TWD | Baking Chez Moi | Brown-Butter-and-Vanilla-Bean Weekend Cake

Tuesdays with Dorie baking through Baking Chez Moi
by Dorie Greenspan

Sorry to say, I am short on time - so this is going to be quick, as were the photos, taken just before I left for work, hence the poor lighting.

This loaf cake has a similar texture to pound cake, but not as heavy. It is made with the typical ingredients of flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs, butter (which as been boiled until it turns a rich caramel color), vanilla (four teaspoons! if not using a vanilla bean), heavy cream, and optional rum.

Unfortunately, the brown butter and vanilla flavor was lost by the over-powering taste of the rum - partially my fault, for I'm sure I added too much rum - measuring over the bowl, the first tablespoon overflowed.

The cake had a somewhat dense, spongy texture, with a sweet crispy crust (my favorite part). Dorie mentions that this is lovely toasted as well, should it last long enough to go stale.  Should I get the time, I would like to make this again, minus the rum altogether, for I think the vanilla and brown butter would lend a delightful flavor to this loaf cake.

Head over to the Tuesdays with Dorie website and look for the LYL link for this cake to see how the other bakers fared with this recipe.

It is the rule of TWD not to share the recipe on our blogs. You will find the recipe on page 6 of Baking Chez Moi; it is however, available on Google books.

Happy Halloween!!!

        Maya's Day of the Dead Cookies

We recently had pavers installed out front and back of the house which had to be sealed which meant I was held hostage in the house for 6 hours. What does one do when there is so much to be done around the house and the perfect opportunity arises to actually get something accomplished? Bake of course!!

This recipe comes from a blog which my daughter follows and I was looking for a treat to make so that I could "BOO" her. If you don't know what "BOO-ing" is check it out here. This recipe is credited to Alice Medrich from her book - A Year in Chocolate: Four Seasons of Unforgettable Desserts. You cannot go wrong with an Alice Medrich recipe. My first cookbook in the baking genre was Cocolat by Ms. Medrich which I posted  about back in February. I have to say that because of her simple and wonderful recipes I have flourished in the baking spectrum.

These cookies are made up of a vanilla and chocolate dough. You will need to freeze the chocolate dough till firm before shaping for it is much softer than the vanilla dough. As I was shaping and piercing holes in the chocolate dough I was thinking why not leave the chocolate dough solid since you place the vanilla dough atop the chocolate. As I reviewed my recipe again, it says to do just that. Shape and freeze. No piercing!! Thank goodness - for it did not fare well; my dough cracked and fell apart. I was quite happy to re-roll and re-shape this dough!

Success meter (1-3): 3

The chocolate dough is a much tackier, softer dough

 than the vanilla and needs to be placed in the

 freezer till firm enough to shape.

Skull taking shape!

"I dont want to go in the oven..."

The Tools: handle of pastry brush to shape the eyes,

wooden skewer for the nose, a knife for the mouth,

 and floss to slice the logs.

Back side of log....hmmmm

So not working! Good thing you are not supposed to

 make facial features in the chocolate dough.

With each slice the facial features became less and less existent.

You will have to rework them after layering.

Not quite as I had hoped...

but better than expected!

Happy Halloween Ash!!!