Rick Katz’s Brownies for Julia TWD

So last night, as I was making these, (three cheers for me for getting them done before Tuesday) I was talking to S. and when I told him I was baking brownies, he attempted to get me to drive to Oakville to bring him some. A taxi service, I am not, but these were very tasty so I can’t fault him for trying. We have a party on Sunday so I used an 8 x 8 pan for the majority of the batter and made some brownie tarts for him. I had to try a little so I made a mini bundt for me. Thank goodness for a multitude of baking pans.

Thanks to Tanya of Chocolatechic for selecting today’s recipe. Dorie suggested that they should be a little gooey in the middle. I think I may have overbaked mine a little but regardless they were very tasty. I also cheated as I only had bittersweet chocolate on hand. Otherwise, I followed the directions and resisted the temptation to add white chocolate chips.  In my world, you can’t ever have too much chocolate so maybe next time I will add them.

Our favourite banana muffins

These are my favourite muffins. My mum has been making this recipe for as long as I can remember and they are definitely a family favourite. I have made them countless times but most recently I made them for my mum when she had a number of  guests stay for the weekend. Sometimes I add chocolate chips for a little something extra but this time I stuck to the basic recipe. Caroline made them this weekend to welcome an old friend to the city; there is nothing homier than banana muffins.

Over the years I have looked for a copy of the book this recipe comes from. But it was out of print and so I have always been very jealous of my mum’s copy. So tonight as I was writing this post I typed it into google just to make sure I got the credits right for the book and guess what!? Muffin Mania is back in print! Check it out. Clearly it was fate that I made this recipe tonight and have oodles of time for searching the internet. I’m going to have to order a copy!

Now onto the recipe!

Best Ever Banana Muffins
From: Muffin Mania
3 large bananas
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup melted butter

Mash bananas. Add sugar and slightly beaten egg. Add the melted butter. Add the dry ingredients and bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

TWD Milk Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes

I was pretty excited about this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie because many moons ago, Caroline bought me some mini bundt pans, which I had never used before today! So, thanks to Kristin of I’m Right About Everything for choosing this weeks recipe and forcing me to try out the pans!

I made a few changes to the recipe to fit my current supplies (I am still trying to figure out why I have 3 bags of white chocolate chips in my cupboard) and preferences. I only made half a batch because I only have 4 bundt pans. I also left out the nuts because, I’m sure if you have read the blog before, we are not big on nuts in baking here at Bake with Us. I subbed in white chocolate chips due to my aforementioned over-abundance.  I also opted not to make the glaze. This was because a) I am lazy  b) I’m not serving it until tomorrow night and c) the bf likes raspberries so I’m thinking of making a raspberry sauce to go with them!

I’m looking forward to trying this and will keep you posted on my thoughts! Be sure check out some other TWD bakers for more Milk Chocolate Bundt goodness.

Oatmeal Bread

I love bread. I am quite happy to have a beer and bread for dinner (beer is really liquid bread, isn’t it?) That being said I try not to have that meal too often, for a variety of reasons, one being that if I had it all the time it wouldn’t be such a treat. I have been meaning to enter into the bread making world for a while but I kept putting it off. Last weekend, I committed my Sunday to bread making and it was well worth it.

Now I will be the first to admit that it isn’t the prettiest looking bread I have ever seen but I think it isn’t bad for a first go. The recipe comes from the Mennonite Central Committee’s More with Less cookbook. I recommend this book for it’s simple recipes and ideological perspective, especially in a time when concerns about food security and the ethical use of food resources are so pressing.The other books in the series are equally as good, Extending the Table and Simply in Season. You can buy these books from your local Ten Thousand Villages Store,  MCC’s online store or your preferred bookseller.

Oatmeal Bread

Combine in a large bowl:
1 c. quick oats
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T salt
2 T butter

Pour over the above mixture:
2 c. boiling water

Stir in to combine.

Dissolve:
1 pkg dry yeast (or 1 T) in
1/2 c. warm water

When batter is cooled to lukewarm, add yeast.

Stir in:
5 c. white flour

Once the flour is mixed knead the bread for 5-10 minutes. (I used my stand mixer for 5 minutes or so. I think that it could have used longer so I will try that next time). Place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled (I think this took an hour or so). Punch down and let rise again (Once again I think it took an hour or a bit more).  Shape into 2 loaves and place in greased 9×5x3 pans. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes. Cool and brush with butter. Eat this bread with your friends and family, good bread is meant for sharing.

Cocoa-Nana Bread TWD

I can not get enough of banana recipes and when another one showed up on TWD I was more than happy to make it. Claire and I bailed on the first two recipes of the month because we just weren’t into them but I have to say this one was a winner. In my books, chocolate and banana is a stellar combination, and Dorie, of course, didn’t fail me. Thanks to Steph of Obsessed with Baking for selecting this recipe. If you haven’t checked out Steph’s blog yet you should; her photos are great and her baking looks picture perfect (and she is from Toronto too!)

I made this recipe in a smaller loaf pan (8 x 4) and 4 mini bundt pans instead of the 9 x 5 that was called for. This meant that I could reduce the baking time and have more to share. As I was making this, I was wishing that I had one of these pans. I think this may have to be my next baking related purchase.

