Cookbook Review: The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

I'd like to consider myself fairly knowledgeable about food. What constitutes good food. What pairs well with other ingredients to bring out the exquisite natural flavors. Where to find the freshest, purest ingredients. How to prepare, season, and serve fine quality dishes. I'd like to call myself a foodie. Unfortunately, I can't. My knowledge of fine cuisine comes from watching Top Chef and the Food Network, which means my experience in the dining part of the kitchen is practically non-existent. I'm limited to pasta and things from a box. I don't normally even buy real food for my house most of the time. The majority of my grocery bills go to baking supplies. The rest is spent on hot dogs and frozen dinners. Combine that with the fact that I'm one of the world's pickiest eaters, and no one in their right mind could ever consider me a "foodie." (Heck I wouldn't even touch half of what those Top Chefs plate up to serve the judges.)

That's why I stick to baking. I understand it, and most importantly, I can eat it! For the same reasons, I find myself reading more baking books than anything else. Once you take out all the things I won't eat from regular cookbooks, there's not much left. (Seriously. It'd take less time for me to tell you what I will eat than what I won't.) I can at least enjoy the majority of baking books. So when I picked up the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I was wrong.

Grammy's Chocolate Cookies

I’ve fallen down on my responsibilities. I was passed the torch (or more literally, the flour) of keeping my coworkers well fed with baked goods when Kiesha left us for New York. (She passed on about 5 different kinds of flour to me on her last day. It was a good 15lbs worth of stuff.) That was about a month ago, and I have yet to bring in a single thing for them. For months, my fellow coworkers had become accustomed to having sweet treats nearly every week as Kiesha (52 Weeks of Baking) baked her way through the year, but in her absence, they’ve been deprived. I’m failing miserably. It’s not that I haven’t been baking! I have! It’s just been for everyone else—friends, family, Boyfriend’s coworkers. But nothing for my own. It’s time to change that. I woke up this morning with the urge to bake, so today, fellow employees, you get goodies.

Maple Snickerdoodles

It’s the time of year again—back to school time; the time every parent looks forward to and every kid dreads. It’s around this time every year I get nostalgic and find myself wandering down the school supply aisles, just wishing for a reason to have a whole new set of pens, pencils, notebooks, and crayons. After a leisurely stroll through the supplies, I inevitably find myself in the “college” section, full of furniture and accessories to fill a dorm room. Although I now have my very own apartment to furnish with whatever I want, however I want, each August I still long to be back in the dorms I lived in for 3 years in college. There’s just something about living in a place that no matter what time of day it is, there’s always someone awake, or asleep, and procrastination is only a few doors down.

Cookbook Review: Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart
Published November 2005 by Clarkson Potter
ISBN: 9780307236722
List Price: $40.00
416pp

Rating	(1 = Worst,	5 = Best)
Presentation		Illustrations
Depth of Information		Practicality
Value		Permanent Library
Gift Giving		Level of Difficulty	Beginning to Average
Overall

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If you’ve even so much as glanced at any of my previous posts, you may have noticed I have an almost unhealthy obsession with Martha Stewart. Practically everything I do has some reference or relation to Martha. It started first with her show, but virtually exploded when I got her Baking Handbook for Christmas from Dani and Kelli. From the moment I laid hands on it, I felt its awesome power. (Okay, not really. But I was really excited about it.) I knew if I used it wisely, great things would come from it. What I didn’t realize was that in time, it would grow to become my Baking Bible.

When I received the Baking Handbook as a gift, I was still a baby in the baking world. My experience was limited to helping my mom bake chocolate chip cookies, where butter was melted in the microwave, then thrown into a bowl with all the other ingredients at the same time, beaten up with a hand mixer, and dropped with a spoon onto what is actually a griddle rather than a cookie sheet. There was no creaming butter and sugar together. No sifting flour. Heck, there wasn’t even accurate measuring of ingredients! No fancy stand mixers or cookie scoops. In other words, we knew practically nothing about the science of baking. It was only months before the holidays that my mom and I got hooked on watching Martha’s daytime show. I was absolutely fascinated by it. With Martha’s guidance, we started actually cooking real meals, not something from a box, and attempting to master the art of baking (along with a whole lot of crafting). It was a huge deal the day my mom brought home our KitchenAid stand mixer. It was the ugliest color on earth—lemon lime—but she got a great deal on it, so who cares! (And a funny side note: the cashier at the store didn’t understand that the sticker on the box that said Lemon Lime meant that was the color. She thought the mixer itself was somehow scented.) When Christmas rolled around, and Dani and Kelli (who will henceforth be known simply as The Girls. Or individually, Girl 1 for Dani and Girl 2 for Kelli.) gave me the Handbook as a gift, it only fueled the fire of my new obsession. I set off to learn everything I could about baking, from the Domestic Goddess herself.

