Everything that's not bread
I do bake non-bread stuff, really, here you go...
Pie crust obession continues. Filled it with banana cream, definition of all american comfort food.
Still way unhappy with how the fluted edge turned out (should be more crisp, more even), so expect this holiday season to be filled with pies.
Flourless chocolate cake with apples and hazelnuts. Straight from Valrhona: http://www.dongenova.com/print_2004_2b.html 
Chocolate lovers MUST make this. And you'd better use best chocolate you can get your hands on. I am loyal to Valrhona myself.
Super sour lemon bar, from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich. See recipe here: http://blueridgebaker.blogspot.com/2010/01/very-tangy-lemon-bars.html
It's indeed very tangy
Matcha Sesame Mousse Cake
It's a special occasion cake for our wedding anniversary 
Home made corn tortilla
Simply a vehicle to make one of my favorite foods in the world: quesadilla
Peanut butter pound cake with chocolate glaze
That glaze is the key for this cake
Comments
You are a woman of many talents, txfarmer. Congratulations on the beautiful bakes and on your wedding anniversary!
Thanks yy!
This is no fair - your goodies sandwiched between dabrownman's lunches.......just tooo much to. Makes my kitchen's output look like a school cafeteria from the 50's.
So beautiful especially the pie and the matcha mousse....actually they all look delicious!
I really enjoy seeing what you bake in your kitchen. Such talent and perfection.
Take Care,
Janet
You are too modest, I am sure you are turning out a so much great stuff that you don't have time to even take pictures!
in the world that a pie, a couple three beautiful cakes, some quesadillas and a few lemon bars won't cure when made by Empress Ying! I have to admit sometimes, I don't know why, my apprentice screams PIE!!! .....at the top of her lungs as I bark very loudly at her to get her attention. It happens in the strangest places and would be embarrassing if we weren't retired and cared about anything in the least :-)
Nice non bread baking .
Your apprentice sounds so much fun!
Happy Anniversary!
It all looks so delicious and beautiful, wish I could give you hand with the leftovers :)
I often have the same issue with pie crust edges losing a bit of shape during baking, my "try next time" list includes a thinner crust shape and hotter preheat (then turn down after fives minutes or so) in order to get the edge to set quickly in the oven, and leaving out the baking powder. Pie crust leaves that I bake on a metal sheet pan seem to hold their shape perfectly, even with the baking powder in the formula, which makes me think it's due to slower baking.
My crust recipe doesn't have baking powder in it, but playing with baking temp is a good idea I haven't thought of, thanks! BTW, instructor at the kneading conference did say it's always advised to bake pies in metal pan, leave the pretty non-metal ones for other dishes. I actually did use a metal pan for mine, then move the finished pie to the green pan for pictures.
Got to try those lemon bars, as I do love tang.
Not sure what I admire most: your skills or your ability to organize your time to bake so much! Both are amazing.
At any rate, happy anniversary!
I husband loves tangy stuff, so he loved this lemon bar, I think you will too!
Your husband is one lucky guy! Just fantastic looking baking. I've been meaning to try some homemade tortillas as my wife bought me a tortilla press last holiday season but I keep forgetting to try it.
I think I gained about 5 pounds just looking at that chocolate cake!
Regards,
Ian
Ha, that chocolate cake is worth 5lb weight gain! :P
Scrumptious delicacies, txfarmer! I , too, admire your persistance and ability to find time to bake so much.
Thanks Mebake! Comparing to sourdough breads, other baking feels so ... quick.
Do you run marathons to burn off the wonderful foods that you make, or do make these wonderful foods to fuel the marathons?
Paul
Ha, running definitely comes first.
Or just plain great holiday eating? Either way it all looks very tasty!
Happy Anniversary!
Homemade pie crust...one of the best parts of eating pie : ) Unfortunately, I have to make excuses to have a slice :)
I think your crust looks wonderful and formed lovely around the edges. Personally, I love pie with a little natural hand shape to the crust and not to fussed over, to me it just gives a good ol homemade delicious appeal and makes it look even tastier.
It helps with shaping pie crusts to have a little lard/crisco type fat added in with the butter chunks. You loose a little of that good ol butter flavor but, not enough for anyone to notice gobbling up the pie.
Happy Holiday pie eating : )
Sylvia
Ha, it's merely our everyday eating. However you are right, holiday season gives me an excuse to make more pies... Pumpkin and pecan are on my list next...
Txfarmer,
I was just reading MC's latest on her site - Farine - and thought of you. Her latest 'Meet the Baker' HERE hails from your part of the country and these delicacies look right up your alley...
You might enjoy reading through this.
Take Care,
Janet
Thanks for the link, very interesting!
and depending on the pie, I bake custard pies at 450F for 10 minutes and then turn down the oven to 350F for 50 to 60 minutes depending on how done they are. Test with a cold table knife inserted into the custard center of the pie, no gunk on knife, cooked, gunk uncooked! Berry pies or two crust pies go into a 350F oven for at least 60 minutes, and I rarely bake a blind shell (just the shell for putting in lemon filling etc.) those I find are the hardest to get right!
I also use only lard or butter in the crust never vegetable shortening, it cooks differently and the pie crust never seems to hold shape properly. I have used nice china pie plates without problems, and glass ones too, you do have to watch for extra browning with the glass ones so you might lower temps a bit more the reccomended amount is 25 degrees lower, but I like my crusts well done so a little browner doesn't upset me.
If you haven't tried it yet, the vodka pie dough recipe from Cooks Illustrated is really outstanding in that it is both tender and flaky at the same time.
I am curious about how you get such a clean cut in a Torta Divina that is covered with nuts. I would expect the topping to be disturbed or the edge at least rough (unless you put the nuts on after you cut it but it doesn't look that way). I don't put nuts on until it is plated explicitly so that I can cut it with a wire and I don't think it would work with yours.
R eally lovely photos, and MANY thanks for a tart lemon bar recipe. Last year I tried quite a few (using homegrown lemons) and they were much too 'granulated sugary".
Happy anniversary!
says to start the pie at 450F and bake 10 minutes and then turn down to 350F and finish baking for 50 minutes. I roll my crusts thin, and flute the edges with a twisting motion of my thumb and fore finger to firmly make the edge, and seal the top crust to the bottom if using. I only have problems with the crust turning to a sort of blurred facsimile of its self, when I use a store bought crust and its worse if I use one that is vegetable shortening base. I make tenderflake lard crusts and they work fine for me. Another trick is to put the rolled out crust for a blind baked or one crust pie, into the fridge after flouring it lightly, leaving it in the chill uncovered for at least half an hour, this takes out moisture and leaves the crust solider and they bake really nicely when doing a pre-baked crust for a custard pie. Although I rarely bake those as the cookbook says to just place the filling in the pie and bake with the 10/50 routine. Lemon and Banana and chocolate pies might be the only ones I would pre-bake a crust for. But the flouring and leaving in the fridge work just fine.