Both Sunshine and I made it through our doctors’ check-ups, so now I can get back to doing some baking!!
Sunshine is visiting one of her girlfriends this afternoon. I think her friend just wants someone to talk to, as this friend stated “most of her conversations are with her cats”.
So last night, I whipped up my standard (go-to) Martha Stewart Chocolate Dump Cake. I did cheat though and used Betty Crocker icing vs. making a chocolate butter cream frosting from scratch. I doubt her friend will mind.
Apple tart with a few different varieties of FM apples, 3 large apples diced and gently pressed into frozen crust, about 2 1/2T sugar and 1t Wondra flour.
Usually not, these were in the fridge for about 10 minutes, baked on a piece of parchment, upper rack. Tart was on middle rack @400* convection bake, for 10 minutes, then lowered. I kept an eye on the cutouts
I’m with you.
I really dislike Chocolate Pâté masquerading as Brownies. Heavy, wet, pasty
I am very fond of the King Arthur Fudge Brownies Recipe. I increase the Bake Time and B.P. a little.
Chewy Edges and a moist but not wet Crumb. For me Perfect.
Left them to cool, when I came back to the kitchen spouse had removed them from pan and eaten several. Next time, I’ll head him off at the pass and they will get frosted. In his defense, they smelled awesome coming from the oven.
I don’t even mind fudgy brownies, but I’ve seen brownies that look like straight up firm chocolate pudding.
And cakey brownies seem so reviled when I’m convinced a lot of people have never even had one, so they’ve got this idea that they’re dry and lacking in richness when it’s simply not the case.
One day I might try Cook’s Illustrated’s chewy brownies, which seems to be a recipe they’re extremely pleased with, and see if they’re as chewy as advertised.
Btw the wet and pasty centers is a problem that particularly plagues soft and chewy cookies these days. I see so many photos where the cookie is just still raw, which is not the same as being moist, and chewy is not the same thing as pasty. I’ve been annoyed seeing recipes calling for under 10 minutes, at which point the cookie hasn’t even puffed and the middles are just wet.
I scored some local QUINCE today at the farmers market. I could not believe it ! Never see it here in southeastern PA ever, and I am an absolute PEST at every local yokel farmers market, orchard and farmstand around here.
The grower is an apple, veg and dahlia farmer from the next county. He’s personally responsible for turning me on to dahlias (he brings them to market, and you can also go to his farm and cut them yourself, which I’ve done) and supplies all the apple seconds I use for applesauce every year. I almost leapt across the counter to hug him when I saw the quince.
He asked me what I was planning to do with it (bake a galette with roasted pears, apples and quince) and told me some people he knows “from Europe” put quince in savory dishes/roasts. Apparently some people also put it in their applesauce.
My favorite thing was a bread pudding we served at a restaurant I worked in. It was boozy and studded with soft quince pieces. I don’t even love bread pudding but this was so delicious.
I also love these quince turnovers from Anna Markow:
Frost