What are you Baking today?

[Mama]

Thanks Peeps. I keep camera set on Auto flash. If I turn the flash off indoors, the pics are blurry but the best pics that I have taken I think are taken outside using the super macro setting. I still keep it on Auto flash but the flash doesn't go off. And I can't say enough about this HP MediaSmart software that came loaded on this laptop.

 

[lilbopeep]

Thanks Peeps. I keep camera set on Auto flash. If I turn the flash off indoors, the pics are blurry but the best pics that I have taken I think are taken outside using the super macro setting. I still keep it on Auto flash but the flash doesn't go off. And I can't say enough about this HP MediaSmart software that came loaded on this laptop.

Where can I get that software?

 

[Sass Muffin]

I stopped using my phone to take pics, and the old crappy desktop cam too.
The camera I use right now is actually a Microsoft Lifecam which is near to where I can snap my dinner pics from the kitchen.
Sometimes the lighting is good.
It all depends on lighting as to whether a food pic will turn out well, and I have to adjust the settings sometimes.
On a good day, the blinds open and the kitchen globe lighting is just right for photographing food.
I think my pics have gotten somewhat better from the "old days".. I hope LOL

 

[Mama]

You probably can't buy it. It was on my HP laptop when I bought it.

 

[Shermie]

Dag, those look good!!

 

[CaliforniaCook]

In the 1980's I used to frequently eat lunch in a restaurant called The Money Tree. Ed Janos was the executive chef and Helen Baumgartner was the pastry chef. One of her delightful desserts was called Bundernuss Torte. Over the years, I have tried to find a recipe. What I learned is that Bundernuss is a tart - not a torte. So this was her interpretation of it in a torte. Bundernuss is a nut crust, filled with almond paste, topped with more nuts & caramel.

When SousChef's sister moved, she gave me a big box of old cookbooks. In it was a copy of the Ford Times Recipe Book. And wouldn't you know it, they had Helen Baumgartner's recipe from The money Tree! I just had to try.

The difference is that instead of almond paste, she baked an almond paste pound cake in that walnut crust. We had this for breakfast this morning.

The cake looks lovely.

I can't believe you mentioned The Money Tree! The Jazz place & restaurant in Burbank? That was one of my hangouts back then. We sat at the bar or had dinner & listened to Jazz. (My friend's daughter married one of the bartenders, & we had a closed private party there after the wedding.) I always enjoyed their dinners. We also went to another smaller Jazz place in Burbank (both owned by Jaye P. Morgan, I heard), & would listen to Senator Eugene Wright (sp?) play. It was a nice crowd of people. Everyone pretty much knew everyone. Thanks for the memories.

 

[Mr. Green Jeans]

Himalayan blackberries are the scourge of the PNW but dang tasty! I picked just enough to make a cobbler. Its a funky recipe but turns out great every time I'll post later. Off to work!

 

[Mama]

Oh, that sounds good MGJ...can't wait for the recipe!

I cleaned and organized the pantry and freezer yesterday and found 6 cans of pumpkin puree so I'm thinking abut making some pumpkin bread today.

 

[Mr. Green Jeans]

Oh, that sounds good MGJ...can't wait for the recipe!

I cleaned and organized the pantry and freezer yesterday and found 6 cans of pumpkin puree so I'm thinking abut making some pumpkin bread today.

Here ya go Mama!

Best Blackberry Cobbler

4 cups of berries
Up to 1 cup of sugar
<mix gently and set aside>

Spray a 9" x 9" pan with cooking spray and pre-heat oven to 350.

Batter:

4 Tbsp butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup of milk

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour, baking powder and milk.

Pour into bottom of baking pan. Top with berry mixture. Cover all with 1 cup COLD water. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. Cobbler will seem a bit loose but allow to set and it will firm up. The berries will sink and or the batter bakes around them.

 

[Phiddlechik]

Does the whole cup of flour go into the berries? How much flour goes into the batter?

 

[Mr. Green Jeans]

Does the whole cup of flour go into the berries? How much flour goes into the batter?

Flour is part of the batter. The berries have pectin in their seeds and baking brings that out.

 

[Phiddlechik]

Still doesn't give the amount of flour for the batter.
(and I must have misread the first part of it, read it as berries and flour first...)

 

[Mr. Green Jeans]

My bad: 1 cup of flour!

 

[Phiddlechik]

 

[Mama]

Thanks MGJ! That looks awesome!

 

[Mama]

I made a pecan pie this evening

 

[Guts]

oh mama that looks so good I haven't had any cookies, cakes, pies sticky buns nothing since February 14 when I went to my diet you are killing and me here. I love pecan pie, one of my favorite pies.

 

[MexicoKaren]

OH my gosh - I am imagining it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream!

I baked two loaves of Country Kitchen Egg Bread this morning - wonderful for sandwiches, and five dozen cookies made with chocolate chips, toasted pecans and chopped dried cherries. I still can't load pics, Guts, so you are spared drooling over the cookies.

 

[Guts]

OH my gosh - I am imagining it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream!

I baked two loaves of Country Kitchen Egg Bread this morning - wonderful for sandwiches, and five dozen cookies made with chocolate chips, toasted pecans and chopped dried cherries. I still can't load pics, Guts, so you are spared drooling over the cookies.

well that made me chuckle your actually laugh out loud. Thank you Karen for being so considerate . LOL

 

[JoeV]

I'm getting ready to make some baguettes to go with dinner today, but I failed to post yesterday's baking. Made 2 doz. sandwich thins which DW, DS & his GF all grabbed to make sammies with at lunch time, and a couple of loaves of honey whole wheat bread for the freezer. DW made the apple cake that we took to a pig roast yesterday at my cousin's home. He had 2 whole pigs, a lamb and a 20# turkey all slow cooked over charcoal. There were about 150 people there, mostly business associates and his customers, but there was a smattering of family there as well. Great food with tons of side dishes, desserts, kegs of homemade beer and mini barrels of homemade wine. I'm looking forward to being invited again next year. I volunteered to make all the bread for it, so I'm probably a shoo-in on the guest list.

 

[Deelady]

Looks fantastic MGJ, Mama and Joe!


Yesterday I made some Lemon PoppyseedCrackle cookies and Ayla helped me with some sugar cookies as well.

 

[JoeV]

Oooooooooo...those sugar cookies look mighty tempting....

 

[Deelady]

thanks Joe.....I didnt even get one! lol

 

[lilbopeep]

FANTASTIC cookies Dee!!

 

[Deelady]

Thank you Peepsie!

 

[JoeV]

Couple of salt and a couple sesame seed baguettes for dinner. I added some EVOO to the dough so the bread will keep for a couple of days. The kids will take home the leftovers.

 

[homecook]

Yesterday I made snicker doodle blondies and 7 layer bars for my daughters' cookout.

 

[VeraBlue]

I didn't bake it today...but I did bake it the other day... It's a cream cheese filled apple pecan cake, topped with praline.

 

[Mama]

Looks like everyone has been baking up a storm this weekend.

JoeV, your bread always looks amazing!

Dee, I could really go for one of those sugar cookies too! Ayla couldn't have a better teacher!

Barb, both of those bars look delicious but those snickerdoodle blondies have really go me drooling!

Vera, that cake looks like the perfect fall dessert!

DD and her hubby came to visit today. It's been raining off and on all day. Comfort food was in order so I baked some rolls to go with dinner and I found a wonderful recipe for Italian Cream cake that was a real keeper.

 

[VeraBlue]

I made an italian cream cake a couple of weeks ago for the restaurant. I used a rum symple syrup on the layers. Do you, as well, Mama? Cake looks magnificent...all the beautiful height!