Category Archives: Tuesdays with Dorie

If it’s Tuesday, it Must Be Flaky Apple Turnovers

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I love a good apple pie, and this certainly qualifies–why buy a goop-filled fried hunk-o-dough from some unnamed fast food joint (you guys all know which place I’m talking about) when a few minutes of work can yield these treats?

I’ll tell you why: the dough (although I’ll tell you why NOT again in a minute). I feel like I had just mastered Dorie’s perfect pastry crust on page 442 or 443 of the book (so much so that I keep frozen butter and shortening in the freezer at all times now). Then I get thrown a curve ball with this dough. It’s got sour cream in it. Dorie’s warns us that it’s soft, but I didn’t have too much trouble until actual filling time.

The filling is simple: chopped apples, a touch of flour and sugar and butter…But I worked assembly line style and rolled and cut both halves then filled, by which time the dough was so soft, it fell apart a bit when I folded it over. I also overfilled and had to take about half the filling OFF each dough round (bec. I like a lot of filling)…With hindsight, I should have rolled, filled and started baking one sheet of turnovers, leaving the second half in the fridge until I was ready to roll and fill quickly.

It was a mess.

Fortunately, they taste fabulous and made me look good at a Sunday afternoon football party, so that is always a good thing. I egg-washed them and sprinkled them with raw/turbinado sugar, which gives them a great glaze and nice crunch.

Notes on this recipe?

  • Work with only half the dough at a time. 
  • For a 4 1/2-inch round, use one tablespoon filling (I used a very heaping tablespoon and had to take about half off)…
  • and for efficiency’s sake, make these rectangles or triangles instead of circles: no wasted dough.

The other note? (And why not to make the dough?) I live in South Florida where you can buy flaky empanada rounds in the freezer (and I think if you look for them, you can probably find these in most places)–they are marked “hojaldrada.”
I have made apple turnovers in a jiffy in the past by chopping some apples, filling a few of these empanada rounds, brushing them with egg wash and sprinkling with sugar…No, not homemade, but for the effort and the result? More my speed.

Check out all the other blogs on the blog roll at Tuesdays with Dorie. The recipe was picked and is listed over at Someone’s in the Kitchen with Jules Someone.

TWD: Chocolate Souffle

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Organized me decided to make this Saturday for dessert just for us..just because I could–and also because I actually had everything on hand.

Souffles are deceptively simple. A few ingredients handled just so yield this magic. Of course that magic is pretty ephemeral, eh? Puffy souffle to fallen souffle cake in minutes. It doesn’t dilute the deliciousness of it all, though.

All by way of saying that by the time my souffle made it to the table, it had fallen–but we loved it just the same.

I don’t have the right dish at all, so I divided it into two–I have two pretty, nearly straight-sided bowls from Ikea. I followed Dori’s intstructions to be generous when buttering and sugaring. I filled them about 2/3 full each, and that just didn’t get them to puff beautifully above the rims, but never mind..we were still eating dinner when they came out of the oven, so I quickly snapped a photo…then another when we actually dished some out..fallen heaven, if you ask me, and that is just fine.

The chocolate flavor is strong, there is no eggy flavor I can detect and I love that the sugar on the bowl comes off and gives each bite just a tiny bit of sugary, crunchy texture. I did not make creme anglaise, although I do love it: that just seemed like gilding the lily a bit in this instance. Powdered sugar suits this just fine.

Dorie says leftovers taste great…and she’s right.

Head over to She’s Becoming Doughmesstic for the recipe (and a read…she’s working her way through Julia–good read..)

TWD: Chocolate Souffle

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Organized me decided to make this Saturday for dessert just for us..just because I could–and also because I actually had everything on hand.

Souffles are deceptively simple. A few ingredients handled just so yield this magic. Of course that magic is pretty ephemeral, eh? Puffy souffle to fallen souffle cake in minutes. It doesn’t dilute the deliciousness of it all, though.

All by way of saying that by the time my souffle made it to the table, it had fallen–but we loved it just the same.