The photos are a little lame this week because even though I baked during the day, it was grey and rainy here in Toronto and my already super dark apartment wasn’t working with me. When I have more time I should make a light tent and when I have money I should get a DSLR. Until then, you my dear readers, will have to deal with my sketchy photos.

Cake Decorating

This past weekend, I took a cake decorating course at Artistic Cake Design in Ottawa. My friend Cindy, who is planning on making her friend’s wedding cake, had told me about the class and I decided to tag along. Considering that fact that I am pretty much the least creative person ever, I was a little nervous about how the class would go. Note: when I was in grade 8, I was told my painting was a waste of paint by my art teacher! However, I had a lot of fun and even though my cake was not the prettiest in the class, the day was full of learning and laughs!

The final product

Other than decorating this beauty of a cake, we learned some helpful hints about making and colouring icing and learned other decorating techniques such as character cakes (we did a snowman in class). I would definately recommend this course to anyone who was interested. They offer other courses that you can find on their website, but be warned, they fill up quickly! At the end of the day, everyone got to take home the decorating tools they used during the day, as well as their final cake! I was going out that night with friends, so I brought the cake along!

TWD Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars

It has been a little while since I posted a TWD, and I asked Caroline if I could make this weeks recipe. I think it was because it uses condensed milk and I figure, condensed milk makes most things taste yummy!

This weeks recipe was chosen by Lillian of Confectiona’s Realm. The recipe is on pages 114 and 115 if you have the book. I halved the recipe and used an 8×8 pan. I only used about half the suggested peanuts because I am not a big peanut fan. And, I omitted the raisins because in my world, raisins are not in candy bars:)

We just had these tonight after dinner, and I must say, they are quite yummy. Next time I might even add more peanuts. Many people had said they were better cold, so we did a taste-test and it is definitely true!  These are one of my favourite TWD recipes thus far. Thanks Lillian for choosing this yummy treat:)

Martha’s Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

I am constantly on the look-out for new chocolate chip cookie recipes to try. So, when Caroline gave me Martha Stewart’s Cookies in my stocking this Christmas, this cookie was an obvious first choice.

I made these the other morning after a request came in from a certain boy, asking for a sweet treat for his lunches and dinners at work. I didn’t have much time to work with and these cookies looked quick to whip up so I figured it was the perfect time to try them out!

I have to say, I really enjoyed these cookies! I got a text later on that night at work to say they were “awesome”, so I think I have found a new winner with these cookies. This recipe is a keeper:)

I made a few small changes along the way. First off, I never have light brown sugar so I used dark. Also, I used regular salt, halved the recipe and used milk chocolate chips only. And because I have a hot oven, I decreased the cooking time because the edges were golden at around the 9 minute mark.

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Martha Stewart’s Cookies

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp coarse salt
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (or a combo)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour and baking soda in a bowl. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add salt, vanilla and eggs; mix until well blended, about 1 minute. Mix in flour. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies, rotating half-way until edges turn golden but the middle is still soft, 10-12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for about 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Can be stored at room temp for up to 1 week.

P.S. Sorry for the lack of posts the past few weeks. We at Bake With Us needed a small break from the sweet extravaganza that was Christmas but we are on our way to being back in the saddle. Keep reading, we’ve got lots of baked goods up our sleeves.

Low and Lush Cheesecake TWD

Well, I am just squeaking this one in. I realize that it isn’t Tuesday but there was this little comment that you could post this recipe during the week of the 28th, so here it is a few days late. The Tea Lady of Tea and Scones (what a great blog name eh?) picked this week’s recipe. I don’t recall ever making a cheesecake so this was a new one for me. I made it for New Year’s Eve, which S. and I spent in Waterloo with Pam and co. We played Rock Band and ate tons of food; it was a great way to ring in the new decade.

Cheesecake in the snow

I think the cheesecake was a hit. It was pretty rich and we had been eating all night so people didn’t eat tons of it. I had one bite. I am not a chocolate cheesecake person so one was enough for me. Despite this, I was pleased with how it turned out, I think the low part made it much easier to tell that it was done. Next time I would like to try a vanilla cheesecake, now that’s something I can get behind.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This post is a little late but it marks our one year anniversary of the blog. Perhaps one of our New Year’s resolutions will be to try and be more consistent with our blogging!? Anyways, on to the baking!

In our family, we are creatures of habit. So, when I decided to make a new Christmas dessert, it was met with some apprehension and perhaps, a little dismay. So much so, that on Boxing Day my mum had to make the traditional sherry trifle just do keep certain members of the family happy (hint: he is the only male in the Stewart family).

Merry Merry!

I originally had this recipe with Caroline when we were visiting her friend Pam and it was so yummy! I looked at other recipes for sticky toffee pudding but figured it was better to stick with something we knew would be good! Needless to say, even though there were some people who didn’t seem interested in the dessert (because it had dates in it!?) everyone seemed to like it. In our family, caramel is loved and who can’t like a cake covered in it! Plus, the recipe is Irish, how appropriate.

Thanks to Pam for finding this yummy recipe! Oh, and Happy New Year from Bake with Us!