TWD - All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie

So here we go - this is my TWD-"birthday" entry, because I started just one year ago with TWD. Emily of Sandmuffin chose the All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie (to be found on her page or on pages 300-302 in Dorie's book) for this special week.

For me, this is a wonderful "TWD-birthday"-pick, because I love apple pies.

I made it according to the recipe but did skip the tapioka, because it is hard to get round here and I didn't wanted to by 1 kg of tapioka for using just two spoons. I used some shredded nuts instead, but maybe should have taken more or some floor or anything else that holds the filling together, because it fell apart a bit.
I also included some raisins. (I know, there are raisin-haters out there, but I like it, and I am the baker here on this blog, so, harhar, I only just do what I want :o])

The pie is pretty easy made, you just need some preparation time for the pie crust. But once you are used to it, you get a routine for doing the dough and then it is no problem.
The name of the pie is no exaggeration - it is an all delish pie, indeed! And it is a perfect fall recipe. So I guess, this is a keeper. I can even imagine it, made as minis in small soufflé forms, as part of a christmas dessert plate.

P.S.: Wow, one year of baking. Who would have thought so. And so much did happen in this year. A lot of good things, some not so good. But over all, the balance sheet is far in the blacks. And I am pretty much happy for all the wonderful things that did happen to me and the great people I met.

364 days

I just had a look when I actually started this blog. I could only remeber that it must have been shortly after my return from my Paris-stay in October. And it turned out, that I wrote the fist enry on October 23rd, so tomorrow is my first annoversary.
My first TWD entry (in fact the reason why I started the blog, and still the almost single justification for it) was written in November 4th, the Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookie.

Since then, I made 43 regular TWD recipes (i.e. in time, or at least almost), about 15 rewinds and a handful of recipes from other sources. All in all, I can say on average I did bake once a week.

My reason for participating in TWD was to get some practice, because my baking abilities were really low and I wanted to improve them. Now, one year later, I am still far far away from getting a good baker. But some things turn out well, already. I can find some leitmotif in it, but it is hard to explain why I find a common ground: Cookies (especially Shortvread/Sablés), Brioche, Biscuits, Brownies/Blondies as well as Cremes/Flans and icecream turn out really well. Cheesecakes and some chocolate cakes are fine. Muffins and Cupcakes are sometimes yes, sometimes no. Tartes and Tortes are still a bit of a horror, mostly due to my unability of making a good crust.

So, for my birthday entry this weekend I will do an apple pie, and I think that's a wonderful celebration recipe.

And for my first month in my second year we head over to:

Peanuttiest Blondies - big hooray for this recipe! I adore Blondies even more than Brownies, and Peanuts are my big love
Not-Just-for Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread - excitement for this. "Shortbread" is only a cookie for me, but as far as I understand it, this is more of a cake. Wonder what it will be like, and where to get cranberries...
Cranberry Lime Galette - and again the cranberry problem... But the combo sounds extremely good!
Devilish Shortcakes - and again the Shortcake/Shortbread-question. But here I have a picture in the book, that gives me a hint.

There is one week missing - because for November 23 we are free to choose a fall/holiday/Thanksgiving Dorie recipe. hat a great idea! I am already considering my options...

TWD - Fold-Over Pear Torte

And another fall recipe this week... This month of October is full of them for the TWD-community with the Double Apple Bundt Cake last week and the Caramel Pumpkin Pie (can't imagine this one - sounds, uhm, special...) and the All-American, All-Delicous Apple Pie to come the weeks to follow.

But let's talk about this week. Cakelaw of Laws of the Kitchen selected the Fold-Over Pear Torte. Go to her page to have a look at the recipe, if you don't own Dorie's book (pages 348 and 349). But I recommend to have a look at her page anyways, because she is one of the few non-American-TWD'ers and I always find it very interesting how non-Americans find their way to TWD, and what they choose. I think they often choose the most typical-american of all, funnily. And (more important) - she is very supportive, always kind, leaves a lot of hints, tricks and comments and bakes wonderful treats.

I like pears and fall recipes, and I extremely like this Torte. Even though I think of it more as a pie than a torte, but maybe that's a language problem. The dough is wonderful. I could eat tons of it even without filling. But why should I, when I have additionally this tasty pear-filling?

I had way to much filling, so I made some minis. Unfortunately my torte didn't turn out very photogenous.I feel always sorry for not being able to picture the baked goods I like most in a way that comes up with their taste. But taking pictures of baked goods is maybe a bit like baking itself - the more often you do it, the better you get...

TWD - Double Apple Bundt Cake

It's fall! I like fall. I love fall. Fall is my time. Maybe it has something to do with my red hair and pale skin, what makes me the "autumn type". Maybe it has something to do with the possibility of wearing boots with your short skirts, what makes me always more comfortable than with ballerinas. Or maybe it is because I just love walking with a cappuccino to go in my hand through the red and brown leaves in the parks of Vienna before returning home for making a big pitcher of chai tea just for myself.

