Sass & Veracity

Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Filling

Dear Nick Malgieri,

I saw your Ginger Sandwich Cookies filled with lemon cream in a recent issue of Food & Wine magazine and decided I'd give them a try.  Although gingersnaps have never been and will never be a cookie I find myself craving, the lemon filling did catch my attention and I thought that with the ginger, the flavor could be exceptional.

Although that did not disappoint, the molasses, on the other hand, gave me pause because the last time I made cookies that had molasses in them, the results were less than appealing until I bent them into submission after much trial and error.

Now I know I'm far from perfect on most days, but I have had a modest amount of experience cooking and baking with great success -- thankfully more times than not.  I also use excellent equipment and so cannot blame poor result on either of those factors.

What I'm left with is a question, and I'm asking it of you since this is your recipe and the photograph chosen to illustrate the intended results looks far different than mine -- especially my first batch. 

• When baking cookies with molasses, is there something I just don't understand?  What causes them to spread so?  I know sugar in general causes that, and when using molasses, a smaller quantity is needed, as in this recipe which calls for only 1/4 cup.  Could it be the brand of molasses?  I use Grandma's which is just about the only kind I've ever used, and the jar I used for this batch was opened recently. 
• Although keeping a very close eye on the Ginger Sandwich cookies during the required bake time, I realized I needed to remove them from the oven only half way through the expected 20-minute baking time, and even then, the cookies were far too done.  Actually, burnt.
• I prefer to use convection settings for everything except for recipes with a high quantity of egg, so am used to reducing the heat and cooking time to compensate for that choice. However, because of the previous results, I chose not to use convection heat for this recipe.  On the second batch, again, with only 7 minutes of the baking time elapsed, I had to remove the cookies.

Mr. Malgieri, I know that often, baking is an adventure, and I accept that most of the time.  Because I'm used to reading recipes, I can usually spot one that I think could be problematic, and with this recipe, the cooking time did get my attention.  Cookies rarely bake that long.  Nevertheless, I proceeded like the trusting home cook I am.

I will say your ginger cookies are lovely tasting with a nice bite -- chewy, with a pleasant tartness from the lemon cream which blends well with the overall sweetness.  Very, very nice.  I just wish I'd done them justice.  So I'm curious and would enjoy trying these again, but detest wasting food so need some direction.

Did Food & Wine misprint the recipe?  Or am I just someone who should step away from the molasses?

With the utmost respect,
Kelly

p.s.  They stack pretty good though! 

Tuiles and Orange Yogurt Sabayon

Thursday:  8:10 am

I swore I'd not be late on this month's Daring Baker's challenge.  I even mentioned to others I'd complete it two weeks into the month, but time has a way of passing so quickly these days and before I knew it, this week was upon me and bearing down hard.

Two days ago, I cut some forms for the tuiles we are to have made.  And even yesterday, I retrieved some egg whites from the freezer to thaw so I could begin work.  But did I?  No.  So here I am today just getting started.

I know what you're thinking.  What a slacker.  And you'd be right, but it's only a bit after 8am, and I've got plenty of time even with the refrigeration time that's required for the recipe.

I'm thinking that zabaglione or pots de creme should go with my tuiles.  But I'll let you know.  So come back later even though you've got hundreds of others to visit.  I'll be posting in stages.  This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

11:12 am

The good news is that it's still Thursday.  Even better?  I'm done with the tuiles!  They're very easy to make, but do require a 30-minute refrigeration time before baking, and if you're me, then you forgot to turn on the oven and had to wait an addition period of time after the cookies were were already on the chilled baking sheets.  It never fails...

Very few ingredients are needed to make tuiles:  only 1/4 c. softened butter, 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 c. sifted all-purpose flour, 2 large egg whites, and a splash of vanilla.

 

The soft butter and powdered sugar are mixed to a paste, the egg whites added gradually while stirring to bring the mixture together.

The flour is added gradually as well, stirring, but not over-mixing until everything comes together.  A splash of vanilla is incorporated and then the whole mixture goes into the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Line the baking sheets with parchment or silicone and chill them as well.

Use some cardboard to cut out the shape you'd like to use.  I used corregated cardboard and then pinched the inside edges before using an offset spatula to spread batter over the forms.

