I did it!

I, Becky Olsen, have completed every single recipe in Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours! I shed a few tears this afternoon as I completed my final dish: Floating Islands. I'd been saving it. It was perfect.

Dorie: Thank you for teaching my how to bake. I hope to meet you someday.

Now it's time to post all these delicious pictures before December 27!

Life is sweet.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Sour Cream Pumpkin Tart (or Pie)

I was happy to put some flavorful twists on the traditional Thanksgiving pie spread this year. For instance, this Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie was everything you want in a Thanksgiving pie, but with an extra tang and the perfect amount of spicing. And to make it even better, it is made with Dorie Greenspan's  ultra-buttery and flavorful "Good for Everything Pie Dough."

You can't go wrong with this Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie. It was very popular and gobbled right up by my family, especially my nieces and nephews. Oh, and you can make it with Dorie's Sweet Tart Dough to put even more of a twist on America's traditional thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

Notes: My pie crust shrunk (this was only the second time this has happened). I did some research and I need to use more pie weights and make sure not to stretch the dough. Also this recipe makes a TON of pumpkin pie filling. I need to make a deep dish (or rather, makes sure my crust stays large so I can use all the filling. I had one whole cup left!)

Happy belated Thanksgiving. Hope you'll remember this SOur Cream Pumpkin Pie (or Tart) when you plan your Thanksgiving menu next year.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. Wish me luck.

Project Domestication on Facebook.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Normandy Apple Tart

Homemade applessauce coupled with extremely thin-sliced apples atop a sweet tart crust made a delicious and very special tart at our Thanksgiving table this year. The name of the tart? Normandy Apple Tart. Everyone loved it and I think I'll be making the homemade applesauce again. Though I have to say that pushing it through a sieve was a pain in the neck!

You can find the recipe on Tracey's Blog and make sure to visit the "Leave Your Link" post to see how the other Tuesdays with Dorie baker's liked the Normandy Apple Tart.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. Wish me luck.

Project Domestication on Facebook.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Alsatian Apple Tart {Catch-up}

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Ours was filled with family, lounging, wonderful walks, movies and lots of delicious food. Among that food was a lot of pie. My Thanksgiving assignment was to make pies. It was more so a volunteer thing--I figured Thanksgiving was the perfect opportunity to finish off baking all of my Tuesdays with Dorie pies. So...I made six pies and tarts. I chose to break away from all the traditional pies my family normally makes, so it was a bit of a risk.

And guess which one was the star of the show?

It was this Alsatian Apple Tart!

Dorie's Alsatian Apple Tart begins with he perfect Sweet Tart Dough crust. It's tender, a bit crumbly and tastes just like a great butter or sugar cookie. Then you slice granny smith apples in to eighths and place onto your tart. After that you pour a homemade custard over the apples and bake to a pure state of deliciousness.

Everyone in my family loved this tart. In fact a few of my family members got a bit stingy about it, saying that it shouldn't be served to the kids because "They wouldn't appreciate it!" I was laughing my head off. I was so happy to try this new apple tart for Thanksgiving. Next year, I'll happily leave room on the dessert table for the Alsatian Apple Tart!

You can find the recipe on Jessica's blog. Alsatian Apple Tart was originally posted on two weeks ago on November 15, 2011. (I was saving it for Thanksgiving.)Be sure to see how the other Tuesdays with Dorie baker's liked it, here.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. Wish me luck.

 

Project Domestication on Facebook.

Project Domestication Holiday Favorites - Recipes & Family Traditions!

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas and filled with fun, family and oh-yeah, food! Before we hit the whirlwind that is the holidays, I thought I’d share some of my favorite holiday foods and traditions posts on Project Domestication.

 

Decorate the Christmas Tree Doughnuts

My husband and I have done this our entire marriage. I am the anxious type of girl that can’t wait a moment after Thanksgiving to put up our tree. We’ve made homemade doughnuts every year until this year… We made a special exception and made Dorie Greenspan’s Brioche Raisin Snails. Wow. They were amazing.

