Wish upon a star

After the bagel disaster of 09 I decided to repeat it. It was all my fault of course for not following the recipe. Decided to knead the flour all light (like is bread) and not stiff like they said. When I put them to boil they deflated and looked like a hot mess. I got it this time though and decided to experiment with some shapes. Got this technique online. Took a while to do and I got ZERO sleep while making these things. No seriously. Got about 2 hours sleep and was up at 1am shining light in the husband eye. Poor soul. So here you have it folks. Potato star bagel experiment. Used my Florida Drivers license to make the pattern ( just in case it melted or something I used license that I would never need again...couldn't use the Credit card now could I).

Just Squash it

Waking up way too early a morning and going to the market, I stumbled upon some squash and remember a recipe. It was for roasted butternut squash bread and I had been dying to try it. Aside from the fact that the thing took 1 hour to roast it was so moist that I could not help myself. The two pits filled up with ...well...squash water and due to the fact that it was seasoned before it was roasted the husband experimented with drinking it. Yes. Roasted squash water. I am ashamed to say it tasted really good. So here is it folks (I have decided that that is my new tag line). Eh hem. So here it is folks. Roasted Butternut Squash bread..at least I think it is butternut squash. I didn't ask tanty in the market for the biological breakdown.

QUICHE

What I like about Quiche is that you can take practically anything in your fridge and drop it in there and it will taste fantastic. I had a little bit of leftover everything so I cooked and steamed accordingly, cut it up and dropped it in. Not only did this look nice but it tasted great. This was a meal all by itself. Here is some Pumpkin, Carrot and Sausage quiche.

Run Run Run as fast as you can...

Ginger Bread? What is my kitchen coming to? Needed to do something a lil different so I opened the fridge to see what I could experiment with. Pumpkin...done that. Carrot....that could work. GINGER...ahhaaaa! So blended a little (and I mean a little) bit of the Ginger root with some carrot and the ususal pumpkin and added it to my whole wheat bread recipe (finally getting to use my dough hook..yea). I was worried because I am not a big fan of ginger and I thought I had overstepped my boundaries with this one. Smelt the mixed dough..no ginger. Smelt the risen dough....no ginger. Put the thing in the oven and opened it after 20 minutes to check it...Ginger smell almost knocked me out. This is one of the most beautiful breads I have ever made. When you taste it the ginger aroma floats up to the roof of your mouth and makes you feel all warm inside. This bread is an experience.

Pumpkin - The easy way out.

Since my last two 20 hour bread fiascoes I have decided to stick to what I know for a while. I used my standard whole wheat bread recipe and added a little pumpkin. OK. Added a lot of pumpkin. I almost amputated my fingers trying to cut, peel and blend that thing and all people could say was, "How do you get it so soft?". Soft! Forget soft. Do you taste the pumpkin? All my breads are soft (with the exception of the 20 hour disaster). Whatever folks. Here is some Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread.

Come and Lime

Finally got a chance to use my new best friend. The husband is of the impression that since new equipment is being bought that new recipes should come forth. He asked for cake. I don't think I have ever baked a cake before. Anyway, going brave I dove into this lemon cake recipe. Of course I had no lemons (what you think this is) and I used limes (thank you, neighbor tree). I have this thing where I can't eat cake that is not frosted. The husband being out of the house , not wanting to walk to the shop and seeing all the recipes calling for icing sugar...I found an alternative. So here is Lime Cake with Lime Filling. The filling recipe called for Cornflour and I used Cornmeal...still trying to figure out if there is a difference. It was light and fluffy and the filling on top tasted fantastic. Still have to perfect the trick of adding egg to a hot liquid without scrambling it though. I would like to thank the Academy...

Aid in my Kitchen

After weeks of stress and running back and forth and emails and phone fights and sweat and tears I FINALLY got my Kitchen Aid mixer. About 2 months ago I started an ebay stalkfest of this thing and that lasted about 2 weeks. I put an ad on Facebook marketplace and finally got a contact from a lady down here. I have never been so desparate and impatient in all my life. I knew what I wanted and I wanted it now. Yeah. That attitude almost lost me my mixer. Thank God for second chances. So here it is. My new (used) KitchenAid Mixer with grinder attachment. I can't wait to christen this bad boy.

