i usually don’t get up early enough during the week for breakfast, but on the weekend, all bets are off. i like 2 eggs, home fries, sausage, toast, orange juice, coffee…you get the idea. sometimes we switch it up and make waffles, but nothing beats homemade pancakes.

if you don’t like getting up early even on the weekends for breakfast, you can do what we often do around here, which is make breakfast for dinner. in fact, the very first time i had the girl over to my place in college (on valentine’s day if i remember correctly), i made her pancakes, sausage, home fries and eggs…ok, maybe a little too much food for a romantic evening in retrospect, but it must have worked at least a little bit.

so back to these pancakes. i know, i know, bananas, and bacon, and buttermilk. but here’s the good thing – you can leave out (or substitute in the case of buttermilk) any of these and still have a seriously delicious breakfast (or dinner). the basis for them comes from mark bittman, and in a cookbook with millions of recipes, his basic pancake recipe is one of the few i have bookmarked.

the crumbled bacon does give the pancakes a smoky flavor without being too overwhelming, but what really helps push the pancakes over the top is actually cooking them in bacon fat. needlessly decadent? possibly, but in addition to providing flavor, the fat gives the pancakes a perfectly crispy outside.

as i write this, dc is scheduled to get a ridiculous amount of snow over the next few days, so there’s a good chance we’ll be stuck around the house. i’m predicting some snow day pancakes in our immediate future…

bacon banana buttermilk pancakes
makes 4-6 servings. adapted from How to Cook Everything.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp melted and cooled butter
2 bananas, smashed
3 pieces crumbled bacon
bacon fat for greasing the pan (or butter if bacon fat is not available)

1. cook up bacon and crumble. reserve and strain the fat. y0u can do this a day or two before, keeping the bacon fat in the refrigerator.

2. melt the butter and let cool to room temperature.

3. mix the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar in a bowl. set aside.

4. combine the buttermilk, eggs, cooled melted butter, smashed bananas, and the crumbled bacon. mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. it is ok if there are some small bits of flour. let the batter sit for 5 minutes.

5. heat up a skillet and spoon on just enough bacon fat or butter to coat the surface. ladle on a spoonful of batter and cook until bubbles begin to appear on the top of the pancake. flip and let cook for another few minutes, until both sides are golden brown.

note: if you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute regular milk but increase the baking soda to 1 Tbsp.

we’ve made our own pizza several times before, each time a little differently. the first time, i was trying out my baking stones, and this past summer, we tried making pizza on the grill. each time, i was amazed at how easy the process went and how delicious the end result was. this time around, i had a secret weapon to make the pizza even better – 00 flour.

the flour came from Kalustyan’s, a specialty foods store we visited in new york city. the place is basically a warehouse of spices, jams, mixes, olives and anything else you might have a hard time finding at your local supermarket. seriously, check out their website, and prepare to salivate.

in italy, flour is classified by how finely it is ground, from most coarse (2) to most fine (00). the classifications go deeper (there are even myriad types of 00 flour to choose from in italy), but the general rule is that 00 is best for pizza and pasta. i wanted to try it out and see how it compared to ordinary all-purpose flour.

everything i read about 00 flour before getting started assured me that it would extremely easy to use, which proved to be very true. the dough came together extremely quickly and cleanly, even as i mixed it with my bare hands. after a few rises, it was easy to shape into rough discs. handling the dough as little as possible results in a chewy, crispy crust, while overworking it gives you a dough that’s too dense and tough. luckily, these kept their shape without too much trouble.

one of the biggest challenges of making pizza at home is getting the oven hot enough (most home ovens don’t reach 800 F). when the girl and i moved into our new place last summer, i was skeptical that the electric oven we would now be using would stand up to the gas oven we had become accustomed to previously. to the contrary, the electric oven has heated more quickly and evenly, and in the case of baking pizza, finally gave us the just blackened melty mozzarella cheese we wanted.

here’s one with a pesto base, caramelized onions, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. these pictures are making me hungry again.

this pizza (one of the favorites of the night) was topped with a bean salad, mexican cheese and cilantro. overall, the difference in taste between the 00 flour crust and the all-purpose flour crust (both recipes below) was pretty minimal. regardless, it still may be a fun idea to try again, either with a different 00 flour brand, or incorporating it into pasta rather than pizza.

pizza
dough recipe from The Fresh Loaf.

