Tag Archives: baking

Baking Basics and Beyond

24 Jan

I have never met Pat Sinclair, but I feel like she just spent the weekend with me in my kitchen, teaching me the fine points of baking.  Her cookbook, Baking Basics and Beyond, is like the most comprehensive set of basic baking classes, all wrapped up in 300 beautifully-illustrated pages!

The book begins with what could be called Baking 101 – a practical introduction to ingredients, equipment and techniques.  Each of the book’s chapters (including Biscuits and Scones, Pies and Tarts, and Custards and Bread Puddings) is like a separate class, beginning with its own introduction that provides the basics you will need to prepare the recipes like a master baker.  There are even more tips provided in each recipe – Pat Sinclair includes tons of Baker’s Notes and Secrets to Success to help even the most novice baker create sweet masterpieces.  Seriously – I am about as beginner as bakers come – and I felt like Pat was talking me through each recipe as I prepared it, guiding me and giving me tips along the way.  Her passion for baking envelops the whole book, and is completely contagious!  I asked Pat about her love for baking, and how beginners can ensure success every time:

RC: What do you think it is about baking that brings so many people comfort?

PS: I think the smells of baking remind everyone of home. Especially when mom baked as we were growing up and the smell of chocolate chip cookies filled the house. Also so many of our holiday traditions include families baking together or serving traditional foods that have been enjoyed by many generations.

RC: You offer so many helpful “Secrets to Success” with the recipes in your book – what is the “Secret to Success” for baking in general?

PS: Baking requires accurate measuring more than anything. Using the proper way to measure dry ingredients and liquids ensures the proper proportion of ingredients. I always recommend preparing a recipe exactly as written the first time before trying any variations. Proper time and temperature are also essential.

RC: So many cooks say they prefer savory cooking to baking because they don’t like dealing with the precision required for baking.  What would you say to these cooks to convince them they will enjoy baking?

PS: Satisfaction from baking comes with the results. Savory cooking is something we do everyday. I find it very rewarding to pull a loaf of crusty bread or a fruit pie bursting with juicy summer fruits from the oven. Baking provides more of a challenge but the results are worth it.

RC: If you could spend one uninterrupted day baking your favorite foods, what would you bake?

PS: Breads, especially yeast bread. Caramel sticky buns and cinnamon swirl raisin bread are something i’d like to eat every day. But I’m also a big fan of cheesecakes and buttery cakes.

Fueled by the inspiration that fills the pages of Baking Basics and Beyond, I headed to my own kitchen to prepare some of Pat Sinclair’s recipes for myself – and was thrilled with the outcome!

The Almond Tea Loaf is one those treats that looks basic at first glance, but once you taste it, you realize it is something very special.  Almond paste gives it amazing flavor and texture, and a sweet, warm glaze spooned over the loaf after it comes out of the oven takes it completely over the top!  Everyone should have a few recipes like this in their arsenal – sure-fire successes that are simple to put together and taste spectacular!  And for that reason, with permission, I have included the recipe at the end of this post.  Trust me – you NEED to make this Almond Tea Loaf!

Pat’s Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake is pure, decadent happiness!  The coffee cake itself is so good I would eat it without all of the bells and whistles…but then I would miss out on the cream cheese filling, raspberry jam and sweet icing that make this the perfect treat to accompany a leisurely weekend cup of coffee.

The most unique recipe I prepared from Baking Basics and Beyond is the Gingerbread Nectarine Cobbler.  The recipe calls for fresh nectarines and mixed berries, but Pat explains that in the winter, she sometimes prepares this recipe with frozen sliced peaches and blueberries.  Since it is definitely winter here in New Jersey (I baked this as snow was falling outside), I opted for the peach/blueberry route – and fell completely and totally in love!  I love the contrast between the distinctly winter comfort food flavor of the gingerbread and the summery feel of the peaches and blueberries!  This cobbler will definitely be on my Thanksgiving menu this year!

Owning a copy of Baking Basics and Beyond is like having your own personal baking instructor on call 24 hours a day.  Filled with both sweet and savory recipes, this book is an enormously valuable resource to beginner bakers, home cooks, and even more advanced bakers who want to refine their skills.  I am so excited to continue baking from this book – the Toffee Bars are on my agenda this weekend!

And now…as promised…the recipe for Pat Sinclair’s fabulous Almond Tea Loaf! 

Almond Tea Loaf  (Reprinted with permission from Baking Basics and Beyond, Second Edition, by Pat Sinclair, Agate Surrey, December 2011.)

Makes 1 loaf (12 to 16 slices)

  • 1 ½ cups (182g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (10mL) poppy seed
  • 1 teaspoon (5mL) baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.25mL) salt
  • ½ cup (114g) butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup (177mL) milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon (5mL) almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5mL) vanilla
  • ½ cup (118mL) crumbled almond paste, from a 7-ounce (196g) package

Glaze

  • ½ cup (100g) sugar
  • ¼ cup (59mL) orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon (5mL) almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5mL) vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) with oven rack in middle. Lightly spray a 9×5-inch (22.5×12.5cm) loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Place flour, sugar, poppy seed, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, eggs, almond extract and vanilla in bowl of a heavy-duty mixer.  Beat on Low speed until blended.

Increase to Medium speed and beat 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  The batter will be smooth.  Add almond paste.  (If it is very firm, I usually chop it finely in my food processor.)  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out dry.  The bread may be beginning to pull away from pan sides.

Cool on wire cooling rack 10 minutes.  Run a spatula around sides of pan to loosen bread.  Place rack over the bread and invert so bread falls onto the rack.  Remove pan and turn top side up.  Place a tray or waxed paper beneath to catch the glaze.

