All things baking

Why are they my favroites and what to do with them? They are the purest and most flavorful vanilla bean products on the market if you want the best for your baked goods. Hands down. I have used them for over 10 year on a daily basis. Fleur de Sel On brownies, cookies, ice cream, grilled fish, steak, in salads..anywhere you woul use fleur de sel or Maldon salt only better Vanilla Bean Paste Rich and creamy, best in batters and any other baking where you want the vanilla flaor

This video is an exaggeration of sorts but it gets the point across. At high altitude, doughs proof way too fast and the amount of yeast/starter needs to be reduced. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mfcvllfsxQ

A Pumpkin Quick Bread that with chocolate swirled in takes the concept of pumpkin to another level! I love pumpkin so much that I look forward to the fall to try all different kinds of it. I roast them and create different flavor profiles fore ach pupkin brad I bake. So be on the lookout for me sneaking around porches for pumpkins that have not been carved.... As for this recipe, it started out as a Banana Nut Bread recipe from the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Hawaii that I vis

Here are the notes and thoughts passed around during our class So much is shared and learned from everyone that attends. It is not possible for one person to know ecerthing and the best part of the classes and meet-ups is the exchange of information. Remember, it is just a guide. In time, you will learn how to watch the dough and not the clock! Sourdough Bread Schedule 1. Prepare the starter Discard about half of the refrigerated starter. Feed the remaining starter. Leave a

After a fabulous class with Sourdough Baker Extraordinaire, Terry Wilson, here is the recipe, method and tips to create as good a loaf as it get See "Timing Notes" at Bottom I tried to be as in-depth as possible as the process of making sourdough bread can be overwhelming at the first attempt. Start with the Starter Making a Sourdough Starter from Scratch You only need flour, water, a clean glass jar and patience. Every starter reacts differently. Using a little whole-wheat

These videos brings making Sourdough Bread down to all levels! Google LifebyMikeG for a whole collection and downloads for free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhd1eeoM2Vg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJEHsvW2J6M

Baking with Herbs Meet-Up August 17, 2026 What did we make? Lavender Pound Cake Basil Chocolate Chip Scone Rose Petal Shortbread Rose Petal Caramel Sauce Practical Techniques for Adding Herbs and Flowers to Baking Herbs and edible flowers can add wonderful flavor and aroma to baked goods, creams, chocolates, sugars, and even savory pastries. The key is understanding how to extract their flavor and how much to use. Fresh vs. Dried Herbs Both fresh and dried herbs can be used i

There is nothing I enjoy more than making my caramel aucea nd infusing it with adiffernet flavor/twist. I feel like a mad scientist when I do this. And it is simple. Just infuse your sugar with whatever herb you would like to use: Rose Petals, Basil, Lavender, Orange Tarragon, Lemongra, whatever you like. Throw a 'handful" of the herb of choice into a food processor and let it spin. About a cup of herbs to 2 cups sugart. If it is too storng, ad more sugar, if not strong enoug

My favorite shortbread was my “initial bake” in Truckee where I discovered there was a problem here. I have always loved making thse cookies as I typically infuse them with herbs like lavender and basil. They have a very subtle taste that leaves people wondering what it is that gives them such a different but wonderful flavor. As for how they bake, they typically rise up, leaving a nice higher edge around the circumference that stays on the bake. My first time they all just m

High and Low Altitude USE A 10" X 4.5" LOAF PAN It fills perfectly to about 3/4 full This recipe took me 4 times to get it the way I wanted it; golden, dense and with a nice dome and "crack" in the middle. I went back to leaving the 5 whole eggs from my Sea Level recipe which was needed to make the pound cake create the steam needed and rise. I had revised it to 4 whole eggs and 4 yolks initially thinking that I wanted less whites as they can be drying and I had such great re

Only 3 Tries! Biscotti is one of my favorite things to make because of all of the steps. First you make the dough, then you shape it into football looking logs, bake it until it gets crusty, slice it, bake it again, both . sides, until almost "dry". If you bake it until it is completely dry, you wil end up with hard as a rock biscotti because it keeps baking, even after you take it out of the oven. There should be a bit of a "sponge" in the middle that barely bounces back.A b