Travel Tree

My husband and I love to travel together. My most prized memories with him are often while we are on a new adventure together. During the year we collect ornaments from our travels and work trips, and hang them on our Travel Tree. Then when we decorate the tree we each share funny memories, horror stories, and favorite moments of each trip. I love this tradition. Our tree is starting to get speckled with travel fun and warm memories.

Peppermint Bark Brownies & Holiday Baking Lists

My friend, Lindsey of Café Johnsonia, has a killer recipe for Peppermint Bark Brownies that I love. I didn’t make these last year and don’t know how I survived. You must try them. I wrote a Holiday Baking List post last season. And though, I will be taking a major baking break this season, I hope you can check out some of my favorite things to make in December. (Hint Hint: Sugar-Topped Molasses Cookies and Homemade Marshmallows are home runs!)

 

Christmas Reads

I am slowly building my Christmas book collection. (You should see my mother’s, it’s wonderful!) I highly recommend The Christmas Tree: A Story of the Rockafeller Center Tree. This isn’t a child’s book, but a very nice 118 page read that you will love. It’s all about the Rockefeller tree, and after seeing it in person last year…it means that much more. Super sweet read.

Utah Local Food Gifts

I love supporting Utah's local businesses, especially around the Holidays. Last year I compiled this list of 11 Last-Minute Gifts for Utah Foodies. It’s worth a look.

Swedish Christmas Traditions

I’m Swedish. My mother has instilled in me some wonderful holiday traditions that we celebrate during December. My favorite is St. Lucia Day on December 13. It’s so fun, easy and delicious. I’m hoping to write more about what my family does to remember Scandinavian heritage later this month. It's full of weird food names, meats and cheeses and beautiful decor. Read more about St. Lucia Day.

What are your holiday season traditions food and otherwise? I’d love for you to share links and spread the cheer!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie {Catch-up}

I truly hope you already have your Thanksgiving menu planned and that you have purchased all your ingredients. Grocery stores are the seventh level of you-know-where... But, if you by chance are not sure what type of pie you want to make for tomorrow's turkey day feast, I have yet another pie for you to try!

This time it's Thanksgiving Twofer Pie. "We call him Toofer because he's a Harvard guy and a black guy. Okay, if you are not a 30 Rock fan then you totally didn't get that quote by Jack Donaghy. But that is the first thing that came to mind when I read the title. Twofer means you get two-in-one. In this pie's instance: pumpkin pie and pecan pie. It was good. Very good, especially after it had chilled.

 

 Okay, so even if you have already done your Thanksgiving shopping, chances are you have all these ingredients. So give it a try! Plus, Dorie's Good for Everything Pie Dough is a true winner. Quick note: I had to bake this for practically twice as long as the directions say, so watch your pie, bakers.

Thanksgiving Twofer Pie was originally posted on November 25, 2008. You can find the recipe here.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up.

Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good: A show-stopping Thanksgiving side!

Never has a recipe been so appropriately titled and so wrong at the same time. See, I'm talking about Dorie Greenspan's Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good. It's good alright...baguette squares, bacon, heavy cream, garlic, fresh nutmeg, gruyere cheese, herbs...did I mention gruyere? Yes, it's everything good but it's also everything so, so bad..meaning you will never want to eat anything else again!

This was an incredibly simple recipe. The hardest part was waiting for it to bake..around two hours I believe. We ate it as our main course for dinner and devoured all of it, minus some of the pumpkin flesh from our second helpings. Yeah, I just admitted we are pigs. But it was amazing. Recipe below all these tempting pictures.

Serve this for Thanksgiving. It will be the talk of the table!


Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good
by Dorie Greenspan from Around My French Table

Ingredients

• 1 pumpkin, about 3 pounds
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 pound stale bread, thinly sliced and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4 pound cheese, such as Gruyère, Emmenthal, cheddar, or a combination, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2–4 garlic cloves (to taste), split, germ removed, and coarsely chopped
• 4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and chopped (my addition)
• About 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives or sliced scallions (my addition)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (my addition)
• About 1/3 cup heavy cream
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

 

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment, or find a Dutch oven with a diameter that's just a tiny bit larger than your pumpkin. If you bake the pumpkin in a casserole, it will keep its shape, but it might stick to the casserole, so you'll have to serve it from the pot—which is an appealingly homey way to serve it. If you bake it on a baking sheet, you can present it freestanding, but maneuvering a heavy stuffed pumpkin with a softened shell isn't so easy. However, since I love the way the unencumbered pumpkin looks in the center of the table, I've always taken my chances with the baked-on-a-sheet method, and so far, I've been lucky. 