I don’t have the right dish at all, so I divided it into two–I have two pretty, nearly straight-sided bowls from Ikea. I followed Dori’s intstructions to be generous when buttering and sugaring. I filled them about 2/3 full each, and that just didn’t get them to puff beautifully above the rims, but never mind..we were still eating dinner when they came out of the oven, so I quickly snapped a photo…then another when we actually dished some out..fallen heaven, if you ask me, and that is just fine.

The chocolate flavor is strong, there is no eggy flavor I can detect and I love that the sugar on the bowl comes off and gives each bite just a tiny bit of sugary, crunchy texture. I did not make creme anglaise, although I do love it: that just seemed like gilding the lily a bit in this instance. Powdered sugar suits this just fine.

Dorie says leftovers taste great…and she’s right.

Head over to She’s Becoming Doughmesstic for the recipe (and a read…she’s working her way through Julia–good read..)

Hooray for Tuesday with Dorie! Hooray for Espresso Cheesecake Brownies.

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I open with a Cheesecake Brownie Abstract.

And hooray for hitting the gym, but that is so not what this post is about.

You know, my good friend Rachel moved away (you know who you are, Rachel). I blame her. Because when Rachel moved, her whole family moved with her (umm, of course). At least I knew Mike and Michael (husband, son) would eat my Tuesdays with Dorie goods. But now? Guess I’d better call Brady (my one “young” friend). He’s been known to enjoy a dessert or two at my hands.

It’s tough, you know? I could eat the entire pan. No, really, I am SO not joking.

But I won’t. Eat every last brownie, that is. One, sure. Two? Probably a bad idea.

ANYWAY.

It has been way too hot to cook this summer and I’ve been running around a bit, but the truth is? I really miss cooking when I find myself too busy to do it. I’ve finally dug my heels and and refused to eat out. It’s mediocre. REALLY. So…let’s take the time to do something fun. Tonight I did two somethings fun:
1. Tuesdays With Dorie
2. Ming Tsai’s Dumplings from Blue Ginger cookbook (more about that in another blog post).

These brownie’s were oh-such-a-nice-way to return to baking. Brownies are reasonably easy for someone as baking challenged as I am and these are incredible (okay, truth be told, I haven’t actually eaten one yet, because they are cooling for 2 hours in the fridge before I top them with even. more. sour. cream. But the coffee flavored cheesecake batter went really nicely with a dollop of the brownie batter! Love me some raw eggs…)
When I DID finally get around to assembly? Oh, heaven. The coffee flavor is there and the consistency of the cheesecake part is silky and smoth. Cut these into very small square because they are RICH. Enjoy with un cortado. And savor every crumb. Then share with as many people as possible: you will make them very happy.

(Final aside. I think I’d stop before the sour cream next time. It had an almost fake taste to it–so much so that I double checked and made sure I used full fat, good stuff…but hey, thems the breaks, right? If I make this again, I’m thinking a drizzle of chocolate over all. This is the kind of cheesecake they cut up, dip in chocolate and freeze on a stick. Decadence.)

(Really the final aside–after this sat overnight and the sour cream firmed up it lost that odd taste that made if fakey. I love it super chilled and firmer. That said, I still think I might forego it in the future, if for not other reason than the espresso cheesecake part of this is so fabulous.)

Recipe is up at Melissa’s Life in a Peanut Shell. And check out TWD for the blog roll and all the other bakers.

Hooray for Tuesday with Dorie! Hooray for Espresso Cheesecake Brownies.

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I open with a Cheesecake Brownie Abstract.

And hooray for hitting the gym, but that is so not what this post is about.

You know, my good friend Rachel moved away (you know who you are, Rachel). I blame her. Because when Rachel moved, her whole family moved with her (umm, of course). At least I knew Mike and Michael (husband, son) would eat my Tuesdays with Dorie goods. But now? Guess I’d better call Brady (my one “young” friend). He’s been known to enjoy a dessert or two at my hands.

It’s tough, you know? I could eat the entire pan. No, really, I am SO not joking.

