Fulfilling a Childhood Dream : Cherry Clafouti

Anybody who was friends with me growing up knows my mom is a super baker. It was inevitable that her love of baking would transfer to me. I started baking hard-core in college with easy recipes that became more elaborate and refined as I got older.

My mom feels that in order to gain a love of cooking and baking, you have to start young. I don't know if this is true, although I do plan to bake and cook with my kids. I have many distinct memories of standing on a stool and staring at my reflection in the stand mixer, stirring when allowed, and waiting to lick the whisk or paddle depending on what was being created. I remember looking on with envy during Christmas season when my mom would make spritz cookies with the cookie press (Way later I learned that my mom gets very frustrated making cookies with a press... the humidity in Georgia makes for many repeats. When I lived with my parents for two years before moving to Colorado, I would be the spritz maker in her place).

So, naturally, I received cookbooks in addition to fiction as presents when I was a kid. I think it was my 5th birthday when I received Yum yum! I'll be my own cook by Monique Felix. It is an obscure (I think) illustrated kid's cookbook and is obviously translated from French. I remember fantasizing about making all of these fabulous recipes. In reality, I think we made only one thing from the book... the directions were vague and we often had our own recipes for many of the dishes. Regardless, I still covet this book because who doesn't like reminiscing about a good childhood?

I generally like to bake something on my days off and today I decided to fulfill one of my Yum yum! dreams by baking a Cherry Clafouti. I was perusing through one of my favorite baking books, when I came across the recipe I would use. I had some sour cherries left over from spring baking, so I decided to make use of them after some major pumpkin overload over the past few weeks.

So here are a couple pictures of the Yum yum! recipe. Notice how I circled the recipe in the right hand corner because I wanted to make it.

Also pictured is the final product before baking... illustrated.

Here is my final KAF creation. I had to make the custard-y version in a 9in. pan because my only 10 in. pan is a springform, and the batter would leak through...

I'm too lazy to type in the recipe, but here is another KAF recipe that I bet is just as good.

Christmas Cookie Chronicles: Volume 1, Issue 1

So, I've decided to blog about my Christmas baking escapades.  Every year, my mom spreads the Christmas joy by baking cookies and giving them away.  I plan on doing the same, only on a much smaller scale (I guess there is a bonus to not knowing many people here in Colorado.)

Since my work schedule is hectic, I had to begin somewhat early (well relatively not so because my mom started like 3 weeks ago) with cookies that would store well.  I hope to have made about 10 to 15 different kinds by the time I start giving away plates.

So, where did I start?

I think it would be only fair to my husband to start with his favorite cookie, the Mexican Wedding Cookie (aka Mexican Wedding Cake, Italian Wedding Cookie, and Russian Tea Cakes.) Most have likely tried one of these before.  It's basically shortbread with ground nuts rolled and baked into a ball, then rolled in powdered sugar.  I'm not fond of them because I don't fancy pecans but Jon can down many of these in one sitting.

I used my favorite lady's recipe and I think they turned out well.  Here is a picture of the small tin I allowed for Jon (some are already missing.)  If you make these, you can freeze them before you roll them in powdered sugar.  Bring them out when ready to serve and roll away (the cookies in the picture were rolled once, but I suggest twice to make them look nicer.)

Today I made one of my favorite Christmas cookies, spritz (also called pressed cookies.)  These are the cookies that you make with a cookie press and they come in various shapes.  I can remember these being made for Christmas since I was very young.  I also remember my mom getting really angry with the cookie press, so much that I have been making them for her for the past couple of years.  The picture below shows the snowmen holding trees (yes, they're snowmen, not something dirty) and my family's traditional pink flowers.

Anyways, these turned out nice as well, so I'm very slowly on my way to having enough varieties to make a proper cookie plate.

More to come...

Taking a Rest

So I've only worked a whopping two days this week.  I worked around 60 hours last week and we had Veteran's Day off, so I've had a few WONDERFUL days at home.  The dogs sure seem to appreciate it at least.  

While I've gotten minimal housekeeping done (I'll be doing plenty this weekend) I have managed to get around to some baking, which has been woefully sidelined since I have moved here.  First up was making my very own pumpkin puree which is surprisingly easy.  I could have used the canned stuff, which is honestly just as good, but there is immense satisfaction in making your own.  From that, I froze a couple of cups to make a pie for Thanksgiving, and with the rest I made some wonderful pumpkin butter.  I got the above two ideas from a co-worker, and Jon and I are very happy campers now. 

Well the butter is useless without bread.  I've been in to bread making lately and made some simple white bread.  This stuff is heaven and I highly recommend it to anybody.  Bread making is so easy with the mixer and I look forward to experimenting more when I have another week like this in the future.  

I hope to bake some more this weekend, including making what shall be the beginning of CHRISTMAS BAKING!