Using a very sturdy knife—and caution—cut a cap out of the top of the pumpkin (think Halloween Jack-o-Lantern). It's easiest to work your knife around the top of the pumpkin at a 45-degree angle. You want to cut off enough of the top to make it easy for you to work inside the pumpkin. Clear away the seeds and strings from the cap and from inside the pumpkin. Season the inside of the pumpkin generously with salt and pepper, and put it on the baking sheet or in the pot. 

Toss the bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, and herbs together in a bowl. Season with pepper—you probably have enough salt from the bacon and cheese, but taste to be sure—and pack the mix into the pumpkin. The pumpkin should be well filled—you might have a little too much filling, or you might need to add to it. Stir the cream with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper and pour it into the pumpkin. Again, you might have too much or too little—you don’t want the ingredients to swim in cream, but you do want them nicely moistened. (It's hard to go wrong here.) 

Put the cap in place and bake the pumpkin for about 2 hours—check after 90 minutes—or until everything inside the pumpkin is bubbling and the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Because the pumpkin will have exuded liquid, I like to remove the cap during the last 20 minutes or so, so that the liquid can bake away and the top of the stuffing can brown a little. 

When the pumpkin is ready, carefully, very carefully—it's heavy, hot, and wobbly—bring it to the table or transfer it to a platter that you'll bring to the table. 

Serving
You have a choice—you can either spoon out portions of the filling, making sure to get a generous amount of pumpkin into the spoonful, or you can dig into the pumpkin with a big spoon, pull the pumpkin meat into the filling, and then mix everything up. I'm a fan of the pull-and-mix option. Served in hearty portions followed by a salad, the pumpkin is a perfect cold-weather main course; served in generous spoonfuls, it's just right alongside the Thanksgiving turkey. 

Storing
It's really best to eat this as soon as it's ready. However, if you’ve got leftovers, you can scoop them out of the pumpkin, mix them up, cover, and chill them; reheat them the next day. 

Bonne Idée
There are many ways to vary this arts-and-crafts project. Instead of bread, I've filled the pumpkin with cooked rice—when it's baked, it's almost risotto-like. And, with either bread or rice, on different occasions I've added cooked spinach, kale, chard, or peas (the peas came straight from the freezer). I’ve made it without bacon (a wonderful vegetarian dish), and I’ve also made it and loved, loved, loved it with cooked sausage meat; cubes of ham are also a good idea. Nuts are a great addition, as are chunks of apple or pear or pieces of chestnut.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Stuffed-with-Everything-Good-361169#ixzz1eNEarbaa

Our Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner

My husband and I love to cook together. We live for the holidays and accompanying food, especially Thanksgiving. I'll be bringing all the pies for Thanksgiving this year, which I'm happy about. Mostly because it will knock five more off my Tuesdays with Dorie baking list.

For some reason,  I always feel short changed that I don't get to make and cook all the cool Thanksgiving recipes I see floating around, or the ones we've made in previous years that made it to the top of our list.  I know I won't always feel this way, and that one year I'll just be happy to bring drinks.

So since we are only making the sweet side of Turkey day dinner this year, Adam and I thought we'd make a very simple pre-Thanksgiving dinner. You have no idea how excited we were to do this. Instead of making our favorite Good Eats' Roast Turkey by Alton Brown (You should absolutely make this if you are doing an entire bird! The brine rocks!), we opted for a bone-in turkey breast.

Then we made the Bacon Brussel Sprouts and Roasted Garlic Mashed potatoes we made for the first time last year. They were a huge hit, so we had to make them again. I always make homemade cranberry sauce---so when I found the holiday cranberry chutney in my recent issue of Cook's Illustrated I was happy to try the recipe out and put a new spin. I'm telling you, it was amazing. I've already had requests for the recipe. (And the reason it's not posted here is because I think you should buy the issue!)