If you'd like, add some of the cocoa powder to a small amount of the batter and mix well before spooning it into a decorators bag with a plain tip.  Make whatever decorations you'd like and then put the sheets into a 350 degrees F oven for about 7 minutes or until the edges of the tuiles are barely brown.

Remove them immediately from the pan with a thin edged spatula and use wooden spoon handles or rolling pins to shape them.  But you really have to hurry, because if you don't, then yours will be as flat and crisp as mine, poor little cute things.

Have some fun making other shapes, too, and maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to twist a few!

Okay, off to make the dessert they'll go in.

6:30 pm

Yes, it's late.  A lot later than I thought I'd be, but the goings on of a day tend to make some things take longer than I'd like.  Especially this dessert which, by comparison, is very easy.

Orange Sabayon

1 lg. egg

1 lg. egg yolk

1/3 c. sugar

zest of 1 orange

1/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice

1 T lemon juice

For the dessert...

1 orange

0% fat Greek yogurt

Prepare an ice bath in a bowl large enough to set the top pan of a double boiler.

In the top of a double boiler pan, whisk the eggs until foamy.  Gradually mix in the sugar whisking until well combined.  Add the juices and the zest, mixing well.  Place the pan over a gently simmering pan of water and stir the citrus mixture constantly until the mixture thickens like a pudding.  Place the pan in the ice bath and continue to stir until it cools.

To create a light dessert, section an additional orange and place the segments in a wide-mouthed glass.  Make sure they're well drained or the juice will pool in the bottom of the glass.  In a small bowl mix 1/2 of the chilled sabayon and 1/4 c. of the yogurt.  To serve, mound the orange yogurt sabayon over the oranges.  Don't forget to include the tuiles!

Notes:

• The tuiles are surprisingly easy to make.  Unfortunately, I baked mine for 7 minutes instead of 5 while I was looking for the browned edges and then didn't move quite fast enough to get them positioned over the rolling pin and wooden spoon handles.  I did have a chance to try it with another batch, so know not to bake them quite so long.
• The sabayon is also easy to put together.  If you wanted to fatten it up a bit, you could mix it with whipped cream and/or a bit of mascarpone.

Braised Pork Shoulder with Guinness and Dried Cherries

A few months ago I was fortunate to have won (and I never win anything...) Daniel Boulud's book Braise from The Constable's Larder.  Since receiving it, I've read through it several times, not only savoring all the possibilities, but learning about how braised food is prepared through the myriad international recipes included in this book.  I had absolutely no idea!

Whenever I get a new cookbook, it's always interesting to see which recipe will be made first and to consider why it, above all the others, would be selected.

Although the Ropa Vieja, or Cuban-Braised Flank Steak with Peppers, Tomatoes, and Peppers is tagged, I've been so busy that the idea of beginning any recipe the day before it's to be eaten hasn't been possible for weeks.  And then there's the Stuffed Cabbage with Pork and Chestnuts that I've been drooling over since opening the book to scan the photographs, its savory layers of ground meat and vegetables nestled beautifully between perfect layers of savoy cabbage and wrapped in bacon.  Oh, my.  I even purchased the ingredients, but again, the sheer time to work on one thing wasn't something I seemed to be able to pull off.

In the end, it was the Pork Shoulder with Guinness and Dried Cherries that actually came to fruition, and not because I had all the ingredients.  No, it was more about my tastes continuing to develop even at this point in my life, and I was intrigued by the idea of the cherries and the strong beer slowly braising with the pork.  I have not ever been one who likes to mix sweet and savory, but that is changing.   

I knew it would be amazing.

The pork is beyond tender and beginning to fall apart when it's finished, and the interesting combination of sweetness from the cherries is well-balanced by the headiness of the Guinness. This is total comfort food.

Flourless Chocolate Almond Spice Cookies

This is my last official 12 Days of Cookies entry, finished a week behind my other cookie-baking buddies:  Andrea of Andrea's Recipes, Claire of The Barefoot Kitchen, Sandy of At the Baker's Bench, Courtney of Coco Cooks, Judy of No Fear Entertaining, and Jerry of Cooking by the Seat of My Pants.  And you'd think I'd be completely done with all cookies after this marathon, but I was roped into graciously agreed to baking a few more for a good friend's party yesterday. 

I think it's fitting that these flourless bites of chocolate and almonds found their way onto her big cookie platter, don't you? 

