Michelle's "Funny" Scones | Derry Girls

Set in the 1990's in Northern Ireland, Derry Girls is one of my absolute favorite shows on Netflix right. Although I know there's a good bit of nostalgia involved in those feelings since I was high school age in the early 90's, there's more to it. Not only do I eat it up, so does my (almost 17 year old) teenage daughter. And while she's a bit of an old soul, she's definitely a modern child...and she finds it just as funny as I do. But also, it's heartwarming and inclusive and highlights the value of family and friends.

If you haven't seen it, there's currently 2 seasons. Each season is only 6 episodes (British shows, am I right!?). Each episode is only about 20 minutes long. So technically, each season is about the length of an average movie. You could binge both seasons in the time it would take you to watch a couple of movies. I can wait for you to catch up, if you want. Go ahead.

Spice-Swirled Cranberry Sweet Potato Bread | #ThreeLoaves Movement

ONE LOAF FOR YOU.

ONE LOAF FOR A FRIEND.

ONE FOR SOMEONE IN NEED.

That is the premise of the Three Loaves Movement, the brainchild of Jerry from Cooking Stoned. Inspired by his 2010 participation in the Yahoo!'s Ripple of Kindness project, Jerry kicked off this movement in which food is a form of activism. The challenge, for all who are willing to accept it, is to bake three loaves of bread a month (aka one for you, one for a friend, and one for someone in need) that feature sustainable and seasonal ingredients.  Since baking and sharing bread is something that I do on a monthly basis anyway, I loved the thought of taking part in this movement. I say it all the time—not much compares to a freshly baked loaf of bread—comfort, happiness, nourishment.

So, it's November. Obviously pumpkin and winter squash come to mind when I think seasonal produce here in the Midwest. My mind also goes directly to Thanksgiving. A table heavy with seasonal foods for which to share and give thanks. I toyed with the idea of going the savory route and combining brussels sprouts, garlic, onions, and potatoes. And though I didn't go that direction, I may still push them into some soft focaccia dough in the next couple of weeks.

Instead I decided that sweet potatoes were the way to go. I pictures my family's favorite rustic potato loaves, and thought that maybe swapping out sweet potatoes would yield the same great results, but with a beautiful orange hue to reflect the season. But then visions of cranberries and spice started swirling in my head, which transferred themselves to the inside of my sweet potato loaves. Instead of sharing savory loaves, I wound up sharing enriched loaves that were studded with cranberries and punctuated by a sweet and spicy swirl.

Giant Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls

It was almost exactly 5 years ago to the day that I made my first from scratch, fully homemade batch of cinnamon rolls. I was so darn proud of myself, because I had just started to become friends with yeast. We're a family of cinnamon roll eaters through the generations, so that was a pretty significant moment in my life. Coincidentally, they also had a pumpkin base. But oh, how far I've come since then. Where once I avoided baking yeast breads like they were the plague, I now long for the comfort of their company in the kitchen. What a difference 5 years can make.

So, when our #TwelveLoaves host for the month, the lovely Renee from Kudos Kitchen by Renee, announced that our theme for November was pumpkin, I automatically knew that I was making cinnamon rolls. No, that's a lie—but wouldn't it have been poetic? I was actually leaning towards savory. Visions of a sage-laced pumpkin cornbread danced in my head. And then I entertained a rustic loaf that still included sage, but also bacon. I even had all of the ingredients ready to go for that one. But instead, the craving for cinnamon rolls full-on telenovela-slapped me across the face. Cinnamon rolls it was.

I've mentioned (many times) before that I'm a bit of a connoisseur. I love a good straightforward cinnamon bun without any bells and whistles, but I can't help but veer off the path, picking up random bells and whistles and sticking them in my bag for later. Today is a bells and whistles day. Did I just say bells and whistles far too many times in one paragraph? 

