Not An Abject Failure

One day last week I wanted to make a chocolate pie with a pastry crust.  It had been a very long time since I made one, and I forgot that when baking an empty pie crust, one needs something to hold down said crust so it doesn't puff up, burn to a crisp, fall over and then sink into the swamp.

So guess what happened.

Today, I tried again:

Golden Flaky pie crust!

The edge isn't all purty and stuff, because a) I didn't know if what I tried would work (I used rice to fill the pan, after lining it with aluminium foil ) and b), I ain't sellin' it, I'm makin' it fer to eat!!

Chocolate Pie!!!.

I suspect that even Emerson Cod would enjoy this pie, but we won't know for sure until after dinner tonight -- because this pie is for dessert. :)

Breadsday

Today I baked stuff.

First, I made two GINORMOUS loaves of whole wheat:

Okay, it's a closeup of reg'lar sized bread.

Then I made some burger buns, for tomorrow to have wrapped around veggie burgers.  Here's what the counter looked like after I kneaded the bun dough (it's in the bowl under the towel):

And here's the outcome of all today's baking:

I've been trying different recipes for buns, and they've all met with the approval of Teh Girls of teh House, but they weren't what I was after.  So today I got a link from he who is known as Brave Sir Robin, over on Teh Book of Faces, which was thus:  LINK  If you go over there, you'll note that they say one can sub some whole wheat for somea the white.  I did.  And I recommend you do, too.

So I tried it, and lo, it were guuuud!

Ladles and Jellyspoons, I believe we have a winner in the bun category.

And now, off to Anno 1701....

Hooman and Kitteh Treatses

So I've been a bakin' fiend this week.  Okay, I've baked some bread.  I'm making whole wheat bread to sell to friends and neighbors, which is cool, and also been making some for us here at home.  A couple weeks ago I tried a cinnamon bread, which Jen and the girls liked, but I knew it just. wasn't. right.  So today I decided to try a different recipe, called, most humbly,

"World's Best Cinnamon Raisin Bread"

That I found at food.com.  Only I'm not a big fan of the shrivelled grape, so I just left them out.  I don't know if it's truly the world's best, but it did turn out pretty dang good. Almost like my mom used to make (which, face it, is the goal).

Cinnamon bread ready to bake

Cinnamon bread ready to eat

But I haven't been baking just for us hoomans.  Oh, no.  I also made some "Catnip Crackers", or, as I've dubbed them, "Kitteh Biskits".  I got the recipe from a friend on Facebook, and she saw it here, at the end of a(n) unrelated to kittehs blog post.

Here's the recipe for those who don't wish to click through:

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons dried catnip
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the flour and catnip, then stir in the yogurt, egg, honey, and vegetable oil. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut into small bite-sized pieces with a pizza cutter or small cookie cutters. We have a small dogbone-shaped cutter and a tiny duck-shaped cookie cutter we like to use. Place them on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until they start to brown.

Kitteh Biskits in the oven

Kitteh Biskits ready to munch

And for anyone who knows, or is FB friends with, our two kittehs, it came as no surprise at all that Jamba scarfed her taste down and Raxi sniffed and walked away.  We'll see if that continues.

I should also mention that all the baking is practice at this point, as we got a "new" stove a couple weeks ago... so now I'm cooking with gas -- which I love -- but we're waiting on the next "shipment" from the states which, I'm told, will include a really nice oven thermometer from Jen's dad Dick.  Apparently oven thermometers are very hard to find here in Costa Rica and when one does find them they're way expensive.  Until then I just wing it (although, I'm starting to get a good feel for the look of the flame as it relates to the baking temperature), which, as you can see from the dark, dark crust on today's cinnamon bread, is not perfect.