One of my favourite songs from my favourite band is about why they love their wives and girlfriends and all their freaky nuttiness that makes them even more adoreable, and one line translates to "because you love fall more than summer". I love this line! :o]

So, let's talk about this week's Tuesdays with Dorie, the Double Apple Bundt Cake, which is chosen by Lynne of Honey Muffin. You can find the recipe on her page or in Dorie's book on  pages 184 and 185.
It's a "double" apple bundt because you use apple butter and grated apples - and therefore end up with a pretty moisty, soft bundt cake.

It's easy made, has a great consistence, is full of autumn-flavour thanks to the appels and nuts (I skipped the raisins because I halfed the recipe, and it wasn't worth opening a whole pack of rasins for not even a handful of fruits).

I halved the recipe and made12 minis and really, really liked them. The right cake for the right time of the year! (see on the right side: a flying mini double apple bundt cake :o])

I joined TWD not even a year ago, so there are a lot of recipes I didn't bake with the group. With some I try to catch up. We had a birthday girl in the office, so I tried my luck with the Peanut Butter Torte. It was one of the early recipes in TWD, and it is easy to see, why: Because it is just incredible! It has a crust made of oreos, the filling is a mix of peanutbutter, salted peanuts, a bit of bittersweet chocolate and whipped cream. I love anything peanut, and peanutbutter is my nemesis, so it was easy to cinvince me of this torte. I am pretty satsified with the taste and looks of it, but the cream didn't firm completely. Therefore, it turned out more as a spoon dessert than a torte. But who cares as long as it is an oreo-peanut-peanutbutter-with-a-tad-of-bittersweet-chocolate-spoon-dessert!

TWD - Tarte Fine

For this week of TWD Leslie of Lethally Delicious decided on Tarte Fine - go to her page to find the recipe, or flip through Dorie's book to page 315.

Tarte Fine is a french classic - the recipe says. When I read the ingredients and this introduction, I had a certain picture in mind. A picture of a very thin tarte crust (the "fine" part in the Tarte Fine, I thought), layered with apples. Well, the second part of my guess was right, but the "crust" should be puff pastry.

Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of puff pastry. It has a lot of fat and calories for not so enormously much taste. In this respect it reminds me very much on a croissant. When I see a croissant I always ask myself why I should eat something as fat and full of calories as a muffin, but without any taste of itself (despite, maybe, the taste of butter).
That doesn not mean I never eat croissants :o]
And it does not mean I didn't try the Tarte Fine...

The second point why I am not a huge fan of puff pastry is that it's not a good keeper. I always bake on Sunday and bring the treats to work the next day, so anything puff pastry is always difficult and never a big success.

The Tarte Fine didn't taste bad, but it had the looks of a cold Pizza and wasn't a big hit around here. Maybe it didn't help I used the jam as a bottom layer between the pastry and the apples...

So. Let's just not speak too much about this tarte and start thinkig about the next apple recipe, which is just one week ahead with the Double Apple Bundt Cake to come!


PS: Don't forget to visit Leslie's page anyways! She is one of the nicest, most helpful and most awesome bakers of all these awesome TWD-ers!

PPS.: Now that I had a look at Leslie's page and some other TWD-bakers I found out what the Tarte Fine should actually look like! And as I had some puff pastry left, I just tried it out. Looks much better! Now my colleagues will have to deal with another Tarte tomorrow...

TWD Rewind - Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

I am not going to leave my link in this weeks TWD-"Leave your Link"-section because I made a catch-up. I missed the cookies Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine  picked two weeks ago. But I adore peanut butter (and anything peanut in general) so it was no question I am going to catch up with those one day. Additionally, I do not really like coffee-taste. Funnily, very often when coffee-including recipes are scheduled for TWD I nevertheless decide to follow them - and often they turn out great.

However.

Two weeks ago I missed the Crisscrosses because I was in Paris (no misery, I know). And this week I was a bit in a hurry, because a close friend stopped by for the week, so there was no chance I am going to do both, the cookies and the Coffee Break Muffins Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous picked this week. You can find the recipe on her page or in Dorie's book on page 15.
And you can follow all the honest TWD'ers who made the right recipe for this week.

I got to say that I was as sorry two weeks ago not to bake along with Jasmine, as I am this week for not going down the road with Rhiani. Both are incredible bakers and have wonderful homepages! Additionally, Jasmine is one of the few European participants and I am always surprised they often chose recipes with very typical american ingredients, just like peanut butter. Strange, isn't it?

Well. The crisscrosses turned out just as expected. Incredible. In-cre-dible! Peanuts. Butter. Peanutbutter. Perfect.
The recipe gives a whole lot od cookies, about 40-50. My colleagues really loved them, and nevertheless there were some left in the evening. But be sure, it was not the falt of the cookies, but of the quantity.