One of Gourmet's Favorite Cookies from December 1994, Heart-Shaped Chocolate Almond Spice Cookies, or "Basler Brunsli" are a pleasant shift from the norm both in taste, ingredients, and preparation for me.  The "dough" is predominantly nuts and chocolate with egg whites and sugar.  A food processor makes the prep simple.  

Daring Bakers: Caramel Cake with Caramelized Brown Butter Frosting

Here I am on a Saturday morning, writing the post for the Daring Bakers' November challenge.  It's due today, but with all the chaos of construction in our house, and cooking for Thanksgiving, somehow there wasn't time to write. Let me rethink that:  I didn't feel like writing until this morning. In fact, baking hasn't been all that enjoyable since the space I normally work in is being shared with this Mac, a printer, and all sorts of other lovely things that usually have places somewhere upstairs, like bills, and catalogues, magazines I've got recipes tagged in, and things I don't want to lose track of -- like the check book we couldn't find yesterday when we needed it for the contractor.  It's a complete dust covered disaster.

To complete the image, my son's computer is set up on a card table directly behind mine, so it's a tight squeeze with the two of us sitting back to back, clicking and pecking away.

Needless to say, my kitchen is always in some stage of being used and in a reduced space, I'm exhausted with trying to make it look reasonable, too.  Good thing this month's challenge was such a breeze -- and a completely delicious one!

This month, we've had the opportunity to delve into Eggbeater author & chef Shuna Fish Lydon's recipe for Caramel Cake with Caramelized Butter Frosting.  Additionally, we could choose to make Alice Medrich's Golden Vanilla Bean Caramels, but I bowed out on this one to save for another time.  Many thanks to this month's hosts, Dolores of Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity, Alex of Blondie and Brownie, and Jenny of Foray into Food, for such excellent choices. Natalie of Gluten a Go Go assisted with quantities and ingredients for alternative diets.  Nice job, ladies!

Browned Butter and Caramel?  Oh my.  Absolutely perfect flavors for the season!  Wait.  Isn't browned butter good in any season? 

That's what I thought.  Now add some lovely hazelnuts and pear crisps and voila!

Almond Plum Big Top Muffins

Stone fruit is still going strong here in Paradise, and for some reason, I waited quite a while before I brought home some plums.  I love plums -- especially the black ones with golden fruit inside -- and when I see them in the store, I look for the ones that are very firm hoping that when I bite into one, it will at least come close to the flavor of the plums I used to steal from those trees in Spain when I was eight.

I know.  Another Spain story. 

When we lived in Chipiona, there was a grove of fruit trees very near our house.  There were also rows and rows of grape vines, but after eating grapes that weren't ripe, the plums in the trees must have become immediately more attractive.  They were big trees that required painful shimmying up the trunk since the lowest branches were too high to reach.  But that didn't stop me and while my younger brother and sister watched, I made it into the tree, and watching for the farmer.  We'd seen him before, and I'm sure it was no surprise that we were the Americano waifs that prowled the neighborhood barefoot and unsupervised, so he wouldn't have too much trouble finding our parents if we were caught.  But the plums were so big and looked so juicy. 

I straddled a hefty lower branch and edged my way to the plum I wanted, grasping a smaller branch with one hand, and reaching hard with the other.  Unfortunately, the smaller branch broke, and I fell, landing hard on my left shoulder, dislocating my arm from its socket.

Yes, it hurt.  My brother and sister thought I'd been shot because of the cracking sound the branch made, and ran, leaving me in the dirt.  I never got to taste that plum, but it's impossible not to remember that story every time I see them and although it was pretty painful, the memory makes me laugh.   

These muffins only add to it all.  They're moist and crunchy at the same time, and they're made from Joanne Chang's master recipe which was published in the March 2006 issue of Tauton's Fine Cooking, "All Your Favorite Muffins."  Joanne Chang wrote the article to illustrate how easy it is to have one recipe, then alter it with different ingredients for variety.  The first time I tried them, I went with large cups .

This time, I decided to work on getting bigger caps. 

Banana Caramel Cream Eclairs: Daring, but...

When I saw this month's Daring Baker challenge posed by the extremely talented hosts Meeta of What's for Lunch, Honey?, and Tony of Olive Juice, (you should see their sites -- Oh, my goodness...) I thought, great!  No problem.  We were given the freedom to explore the classic eclair with a recipe by none other than Pierre Herme -- and Chocolate Eclairs to boot.  Perfect, if you ask me.  The first time I made pate-a choux was when I was in junior high and it's never posed a problem until now.  It figures.

