I'm a Daring Baker!

So, I'm a Daring Baker. For those of you unfamiliar with who the Daring Bakers are, they are a group of bakers (whoa, really?!) that take on a recipe every month. The recipe given has to be followed exactly, it's kept confidential until the magical unveiling date each month. The beauty in it is to take on a challenging recipe while having a group of people who can help, mentor, listen to you vent.

I must say, even though it's my first one, I have found the community very supportive. Even Lisa (yes, THAT Lisa) wants to be my BFF (shush, Lisa, you know you do!)...I received lots of help and a little hand holding (thanks, Katie!), and have to say, it made this process really fun!

Morven at Food Art and Random Thoughts hosted this months recipe, and I have to say, I was excited, as I've never attempted a layer cake from REAL scratch before...you know, I've done the cake mix, canned frosting, but never the REAL thing. It streched me, and I really enjoyed the process.

The cake was pretty straightforward, and Dorie does such a great job taking you through the recipe step by step, that it makes it so much easier. The outcome was a beautiful white cake with a light lemon flavor. I know some other DBers had some issues with rising, but mine did ok.

The buttercream was my real challenge. I had no idea that this was what *real* buttercream was. I mean..I thought it was butter and sugar, no big whoop, right? Wrong! It's egg whites whipped in a double boiler with sugar....then butter and flavorings whipped in. Dorie said it may curdle when you whip the butter in, but mine didn't. I'm grateful, because even though she said it might, I think it may have freaked me out! The result of this was spectacularly light and fluffy lemon buttercream. I had to frost this cake right away, or it would have been gone!

This month's host gave us some flexibility on cake, icing, and filling flavors, but I chose to stick with the recipe as written. Since I'm still getting my feet wet, I felt more comfortable being told what to do, and how to do it! Anyway, you can't go wrong with lemon and raspberry. The only way I strayed was I used raspberry curd for the filling, because I couldn't find seedless preserves. Here is the recipe:

For the Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk

4 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream

1 cup sugar

4 large egg whites

3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing

2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable

About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Getting Ready

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated.Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated.Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream

Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.Remove the bowl from the heat.Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla.You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream.Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake

Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half.Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.Spread it with one third of the preserves.Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top.Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Make sure you check out how all the other Daring Bakers did here. I'm looking forward to seeing all the different combinations these creative bakers come up with!

So glad to be part of the group!

Apple Cake with Warm Caramel Sauce

Ok, so I know what I said in a previous entry....that I don't care for fruit desserts. Well, I might have lied a little...just a little, because I think it must be a textural thing. This recipe is SO yummy, and since it requires that you put the apples in the food processor, I think it makes the texture MUCH more palatable to me. The caramel sauce just makes this SO much better..


I know it's kinda late (early?) for apple cake, but trust me, this is SO worth making whenever you get the chance. Try it. Trust me. Oh! and look! I was able to peel the apple into ONE long strip! Yeah, I'm a dork, but it's something I try everytime I bake with apples! I actually did it twice, but....just one pic...

This recipe came from Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams. Her books have GREAT regional recipes that come from Amish and Mennonite kitchens. Our family LOVES the desserts in these books, because they're usually very homey and classic.


This cake is very forgiving, and tastes better the next day...and the caramel sauce..well...it IS caramel sauce, so need I say more?

Here is the recipe:
1/2 cup shelled pecans (I omitted, we're not nut people)
2 large cooking apples, such as Granny Smiths or Northern Spys (I used 3 medium Granny Smiths)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 scant teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
whipped cream and fresh apple slices (I omitted)


Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar (I used dark, but light may be better)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup evaporated milk


Preheat the oven to 350. Chop pecans finely, then set aside. Peel, core, and chop apples to equal 2 1/2 cups. Use a food processor for this and chop apples to medium-coarse; pieces should be about the size of your thumbnail. Set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and beat until blended, then mix in the baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the flour and stir until just blended. Stir in the apples and nuts. Pour into an oiled 9-inch round cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly in the center with your finger.

Prepare sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk, then remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and milk. (the sauce can be made ahead of time, but then reheat it over hot water.)

To serve, ladle 2 to 3 tablespoons hot caramel sauce onto 8 serving plates. Cut cake into 8 wedges and place on top of sauce. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and 2 thinly sliced apple wedges, peel left on. The cake should be served warm (it can be reheated in the microwave) or at least room tempreture.


