Baking Martha's Marble Cake with White Chocolate Glaze

Another baked good off the list from efforts to bake every recipe in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Number 6 out of 173 was not a random pick from a friend but a custom order. My dad had me bring the book over so he could choose his recipe; he picked two. He wanted Marble Cake with White Chocolate Glaze for his birthday cake and come Christmas I'll be making him Baking Soda Biscuits.

But first came the marble cake and my previously mentioned frustration with the Baking Handbook. A hard to find ingredient not being called out as such. The culprit? Dutch-processed cocoa. This is my third recipe from Martha's book involving cocoa powder. All three specified Dutch-processed cocoa. I used natural unsweetened cocoa in both the One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes and the icing on the Black and White Cookies. For my dad, I decided to see if I could track down the correct cocoa. I could not find it at Kroger, Publix or Ingles. I did track down a box at Whole Foods...for TEN DOLLARS. Yep, this cocoa costs twice as much as natural baking cocoa. 

Not all Dutch-processed cocoas will say such on their label. The ingredients always tell the tale. Natural will only list cocoa. Dutch-process will list cocoa and either say Dutch processed, like above, or simply alkali. That's what your looking for: alkali.

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Baking Martha's Black and White Cookies

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook Black and White Cookies

Prior to my adventure to bake recipe number 5 out of 173 in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, my knowledge of the Black and White Cookie was limited to the Seinfeld episode. I see this cookie occasionally in glass bakery cases and recall Jerry's assertion to "look to the cookie" for racial harmony. 

“You see, Elaine, the key to eating a black and white cookie is that you wanna get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate. And yet still somehow racial harmony eludes us. If people would only look to the cookie, all our problems would be solved.”

Sadly it seems this New York specialty cookie was born not to show us how everyone can get along but as a way for local bakeries to use their leftover cake batter for extra profit. A little extra flour was tossed in with the batter and a cookie was made. Regardless of why this cookie exists, I'm glad I got to know it. Cake never tasted better as a cookie.

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Baking Martha's Cookies: White Chocolate-Butterscotch

The first time I baked these cookies was back in late July when the friend that picked the recipe off facebook was coming over for a playdate. Perfect timing to check another recipe from my quest to bake all the recipes in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook off the list AND send cookies home with my friend and her kids so I wouldn't eat them all. At 5 Weight Watchers points per cookie, I did not need multiple temptations on my counter.

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Baking Martha's Key Lime Tart

This adventure in baking my way through Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook is brought to you courtesy of my friend's pick on facebook. His random page selection was for Key Lime Tart with Candied Key Lime Slices, how fancy sounding. 

My introduction to key lime dessert is not nearly as fancy. It all began one late night when I was sixteen and first tasted key lime pie at the local Denny's. My young, inexperienced, very finicky palate was hooked on that bright green, creamy concoction from the first forkful. Did you know you could buy a whole pie from Denny's? You can. And I did. Often. I even took them to parties. I was seriously obsessed with that pie. It wasn't until a few years later that I came to understand all key lime pie was not like Denny's. Or that it wasn't even supposed to be green. Or that some people prefer it with *gasp* meringue! The horror! As I matured in age and taste buds I began to appreciate real key lime pie. It is one of my favorites. My man likes to bring me home slices from all over town if he's at a late business dinner. I've not been in a Denny's but once in the twelve years I've been a vegetarian. I'm not even sure if my first pie love is still in the frosty dessert case. 

I'm going to admit I'm not a pie baker. It's the crust that gives me heart palpitations. So I was happy this wasn't a pie but a tart so I wouldn't have to fuss with dough. However, after I read the recipe I realized Martha did want me to make my own homemade graham crust from a DOUGH! What? I considered it. But after frustration finding another rare ingredient not clearly labeled such. *deep, calming breath* I nixed Martha's suggested crust. I rationalized this was acceptable change since I will still have to make the Graham dough when I bake the homemade Graham Crackers in the Baking Handbook on page 90. Now what crust should I do? A google search led me to this pretty blog for the same recipe but a different crust. I used hers and I was very pleased. This was such a brilliant crust for key lime pie. The addition of key lime zest is inspired. Thank you, Evan, whoever you are. 

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Baking Martha's Heavenly Angel Food Cake

I grew up eating the most fabulous yellow cakes with buttercream frosting made by my mom. She spoiled me to ever enjoying a grocery store cake. Blech! Funny thing is, my mom likes cake but hates frosting...even her own fabulous buttercream. It's a crying shame. But what my mother does like is cake with berries and cream. In my progress toward baking everything Martha, I found a Classic Angel Food Cake recipe in the Baking Handbook. That settled it, she would get a homemade angel food cake with homemade vanilla whip cream and fresh macerated berries. She was excited; she'd never had homemade angel food cake. I was trepidatious but determined. *whispers* I did buy a box of Betty Crocker Angel Food Cake mix just in case. But hold on for a photo adventure and see why that box is still in my pantry and what I learned along the way.

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Baking Martha's Chocolate Cupcakes

I'm fascinated by Martha Stewart. Not so much to watch her show or venture into K-Mart and purchase things with her name on them. But I do have a few of her books. I've also had great success with her recipes. She's still my fail proof way to hard boil an egg. 

Ahhhhh. It's just so pretty.

Well, a few years ago I was gifted the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook. It's orange hardcover stole my heart before I even gazed longingly at its beautiful, stylized photos of baked goods. While finger strolling through the book I mused how great it would be to bake everything in the entire book. Fast forward a few years and the book had only been used, um, *cough* once. Time to change things. I turned to my lovely facebook friends and family and spelled out my plans to bake the entire book, starting with randomly selected recipes by them. Woo! They page numbers trickled in.


It may take me years. But I plan to accomplish my goal, one baked treat at a time. And here's the tale of the first baked item: One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes.

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut-Pecan Frosting

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