Tuesdays with Dorie Finishes Book - Thank you Dorie & TWD

Just some of the delicious recipes made during Tuesdays with Dorie...

This past week, the baking group Tuesdays with Dorie completed making all the recipes in Dorie Greenspan's wonderful book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

I wasn't able to participate each week, but I have made a majority of the recipes in the book. Aside from the butter, flour and chocolate, the Tuesdays with Dorie group changed my life in so many positive ways. I've made new friends and felt such a sense of community and friendship in this vast online world. TWD has helped me discover blogs and inspired me to bake each week! I learned new skills and gained confidence in my baking. Thank you Dorie Greenspan for being supportive of our group (getting a comment from The Dorie Greenspan on your post is such a thrill) and answering our questions. Dorie would give us hints and explanations...she's awesome! Thank you Laurie (who started the group) and Jules (who helped with  coordination) for keeping us organized and on track!

My new year's resolutions is to join the group going through Dorie's classic, Baking with Julia!

I'm sad this round of Tuesdays with Dorie has ended...but I know I have a book full of great recipes and notes, friendships and inspiration to carry me for many years to come.

Please read this Washington Post article about the group!

Mochi Mochi Mochi - Mochitsuki 2011

It's that time again! My family and friends got together on December 26th for our annual mochi making day!

These unsweetened rice cakes are eaten on New Year's Day in a special soup called ozoni to bring about good fortune and health and all that jazz. Our family has been getting together since 1955 to make mochi. We have two electric machines and a bunch of gas steamers to cook the special Koda Farms Sho-Chiku-Bai sweet rice (old school method is with a pound it by hand with a mallet.)

I think this year was a record - 190 pounds of rice! That took about three hours alone just to wash and soak on Christmas day (thanks Mom for doing that!)

Rice is steamed in steamers then poured into the machine. It comes out piping hot! Little bits are cut off and shaped into rounds. They are cooled on racks and then dusted with mochiko (rice flour).

All hands on deck for mochi making! Often, this is the one time a year we see some of our aunts, uncles, cousins and their growing children so it is a very important tradition for my family. And, of course, we have a bouncy house...just like our ancestors had I'm sure...

Um, we had two food tables and one salad table...making mochi definitely stirs the appetite!

Yum! Yum! Yum!

And this year lots of my friends dropped by!

We can't forget the desserts too! My auntie made this delicious cookie tray, JustJenn brought delicious and cute cupcakes and my cousin made these fried cookies.

Days later, my cousin and I are still cleaning the house and putting back things (we need to clear out three rooms of the house for mochi day). Of course, the benefit is that I'm eating fresh toasted mochi every day!

Looking forward to joining JustJenn's family for her annual New Year's feast...featuring our mochi for the ozoni soup! :)

Happy New Year everyone! 2012 is going to ROCK! - mary the food librarian

Other mochi-related posts: 2010, 2008, 2007 family event, sweet mochi with red beans, zunda mochi from sendai, blueberry mochi cake.

Merry Christmas from the Food Librarian & Cidney the Dog

Why yes, my cousin and I did dress up Cidney the Girl Dog. After the graduation hat and Halloween sessions where Cidney just pretty much sat there, you can expect lots of torture, I mean, fun with the dog.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas and holiday season!

On Monday, my family descends and we make 150 pounds of mochi!

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Holidays!

- mary the food librarian

"Okay, I'm done until the next costume. Where's my biscuit?"

Holiday Treats from the Food Librarian

Here are a few holiday treats you might want to make for your friends and family this holiday season. I can't believe the holidays are here already!

Please click on the link to go to the original post and recipe :)

Broken Glass Jello

Always a huge hit and so easy to make. Give yourself at least a day in advance to let the Jello set up...but your hands-on labor is only about 15 minutes!

Cafe Beaujolais' Buttermilk-Cinnamon Coffeecake

This is a great coffee cake to have on hand for visitors or overnight guests during the holiday. It feeds a lot of people and is simple to make...you may have all the ingredients handy. Last year, my uncle ate three pieces during our mochi making!

