National Library Week 2011 Winners!

Congrats to the winners of my National Library Week giveaways! Winner were picked at random. Thanks for entering and celebrating National Library Week with me! :)

Day #1: Ann (entry #95) won Sarabeth’s Bakery cookbook
Day #2: Spike (entry #77) won the 4 Crate & Barrel ramekins
Day #3: Susan (entry #71) won the Everyday Food subscription
Day #4: Jen (entry #56) won the Silpat
Day #5: Frannie (entry #35) won the Dorie Greenspan Around my French Table cookbook
Library staff giveaway: Erin (entry #30) won the Amazon gift card

Library Staff Giveaway!! National Library Week Bonus!

Library Staff Only Giveaway!

Happy National Library Week Librarians and Library staff!

To celebrate National Library Week and say thanks for all the wonderful and hard working librarians & library staff, I'm having a giveaway open to current library staff and current library students! You need to be working at a library or in a graduate program right now to enter.

Prize: $25 Amazon gift card for one lucky winner!

This giveaway is only open to current library staff or graduate library school students! To enter, just leave a comment on this post. (If you want, tell me what type of library you work at or general location...or anything else you want!) If your email isn’t associated with your Blogger account, please be sure to leave your email in the message.
Note: This giveaway is limited to current librarians, library staff and library school students. One winner will be picked at random using Random.org.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at midnight, Pacific Daylight Time
Disclosure: This giveaway is paid for by me.
*** Updated: Contest is closed. Congrats to Erin (entry #30) ***
I'm not going to ask for your library badge, pay stubs, or quiz you about the Dewey or LC classification system, so be honest and only enter if you are currently working at a library right now. And if you cheat and toss everything your mom taught you in the gutter...know that karma will make every single library book you ever check out mysteriously get lost or damaged, and you'll somehow manage to rack up fines that may ruin your credit. Just sayin'.

WorldCat Chocolate Eclairs - National Library Week Day 5

Chocolate filled Eclairs with Vanilla Bean Glaze

 

Whew! It's the end of my celebration of National Library Week 2011! This week, I’m highlighting a library thing, baking something and giving something away. Thanks for joining me in the celebration of libraries and librarians!

Today's library, baking, and giveaway are linked in a crazy synergy... I baked this week's French Fridays with Dorie, Chocolate Eclairs. But I made them in the shape of the WorldCat Logo, and I'm giving away a copy of the Dorie Greenspan book!

The Library Thing:   
WorldCat. No, not a worldly feline, but a totally cool online union catalog of a gazillion items from a ton of libraries. WorldCat's currents stats are here - 72,000 libraries and 1.7 billion records. You can see if your local library has a title or if it's only in a library in Australia; you can then go to your library to start an Interlibrary Loan to get books from all over the world. Pretty nifty, huh? I use WorldCat all the time. Give WorldCat a try on your computer or with their mobile app.

The Baking Thing:
I belong to two baking/cooking groups: Tuesdays with Dorie and French Fridays with Dorie. This week, the French Fridays with Dorie group made Vanilla Eclairs from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook Around my French Table.

I've made cream puffs with pastry cream in the past, but never eclairs. Eclairs use the same cream puff dough, but piped into logs and glazed. I made mine into the WorldCat logo and tinted the glaze with food coloring (Thanks JustJenn for letting me borrow your dyes!) Chocolate pastry cream filled my eclairs. Since my eclairs were mini, I piped in the cream and didn't split the eclairs.

Be sure to check out my fellow French Fridays with Dorie members and see their creations!

Recipe:

Please note: French Fridays with Dorie will not be posting recipes. Please support Dorie and purchase the book or find it at your library (WorldCat Link!!!)....or win one from me!

The Giveaway Thing:

Day #5: I'm giving away the lovely Dorie Greenspan's book, Around my French Table! (Although French Friday with Dorie members have the book...a second copy makes a great gift! Believe me...I received mine as a birthday gift!) Have you seen this month's Oprah magazine? There is a wonderful article about the Dorie baking groups! Read it online here.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. If your email isn’t associated with your Blogger account, please be sure to leave your email in the message.
Note: This giveaway is limited to United States mailing addresses. One winner picked at random.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at midnight, Pacific Daylight Time
Disclosure: This giveaway and shipping is paid for by me.
*** Updated: Contest is closed. Congrats to Frannie (entry #35) ***
Don't forget to enter the Day #1 (Sarabeth Bakery Cookbook) and Day #2 (Crate & Barrel Ramekins) and Day #3 (Everyday Food magazine) and Day #4 (Silpat) giveaways!