At least I shared, right??

TWD: Caramel Topped Flan

This week's recipe was Caramel Topped Flan, chosen by Steph over at A Whisk and a Spoon. Can I just say how happy I was to see this one? I love custard. Seriously love it, and when given a choice of desserts, will pick the custard one over the big fancy chocolate or fruity one. I love the texture, the taste...just love.

This recipe was a dream. The custard is smooth, tasty, and Dorie talks you through every step. I have really grown to adore this cookbook. I chose to do mine in ramekins, and they turned out beautifully!

I had attempted to make caramel this way a long time ago for something else I was baking, and I failed miserably...I'm not sure what I did differently this time, but the caramel turned out great!

I will certainly be coming back to this recipe when I need to make dessert for an occasion. All the ingredients are things I usually have on hand.

See how everyone else did here, and then go! Go make you own! You won't be sorry....

Here is the recipe:

For the Caramel
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp water
squirt of fresh lemon juice

For the Flan
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1-1/4 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a roasting pan or a 9-x-13-inch baking pan with a double thickness of paper towels. Fill a teakettle with water and put it on to boil; when the water boils, turn off the heat.
Put a metal 8-x-2-inch round cake pan-not a nonstick one-in the oven to heat while you prepare the caramel.
To Make the Caramel: Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice together in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Put the pan over medium-high heat and cook until the sugar becomes an amber-colored caramel, about 5 minutes-remove the pan from the heat at the first whiff of smoke.
Remove the cake pan from the oven and, working with oven mitts, pour the caramel into the pan and immediately tilt the pan to spread the caramel evenly over the bottom; set the pan aside.
To Make the Flan: Bring the cream and milk just to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a 2-quart glass measuring cup or in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar. Whisk vigorously for a minute or two, and then stir in the vanilla. Still whisking, drizzle in about one quarter of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm, the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the hot cream and milk. Using a large spoon, skim off the bubbles and foam that you worked up.
Put the caramel-lined cake pan in the roasting pan. Pour the custard into the cake pan and slide the setup into the oven. Very carefully pour enough hot water from the kettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. (Don't worry if this sets the cake pan afloat.) Bake the flan for about 35 minutes, or until the top puffs a bit and is golden here and there. A knife inserted into the center of the flan should come out clean.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the cake pan to a cooking rack and run a knife between the flan and the sides of the pan to loosen it. Let the flan cool to room temperature on the rack, then loosely cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
When ready to serve, once more, run a knife between the flan and the pan. Choose a rimmed serving platter, place the platter over the cake pan, quickly flip the platter and pan over and remove the cake pan-the flan will shimmy out and the caramel sauce will coat the custard.
Yield: 6 to 8 Servings

Up next week...Gooey Chocolate Cakes

TWD: Brioche Raisin Snails

Alright, I saw this one, and I was ready to run for the hills. The first weekend I had my Baking: From My Home to Yours, I saw the brioche and wanted to try it. It looked SO good, and despite my many and recent failures with yeast, I thought I could overcome it. So, with Ugg at work all weekend, I was excited to make the brioche....and I failed...miserably. The dough never rose the second time (after being refrigerated overnight)....so, when I saw that Peabody at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody picked this one, I thought I might sit this weekend out....but...after a post on The Nest, I was encourged to put my big girl panties on, and go for it...so, a BIG shout out to Tara over at Smells Like Home for giving me a big kick in the pants (virtually, at least) to at least give this one a try.

Boy, was I glad I did, because....I DID IT! There were SO many components to this recipe that were completely new to me...and I'm pleased to say, that I did it! So, I'll take them one by one:

The brioche. I think the first time I made it, it was serious operator error....in that I got distracted, and I added one cup too much flour (oops!)..I remember losing count...but..crap, I don't know what happened...I just added too much...the dough this time was MUCH softer, almost batter like (gee, just like Dorie said it would be!)....so, right away, I knew I did it right (or , "righter", anyway!)..already I was happy!

The pastry cream. Ok, I'm not sure where pastry cream has been all my life, but I'm quite sure we'd be BFFs, if my jeans wouldn't protest so much! I mean, really....this pastry cream is about as close what heaven must be like as you can get. Try it, and if you want to just eat it plain as it is, who am I to judge? It was ALOT of whisking...but SO worth it!