Baked Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

Pumpkin pie is great and all...but these little donut-y muffins are divine. Have the kids help you roll them in cinnamon sugar...Santa will want to grab a few of these.

Noodle Kugel

My friend's mom makes this delicious noodle kugel for Hanukkah! (Note to Mrs. S - I miss you and hope to see you soon!!!)

Chocolate Rice Krispies with Bittersweet Chocolate Drizzle

Dressed up rice krispies. Yum! You can make these while the kids are running around. Hey, make they work a bit by stirring together this easy treat.

Happy Holidays! - mary

Barefoot Contessa's Apple Cake Tatin

Barefoot Contessa's Apple Cake Tatin

Apples.
Cake.
Caramel.
I'm there.

This is the Barefoot Contessa / Ina Garten's Apple Cake Tatin. Instead of the usual pie crust topping, she covers the apples and caramel with a cake.

I used these beautiful sweet/tart apples from Ha's Apple Farm (available at many So Cal farmer's markets). Ina's recipe calls for Granny Smith apples, but these worked fine and were delicious.

Caramelized sugar is made (I'm always amazed that water and sugar can be heated to make this!) and tops the cut apples. I judged it by color and didn't use the thermometer. The presentation of the cake is very pretty, no?

Um, how can you not want this?!

The "cake" part is very delicious. Soft and light...I like it much more than a traditional apple tatin, but then I love upside down fruit cakes!

This fall/winter, if you have a few extra apples, make this lovely cake. You won't be disappointed...nor will your guests!

Recipe:
Barefoot Contessa's Apple Cake Tatin

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt - Day #30 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #30

HAPPY NATIONAL BUNDT DAY!!

                 HAPPY NATIONAL BUNDT DAY!!

                                  HAPPY NATIONAL BUNDT DAY!!

          HAPPY NATIONAL BUNDT DAY!!

                        HAPPY NATIONAL BUNDT DAY!!

Woo Hoo! It's Day #30 of I Like Big Bundts 3! I can't believe I made 30 bundts for the third year in a row!


This is one of my favorite bundts! It uses Fall's perfect fruit - the Fuyu Persimmon. It's really important to know the difference between the fuyu and hachiya persimmon. The Fuyu you can eat hard (like an apple) or soft, but the Hachiya can only be eaten soft. Please don't mix up the two! Walnuts and raisins, ground cloves and cinnamon makes this Bundt full of fall flavors.

 

Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! I'm going to put together a round-up of all the bundts submitted! The submission info can be found here!


This is a post where I can say "As Seen In"! :) This recipe appears in Christie Matheson's Cake Simple book (pages 82-83). This post talks about my 15 minutes of Bundt fame!


Here are my mom and dad and their fuyu kaki (Japanese for persimmon) tree!

Happy Happy Happy Bundt Day! ! ! ! ! Thanks for playing along with me this year and I can't wait to see your submissions for the round-up!

Whew. I think I'm going to put away the Bundt pans for a bit and make some brownies now. :)
- mary the food librarian

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt Cake Recipe
Adapted from Sunset Magazine. Also appears in Cake Simple by Christie Matheson

Ingredients:
3 cups firm Fuyu persimmons (about 3 persimmons), chopped (NOT Hachiya persimmons)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup or 1 stick or 4 ounces butter, softened
1 2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup raisins

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare 12-cup Bundt pan by spraying it with baking spray or greasing and flouring the pan. (My favorite Bundt pans are Nordic Ware and my favorite baking spray is Bak-Klene brand)
3. Fruit: In a medium bowl, mix the chopped fuyu persimmons with 2 teaspoons baking soda. Set aside.
4. Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
6. With the mixer on slow speed, add the fruit mixture into the batter.
7. On slow speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. It's okay if it's not fully blended as you'll fold the last ingredients next.
8. Fold in the walnuts and raisins. The batter will be thick.
9. Pour batter into Bundt pan. Smooth the top.
10. Bake for 55-60 minutes until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
11. Cool in the Bundt pan for 15 minutes then invert onto cooling rack and let cool.

