TWD: Linzer Sables

A quick TWD post before I head to the airport for Tulsa. This week's Linzer Sables were....interesting. I am not sure what I did wrong, but the entire batch only produced 4 filled sandwich cookies and they were very hard, gritty, brittle and tasted like a dental preparation. I think I overdid the cloves and the cookies tasted like Anbesol. I also may have rolled the dough too thick as a lot of TWD bakers commented that the 1/4" that Dorie's recipe called for was too thick. I used a pretty snowflake cookie cutter and dusted with powdered sugar. Had I been succesful baking these cookies, they would have/should have been beautiful and tasty. They were neither.

Oh well, the raspberry jam was good!

TWD: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

Pecan Pie? oh yes, please! Pumpkin Pie? Not so much. I don't know why I don't like pumpkin pie. It's not the consistency thing- I love custards and mashed foods. And I love the spices involved here. But pumpkin pie and I have never been friends. Even with a top layer of gooey pecans, this pie just didn't do it for me. My first Tuesdays with Dorie challenge that I didn't care for.

I enjoyed making this recipe and a few people 'round my house liked it. I did have to cover the crust edges about half way through as they were getting pretty dark and crispy in the oven. I just twisted some foil and fit it around the pie dish.

Maybe I'll try drinking my obligatory piece of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie on Thursday instead. Here's a recipe for a Pumpkin Pie Martini!

TWD: Arborio Rice Pudding

First let me say....ahhhhhhh my internet connection is back! Posting from the iPhone was OK for an "emergency" but this is more like it. Something about a splitter gone bad and more power to the TVs than to the computer.


Another Tuesday is here and another success from Tuesdays with Dorie. This week: Arborio Rice Pudding. Arborio rice is a short and wide grained rice that is makes its famous appearance in Risotto. It is also perfect for pudding. I "played around" with the recipe just a wee bit and added a layer of soaked plump raisins and a few grates of fresh nutmeg.

Some TWD bakers listed issues with the printed recipe---pudding stayed soupy. Dorie Greenspan herself stopped by the TWD blog and let us know of a printing error---the pudding had to cook for 55 minutes instead of 35 as printed. Thanks, Dorie!

TWD: Kugelhopf

My first Tuesdays With Dorie project! And a success! I LOVED this recipe even if it was rather involved. The only changes I made were to add more raisins (about 1/2 cup total) and when I didnt have any whole milk, I used half half and half (Ha!) and half lofat milk. I figured with just a third of a cup total milk that the combo would work. It did.

The crust on this yeast bread/cake was so fine and delicious. I was leary of Dorie's warnings that it would not stay fresh for very long, but I wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and it was fine for the three days it lasted. This is definitely a "do again". Maybe with craisins next time.

Don't forget to enter the give-away contest listed yesterday!