Head to Your Garden and Grab What You Grow! One of my most favorite things to do in the summer is head to my garden and grab rosemary, lavender, basil (not just for pesto!) and even rose petals, nothing sprayed with pesticides of course, and toss them by the handful into your food processor with either sugar, butter or even flour.. Most of the year, I always have a few mason jars filled with herbed sugars that I use in place of regular granulated sugar to make scones, shortb

High and Low Altitude Yield: 1 Large Loaf 9" x 5" & 1 Small Loaf Pan NOTE: If you are going to double the recipe, you will need to put the flour mixture in the mixing bowl and add banana mixture as the food processor will not be larg enogh to accommodate a double batch. Internal Cooked Temperature: 205 Degrees Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour HIGH ALTITUDE: Add 3 extra tbsp. 1/4 teaspoon baking powder HIGH ALTITUDE: Leave as is 1 teaspoon baking soda HIGH ALTITUDE; R

High and Low Altitude Pan: 9” x 13” Single Recipe Fills Pan Ingredients: 3 ¾ cups sugar HIGH ALTITUDE: Reduce by 5 TBSP. 8 oz. unsalted butter HIGH ALTITUDE: Remained the same as at high altitude, brownies need the fat 8 oz. unsweetened chocolate 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract or a tsp. of Vanilla Paste/Ground 5 large eggs HIGH ALTITUDE: Use 4 large eggs/4 large yolks as extra eggs make brownies chewier 1 cup all-purpose flour HIGH ALTITUDE: Add 2 extra tbsp. all purpose flour

High Altitude & Sea Level THEY CAME OUT PERFECT!!! PAN: 9 x 13 DOUBLE RECIPE FOR 9 X 13" PAN Cooked Intermal Temperature: 200 Degrees Batter Consistency: LIke a thick cake batter and not the same as a brownie batter as there is nochcooalte in it to thicken it up Ingredients: ● 9 oz (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour HIGH ALTITUDE: Add 2 extra Tbsp. ● 1 tsp baking powder HIGH ALTITUDE: Reduce to ⅛ tsp. ● ½ tsp Kosher salt ● 3 oz unsalted butter, melted and cooled HIGH A

Luckily, I found that even at high altitude, this recipe barely changed. I did have to bake it longer which is what happens "up here" and I added an extra egg for a drop more moisture and to make them "fluffier' but I could have left my original recipe exactly the same, thank goodness! Here you go! High Altitude Basic Scones I ALWAYS DOUBLE THE RECIPE TO GET 16 SCONES AND KEEP IN FREEZER! · NOTE: You can use this as a base and add any combination of ingredients you li

This Time it Worked! Well, I tried it again and this time had success! It was odd becaue I followed the exact same recipe but used a different flour and added in a procedure I had not done the firs time......stretch and fold. First off, I used King Arthur All-Purpose Flour. My focaccia rose to close to 2" in the middle whereas the last time I made it it didn't rise enough. I learned that King Arthur All- Purpose Flour has a very high level of protein, 11.7% which is close to

If you are a bit of an "unsure" baker and are not confident in when to take whatever youa re baking out of the oven, you need this! It is a digital thermometer to measure the internal temperature of what you are baking. I NEVER thought of using such a thing as I always knew when things are done by touch...until I moved jp to the Mountains...one of my nervous club members recommended it to me and I hate to say it but I can't work without it! By learning the internal temprature

No problems here for HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING, thank goodness, except maybe needing a bit more or less water depending on the flour you use and whether or not you use Butter. The key is to make sure your pie dough is moist enough to make a ball with it and be able to roll it out. without it crumbing. Use your judgement . At the end of the day, the type of pie crust you make is personal preference. All of the Pie Crust recipes below work; it is up to you. All CRISCO, 1/2 CRISCO/1/

This is a must for anyone that bakes. It is used to embellish your baked goods. Using just plain granulated sugar will not work as well to sprinl on top of something before it is baked as it will melt and possibly burn, leaving you with a darker top than you anticipated Use to Top of: Scones (brush with egg wash first: half & half and a whole egg) Pound Cakes Cookies where you want to see the sugar pieces To roll a cookie dough log and have the sugar on the outside https://a