00 pizza dough (makes 3 pizzas)
500 gr 00 flour
1 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp salt
375 gr water (weighed, not measured)
1 Tbsp olive oil

1. whisk the dry ingredients together to get them evenly incorporated and add the water and olive oil. mix until combined and knead for just a minute or two.

2. let rest loosely covered in a large bowl at room temperature for 20 minutes. knead, and let rest for another 20 minutes. repeat this process two more times. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough overnight.

3. the following day, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. if you want to use the dough immediately, let it rest a room temperature for 2 hours before attempting to shape and bake. the dough can also be kept in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for several weeks.

olive oil pizza dough (from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. makes 4 pizzas)
2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbsp granulated yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. mix the yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with the water in a large bowl. mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon or in a stand mixer with a dough hook.

2. cover the bowl and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses, approximately 2 hours. the dough can be used immediately, though it is easier to use when chilled in the refrigerator (dough can be stored for 2 weeks).

making the pizza
1. on the day you want to make the pizza, two hours before baking, remove your dough from the refrigerator and divide it into equal pieces. flatten into rough discs, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest.

2. twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 550 F, with your baking stone(s) on the bottom shelf. dust a working surface with flour and flatten the dough with a rolling pin or stretch it with your hands. dust a pizza peel with cornmeal and lay the shaped dough down. cover with toppings.

3. slide the pizza from the peel to the baking stone and bake for 8-10 minutes, until crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted completely. let cool a few minutes before slicing and enjoying.

when the girl and i moved in together this past summer, we knew we’d have some doubles of kitchen equipment, but it didn’t become apparent how bad it was until we filled two giant plastic storage bins with extra utensils, plates, pots, broiling pans, and stand mixers (to be fair, the two stand mixers we have actually both belong to me). despite the excess, we somehow keep finding kitchen “things” that we didn’t know we needed – like mini ramekins. until recently, i figured they were only good for a) crème brulée and b) filling with mise en place on cooking shows. it turns out you can also use them to make an incredibly simple, fast and delicious breakfast.

you can see here the basic ingredients for a baked egg (ironically my mise en place is not in ramekins). the original recipe i found used some fresh herbs and cheese, but i quickly realized this was an opportunity for me to bring back an old tradition. you see, back in college, my roommates and i made a lot of chicken parmesan. when we finished breading and frying the chicken, the two things we were always left with were eggs and bread crumbs. so, while the cheese melted on the chicken, we scrambled the eggs with the leftover bread crumbs, dubbed it “breggs,” and ate it as an appetizer.

this is sort of a grown-up version of breggs. it can be fun to customize each one with different toppings – but any topping that requires cooking should be cooked beforehand, as they’re only in the oven for a few minutes. if you make a baked egg just right, breaking through the crust will reveal a perfectly runny yolk. it’s a deceptively easy breakfast that looks elegant yet rustic and tastes completely delicious. what are you waiting for?

baked egg
recipe makes 4 eggs (1 egg per small ramekin). if using a larger ramekin, adjust measurements accordingly.

1/4 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/4 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan
1 Tbsp crumbled cooked bacon
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tbp butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. preheat the broiler while you prepare the ramekins.

2. combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parmesan and bread crumbs. add 1/4 Tbsp butter and 1/2 Tbsp heavy cream in each ramekin. put the ramekins on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until melted and bubbly.

