Baking Bread

Have you tried baking bread and it was just always a brick? That’s been my past experience. Like everyone else stuck at home since March I tried my hand at baking bread. I started with something easy. A recipe from PBS of all places. On a sidetrack I’m OBSESSED with PBS. I use this app the most on my Apple TV. How did I NOT know there were recipes too?

It’s called no Knead Bread and it’s the easiest thing ever. You can make this as long as your yeast isn’t expired or you even have yeast. Apparent yeast was another COVID phenomenom of items hoarded or a result of a low supply chain, it was right up there with toilet paper and flour missing from the shelves.

PBS No Knead Bread

I did try my hand many times at making sourdough bread. It’s the starter, it’s just to much for my mind to remember to feed everyday and then every week. Perhaps if I got a pet maybe i’d be more scheduled and remember this. The one time I did make great starter my bread turned out flat and dense. So I at the moment I’ve once again given up on that. One day I’ll get it right, just not today.

Fresh from the oven, cooled slightly so when you slice it crunches and slathered with butter, it really doesn’t get any better than that. You can do it, it’s about to turn colder, we hope for you in Cali really soon. Temperatures on the East Coast are still a bit warm, but it’s changing, and I can’t wait to bake through my second Winter in New York

Mindless Monday

This could be more of a brain dump rather than mindless thoughts.  But here are my thoughts. I'm working on a new logo, fonts, and style, coming soon. Have you ever made an editorial calendar? This is really hard, what to focus on for the year. Make content in advance of major events. Not an easy task, but I'm determined to do it. I'm giving myself one year to turn this site around and be consistent with my readers. Is there anything your looking to hear about, other than Cuba, which I'm working on?

Random thoughts, yes I made more lemon bars, it's a request these days and again it's that season so I have lots of lemons. What was Julian Fellowe's thinking last night on Downton. SPOILER ALERT: All my favorite characters are dying. I know actors have other obligations, but when your such a major part of the cast, really, why leave now, there probably is only one more season, and yes, viewers want "and they lived happily ever after."

I entertained pre-teen and teenagers this week. Love em, but WOW lots of work, was fun and exhausting at the same time. Hats off to mom's with teenagers.

Lemon's

We have a saying in my house, "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Seriously, sometimes we can't get a break, ever, financially that is. Living from pay check to pay check is such a drag especially at our age, but we've made sacrifices in our life so this is what we chose. "It's not a sacrifice unless you sacrifice." Yes we live this everyday.

Enough of my self pity and on to lemon's. They are in season now and we have vowed not to buy lemons. This is because we have at least three friends with lemon tree's, including a Meyer lemon tree, so we are well supplied.

We received a generous bag of lemons, While I was away in Salt Lake City for the AltSummit they were starting to really ripen (next step is green mold). Upon my return I went to the recipe books and idea's.

On top of the supply of lemons we received a gift of mini loaf pans, a Madeleine pan and a few other baking goodies. All my friends know I love to bake, plus they know I usually give more then half of it away. I like the process of baking, it's relaxing. I love to have a movie on in the background and the smells bring up good childhood memories.

Here's a few of my recipe's and images from my lemon baking Super Bowl Sunday. No chilli cheese, mini-burgers or seven layer dips this night. This lemon cake was adapted from Ina Garten's recipe on the Food Network. Only difference is I added in the full 3/4 lemon juice to the cake, I'd do it again, it was a good mistake. I just requires you to juice more lemons. Also I used 5 mini loaf pans so it would be cuter and easier to give away.

Soaked Lemon cakes on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath, easier to clean up.

Next on my list to bake were Madeleine's. I'm kind of addicted to these tasty morsels. While they turn out spongy, I will continue to explore a crunchy version of these goodies.  For this recipe I like to use Martha Stewart's, this is from her cookbook.

I couldn't find it online to link to, so the recipe is below with my added notes. Difference is I added 1 Tbsp of lemon zest and 1/4 tsp of almond extract. This recipe makes 36 Madeleines.

4 eggs
    1/4 tsp salt
    2/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp of lemon zest

1/4 tsp of almond extract
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
    1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled.

 

Preheat the over to 375F Degrees.

Make sure you butter and flour Madeleine pans. I do this even when I have non-stick Madeleine pans, just in case they decide to give me a hard time and not come up.

Beat the eggs, salt and sugar together until thick, this takes about 8 minutes.

Add the lemon zest, almond extract and vanilla. Fold in the flour. Fold in the butter make sure this is incorporated as the butter tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Spoon the mixture into your Madeleine pans. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool on racks. If your serving right away dust with confectioners sugar otherwise wait till your ready to serve them as the sugar soaks into the cookies.

Madeleines and Lemon loaves packed and ready for delivery to my friends.