Princess Cupcakes

December 16, 2009 by pragmaticattic

Today is National Cupcake Day! (apparently)

I made these quite some time ago, and was too busy to post about them. This was what I originally was going to do as my cake decorating demo for the shul sisterhood brunch. But, it was deemed a bit too complicated given my short time slot, and I went with cake stenciling instead. Read the rest of this entry »

ABin5 Challah, Part II: Almost Famous’s Poppy Seed Onion Rolls

December 15, 2009 by pragmaticattic

Way back when, I used to frequent an Upper West Side kosher spot called Famous’s Dairy Restaurant. The waitress would bring out baskets of warm poppy seed onion rolls that were fantastic. The onions were carmelized, even burnt, on the outside, and translucent on the inside. They were perfect plain, but what roll isn’t better with a little butter?

The dough was definitely egg-enriched, like challah.

Recreating these rolls was the perfect use for the remaining pound of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day challah dough. Read the rest of this entry »

Caramelized Apple Slices

December 15, 2009 by pragmaticattic

This is half a recipe. To be precise, I made the first half of Jacques Pepin’s Skillet Apple Charlotte. Read the rest of this entry »

Laurie Colwin and Karen Edwards’s Chocolate Cake

December 14, 2009 by pragmaticattic

When making or even when contemplating making chocolate cake, I always think of Laurie Colwin’s observation about how everyone is “searching for the one true chocolate cake.” Read the rest of this entry »

Chanukah Mac & Cheese

December 14, 2009 by pragmaticattic

So, do you see how the Cheez-It Scrabble crackers spell out Happy Chanukah and Chag Sameach on my macaroni and cheese casserole? Please notice because absolutely nobody else did. They just dove in and devoured it. Read the rest of this entry »

ABin5 Challah and Sticky Buns

December 13, 2009 by pragmaticattic

Pumpkin Spice Mandelbread Thins with Pumpkin Seeds and Cranberries

December 13, 2009 by pragmaticattic

Here is a new version of Almondina-like biscotti (for a version with apricots, craisins, pistachios, and almonds, see here). This version is flavored with pumpkin pie spices (nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon).

I used powdered egg white powder to make these, so I did not have leftover egg yolks. But, if I did, I would so want to make the recipe from the November Bon Appetit for Spiced Brandy Semifreddo with Cranberries. The recipe says that this frozen white chocolate mousse, flavored with rum, brandy, and nutmeg, should be served with a crisp cookie or biscotti. Perfect!  Read the rest of this entry »

Apple Cider Muffins

November 29, 2009 by pragmaticattic

Apple Cider Muffins from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox. Very moist and delicious (even though I substiuted dairy-free “sour cream” for the real thing). Here is the thing, though: the recipe is supposed to make a dozen muffins OR a loaf. I was able to make a dozen muffins AND a loaf. Judging from the comments on Serious Eats, I am not the only one who had this experience.

Israeli Couscous with Sweet Potato, Craisins, Pumpkin Seeds, and Preserved Lemon

November 29, 2009 by pragmaticattic

A recent post by David Lebovitz about an Israeli couscous recipe from Gourmet sent me straight to the kitchen. The combination of roasted butternut squash, golden raisins, pine nuts, and preserved lemons sounded fantastic. But, I couldn’t resist making a few changes. Read the rest of this entry »

Wholly Cannoli

November 27, 2009 by pragmaticattic
 
 

Mini Peanut Butter Cannolo with Mini Chocolate Chips

 

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

Read the rest of this entry »