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Saturday, May 5, 2018

Julia Child's Provencal Beehive Cake

Only about four times in my life have I set out to make this cake, but it is one of my very favorites. The brioche dough is what I use to make cinnamon rolls, etc. and is a delightful French treat that is not sappy sweet and more of the consistency of a pastry than a cake.  Filled with amazing rum flavored butter cream and served with a side of fresh berries and a cup of tea/coffee you feel as elegant as if you were having high tea with Her Majesty. Published in Julia's original cookbook, The Way To Cook, you can find a miriad of uses for the dough. While delicious, a word of caution when making this....the ambient temperature can have a huge impact on the results. It is spring here in Virginia, and although not super hot, I found the butter (yes, there is a lot in this dough) began to ooze out and I had to turn on the air conditioning and keep it a bit cooler, despite the fact that I wanted the dough to rise. It is a complex, but rewarding balancing act of time and attention to get this one right. Julia makes it look so simple. And then there is the full time and attention you must devout to the butter cream filling...trying to get the sugar water to the perfect stage and then incorporate it into the eggs without precooking them, only to beat the heck out of them to insure they are cooked, but not overcooked....Not a recipe for the faint of heart.  The good news??????? How can so much butter and so many eggs be bad?????????? While there is a trick to every stage to get it just right, in the end, the amazing ingredients taste so awesome that I'm sure Julia would give you an A just for effort. I find that making 1/2 the dough is sufficient and feeds a large number of people. It is very filling. Bon appetit!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Julia, for making it OK to eat so much butter!!!!




https://books.google.com/books?id=pzzHQdIXlPYC&pg=PA52&lpg=PA52&dq=julia+childs+beehive+cake+recipe&source=bl&ots=5yPI1w7OhQ&sig=c2y0i6-TJ6BqpcsTZwM3llyHudc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwje9bbRxu_aAhWIMd8KHWfJDKcQ6AEIeDAO#v=onepage&q=julia%20childs%20beehive%20cake%20recipe&f=false

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Pulled Pork BBQ

This recipe is so tangy and yummy. The guys all love it and beg me to make it whenever possible. Making pulled pork couldn't be any easier, (seriously?! If the guy who has the show 'How to Boil Water' can do it, anyone can) just rub it and cook it low and slow. Then just pull it and serve with sauce and homemade coleslaw.  The cider vinegar sauce is super tangy, but you can make any kind of sauce to serve with the pork. We just happen to like this one. Bon appetit, all my Southern friends!  (No pictures as they devoured it immediately).

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pulled-pork-barbecue-recipe-1953137