TWD: Not-Really-Mini Madeleines

Oh my word!  I nearly forgot to post today!

These TWD selections get better and better.  Out of our two selections this week, I chose to go with the Mini Madeleines selection by Di.  I was originally going to go with the squash pie, but upon realizing that it was a pie with squash chunks in it--a fruit pie with squash chunks--I simply couldn't bring myself to waste the ingredients.  I just wouldn't be likely to eat that.  I don't even know what butternut squash tastes like!

So I went with the madeleines.  I bought a pan--a regular-sized one--to make some with a TWD recipe some months ago and never got around to it.  So I put it into use, making 12 regular cookies instead of 36 minis.

And now? I would like to make them every day.  They were very easy to make--just whisking (by hand) a few things that are easily found in anyone's larder.  Then you don't even have to hustle the batter into the oven--it goes into the fridge.  I left mine there one day.

The hardest part was flouring the molds.  The batter itself just spooned in and went right into the oven.

They baked up beautifully...

and tasted divine, even two days later.

Just perfect.  I love them!

I'm so pleased, I'm gonna do as promised and give extra quilt-in-progress photos:

(I sneaked in to the office to sandwich on Sunday.  The life of the single and impoverished and living in tiny apartments!  Shhhhh.)

Another pic of the top, a bit closer up:

and the back, though this isn't a good photo color-wise.  Think shades of pink and coral, ok?

It's all sandwiched and trimmed now, ready to be quilted. At some point.

Snow sewing

I AM VERY PROUD OF MYSELF.  If you go waaaaay back, you'll see that about last Christmas I was cutting out blocks for a quilt--my first bed-sized quilt.  It was taking up much of my thoughts and time.  And then...it was a LOT of piecing...and I needed clothes...and it got warm out, and, and....that project got abandoned. 

But it snowed here this weekend.  Nothin to do, nowhere to go.  So...guess who now has a brand-new 88" x 88" quilt top?  Huh?!  Yep that's right!  Here's a little peek:

I think I am gonna back it with this Marimekko fabric I bought on SuperSale ($4.95 for SIX YARDS!!) at the Crate and Barrel outlet near my apartment:

It goes from very palest pink at one selvage to deep pink at the other.  I'm trying to figure out how to arrange it, since I'll need two lengths of it. 

As far as clothing goes:  after the yellow dress triumph, I've been in a rut.  I've been really irritated by my inability to make my patterns fit the way I want them to.  And I'm about done with taking classes.  Both the little suit and the floaty cape collar dresses were largely disasters.  But I have not quit.  I am currently working on these:

I'm making 4599 in green sateen and I've started making the middle version of 5671 (with the tie collar) in grey suiting fabric.  Let's see if I can pull these off...

TWD: Far Breton (aka, guess who's back)

Hi!

I have not, in fact, fallen off the face of the earth.  Sometimes I have felt like I was, but it has not actually happened yet.  Work has been OMFG INSANE, and I've been spending my spare moments staring into space and sewing.  I've occasionally made a TWD recipe here and there, but haven't been blown away by any of my choices.

I've been sadly off the baking wagon, but since we are nearing the end of the book, let's see if I can get my act together and finish this off--and maybe even join in on the next challenge. 

To finish out the book, the group is now choosing two recipes a week.  One of this week's recipes, Honey Nut Scones, is one I've made a gazillion times (I LOVE them and highly recommend them;  go to Jeannette's for the recipe)  so I decided to try the other recipe, which was one I would never otherwise try:  Far Breton, chosen by Nicole of Cookies on Friday.  I had no idea what a Far Breton was.  There's no photo, either, to guide you--and what I do know is that it contains PRUNES and RAISINS--two things I can really, really, live without.  I was concerned.  Very concerned.  But I womaned up and made it.

First of all, it's really easy.  The ingredients are all things you probably have sitting around right now. 

Everything whips up in the food processor!  And then you don't even have to do anything--you just bang it into the fridge for a day or so till you want to bake it.  (Which for me was two days).  Lazy lazy lazy.  CHEAH!

The fruit is soaked till you want to use it.  My fruit was already pretty moist, but I steeped in in Earl Grey Tea as directed.  At least, I think I did it as directed.  The directions weren't really clear here--was "meanwhile" supposed to be while I made the batter, while it rested in the fridge, or while I buttered the pan?  I didn't know, so I actually fixed them up first and they soaked about three days (in the fridge of course).

Putting it together was very easy--butter pan, pour in batter, drop in fruit, bang in oven and forget.  It even baked right on time--55 minutes for me.  It puffed in the oven but sank a little on cooling.  Once it was cool, I unmolded and tried it.

Though it's in the "cake" section of the book, it's not really cake at all!  It's more like a baked custard. 

A REALLY SMOOTH AND DELICIOUS custard.  And the prunes are not prune-y--they are just these little juicy bits of...whatever.  It's really good!  I'm really glad I tried this recipe. Thanks for choosing it, Nicole!  A fine way to come back to the TWD fold.  :-)