Daring In June

June Daring Bakers Challenge
Ground cardamom.....$10.99
One vanilla bean.......$11.29
Gas to the store......$300.00
Happy coworkers....priceless

Originally I wanted to make of filling of fresh figs, mascarpone, honey and pistachios...but since figs are not in season that idea was a bust. I decided that the fruit stand would make my choice for me . Fresh apricots with almond cream and fresh blueberries with lemon cream it is. Both creams were adapted a little from Dorie Greenspan Baking From My Home To Yours. I could eat the lemon cream all day everyday and the almond cream is amazing when it bakes and turns creamy with a sticky sweet crust. I made the dough and the creams first, but 2:30am was the wonderful time to form the braid and let it rise, 4:30am to turn on the oven, and yes 5am to begin baking so it would be fresh and warm for my job at 6am. Thursday they received the apricot almond braid and Friday the blueberry lemon. Two nights of very little sleep. I should be nominated for sainthood. Saint Amber Teresa. It has a nice ring. The pastry smells absolutely "divine" (another saintly word) while baking but I will say, let it cool at least a little before you taste it please, trust me.

And be patient with my photos it took a long time to even get one on here.

The danish pastry recipe is quite long so I am only posting my fillings. I will be happy to send it to you on request.

LEMON CREAM
1 cup sugar
zest of 3 lemons
4 eggs
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 sticks + 5 T soft butter

Mix sugar and zest in processor. Add eggs and juice.
Pour in top of a double boiler over simmering water and whisk often until thick and reaches 180 degrees, 10 - 20 minutes. Remove. Pour into a blender and cool 10 minutes. Blend on low to medium slowly adding soft butter a few tablespoons at a time and blend a few minutes more. Place in a bowl cover top of cream snuggly with plastic wrap and chill.

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries mixed with...
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup sugar

For the braid use 1- 1 1/2 cups of the lemon cream and cover with the sugared blueberries. Braid pastry over.

ALMOND CREAM
3/4 stick soft butter
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 t flour
1 t cornstarch
1 egg
2 t dark rum or 1 t pure vanilla extract

Using a mixer, fluff butter and sugar. Add almonds. Mix flour and cornstarch together and add to butter mixture. Add egg. Add rum. Cover and chill.

1 1/2 cups fresh apricots diced mixed with...
1/2 cups sugar then to taste

For the braid use 1- 1 1/2 almond cream and cover with fresh sweetened apricots. Braid pastry over.

And We're Back

Tastespotting is back in business.
Thank you.

Unfortunately I think all the old posts that I never got to are gone but perhaps that is a good thing because I think my computer was in virtual shock with all my bookmarks.

Potty Mouth Post

I went to Tastespotting and it has shut down. What the hell? Now how will I spend my hours making my butt go numb? Evidently there are legal issues.

Damn lawyers.

Why can't they just let us all get fat in peace?

Number 2

Number 2 makes me think of childhood slang. Weird sense of humor, I know. And as an adult it reminds me of Austin Powers. But this is my 2nd post after all so it just makes sense as my title.

Anyways, here is an update on my changing life. I have joined "Daring Bakers" which is very exciting and the reason I have started a blog which I must to do for other reasons also, but this was the push I needed. It is fun how when one door opens lots of windows come with it. Now there is some pretty bad computer humor for you.

Okay...I found "Tastespotting" which led me to everything which led me to "Daring Bakers" which led me to bloggers which means I am so far in over my head with food and sites and such that my brain is spinning with excitement and my tongue is dripping with desire. I kept seeing photos of Daring Baker challenges and the last was of the Opera cake that everyone made, and they all looked beautiful and yummy.

Regarding my first post, I do not share dessert unless it is meant for more than one person, like a cake, then I make lots of friends because I am very generous with big stuff. Back to the subject (see what 50 does to your memory). So I now have my first Daring Bakers" challenge and my first thought was - Oh my! It is a challenge alright. But that is definitely what I need in my life at this time. It is too easy to get comfortable and I do believe that we need to step outside our comfort zone in order to fully LIVE life. I want stories that will make my grandchildren gasp someday, though I don't have any yet, grandchildren that is. Yes I know that baking a cake will not make them gasp, but one day when I am 8O and freeing elephants from zoos they will. Back to the subject again. So now I need a digital camera, then I need to find out how to upload photos, and I really need a more creative photo of myself too.

I did make the very best, most yummy, non skinny, stuffed portabella mushrooms. I will make them again soon and post photos and pay more attention to amounts of ingredients if possible.
Until next time...

The virgin post

As this is my very first post, I will probably be the only one who reads it. Until I become fabulously famous that is.

I believe in "Eat dessert first, you might choke on dinner". I do not share dessert as my sister Brandy found out when she chose not to order her own dessert, but when my piece of heaven on a plate came she foolishly said "Ooh that looks good, can I have a bite?". As everyone else at the table sort of gasped and I shot poison knives and forks at her with my eyes, she decided to eat her words instead. Sweet, silly, naive Brandy. I will buy you dessert but I do not share unless it is mutual and what you have looks better than what I have.

Of chocolate and mangos...
I can not live without chocolate, and I prefer milk chocolate, so all you dark chocolates snobs can just go away and eat yours silently in a dark closet somewhere. I think chocolate is the reason that more women do not kill their husbands. We all know that husbands deserve to be punished. I mean what woman would ever think to say to another person "Do you really need that dessert?" Only a man would be that stupid. Yes we need it. Otherwise we buy guns and start wars.

And mangos... sweet and fragrant, luscious and heavenly, juicy and perfect, soft and wonderful, and worth every flippin dollar they cost. God bless the mango pickers. Mangos are probably the perfect fruit. Actually all fruits are perfect but mangos are definitely my favorite.

This is a good beginning. And Sophia needs to go for a walk.