audreybakes

Lemon Cloud Tart with Rhubarb Compote from Epicurious pros:...

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:14:45 -0400

Lemon Cloud Tart with Rhubarb Compote from Epicurious

pros: light and lemony — just like the name promises! it’s very sweet, but the hazelnut tart crust gives it a good grounding. it comes out a very distinctively tasting crust, so if you don’t care for hazelnuts, sub in another nut. i found the rhubarb compote to be a perfect sour complement, but greg only tasted sweet, and opted for less compote.

cons: it took a lot of steps to put together, and many, many eggs. that’s most tarts and custards, though. not too many cons in the end, i guess.

notes for next time: my hazelnuts were a bit off, and it’s a pretty strong taste in the tart. so, next time? fresher nuts.

and don’t forget to save those egg whites for meringues. i’ll have compote leftover too, so I can make another pavlova!

here’s the recipe, if you’ve got some time on your hands (and a lot of eggs), definitely make it!

Pavlova with Strawberries and Chocolate Sauce from...

Sat, 11 May 2013 23:53:00 -0400

Pavlova with Strawberries and Chocolate Sauce from Epicurious

pros: this is a very sweet, light meringue topped with fresh whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate sauce. the meringue developed this perfect crust, and the inside was still wet, but not “gross! ew! uncooked egg!” type wet, but like what the inside of a cloud should be like type wet. if that’s wrong, and i undercooked it, i don’t want to be right. it’s a perfect dessert for when it’s hot out and you don’t want a big, heavy, sticky dessert, and it’s super versatile, because you could toss any fruit on it and it would be gorgeous.

cons: the meringue is *very* sweet. I added some more strawberries to carry me through. i also whipped up this cream without any sugar and it’s a good thing i did, because sweeter would *not* have been better in this case. it might not be a con for some people (and it was ok with me), but i just thought i should mention it.

notes for next time: nope. great right off the bat. a pavlova, like a fool and a syllabub (I’ve yet to try that one), is one of those things I’ve read a lot of recipes for, but I’ve never tried. i don’t know why because it’s *so* easy!!! i did it because i’m in the midst of a two day tart process (lemon curd done: that’s a clue!), and had extra egg whites left over. it’s definitely a good thing to have in the toolbox for the next time I use a lot of yolks and don’t want to waste the whites. we’ll see how they are in a day or two. maybe with a couple of them crumbled up, I’ll make eton mess !

I got the pavlova recipe from Epicurious, except clearly i didn’t go the apricot-raspberry-almond route (so, skip the almonds and sub vanilla extract for the almond extract). the chocolate sauce is from david lebovitz. (it’s fantastic over poached pears or even just vanilla ice cream). definitely go make it!

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake from The New York Times pros: the...

Fri, 03 May 2013 22:00:00 -0400

Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake from The New York Times

pros: the tartness of the rhubarb is perfectly balanced by the brown sugar topping, and the whole thing is set off by a tender, light but moist cake. in most cases, I don’t notice cake flour so much. but in this case, I think, if you have it, you should really use it. as for the recipe, i kind of messed it up (I forgot to put the sugar in until the end!!), but it still came out pretty amazing. The lesson here? *always* taste the batter before you pour it into the pan! The cake is best right out of the oven, but I’ve had it a day or two, and it’s still delicious.

cons: it was kind of a pain in the ass because of all the different things that had to be mixed separately. I practically ended up using every mixing bowl in the kitchen, and with so many components, it was easy to forget something (like the sugar!). Still totally worth it.

notes for next time: don’t forget the sugar!!

there’s really not much else to say. this is amazing. go make it!

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i’ve had the flu the past three days and it hasn’t stopped me from putting a serious dent in this cake. it’s on its last legs right now. have i mentioned food isn’t really looking very good to me right now? what with the flu and all. did i mention the cake has been sitting in the fridge for four days and is not at its best? no matter. this cake conquers all. just in case i didn’t make it clear earlier, this is five star.

Rhubarb Fool from Epicurious, via Pinterest. pros: this is the...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:35:33 -0400

Rhubarb Fool from Epicurious, via Pinterest.

pros: this is the first time I’ve ever made a fool, though I’ve seen so many in British cookbooks. I had problems with this recipe in particular (see below), but I would try this again. at bottom, it’s whipped cream and stewed fruit. surely, there’s a way *that* can work!

cons: this one was a little on the sour side, perhaps some fiddling needs to be done. and this might be a personal issue, but I can’t stand orange juice and honey together. this might not be a problem for you, but my mother used it as a homemade remedy for a sore throat and it absolutely made me want to retch every time. I figured the rhubarb would overcome the taste. I was wrong. also, I ran out of my regular honey and had to use the chestnut honey that sits at the back of the cupboard because i hate it. so, that might have something to do with it. my last quibble: why crystallized ginger? usually I’m a big ginger fan, but imho, it added nothing here.

