Castor Sugar

For all my fine baking I use Baker’s Special Superfine Castor Sugar from King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont.

This sugar is quick dissolving and can be used just like regular granulated sugar.

This is a ‘must have’ in my pantry.

Butter Cream Frosting Recipe

Butter. Sugar. Cream. Vanilla…How can it get any better? By using the freshest, best quality ingredients available. If you are going to all the effort to make a cake, then cover it with the best tasting frosting. Guests will be eyeing a second piece of cake before they have finished the first!

I get ingredients from King Arthur Flour. Glazing Sugar. Vanilla. Check them out!

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 pound (1 bag or 4 cups) Glazing sugar

1 Tbl. Vanilla extract

1 Tbl. Cream

Pinch of salt (preferably Fleur de Sel)

Beat all the ingredients on low in your mixer, slowly increasing the speed to medium. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl a couple of times. Do not over beat.

This is great on the Feathery Fudge Cake.

Glazing Sugar – powdered sugar without starch

As a home baker I like to use the very best ingredients available. Fresh eggs, fresh butter, King Arthur flour… and when I need to use powdered sugar I only use  Glazing Sugar. Supermarket confectioners’ sugar has starch which leaves a grittiness to frostings and glazes that I will not tolerate. Glazing Sugar is available in one pound bags from King Arthur Flour.

Dinner roll recipe

Making fresh rolls for dinner is easy, and they are so much better than any prepackaged type. For ‘brown and serve’ style, partially bake the rolls and freeze for later.

In your trusty bread machine bowl combine:

1 cup milk (or light cream)

2 eggs, mix with the milk with a fork to break up the yolks

1/3 cup butter, cut into chunks

Tare your scale and measure in 1 pound 2 oz. of all purpose flour – I recommend King Arthur All Purpose Flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

2  1/4 tsp.  SAF instant yeast

Set into your machine on dough setting.

When ready, slightly knead the dough into a ball and let rest 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the ball in half and work with one half at a time.

By hand, roll the half into a log and cut into even pieces – I think 8 pieces make nice sized rolls. Roll each piece into a ball without working the dough too much.

With a bench knife or spatula, cut the dough almost in half at top center. (This is an easy way to make a Parker-style roll that splits in half for all the butter you’ll want to slather on each piece!)

Reshape slightly as you place them on an ungreased sheet. Cover with a damp tea towel to rise for 30 minutes.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For ‘Brown and Serve’ style rolls make the rolls and bake in a 325 degree F. oven for 10 minutes – do not brown. Cool the rolls thoroughly on a wire rack and wrap and freeze or set aside for later in the day. These rolls are delicate and squish easily. Use a box and only one layer per bag. Just removing air from a freezer bag can crush these rolls.

When ready to serve, bake in a 400 degree F. oven for 10 minutes. If they have been frozen, allow them to thaw for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.

You will love how easy these are to make and the texture and taste is wonderful!

This recipe is my adaption of the dinner roll recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 1981…my go-to guide.

French bread recipe

The wind in howling. The heavy, wet snow slaps against the clapboards and windows…

It is a perfect day for baking French bread…

Measure into a bread machine pan on a tared scale or using dry measuring cups and spoons-

1 pound of water (2 cups)

1 pound 6.5 oz. of King Arthur Organic All Purpose Flour or All Purpose Flour (5 cups)

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/4 teaspoons SAF Instant Yeast

Begin the dough setting and walk away. It’s about 1  1/2 hours to complete the dough setting.

When the bread machine is finished, remove the dough and shape into 2 to 4 baguettes. Set aside to rise under a damp tea towel. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, preferably with an oven stone. Allow the oven to heat and the dough to rise for one hour.

Slash the baguettes and bake for 25 minutes. You may use a water sprayer to add humidity to the oven in the first half of baking if you want a crispier crust.

Let the bread cool before tearing into it and slathering it with fresh butter.

This is my rendition of Julia Child’s recipe from Baking With Julia.

It’s easy! Go make some great bread!

Baking with Julia

I love to make French bread. I’ve been working on it for over 10 years. My love for this basic but versatile bread ignited when I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of weeks in Paris. A baguette was a daily purchase and devoured with runny, stinky cheeses with a glass of wine or two. My go-to recipe is from Baking with Julia written by Dorie Greenspan. The book is based on the PBS series hosted by Julia Child.  I’ve altered the techniques and personalized the process. I’m not as violent with the shaping of the dough as Julia. I’ve tried it her way, but yeast is a living form and deserves respect rather than a spanking for rising to the job at hand…so to speak. The most difficult step in the process for me was learning to cut the mandated slashes down the baguette. Like most lessons in life, the answer took practice, patience and perseverance. I’ve burned out more than one KitchenAid mixer that were supposed to knead bread. Don’t waste your time or money…not happy. I’ve tried different salts. I’ve tried different flours. I’ve tried different yeasts.  I’ve tried filtered and unfiltered waters. My hard learned method starts with my Zojirushi bread machine and my kitchen scale. Tare the scale with the empty dough bucket, weigh out the water and flour, add the salt and yeast. Start the dough setting. Humidity rules the day…you may need to add a bit more flour. Take it from there. Want to get started? My favorite resource is King Arthur Flour. Find them at www.kingarthurflour.com . I grew up with King Arthur flour. It is what my mother used, and it is the only flour I use in my kitchen. For French bread I prefer the Organic All Purpose. In the past I have ordered it online, but my local markets are now carrying it in 2 or 5 pound bags. For most other baking I use the All Purpose. I have a bag on my window sill for decoration and use. I find it homey for the ingredients of the foods I prepare to be visible and inspiring. Today I used it for crispy waffles…but that’s another story.