Thanks for celebrating National Library Week with me! See you at the library! - mary the food librarian

Chocolate Chip Espresso Scones - National Library Week Day #4

Chocolate Chip Espresso Scones

Yippee! It's National Library Week! Every day, I’m highlighting a library thing, baking something and giving something away. It has been so inspiring to read your comments about your local library and your sweet memories of librarians. I hope you take some time to recognize the awesome information professionals in your life!

The Library Thing:   
Yesterday, I was the Food Librarian Fairy and delivered assorted baked goods to friends at two different special libraries. What's a special library? Special Libraries include, but are not limited to, corporate, museum, law, newspaper, medical, and private company libraries. These librarians can get data out of Lexis Nexis faster than anyone, and help you find a treasure in a museum's special collection. When you think of librarians...don't just think storytime. Think way beyond that...to someone with a law degree, PhD or a medical background in addition to a Master's degree in library science or information studies. In short, special librarians are special!

The Baking Thing:
What else?! Scones!! I think scones are the best! They quickly come together and you can make them in one big bowl and your little fingers. You can even make them the night before, pop in the freezer and bake off in the morning.

I really like the square scone because it is really easy to form and you can just go at it with a knife or bench scraper. Cream is brushed on top and sanding sugar or raw sugar is sprinkled on top. I used mini chocolate chips because you get a bit of chocolate in every bite!

Recipe:

Chocolate Chip Espresso Scones

Printable recipe here
Adapted from Karen DeMasco's The Craft of Baking (Amazon or your library)

Scone:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon hot water
1 cup heavy cream

Topping:
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Sanding sugar or Turbinado sugar

Note: The cookbook's instruction include using a KitchenAid with paddle attachment. I made my scones by hand. Please get this lovely cookbook The Craft of Baking and see page 24 for the chef's instructions.
1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the butter pieces to the bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes.
2. In a measuring cup, mix espresso powder with 1 teaspoon hot water. Mix to dissolve. Add 1 cup cold cream and combine together.
3. Remove bowl from freezer. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut in butter until it is pea size.
4. Toss in chocolate chips.
5. Pour the espresso-cream mixture over the flour mixture and blend with your hands or a spatula until dough just comes together.
6. Remove dough onto floured surface. Gently knead a couple times, but don't overmix. Form into a circle for wedges or a square, about 3/4 to 1 inch thick.
7. Place the pieces on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 15 minutes, or chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
9. Brush scones with cream and sprinkle with course sugar.
10. Bake scones until edges and bottom are golden and they are firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
11. Enjoy!

The Giveaway Thing:

Day #4: I'm giving away a Silpat. You know, the wonder baking sheet liner. It's great for making most everything...everything just peels off. And if you aren't a big baker, this is great when making savory things like roasted sweet potato fries. Oh yes Silpat, you are kitchen treasure. The Silpat is "half-sheet" size.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. If your email isn’t associated with your Blogger account, please be sure to leave your email in the message.
Note: This giveaway is limited to United States mailing addresses.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at midnight, Pacific Daylight Time
Disclosure: This giveaway and shipping is paid for by me.
*** Updated: Contest is closed. Congrats to Jen (entry #56) ***
Don't forget to enter the Day #1 (Sarabeth Bakery Cookbook) and Day #2 (Crate & Barrel Ramekins) and Day #3 (Everyday Food magazine) giveaways!

And, if you are currently working in a library or in library school...come back tomorrow for a special giveaway just for you. :) Happy National Library Week!

Orange Creamsicle Jello - National Library Week Day #3

Orange Creamsicle Jello

Yippee! It's National Library Week! Every day, I’m highlighting a library thing, baking something and giving something away. Today is Day 3 and we are all about the Jello, childhood memories, and free audiobooks & eBooks!

The Library Thing:

Sometimes, you don't have to even walk into the library to grab a book or audiobook! You may be able to download audiobooks and eBooks from your library while in your pajamas. More and more libraries are offering free downloadable books. One of the largest providers is OverDrive and you can download books to almost anything…except a Kindle (Amazon’s economic model is to have you buy books from them). You can transfer to a Barnes & Noble Nook or Sony Reader, and OverDrive has apps for the iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberries…yes, you can read the latest Michael Connelly while waiting in line at the grocery store! And for those who always have late fees on print books, this is perfect for you... there are no late fees…titles automatically expire! Ask your library if they provide downloadable media!