Olsen Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner Menu 2011
Turkey Breast with Gravy - Food Network Kitchens
Roasted Garlic Masted Potatoes - America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Bacon Brussel Sprouts - Emeril Lagasse
Holiday Cranberry Chutney with Apples and Crystallized Ginger by Cook's Illustrated (Dec 2011 Issue)
Rosy Poached Pear & Pistachio Tart - Dorie Greenspan in Baking from My Home to Yours

If you are a regular reader, you are probably wondering where the #HELLmonth posts for TWD are. Well, I'm dying over here guys! I have been locking myself in my kitchen to push through. And guess what? I only have 13 recipes left! I'll be posting...I just haven't gotten to it. But 13 people! That is huge! I'll make sure to post the Rosy Poached Pear and Pistachio start very soon! It was a delicious beast I tell you, delicious.

Tuesdays with Dorie: My Favorite Pecan Pie {Catch-up}

I ran out of gas on Thursday and Friday and missed my #HELLmonth posts. Don't worry, I was still baking. In fact I baked a lot... and I was making lots of trips up to SLC for work--teaching classes and more. It was fun but I never quite made it to my posting responsibilities.

The majority of my catch-up recipes lend themselves well to the Thanksgiving dessert table. I love this. This morning's post is yet another pie. But friends, it was the first pecan pie I have ever made and I wish I could bring it to Thanksgiving with me this year! (But alas, I have four TWD pies I'll be making so I don't have time for repeats. Next year for sure!)

Dorie's "My Favorite Pecan Pie" is ingenious! The pecan pie is not overly-sweet like most. In fact, it is quite refined with proper balance. It includes your usual ingredients like corn syrup, brown sugar, butter and pecans but then brilliance strikes in the form of bittersweet chocolate chunks, ground cinnamon, salt and espresso powder!

The chocolate and cinnamon truly make this special. I used my favorite local artisan chocolate, Amano Chocolate and it was amazing. Amano's Morobe was a perfect fit for this pecan pie, some wonderful citrus notes brought more complexity to the tongue.

I made two {gasp} substitutions, which normally I don't allow on the first time I try a recipe. Well I always substitute pero for espresso or coffee. But the other sub was in fact a bit of Xagave for corn syrup. See I ran out of corn syrup and I was in the middle actually baking it. So much for mis en place, right! Since I had been using Xagave in a lot of my cooking lately, I thought why not try it in this pecan pie. Well..it worked. It would be fun to use all agave instead of corn syrup next time I try my hand at pecan pie.

My Favorite Pecan Pie was originally posted on December 22, 2009. You can find the recipe on page 327 of Baking from My Home to Yours or on Beth's blog, Someone's in the Kitchen.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Vanilla Ice Cream {Catch-up}

Do you do it a la mode or whipped cream style when it comes to pie?

I personally think it depends on the pie. I like ice cream with my fruit pies and whipped cream with my pumpkin. As far as tarts go...I don't believe there is a conclusive answer and I don't have time to make a big list.

I've got a great recipe for you today if you are ready to pull out all the stops with your Thanksgiving dinner assignment! Why not make homemade vanilla ice cream to go along with the Thanksgiving pie spread? It's go big or go home at Thanksgiving, right?

It's not as crazy as you would think to make homemade custard-sytle vanilla ice cream. You can make the custard base in advance and churn the ice cream 1-2 days (even up to 2 weeks) before as well. This vanilla ice cream recipe is creamy, delicious and specked with loads of vanilla beans that I got straight from Tahiti. I'm surprised it took me until the end of summer this year to try Dorie Greenspan's recipe. (My usual go-to is by David Lebovitz.) Give it a try friends!

Vanilla Ice Cream
by Dorie Greenspan in Baking from My Home to Yours

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 moist, plump vanilla bean, split and scraped,(technique) or 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar

Bring milk and cream to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. If you are using a vanilla bean, put the seeds and pod into the pan, cover and set aside for 30 minutes, then bring the milk and cream back to a boil before continuing. If you are using vanilla extract, wait until later to add it.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon; if you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track. The custard should reach at least 170°F, but no more than 180°F, on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and strain the custard into a2-quart measuring cup or clean heatproof bowl. Discard the vanilla pod or if you are using vanilla extract, stir it in now.