But I won’t. Eat every last brownie, that is. One, sure. Two? Probably a bad idea.

ANYWAY.

It has been way too hot to cook this summer and I’ve been running around a bit, but the truth is? I really miss cooking when I find myself too busy to do it. I’ve finally dug my heels and and refused to eat out. It’s mediocre. REALLY. So…let’s take the time to do something fun. Tonight I did two somethings fun:
1. Tuesdays With Dorie
2. Ming Tsai’s Dumplings from Blue Ginger cookbook (more about that in another blog post).

These brownie’s were oh-such-a-nice-way to return to baking. Brownies are reasonably easy for someone as baking challenged as I am and these are incredible (okay, truth be told, I haven’t actually eaten one yet, because they are cooling for 2 hours in the fridge before I top them with even. more. sour. cream. But the coffee flavored cheesecake batter went really nicely with a dollop of the brownie batter! Love me some raw eggs…)
When I DID finally get around to assembly? Oh, heaven. The coffee flavor is there and the consistency of the cheesecake part is silky and smoth. Cut these into very small square because they are RICH. Enjoy with un cortado. And savor every crumb. Then share with as many people as possible: you will make them very happy.

(Final aside. I think I’d stop before the sour cream next time. It had an almost fake taste to it–so much so that I double checked and made sure I used full fat, good stuff…but hey, thems the breaks, right? If I make this again, I’m thinking a drizzle of chocolate over all. This is the kind of cheesecake they cut up, dip in chocolate and freeze on a stick. Decadence.)

(Really the final aside–after this sat overnight and the sour cream firmed up it lost that odd taste that made if fakey. I love it super chilled and firmer. That said, I still think I might forego it in the future, if for not other reason than the espresso cheesecake part of this is so fabulous.)

Recipe is up at Melissa’s Life in a Peanut Shell. And check out TWD for the blog roll and all the other bakers.

Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies: It’s Tuesday with Dorie

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Hmm.. Who doesn’t love a good brownie? But the Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownie isn’t something I’d make again…I definitely like the proportions–I knew this would be fudgy–look at how LITTLE flour goes into the recipe. Very good start.

I got out my square pan–it measures just over 8 inches on the bottom, but 9 at the top. So, which is it? I hereby do solemnly swear I will never EVER buy a pan with sloping sides–sides to square and rectangular pans SHOULD BE STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. Or you’ve got no hope and your brownies will be too flat. Like mine.

Okay. My work on behalf of bakers done, I will continue. I like brownies, but I think I’m a brownie purist. I already knew I wouldn’t be adding nuts to this recipe, but after tasting, I wish I’d left out the cinnamon, too. I think I’d have kept the coffee. The cinnamon kept giving me a bit of a chemically taste. It was optional, and I love cinnamon, so I went ahead with it. I’ll be interested to see how many of the other TWD bakers did without.

If you want the recipe, go read Lisa of Surviving Oz, winner of the Design a New TWD Logo Contest. Then work your way down the other blogs listed over at TWD to see how others fared.

Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies: It’s Tuesday with Dorie

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Hmm.. Who doesn’t love a good brownie? But the Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownie isn’t something I’d make again…I definitely like the proportions–I knew this would be fudgy–look at how LITTLE flour goes into the recipe. Very good start.

I got out my square pan–it measures just over 8 inches on the bottom, but 9 at the top. So, which is it? I hereby do solemnly swear I will never EVER buy a pan with sloping sides–sides to square and rectangular pans SHOULD BE STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. Or you’ve got no hope and your brownies will be too flat. Like mine.

Okay. My work on behalf of bakers done, I will continue. I like brownies, but I think I’m a brownie purist. I already knew I wouldn’t be adding nuts to this recipe, but after tasting, I wish I’d left out the cinnamon, too. I think I’d have kept the coffee. The cinnamon kept giving me a bit of a chemically taste. It was optional, and I love cinnamon, so I went ahead with it. I’ll be interested to see how many of the other TWD bakers did without.

