Test Kitchen

[grisgris]

I made it a couple of years ago and it was very, very bland. This is a rare instance where jalapeno, sriracha, pepper jack cheese ... anything is needed to add flavor.

[tabloidlover]

I made it a couple of years ago as well.   Way too bland and I didn't care for the cottage cheese in it at all.   Texture wasn't right, nor was the flavor.

[ShellSeeker]

Well, I have to hand it to Ree. I made her Cloverleaf Rolls for Thanksgiving, and they were really, really good. 

I'd never made any kind of bread before, and I'd always wanted to give it a try, but my husband is diabetic, so we are a low carb house. I saw her make those on a Thanksgiving clip show, and I found the recipe on her blog from about 10 years ago. It looked simple enough for a beginner. 

The recipe came together just as expected, and made exactly 36 rolls. It's a no-knead recipe, which was nice. and my daughter helped me roll the dough into balls, which she thought was fun.

[Qoass]

I checked out her latest cookbook this weekend and posted my thoughts in Off Topic/Food/Cookbooks and Food.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Qoass
Fixing the location. Sorry, grisgris.

[grisgris]

I would love to read your review but can't find it.

[peacheslatour]

26 minutes ago, grisgris said:

I would love to read your review but can't find it.

It's under Off Topic, Food, Cookbooks.

[grisgris]

Thanks, peaches. No wonder I couldn't find it.

[anneofcleves]

I’m so glad Thanksgiving is over.  I frequent a few cooking boards and I can’t tell you the number of times people were heaping such high praise on her for that stupid mashed potato recipe that contains cream cheese, butter, and heavy cream and are then baked.  First, that recipe has been around forever.  And second, it’s mashed potatoes, people.  Whip potatoes with a bunch of fat and some salt, and they’re gonna be delicious.  Recipe not even needed, just wing it, folks.  Your guests won’t know the difference.  Shocking!

Edited November 30, 2017 by anneofcleves

[peacheslatour]

I'm so glad I just made soup with a few tidbits. Everyone got full to the point of bursting and clean up took just a few minutes.

[ariel]

10 hours ago, anneofcleves said:

 First, that recipe has been around forever.  And second, it’s mashed potatoes, people.  Whip potatoes with a bunch of fat and some salt, and they’re gonna be delicious.  Recipe not even needed, just wing it, folks.  Your guests won’t know the difference.  Shocking!

She somehow has her dim-witted fans believing that she invented these recipes and that she homeschooled her children all by herself with no help from hired tutors.  

[Lura]

18 hours ago, anneofcleves said:

people were heaping such high praise on her for that stupid mashed potato recipe that contains cream cheese, butter, and heavy cream

LOL, anneofcleves, when my sister-in-law was newly married, she announced at the dinner table in front of the family, "I make much better mashed potatoes than you do, Lura," and she proceeded to tell me to add those same ingredients that Ree uses!  I said, "They sound delicious, but oh my gosh, I'd weigh a ton!" -- which she insisted wouldn't happen.  A year later, both my brother and sister-in-law had put on 25 pounds!!!  I resisted temptation and didn't say a word!  LOL

shellseeker, I also grew up helping my mother roll those cloverleaf rolls, and I always enjoyed it.  I recall her kneading her dough, though, so she didn't use the same recipe that Ree used.  My mom's were always light and delicious, and everyone looked forward to them.  Kudos to you for baking them!  It sounds like you're a natural born baker!

[Kohola3]

Gotta say, I am loving Baked in Vermont.  Actually learning things and everything looks delicious - sugar when appropriate, spices I would actually use, and nothing hideously overdone with inappropriate flavor combos.  Polar opposite of Ree.

[anneofcleves]

I found another recipe to “inspire” Ree!  It’s just the thing to make when you want your Christmas dessert to resemble a crime scene.

https://ispot.tv/a/wjEY

[Kohola3]

13 minutes ago, anneofcleves said:

 It’s just the thing to make when you want your Christmas dessert to resemble a crime scene.

I thought the same thing the first time I saw that.  Nothing says holidays like big blood clots.

[anneofcleves]

19 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I thought the same thing the first time I saw that.  Nothing says holidays like big blood clots.