From identifying general baking equipment and giving instructions on basic techniques, to more refined advice for certain types of baking, such as making pastries, the Baking Handbook hones in on the essential information and passes it along in an unobtrusive way. It is perfect for the beginning baker, and even the average baker can learn something from its helpful tips. Going back through it now, I’ve spotted things I didn’t know that could be helpful down the line, like adding a drop of lemon juice to the sugar water when making caramel to keep from having to brush down the sides. Also, with pictures of just about every recipe, if not all (I’m not really going through all 200 to make sure), it’s hard not to drool on the pages as you’re flipping through. Even if you don’t end up using it often (which you will), its gorgeous photography makes it a beautiful book to simply display.

At $40.00, it’s a higher end cookbook, but let me tell you, it’s well worth the investment. There are 200 fantastic recipes in here that are worth every penny. It’s a book I’d definitely suggest to anyone starting out with an interest in becoming a better baker. The recipes are well written and come out fantastic almost every time. I've only made about 10 things so far (*Gasp*! I could have sworn it was more than that! I've still got a lot of work to do!), but all of them have come out pretty well. I have not been let down by anything in this book yet. When you’re just starting out in baking, successful recipes = confident bakers, and Martha’s book helped me learn the fundamental techniques I needed to grow as a baker. Without Martha, you wouldn’t even be reading this review, because there would be no Busty Baker! I don’t think there is a baking cookbook out there right now that I would recommend any more highly than I do this book. Please check it out!

Stand Out Recipes: (This was next to impossible to pick out just a handful of recipes for this list!)

• Cut Out Sugar Cookies
• Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
• Devil’s Food Cake with Mint-Chocolate Ganache
• Summer Fruit Tart with Lavender Syrup
• Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• Sugar Buns
• Profiteroles
• Lemon-Blueberry Napoleons
• Spicy Cheese Biscuits
• Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Mixed Berry Roulade

Mixed Berry Roulade
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook and Classic Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals
Makes one 17-inch roll cake

Cake:
1 ¼ cups cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 large whole egg, plus 2 large egg yolks and 3 large egg whites, all at room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup honey
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup warm water
confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Filling:
1 pint mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries)*
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Note: *I used one of those bags of frozen mixed fruit. These are usually presweetened, so I didn't actually add any sugar to the fruit. I also left out the lemon juice, since there was more than enough liquid, but in the future I might add about a tablespoon of sugar to make it a bit sweeter and just a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavors.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 17-by-12-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a large, clean kitchen towel with confectioner’s sugar; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Place the whole egg, egg yolks, vegetable oil, honey, ¼ cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until thick and pale (it should hold a ribbon-like trail on the surface when the whisk is raised), 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
2. With a clean bowl and whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Raise speed to medium-high; gradually add remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture to lighten. Gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined. Pour batter onto prepared baking sheet; using an offset spatula, spread evenly.
3. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched in the center, about 10 minutes. Immediately invert the cake onto prepared towel; carefully lift off pan and peel off parchment paper. Starting on a long side, roll towel and cake into a log, incorporating the towel as you go. Transfer cake (still in towel), seam side down, to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
4. In a medium bowl, add fruit, slicing strawberries before adding, and toss with lemon juice and sugar. Crush with a fork.
5. With a hand mixer in another medium bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat mascarpone cheese with cream and confectioners’ sugar on low until well combined, about 2 minutes. Fold in the crushed fruit; set aside.
6. Unroll cake, leaving it on the kitchen towel. Using an offset spatula, spread berry mixture over top of cake, leaving a 1-inch border on both long sides. Gently roll cake again into a log (do not incorporate the towel this time). Wrap with towel; refrigerate on a baking sheet until ready to serve, for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Remove towel, and generously dust cake with confectioners’ sugar before serving; slice with a serrated knife.