Okay, so honestly, there was that crocquembouche one year...

I know the the flour goes into the butter which has been melted in the liquid -- this time equal measures of water and milk.  I know the eggs go in one at a time and that you beat them like hell, watching the mixture go from globby to smooth.  Velvety.  I have seriously weak wrists, but I always make pate-a-choux by hand because I actually enjoy working with it.

But sometimes it really doesn't make a difference if you know these things, because well, Murphy shows up when I least want him to.  Like this time.  That's his job.

Maybe I should have spent more time in the Daring Bakers' Kitchen scouring the non-procrastinators' comments and questions.  After all, that would be the whole point of a forum, right?  But did I?  No.  So was I able to find out whether others noticed something strange about the cooking time?  No.

I used a fluted tip to pipe the soft dough onto my baking sheets, making plump little fingers lined up diagonally -- 24 of them.  But when the "about 20 minutes" of suggested baking time came and went, and I had diligently timed and repositioned pans and placed a wooden spoon in the door of my oven like directed, then examined the "puff" and scrutinized the color, and poked for "firmness" and even broke one open to peer inside, I knew that there was no way 20 minutes was enough.

I referred to other recipes for pate-a-choux to see what the differences were just in case I'd missed something -- like pate-a-choux isn't made now has it always has been.  I struggled not to think about the idea that I'd learned to make "cream puff dough" from an old Betty Crocker cookbook and you couldn't get any more basic than that.  So I watched those chubby fingers of pate-a-choux re-puff after I checked them and decided to bake them longer, and longer, and longer.  I lost count, but can estimate that they were in the oven about 35 minutes total, and still, they weren't quite as I thought they should be.

The interiors were far too moist. They were not such chubby fingers after all.  They were flat.

And if that wasn't bad enough?

Let's.  Talk.  Filling.  Shall we?  *Let's not and say we did...*

I thought caramel with bananas and chocolate glaze would be heavenly.  A few almonds sprinkled over it all.  Sooooooo....I experimented with Sherry Yard's Whipped Caramel Cream.  I figured since the Daring Bakers have done caramel until the cows come home and I even longer, that this, too, would be a cake walk. What a total fat head.

Well.  After whipping the heavy cream with the creme fraiche and other ingredients, the cooled caramel sauce never quite allowed me to "carefully" fold it in.  Somehow, I knew this.  I knew that it wouldn't work since I also know that folding anything as thick as peanut butter into fluffy cream (hahahahaha, Sherry Yard -- you're just kidding us, aren't you?) would be a complete miracle.  I'd thought of making a stabilized whipped cream, knowing that it could work, but I'm usually game to try anything once, even when I suspect something is wrong.  Certainly, it couldn't have been moi....right?  After all, I'm not Sherry Yard.  There just wasn't enough whipped cream to hold up the density of that caramel that was so decadently, deliciously spiked with lemon, and just the thought of the creme fraiche with it had me nearly swooning while thinking of the final taste.

But it began to separate, so I decided to whip up quite a bit more heavy cream, then slowly incorporate the almost broken caramel creme, and it held up.  But the sacrifice was huge.  There was no deep caramelly flavor that would have been in the original.  I ended up with an ivory colored whipped cream that I'm not sure I'd think was caramel flavored if I hadn't made it myself.

But, I persisted and put some cute eclairs together anyway, and we each ate a few, experiencing what always happens when I've bitten into an eclair -- everything squishes out the sides.

Such a beautifully decadent and glorious mess after only one small bite, don't you think?

When I asked my hunkster what he tasted, the response was, "Chocolate....and bananas."  No caramel.  But after he left, I drizzled some of the caramel sauce I made the whipped filling with over the top and oh, my goodness.  It was heavenly.  Fresh peaches and strawberries were also nice, but the chocolate glaze I made was too strong for their flavor, in my opinion.  Pretty, though.  A better idea would have been to leave the chocolate off of the top, and either sprinkle powdered sugar alone, or drizzle caramel over -- especially with the peaches.

   

Clearly, I need to whip up some more pate-a-choux so that my ego doesn't stay bruised for long.

To take a gander at 12 million more eclairs, please visit the other Daring Bakers.  For the recipe I used to make the caramel filling...