The Baking Thing:

As a kid, my mom would drive my brother and me through a local "dairy". No, there weren't any animals, but it was the original drive-thru. My mom would pull up the stationwagon and a guy would come to window and take our order. He would grab it from the shelves and refrigerator (mostly milk and Wonder bread) and sometimes, if we were really lucky, my mom would buy us ice cream. I loved the Orange Creamsicle. I would carefully eat the outside to expose the vanilla center before eating that. So, today's treat is a Creamsicle in Jello form!

This is beyond easy to make. Seriously. I mean, it's Jello and Cool Whip. Together. It magically separates as it chills. You can make this tonight and have some happy friends tomorrow. As with all my jello desserts, this was way popular in the library.

Recipe:

Orange Creamsicle Jello

2 cups boiling water
1 large box Orange Jello (6 ounces) or 2 small boxes (3 ounces each)
½ cup cold water
2 cups Cool Whip (about 75%-80% of a carton of Cool Whip), thawed
8” square pan

1. Place contents of orange Jello packet in a large bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved.
2. Add ½ cup cold water.
3. Stir in 2 cups (about 75-80% of the basic Cool Whip carton) of Cool Whip. It will melt and dissolve. The mixture will be opaque. It will separate into a two layer Jello as it chills.
4. Pour into 8” square pan.
5. Chill until firm (preferably overnight).
6. Cut into squares. I cut 6 x 6 for 36 squares.

The Giveaway Thing:

Day #3: I'm giving away a one-year subscription to Everyday Food. I really enjoy this magazine and thought you might want a copy as well!
To enter, just leave a comment on this post. If your email isn’t associated with your Blogger account, please be sure to leave your email in the message.
Note: This giveaway is limited to United States mailing addresses.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at midnight, Pacific Daylight Time
Disclosure: This giveaway is paid for by me.
*** Updated: Contest is closed. Congrats to Susan (entry #71) ***
Don't forget to enter the Day #1 (Sarabeth Bakery Cookbook) and Day #2 (Crate & Barrel Ramekins). By the way, thanks to all those who came to the poor rhubarb's defense yesterday! :) I will definitely give it another try...

And, if you are currently working in a library or in library school...stay tuned this week for a special giveaway just for you. :) Happy National Library Week! Libraries, librarians and library staff rock!

Double Strawberry Crisp - National Library Week Day #2

Double Strawberry Crisp

Whooooo Hoo!! It's National Library Week!! This is my third year celebrating NLW on the blog. Every day, I’m highlighting a library thing, baking something and giving something away.We're on Day 2 and it's a twofer: National Library Week and my baking group, Tuesdays with Dorie

The Library Thing:

Tuesdays with Dorie and French Fridays with Dorie are two baking and cooking groups I belong to...always a lot of fun! Have you checked out your local library for book clubs, knitting club, genealogy group, or a chess club? Libraries have a lot programs for children, teens and adults...even some "Renaissance" programs for older adults. I've seen sushi making demonstrations, scrapbooking, and lots of ways to get your creative juices going. Stop by today and see what's up at your library!

The Baking Thing:

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Sarah of Teapots and Cakestands chose Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp on pages 420 and 421of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.
Tuesdays with Dorie is a weekly baking group where we are making one recipe per week from Dorie Greenspan's fabulous cookbook. Have you seen the latest Oprah magazine?!?! There is a whole article about the Dorie and the group with lots of quotes by some of my favorite members!

I had this crisp for dinner. Don't judge. It had fruit and oats and ginger...those things are all very good for you. Actually, there is only a little butter in this!

Dorie's recipe makes a square pan of this crisp, but I quartered the recipe and made two cute ramekins. The crisp topping is placed on the bottom (pressed in like a crust) and layered on top. The strawberries are brought to a boil with sugar and a cornstarch slurry is added to thicken the mixture. I really like this idea because then the strawberries doesn't end up all watery in your crisp. Oh that Dorie...genius! I also liberally added the ginger (ground and crystallized) because I absolutely love ginger.

I skipped the rhubarb. With apologizes to the Rhubarb Commission and home growers of the celery-like stalk, I don't understand Rhubarb. I joke that rhubarb is for people who can't grow real fruit near them! :) I live in Southern California with access to tons of real fruit and I didn't grow up cooking or eating rhubarb, nobody grows it around here, and I kinda think it's only a sugar delivery device. Thus, no rhubarb, but some beautiful California strawberries I picked up at the Farmer's Market!

This crisp is LOVELY. It would be even better with some vanilla ice cream, but it was perfect warm out of the oven. Definitely make some this strawberry season. And don't forget to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers and see their creations!