Can you imagine the taste and consistency of that Jello, corn syrup, and white chocolate concoction?  Makes my teeth hurt just thinking about it.

[Westiepeach]

She would have to make it her own by adding a buncha mini marshmallows on top, and then top THAT with a buncha whipped cream, and then top THAT with a buncha rough chopped candy bars. Sprinkle that with a haffa cuppa powdered sugar and a cherry, and you are good to go.

[Kohola3]

Diabetic coma....slipping away......blacking ou...............

[peacheslatour]

15 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

She would have to make it her own by adding a buncha mini marshmallows on top, and then top THAT with a buncha whipped cream, and then top THAT with a buncha rough chopped candy bars. Sprinkle that with a haffa cuppa powdered sugar and a cherry, and you are good to go.

And for the love of all things Drummond, don't forget the colored sprinkles, M&M's and jalapeno, cuz we like it spicy dontchaknow.

[Westiepeach]

36 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

And for the love of all things Drummond, don't forget the colored sprinkles, M&M's and jalapeno, cuz we like it spicy dontchaknow.

Dang! What was I thinking????

We also need a fourtha cuppa something else, too. Gummy worms?

Edited December 16, 2017 by Westiepeach

[peacheslatour]

38 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

Dang! What was I thinking????

We also need a fourtha cuppa something else, too. Gummy worms?

We could stab a buncha candy canes into it, muey festivo!

[anneofcleves]

Stabbing, definitely works with the crime scene theme.  To present the cake, I recommend Ree put on her prettiest pink dress that she would have worn to Homecoming. 

[peacheslatour]

LMFAO! I'm picturing Aunt Sandy's Kwanzaa cake with a hand suddenly popping out of it.

[Lura]

On ‎12‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 2:17 PM, peacheslatour said:

LMFAO! I'm picturing Aunt Sandy's Kwanzaa cake with a hand suddenly popping out of it.

And then the murders began....

[Lisin]

Did I ever post pictures of the Aunt Sandy cake my friends and I made one night? It was a drunken joke, we didn't think it was like, actually nice or anything... it was from the same show as the Kwanzaa cake but we did the one with apple pie filling and... corn nuts? (Sandy called them acorns like only she would.) 

[peacheslatour]

13 minutes ago, Lisin said:

Did I ever post pictures of the Aunt Sandy cake my friends and I made one night? It was a drunken joke, we didn't think it was like, actually nice or anything... it was from the same show as the Kwanzaa cake but we did the one with apple pie filling and... corn nuts? (Sandy called them acorns like only she would.) 

I don't know but I wish you would. I never get tired of Aunt Sandy's goofiness.

[Lura]

Lisin, that's a picture I would love to see!  I imagine Aunt Sandy had tipped a few before she made the Kwanza cake and maybe the one you're talking about, too!  Can you imagine the creations the NY governor's mansion has served?  I imagine the job comes with a cook, but Aunt Sandy would just HAVE to put her own stamp on things!

[grisgris]

3 hours ago, Lisin said:

Did I ever post pictures of the Aunt Sandy cake my friends and I made one night? It was a drunken joke, we didn't think it was like, actually nice or anything... it was from the same show as the Kwanzaa cake but we did the one with apple pie filling and... corn nuts? (Sandy called them acorns like only she would.) 

That IS the Kwanzaa cake!  I'd love to see your photos!!!

[film noire]

12 hours ago, Lisin said:

Did I ever post pictures of the Aunt Sandy cake my friends and I made one night? It was a drunken joke, we didn't think it was like, actually nice or anything... it was from the same show as the Kwanzaa cake but we did the one with apple pie filling and... corn nuts? (Sandy called them acorns like only she would.) 

Stop teasing and post it! (Or I'll report you to a mod : ) 

[peacheslatour]

7 hours ago, film noire said:

Stop teasing and post it! (Or I'll report you to a mod : ) 

......And then the murders began....

[Kohola3]

OK, kiddies, no arguing at Christmas. Here it is....Aunt Sandy's Kwanzaa cake.

[Lisin]

Here's apparently the only picture I still have. My friend is lighting the candles and I am now remembering that we couldn't find corn nuts or someone ate them before we finished... we were very drunk lol. Our favorite part was that we assembled the monstrosity on a Waterford crystal cake plate. Like real ladies.  

