Meringue Challenge

I’ve been going through old photos (in a digital sense, which means I’m clicking on folders), and I came across this photo from my trip to Ireland of the Husband’s and my 3rd anniversary:
This is a pile of meringues — strawberry, I think — from a bake shop in Galway called Gourmet Tart Company. I [...]

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Oatmeal-To-Go “Muffins”

I had a breakfast in Burlington, Vt., a few years back that I’ve wanted to recreate but never got around to it. Now that I’m a busy mom of a 3-month-old and going back to work, I’m inspired to finally give it a whirl.
The original was a steel-cut oatmeal cake topped with whipped cream, fresh [...]

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New House, New Oven

We’re in the new house! And hence…I have the time again to do the things for which this blog is named!
When we bought our house, I knew the range already had two tricksy burners. What I wasn’t expecting was a non-functioning oven and a not-up-to-code gas line.
*heaves big home-ownership-lesson sigh*
But I’m very lucky that there [...]

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Putting the “Mmm” in Mistakes

Lately everything I bake has been turning out all goofy-footed. It always ends up tasting great, but it’s never without its surprises. And I think I can blame it on the somewhat lax attitude I’ve taken to following directions these days — a completely un-Jen mindset that’s producing mixed results across the board.
The other week [...]

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Scones: Ginger-Lime-Orange; Chocolate-Butterscotch

 
The best thing about being a baking addict? When I travel to see friends, they want to bake with me! This is excellent since most of my baking happens between me and my KitchenAid (which I have to name, I think, as she…or maybe he…has become such a trusted companion). But otherwise, I’m generally alone. [...]

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Mmmmmadeleines

My friend Jen (yes, we Jens roam in packs) has something of a madeleine addiction, and for the last two years she has been angling for a madeleine baking day. For reasons that range from pregnancy (The Other Jen) to ludicrous travel schedules (This Jen), The First Madeleine Baking Bash has alluded us…until now.
The stars [...]

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Choco-Pan v. Satin Ice, Part Duex

It is with a sense of chagrin that I write this as I recently realized I never followed up on my Choco-Pan v. Satin Ice quandary. Not that I expect many of you were on the edge of your seat, anxiously awaiting my findings…but still. I shouldn’t leave loops open like this.
So here’s the background. [...]

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The Ladybug Express

Now that would be a charming name for a rail line, don’t you think? But alas, it is only a cake. In this case, one I made for a baby shower.
The theme: ladybugs. The components: strawberry biscuit roulade outer layer; three layer of pound cake; white chocolate cream cheese filling; fresh strawberries; covered in vanilla [...]

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Choco-Pan v. Satin Ice?

So anyone out there have opinions on the virtues of Choco-Pan v. Satin Ice? I’m talking fondant here: the Play-Doh-like substance that covers wedding cakes so nicely and allows people like me — who turn Italian buttercream into a baby vomit-like substance right out of the gate — to actually decorate a cake with some [...]

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Smells Like Burnt Nirvana

There’s this moment when chocolate mousse actually becomes chocolate mousse in baking process that I relish. I’ll call people in from other rooms so they can stand over my shoulder and witness the exact moment when the foamy, crinkling egg whites completely dissipate into the chocolaty, yolky, thinkness of the mixture, all by my simple, [...]

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