Strawberry Jam Bread Pudding

Here's what I've learned during my brioche a tete saga:  1)  I can actually make a cooking plan and stick to it when a party or special occasion isn't involved; 2)  I can make it completely through the second step; and 3) by the time the third step rolls around, the brioche is still in the fridge, wrapped sloppily in plastic, and waiting for, well, step three.

That would be now.

Did you know this brioche recipe can actually hold up after several days, and still manage to make it into a recipe?  Actually, it all worked out well, because I'd been wanting a bread pudding, and since I am sort of a traditionalist (winter comfort food, cinnamon, raisins...) when it comes to that particular type of comfort food, the idea of making one in the summer with fruit was quite novel.

I know.  I'm the ONLY one.

Others have already thought of interesting ways to add fruit to bread pudding, like peaches and raspberries, or lemon and blueberries, and yes, even fruit cocktail.  Like I said.  Interesting.

But I wanted something very simple with ingredients I had in the fridge.

Lean Brioche a Tete is Worth the Wait

You've seen that movie called Field of Dreams, right?  Kevin Costner *sigh, swoon* builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field based on the advice, "If you build it, they will come..."  Well, if I had a motto to label my life, that would be it with one caveat:  "If I spend it, it will come."  Tongue in cheek, of course, but so often, true.  I'm an optimist.

So what in hell does this have to do with food or cooking?  Everything.

Years ago when we were finally graced with a Williams-Sonoma store, I remember walking past kitchen utensils and tart pans I never imagined existed.  My husband and I would venture into the store never intending to purchase anything because it was simply out of our spending range.  He'd head back to the olive oil tasting bar which, sadly, is not there now, and I'd stand next to the baking supplies, gazing dreamily at the unique sizes and shapes.   If I remember correctly, I'd seen a photo in one of my food magazines of a perfect, golden, fluted brioche and loved the look of it, curious about its shape.  So when I saw the 7 x 3-inch silver mold stacked among all the other fancy baking things, I couldn't resist.  I had to have it.

Just one.

You're laughing, right?  Because if you know anything about brioche -- or any bread for that matter --  there's no way that one pan, even a large one, would be enough.  And reducing any recipe that much isn't something I'd have taken the time to do -- especially with a house full of boys, my husband, and mother to feed.

Life got ridiculously busy, and like many other things I've purchased in the past, the brioche mold sat in my cupboard with the other baking items I've collected, waiting until the time I might use it -- reminding me that some day, just maybe, I'd get around to it.

It's not that I thought making any kind of bread was challenging, it was more about planning ahead.  Most recipes I'd read required overnight refrigeration, and somehow, after dinner each night, the last thing I wanted to do was make brioche. 

The pace of my life is slower now -- much slower, thankfully, and so I finally purchased two more brioche molds to make my first three loaves of "brioche a tete" (which are probably not called "loaves," right?).

I chose a recipe from Sherry Yard's The Secrets of Baking because I like the way the cookbook is organized.  There's a master recipe to learn from, and then variations on the master depending on the richness of the dough.  Yard's master brioche recipe is classified as a "medium" with 25% butter as compared to a "rich" containing 40-50% butter.  I thought I was making the master recipe, and was fairly involved when I realized I was making the "lean" version which contains 10-15% butter.

My hips and thighs thanked me until I planned to make two desserts with the left over brioche.  But I'll save that for later.

Lean Brioche
Makes 2 lbs. dough

For the sponge...
2/3 c whole milk, at room temp
1/2 oz. fresh yeast or 2 tsp.  active dry yeast
1/2 c. bread flour or all purpose flour
1/4 c. sugar

In the bowl of a standing mixer using the paddle attachment, combine milk and yeast.  Mix until yeast is dissolved.  Add the flour and sugar and mix until thick.  Remove bowl from stand, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let rest in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes or until bubbles form on the surface.

For the dough...
3 c. bread flour or all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. salt
4 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 lb. unsalted butter, at room temp

For the egg wash...
1 lg. egg
1 T water
pinch of salt

When the sponge is ready, add the flour and salt, then eggs.  Mix on low speed until the eggs are incorporated, then on medium speed, mix for 5 minutes.  The dough is very thick and may begin to hit the sides of the bowl, so keep an eye on it to prevent the mixer from moving around.  A dough hook may help reduce this and can be used instead.