[film noire]

31 minutes ago, Lisin said:

Here's apparently the only picture I still have. My friend is lighting the candles and I am now remembering that we couldn't find corn nuts or someone ate them before we finished... we were very drunk lol. Our favorite part was that we assembled the monstrosity on a Waterford crystal cake plate. Like real ladies.  

(applause)

I love the look on your face (and the bottle of vodka half in the frame-- that's getting in the spririts of Aunt Sandy ;)  

Did you taste it? (I just can't get past the chocolate icing with the canned apples -- even adding cinnamon doesn't make them work together, imo)

Edited December 22, 2017 by film noire

[Lisin]

Just now, film noire said:

Did you taste it?

We did. It was... not good? The filling was cold which was odd IMO, plus canned icing = blech anyway and yeah, adding cinnamon didn't make it better. The cake itself wasn't awful, because store bought angel food cake isn't terrible... if the filling was warm and maybe just like some chocolate ganache or something it wouldn't be terrible? I don't know why I'm trying to make this cake better lol. 

[film noire]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

OK, kiddies, no arguing at Christmas. Here it is....Aunt Sandy's Kwanzaa cake.

I know some people fast during Kwanzaa. This cake would explain why.

[film noire]

4 minutes ago, Lisin said:

We did. It was... not good? 

LOL

Quote

if the filling was warm and maybe just like some chocolate ganache or something it wouldn't be terrible? 

Chocolate ganache makes everything yummy (even the tears of angels!) And maybe a bit of cayenne heat in the warm apples (it can double as a Day of the Dead cake).

Quote

I don't know why I'm trying to make this cake better lol. 

I used to do that with her all the time (at one point, I even wondered if it was part of her wily ways to create combos that would made the viewer think, "Okay, this is disgusting  --  but if you just do this instead of that, and leave the other thing out, it might work....") 

[grisgris]

Lisin, I now remember those photos. LOL! If you were smashed when you and your friend made this, you did a very good job. On your most drunken day, your cake looked better than Aunt Sandy's created while she was sober (???) I remember that she also added a lot of cocoa powder to the canned icing along with the cinnamon which created that awful muddy hue. The funniest part was when she was trying to twist those huge candles down into the spongey cake. Your candles are nice and neat and the appropriate size.

You know, it's not too far of a stretch that Aunt Sandy might be our First Lady some day. Remember when we used to make jokes about that, never in our wildest dreams thinking it would actually manifest.?I think she'd honestly be very good in the role. If she doesn't redo the whole White House to look like a blizzard, and use the professional decorators, it could work. She has proven that she can throw herself into social causes (like hunger and breast cancer.) That's more than the present FLOTUS has done so far.

[peacheslatour]

I wouldn't mind Aunt Sandy as FLOTUS. Hell, she'd class up the joint.

[Lura]

Thanks to Lisin and Kohola3, along with the chorus of responders, I've laughed harder this Christmas Eve than I can ever remember!  I was watching Aunt Sandy the day she made her Kwanza Cake, but it was never funnier than it was re-watching it tonight.  Had Aunt Sandy made it as pretty as drunken Lisin's, it never would have made YouTube or the annals of cake fame.

Aunt Sandy as FLOTUS?  Imagine the tablescapes when they entertained!  On round the world excursions, Aunt Sandy would have to bake cakes at every stop to satisfy the locals.  The White House pastry kitchen would have to stock up on boxed cakes, canned frosting, canned whipped cream, canned pie filling and plenty of candles so that Sandy could go down there to play.  Cuomo for President -- as long as he has Aunt Sandy in tow!

[grisgris]

Blueberry Peach Bread Recipe

Here you go.  Enjoy!

 

https://www.bigbearswife.com/blueberry-peach-bread/

[Fairfax]

Thanks so much, grisgris -- that looks as good as it sounds.  Blueberries from Chile are on sale this week & are excellent -- I have some beautiful mangoes to use up & will try subbing those for peaches.   Tues is my baking day & now I'm looking forward to it even more than usual!

[grisgris]

Let us know how it goes! I'm curious about the mangoes.