Robert May's French Bread (a historical bread from 1660)

Well, the 16th is here once again, and believe it or not, I'm actually posting my Bread Baking Babes loaf on time. With my mind set on a trip to Seattle this coming weekend, I almost let the day float past without making it. But in light of my resolve to remember to slow down and bake bread, I took some time yesterday to make this simple (yet entirely appreciated) loaf.

Our host Babe for the month is Ilva from Lucullian Delights, and her assignment for us was one rooted deep in history—354 years to be exact. This French bread was originally published in 1660, in one of those glorious old cookery books that now take a bit of study to interpret, The Accomplisht Cook; or the Art & Mystery of Cookery by Robert May. And yes, accomplisht is the proper old-English spelling. The recipe saw a bit of a revival when it appeared in the pages of the 1977 cookbook English Bread and Yeast Cookery, by British cookery writer Elizabeth David (you may remember her being on the list of 50 Women Game-Changers in Food that I cooked through a couple of years ago).

Well, the BBBabes are making old new once again. Ilva invited us to bake this simple egg white-infused bread (not sure exactly what role the egg whites played, but I went with it)—the actual challenge lying not so much in the recipe itself, but in the decoration of the bread. We were to get creative with the presentation.

Triple-Chocolate Brownie Cookies with Zucchini

As if the fact that they are studded with zucchini, white chocolate, and walnuts weren't tempting enough, these cookies also have the fudgy, chewy texture of a brownie. Let's just call that double-your-pleasure.

I've mentioned this before, but I thought it was worth saying again—I have some pretty great neighbors. For many reasons, but why I bring it up now is because of our little "food trade system" we've fallen into over the years. For the most part, they share raw produce and I share prepared food. This would be because they tend to their garden and even forage for mushrooms once a year, while I seem to spend all of my time in the kitchen developing and testing recipes.

They hand over large bags (seriously) of produce, and I come back at them with jars, boxes, and plates of jams, preserves, breads, and other baked goods. It's a fairly great system. I like to offer up  goods from my "wild garden" like grapes, mint, chamomile, compost squash, and wild garlic, but lately that's all I seem to have since time is something I'm always chasing and rarely catching up with. I've never been fond of running.

Spiced Buttermilk Poached Pear Bread

The tender poached whole pears peeking out of this spiced buttermilk quick bread make it a real show-stopper, and I'm using it to conjure up autumn—crisp air, sweatshirts, apple cider, football, and bonfires.

This month's #TwelveLoaves theme of pears gives fall a nod, as well. As soon as I knew our theme, I knew what type of bread I'd be making. I have a similar version bookmarked in several places. Basically, it's a quick bread with poached pears taking center stage. It's pretty simple to switch up. It really just depends on what type of quick bread you want to pair with it.

Since I'm in that autumn state of mind, I wanted something speckled with warming spices, and thought that a buttermilk quick bread would play the perfect host. Combined with pears that were also quickly poached in a spiced simple syrup, it really does taste like cooler days.

Panmarino (Italian Rosemary Bread)

It's the 16th, and you know what that means - Bread Baking Babes time! Cathy from Bread Experience is our BBBabe kitchen of the month, and her bread choice was influenced by her Tuscany state-of-mind (after spending time there recently). Can you blame her? Not me. I don't think I'd get it off the brain for years. It's been my numero uno destination spot for as long as I can remember. Her choice: Panmarino, or Italian Rosemary Bread.

Described as a bread that's fragrant with rosemary, with a crust that "sparkled with diamonds", I couldn't wait to pull mine from the oven. It's a fairly simple recipe. Aside from the Biga* that needs to sit for at least 14 hours before you make the bread, it comes together quickly, as well.

The original recipe makes 4 one-pound loaves. That's actually not too much, as I bet neighbors and family and friends would readily welcome one into their kitchen (or you could freeze a couple). But I decided to halve the recipe the first time around.