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I tried so hard to limit myself to just cookies and cupcakes for Kelli’s family picnic. I really did. And I almost succeeded. But I’d had the idea to make the Blackberry Roulade from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook for the party in the back of my mind for months. It seemed like the perfect summer treat, when all the berries are ripe and fresh. It got cut from the list when we decided to keep the picnic low key, but the idea just wouldn’t go away. I added it back to the list at the last minute because I knew I’d get yelled at again if I brought nothing but chocolate desserts for the second year in a row. Most normal people probably wouldn’t mind having lots of chocolate (I know I wouldn’t! Bring it on!), but Kelli’s brother is an odd freak of nature who doesn’t like chocolate. (Blasphemy!) He was mad last year when he had nothing to eat, so I had to add something non-chocolate back in the mix this year.

I’ve been eyeing this recipe since I got the Baking Handbook for Christmas four years ago. However, the more I looked at it lately, the more I wanted to change it. The cake part sounded great, but I really wanted to play around with the filling. Instead of just blackberries, I settled on a mixed fruit blend, with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. The mix reminded me of another dessert I made a couple years ago for the picnic—Rachael Ray’s Berry-Mi-Su: a fruity version of tiramisu. Lady fingers drizzled with berry juice, layered with rich mascarpone cream and topped with mixed berries… Mmm! It was so tasty and I’ve wanted to recreate it ever since. Martha’s cake seemed like the perfect choice to give the Berry-Mi-Su a little remix.

The cake batter was easy to put together, but I never got that thick ribbon consistency from my egg yolk mixture. It didn’t seem to matter in the long run, but it did make it slightly difficult to fold in my egg whites. Instead of mixing gently, I almost had to beat it again to get the fluffy whites to mix with the somewhat liquidy yolks. And I think I ended up with some clumps of white still scattered throughout, but oh well! Before you pour the batter onto the prepared pan, I VERY strongly suggest spraying the parchment fairly liberally with cooking spray first. I missed a bit of one corner, and my cake stuck to the paper and ripped off part of my cake! I sort of ripped my finished cake in half as well trying to get it onto the tray to take it to the party, so if you can, try refrigerating it on the platter you’re going to serve it on to avoid that slight mishap.

The filling was incredibly easy to make, but I think next time, I'll use fresh berries instead of the frozen bagged kind. It was cheaper, but there were so many beautiful fresh berries that I passed over to save money! Maybe I'll stick to just 1 or 2 kinds of berries and do it the right way from now on.

I really enjoyed the cake! I cut off the mangled end that got stuck to the parchment to save for myself, and ended up eating the whole thing (which would have amounted to about 3 slices) for breakfast the next morning! The cake had a fantastic honey flavor and the cream inside was wonderful. I wish I would have saved some of the berry juice though to drizzle over the top of the cake to let it soak in. Maybe I’ll try that next time too, because this recipe will definitely have another chance.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream
From Cooks Illustrated: American Classics magazine
Makes 12 cupcakes

1 stick unsalted butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a standard muffin pan with liners.
2. Combine the butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a heatproof bowl, set over a saucepan of barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted, whisking until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.
3. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl to combine.
4. Whisk eggs in another medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until fully combined. Sift about 1/3 of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift in remaining flour mixture and whisk batter until it is homogeneous and thick.
5. Divide batter evenly among liners. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
6. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing.

Note: The magazine says not to double the recipe. I don't remember why, but they specifically made mention NOT to double it. So just don't do it!

Caramel Buttercream
Adapted from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson
Makes enough to frost roughly 16 cupcakes

2 cups confectioner's sugar
¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup caramel ice cream topping
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

1. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add caramel, vanilla extract, and salt, and beat until well combined. Add confectioner's sugar, half cup at a time, and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Frost or pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Top with a drizzle of caramel.