Pumpkin time

So being a glutton for punishment I decided to repeat my 20 hour bread experiment. This time I chose a pumpkin bread recipe. What I realize is that these things always turn out a disaster when I dont follow the recipe. I cannot remember what I did or did not do to this one to ruin it but I will not be trying it again any time soon. So here you have it. 18 hour risen pumpkin bread. It looks great and tastes a little less great. I dont think I want to go through all that again for bread. ps, those little orange specks are pumpkin.

Spongey Badness

So the husband was hammering for a particular treat. Wanted me to try to recreate a sort of spongecake soaked in rum other wise known as a Baba au Rhum. Hunted all over till I found the recipe and then as usual changed it to suit me. Added a lil guava puree to the mix and made a loverly (yes loverly) guava rum syrup to go with it. It is pretty much a sponge cake soaked in rum syrup. Kinna wetish but tasted fantastic. Have to try it one more time to get the proper consistency of the dough. Next time I am leaving the guava out of the dough (cause it ended up looking more like a batter than a dough) and I will experiment with fruit liqueur. Mango rum anyone?

White as Snow

White bread is not my favourite bread. I have never made it until now. I ran out of whole wheat flour a few days ago and had no choice. *sigh*. Anyway, here is some white bread. I tried to get it as unwhite as possible. I have this thing about bread looking nice and caramel on top. All brown and toasty and not about to blind some passerby. I dont like bread that haunts my house. Get it...white....like a Ghost...haunts....whatever. Substituted a few things that I did not think made sense. Now trying the recipe and already changing crap. About to start experimenting with some different flours though. Thinking about adding stuff to the breads to make them a lil more unique. I finally fixed the time on these posts. It is 7:48 pm now. While you sleep...I bake. Actually is it Friday night so while you party...I bake.

Cheese Please

So yesterday while I was posting the disaster pics I was in the middle of making my (now favourite) Garlic Cheese Bread. As I was about to put it in the oven I heard an all too familiar "vap". Those of us with gas tanks know that is not a good sound. This was about 11pm. I just left the dough out and was able to bake it early this morning after a certain someone had to drive all over the place looking for a tank. God bless him! So here it is folks. Garlic Cheese Bread with thyme. The best bread I have made up to this point. Nice and fluffy...and way too yeasty cause it rise whole night....but still tasting fantastic.

Train Wreck

What state of mind would you be in if after you spend 20 hours waiting for bread to rise it came out a total disaster. Image you put bread to rise for 18 hours, wake up 5 in the morning (disturb the man) and put bread to rise for 2 more hours....then when you finally put it to bake it looks lovely but is as HARD AS STONE. The sponge (dough) came out exactly as they said it should...nice with all the gluten strands looking all sexy. Then I bake the thing and it just good to cut in small pieces and give out as paper weights for Christmas. My new favourite word is Vendetta. This is my relationship between me and Ciabatta bread and Bagels. Two disasters. I shall not rest until I have them perfected. I think I need counseling. (p.s. this is the debut of my new bowl. after hinting I finally got a donation. teehee)

Gnocchi Boredom

I was bored one day and was looking at some recipes online. I came across a gnocchi recipe and then remembered that I KNEW how to make this. Real easy. Good thing I had one potato left. I also had some pumpkin so I threw that in. Steamed it though to keep all the flavour. Added to a little lentils. Simply delicious. I used the front of the tines not the back as some ppl do. I prefer it this way.

Captain's Log

It is going on 3 weeks since I have worked at the patisserie. Sales have been a bit slow there so I was given a 'break'. I am loving it though because I am getting a chance to experiment on my own. I am SERIOUSLY thinking about starting my own business. My husband and I have already come up with a name and it is available .com-wise.I have already contacted potential suppliers in China (who by the way have already communicated with me unlike the potential suppliers right here). It is going to be a WHILE before I am anywhere close to doing anything on my own (years even) but doing a lil research never hurt anybody. I like this blog thing. I feel like I am doing a Captain's Log. lol.