Do it again, again, and again...

TWD - Peach Upside Downer

Cranberries are not very common in Austria. No, that's not completely  true. In fact, something very similar  (lingonberry or cowberry or lowbush/mountain cranberry - that's what the dictionary tells me is the correct translation for- what I have in mind) is very common as jelly to accompany game. But it is almost impossible to by fresh ones, and frozen are just not available. You can have them dried or as jam. But both are not suitable for the Cranberry Upside Downer, the recipe Sabrina of Superfluous chose for this weeks TWD. (find the recipe on her page or in Dorie's book on page 206).

So I had to opt for the Playing around version of this easy and fast-made cake, the Peach Upside Downer. It is the end of the summer, but just perfect to give it a last summerly treat - so I don't regret it a tad!

I enjoyed baking this one, because it was easy made and fast, and it looks very good because the combination of yellow-peach and strawberry jam for the glaze is a pretty combo. Essentially, it did remind me very much on a Tarte Tatine in the making (except you on't have a special pan for it).

On the next day it was very humid, because of the "wetness" the peches gave the cake, but still more than good.

P.S.: Can you see the steam on the one picture? I took it just a few minutes after bringing the cake out of the oven. Looks funny, doesn't it?

TWD - Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Gosh, how did that happen, it is Tuesday again!
The last days just ran through my fingers like sand... it is already afternoon and I didn't realize until now, that I haven't made my blog entry for this weeks TWD...

This week it was Donna's turn to pick a recipe, and she opted for these fabulous sablés, the Espresse Chocolate Shortbread Cookies. Shortbread, or Sablés, are really one my favourites. And I am pretty satisfied with the result.
You can have a look at the recipe at Donna's blog Lifes is too short not to eat dessert first" (cool name, isn't it), or in Dorie's book at p. 125.

When I read "coffee" in a recipe I always think "Oh no, I don't like coffee flavour". But funnily, whenever I eat sweets with coffee flavour, especially when it is only a bit of it, and combined with chocolate, I like it quite a lot. Don't ask me why. I just have this image of coffee as not very tasty in my mind, but reality always proofs me wrong.

This time it was the same. I was very tempted to try the "Playing around" version with oats, but decided to stick with the original in the very last minute.

And I am really, really happy with it. And my colleagues were, too.

[If I could only find a way to picture cookies in a better way,  I would be completely satisfied]

TWD September Preview

 Hooray for the September Issue!

The schedule for the weeks to come looks like that:

September 7, 2010- Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine selected Peanut Butter Crisscrosses on page 78. 

September 14, 2010- Sabrina of Superfluous opted for Cranberry Upside-Downer on page 206.

September 21, 2010- Rhiani of Chocoholic Anonymous picked Coffee-Break Muffins  on page 15.

September 28, 2010- Leslie of Lethally Delicious decided on Tarte Fine on page 315.

The Cranberry Upside-Downer and the Tarte Fine are perfect fall-recipes. And the Tarte gives me the chance to continue my effort to bring the "me vs. tarte crust"-story to a happy end one find day.

I am completely in love with Peanutbutter in any way (and I guess with peanuts in general), and was looking at the Peanut Butter Crisscrosses a lot lot lot of times in the recent months. Unfortunately I will not be in town the next week-end. (Fortunately, I will be in Paris for some days :o])
But maybe I will manage to pre-bake them (not very probable). And if not, I will for 100% certainty do a catching up!

The Coffee-Break Muffins don't sweep me off my feet, but I didn't do muffins for a very long time, so I am really glad someone picked muffins.  And I learned during the last 10 month of TWD that it's often the underestimated recipes that turn out to become keepers and all-time faves.

Not only that I am really looking forward doing these treats, but I think we have a good variety of choices here. And, I got to say that this month some of my favourite TWD'ers were called to choose a recipe - so, no wonder they did such a good job!

TWD: Crunchy and Custardy Peach Tart

I was on the road almost the whole day because I had to accompany my boss to a day at a summer think-tank in the Austrian mountains. It was an exciting and interesting day, but also an exhausting one. We have been on the road for 9 hours - 4 and a half each way.

Nevertheless, and also against all the work I had to to on the weekend for preparing today's event, I made the Crunchy and Custardy Peach Tart, chosen by Rachel of sweet tarte (have a look at her page for the recipe, or flip through Dorie's book to pages 346 and 347. and left it at the office at 6:30 am, before we left from there. I am a good colleague. :o]

This tart was great, wonderful, extremely tasty! I did not arrive to get a perfect crust, but it turned out the best crust I ever made (which is not hard...). Anayways, I can live with the result, and the tart itself is almost perfect.

Funnily, the fruits didn't taste like peaches, but more like apples. Maybe I left them too long in the boiling water during blanching, maybe I cooked them too long in the oven. But who cares as long as the result tastes as perfect as it did?

Did I mention I love Streusel? Well - I do!!