Breaks = baker

So I didn't want to make it sound like I've done nothing while I've been home...  I've actually been doing quite a lot of baking (admittedly to avoid potential boredom!).  I'm actually trying now to remember everything I've baked...


Peanut Butter cookies
Oatmeal cookies
Snickerdoodles
Soft pretzels
Sponge Cake
Oatmeal cookies - again (they had great flavor but turned out like rocks)
Brioche (in loaf pans)
Coffeecake
Challah
Molasses cookies


I might be forgetting a few things...  My mom made lemon squares last night after we got more lemons, which was good.  I need to try a lemon sponge cake...  You know, I did the same thing during spring break earlier this year.  I baked one thing a day that week.  Now I'm up to maybe 2, even 3 things a day!  It depends what it is.  On Monday of last week, I baked Peanut Butter and Oatmeal cookies.  On Tuesday I baked Snickerdoodles (as a reward for a brother who found a lost board game!) plus soft pretzels, which siblings also helped me with (they formed them, I did all the rest), and sponge cake.  It all turned out really well.  The soft pretzels were a bit sweeter than I would have liked - so I think I might cut down the little sugar that was in it - or cut it out completely.  Then later in the week - maybe Thursday - I baked the oatmeal cookies again, but they didn't turn out as well.  It was a bit strange.  On Saturday, rather late in the day, I got a late start on the Brioche.  It rises for 2 hours or more to triple in size, and then you punch it down and let it double.  It then goes into pans and rises, and is then baked for 40 mins or so.  It didn't rise as amazingly as last time (looked like classic book-illustration bread the first time, during spring break, incidentally) but still turned out well.  It's a savory, rich bread - lots of butter, yeast, and flour.  Sunday started off with a power outage but we briefly got it back midday.  I started my coffeecake batter resolutely, and as I was putting it in the over the lights started flickering.  I started to say "Oh no, you don't!" - and somehow the power stayed on for the 25 minutes that the cake was in the oven.  As I was pulling it out, the power went off.  It didn't come back on until Tuesday morning.  It was definitely very lucky! 

Today I made Challah - it takes quite a bit of the day.  The dough is the nicest, loveliest dough you could ever work with.  It's a bit sticky and absorbs a lot of flour but is as light and airy as a cloud!  Hard to describe, but it's really amazing.  Here's the finished result: 

Fresh out of the oven: Challah

And here are the molasses cookies, from The Silver Palate Cookbook, my favorite cookbook: 

Their #1 selling cookie

I'm not a very food-oriented person, but I guess baking's a sort of cathartic hobby.  Not that home is boring, but it most definitely is a transition to come from the bustle of the city and the constant go, go to the quiet country and not living off of deadlines and "what's next", and baking keeps me busy!  So... anyone else out there making anything?  (While we're on the subject...)