Reduce speed to medium low and add butter 2 T at a time.  Make sure to stop periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl before continuing, about 1-2 times.  Knead until dough is very smooth and shiny, at least 5 min.  Turn dough out of bowl to completely clean the bowl, dry it, then oil lightly.

After forming a ball with the dough, replace it in the oiled bowl, and turn it to make sure the top is coated with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temp about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.

When the dough is doubled in size, punch it down, and then fold it over on itself 2 or 3 times.  Replace the dough in the bowl and let rise again until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.  You may choose to do the second rise in the fridge, approximately 4 hours, or over night.

Toward the end of the second rise, preheat oven to 400 degrees F and place a rack in the center of the oven.  Spray three large brioche molds (7 x 3.5") with oil.

After the second rise is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board, and divide into three equal pieces, and shape each piece into a tight ball.  Cover each with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with oil and let rest for about 10 minutes. 

Roll each piece into a log, and pinch about 1-2 inches from each log and set aside.  Shape each log, and each small pinch of dough into a round.  Place the large rounds into the molds, then roll each small round into a slight cone shape.  With a finger, poke a good-sized indentation into each large round, then position each small cone into the indentation.  The goal is to make sure the small top knots stay snugly fit into the large rounds, but sticking out on top like a cherry on a sundae.  Cover all with plastic wrap sprayed with oil and let proof in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size. 

When the proofing is finished, make the egg wash, and brush the dough lightly over the top.

Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven temp down to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes or until each loaf is dark golden in color, has an internal temp of 180 degrees F, and sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Let cool in the molds on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove to cool completely. 

Enjoy with butter while it's warm, or toasted with honey or jam.

Try not to eat it all, because there are lots of great desserts you can make with it!

Notes...

• The dough is very dense and sticky.  It's heavy when the mixer is kneading it, so you really have to watch the mixer, as it will shimmy a bit across the counter, and I have a heavy duty Kitchen Aid. 
• Make sure you stay true to the mixing/kneading times.  Listen for the slap of the dough against the side of the bowl, and look for the texture called for. 
• I did followed the directions to the T, and decided to let the first rise happen at room temp (about 70 degrees F).  It took over 2 hours, and even then, didn't quite look doubled in volume.
• I chose ahead of time to do the second rise in the fridge over night, making sure to cover the molds with plastic wrap sprayed well with oil.  I expected to see a spongy mess in the morning, but didn't, and again, I was stretching to see that it was doubled in volume!
• The dough isn't light and fluffy.  It's heavy, and very silky to the touch.  Quite beautiful, actually.
• Because I refrigerated my dough for the second rise, I had to expect a longer time to rise in the molds -- more than 2 hours again to get it to fill the pan at room temp.
• The brioche baked for 7 min. on the first hot setting, then only 25 min. on the second setting.
• Because the brioche was browning very quickly, with 15 min left, I reduced the temp by 10 degrees to 340 to finish, and still took it out sooner.
• I used an instant read thermometer, removing one loaf from the hot pan (how strange is this?) and sticking it in the bottom until it read 180 degrees F, totally surprised that it actually worked.  Such a doubting Thomas at times...) And I thumped the bottom to listen for the hollow sound before dropping it gently replacing the brioche into its mold to cool.
• YUM.  Period.  With buttah mixed with honey.  Oh, my goodness.
• Two desserts made with leftovers coming up, even though the look on my husband's and son's faces indicated I was nuts to not let them eat all the brioche.

Danish Braids: Daring Bakers June Challenge

Call me Murphy because if anything could go wrong, it already has.  You know when you get to the end of a very long post and you see that spinning wheel?  The one that indicates that something's not quite right with your browser?  Yes.  That would be me about 3 minutes ago.  And now I'm supposed to start over because the whole freaking thing is gonzo. *sob*  It all happened when I clicked on that link for the Daring Bakers Blogroll...Can you believe it?

It's 12:46 am, and it's posting day for the Daring Bakers, something I can't wait for each month.  And this month in particular, since I'm one of the hosts, you'd think I'd have things all wrapped up.  I've had Danish Braid on the brain for about three months now, from thinking about choosing the recipe, to choosing it, to testing it, and baking it four different ways...and now it's time to raise the curtain and what do you think?

*crickets...*

My browser quits on me and my post is lost.  Crappity crap crap.  It's kind of like not showing up for your own party.

