Tuesday, October 1, 2013

X Cookies: Coulda Woulda Shoulda

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X Cookies, our latest adventure with the Baking With Julia cookbook project, look very impressive. This “grownup fig newton” could have been a showstopper of a cookie.
If only.

  • If only I’d picked up the 1/3 measuring cup instead of the ½, when measuring the sugar for the dough.

  • If only, when I opened the jar of apricot jam that I’d bought THAT DAY, I hadn’t found this:
    Don't worry, I didn't use it. But the filing was definitely lacking something as a result.

  • If only I hadn’t substituted candied orange peel for a splash of fresh orange juice.

  • If only I’d remembered the egg wash before I rolled up the filling, and perhaps trimmed the edges of my dough.
    I know, there's nothing attractive about this photo either. But you need to see how the sausage was made.

Alas, the recipes in this cookbook are not about cutting corners. Lazy cooks are rarely rewarded in Julia’s world. And really, can you blame her?

I’m hopeful that my other TWD friends fared better than I did. If only the recipe didn’t take me FOUR HOURS to complete, I’d try it again.

If you’re game, I’m sure X cookies could be addictively delicious. You can find this recipe, from guest baker Nick Malgieri, in the book, or a slightly altered one on Nick’s website.


In other news from my kitchen: I made this cool marbled rye, from Peter Reinhart's The Breadbaker's Apprentice:

Except I should have been a little gentler with the shaping, because I think I pressed out most of the air in the dough, and this made the loaf a bit bricky.

Some weeks, I should just get out of the kitchen. Some weeks, I should just purchase my baked goods from a professional.

Coulda woulda shoulda.




9 comments:

  1. Great post - loved the "lazy cooks rarely get rewarded in Julia's world" that is so very true!

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  2. Love your post today. Cute title. Sorry you had so many issues!

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  3. Oh your jam! Seriously? Someone else did not use the egg wash and they looked to be just fine. As for the filling.. I found it was lost in the dough. Your marbled rye looks pretty!

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  4. Sorry about all your issues. The shaping part was fiddly and I kept wondering 'how long more to go?'
    Your marbled bread looks good - I should try out that BBA recipe.

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  5. That marbled rye looks fantastic!! I got lucky with my x cookies as the substitutions turned out well, but I also got a bit tired of the rolling and shaping!

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  6. Oh yes, I've had those baking days. Hee hee. I think I was lucky with my substitutions.

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  7. ah well....that marble rye is awesome looking tho!

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  8. We're on the same page with the cookies....Your marbled rye looks perfect; sorry it was too hard. I've been wanting to try making rye bread.

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