Tate's Bake Shop: Baking for Friends by Kathleen King: cookbook review

Tate's Bake Shop: Baking for Friends

author:  Kathleen King
publisher: Ingram Book Company
photos: yes
hard cover: 208 pages

chapters/sections:  muffins, scones, & shortcakes - tea loaves & quick breads - pies, tarts, & crisps - cookies - party cakes & cupcakes - healthy & lifestyle baked goods - icings, frostings, & sauces

fun features:  A warm, personal introduction to Kathleen and this book, plus a section titled Baking My Recipes.  Here she talks all about the the types of flours, eggs and dairy, sugar and sweeteners, flavorings, chocolate and cocoa she uses.  She talks about toasting nuts and about the equipment she uses to bake the recipes in this book.  Since baking is a science, I recommend reading this section as a point of reference before using the book.  Not that there's anything unusual or out of the ordinary, but it's definitely helpful to have this insight - especially if you're not a regular baker.

(a few of the many) recipes destined for my kitchen:  Maple Bacon & Date Scones, Honey Cake, Hakan's Fresh Fig Cake, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies, Chocolate-Dipped Orange Shortbread, Graham Crackers, Pecan Squares, Cherry Chip Party Cake, Chocolate Chip Layer Cake, Nutella Whipped Cream, Cranberry Sauce Crumb Bars

my thoughts/review:  Beautiful photography and well-tested recipes combine to form a baking book that you won't want to put down - especially with the holidays looming close.  Kathleen King is a pro, and I trust her recipes to turn out.  So much so that I do not even test them before baking something of hers to take to an event or potluck.

Much like the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook, I have so many ideas swirling around in my head about which recipes I want to make and who I want to share them with.  I can't put it down.

Recommended for those who love to bake...and share their baking.  This would make a lovely gift, especially when given with a baking sheet and a package of chocolate chips, dried fruit, or a bag of good flour.

recipe(s) I have already tried:

Cranberry, Maple, & Oatmeal Cookies (click for recipe)

Date Crumb Bars (in the form of a pie- post w/ recipe up tomorrow)

Chubby Tates

Chubby Tate's

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 16-18 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert chocolate cookie American

Ingredients (~3 dozen)

• 2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. fine salt
• 1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 12 Tbs. (1½ sticks / 6 oz.) salted butter, at room temp.
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs. light corn syrup
• 1 large egg, at room temp.
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temp.
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 12 oz. (2 c.) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325° F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, cream butter, both sugars and corn syrup on high. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix the flour mixture in gradually until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips (using a rubber spatula).

Drop onto prepared sheets in 2 tablespoon (1 oz.) scoops, leaving ~3-inches between each cookie. (If baking two trays at once, make sure they're in the middle and top ⅓ of the oven.)

Bake until cookies are lightly browned on the edges (rotating pans halfway through if baking two at once), ~15-18 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat until all cookies have been baked.

notes:

Once you've scooped the dough into balls, you can freeze them like this on the trays. Transfer the frozen balls to a freezer-safe zippered baggie for up to 1 month. Bake without thawing.

slightly adapted from Tate's Bake Shop: Baking for Friends

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about the author:  The authentic essence of Kathleen King's baking comes from her upbringing on Long Island's North Sea Farms, where she began baking at age eleven.  She found joy in sharing her chocolate chip cookies with friends and neighbors-and they loved every crunchy, buttery bite.  Kathleen became a neighborhood sensation, and her cookies became instantly iconic.  Now Kathleen is the Hamptons' most beloved baker, and she still finds joy in sharing her desserts.

further info: website | blog | facebook | twitter

*I received a free copy of this book to review from the publisher.  All thoughts and opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.

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ChocoFlan (Impossible Cake)

Today marks the end of a six month period of cooking with my (unwitting) mentor over at IHCC.  The man who has taught me so much for so many years.  He taught me the basics of Mexican cuisine: the beautiful differences of earthy, dried chiles...the subtleties of using native herbs and spices...vast uses for masa harina...and the importance of building flavor.  Time is your friend when you want a good, authentic Mexican dish.