3. remove the ramekins from the oven and very carefully crack 1 egg into each. quickly sprinkle with the crumb/herb topping and place back in the broiler for anther 2-3 minutes. the eggs will continue to cook after you remove them from the oven. let cool for 1-2 minutes before serving warm.

so, after another brief (ha!) hiatus, i’m back sharing my kitchen adventures. to be honest, besides being consumed by work this fall and winter, it took me a little while to get excited about baking again. planning time to bake, take pictures, and post took away some of the spontaneity and fun of it, but a few things have helped me get back on track lately. one, the girl got a new digital SLR, with which she has generously let me play. but two, more importantly, i spent a few days at my parent’s house for christmas, and i was reminded of the care my mom puts into the dozen plus varieties of cookies she makes for the holidays each year. she does it because she loves to bake, and she loves to see others enjoy her baking. it’s the reason i started blogging in the first place, and it’s re-inspired me. i feel privileged to share these photos and recipes and stories with all of you.

so onto the bread. this is not the first time i’ve attempted no-knead bread, but it is the first time it’s actually come out right, and i have christopher kimball to thank for that. until just recently, the girl and i had 6 meager tv channels in our place, one of which was the truly awesome WETA “create” network which is nothing but PBS cooking and baking shows. every night, it was jacques pépin, julia child and, our favorite, america’s test kitchen.

i was surprised to see their version of no-knead bread that, well, required some kneading. it also included a bit of beer, which got me interested. i decided to get back on the horse and whip up a batch. for the most part, it follows jim lahey’s original recipe, but the beer gives it a bit of flavor, and a tablespoon of vinegar helps stabilize the loaf. the ingredients still come together quickly and easily.

and like the original, the majority of the work is done overnight as the bread rises (8-18 hours).

don’t mind me, just doing a quick knead, won’t be a sec.

ok, all set.

i’ve learned that when the recipe tells you to score the bread, score it deep enough to really open up the dough. the idea is to direct where the bread will expand during the “oven spring” (when it first hits the heat of the oven and expands). i happen to have a bread scorer, but any sharp knife will do.

this bread truly comes out best when baked in a dutch oven. it’s the best way to get the heat and steam needed for a good rise and the perfect crust. don’t be afraid of a deep, dark crust – bread baked in a home oven usually takes more time than in a commercial oven, because it’s harder to get the temperature high enough at home.

it’s amazing that a dough that takes all of 5 minutes to prepare could produce such a beautiful crumb and robust taste. it’s great by itself, or even better toasted with a little butter. if you’ve tried the original no-knead recipe (either with success or failure), it’s worth trying this one as well.

almost no-knead bread
makes one delicious loaf. from america’s test kitchen (requires a login).

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (15 oz), plus additional for dusting work surface
1/4 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast (or 1/2 tsp dry active yeast)
1 1/2 tsp table salt
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water (7 ounces), at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp mild-flavored lager (3 ounces)
1 Tbsp white vinegar

1. whisk flour, yeast, and salt in large bowl. add water, beer, and vinegar. using rubber spatula or a wooden spoon, fold mixture, scraping up dry flour from bottom of bowl until shaggy ball forms. cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours.

2. lay 12- by 18-inch sheet of parchment paper inside 10-inch skillet and spray with nonstick cooking spray. transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead 10 to 15 times. shape dough into ball by pulling edges into middle. transfer dough, seam-side down, to parchment-lined skillet and spray surface of dough with nonstick cooking spray. cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until dough has doubled in size and does not readily spring back when poked with finger, about 2 hours.

3. about 30 minutes before baking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 6- to 8-quart heavy-bottomed dutch oven (with lid) on rack, and heat oven to 500F. lightly flour top of dough and, using razor blade or sharp knife, make one 6-inch-long, 1/2-inch-deep slit along top of dough. carefully remove pot from oven and remove lid. pick up dough by lifting parchment overhang and lower into pot (let any excess parchment hang over pot edge). cover pot and place in oven. reduce oven temperature to 425F and bake covered for 30 minutes. remove lid and continue to bake until loaf is deep brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 210 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes longer. carefully remove bread from pot; transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

hey everyone, happy november! i went and disappeared for a few weeks again, but i’m back again with a delicious fall recipe. i’m actually writing this post from a bus on my way back from nyc where the girl and i celebrated our 4 year dating anniversary by eating delicious food and walking pretty much every square block of the city. friday night we hit thomas keller’s bouchon bakery, followed by dinner at 3 separate places in chinatown (mei li wah is AMAZING). saturday, despite being full from dinner the night before, it was burgers at shake shack, including a “pumpkin pie oh my” shake, which is a shake with a pie of pumpkin pie INSIDE OF IT. the future is here, people. later that night, we were lucky enough to dine at kefi for some awesome greek food. there was more food along the way, but i’m getting dizzy thinking about it. in any event, it was our kind of anniversary.