[peacheslatour]

17 hours ago, Fairfax said:

Thanks so much, grisgris -- that looks as good as it sounds.  Blueberries from Chile are on sale this week & are excellent -- I have some beautiful mangoes to use up & will try subbing those for peaches.   Tues is my baking day & now I'm looking forward to it even more than usual!

I'm wondering how it would work with pineapple.

[Fairfax]

On ‎1‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 6:08 AM, grisgris said:

Let us know how it goes! I'm curious about the mangoes.

I made this blueberry peach bread today with mangoes instead of peaches & liked it very much.  I did some tests in mini loaf pans & cupcake cups (full size & mini), all of which worked well (reduced cooking time, of course).  It doesn't rise a lot, so the pans should be filled at least 2/3 or 3/4 full.  I followed the advice in one comment & sprinkled the unbaked loaves lightly with a mixture of brown sugar & turbinado sugar, which produced nice crispy tops -- the finished cupcakes were good with a small blob of cream cheese icing on top.  The recipe calls for more sugar than I like, so I'll probably reduce that from 1 cup to 3/4 or 2/3 next time (1/2 cup might be enough to bring out the flavors of the fruits without making the bread too sweet).  The result really is beautiful, as shown in the pictures on the website -- mangoes are as pretty as peaches, & apricots should work too.   Thanks very much for pointing out this good recipe, grisgris -- I'll try reposting it in the baking section so everyone can enjoy it.

On ‎1‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 0:34 PM, peacheslatour said:

I'm wondering how it would work with pineapple.

Sounds great -- should look beautiful too.

[peacheslatour]

I already have the items to make it on my grocery list. I'll let y'all know how it turned out.

[peacheslatour]

OP delivers! I just made the bread. Lol, I mis-read what you guys were talking about up thread. I read it as Banana blueberry peach bread. So I thought I'll just use my old Fannie Farmer banana bread recipe and add pineapple and blueberries instead of pecans like I usually do. So that's what I did. I'm sitting here as I type this eating a slice, warm from the oven dripping with butter. OMG! It's soooo good.

[grisgris]

I did the same thing. I used a recipe for whole wheat banana bread with raspberries and dark chocolate. I swapped out the raspberries and chocolate bits for blueberries, peaches and cherries. I guess I was ending up in Ree's fruit bread territory. I just didn't have all of the ingredients to make the blueberry peach bread from the recipe I posted. My experiment was OK but definitely better with raspberries and dark chocolate.

[Lura]

I absolutely love banana bread, so (Peaches) you've lead the way for me to make a Peach, Blueberry, Strawberry Banana Bread.  It makes my mouth water just thinking of it, and my DH goes ape over anything that has fruit in it.

What do you think about using frozen fruit in this bread?  I know it would lack the flavor that fresh fruit would give it, but I read an article about fruit from Central and South America and now refuse to use it.  (The workers don't bother with the porta potties and simply anoint the fruit.  *GULP!*  The article was carried by the Associated Press.)  If it were summertime, I'd use fresh fruit.  I'd welcome and appreciate your comments.  Thanks a bunch.

Edited January 30, 2018 by Lura

[grisgris]

I used frozen fruit and it worked just fine.  As an aside, if we are lucky enough to get any decent fresh peaches during the summer, I'm not going to waste them by hiding them in banana bread! LOL!

[chessiegal]

I saw an ATK recipe for fruit scones past weekend, and they said the key to making them was using frozen berries.

[peacheslatour]

14 hours ago, Lura said:

I absolutely love banana bread, so (Peaches) you've lead the way for me to make a Peach, Blueberry, Strawberry Banana Bread.  It makes my mouth water just thinking of it, and my DH goes ape over anything that has fruit in it.

What do you think about using frozen fruit in this bread?  I know it would lack the flavor that fresh fruit would give it, but I read an article about fruit from Central and South America and now refuse to use it.  (The workers don't bother with the porta potties and simply anoint the fruit.  *GULP!*  The article was carried by the Associated Press.)  If it were summertime, I'd use fresh fruit.  I'd welcome and appreciate your comments.  Thanks a bunch.

I used frozen blueberries, worked fine.