Notes for next time: sub agave nectar for honey, and perhaps use lemon zest and juice instead of orange. and leave out the ginger. agave nectar is sweeter than honey, so that should take care of the sour issue as well.

I found the recipe on pinterest, and you can see it here. but it turns out to be from a book called Rustic Fruit Desserts. Yum!

Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from veganbaking.net pros: the...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:52:19 -0400

Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from veganbaking.net

pros: the filling was perfectly balanced between tart and sweet, and the crust was flaky deliciousness. I don’t think anyone would have guessed it was vegan by the taste. that’s something that people say about vegan baking sometimes, but it’s entirely untrue. except for now.

cons: pie is definitely a time-consuming process with many steps, but hey, I love it! no cons related to the actual pie, though.

notes for next time: start early. I was just putting the pie in the oven when the party was starting, because I neglected to read the last part of the recipe: “let cool for 3 to 4 hours.” it cooled for about 20 minutes in the cab ride over. it was kind of messy, since the inside was still pretty liquidy, but everyone loved that it was still warm!

Here’s the recipe for the pie crust. I really can’t recommend it highly enough. And the pie filling is here.

I’m definitely going to explore that website a bit more. Delicious vegan baking recipes are uncommon.

Ginger White Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod...

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:43:00 -0400

Ginger White Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod blog

pros: I never would have thought ginger and white chocolate would go together, but these cookies make a good argument for just that! and they are pretty addictive to boot. I haven’t been able to eat fewer than five in one sitting. maybe that part belongs in the “con” section.

cons: see above. if i had to find a problem with these, it would be that they’re pretty sweet. I know, they’re cookies. cookies are sweet. but these seem a bit overly, you know? and I know I say this a lot about ginger-things, but I think it could be more gingery. that’s only if I had to nitpick, though.

notes for next time: I’ma try brown sugar instead of white, some chopped fresh ginger, and a bit less sugar.

I got these off of pinterest. I have a board with about a million recipes on it, so I figured I should try to bake something from it once in a while. here’s the recipe, and it looks like they have a lot more where that came from!

Chocolate Whiskey Cake from the New York Times pros: this cake...

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:58:00 -0400

Chocolate Whiskey Cake from the New York Times

pros: this cake has such a unique taste. It has both whiskey and coffee in it (a lot of coffee, actually), and they make it very dark and smoky. add in the black pepper and the chocolate chips, and it’s really an interesting cake. definitely a winner. It’s too sweet for breakfast (unless you’re into that), but great for tea, fika, or dessert.

cons: I’ve had it in the fridge for a while, and I have to say, it’s not really a keeper. I’m still eating it, of course.

notes for next time: I had to leave it in an extra 15 minutes, but that may have been my oven’s fault.

If you’re in the mood for something dark and sophisticated, try it!

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Pudding Cake with Cream and Berries from...

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:43:00 -0500

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Pudding Cake with Cream and Berries from Bon Appétit

pros: this was lemony, puddingy goodness! similar to the meyer lemon budino, also from Bon Appétit, but in a big pan instead of in little ramekins, and with a little more of a pudding (hence the “pudding cake” in the title) instead of a light custard. The berries and cream only make it better.

cons: I had to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours instead of immediately wolfing it down. And let’s just say portion control is a difficult concept with something this delicious.

notes for next time: The recipe calls for four yolks and three egg whites, which is schmawkward. I think I will do what all the forum posters say to do and just use the fourth egg white. Also, I drizzled the cream over the berries and around the dish—no need to whip!

you should make it right now since meyer lemons are in season (December-April). Here’s a link, and definitely try the budino too! It’s a tad lighter and even more lemony.

Chocolate Custard Tart from The Craft of Baking pros: this has...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 11:21:00 -0500

Chocolate Custard Tart from The Craft of Baking

pros: this has pros galore! I made this for V Day and it didn’t disappoint. the filling is so perfect. the egg custard gives it a rich, silky, smooth texture, and of course, it’s very chocolatey. I’m no expert at tart crust, and I had to manhandle it a bit to get it into the tart pan, but I guess the filling covers a multitude of sins, because I didn’t really notice the crust. the recipe says it’s best the first day, and that’s certainly true, but it still tasted delicious by the time we finished it a few days later. I wouldn’t call this a true keeper, though.

cons: this being a tart, there are a few steps to it that need to be done ahead of time (crust!), so start early!

notes for next time: I will definitely make this again. the recipe really isn’t to blame for this, I don’t think, but I really have trouble with tart crusts. I can never get them into the pan without breaks and patches. I might have to invest in a class or something. le sigh.