but now it’s time to head back home to beautiful washington dc, the land of, as i found out this past week, about a million food bloggers. we were finally able to make it to one of the food blogger happy hours last wednesday and had the pleasure of meeting some people we’ve been fans of for so long (check out the dc section of the links page – i love these people). if you haven’t made it out yet, it’s a great time with an incredibly warm and inviting bunch of people who are obsessed with food and drink, and it’s a great opportunity to pick everyone’s brains for their favorite restaurants as well.

whew, i’m kind of all over the place with this post and i haven’t even gotten to the muffins yet. i guess it’s been a busy few weeks (and i didn’t even get into me getting SWINE FLU for a week – seriously). anywho, the recipe is from the always great pinch my salt, whose recipe index i’ve relied on more than once. the fact that they are whole wheat bears special relevance to me right now, since the girl has been slowly influencing my baking since we moved in together – namely by turning every recipe into a whole wheat recipe. i was skeptical at first, but i’m slowly coming around (whole wheat waffles are actually REALLY good). these muffins can be frozen and are great to grab in the morning for the walk to work. hopefully the reported pumpkin shortage this year doesn’t hurt your chances of making these (or any of your pumpkin favorites). good luck!

whole wheat pumpkin muffins
from pinch my salt.

2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 c pumpkin puree (canned, libby’s)
2 Tbps oil
3/4 c honey
2 eggs
2/3 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped walnuts

1. preheat oven to 375 F. lightly grease a standard size 12 cup muffin tin.

2. in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. in a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, honey, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. fold in the chopped walnuts.

5. divide batter evenly between 12 standard sized muffin cups. bake 20-23 minutes in a preheated 375 F oven. muffins are done when they spring back lightly to the touch or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

ok fall, you win. it just dropped about 15 degrees here in dc, the leaves have changed color, and it’s dark by 6pm. even though i’m counting down the days until the fireflies return to our front porch, i’m excited about the prospect of months of warming comfort food. sweaters and soups and…PIES.

granny smiths are pretty much the reigning champ of baking apples. i usually go 100% granny smith in my recipes, but you can mix it up with whatever you can get at the market.

this is probably the best part of the whole pie process. you mix the apple slices with sugar and cinnamon in a big bowl. then, you sit around and eat a bunch of the slices and pretend like it never happened before arranging the rest in a pie crust. at the bottom of the bowl, the apple juice, along with the sugar and cinnamon, forms a delicious syrup. it’s really tempting to just drink this syrup, but if you’re feeling less gluttonous, you can just pour it over the apple slices.

ooooh, pretty.

the best part about this pie is not having to worry about a fickle top crust. the crumb topping is easy to make and crisps up perfectly. it’s like having an apple pie and an apple crisp at the same time.

it’s been fall for less than a month and i’ve already made this pie twice. and i see another one coming in the near future. you can whip one of these up in about an hour and have it ready for some vanilla ice cream. it’s a good thing.

apple crumb pie

filling
6 cups apples (i like granny smith)
1 9″ frozen pastry shell (or make your own dough)
1/2 c sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon

crumb topping
1/3 c sugar
3/4 c flour
6 Tbsp butter, cut into chunks (chilled)

1. pare, core and slice the apples thinly. mix the 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon and mix with apple slices. arrange the slices in the pastry shell.

2. in a separate bowl, combine the 1/3 cup sugar and 3/4 cup flour. cut in the cold butter chunks until crumbly. you can do this with a few quick pulses in a food processor or just using your hands to combine. sprinkle the topping over the apples.