It's bad enough living in the farthest Southwest corner of the U.S. and always, always, always being the very last to be able to post, counting the minutes until midnight, barely waiting for my time to let it rip.  But have my browser quit on me?  That's just wrong.

Ahhhhh.....I guess I should have written this post a month ago, right?  Set it to fly when the clock hit midnight?  But no.

I've had Italy on my brain along with Danish Braid, because we're leaving in two days.  Two.  So this is my punishment for not being ready.

Nevertheless, it's time to give this another go.  To write again that which has been lost.  Right?

Um, nope.  I have no energy at this point.  Forgive me.

With what little grace I have at this point (like, ZERO?), it is so important to me to say thank you to Ben of What's Cooking? for being my co-host for this month's Daring Baker Challenge.  THANK YOU BEN!   I know Ben would have more dignity than I do right now.  *sigh* Right Ben?

Okay, enough of the melodrama and on with the pastry.

Danish Braid anyone?

This completely fabulous recipe is Sherry Yard's from The Secrets of Baking, and what a lovely recipe it is.  Cardamom, orange, vanilla...and lots of options for making it your own.  If you've ever wondered about whether you could make pastry, this is the recipe for you to try.  But I'm biased. I could have eaten all of it myself.

DANISH BRAID

Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients 
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash:  1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1.    Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  On a lightly floured  surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick.  If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again.  Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2.    Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart.  Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3.    Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle.  Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover.  Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling.  This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished.  Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1.    Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid.  Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2.    Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3.    Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown.  Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature.  The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

DANISH DOUGH                 

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe) 
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
½ cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
¼ cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine  yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed.  Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice.  Mix well.  Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated.  Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth.  You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky.  Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

BUTTER BLOCK
1.    Combine  butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free.  Set aside at room temperature.
2.    After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough  into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick.  The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour.  Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough.  Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter.  Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third.  The first turn has now been completed.  Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally.  Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3.    Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface.  The open ends should be to your right and left.  Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle.  Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third.  No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed.  Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4.    Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns.  Make sure you are keeping track of your turns.  Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight.  The Danish dough is now ready to be used.  If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it.  To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze.  Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling.  Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ vanilla bean, split and scraped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl.  Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes.  Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes.  If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid.  (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet.  After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

Notes:

• I made two braids:  one with apple filling, and the other with a combination of strawberry jam & pastry cream.  I took the jam & pastry recipes from the Beatrice Ojakangas recipe for Danish Braid in Baking with Julia.  They are quickly and easily made in the microwave and were very good.
• I also made Danish Envelopes folded two ways.  Each had the apples described above, but also with a filling of 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/4 c. demerara, 1/2 egg,  and 1/2 tsp. vanilla well mixed and dolloped onto the apples. I sprinkled chopped pecans over the filling, baked them, and then drizzled dulce de leche over the top.  Mmmm....
• Speaking of those apples -- they're delicious.  This would make a beautiful pie filling or ice cream topping, or...add some nuts and just enjoy. 
• The egg wash for the top of the braid will produce a very brown crust, so be prepared. 
• Absolutely read the recipe several times before you begin.  The recipe is very straight forward unless it's not carefully read.
• Make sure you don't cheat on the 30 minute refrigeration times between turns.  The gluten needs to rest, and the butter to chill.
• If your kitchen is above 80 degrees F, the butter will most likely pose a problem, so make sure all your ingredients are cold to begin with, and if need be, refrigerate when necessary along the way to keep things cold.
• Make sure the "fringe" on the dough for the braid isn't cut too long or the filling will ooze out during the proof time, or even worse, during baking.  Hmmm...did I do this?
• I used green cardamom pods for this -- about 16.  It's time consuming to crack them and grind the seeds, but worth it.  The dough is very aromatic, and the pastry very special.

Please take time to visit the other Daring Bakers to see their sweet and savory, nutty, fruity Danish Braids.  They're amazing, as always, and far more entertaining than I am at this point.

Somebody needs to hose me down.

And here's a quick look at round two with my Danish Envelopes.  To get the rounded ones, I placed them in a Texas style muffin pan and wrapped the corners up over the filling.  Cute little things if I might say so myself.  Wish I had one right now, and I'd drown my sorrows in that yummy pastry.

Look how much nicer my dough was the next time.  All straight and perfect! Such lovely dough to work with. Okay, forget hosing me down.  Just wrap me in this dough, and I'll be happy.