The Craft of Baking is really winning me over, although not ever recipe is a winner (I’m looking at you, Brown Sugar Cake!). here’s the recipe: bake it!

Chocolate Whoopie Pie with Marshmallow Filling from Gourmet and...

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:40:08 -0500

Chocolate Whoopie Pie with Marshmallow Filling from Gourmet and Martha Stewart

pros: I thought these were pretty good. the cookies by themselves are nothing special— a little bland, even a bit salty—but the super sweet marshmallow filling balances them out pretty well.

cons: these are soooo big! *why* are they so big? I know that’s supposed to be a whoopie pie thing, but really, I think these could be about half the size. also, do you see how bumpy they are? they didn’t come out anything like the perfectly smooth ones in the picture. I would have appreciated if they had said something about that.

notes for next time: a poster on the epicurious forum said something about smoothing each one with a wet finger, so maybe that’s what has to happen to get them smooth. and half the size, of course. i probably will make these again, maybe in the summertime when they’re more seasonally appropriate.

here’s the recipe. there were so many complaints about the filling on the forum that I used this Martha Stewart one instead. maybe next time I’ll make the Martha Stewart cookies.

White Chocolate Pudding with Blackberry Curd from the Smitten...

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:01:00 -0500

White Chocolate Pudding with Blackberry Curd from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook

pros: this was…interesting. it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t my thing. there were blackberries—I like blackberries—and as promised, it did make an interesting combination with the white chocolate, better than I expected.

cons: ah, white chocolate, there’s the rub. I’m not a hater. but I’m not a lover either (does that make me a fighter?). also, the pudding didn’t really solidify in the fridge like I thought it was supposed to. perhaps I didn’t cook the milk with the cornstarch for long enough?

notes for next time: I guess I could try to keep it on the stove until I see the bottom of the pan when I stir, like other times I’ve used cornstarch. but I’m not sure I’ll be making this again. white chocolate…

but here’s the recipe if white chocolate doesn’t make *you* hesitate.

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it’s since come to my attention that Greg thought this dessert was “really good.” That’s high praise, so I suppose that means I’ll have to make it again sometime. I’ll let you know how it comes out.

Hazelnut Shortbread Sticks from Bon Appétit pros: these are all...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 23:28:00 -0500

Hazelnut Shortbread Sticks from Bon Appétit

pros: these are all pros, all the time. they are buttery with that perfect sandy shortbread texture. as if that weren’t enough, the cookies get dipped in milk chocolate and rolled in more hazelnuts! not only does it taste divine, it really dresses up the cookie.

cons: these are con-less.

notes for next time: these turned out to be more like hazelnut ovals because I didn’t really make them skinny enough. I really underestimated how much they spread. didn’t effect the taste, though!

here’s the recipe. this one I will be making again for sure!

Apple Cake from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook pros: moist, but...

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 22:35:00 -0500

Apple Cake from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook

pros: moist, but still with a nice crumb. Perfect for breakfast, tea, or dessert.

cons: no cons here.

notes for next time: I let it go an extra 15 minutes in the oven because I wasn’t sure if it was done, but I’ll trust it next time because this one ended up a bit burnt on the edges. still delicious though.

I’m not sure if the recipe on the blog differs from the one in the cookbook, but if Deb Perelman’s behind it, I”m sure it’s delish. here’s the recipe. definitely try it!

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing from Martha...

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:38:00 -0500

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing from Martha Stewart.

pros: pillowy, moist, pumpkin clouds. On their own, they’re kind of humble and unassuming. A modest, not too sweet, homespun kind of cookie, though maybe lacking a little in oomph. It takes the brown butter icing to put them over the top. It is so sweet and rich and nutty. And, they last great! They just seem to get more and more moist, although I have to say, I haven’t been able to keep them in the house for very long! One thing, if you’re going to keep them, don’t ice them until you’re ready to eat them, otherwise it’ll be a pain storing them. Also, they’ll stick together unless you layer wax paper or parchment paper between layers when you store them.

cons: Do they have cons? No, they do not.

notes for next time: I made half the recipe, which was a very silly idea. I thought I couldn’t possibly go through 60 cookies (the full amount), but I took them to a party and they were gone in a trice. The recipe works best if you make the full amount anyway, since then you can use the whole can of pumpkin. Only make half the icing though, since it makes a ton! Martha goes all nuts with a pastry bag, but you can ignore all that and drop them by tablespoons onto the cookie sheet.

here’s the recipe! Have at it, compadres!

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redux: so I made another batch since I had more canned pumpkin, but then ran out of icing. I hate to say it, but these went from homey and subtle to completely boring without the icing. the lesson here? brown butter icing makes everything amazing.

