The Knead Bakery

A bunch of years ago, my mother said to me, "When are you going to learn to buy desert?"

At the time I took it as an insult to my baking.

But this year I learned. I picked up 2 pies from the Knead Bakery Team. Born out of the womb knowing the perfect balance of butter and flour and sugar, these women are masters.

I got an apple crème fraîche pie and a pumpkin cheesecake.

OMG. Sublime. THANK YOU!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Alexis Brown Sugar Cookies in Entertaining.

oven at 375.
rack in the center.
cookie sheet greased with butter wrapper.

2 sticks butter at room temp.
generous 1.5 cup brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
generous 1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp fine sea salt salt

too many chocolate chips

1. use something electric to help mush up the butter
2. blend in the brown sugar fully
3. add the white and do the same
4. add the eggs
5. add the vanilla

6. sift the flour, salt and baking soda

7. slowly add he flour mixture, blending and tasting. i usually have bout 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour mixture left over. i do not like that flour taste, so i stop shy of that.

8. blend in too many chocolate chips. tonight we added a bag. sometimes we add more.

9. dollop onto cookie sheet. bake 8 to 12 minutes, depending on your oven.

10. as done, carefully trasnsfer to spot to dry as rest bake.

That Ginger Cake

No recipe has elicited as much love as this adaptation from Joy of Cooking's Fresh Ginger Cake. I have given this recipe out a million times and I always hear back that no matter how you make it, it turns out totally delicious.

Derick said it was the best desert he had ever had.

Tonight, I had all the mixings fixed so just before I served dinner on the table, I mixed them up and threw the cake in the oven so it baked while we ate.

Tonight I served it with soft whipped creme sweetened with a little maple syurp, blackberries and pistachios.

Here is the blueprint:

Heat oven to 350 and grease a round cake pan. (I like the 9" kind whose sides "pop off" to make for easy cake removal).

In a small bowl, combine
- 1.5 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup dark corn syrup (or golden syrup, honey or light molasses...maple syrup would probably also work...)
- 1 large egg

Melt a stick of unsalted butter, and add to the molasses mixture with 1/4 cup water.

Add a very generous 1/2 cup of minced fresh ginger to the molasses mixture and stir.

Stir in flour mixture.

Pour cake batter into greased pan.
Bake for about 25 minutes until ye olde fork in the center trick reveals a clean fork.

Let cake cool enuf to remove from pan.
Slice and serve warm.

Almond Cake with Strawberries and Guava

Olivia produced the most beautiful heart shaped Almond Cake.
She is a master. The cake was moist and light and the balance of almond and sweetness was magical. She piled whip creme with strawberries and guava on top.

The entire gathering moaned in ecstasy with each bite. People went back for seconds and thirds!

Below from Olivia Chase:

How we inspire each other. On Tuesday night Kira lent me the Rose Bakery book and in it I read "A bowlful of strawberries is really nice, but adding a hint of lemon and even half a teaspoon of sugar can make it great." For Thursday's cake I did not find my recipe in the cookbook rather the inspiration for "making it great".

Almond Torte with Whip Cream Strawberries and Guavas

I made Lulu a double recipe in a 13" heart shaped pan but the following is a
single recipe which will make a 9" cake.

1 1/4 cups sugar
8 oz soft almond paste
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla

6 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup flour, all-purpose
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 pint whip cream, whipped
1 basket strawberries, sliced
2 lbs pink and white guavas, peeled and cored...discard the core...it is full of seeds
2 Tbls sugar
1 lime, juiced

Butter bottom and sides of a 10 inch cake pan and line with parchment paper.
Pre-heat your oven to 325'.

In a food processor mix sugar and almond paste until the paste crumbles into small pieces.
Add the butter and vanilla and continue processing untill you have a smooth batter. Add the
eggs one by one, mixing until each one disappears into the batter. Empty the contents of the food
processor into a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the flour
mixture into the batter and stir gently until you no longer see any flour but make sure not to overmix.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until a wooden tooth pick comes out
clean. Wait 5 minutes and turn out onto a platter.
Slice the fruit and add the sugar and lime juice.
To serve top with unsweetened whipped cream and fruit.

Brown Cow Creme Yougurt with Olivia's Apricot Jam

in a bowl, stir the creme top yogurt until smooth.
add olivia's apricot jam and stir to blend
add some ground cardamon