Tuesday, May 21, 2013

relax already


i'm sitting in my living room. yes, i am in my couch spot. it's like my comfy desk. it is without a doubt my favorite spot in the house.

i just rustled through the bag of old magazines in the garage, and swiped out every promising looking spring/summer issue. bon appetit, gourmet, a couple martha stewarts for shits and gigs.


the windows are open, i'm alone, i'm sorting through some photos from the magical forest wedding weekend, and i have a zucchini bundt in the oven..ah yes, this is what relaxing feels like. it's so nice.


and though it feels as if i've done nothing but make cake lately ...(enough! stop making cake! make dinner for yourself goddammit!)..
bundts are different. bundts are for home, for nibbling and sharing. i'm excited to pull it out and pour glaze on it.

in the meantime i am going to sit here in this spot with these magazines and a notebook. i am going to allow myself to get overly excited about cherries and spring onions and strawberries and peas.

i think i am excited about summer after all.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Thursday, May 9, 2013

brown sugar cookies. filled


dear lazy sunday morning,
i miss you. i love you. you were the best.

dear best friend,
i miss you. i love you. you're the best.

dear cookies,
i miss you. i love you. you're the best.

love, julia



brown sugar cookies. chewy, lightly spiced, pretty perfect on their own.
cream cheese filling, flecked with orange zest. hold the 4 cups of sugar please and thank you.
candied pistachio nuts, because they were there.

people's eyes light up when they hear the word cream cheese. it's awesome, watch for it.

alright, adios muchchas! i'm gonna go make a wedding cake now.




Brown Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

preheat oven to 375 degreesF. place the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat til smooth and creamy. add the egg and beat well. scrape down the sides of the bowl. in a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices and mix well. add into the butter mixture and beat on low just until everything is combined. scrape down the sides and mix one more time. 
drop large teaspoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart and bake until the edges are just brown, 8-11 minutes. transfer to a wire rack to cool. or for crispier cookies, let them cool on the baking sheet. 

Orange Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2-2 cups confectioners' sugar
zest of 1-2 oranges, depending on preference of citrus flavor
dash or two of pure vanilla extract or almond extract, 1/2-1 tsp 

in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese with the butter until it's whipped and creamy. add in the confectioners' sugar, citrus zest, and extract. taste and adjust based on your preferences. 


*the essence of what i'm doing here is: make some cookies. make a frosting/filling, preferably something with cream cheese because people will love you more. glue cookies together with the filling. and then dip the side in something.
sprinkles, nuts, cake crumbs, coconut...

you know when people say 'the possibilities are endless' ?
well, indeed they are.



Monday, May 6, 2013

...


well shitballs i've done it again.
made it through another weekend, that is.

"my sentiments exactly", says the boring tired person.



best blog post ever...

Thursday, May 2, 2013

oatmeal buttermilk bread



oaty bread, oaty bread, what are they feeding you?
(yeast!)

oaty bread, oaty bread, it's not your fault.




i need a sandwich. really.
i need toast with butter. i need toast with green... avocado, clearly.


i truly in my life have never experienced such spastic eating habits. i miss eating meals.
real, sit down, shut up, meal time.
FOOD!
SAVORY FOOD.


you see, this new restaurant is opening.
the new restaurant. the one that i'll also be responsible to bake and pastry for.
that new restaurant is opening now, like yesterday.

so to say that things have kicked into overdrive would be.. completely accurate.
i fake faint onto my work station at least thrice a day. and i drink a. Lot of supposed energy boosting beverages.
not red bull though, no. it tastes like a hangover.



one morning off, i took the time to mix yeast with water and flour and oats, and to use my buttermilk stash for something other than cake.
it proved to be highly worth it. if anything but for the smell alone.

the dough, stubbly from the oats, is a bit on the sticky side. this is good.


excuse me while i bury my face in fat toast.






Oat Buttermilk Bread
adapted from Bread by Jeffrey Hamelman

1 lb 10 oz bread flour
6 oz whole wheat flour (i used half whole wheat half spelt)
5.3 oz rolled oats
2 cups warm water
1 cup buttermilk
2.4 oz (3 tbsp) honey
2.4 oz (5 1/2 tbsp) canola or sunflower oil
0.7 oz (3 1/2 tsp) salt
0.18 oz (1 1/2 tsp) instant dry yeast

in your mixer's bowl, combine the oats with the 2 cups of water and let soak for 30 minutes. 

add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix together with the paddle attachment until they come together as a sticky mass. switch to the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes. the dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. if it is still too sticky to handle, add a few tablespoons of extra flour. continue to knead for a minute or two with floured hands, then shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. let sit at room temperature until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. 
after the dough has doubled, divide it in half and shape into two loaves. 
to shape: on a lightly floured surface gently press dough into a wide rectangle. fold both sides into the center, then working from the top roll up and gently pinch seam together. repeat with the other dough. place seam side down into greased loaf pans cover loosely with plastic wrap or light dish towels and allow to rise in a warm dry place about 1 1/2-2 hours, they should be domed about an inch or two out of the pans. 
preheat oven to 400 degreesF. brush the top of the loaves with water or egg wash, sprinkle with oats, place inside the oven and drop the oven temperature to 350 degreesF. bake for about 20 minutes and then rotate in the oven. bake for another 25-30 minutes until tops are browned and loaves sound hollow when knocked on the bottom. 
allow loaves to cool completely on a wire rack.