Refrigerate the custard until chilled before churning it into the ice cream.

Scrape the chilled custard in the bowl of an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze it for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.

Makes about 1 quart.

Serving: If the ice cream is very firm, allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes before scooping or warm it in a microwave oven using 5-second spurts of heat.

Storing: Packed tightly in a covered container, the ice cream will keep in the freezer about 2 weeks

Playing Around

You can flavor the custard before it gets churned into ice cream and/or toss crunchies and other goodies into the ice cream a minute or so before it fully churned.

Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream

Before you refrigerate the custard, stir in 3/4-1-1/2 teaspoons pure mint extract or oil. Start with 3/4 teaspoon of extract(or just a few drops of oil), taste and then add more a little at a time, remembering that freezing will tone down the flavor. Just before you finish churning the ice cream, toss in up to 6 ounces of semi-or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or use up to 1 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips.

Honey-Vanilla Ice Cream

Heat 1/3 cup honey with the milk and cream, reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Reduce the vanilla to 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon extract and whisk 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon in with the yolks and sugar. Or, if you'd like to use stick cinnamon, toss 2 cinnamon sticks into the milk and cream and infuse for 30 minutes.

Crunchy Ice Cream

You can add up to 1 cup chocolate chips, caramel bits, chopped-up candy bars, chopped toasted nuts, candied nuts, buttered pecans or liqueur-flamed or steeped dried fruits. The dried fruits must be steeped in liqueur or at least plumped in some liquid or the fruits will freeze too hard.

Swirled Ice Cream

After the ice cream has been churned, you can spoon it into a big bowl, pour over swirlables-for instance, jam, chocolate syrup or dulce de leche-and marble them into the ice cream with a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon.


You can also find the recipe here.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

Project Domestication Facebook page!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Double-Crusted Blueberry Pie {Catch-up}

I hope you like pie because I've got about as many pie posts as there are days in the month.

I for one love pie. My mother is an extraordinary pie baker. The woman makes a flaky crust and a pie that can be sliced perfectly and be held in the hand if wanted. Yesterday, I posted Depths-of-Fall Butternut Squash Pie. Boy did it scream fall and seem appropriate for a Thanksgiving dinner table. Today's pie is much different. It's a berry pie, Double-Crusted Blueberry Pie to be exact.

Though I don't think I've ever seen a blueberry pie served on a Utah dinner table, I'm pretty sure it will be making an appearance on any North Western or New England menu.

I was gleaming when this pie came out of the oven.  I had executed what I consider a close-to-perfect pie crust. I was so proud. I think the extra day of chilling in the refrigerator made all the difference. The filling for this Double-Crusted Blueberry pie is simple. Combine fresh blueberries, lemon zest, sugar, flour and a pinch of salt for balance. To ensure your pie doesn't get soggy, you spread 1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs on the crust before you bake it. It's the little things that make all the difference. The end result is perfect and you'll really love the lemon addition.

I made it back in August and we enjoyed it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and all by itself because I think we both had more than our fare share of the pie.I hope you'll look beyond the traditional pumpkin, apple and cherry pies this Thanksgiving season and give this Double-Crusted Blueberry pie a chance.

Double-Crusted Blueberry Pie was originally posted on July 8, 2008--a month before I even joined the group. You can find the recipe here.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Depths-of-Fall Butternut Squash Pie

I'm in full-out holiday planning mode and loving life. I'm in my holiday shopping groove, planning my holiday decor, and even though I can't stand listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving Day...I'm guilty after buying the new Justin Bieber album. (Enter judgement as I confess to love the Bieb.) But don't worry, I vow not to listen to another Christmas jingle till I'm putting up my evergreen.

Usually I get a bit nervous when making Thanksgiving pies because making pie dough is more of a rarity for me until the holidays hit or fresh summer fruit hits the stands. But not this year, friends. I'll get plenty of practice with the amount of pies I have to bake to complete the entire Baking from My Home to Yours. And um...that's 22 pies and tarts.

You would die if you saw the amount of butter I possess at the moment. It's unreal.

