tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64385563350795156992009-11-02T07:25:55.952-08:00Life's Too Short For Mediocre ChocolateEverything good that comes out of the oven. Featuring original recipes, and recipes by anyone else I'm inspired by. I'm working my way through every type of pastry, cake, pie, bread, custard and cookie there is--because what's life without dessert?Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.comBlogger250125LifesTooShortForMediocreChocolatehttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-11387870714897880952009-09-27T17:18:00.000-07:002009-09-27T17:20:00.322-07:002009-09-27T17:20:00.322-07:00It's been fun......but I'm officially outta here! You should be redirected in a few seconds--if not, please visit Baked By Anna, Mediocre Chocolate's new and permanent home.Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/09/its-been-fun.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-76216149548370370292009-09-18T13:47:00.000-07:002009-09-18T13:58:05.212-07:002009-09-18T13:58:05.212-07:00My Best Pizza DoughWhat--you're still here?! I've moved!! Come visit me at the new place--Baked By Anna. All posts are available over there. Soon, I'll be redirecting automatically--so come follow me there!Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/09/my-best-pizza-dough.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-16221689016538347102009-09-14T22:54:00.000-07:002009-09-14T22:56:07.292-07:002009-09-14T22:56:07.292-07:00Nanaimo Cheesecake BarsThis is a little bit of a cheat post, since it's not a new recipe to this blog. But, I haven't posted it since last year, or since I moved, and I have a new camera to take some beauty shots of the cream cheese-y goodness of these. It's chocolate...brown sugar...walnuts, coconut...with more chocolate. It's my little piece of heaven.It all began when Sugar High Friday decided to go Canadian last Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/09/nanaimo-cheesecake-bars.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-89347300610038285022009-09-10T23:01:00.000-07:002009-09-10T23:06:01.159-07:002009-09-10T23:06:01.159-07:00Focaccia by ReinhartAnd the bread baking continues! Next up on my Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge was Focaccia, beloved by Americans everywhere as a sandwich bread and pizza base. This recipe I liked from the get-go, as it began with a poolish (a wet starter) and was a very wet dough. You know what that means? Big, beautiful holes!At least that's how his focaccia was pictured. And how how said it was supposed toBaked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/09/focaccia-by-reinhart.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-75487828118792567362009-09-06T20:27:00.000-07:002009-09-06T20:52:16.114-07:002009-09-06T20:52:16.114-07:00BBA Challenge English MuffinsYou thought I'd forgotten about the BBA Challenge, didn't you? My last post was a little while ago, I admit, but cut me some slack. It's been hot! Even where I live, it's been too hot to think about turning on the oven most days.Which doesn't actually excuse me from this particular challenge--English Muffins. They're cooked on a griddle, and only go in the oven for a few minutes to finish Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/09/bba-challenge-english-muffins.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-75355523170412663542009-09-04T21:09:00.001-07:002009-09-04T21:09:53.819-07:002009-09-04T21:09:53.819-07:00Babycakes and 7 Minute IcingIt seems like yesterday, he looked like this:And now, he's this great big guy:It's unbelievable how fast they grow and change. And my perception of it is so odd. I can, at the same time, marvel at the speed of time these days, and also wish sometimes for things to go more quickly--even though every parent with grown kids will tell you not to rush. The baby and toddler years are sometimes Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/09/babycakes-and-7-minute-icing.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-57655072679516348962009-08-31T22:01:00.000-07:002009-08-31T23:59:38.299-07:002009-08-31T23:59:38.299-07:00Frustrations and moves...Well, I am really at a loss with this. Some of you may have noticed that my feed is off--you will be redirected to a blog that does not exist if you try to "follow" me in Google. If you subscribe, it will also lead you to the wrong place--Leida E. Guzman. I was setting up my new cupcake blog, The Sprinkles Project, and tried to do a Blog List to get to this one--it led me either to Souvlaki Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/08/frustrations-and-moves.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-7851009413638007172009-08-27T00:01:00.000-07:002009-08-27T00:01:00.487-07:002009-08-27T00:01:00.487-07:00Daring Bakers August, and Cupcakes!The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonfulof Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular DobosTorte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: ExquisiteDesserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.It's time once again for the Daring Baker's Post...but I have been a bad baker. I only made part of my Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/08/daring-bakers-august-and-cupcakes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-13200219400495072272009-08-24T22:02:00.001-07:002009-08-24T22:28:51.240-07:002009-08-24T22:28:51.240-07:00SHF --Eat Your Veggies! Double Chocolate Pumpkin CookiesI have to admit, this was an easy one. (Although tricky to photograph.) I feel a little bit un-creative actually, but the deadline snuck up on me. My oldest started kindergarten this week, and the baby's been fussy, so I didn't get to plan ahead on this one. Excuses, excuses! I long for the days when I could spend an hour puttering around with a new recipe, using both my hands.I chose pumpkinBaked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/08/shf-eat-your-veggies-double-chocolate.