TWD: French Apple Tart

 I wish I could tell you how this tastes, but I have no idea.  We are really trying to watch our calories around here so we dropped this off to some friends.  I hate that you can't taste this kind of thing before you give it to someone.  I did try all the components by themselves when I was making it and they were all pretty good.  I imagine this would be delicious with a scoop of ice cream and maybe some caramel sauce.....I just decided that I shouldn't have given it away..... :)

I just used the pie crust recipe that I normally use.  I was ready to use the recipe in the book, but I didn't have pastry flour, so I just stuck with what I knew.

It wasn't super hard.  Maybe a little harder than a regular apple pie but it looks so pretty.  If you'd like to try the recipe you can get it at Law's of the Kitchen, our host blog for the week.

And if you'd liked to see how the other TWD bakers fared this week, you can go HERE.

Bake 52: Large Danish Braid

I knew when I looked at this recipe a few days ago that it was probably a 2 day process.  It doesn't have to be but it's easier to give yourself a couple days so you don't feel rushed.  Yesterday I made the danish dough and did all the rolling and folding, which really isn't that hard, just takes a little time.  You roll it out and fold it over a few times, refrigerate for 2 hours and then repeat.

This morning, I rolled it out, made the fillings and baked it.  I chose cream cheese and strawberries (1 cup frozen strawberries, pureed with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp lemon juice, simmered until thick) for the filling.  Of course we all loved it.  We are strawberry lovers around here and you all know how I feel about cream cheese.  I almost threw some Nutella in there too but I figured after folding all the butter into the dough, we were going to be consuming enough fat and calories without it.

 After baking it at 400 {Next time I would go with 375 degrees maybe.  It seemed like mine was more done that I'd like on the bottom.  Or maybe just double up on the baking pans like Betsy suggested a while ago.} for 22-25 minutes, the glaze is brushed over it.  I was maybe supposed to brush all the glaze over it, but I just did one coat and still had plenty left.  

 Since I had glaze left, instead of starting over with the icing, I just added some powdered sugar to my left over glaze to make the icing.  And I still had some left over.  Maybe I was just supposed to douse this thing?

This is super fancy, super delicious and not too hard.  It would be perfect for a special brunch or dessert on a special occasion or just a Wednesday. :)

Jen O was our host this week.  If you'd like the recipe, you can head over to her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Jen, it was a great pick!

Bake 52: Eclairs

It's already week 40 of our baking group.  Can you believe it?  Only 12 weeks to go!

You don't have to ask me twice when it comes to making eclairs.  What's not to love?  While this recipe wasn't all that hard, it did seem harder that the one I normally use.  Probably because I have made the other recipe 8,000 times and I am more comfortable with it.  And the other recipe uses a short-cut instead of pastry cream.  Which can be a good and a bad thing.  I made a tweak to the glaze (I added a T of corn syrup and about 1/2 cup extra powdered sugar) and I think it was perfect and I might just use that glaze from now on even if I use the other recipe for the shell and the filling.

 I tried piping the filling in with a few of them, but it seemed like a lot of work for something my family would devour in 2 seconds so I cut the rest open and plopped in the filling.  And you know what?  My kids ate them anyway.  Weird, right?  Calvin scarfed two down before I was even sure what happened.  I managed to save 2 for Tyler when he comes home, but he better hurry. :)

 Jenn was our hostess for the week and let her husband choose the recipe (what a nice wife).  You can get the recipe at her blog.  Thanks for hosting this week Jenn and thanks for marrying a guy with such great taste. ;)

Bake 52: Baklava

 You will not find me complaining about having an excuse to make baklava.  If you have been around for a while, you know I already posted a recipe in December.  After tweaking this one, it's pretty similar to that recipe and I didn't really have to tweak that much.  It makes me think if I had this cookbook 3 years ago, it probably wouldn't taken me so many tries to find my perfect baklava.

Bake 52: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Valerie was our host this week and chose the recipe.  There was trouble finding the rhubarb for some but luckily, I didn't have that problem.  It might be that we live in a community with a lot of vegetarians and our produce sections are more extensive because of it.  Or maybe it was just luck.  

TWD: Pizza Rustica

I know what you are thinking.  That doesn't look like pizza AT ALL.  That's exactly what the munchkins said when I took this out of the oven.  Maybe it was slightly misleading to tell them we were having pizza rustica for dinner.  Especially since they had no idea what that was and just heard pizza.  Especially since I had no idea what it was and thought it was some kind of pizza.  I did have complete faith in this recipe since I love Nick Malgieri and everything about him. (Here are four reasons to love him)  

Bake 52: Palmiers

 

We have made so many things in this baking group that I have never made before!  I am loving it.  I really thought I had baked a lot before starting this blog and joining these groups but I am learning new things with every recipe we make.  If you haven't guessed, I have never made Palmiers before.  I have never made the full version of puff pasty either (I have made a quick version).  Two new adventures with one recipe. 

TWD: Rugelach

What is Rugelach?  

Dude, I don't know.

Is it supposed to look like that?

Dude, I don't know.

How do you say it? 

Dude, I don't know.  (There was some debate between rŭg’ə-ləKH and roo-ga-la. But dude, I don't know.  It's probably one of those words I would just point at on a menu so as not to sound stupid.)

What is apricot or prune levkar?

Dude, I don't know.  (Apparently it's like a fruit butter?)

Parmesan Stuffed Soft Pretzels with Puff Pastry

I used to be more into the whole football scene, but football and I parted ways a while ago.  I know the Super Bowl is coming up and those who don't even like football are allowed to pretend they do.  If we lived in a different place right now, I would possibly be throwing a party just for the food and company, but this is not the year for that.  We live in a little apartment and don't really have a friend-count that would warrant a "party."  So I will live vicariously through all of you.  

Quick Puff Pastry

I will be making this AGAIN!  I want to make it again today; it was (SERIOUSLY) so worth the effort.  This was my first attempt at puff pastry and it won't be my last!  I didn't find it to be as hard as I thought.  Of course this a 'quick' version of puff pastry.  It was very similar to the croissants and I guess they weren't as hard as I thought they would be either. hmmm, I wonder what else I can do.  Days like yesterday get me excited for the possibilities and then very soon, I will have a day that will make me never want to cook again!  Let's enjoy this feeling though, shall we?