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake
Day #19: Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Strawberries
Day #20: Chocolate & Zucchini Bundt
Day #21: Rice Krispies Bundt
Day #22: Tomato Soup Bundt
Day #23: Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt
Day #24: Broken Glass Jello Bundt
Day #25: ApplePearSauce Bundt
Day #26: Vegan Beet Bundt
Day #27: Chocolate Crown Bundt
Day #28: Blackberry Bundt
Day #29: Eggnog Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan
  

Eggnog Bundt - Day #29 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Eggnog Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #29

Oh my goodness. It's almost here! National Bundt Day is tomorrow! Woo Hoo! Let's all celebrate the great Bundt with some tasty goodness. The Bundt is just freaking awesome. Seriously. Ready to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner...and all moments in between.

Today's bundt is an Eggnog Bundt! You know you'll have a boatload of eggnog in the upcoming holiday season...if you have a cup leftover, here's a bundt for you!


I adapted this recipe from Flo Braker (don't you always want to say her last name "Baker"...so close) Baking for All Occasions. However, I omitted the dried currants and the crystal rum glaze.

 

Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! The submission info can be found here!

I hope you make a bundt to celebrate the bundt, but most importantly, to share it with your friends and family!


I made 1/2 the recipe and baked it in a 6-cup bundt. I made a powedered sugar and eggnog glaze to top the bundt.


See you tomorrow for National Bundt Day!!! Yipppppeeeee!!!

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake
Day #19: Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Strawberries
Day #20: Chocolate & Zucchini Bundt
Day #21: Rice Krispies Bundt
Day #22: Tomato Soup Bundt
Day #23: Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt
Day #24: Broken Glass Jello Bundt
Day #25: ApplePearSauce Bundt
Day #26: Vegan Beet Bundt
Day #27: Chocolate Crown Bundt
Day #28: Blackberry Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe
Adapted from Flo Braker's Baking for All Occasions

Broken Glass Jello Bundt - Day #24 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

 Broken Glass Jello Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #24

It's the last Wednesday of the Bundt adventure! Welcome to Day #24 of I Like Big Bundts...only 6 more days until National Bundt Day on November 15th.

Today, I bring you the Broken Glass Jello Bundt. Um, this is the easiest bundt I've ever made and I had people in the library jumping up and down. This is a winner!


Let me stress this again. Broken Glass Jello is the easiest thing to make…and it gets the biggest “wows”! Everyone thought it took a long time to make…but it really only takes MINUTES. Some recipes require a ton of elements (cake, filling, frosting, etc) but this? Forgetaboutit. It just takes a day to plan it out.


What are you going to make for National Bundt Day?!?

 

Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! The submission info can be found here!


I made the same Broken Glass Jello recipe except I added an extra package of Knox to the “milk” mixture. I knew this bundt would stand taller than my normal 9 x 13 pan of broken glass jello so the extra gelatin gave it a little more firmness.

I made the 4 colors in the morning (about 10 minutes of work to dissolve packaged Jello in water) and popped it into the refrigerator. When I got home from work, I dissolved the unflavored gelatin in cold water, added boiling water to dissolve and then poured in a can of condensed milk. Yes, my kitchen tools were a bowl, spoon and can opener. Easy Peasy. While I was cooking dinner, I let the mixture cool off (don’t pour hot milk mixture on the colored jello or you’ll get a crazy hot melted mixture). Then I cut the colored jello into blocks – uneven blocks are totally fine! Grease the Bundt pan with a little canola oil then wipe out most of it…just want to give it a little lubricant to get out of the pan later. The blocks go into the bowl in a colorful manner…it’s like playing with stained glass jello pieces! The milk mixture follows and you are done. If I were making the 9 x 13 broken glass jello, I would carefully remove the bubbles on top for a nicer finish…however, the beauty of the bundt is that it gets inverted! Whoo hoo. Just cover with some plastic wrap, put it in the refrig and watch your DVR while things firm up in the fridge overnight! J

Remember, you can change up the Jello colors to fit the seasons, party or game. I've made Christmas Jello and Lakers Jello... next up blue and gold UCLA Bruin Jello! :)

See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake
Day #19: Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Strawberries
Day #20: Chocolate & Zucchini Bundt
Day #21: Rice Krispies Bundt
Day #22: Tomato Soup Bundt
Day #23: Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe (for the basic Broken Glass). 
This bundt used 3 envelopes of Knox gelatin instead of 2 envelopes.

