BetterBaking.com - October 2010 Note from Marcy & Baker's Stash

It's Cookie Time in the BB Kitchen! Free Cookie Recipes and more....

Dear Bakers and Friends,

This baker is off to the fall-gorgeous countryside to attend a family apple pressing so the October Issue of BetterBaking.com is a bit early. You knew September was a short month, didn’t you? But before I am off, I am offering a harvest of recipe treats from scones to breads with a special focus on cookies.

It is major cookie time and I bless that on the autumn mood, back-to-school chaos and mood in the air (it is slightly overcast and calling for nibbles). Recently, when my crystal cookie jars starting protesting the baker’s largesse, I went and bought several dollar-store and Bulk Barn cookie jars (at $4.99 for huge and pretty jars, how can you miss?)

I make batches and batches of dough (mostly rugulah dough, oatmeal and chocolate chip cookie dough) and once a week, one batch of stay-fresh biscotti (it’s starts crisp and dunkable and stays that way). Yes, when do I have time? I just stock pile dough and then bake off a dozen cookies about 2-3 times a week. The sound of those lids being lifted and replaced is still, after all this time, music to my ears. Plus if you have stocked cookie jars, guests seem to drop by and you are always prepared. Talk about hostess with the mostess. The trick is finding recipes that keep at room temperature, don’t jar ‘em up until they are perfectly cooled, and bake small batches. Below are three of my favorites recipes – all free – to start you off.

Free Apple Cider?
Fresh news for October 2010! I am delighted to welcome www.CanadianFavourites.com to the BB family. Finally, we all have a source to get famed Tim Horton Coffee, Red River Cereal, and even amazing Canadian Bread Flour. We are also testing out some new products such as Van Dyk’s Wild Blueberry Juice (have it over chilled Pelligrino and ice) and Black Bear Fruit Co. Syrups. But the main thrill is that we now, at last, have a place to go for all the Canuck foods that some of us (even in Canada) can’t always get. Free Apple Cider - for the month of October 2010, just mention “Marcy Sent Me” in the comments/text field of your order and a free sample of Lynch Gourmet Olde Style Hot Apple MAPLE Cider 23g (caffeine free) will automatically be included in your parcel. Feel the warm glow this fall/winter season and discover products you may have missed for years (if you are a Canadian outside the borders or in a part of the country that might not be carrying your personal favourites).

Speaking of Canadian favourites, many of you write and ask me where to get the famous, heavy duty commercial bread pan by Lockwood Manufacturing in Canada that measures about 5 by 10 inches and is ‘the pan’ for all my big breads and challahs. Nothing compares to this beauty and it’s unbelievably hard to find (online bakery suppliers just don’t seem to stock it so it’s remained a secret of commercial bakers). Then I had an idea – why not just contact Lockwood? They are the folks that make this great loaf pan along with my preferred, commercially glazed, non-stick muffin pan (it lasts for years (doesn’t always look pretty but stands up to a beating). All my Lawsuit Muffins have been baked in these pans since 1981). So more good news – with any luck, soon we will (Lockwood, BB and maybe an online retailer or two) will be carrying the pans. Stay tuned. www.lockwoodmfg.ca/main/index.php
Lockwood pans are not Food Network beautiful but they are beasts of burden and put anything else to shame. It is not an understatement to say they are a good 30% of your recipes’ success.

Yin Yan Biscotti
This is a beautiful biscotti that was originally created for a feature in the now defunct Coffee Journal Magazine, a periodical way ahead of its time. I then put the recipe in The Coffee Bistro Cookbook, a cookbook that never saw the light of day (although it is still listed on Amazon I think). Long story on that….Recently a BB visitor reminded me of this recipe and I had to go a few miles to fish it out but it is worth it. A chocolate biscotti, uplifted with chunks of white chocolate. It’s Yin Yan for the decadent.

Inspired by Ben and Jerry's wonderful Cherry Garcia ice cream, this chocolate version is chock full of dried, sour cherries, chunks of white and dark chocolate and buttery pecans, which inset in a rich chocolate cookie dough. Marinating the cherries overnight in cherry liqueur greatly adds to the bouquet of flavor in these cookies but if you are in a hurry for cookie nirvana, you can omit this bit of prep

Ahoy Matey Chocolate Chip Cookies
Little appetites like cookies like the ‘store’. There’s no accounting for taste. These are however, like the ‘store’ brand but healthier because they are homemade. Still crunchy, fun, and with that commercial flair.

McDonaldâ€™s Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
McCookies at home. The real deal, real easy….just try them. A birthday party must, a bakesale favorite.

I don’t know how urban legends start. There is salmon in the dishwasher, grilled cheese sandwiches made on engine blocks and this fabulous cookie recipe. The story of this recipe (check on Google) never fails to charm, nor does the cookie.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Leftover pumpkin bread (or even honey cake) is sublime, baked up into this spice and vanilla, gorgeous, decadent bread pudding. Serve warm as comfort food with crème anglaise or in cold, midnight snack hunks.

Applesauce Sour Cream Pound Cake FREE!! and a head's up on my favorite angel food cake pan from www.Nordicware.com
Big, bold, moist, simple – hey, give me a slice! This cake calls for raisins and nuts but it's also very winning made with dried or fresh cranberries, chocolate chunks or just wonderful with nothing added. The scent of this baking will bring crowds to your kitchen. I don't think I have ever made a cake that has a better perfume-while-baking than this cake!
Check out the Nordicware angel pans for the best results for this and any other pound or Bundt cake recipe.

Diner Style Old Fashioned Brown Sugar Oatmeal Apple Crisp
If you can’t remember the last time you had this, it is time to make it again. Enjoy the mellow taste of apples, set in a caramelized foundation, and topped with a nutty, brown sugar and oatmeal crisp topping. This is also sublime with diced apricots or the fresh pears of fall and can turn an omelet and baguette supper into a feast.

Tender Sweet Pumpkin Baby Cakes
Don’t forget Halloween! Nothing to get spooked about with these tender, spice-kissed pumpkin cupcakes. Frost white or orange, and add some black licorice or candy corn. Treat, no trick!

BB's Complete Thanksgiving Complete Recipe Menu
A special promotion of the now famous 9 of my special recipes that celebrate Thanksgiving (Canadian or American) including, Old Fashioned Perfect Roast Turkey, Best Thanksgiving Stuffing Not-Out-of-a-Box, Layered 'N Baked Best Ever Cranberry Sauce, Best Ever Giblet Gravy,Thanksgiving Scalloped Potatoes, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Durkee Green Onion Casserole, Thanksgiving Roasted Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Casserole, and of course a vanilla-kissed, BB Classic Pumpkin Pie. One batch, one price - just print it out and head to the kitchen. Check out the Thanksgiving Breads Collection, Cranberry Collection and BB Thanksgiving Desserts - all on promotion this month -many recipes/one price.