The Giveaway Thing:

Day #2: I'm giving away four Crate & Barrel "Stockholm" ramekins! You can make your own crisp in these stylish ramekins!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post. If your email isn’t associated with your Blogger account, please be sure to leave your email in the message.
Note: This giveaway is limited to United States mailing addresses.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at midnight, Pacific Daylight Time. One winner picked at random.
Disclosure: This giveaway and shipping is paid for by me.
*** Updated: Contest is closed. Congrats to Spike (entry #77) ***
Don't forget you can still enter yesterday's Day #1 Giveaway! And come back tomorrow for another National Library Week giveaway!

Recipe:
Sarah of Teapots and Cakestands blog,
or, Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours (page 420) (Amazon or your library)

Espresso Bundt Cake - National Library Week 2011 Day #1

Espresso Bundt Cake for National Library Week 2011

Whooooo Hoo!! It's National Library Week!! This is my third year celebrating NLW on the blog. Every day, I’m highlighting a library thing, baking something and giving something away. Sound like a plan? Okay, here goes Day 1.

The Library Thing:

Dude, of course today’s library thing is your library. It’s a fantastic place where you get to grab stuff and bring it home. FREE. You just need to bring it back. How many other places let you do that? McDonald’s? Starbucks? Your cable company? Nope. The library gives you stuff free. Cool. Go. Visit. Check out stuff. Tell your friends. And treat our DVDs nicely please.

Yes, there is the Librarian Action Figure. It's based on real-life librarian and author Nancy Pearl (you can hear her on NPR). And she's showing you this cake has coffee and instant espresso. It's caffeinated and good.

The Baking Thing:

A Bundt. What else would I make?! This is a DELICIOUS bundt. The crumb is awesome. It's from Sarabeth's Bakery: From my hands to yours - a lovely new cookbook by Sarabeth Levine. This is the first item I've made and it rocks. Can't wait to try some more recipes...and if you want to make some, keep reading for a chance!

This has coffee and espresso in the batter and glaze. But it isn't overpowering...just a great cake that is perfect with, you guessed it, a cup of coffee or tea.

Look at that lovely crumb!

The Giveaway Thing:

Day #1: I'm giving away a brand new copy of Sarabeth's Bakery: From my hands to yours cookbook!
To enter, just leave a comment on this post. If your email isn’t associated with your Blogger account, please be sure to leave your email in the message.
Note: This giveaway is limited to United States mailing addresses.
Deadline: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at midnight, Pacific Daylight Time
Disclosure: This giveaway and shipping is paid for by me.
*** Updated: Contest is closed. Congrats to Ann (entry #95) ***
Recipe:

Espresso Bundt Cake

Adapted from: Margaret's Espresso Cake in Sarabeth's Bakery, From Hands to Yours (Sarabeth Levine)
Find it on Amazon or check to see if your library has it here!

Printable copy here

Cake:
1 cup hot strong coffee (I used one packet of Starbucks Via)
3 Tablespoons instant coffee or espresso (I used instant espresso)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t kosher salt
2 sticks butter, chilled and cut into cubes
2 cups sugar (recipe calls for superfine sugar, but I didn't have any)
1 t vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

Glaze: (This is different from the cookbook. Check page 117 of the cookbook for Sarabeth's version. She heats the glaze and uses brewed coffee and espresso powder)
1 teaspoon instant espresso
1 Tablespoon boiling water
1 Tablespoon milk (I used soy milk because I had that on hand)
2 cups powdered sugar

Cake:
1. Prep bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix hot coffee and espresso powder to dissolve. Let cool.
3. Sift together dry ingredients (flour, powder, salt) in a bowl.
4. Beat butter in mixer with paddle attachment at high speed until smooth (1 minute or so). Gradually add in sugar. Add vanilla. Beat until light in color.
5. Add the eggs yolks one at a time, blending in each one before adding the next.
6. On low speed, alternate adding 1/3 of the flour mix and 1/2 of the coffee mix, starting and ending with the flour. Beat until combined, but don't overbeat.
7. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to soft peaks.
8. Fold some of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then carefully fold the rest of the egg whites into the batter.
9. Pour batter into Bundt pan. Smooth out the top and place in the oven.
10. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, depending on your oven. A cake tester should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Make sure the Bundt is cool before glazing it.

Glaze:
1. In a bowl, dissolve instant espresso in boiling water. Add milk. With a whisk, gradually add the powdered sugar. The consistency should be pourable...add some powdered sugar (to thicken) or milk (to thin) if necessary.
2. Pour over cooled Bundt cake. Let sit for a few minutes before cutting.