Tuesdays with Dorrie (TWD) and Other Baking Blog Circles
Lately I've been intrigued by all of these blog baking circles and challenges--is anyone on SE involved with one of them? Is it fun? I've noticed the 'bake all of Dorrie Greenspans' circle but was hesitant to join--I love Dorrie but heard most of the recipes were super-rich and sugary..what other ones do you know of?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
16 Comments:
I am in that group and while it started out fun, it's rather tedious now. Baking every week costs alot of money, especially when you have a small household. Plus, sometimes the rules about the recipes get annoying. But you get what you sign up for.
aboyce18 at 4:14PM on 07/13/08
I was in the Daring Bakers for a little while before I realized that it was just unrealistic to throw another project--procuring supplies, devoting an afternoon to the baking, figuring out who to feed it to, and writing it up on a deadline--into my schedule. Also, by whatever stroke of fate, after I joined up, there was a string of recipe picks that just didn't appeal to me. So I dropped out. But you should take a look at what they do: it's a broader variety, including breads and savory baked items.
As for Dorie, I've tried 2 recipes from her book (the cake on the cover and one of her basic brownies) and they were okay but not amazing. I loved the frosting (basically a 7 minute frosting) but didn't understand why she asked for equal amounts of water and sugar to get a syrup up to 240F. It took forever for all that water to evaporate.
I look forward to trying more of her recipes, since there are some interesting things in there. But I was disappointed by the lack of background baking information.
renzata at 4:34PM on 07/13/08
I'm in one that is all about the potato. You don't have to do the same recipe, you just have to post your favorite potato recipe every third Wednesday of the month.
evilchefmom at 5:31PM on 07/13/08
Yeah, being single I was concerned about the waste and expense, although I'd love to learn to bake--I wonder if there is some better way to do a 'cook the book' baking blog roll...I like the potato idea, maybe it would be better to pick a book and for everyone to post a different baking recipe a certain day a month.
HeartofGlass at 6:40PM on 07/13/08
I often look at TWD and Daring Bakers. One week they did the Coconut Raspberry Cake (a Nick Malgieri Recipe) that Dorie has in her book. The cake is just classic and flawless. I watched bloggers put their take on it and some worked with what they had in their house so they did not run out and get the ingredients as stated in the actual recipe. Now I cannot complain about that because often I adapt recipes. The thing that was curious is many of them complained the cake did not work. I have made this cake dozens of times. Never has it ever failed me. It is by and large the best, easiest cake you could ever make. I had to actually go and post to the blogs that they had made an error because it was not "my first time" and the cake recipe was flawless.
I have tried a lot of Dorie's book and find her book a great collection of great baking. But it's got several different levels of difficulty in one book.
If your first by scratch cake is the Perfect Party cake, take your time and read, read, read! It is a very good cake. It's texture and crumb are amazing and amazing is not easy.
I recommend Dorie's book as she is one my favs. So are the other two of the "3 Friends", Nick Maglieri and David Lebovitz.
As for baking bloggers, I think we should all read everything blogged about with the ability to compare and contrast and agree to disagree.
No two cakes are ever the same. Unless you follow the directions to the letter. As for me blogging about baking with a group, not likely to happen.
I bake when and what I want to.
JerzeeTomato at 12:56AM on 07/14/08
@Jerzee, I agree with that last comment. sometimes it's spur of the moment, brought on by something I've read or something I've seen on TV, and I'm willing to run out for ingredients. But I'm not so good about cooking or baking things on someone else's whim. It just never works out. Maybe if it was once a month, I could deal with it -- if I had a whole month to work it into the schedule. But it would still have to be stuff that I want to make at the time. And that I want to eat when I'm done making it.
dbcurrie at 2:11AM on 07/14/08
I think the "cook the book" concept is a marvelous idea if you actually have the time to dedicate religiously. Believing that I could adhere to a semi-rigid schedule to perform I signed up. Unfortunately, I'm involved with numerous charitable organizations whose demands fluctuate greatly and frequently, and wasn't even able to participate in one event. Regretfully I watch and read from a distance with the hope that someday I'll be able to participate when my schedule allows.