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Every year, Kelli’s family has a “picnic” in the summer, usually August, to celebrate her uncle coming to visit from out of state. The term “picnic” is used lightly, because it’s more of a barbecue than a picnic, with hot dogs and hamburgers, and we all eat inside the house, rather than out. But whatever. Over the years, I’ve sort of taken on the role of dessert provider. And there have been a few years where I’ve had to have my own “dessert table” set up to accommodate all the things I brought. (I tend to get a little carried away. I think of 10 different things I want to make, and can’t seem to cut any of them from the list… So all 10 get made. The same thing happens around the holidays.) This year, we decided on a more low-key event. No grilling, just finger foods and appetizers. I tried to stick with the low-key idea and pare down my baking as well. I’d make 2 things, and that was it. I knew I wanted to do my chocolate chip cookies, and something else fairly simple. How about cupcakes? They’re pretty easy. And very much finger food! I decided the picnic was the perfect opportunity to continue my quest for the perfect chocolate cupcakes. This time I'd try the Dark Chocolate Cupcakes from Cook’s Illustrated: American Classics magazine.

So far my chocolate cupcake quest has resulted in 2 overly moist cupcakes. The first, using buttermilk and water, was so liquidy, they erupted like little volcanoes popping up through the center of each cupcake. The second try also used buttermilk and water, but in smaller proportions, but it was just as moist, and ended up practically falling apart. This recipe, my third try, called for sour cream as a source of moisture instead of buttermilk and water. The directions said the batter would be homogeneous and thick after mixing. I liked the sound of that. I’m definitely a fan of a scoopable batter rather than one so thin you need a liquid measuring cup to get it into the liners. Well, this batter certainly was scoopable. It was so thick and creamy, it almost looked like gelato. Once it was scooped into the liners, it took on a not so appetizing look… I won’t mention just what it looked like though… I’ll leave that to your own imagination. Being so thick, I couldn’t really tell how much batter to put into the liners, so the first batch got about 2 ½ scoops. That ended up being a bit too much, so I settled on two scoops instead and they came out perfect.

Once they were cooled, I debated on what kind of frosting to top them with. I wanted to try something I hadn’t done before, so that left out a lot of what I thought would pair well with chocolate: mint, berries, more chocolate. I didn’t want to do just plain vanilla, so I decided to try caramel. It would be kind of like a Rolo candy! I used caramel ice cream topping for the flavoring, but it didn’t seem to ever be enough caramel flavor for me. It wasn’t until I drizzled some over the top of the frosted cupcake that it really tasted the way I wanted it to.

All in all, I think they came out alright. Not fantastic, but not a total let down. The frosting needs a bit of work before I’m completely satisfied with it. And the cupcake itself—well, the quest continues. The flavor itself was good, but even with the sour cream acting as the moisture, which I’ve had great success with in other recipes, the cupcake was dry. This is definitely not the “perfect chocolate cupcake” in my book. So the search lingers on. I think the next one I’m going to try is on the back of the Hershey’s cocoa powder container. It’s been suggested to me from a couple different people, so we’ll see how that one goes! I also had suggested to me by a coworker to use mayonnaise in my batter to add moisture. The thought completely freaks me out, but I’m willing to give it a try. Has anyone else made a mayonnaise cake before? Can you taste the mayonnaise at all? Cause I totally hate the stuff… so I’m a little skeptical.

The Bookshelf

Ever wondered what cookbooks I've used during my baking? Or maybe you want to know all the recipes I've made from a certain book? Well here it is! My very own bookshelf! It's your one-stop shop for the cookbooks I've used or reviewed. Underneath each, you'll find links for all the recipes I've made from each book, as well as the review for it. There's even a handy link if you want to buy the book and start your very own collection! (Which I highly recommend!) And keep checking back as I add more books!

Buy Me! Review Mint-Filled Brownie Cupcakes Cookies and Cream Mini Cheesecakes Chocolate Chip Cupcakes	Buy Me! Review Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies Brown Sugar Pound Cake Angel Food Cake Chocolate Cupcakes Mixed Berry Roulade Honey Whole Wheat Bread					Buy Me! Whoopie Pies Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bites Mint-Chocolate Cookies Grammy's Chocolate Cookies
Buy Me! Review	Buy Me! French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes					Buy Me! Cinnamon Rolls
Buy Me! Review	Buy Me! Review					Buy Me! Review
Buy Me! Review	Buy Me! Review Cream Puffs

Cookbook Review: Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook by Kathleen King

Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook by Kathleen King
Published in 2005 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0-312-33417-6
List Price: $24.95
156pp

Rating	(1 = Worst,	5 = Best)
Presentation		Illustrations
Depth of Information		Practicality
Value		Permanent Library
Gift Giving		Level of Difficulty	Beginning to Average
Overall

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The first time I saw this book, a customer was buying it at the store where I work. She had me hold on to it while she went back to grab a few more things. The cookies on the front looked so good, I couldn't help but sneak a quick peek inside. I was amazed at how much was packed into this fairly small sized book! The table of contents alone took up 6 pages, with an entire page or more for cookies, pies, and cakes each! There was no way I was going to be able to skim through everything before she came back! Guess I'd have to go pick this one up to check out on my own!

Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook boasts 126 recipes, featuring loads of scones, muffins, cookies, cakes, pies and tarts. There's literally something for everyone here. The author, and owner of Tate's Bake Shop in the Hamptons, Kathleen King is so confident that everyone will be able to use this book, she even says that most of the recipes can be made quicker than it would take for you to go buy its premade counterpart. Now that's making things easy. And honestly, she seems to be right. Nothing in the book looks too terribly difficult. It doesn't seem like there's a single ingredient that you couldn't find in the local grocery, and most you probably already have stocked in your pantry right now. And the recipes themselves? Only 6 out of 126 take up more than a page. Only one, the Raspberry Charlotte, spans 3 pages. Looking for something really simple? There's more than a handful that feature directions in a half a page or less. And these aren't very big pages! (They're smaller than your printer paper by about 2 inches.) Everything about the book is simple, direct, and very laid back. There's no pressure for perfection here. King states in the introduction, "Have fun! Don't take it seriously. If you screw up, don't worry about it--they're only cookies!"

There's even a section called Healthy Alternatives if you're feeling guilty about the glutenous thoughts you're having as you peruse through the book. With recipes for Energy Bars or Whole Wheat Quick Bread, you don't have to feel quite so bad about eating the entire Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie or the whole batch of Beach Brownies (made with a graham cracker crust and topped with marshmallows. Oh man! Maybe the Energy Bars can't quite erase the damage done with those).

As with almost all cookbooks, my main complaint is about pictures. There's only 8! With so many things sounding so good, I want to be able to drool over all of them! Or at least a quarter of them.. The layout is nice and simple, split into different categories such as muffins, cookies, cakes, etc., but it reminds me so much of More From Magnolia by Alyssa Torrey. They look very similar. But it's not really a bad thing. Especially if you're a fan of Magnolia's books.

My other complaint is that most of the recipes call for salted butter rather than unsalted. While the author may be right that weekend bakers tend to keep salted butter stocked in their refrigerator more often, most of us who bake regularly have a good supply of the unsalted variety as well. I actually only have sticks of unsalted butter in my fridge. The only salted I have is in one of those plastic tubs, because I really only use it on toast.

I think this book's great for the beginning to average baking crowd. It's simple yet never seems boring or mundane. It's definitely got that laid back, easy, yet elegant feel the image of the Hamptons evokes in me. (think the Barefoot Contessa on the beach.) So check it out. In the meantime, I'll just be here, baking these fabulous recipes, and waiting patiently for my invitation to dine beach side with the Contessa. Hey Ina--you bring the main dish, I'll bring the desserts, okay?

Stand Out Recipes:

• Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
• Ginger Scones
• Sour Cream Pound Cake
• Peanut Butter Bread
• Double Peanut Chocolate Cookies
• Double Chocolate Mint Cookies
• Beach Brownies
• Peanut Butter Squares
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
• Chocolate Chip Cake
• Lime Mousse Cake
• Whole Wheat Quick Bread

I'm loving all the chocolate/peanut butter combinations in this book! I'll definitely have to try some out for Boyfriend!

(Blue Ribbon) Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nothing evokes memories of childhood like a good chocolate chip cookie. Especially when it's still warm from the oven. There's no greater thing in the world than the taste of a fresh chocolate chip cookie, with it's still melty chocolate insides, and a tall glass of milk to wash it all down. It's a simple comfort in a sometimes crazy world. It's where most bakers get their start, in the kitchen at an early age, helping to mix up a batch of chocolate chip cookies on a rainy day. And no matter how you like your cookies, there's the perfect recipe out there somewhere. Soft and chewy? Thin and crispy? Somewhere in between? No problem. It's all about finding the right one for you.