Glaze

Combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved.  Simmer 30 seconds.  Pierce bread generously with a skewer.  Slowly spoon warm glaze on top of bread, allowing it to soak in.  Cool completely before slicing.

Sweets on a Stick

11 Jan

Kids just love food on a stick.  I’m not quite sure why – maybe it’s the fact that it encourages you to play with your food a bit.  And let’s face it – even as adults, treats on a stick are a bit more fun and festive.  That is why Linda Vandermeer’s new cookbook, Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies and Pies on the Go! will appeal to the kid in all of us!

What I like most about this book (besides the fact that the recipes are YUMMY!) is that the recipes range from easy enough for small children to make (Fairy-Bite Marshmallow Pops, Rainbow Fruit Kabobs) to more advanced decorating (Safari Mask Cookies, Gumball Pops), with every skill level in between.  Whether you are looking for an activity for a child’s birthday party, something to make as a gift, or just a festive addition to an everyday meal, you will find the perfect recipe in this book!

As part of her blog tour to promote Sweets on a Stick, I asked Linda Vandermeer a few questions about the appeal of skewered food:

RC: What do you think makes food on a stick so much more exciting for kids?
LV: Kids are so creative and fun, their minds are still open to so many new and exciting experiences and they are naturally inquisitive. In my experience kids can find fun in almost anything, but the addition of a stick seems to add that something special. Spaceships are zoomier, Butterflies flutter higher and wands have a little bit extra magic. I’m not exactly sure why it works, maybe it’s just by extending the fun past their normal reach everything becomes bigger and greater than what they are used to.

RC: Any ideas for savory treats on a stick?
LV: Marinated kabobs are a bit of a hit with the kids in our household.

RC: What is your personal favorite “sweet on a stick”?
LV: I really like the Oreo truffle pops from page 123 of the book, they are relatively easy to make, only require a couple of ingredients, don’t need baking and can be decorated like any of the cake pops in the book. My favorite cake pop decorating instruction is the Big Mouth Monster pop from page 28, they seem to appeal to both boys and girls and to such a wide age group.

Of course, I also had to try out a few of Linda’s recipes, too – and I already found a few favorites of my own!  The PBJ and Chocolate Bites were little mouthfuls of childhood memories!  Even though the cupcake is chocolate (and really, that’s just a bonus, isn’t it?), the fluffy, light texture of the cake exactly mimicked the texture of the Wonder Bread every good PB&J sandwich belongs on.  Add to that the addictively delicious peanut butter frosting and the strawberry jelly filling, and these mini cupcakes are pure happiness!

The Sticky Cinnamon Roll Sticks quickly became a favorite in the Random household!  When you first bite into them, the taste and crispy, flaky outside are a little reminiscent of an elephant ear pastry…then you sink your teeth into the soft, sweet, sugary, cinnamon-y roll, and you realize this easy-to-prepare treat (made from packaged puff pastry!) tastes like you’ve been baking all day!  And how adorable would these pops be on a brunch buffet?

With permission, the recipe for Linda’s ridiculously yummy Sticky Cinnamon Roll Sticks follows below.  But first, here’s the rest of her blog tour schedule, complete with plenty of chances to WIN a copy of this whimsical cookbook!

1/9/12 JoAnn Mathias, Moogie and Pap blog (Review)

1/9/12 Vicky Flores, Mommy Loves Giveaways (Review/Giveaway)

1/10/12 Shelley Zurek, Still Blonde after all these YEARS (Giveaway)

1/11/12 Holly Burtchaell, Random Cravings Blog (Review with recipe/Q&A)

1/11/12 Kathleen Walck, Katy and Kid (Review/Giveaway)

1/12/12 Lawna Noe, Giveaway Blogs (Review/Giveaway)

1/13/12 Rachel Tiller, Consumer Queen (Giveaway)

1/14/12 Ellen Christian, Confessions of an Over-worked Mom (Review/Giveaway)

1/15/12 Mallory O, Mommy Pants blog (Review/Giveaway)

1/17/12 Jennifer Ball, Mom Vs. the Boys Blog (Review/Giveaway)

1/19/12 Emmi Langer, Mommy’s Free Time blog (Review)

As promised, here is the recipe for the Sticky Cinnamon Roll Sticks – but be careful – once you have tasted them, you will need to make them over and over again to satisfy the cravings you have created!

Sticky Cinnamon Roll Sticks (From Sweets on a Stick: More than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies and Pies on the Go by Linda Vandermeer. Copyright © 2012 Linda Vandermeer)

  • ½ stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 package frozen puff pastry dough sheets, thawed
  • (2 sheets, around 17.3 ounces)
  • 12 wooden paddle pop sticks
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup milk or cream
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a medium bowl mix together the butter, sugar, and cinnamon with a spoon until well combined.

3. Spread ½ of the cinnamon mixture evenly over one of the sheets and then roll it up, starting from the long side, to make a long log. Cut the log into 6 pieces and lay each piece onto the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry and cinnamon mixture. Gently push a wooden stick about halfway into each of the rolls.

4. Bake 25–30 minutes until golden. Leave to cool a little on the cookie sheets and then, using a spatula, lift them onto a wire rack to cool, being careful not to disturb the sticks.

5. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl and mix in cream and maple syrup.

6. Top each roll with a dollop of the maple syrup glaze and serve.

Linda Vandermeer started cooking with her mother as a child and now encourages her three children to help her in the kitchen. Inspired by their creativity, she started her blog BubbleandSweet.blogspot.com, which features all of her delectable creations. Her recipes have been published in Peekaboo Magazine and Adore magazine. A stay-at-home mom, she lives with her husband and three children.

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