Now onto the actual pie I made today! It's Dorie Greenspan's Depths-of-Fall Butternut Squash Pie. It's everything fall that you wouldn't imagine together in a pie: cubed butternut squash, diced pears, orange juice and zest and dried cranberries. I would normally pair those ingredients in a savory side dish or roasted salad. But man this worked! The most surprising part of this pie is the fact that the butternut squash is cubed and not pureed.

I loved this butternut squash pie. The cinnamon and nutmeg combined with orange zest and brown sugar brought the perfect amount of sweetness and flavor to make this pie special. And though my pie crust wasn't perfect it tasted amazing. The pie stood well after cooling, but since I was loosing daylight I immediately cut into the pie minutes after it left the oven.

If you are looking for a new and absolutely unique pie to bring to the Thanksgiving dinner table this year try this Depths-of-Fall Butternut Squash Pie. You can find the recipe on Valerie's blog, she has a lovely post with wonderful descriptions of this pie and gorgeous pictures. Be sure to check out the LYL post to see the other TWD bakers posts.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. The other post today was Mini Madeleines! I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Mini Madeleines

Honey and lemon zest make a great couple. Today's Tuesdays with Dorie pick is titled mini madeleines, though if I were naming these babies, they would be Honey-Lemon madeleines because well...that's what they taste like. You could actually make these in any size madeleine pan. But everything is cuter when it is smaller, right?

I made these madeleines earlier this year for a church summer party. I actually was playing my usual game of TWD catch-up and made three madeleine recipes in one day. It was rather fun. And oh-yeah-delicious! Though I think madeleines are worthy of a fine-dining experience and French-bakery...they were fun to bring to a summer bbq.

All I wrote in my book was this, "So small and adorable. Love the honey and lemon zest combo!"

You really should try these honey-lemon mini madeleines. I splurged and bought a mini madeleine pan. Which turned out to be great but totally a rip off because you need like three to four pans to bake off the entire recipe. Why do they do this to us? Ugh. That's okay. I saved the batter and made more later. Also, after looking at the others posted today, I think I need to let my madeleines bake longer...mine are so light.

You can get the recipe on Di's blog, and please...check out my fellow TWD baker's blogs to see how they made and liked these adorable mini madeleines. These would be a fun addition and twist to your holiday cookie exchange.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler {Catch-up}

Can I tell you i don't feel like posting tonight's segment of #HELLmonth? I've baked and prepped 5 Tuesdays wtih Dorie recipes in the last 24 hours. My feet hurt and I am hungry, yet I can't eat because, well...it's late and I don't need the calories. But a deal is a deal. So here we go...

Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler.


Back in August I invited my parents, siblings and their spouses for and adult dessert and game night. It was an excuse to get together (and for me to bake). I made five Tuesdays with Dorie desserts that evening and this is one of them.

This Cherry Rhubarb cobbler wasn't overly sweet. I enjoyed that the cobbler biscuits on top included whole wheat bread and didn't have an insane amount of sugar. I bought both the rhubarb and the cherries from my local farmers market and had a lot of fun while I was there. It wasn't the most popular dish of the night. I think we all expected it to be sweeter or for the filling to be juicer or something. I can't quite put my finger on it. 

One thing is for sure. It was gorgeous and we did eat it fast enough for me to forget to snap a picture of the baked-off product. Wait, I thought we said it wasn't our favorite? Funny how that works. Oh and there was ginger in this recipe...I remember really liking that addition.




Cherry Rhubarb Cobbler was original made and posted by the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group on July 22, 2008. You can find the recipe on this blog.


Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up.

Tuesdays with Dorie: {Faux} Espresso Cheesecake Brownies {Catch-up}

I've made my fare share of brownies from the cookbook, Baking from My Home to Yours. I've tried my hand at classic brownies, quintuple chocolate brownies, honey-nut brownies, white chocolate brownies, brownie buttons, chipster-topped brownies, caramel-peanut topped brownies cake, brrr-ownies, cherry fudge brownie torte; and some special brownies made after people in Dorie's (the cookbook author) life: Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies and Rick Katz's Brownies for Juila (Child). I have yet to post the remaining bittersweet brownie recipe from the cookbook. I've also tried my hand at some really special brownie recipes outside of this cookbook like Chewy Brownies from Cook's Illustrated and Peppermint Bark Brownies by one of my favorite food bloggers.

