into the cake this time..Hmm..I wonder what I did differently?


Jack also made a homemade focaccia bread that was to die for. He used the Martha Stewart Recipe

Focaccia Bread and then we added really thinly sliced tomatoes, fresh rosemary, oregano, salt, freshly ground pepper, freshly grated reggianno and thinly sliced olives. We also let it sit overnight in the fridge for a slow rise which tends to give breads more character than if you just leave it out for a few hours and cook it. I highly recommend doing this to breads if you have the time and patience! Here was our results. It was amazing!



I hope you had a lovely weekend! I'm off to work in this rainy weather ( which I am so excited/happy for!)

Cheers-

Raechel

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Great Cookie Debacle of 2010

Last night I had a vision, I was at whole foods and I wanted to make something simple for dessert and suddenly it hit me. Dark chocolate chip cookies with chopped dried cherries. It'd be the chocolate and cherry version of oatmeal raisin cookies. I knew this was going to be amazing. I would win an award for the best new novel cookie creation. OK, maybe that isn't going to happen but I was happy with my ingenuity.

Now someone else that I live with doesn't like soft doughy cookies. He likes them crisp and chewy. So here is where my problems started. Trying to please others. It just doesn't work. Just kidding. I was happy to find a recipe that would work for both of us. I don't care what texture my cookies hold as long as they taste excellent. So I did a quick google search for thin, crispy chewy chocolate chip cookies. I found this recipe from Sunset, a legit source or so I thought. I mean come on Sunset you're one of my favorite travel/food magazines out there but you did me wrong.

This is what I wanted.



This is what I got.


Also, as a side note, this is one of the best looking cookies from the batch. I have more cookie crumble gooey messes than what you see above.

So here is my problem. What did I do wrong? There were 8 reviews. 1 was bad and 7 were excellent to good. So...what did myself and this other reviewer do wrong? The cookies taste fantastic in case you were wondering. I highly recommend the dark chocolate/dried cherry combo.

I've been researching the reasons why my cookies failed. Apparently making candy isn't the only temperamental kitchen art. So are cookies. Too much flour, not enough water, shortening vs. butter, longer cooking time, higher temperature. The amount of variations from recipe to recipe can drive a person bonkers who just wants a reliable source. I should have gone with the Nestle's toll house recipe but instead I try to get fancy. Serves me right.

To end this in a postive light. I purchased a new jacket/shirt that I can't seem to take off.



I love it. I bought it at GAP when Leslie was here visiting. I scoffed at the price $79.50. I put it on hold promising myself that if I couldn't stop thinking about it I'd go back and buy it. Guess what after a couple of hours of shopping I passed up Louis Vuittons, Tiffanys and the sort to go back to GAP and get my new friend. Since the picture absolutely sucks that I took here is another example of it.



So far I've worn it with jeans and cute ballet flats, black t-shirt and black yoga pants with flip flops and the outfit you are seeing jeans, black tank top, and tall boots. LOVE IT. go buy one. I imagine jacket and I will be friends for many many years. I can imagine the safaris I'll take in it, visiting the Eiffel tower, and drinking beer in Belgium all while wearing my favorite jacket. P.S. it looks super cute with a black scarf. I'm completely smitten with this jacket if you can't already tell.

Ok, crazy over now.

raech

Friday, December 11, 2009

Lazy Days..not!

Today has been one of those days where apparently I had a bug up my ass because I've been deep cleaning my kitchen and bathroom all day. Now we just made homemade marshmallows again and now melting moments cookies and there is cornstarch and flour all over the place. Oi Vay. Why clean?

Looking through my photo's last year to see what I was up to and apparently I was making Krumkake's. A traditional norweigan cookie. So nummy. Maybe I'll be making a batch of these tonight as well....Hee Hee.




Cheers!

Raech

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Its True


I will be eating these with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream on top in approximately 25 mins.

I can not wait for these to be in my BELLLEEEYYY..

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Happy Humpday!

Hi Boys and Girls-

Do you ever love a song so much that you listen to it over and over until you can't anymore and then a few months later you find out how much you love that song again! I do this all the time. Its time for some Ingrid Michaelson again!

I'm cleaning up the house today and I'm going to attempt to make a Rhurbarb Upside Down cake. I haven't tried to make one in eons and it didnt turn out very well the last time I tried it!


This is the song I can't stop listening to! I want Jack to make an animation for this song



happy humpdays darlings!