A Tale of Two Chocolate Chip Cookies I hosted a get together and...

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:49:00 -0500

A Tale of Two Chocolate Chip Cookies

I hosted a get together and decided to make chocolate chip cookies for dessert. But I couldn’t just make a simple batch of chocolate chip cookies. Oh, no. I had to make a second batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies. And now, for your enjoyment and edification: double post!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies from Smitten Kitchen

pros: these are fantastic. Fair warning, they have walnuts. Other than that, they are perfect. I don’t know how they are the next day, because there *were* no cookies left. i sandwiched some of them with vanilla ice cream and it was criminally delicious: as in, there oughta be a law.

cons: did I mention the nuts? I thought it would be okay, and it wasn’t tragic, or anything. But neither was it ideal.

notes for next time: no walnuts, duh!

here’s the recipe. go make ‘em!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar

pros: no. these cookies were devoid of pros. completely pro-lacking.

cons: everything about these were terrible. And I’ve made plenty of delicious vegan cookies, so it’s not like I’m a vegan-cookie-hater. These were oily little hockey pucks that seemed like they weren’t cooked at all. Grody.

notes for next time: no, never, never, not again, no!

do you want to try it, even after all that? fine.

Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake from smitten kitchen pros: this is...

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:51:00 -0500

Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake from smitten kitchen

pros: this is chock full of pros. Everything about this is amazing, from the way the pumpkin and cream cheese (with that hint of bourbon) come together to the sweet graham cracker and brown sugar crust, with crunchy bits of pecan. YUM!!!

cons: this is something to make ahead, since it needs time to chill in the fridge. that’s the only con I can think of.

notes for next time: nope, it’s pretty straightforward.

make it!! you should make it right now!! here’s a link to the recipe.

Apple Cider Muffins from the Craft of Baking. pros: this is five...

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:19:00 -0500

Apple Cider Muffins from the Craft of Baking.

pros: this is five star. It has the perfect texture, moist, but not gummy. the flavor is also perfect. the cider really adds a deep, slightly spicy note that takes these over the top! Perfect for a fall or winter breakfast, tea, fika, snack, or dessert. Also, these keep well for a few days!

cons: this has no cons.

notes for next time: I used vegetable oil instead of grapeseed, and it worked just fine. I think I used way too much apple because the recipe said 2 apples without specifying any amounts or weight. the result was that I got twice as much batter, so I was able to make 12 muffins *and* a cake (to be posted at another time). I used light brown sugar instead of dark brown, but these are super moist and plenty sweet. I guess the taste might be deeper with the dark brown sugar, but it’s nothing to get stressed about.

notes for next time: I don’t know, a lot went sideways this time (see all the subs), and they still came out perfect! carry on!

another win for the Craft of Baking! Here’s a link to the recipe.

Gingerbread Cake from Epicurious Pros: This is a light, fluffy,...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:59:00 -0500

Gingerbread Cake from Epicurious

Pros: This is a light, fluffy, moist gingerbread cake. The texture of it is absolutely perfect.

Cons: The flavor is light as well. It could be amped up.

Notes for next time: It’s a very nice cake as it is. I wouldn’t mind more gingerbread flavor, but I wouldn’t want to mess up that gorgeous texture. It’s so close to perfect, though!

Here’s a link!

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from Smitten Kitchen Pros: these were...

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:20:00 -0500

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from Smitten Kitchen

Pros: these were decent “pumpkin-chocolate cake squares” as my friends called them, but they were not very good brownies. They weren’t too sweet. I guess that’s a pro.

Cons: The texture was fluffy instead of moist and chocolatey, and I can’t even say the pumpkin came through very well.

Notes for next time: I don’t think so.

Man, I thought Smitten Kitchen could do no wrong after that amazing Buttermilk Cake, and the Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake (I made it last year, and will definitely make it again for T-Day). On the other hand, it’s good to know even SK effs up sometimes. I think I’ll have to give brownies a break for now. seeing as three of the last four posts have been brownies.

Here’s a link, in case a “pumpkin-chocolate cake square” sounds good to you.

Nutella Brownies from the interwebs pros: perfect brownie...

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 11:11:00 -0400

Nutella Brownies from the interwebs

pros: perfect brownie texture, imho. I know there are dedicated “fudgy” vs. “cakey” fans, but this is such a good argument for the middle. It’s moist, but still has something there. and can nutella ever be wrong?

cons: too sweet! I mean, tooth-achingly sweet.

notes for next time: unless I am making this for five year olds, I’d like to ease up on the sugar, by a quarter cup at first and then go from there.

here’s a link to the recipe, go make it!