3. bake the pie on a baking sheet in a preheated 400F oven for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. remove and cool on a rack for about an hour before serving.

this week, we all mourned the loss of gourmet magazine. so while this probably isn’t the best time to pitch a new food mag, i wanted to share with all of you one of my favorite pieces from my graphic design portfolio. just so everyone is clear, this is NOT a real publication. that said, if anyone is so inspired to get involved in the failing print industry…

our class assignment was to create our dream magazine and prepare some sample layouts. i immediately knew where i was headed. knead magazine is a baking magazine that caters to both experienced and novice chefs. the particular issue i created is a “special issue” focused on baking with, what else, BACON. i was really excited to get to use some real recipes and photos i had taken for the projects, and i’m really happy with how it came out. by the way, you can download a full-sized pdf copy HERE.

to answer a few questions before they are asked: it’s not a full issue of a magazine, just a few pages to show different layouts. additionally, the text of the article is just filler text (there wasn’t quite enough time during the course to write a real one). hope you enjoy! if you had the chance, what kind of food magazine would you create?

oh hello there. it’s been a while, huh? well, let’s get this out of the way – sorry for leaving you all hanging. thank you for the comments and emails asking if everything was ok, and when i’d be returning with more recipes and stories. i really hate going to a blog and finding that the author has stopped updating with no explanation, and i swore i would never do that, but it just sort of happened. a week off turned to two, which turned to just shy of 2 months. wow.

so where have i been? well, i have been cooking and baking, but a few other things have sort of conspired against my free time lately, namely: leaving my old job (sad to leave everyone there), starting my new job (as a graphic designer! scary and challenging but endlessly rewarding), and going into the homestretch of my graphic design certificate at CDIABU (amazing program). combine that with finding time for freelance work to support going back to school, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day anymore.

things are finally settling down though, and i think i can give this blog the time it deserves. so again, i apologize for disappearing without warning or explanation and neglecting comments and emails for a bit, but i love this too much to give it up. thanks for hanging around if you have, and if any of your friends have taken me off their feed readers, let them know i’m back – and i brought you all these cookies.

about these cookies – they are SO GOOD. we’re lucky enough to have fresh rosemary growing in the backyard, and combing it with lemon in shortbread cookie form is just a natural fit. the cookies are still great if can’t get  your rosemary right from the plant, but if you have a choice, fresh is definitely the way to go.

not too sweet, not too savory, and perfect with coffee or tea. this was actually the first time i had made icebox cookies from scratch, and it could not have been easier. basically, you make a simple dough (something else this recipe has going for it), roll it into a log and freeze it. when you’re ready to bake, just slice the log up into rounds and bake.

the logs were rolled in decorator’s sugar before slicing – totally optional, but also totally delicious. doesn’t this picture just make you want a tall glass of ice-cold milk right now?

it’s officially fall here in dc (just took the air conditioner out yesterday!) and i can’t wait to get back into all the seasonal recipes and ingredients. i believe apple and pumpkin picking are both in our immediate future, so get ready for that. see you all in a few days with another post (seriously!). it feels great to be back.

rosemary lemon cookies

1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
1 egg and 1 egg white (for brushing)
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt

1. beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer or with a spoon until pale, light and fluffy. add the egg and vanilla and mix until well blended. add the rosemary, lemon zest, salt and flour and mix well.

2. divide the dough in half and shape them into logs and place on a piece of parchment paper. roll the logs about 1 1/2″ in diameter. chill in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour (more is fine).

3. preheat the oven to 375F. take the logs out of the fridge, brush with egg white and roll in sugar. cut the logs into 1/4″ slices and place on a parchment covered baking sheet. bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. cool on a wire rack before eating.

when i was much, much younger, one of my sisters and i came across a bowl of what looked to be delicious cookie dough in a mixing bowl on the kitchen counter. with my mom out of the room at the moment, we took the opportunity to scoop up huge gobs and wolf them down, only to find out that what we thought was cookie dough was in fact cheese bread dough. i don’t care how much you like cheese, eating raw cheese bread dough is not a pleasant experience.