The raisins (or in my case, cherries)...they needed to be flambéed. I was so concerned about the brioche when I first read the recipe, that the cooking with booze and fire went completely past me! That's ok, I think I would have psyched myself out! So, I'm rolling my dough, preparing to put my snails together...soaking my cherries (oooooh, that sounds a little dirty, doesn't it?), and Ugg left to run to the store for some last minute garbanzo beans that I forgot at the store, I decided it was time to tackle the rum and fire. Given that I recently got quite a bad second degree burn on my hand (just goes to show someone my age should NOT be making jello shots), it probably wasn't the smartest thing to do in the house by myself...but, I did it...and it also occured to me while I was rocking it, that I probably should have done it while Ugg was home just so I could show off my mad skillz! Oh well...it was FUN! No, longer will I be intimidated by booze and fire in a recipe!

So, now, all is that is left to do is assemble, roll the snails, and pray for a second rise. I was worried, because this was where my brioche fell off last time, but I was hopeful....and they ROSE! I was giddy! So, now off to the oven to bake....

I will say mine did get a tad dark, but I put two pans in the oven...I know better. With my oven, I should have done one at a time...but, no matter, because they came out GREAT, even if they were on the dark side!

I really want to thank Peabody for picking this one, and Tara for the encouragement! I was really out of my box this week, and I nailed it! (even if I do say so myself!) Check out how the rest of us fared here!

Here is the recipe:

Brioche Raisin Snails
1 cup moist, plump raisins
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 recipe for Golden Brioche Loaves(page 48), chilled and ready to shape (make the full recipe and cut the dough in half after refrigerating overnight)
1/2 recipe Pastry Cream (page 448)

For The Optional Glaze
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
About 1 teaspoon water
Drop of pure vanilla extract

Getting Ready: Line one large or two smaller baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Put the raisins in a small saucepan, cover them with hot water and let them steep for about 4 minutes, until they are plumped. Drain the raisins, return them to the saucepan and, stirring constantly, warm them over low heat. When the raisins are very hot, pull the pan from the heat and pour over the rum. Standing back, ignite the rum. Stair until the flames go out, then cover and set aside. (The raisins and rum an be kept in a covered jar for up to 1 day.)
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
On a flour dusted surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 12 inches wide and 16 inches long, with a short end toward you. Spread the pastry cream across the dough, leaving 1-inch strip bare on the side farthest from you. Scatter the raisins over the pastry cream and sprinkle the raisins and cream with the cinnamon sugar. Starting wit the side nearest you, roll the dough into a cylinder, keeping the roll as tight as you can. (At this point, you can wrap the dough airtight and freeze it up to 2 months; see Storing for further instructions. Or, if you do not want to make the full recipe, use as much of the dough as you'd like and freeze the remainder.)
With a chef's knife, using a gentle sawing motion, trim just a tiny bit from the ends if they're ragged or not well filled, then cut the log into rounds a scant 1 inch thick. Put the snails on the lined baking sheet(s), leaving some puff space between them.
Lightly cover the snails with wax paper and set the baking sheet(s) in a warm place until the snails have doubles in volume--they'll be puffy and soft--about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Getting Ready To Bake: When the snails have almost fully risen, preheat the oven: depending on the number of baking sheets you have, either center a rack in the oven or position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove the wax paper, and bake the snails for about 25 minutes (rotate the sheets if you're using two, from top to bottom and front to back after 15 minutes), or until they are puffed and richly browned. Using a metal spatula, transfer the snails onto a cooling rack.

If You Want To Glaze The Snails: Put a piece of wax paper under the rack of warm rolls to act as a drip catcher. Put the confectioners' sugar into a small bowl, and stir in a teaspoon of water. Keep adding water drop by drop until you have an icing that falls from the tip of a spoon. Add the vanilla extract, then drizzle the icing over the hot snails.