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt - Day #23 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt

I Like Big Bundts - Day #23

It's Day #23 of I Like Big Bundts...bringing you 30 bundts in 30 days! I allow myself a few repeats each year and today it's my favorite and easiest bundt - the Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt!

 

Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! The submission info can be found here!


I got my delivery of JustJENN Designs buttons in the mail! So excited. You can see that they are small enough to fit in a Tablespoon! :)


This cake is mega moist and delicious! You don't need a KitchenAid or anything fancy. I have step-by-step photos here. You can use Hershey's chocolate or Dutch processed. Totally easy peasy. And don't you need easy peasy these days?! I think so!


Thanks for visiting! See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake
Day #19: Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Strawberries
Day #20: Chocolate & Zucchini Bundt
Day #21: Rice Krispies Bundt
Day #22: Tomato Soup Bundt

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe (for a full size recipe)
I baked half a recipe in a 6-cup bundt, and the full recipe is for a 10-cup or 12-cup bundt pan.

Bundt Pan option: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan
Bundt Pan option: Smaller 6-cup Bundt Pan (the traditional bundt pan is 12-cups)

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake - Day #19 of Food Librarian's I Like Big Bundts 3

Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Vanilla Glaze and Strawberries 

I Like Big Bundts - Day #19

TGIF!! Really, this week was epic long! Glad it's Friday!! And it's also Day #19 of I Like Big Bundts! I'm posting 30 bundts cakes in 30 days...all leading up to National Bundt Day on November 15th. I seriously love the Bundt cake! I love cake and don't care for frosting so the bundt is the perfect ratio of cake to frosting. I hope to inspire you to make a bundt for your friends, family, and random folks on the street.

I made this vanilla bean bundt in the Heritage Bundt...definitely one of my favorite bundt pans. A vanilla glaze covers the cake and it's served with a side of strawberries. I'm lucky to live in Los Angeles and can still find fresh strawberries in local farmer's market.

 

Bake a bundt for National Bundt Day on November 15th! Then submit a photo or blog post by November 24, 2011 and I'll send you a cute 1 1/4" button for baking along with me! The submission info can be found here!

Thanks to American Library Association's AL Direct eNewsletter for a shout out this week! Here is the newsletter (Nov 2nd - scroll to the bottom). I hope we have a good contingent of librarians and library staff participating in National Bundt Day! :)

I used vanilla paste instead of vanilla beans. Have you used vanilla paste? One of my favorite things in the kitchen because it is less expensive than vanilla beans and gives you all the seeds of the beans. This paste is incredible on a bit of ice cream...just sayin'.

Hope you have a great weekend planned! See you tomorrow for another Bundt! - mary the food librarian

Recap of I Like Big Bundts 3:
Day #1: Buttercake Bakery's Marble Bundt Cake
Day #2: Lemon Bliss Bundt
Day #3: Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake with Ganache Glaze
Day #4: Spice Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Glaze
Day #5: Gingery Pumpkin Breakfast Bundt
Day #6: Maida Heatter's Budapest Coffee Cake Bundt
Day #7: Dark Chocolate Bundt
Day #8: Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt
Day #9: Apple Spice Bundt
Day #10: Pumpkin Spice Bundt
Day #11: Doll Bundt Cake
Day #12: Light Chocolate Bundt with Coffee Glaze
Day #13: Spiced Cranberry Bundt
Day #14: Brown Sugar Bundt
Day #15: Buried Alive Bundt Cake
Day #16: Leftover Halloween Candy Bundt
Day #17: Lemon Bundt Cake
Day #18: Ultimate Streusel Bundt Cake

Recipe: Click here for printable recipe on Bon Appetit
by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, April 2010

Bundt Pan: Traditional 12-cup Bundt Pan