He's been a source of inspiration and knowledge to me for so long now, so while I'll not be cooking with him in an "official" capacity any longer, there's no way I'll be saying Adios.  Nope.  Instead I will be saying Gracias, Rick.  Thank you for sharing your passion for Mexican cuisine and culture.  And I'll be seeing you soon.

An really, there's no better thank you gesture than something made from the heart.  Rick taught me to make ChocoFlan a long time ago and I've been making people happy with it ever since.  So this one's for you, Rick!

ChocoFlan (Impossible Cake)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert chocolate cake Mexican

Ingredients (serves 12-16)

For the mold:

• a pat of softened butter
• all-purpose flour
• 1 c. cajeta (goats milk caramel), store-bought or homemade

For the cake:

• 5 oz. (10 Tbs.) butter, slightly softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs. espresso powder dissolved in 1½ Tbs. hot water (or 3 Tbs. espresso)
• ¾ c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. cake flour
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp.baking soda
• 1/3 c. + 1 Tbs. cocoa powder
• 9 floz. buttermilk

For the flan:

• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Getting started:

Turn on the oven to 350° F. Position oven rack in middle of oven. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch round cake pan (you need one that's 3 inches deep), sprinkle with flour, tip the pan, tapping on the side of the counter several times, to evenly distribute the flour over the bottom and sides, then shake out the excess.

Microwave the cajeta for 30 seconds to soften it, then pour over the bottom of the pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil and hold at a simmer. Set out a deep pan that's larger than your cake pan (like a roasting pan) that can serve as a water bath during baking.

Dissolve your espresso powder in the water.

Make the cake layer:

Beat the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light in color and texture. Scrape the bowl. Beat in the egg and espresso.

Sift together the all-purpose and cake flours, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Beat in about half of the flour mixture, at medium-low speed, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, scraping bowl as needed. Once everything is well combined, raise the speed to medium-high and beat for another minute or so.

Scrape the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and spread level.

Make the flan layer:

In a blender, combine the two milks, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend until smooth.

Hold a large ladle a few inches above the pan with the cake batter in it. Slowly, pour the flan mixture into the ladle and let it fall gently over the edges of the ladle and onto the cake batter. Using the ladle keeps the batter from getting "dented".

Set the cake pan into the larger pan and then set on oven rack. Pour the simmering water into the larger pan, around the cake pan to a depth of at least 1-inch.

Close the oven door and bake for ~60 minutes, or until the surface of the cake is almost firm to the touch, except for the very center (which will seem wobbly) .

Remove from the water bath and cool to room temperature, ~1 hour. Slide into the refrigerator and allow to sit for at least 12 hours. This allows the two layers to meld together and not slide apart when unmolding.

When ready, carefully run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the pan to free the edges. If the cake does not slide around freely when you turn the pan (like turning a steering wheel), fill the bottom of your sink with hot water and set the pan in for 30 seconds. It should now move freely.

Choose a serving platter that is large enough and has a rim (to stop the extra cajeta from flowing off the plate) and invert it over the top of your pan. Grasp the two tightly and in one quick motion, flip over so that the serving plate is on the bottom. Gently jiggle the pan back and forth several times to insure that the chocoflan has dropped, then lift the pan off. Scrape any remaining cajeta from the mold onto the cake.

Enjoy!

slightly adapted from Rick Bayless

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This was another recipe revisit ...see, the good ones really are worth coming back to.

Oh, and I wanted to tell you that if you do not have cake flour, you can make your own.  For every 1 cup of cake flour that you need, measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour and then remove 2 tablespoons of it and replace it with 2 tablespoons of corn starch.  Sift the whole lot 3 times and then it's ready to go - "homemade" cake flour!

p.s...in case you're wondering who our next featured chef at IHCC will be- it's Madhur Jaffrey.  So please join us as we switch gears from Mexico to India (and beyond) starting tomorrow (and continuing for the next six months).

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IHCC theme: Adios y Gracias, Rick