Golden Brioche Loaves

2 packets active dry yeast
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch water
1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk
3 3/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature but still slightly firm

For The Glaze
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water

To Make The Brioche: Put the yeast, water and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the flour and salt, and fit into the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Toss a kitchen towel over the mixer, covering the bowl as completely as you can-- this will help keep you, the counter and your kitchen floor from being showered in flour. Turn the mixer on and off a few short pulses, just to dampen the flour (yes, you can peek to see how you're doing), then remove the towel, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and mix for a minute or two, just until the flour is moistened. At this point, you'll have a fairly dry, shaggy mess.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, set the mixer to low and add the eggs, followed by the sugar. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter in 2-tablespoon-size chunks, beating until each piece is almost incorporated before adding the next. You'll have a dough that is very soft, almost like batter. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl (or wash out the mixer bowl and use it), cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until nearly doubled in size, 40 to 60 minutes, depending upon the warmth of your room.
Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap to the bowl. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours, then leave the uncovered dough in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
The next day, butter and flour two 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-inch pans.
Pull the dough from the fridge and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Cut each piece of the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each piece into a log about 3 1/2 inches long. Arrange 4 logs crosswise in the bottom of each pan. Put the pans on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat, cover the pans lightly with wax paper and leave the loaves at room temperature until the dough almost fills the pans, 1 to 2 hours. (Again, rising time with depend on how warm the room is.)

Getting Ready To Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

To Make the Glaze: Beat the egg with the water. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the tops of the loaves with the glaze.
Bake the loaves until they are well risen and deeply golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the pans and turn the loaves out onto the racks. Invert again and cool for at least 1 hour.


Pastry Cream

2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits at room temperature

Bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan.
Meanwhile, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar and cornstarch until thick and well blended. Still whisking, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk-- this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remainder of the milk. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (making sure to get the edges of the pot), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk in the vanilla extract. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk in the bits of butter, stirring until they are full incorporated and the pastry cream is smooth and silky. Scrape the cream into a bowl. You can press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the pastry cream until cold or, if you want to cool it quickly--as I always do--put the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water, and stir the pastry cream occasionally until it is thoroughly chilled, about 20 minutes.




Up next week: Caramel-Topped Flan

TWD: Russian Grandmother's Apple Pie Cake

Ok, you've got me. I don't like fruity desserts. I know it's not very american to not like Apple Pie....but, it's just ok for me. Dessert for me is creamy, chocolate....mmmm......I think I need a moment...

Oh, right, Apple Pie Cake...this one came from Natalie over at Burned Bits and I do admit to being non-plussed...you know me liking the gooey chocolate and all. However, I was wrong. This is VERY good...I would definitely make this one again. I really loved the dough, and Dorie is right, it's very forgiving, and very, very tasty (but, I'm a crust girl!) It's got LOTS of apples, which seemed like tons of work..but, turned out to be fun for me, go figure! We skipped the raisins in our house....we're not fans...

I know some people had issues with the dough, but it worked out fine for me....it got a little dark, but since I saw that others had that issue, I did pull it a little early, I think I only had mine in the oven for just 55 minutes.

I did make the whole pan....which is fine, because my old roommate will appreciate the fresh apple cake! I don't have any pics of the cut cake....we're having camera issues at our place..but, I think the pic of the whole cake is good...it's a really pretty cake!

Here is the recipe:

For The Dough
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon
3 1/4 - 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For The Apples
10 medium apples, all one kind or a mix (I like to use Fuji, Golden Delicious and Ida Reds; my grandmother probably used dry baking apples like Cordland and Rome)
Squirt of fresh lemon juice
1 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Sugar, preferably decorating (coarse) sugar, for dusting
To Make The Dough: Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes more. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the baking powder and salt and mix just to combine. Add the lemon juice - the dough will probably curdle, but don't worry about it. Still working on low speed, slowly but steadily add 3 1/4 cups of the flour, mixing to incorporate it and scraping down the bowl as needed. The dough is meant to be soft, but if you think it looks more like a batter than a dough at this point, add the extra 1/4 cup flour. (The dough usually needs the extra flour.) When properly combined, the dough should almost clean the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or for up to 3 days. (The dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months; defrost overnight in the refrigerator.)
To Make The Apples: Peel and core the apples and cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick; cut the slices in half crosswise if you want. Toss the slices in a bowl with a little lemon juice - even with the juice, the apples may turn brown, but that's fine - and add the raisins. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together, sprinkle over the apples and stir to coat evenly. Taste an apple and add more sugar, cinnamon, and/or lemon juice if you like.
Getting Ready to Bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter a 9x12-inch baking pan (Pyrex is good) and place it on a baking shee tlined with parchment or a silicone mat.
Remove the dough from the fridge. If it is too hard to roll and it cracks, either let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes or give it a few bashes with your rolling pin to get it moving. Once it's a little more malleable, you've got a few choices. You can roll it on a well-floured work surface or roll it between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper. You can even press or roll out pieces of the dough and patch them together in the pan - because of the baking powder in the dough, it will puff and self-heal under the oven's heat. Roll the dough out until it is just a little larger all around than your pan and about 1/4 inch thick - you don't want the dough to be too thin, because you really want to taste it. Transfer the dough to the pan. If the dough comes up the sides of the pan, that's fine; if it doesn't that's fine too.
Give the apples another toss in the bowl, then turn them into the pan and, using your hands, spread them evenely across the bottom.
Roll out the second piece of dough and position it over the apples. Cut the dough so you've got a 1/4 to 1/2 inch overhang and tuck the excess into the sides of the pan, as though you were making a bed. (If you don't have that much overhang, just press what you've got against the sides of the pan.)
Brush the top of the dough lightly with water and sprinkle sugar over the dough. Using a small sharp knife, cut 6 to 8 evenly spaced slits in the dough.
Bake for 65 to 80 minutes, or until the dough is a nice golden brown and the juices from the apples are bubbling up through the slits. Transfer the baking pan to a cooling rack and cool to just warm or to room temperature. You'll be tempted to taste it sooner, but I think the dough needs a little time to rest.

