I bake all year around. My Kitchen Aid mixer sits right on the counter, it is not hidden away in a closet or cupboard that I do not have . . . . it is right there and gets used sometimes daily. I think baking is slightly meditative for me, it is certainly yummy and I love to share with friends, family and neighbors . . . but there is something calming about measurig nout the flour, the sugar, the leavening agent. About knowing that if I do all these singular things that I will then have something beautiful. I love the smells that it creates, sweet or spicy, it says good for your soul. Weekends tend to be bigger times of baking, more people are around or we are entertaining.
This weekend at Chestnut Hill we enjoyed form the Top:
Pumpkin Muffins- my youngest' most requested, we love the crisp tops of the muffins and the kids enjoy them in their lunches all week - if there are enough left!
Next is Cinnamon Oatmeal , Raisin cookies, created from my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, these went to an Eagle project this afternoon.
Next up is Cinnamon Pizza- Cinnamon sticky bun meets Fried dough meets Pizza dough. Extra Pizza Dough, Cinnamon Filling and Cinnamon sugar, mixed and folded in and then baked, Crispy, cinnamon sugar yumminess. *** a Chestnut Hill Original
Lastly but not least,
Apple Pie, as we had the grandparents out for a little campfire and grilled some hamburgers etc... I like to use 20 ounce apples mixed with some other Apple that i have on hand. I used the Pie Crust recpie from this new cookbook that I am growing to love:
The Model Bakery
Any online or walk in book store should have it! This crust has both Butter and Vegetable shortening it it. This contributes to taste and flakiness. Usually Lard gives you the flakiest crust . . . but most people shy away from using this. As the cookbook notes, the butter gives taste and the Shortening reduces the amount of water interacting with the flour so you do not form as much gluten protein. Ie: a tough crust. side notes: When I take a pie out of the oven I will put a pizza pan on the top followed by the Tea kettle for weight. This collapses the crust to meet the Apples and allows for serving a cleaner slice of pie. I always bake the pie on parchment paper or a Silapat non stick mat this aids in the clean up of the overflowing juices.
Well that is what is baking here this weekend. What's baking in your kitchen?