If you want the recipe, go read Lisa of Surviving Oz, winner of the Design a New TWD Logo Contest. Then work your way down the other blogs listed over at TWD to see how others fared.

Tuesdays with Dorie! I’m Back: Chipster-Topped Brownies

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I kind of took last week off from Tuesdays (although I DID make fresh mango bread finally this week; I’d gotten the mangos, after all…) But I had a party to go to, a reason to make brownies and a will to make brownies, too…

So we did Chipster-Topped Brownies this week: decadent (as in decadent-you-don’t-wnat-to-know-how-much-butter-is-in-these decadent) brownie base with really tasty chocolate chip cookie baked on top. Here’s the spreading of the chocolate chip topping…drop it on, gently spread:

I loved how this looked, the two-tone bar cookie…ANd I loved how it tasted. But if you can believe it, it was almost too rich. No, it WAS too rich…I cut one-inch squares to start ….then I slice those into two and three pieces..that was all I could manage (I know my hips will thank me for that later! They thank me for it now.)

I omitted the nuts because I am, as I call it, a brownie purist. I don’t like nuts, frosting, anything on/in my brownies. Add chocolate chip cookie dough to the list. Because although the flavor is fabulous, I want to ask why? I love good brownies. I love good chocolate chip cookies…I suppose this is the ultimate combo for some…but I should have guessed I might not love it even if I love both components: I never liked chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream either.

So love it or hate it, it IS beautiful and gets a lot of rave reviews from people…Now go read everyone’s blog (see TWD for the blog list) about it, especially Supplicious by Beth, who chose this week’s recipe.

And since I kept baking and made the mango bread, too, here’s a photo. I really like the bread–I think Dorie says it tastes better the next day, and I agree. This would make great muffins…Mmm. with coconut topping..Mm. I had a minor “loaf explosion,” as you can see from the photo, but that sure didn’t affect the flavor. Check out Kelly from Baking with the Boys for her pick and the recipe.

Tuesdays with Dorie! I’m Back: Chipster-Topped Brownies

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I kind of took last week off from Tuesdays (although I DID make fresh mango bread finally this week; I’d gotten the mangos, after all…) But I had a party to go to, a reason to make brownies and a will to make brownies, too…

So we did Chipster-Topped Brownies this week: decadent (as in decadent-you-don’t-wnat-to-know-how-much-butter-is-in-these decadent) brownie base with really tasty chocolate chip cookie baked on top. Here’s the spreading of the chocolate chip topping…drop it on, gently spread:

I loved how this looked, the two-tone bar cookie…ANd I loved how it tasted. But if you can believe it, it was almost too rich. No, it WAS too rich…I cut one-inch squares to start ….then I slice those into two and three pieces..that was all I could manage (I know my hips will thank me for that later! They thank me for it now.)

I omitted the nuts because I am, as I call it, a brownie purist. I don’t like nuts, frosting, anything on/in my brownies. Add chocolate chip cookie dough to the list. Because although the flavor is fabulous, I want to ask why? I love good brownies. I love good chocolate chip cookies…I suppose this is the ultimate combo for some…but I should have guessed I might not love it even if I love both components: I never liked chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream either.

So love it or hate it, it IS beautiful and gets a lot of rave reviews from people…Now go read everyone’s blog (see TWD for the blog list) about it, especially Supplicious by Beth, who chose this week’s recipe.

And since I kept baking and made the mango bread, too, here’s a photo. I really like the bread–I think Dorie says it tastes better the next day, and I agree. This would make great muffins…Mmm. with coconut topping..Mm. I had a minor “loaf explosion,” as you can see from the photo, but that sure didn’t affect the flavor. Check out Kelly from Baking with the Boys for her pick and the recipe.

TWD: Tartest Lemon Tart. That’s Right: Something NOT Chocolate

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I love the chocolate, but even I was a wee bit tired of all that chocolate over the last few Tuesdays With Dorie…so what do I do? Find the entirely opposite end of the palate spectrum and pick this tart.