Take a look at the Tuesdays with Dorie blog, and see how everyone else did!

Up next week, Brioche Raisin Snails chosen by Culinary Concoctions by Peabody....yeast, YIKES!

TWD: Snickery Squares

Ok, let me just warn you now. My pics are ugly. I mean ugly, and that's because my snickery squares were ugly, but oooooohhh how good they tasted!



Thanks to Erin over at Dinner and Dessert for this one...it's great!


This is my first encounter with Dulce de Leche. I couldn't find it in my grocery store (making a note to look for it in my latin grocery), so I made my own with the sweetened condensed milk. I don't think mine had the right consistency, because my squres were VERY gooey (I'm not saying it like it's a BAD thing, mind you, just didn't make my squares *pretty*)..I will either find it in the store, or do better on my next attempt!





The rest of recipe went very smoothly...I *loved* the shortbread crust on these..VERY tasty, and I didn't have a problem carmelizing my nuts (insert Beavis & Butthead joke here)...I would definitely make these again! Here is the recipe:

For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2 TBSP powdered sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

For the Filling:
½ cup sugar
3 TBSP water
1 ½ cups salted peanuts
About 1 ½ cups store-bought dulce de leche
For the Topping:
7 ounces bittersweet, coarsely chopped
½ stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature


Getting Ready:
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 8 inch square pan and put it on a baking sheet.

To Make the Crust:
Toss the flour, sugar, powdered sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Toss in the pieces of cold butter and pulse about 12 times, until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Pour the yolk over the ingredients and pulse until the dough forms clumps and curds-stop before the dough comes together in a ball.


Turn the dough into the buttered pan and gently press it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Prick the dough with a fork and slide the sheet into the oven.
Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, or until it takes on just a little color around the edges. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.


To Make the Filling:
Have a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet at the ready, as well as a long-handled wooden spoon and a medium heavy bottomed saucepan.
Put the sugar and water in the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Keeping the heat fairly high, continue to cook the sugar, without stirring, until it just starts to color. Toss the peanuts and immediately start stirring. Keep stirring, to coat the peanuts with sugar. Within a few minutes, they will be covered with sugar and turn white—keep stirring until the sugar turns back into caramel. When the peanuts are coated with a nice deep amber caramel, remove the pan from the heat and turn the nuts out onto the baking sheet., using the wooden spoon to spread them out as best you can. Cool the nuts to room temperature.

When they are cool enough to handle, separate the nuts or break them into small pieces. Divide the nuts in half. Keep half of the nuts whole or in biggish pieces for the filling, and finely chop the other half for the topping.

Spread the dulce de leche over the shortbread base and sprinkle over the whole candied nuts.


To Make the Topping:
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Remove chocolate from the heat and gently stir in the butter, stirring until it is fully blended into the chocolate.

Pour the chocolate over the dulce de leche, smoothing it with a long metal icing spatula, then sprinkle over the rest of the peanuts. Slide the pan into the fridge to set the topping, about 20 minutes; if you’d like to serve the squares cold, keep them refrigerated for at least 3 hours before cutting.


Cut into 16 bars.


Up next week Russian Grandmothers’ Apple Pie-Cake chosen by Natalie at Burned Bits. Can't wait!