Boscompb at 9:52AM on 07/14/08
I'm in the Daring Bakers and it's fun! It's gotten me to make stuff I wouldn't have tackled otherwise. And once a month is good for me -- I always look around at the TWD posts, but I can't commit to doing that every week.
CookiePie at 9:56AM on 07/14/08
We joined TWD, participated twice, and left. For us, it was just unreasonable to make big layer cakes and other super-rich desserts every week. I think a "cook the book" with more low-key recipes would be a better fit for us.
I'd really love to join a bread-baking circle, but I don't know of one.
ricestein at 10:43AM on 07/14/08
@ricestein - I'd be up for a bread-baking circle!
CookiePie at 12:45PM on 07/14/08
I'd love to be part of a cookie circle more than a baking circle--cookies are easily shipped to other people or given away at offices, school, and so forth. It's hard to drop off a big, messy blueberry pie and someone's doorstep.
Jerzee--I got the book from the library, and was surprised how many non-intimidating DG had--I think I may try some of Dorrie's cookies and brownies but pass at the ones with the raisins.
HeartofGlass at 7:29PM on 07/14/08
I belong to a baking chat room called "THE BAKING CIRCLE" @ King Arthur.....The beaty of it is it has no rules ! And it has a recipe archive on the internet second to none.and lots of tutorial stuff too. You might call it a neighborhood of bakers who are passionate about bread(lately) and all matters baking . It's free with the potential for all new members to learn a lot about any section of the baking world they are passionate about and want to grow in ...The only prerequisite : be respectful of all those within...If your just looking for another chat room to be opinionated and obnoxtious in then look else where......not much to ask It is a great place ! There is access to a full catalogue of utensils and baking products thru King Arthur also available It is free with no obligations of any kind except the sign up itself. Choose an easily typable and short username that meets their requirements. You might find something cute and catchy but once you realize you have to type it in every time you log on it might become tedious.....
grizz518 at 6:47PM on 07/15/08
I don't have a blog, so don't belong to any groups, but I wanted to please ask that you start spelling DORIE Greenspan's name correctly, Heartofglass. She is right up there with Julia Child in terms of baking goddesses in my book.
I actually started most of my baking with Dorie's books, either Baking with Julia (Child), or her own Baking: From my home to yours.
I love that her book has so many levels of recipes. Her pie and tart doughs are the only ones I use I find them so no-fail. I love her chocolate chip cookies, blondies, quite a few muffin and pie recipes.
Her summer fruit galette, and La Palette's Strawberry tart are some of my favorites too. I just wanted to add that often I'm sugar sensitive--too much gives me abdominal migraines, and I haven't found, with the recipes I've tried, that they are too sugary or too rich.
bobcatsteph3 at 12:52PM on 07/16/08
^for heaven's sakes, I left out an 'r'--you don't need to make a federal case out of it. I wasn't passing judgment, merely reporting what I had heard and asking for alternative opinions about the blog circle and people's experiences with the recipes. I can guarantee it won't be the last typo someone has made regarding her name, nor will be the last. The nature of Serious Eats is that it is a discussion forum on the Internet, people type quickly, and make typos. Obviously, I respect what she represents in the food movement otherwise I wouldn't consider joining TWD.
Thank you for your opinion, regarding the sugar, however--I am very much a dessert person, but I don't like overly sweet desserts. It can be very difficult to find good sweet recipes that aren't very sugary, but are still good, non-savory items
HeartofGlass at 3:15PM on 07/16/08
What I would love to do is at christmas when we are all cookie-ing to do a cookie circle. I said this after last christmas. I think it would be fun. Maybe by that time Ed will have got to his weight goal and we could help test his resolve. Anyone have any ideas how we could admin such a grand undertaking?
JerzeeTomato at 3:40PM on 07/16/08
^I think that's a brilliant idea Jerzee!
It wouldn't have to be complicated, we could have a different kind of cookie per week. Everyone could post their favorite, say, chocolate chip cookie recipe one week, followed by decorated sugar cookies the next week, nut cookie, and so forth. That way people could share recipes they like and tailor them to their own budgets and abilities as well as learn from others.
HeartofGlass at 6:45PM on 07/16/08