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The latest experimental baking project: “Pop-Tarts”. I made two varieties, these filled with homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam, and another with a chocolate crust filled with Nutella (and attempting to mimic store-bought strawberry and chocolate Pop-Tarts, at least visually.)
I don't think I've gotten a crust that I'm happy with yet. Regular Pop-Tart crust is like dry pie crust, and I didn't want to go that route, but I figured that the crust needed to be a bit stronger than pie crust typically is. This time around, I tried an egg, but that doesn't appear to be the right answer, as the crust was too firm instead (albeit still tastier than stock Pop-Tart crust). I think that part of the problem was that I figured the extra fat in the egg would compensate for the extra liquid in the egg, but given the gluten that formed in the resulting dough, I think I figured wrong. The recipe below is as I prepped things last night; next time I'll probably drop the egg but add a little extra liquid and some vegetable shortening to keep a 3 part flour : 2 part fat : 1 part liquid ratio. The amounts here make about 6 pastries per recipe.
After setting up a bunch of shots in the kitchen this morning (and then eating the subject matter), I realized I didn't really get any good shots of the Nutella variety, but I'll include the recipe here for completeness’ sake, along with the recipe for the strawberry-rhubarb jam.
I shot these indoors despite a lot of good light outside, because my original thought was to get a few of them with the toaster in the background, and my mirror-finish toaster would not exactly work well outside. I ended up not liking any of the compositions in the shots I set up that way, unfortunately.
Ingredients
Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam
14 oz. rhubarb, diced
1 lb. 6 oz. strawberries, hulled and diced
1 lb. 4 oz. sugar
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
3 tbl. balsamic vinegar
pinch salt
few grinds of black pepper
Pop-Tart Crust
8 oz. all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbl. sugar
4 oz. cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
1 oz. ice water
1 oz. chilled vodka
Chocolate Pop-Tart Crust
7.5 oz. all-purpose flour
0.5 oz. dutch-process cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbl. sugar
4 oz. cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
2 oz. chilled Frangelico liqueur
Pop-Tart Frosting
1 c. confectioner's sugar
milk
Chocolate Pop-Tart Frosting
1 c. confectioner's sugar
1 tbl. dutch-process cocoa powder
Frangelico
Directions
To make the jam
Combine all of the ingredients in a large pot and allow to sit until a good amount of juice comes out of the berries and soaks the sugar. Mash the berries with a potato masher. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture gels when a small amount is placed on a cold plate (mixture will be measure 220°F on a thermometer). Portion into containers and allow to cool, makes about 3 cups.
To make the Pop-Tart Crust
Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the cubes of butter, and give 10-12 one second pulses, to cut the butter in. You should have pieces of butter about the size of small peas. Sprinkle the liquid ingredients over the mixture, and pulse just a few times to distribute. Pour onto plastic wrap, form into a small disc, and refrigerate at least one hour.
To make the Pop-Tarts
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
Roll out your dough very thin (I used some 2mm rolling pin spacers, and even that ended up baking a little thick). Cut into 3"x4.5" rectangles. Spread about 1-2 tbl. of the filling out in the middle of a rectangle, leaving the outer 1/3" or thereabouts clear. Brush an egg wash or some water on the outer border, lay on another rectangle of dough, and press the edges to seal (I used a straightedge to do the pressing). Puncture the top several times with a skewer, and transfer to a parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Store completed tarts in the refrigerator as you work.
Bake for 25 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and set up but not really browned much on the top. Remove to a cooling rack.
To frost the Pop-Tarts
Add just enough liquid to the sugar (and optional cocoa) to make a thick glaze (work just a tiny bit at a time; it doesn't take much liquid at all do do this, usually less than a tablespoon). Spread the glaze out over the cooled pastries. If you like, decorate with some colored sugar (I used raw sugar on the chocolate version), since that's similar to what Kellogg's does. Or not.
My only observation on the frosting is that this glaze is pretty obviously not what's on an actual Pop-Tart. I actually had some stuck-on residue catch fire in my toaster (wee little fire, but still, use caution.) I have a slotted toaster whose "baskets" close in on the pastry, which results in residue like this. Toaster ovens and slot toasters that don't do this will probably be fine, but pay attention if you do toast these.
Colorful homemade mascot decorating the front grill of a Dodge Ram pick-up truck. Utah County, Utah.
A woman in traditional dress offers a loaf of homemade bread to guests in Gorno Draglishte village in southern Bulgaria.
I'm busy on my job since January and don't have much time to go out for shooting. However, I keep cooking dinner twice (or more) a week for family. Today's dinner is paella!
Put home-grown rosemary on it. :-)
Much nicer viewing: F11, and then:
farm8.staticflickr.com/7576/15942166136_b5b838532a_o.jpg
Shooting homemade jewelry for a colleague of mine. Light: a little halogen lamp (from Ikea), light former, well not a softening light fromer, but a little cardboard with lots of cut-outs ... acting as a gobo. This gives the nice light speckles.
--
Tilo ~gallo~ Gockel
Now I appear to be testing my new homemade lipstick. Actually, I have already tested the product mixture using a lip brush after the wax base and the liquid and powdered colors were zapped in the microwave to melt them. I wanted to make sure the final color and texture were right before I poured the molten lipcolor into the mold. What I am really doing now is making sure the lipstick bullet is firmly seated into the case and strong enough for regular use.
The goal was to make an ultra dark burgundy that is darker than what I can buy in the stores. This mix is a bit darker than what I tried a few weeks earlier. The major cosmetics companies used to make colors as dark as I like, but they discontinued them or kept some of the names but lightened the colors. I want more choices in color and texture and not be restricted to what their damn marketing idiots think I should wear.
I will post some closeup photos of me wearing the new color with and without clothes.
And now for something different. I made homemade lentil tofu yesterday. It turned out so well and is really good. It's also incredibly easy to make.
Homemade 105 mm soft focus lens on a Nikon D90.
(pretty much straight out of the camera)
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that my soft focus lenses can produce some nice portraits. After all, there is a long history of soft focus lenses being used for portrait work. But most of that was on large (or at least medium) format, not crop-sensor DSLRs.
With that in mind, I spent most of this session shooting with my homemade lenses on my medium format camera. Since my MF camera doesn't have a light meter, I swapped the lens onto my DSLR so that I could measure the light. So basically, this shot was taken with my "light meter."
I'll post the "real photos" once they've been scanned.
My good wife made banana loaf and banana muffins, today! I haven't had a muffin yet but the banana loaf is delicious! If I get any closer I'll have to eat these!!
Our Daily Challenge ~ Get Closer ...
Stay Safe and Healthy Everyone!
Thanks to everyone who views this photo, adds a note, leaves a comment and of course BIG thanks to anyone who chooses to favourite my photo .... Thanks to you all!
My boyfriend loves Mothers' Circus Animal Cookies, so for Valentine's Day, I attempted to make them for him. Unfortunately, they may look the same, but they don't taste the same!
Homemade camera format 6/12
Schneider Kreuznach super angulon 47xl , fixed focus at hyper focal, viewfinder with smartphone app.
see also folder/album selfmade camera
www.katelynleblancphotography.tumblr.com
I really wanted a Danbo robot, but i couldn't wait any longer.
So, I made my own. =P