I love brownies. I love the process. I love that most brownie recipes only require a few bowls and whisk. It ties me back to bakers of old. I love the array of brownies in this cookbook. It's hard to pick a favorite since they all have their own spin. Each time I try a new brownie recipe I think I've found my favorite. Right now I'm loving on the {Faux} Espresso Cheesecake Brownie recipe. I say faux because I replaced the espresso with my go-to coffee/espresso substitute Perro. I'm sure it yields a different flavor than the real thing, but it works for me.

You've got to make these Espresso Cheesecake Brownies. They are loaded with great flavor, texture and three layers of bliss. You start out with a traditional brownie layer made with your favorite bittersweet chocolate. Next up is the cheesecake layer. It's nice tangy cheesecake as it's made with sour cream instead of heavy cream. This is also the layer where you incorporate the espresso powder. Last up is the topping. This is truly what puts the dessert over-the-top, pun intended. You even get to give the two batters a swirl. Resist going to far with this--minimal swirl means optimal flavor distinction.

The hardest part of this Espresso Cheesecake Brownie recipe is waiting for it to chill. I absolutely loved it and so did everyone that I brought these to. It's made in a 9-inch square pan so it doesn't make too may--perfect for a small gathering of friends. I found these brownies felt very different than any other recipe of Dorie's in this book. In a great way! You'll know what I mean if you've baked a lot of her recipes. You've got to try it. Cheesecake and Brownie lovers unite!

Espresso Cheesecake Brownies were originally baked and posted by the Tuesdays with Dorie group on September 1, 2009. You can find the recipe on on this blog.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Four-Star Chocolate Bread Pudding {Catch-up}

Bread pudding is one of my most favorite desserts. And for some strange reason, I don't make it or eat it near enough. What's not to love? It's homey, creamy, full of texture, uses up stale bread and you can customize it to your liking.

Dorie's Chocolate Bread Pudding truly deserves four stars. Check out this ingredient list: challah bread, plum dried cherries, bittersweet chocolate and of course, the other ingredients that make up the pudding part of bread pudding (milk, heavy cream, sugar and eggs).

We absolutely loved this dessert! The cherries really plump up and provide such a great contrast and compliment to the bittersweet chocolate and subtle bread pudding. It's fancy enough to serve at a dinner party but cozy enough to enjoy on a weekday. One thing is for sure, it's special. We topped ours with powdered sugar and whipped cream. Next time I make it I'm going to whip up some creme anglaise as Dorie suggests.

The Tuesdays with Dorie group original baked and posted Four Star Chocoalte Bread Pudding on April 21, 2009. You can find the recipe here.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake {Catch-up}

Happy Friday, friends! I've got a special treat for you this morning. It's in the form of an all-out-show-stopping cheesecake. And it is perfect for fall and I'd argue it has a place right on your Thanksgiving table this year. It's Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake. Isn't it gorgeous?

This Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake is full of apples and brown sugar flavor. You begin with a brown-suar-gingersnap crust enhanced with a tad bit of cinnamon. Then you begin your apples. I used three good-sized jonagolds (Dorie suggests Golden Delicious or Fuji). You cut them into eigths and sautee them in butter and light brown sugar. This step in itself makes you realize this is no ordinary dessert. The butter and brown sugar coat the apples into pure fall bliss. They are caramlized and spicy and great texture that isn't too soft at all.

On to the batter. Brown sugar makes yet another appearance in the batter along with three types of creams (cream cheese, sour cream and heavy cream), apple cider (heck yeah), vanilla, cinnamon...doesn't this already sound amazing! The batter is perfectly sweet, tangy, spiced and apple-y.

After you've pre-baked your crust and let your apples cool, you fill your spring form pan with 1/3 of the batter/filling. Next you place the apples in and then top off with remaining brown sugar apple cheesecake batter. It's delicious at this point. I couldn't help myself to some of the sauteed apples. Whoops.

The result is a one of the most delightufl and cozy desserts. I made this alst week and it was one of was a favorite among the recipes I've made in the last two months. Mind you, that's a lot of recipes. ;) You also have the option to top the cheesecake with apple jelly. Do it. It's a great addition that adds some shine too.