And frankly, My TWD friends? I loved it. (I even changed the header picture to celebrate the lemony side of life.)

That is not to say I did this without a bit of problem…No, because then it wouldn’t be me baking, right? I am the imperfect baker, as I keep insisting. Trouble is…baking is an exact science.

Case in point: Because this is “my” recipe (my turn), I thought I should really be methodical and early…Get the tart done SATURDAY. Blog Sunday. File and wait for it to post Tuesday. Hmm. Yes, but …well, I don’t know where I went wrong, but I couldn’t have fouled up tart #1 more…first I grabbed the 1/3 cup measure, not the 1/4 cup measure. How? I don’t know. No one but an idiot would confuse that diminutive 1/4 cup measure with the monstrous 1/3 cup measure. As a result, my dough had 1/3 cup nuts. 1 1/3 cup flour. (Oh, forgot to mention: the only thing in the cupboard was bread flour. Sigh.)…2/3 cup powdered sugar. Need I say that one yolk wasn’t enough to hold it together? How did I detect this? Oh, maybe when the whole food processor full of everything still looked like …powder? Not a clump in sight. I added a bit of water, decided to try to go ahead…and promptly forgot Dorie’s admonition to NOT PACK THIS INTO THE TART RING. Oh, it was SO packed. Forge ahead STILL. Bake it. Forgot to set timer. Overbaked. Forge ahead. Make filling: What? No cream you say? Add vanilla yogurt and ? That’s right, FORGE AHEAD. I had to bake this tart so LONG for it to set up. It is very …um…”golden.” And tasty, really it is, but …well, frankly, it’s tough. But tasty. Here’s a photo…it’s “darkish.” A new word for…well, a new word for almost burnt.

Who shouted “No surprise!” at their screen?

So. Shopped. Got regular flour. Got cream. Paid attention. Actually remembered to gently push crumbly shortbread crust into fluted edges instead of packing it into the tart ring like spackle. Set all timers.

And I love this. Lives up to every expectation. The comments did mention bitterness, so I did trim the pith a bit. I picked this because I love a Shaker Lemon Pie that uses whole slices of lemon. This is better, Dorie. So much better.

I really wish I’d had time to do a bruleed top, …next time. This went too fast to even think about that step….

This one is another winner for me, right after last week’s tiramisu cake. Hope you all really enjoy it.

Now go have a look at the blog roll on Tuesdays With Dorie and see how everyone else fared.
Want this recipe and ALL our TWD Recipes? Better get yourself Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

I think we have permission, as the picker of the week, to post the recipe, so here it is. I’m kind of a stickler with permissions, so if I hear differently, I’ll take this down (I know other pickers have posted…)

Dorie Greenspan’s Tartest Lemon Tart
1 1/2 lemons, scrubbed and dried
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 lare egg yolks, room temp
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 9-inch tart shell made with Dorie’s Sweet Tart Dough with Nuts (p. 444 of Baking from My Home to Yours), partially baked and cooled

Whipped cream, creme fraiche or confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place tart pan on baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone mat.

Slice whole lemon in half and pull out seeds from it and the half. Then cut lemons into small pieces.

Filling is best made in a blender, but you can use a food processor. Take care to work ingredients until they are smooth and to scrape down sides of bowl often. Put lemons and sugar in blender or processor and pulse, blend and scrape down sides until you have smooth mix. Add remaining filling ingredients and pulse and blend until filling is homogeneous. Rap bowl on counter several times to de-bubble filling as much as possible, and pour it into partially baked crust.

Very carefully–tart shell will be full–transfer baking sheet to oven. Bake 20 minutes, then increase oven temp to 350 degrees F and bake tart for an additional 25 to 30 minutes. (total time is 45 to 50 minutes). Don’t be alarmed when filling starts to bubble up. (It might even bubble over edge of tart–that’s okay.) When tart is properly baked, it shuld be set, although perhaps still shaky in center, and most of top will have formed a light sugary crust.

Transfer tart pan to cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Chill, if you’d like, before serving with cream or dusting of confectioners’ sugar.