it didn’t ruin cheese as a whole for me, but i couldn’t bring myself to eat cheese bread for a long time. it wasn’t until years later that i accidentally ate an asiago cheese bagel and realized it can be one of the finer things in life. when i stumbled across this recipe last week for cheddar bread in Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, i decided to give it a shot. it happened to be the same day the girl brought home a whole mess of farmer’s market tomatoes to roast, so we figured, why not?

making roasted tomatoes is staggeringly easy. here they are at stage one: the tomatoes are happy and healthy on a baking sheet, doused with olive oil, salt and pepper, and ready for a 300F oven.

stage two: 3 hours have passed, and the tomatoes are looking a little tired. you can see where this is headed. you could stop now, but we’ve only just started to see the potential locked inside these little beauties.

stage three: 6 hours have passed, and the tomatoes have become something else entirely, caramelized and flavor-concentrated beyond words. it’s amazing what a little time and heat can produce. eat them straight off the pan, toss with some fresh pasta or add to cheese bread dough and enjoy (once you’ve baked it, of course).

the bread is versatile, good enough toasted with a bit of butter, with hints of cheese and tomato throughout, but even better in sandwiches. the recipe below produces a bread with flavors that aren’t too overwhelming, but if you’re a cheese or tomato junky, adjust accordingly.

roasted tomato and cheddar bread
adapted from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. makes 4 1-lb loaves.

bread
3 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
7 c flour (unbleached all-purpose)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
about 10 slices roasted tomato (or more to taste) – see recipe below

roasted tomatoes
1 lb tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt and pepper for sprinkling

1. to make the roasted tomatoes: preheat oven to 300F. slice tomatoes, place on baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. bake for 6 hours, flipping tomatoes halfway through baking time.

2. mix the yeast, salt, and sugar with the water in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). mix in the dry ingredients and the cheese without kneading, using a spoon or stand mixer. cover, not airtight, and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

3. the dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. refrigerate in a lidded, but not airtight, container and use over the next 7 days.

4. on baking day, dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a  1 pound (grapefruit-sized) piece. dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 1 hour.

5. twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450F, with a baking stone (or unglazed quarry tiles) on the lowest rack. place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread. sprinkle the loaf liberally with flour and slash across the top, using a serrated bread knife. leave the flour in place for baking; tap some of it off before eating.

6. slide the loaf directly on the hot stone. pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door. bake for about 25 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm. small or larger loaves may require adjustments in baking time. allow loaves to cool before slicing and eating.

it’s been a little while since my last update, and i apologize – i just realized today that’s it’s already been august for a few days. things have been hectic around here lately, and to be totally honest, when i started blogging, i had a lot less going on in my life in general. my goal was always to post at least twice a week, but it’s clear that i haven’t really been able to sustain that kind of schedule – between school and work, there’s just been less time to bake, which is a shame, because it’s still one of my favorite things in life.

also, there are times i find myself wanting to bake or cook just to bake or cook. figuring out lighting, taking pictures and writing out recipes can be a bit of a buzzkill when there are crazy delicious things in the oven and you just want to eat and share them with other people. some days it’s all about making a perfect loaf of zucchini bread and eating the whole thing before anyone has a chance to snap a photo. those days don’t happen often enough.

but don’t worry, pete bakes isn’t going anywhere! in fact, i recently (sort of) made these strawberry cupcakes for the girl and myself. finally, after over a year, i’ve learned to halve batches of things when i’m not planning on taking them into work or having a cupcake party. i’m espcially glad i halved this recipe, because they ended up being a little disappointing. i’m perplexed because it’s a martha stewart recipe – what gives?

although there was a decent strawberry flavor, the cake was too dense and spongy. you can also see how the color changed from the batter to the baked cake – more gray than pink. the frosting, however, was pretty good. i would use that again in another recipe.

does anyone have a really awesome strawberry cupcake recipe they’d be willing to share?

strawberry cupcakes
from Martha Stewart. makes 12 cupcakes.

cupcakes
2/3 c whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/4 c whole milk, room temperature
1 tspn pure vanilla extract
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

frosting
1/2 c whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

2. place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. you should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

3. in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. in a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.

4. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

5. with the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

6. divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

7. place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined. add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.