Old-fashioned Raisin Bread

When I saw this bread on Phyl's blog, I knew I had to make it. The loaves looked so wonderful and the crumb so perfect. When I read that the recipe was a preview from Nick Malgieri's new book "Bread" (to be published in the fall 2012), I had one more reason to try it.

Baking bread is fun, but it's even more fun when you can do it with someone else and turn it into a mini (virtual) baking project. Fellow ABC-er and baking buddy, Janis of The Kitchen Is My Shrink, had mentioned that she'd like to get back into bread baking. The timing of the Old-fashioned Raisin Bread couldn't have been better. We both took the challenge and baked the bread in our respective kitchens. Do check out Janis' post. She did an awesome experiment where she made the recipe as-is and then again with natural enhancers such as Vital Wheat Gluten. Check out her side-by-side comparison here.

I love the three colors from the raisin, golden raisins and craisins in this bread!

ABC - Glazed Cinnamon Rolls

The ABC bakers are tackling their second recipe from "The Weekend Baker" by Abby Dodge. This time it's a yeast recipe that's a favorite for many: Glazed Cinnamon Rolls. I love cinnamon rolls, BUT... they have to be homemade. Our mall has one of those famous cinnamon roll shops but I have no trouble walking past them and not buying a cinnamon roll that's the size of my head. And with this month's ABC recipe, making cinnamon rolls at home couldn't be easier. They're made with ingredients that anybody can pronounce and they're finger-licking good, especially warm from your oven. Ok, I'll get off my soap box now :o) Let's bake!!

Homemade cinnamon roll with sliced almonds (no glaze) - look at that fluffy interior :o)

If you'd like to join the ABC bakers, please email me at HanaasKitchen [at] live [dot] com. The rules for the ABC baking group can be found here.

Rose's Crescents

Jenn and I both own a copy of Rose's Christmas Cookies. Neither one of us had baked from it much so we decided to pick a couple recipes and bake them together. The first recipe is Rose's Crescents: butter, almonds, and cinnamon sugar. Need I say more? :o)

Rose's Crescents dipped in cinnamon sugar

I don't think I've ever made cookie dough this fast. Everything goes in the food processor and the butter can be used cold. Let the dough firm up in the fridge for a couple hours, or do as I did and put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

Brownie Latte Cheesecake

Let's say, you need to make a birthday cake for someone very special. What do you do? I'd really like to know. Please feel free to leave a comment, telling me about your approach.

Here's what I did for my husband's birthday cake. I stared at all my cookbooks in the bookshelf for a long time, and then grabbed a couple of them and browsed through them, hoping "the" recipe would just jump at me. Pretty scientific, huh? :o). Well, it sure did! I was sold as soon as I saw this beautiful picture of a slice of this rich and decadent Brownie Latte Cheesecake from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle. This would be the first time I had made a cheesecake for any birthday. One could argue it's not traditional. My argument: you're getting two desserts for the price of one, so who cares! :o) The fact that Tish gave it two thumbs up certainly helped a lot too!

Happy birthday, sweetie!

A slice of heavenly Brownie Latte Cheesecake

Peasant Boule

A few months ago, Abby Dodge started a monthly baking group by the hashtag #BakeTogether where Abby picks the recipe. Everyone is allowed to make tweaks and make the recipe their own. When I saw the beautiful open crumb of the Peasant Boule on Abby Dodge's website, I knew I had to make it. After I read through the recipe and learned that this bread contains yeast as well as baking powder, I was very intrigued. Abby stated that the baking powder addition makes for a very soft bread. That's what sealed the deal :o)

Peasant Boule brushed with melted butter

If you're a big Abby Dodge fan, like I am, you might be interested in joining the Avid Baker's Challenge (ABC) baking group. We bake once a month and for the year 2012, we're baking from The Weekend Baker. You can find more information about ABC here.