The Tuesdays with Dorie group originally made and posted this Brown Sugar Apple Cheesecake recipe on  February 12, 2008. You can find the recipe here.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up. I'm actually having a giveaway on it right now for my go-to Mexican Vanilla!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies {Catch-Up}

Every home baker needs a great sugar cookie recipe. I've tried my hand at a few different recipes and been decently happy. However, I tried Dorie's recipe for Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies and I think I'm pretty darn close to a perfect sugar cookie. There are a few other recipes I want to try that may come out more chewy but these can be as soft or as crispy as you want them, depending on how you long you bake them. I like to under-bake my sugar cookies.

If you're wondering why I'm posting patriotic stars in November, it's because I made these for the fourth of July and gave them to all my niece and nephews at our family BBQ.  You can find the recipe here and check out the TWD blogroll.

If I were you, I'd make a batch of pumpkin or leaf-shaped sugar cookies right about now!

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up. I'd be happy if you'd check it out and like it. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Mixed Berry Cobbler {Catch-Up}

My Tuesdays with Dorie adventure is becoming quite interesting. For instance, I am on a strict bake-every-other-day-or-more regimin. I'm trying to finish early to mid-December and this requires such a commitment. I ended up working late Friday and we had plans to go over to our friends' house to watch the BYU game. I had a decision to make: Either miss half the game and let the Mixed Berry Cobbler bake in my own oven...or...make it all and bake it at my friends' home.

I chose the latter.  It gets risky, you know, unfamiliar ovens, letting biscuit dough sit in the car (luckily my drive was only 7 minutes) but hey....still not on my home turf. 

This Mixed Berry Cobbler was good. As you can tell by the picture above, we enjoyed it. (I forgot my camera so I took this the next morning...) I'd say it's a solid recipe you can depend on for a cobbler topping.  I think I prefer mounds of cobbler dough compared to covering the fruit topping in its entirety like this recipe does. And as a note, I know I underworked or overworked the dough or should have added more cream because it was very dry when I was putting it together. It still worked out though...

Dorie's Mixed Berry Cobbler recipe is nice because you can use frozen mixed berries. I always have frozen  mixed berries on hand for breakfast smoothies, so this cobbler recipe was very convenient for me to make. The fruit filling is yummy. You combine the berries with sugar, the zest of a lemon or lime and some freshly ground pepper for added spice. It's comes together nicely with thickens well with a bit of cornstarch.

This Mixed Berry Cobbler was originally made by the Tuesdays with Dorie group on June 24, 2008. You can find the recipe on the Sweet Life Kitchen blog.  

Here's a pix of it from my cell phone before we gobbled it up with scoops of Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. If you want to make this more of a festive fall cobbler, you can make an apple-cinnamon filling. That would be outstanding.

Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up. I'd be happy if you'd check it out and like it. 

Tuesdays with Dorie: Lenox Almond Biscotti {Catch-Up}

Oh hey there. So I have to confess, I said tonight's post was going to include apples. But I changed my mind. I'm going to save that post for later this week. But no fret, this Lenox Almond Biscotti cookie holds its own. 


I think biscotti is cool. I love it is baked twice, has roots in Italy and used as a dipper. This almond biscotti gets it's name from Dorie's friend Tony who owned a NYC restaurant named Lenox. It has a toothsome crunch from sliced almonds and yellow cornmeal. They are buttery and sweet and have a great almond flavor. I also added some cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg for some fall spice.

We enjoyed our Lenox Almond Biscotti with some peppermint hot chocolate last week. I think these would make a great addition to your holiday cookie list! The weather is starting to get cooler and I am loving it. See you tomorrow for more of #TWDbakers #HELLmonth.


You can find the recipe for here or here. 


Wondering what all this Tuesdays with Dorie stuff is? Read this post. This month the group is posting two recipes each Tuesday to make sure we finish the cookbook before the end of the year. I'm taking it a bit further and posting two posts per day to catch up on all my make-up baking adventures. I call it #HELLmonth. Wish me luck.

PS: My Project Domestication Facebook page is up. I'd be happy if you'd check it out and like it.