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-49754313717451058082009-08-23T21:42:00.001-07:002009-08-30T16:50:20.226-07:002009-08-30T16:50:20.226-07:00Fresh Strawberries and Cream CupcakesI love strawberries. I love cupcakes (much like the rest of the world, at the moment.) It's natural to pair them. However, there's a problem.Blueberries? Great. Awesome in muffins, pie, and lots of other things. Raspberries? Can't be beat. But see, I have baked with strawberries before. For one thing, baking dulls the flavor of a fresh berry. Roasting is slightly better, but they still Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/08/fresh-strawberries-and-cream-cupcakes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-11753560969740831222009-08-18T21:33:00.000-07:002009-08-18T22:01:24.226-07:002009-08-18T22:01:24.226-07:00Roasted Walnut and Pear Cream MuffinsSo I know I said I was only going to update the previous muffin post with the pear-walnut variation, since the recipe is the same--these deserve their own post. They. Are. So. Good. The combination of roasted walnut and pear is always a winner, but stick them in this incredibly tender, exceptionally light and moist muffin and you've reached heaven. Well, if heaven were a muffin.I also know I Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/08/roasted-walnut-and-pear-cream-muffins.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-65562779147807487192009-08-12T21:14:00.000-07:002009-08-12T21:29:32.031-07:002009-08-12T21:29:32.031-07:00BBA Challenge: Cinnamon Raisin BreadI was looking forward to this one for awhile! Although not a lover of raisins, I do love cinnamon-raisin bread for its sentimental value. I had a good friend in grade school whose house I would stay over at frequently. Her parents always had loaves of the really good kind of cinnamon-raisin swirl bread--the kind with the thick white icing on top. I don't know if hey even make that kind anymoreBaked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/08/bba-challenge-cinnamon-raisin-bread.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-4739605004615716902009-08-11T17:56:00.000-07:002009-08-18T22:42:02.179-07:002009-08-18T22:42:02.179-07:00The Best Muffins You've Ever HadAt least, the best I've ever made.I've done some ricotta muffins, some morning glory, some donut muffins and apple, and cornbread has always been a favorite. I've experimented with different recipes and methods and really hadn't quite settled on what I liked the best, as far as big, full-fat bakery muffins go. I had a recipe I really liked a lot this one from Fine Cooking, but it wasn't truly Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/08/best-muffins-youve-ever-had.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-36930961960193372492009-08-08T13:57:00.000-07:002009-08-08T15:10:00.438-07:002009-08-08T15:10:00.438-07:00A Study In Red VelvetThe more fancy and complicated projects I try, the more I realize that most of the time, there is no need to get fancy or complicated.So it is with cupcakes. I posted a little bit ago about some very simple and very delicious vanilla cupcakes, the basic recipe being perfectly balanced to create a wonderful cake. So simple in fact, I found it in a children's cookbook. I also discovered it was anBaked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com4http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/08/study-in-red-velvet.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-24133750554718962072009-07-31T22:10:00.000-07:002009-07-31T22:31:32.445-07:002009-07-31T22:31:32.445-07:00Decadent, rich, chocolate...sourdough?Waffles! Yes, I made chocolate sourdough waffles for this month's edition of Bread Baking Day. The theme was sweet breads, and believe me, it doesn't get much sweeter than this!I'd ripped out the photo and recipe of these chocolate malt sourdough waffles from the King Arthur catalog I get every month or so...they looked amazing. Not only have I been itching to use the malted milk powder I Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com3http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/07/decadent-rich-chocolatesourdough.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-59029390089773438022009-07-27T19:03:00.001-07:002009-07-27T23:31:48.040-07:002009-07-27T23:31:48.040-07:00Daring Bakers Mallow CookieThe July Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Nicole at Sweet Tooth. She chose Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Cookies and Milan Cookies from pastry chef Gale Gand of the Food Network.I chose the Mallow Cookies, because they seemed like more of a challenge--and my husband loves marshmallow. Some of the photos looked gorgeous--thin crisp cookies on the bottom, a fluffy cloud of marshmallow, all Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com2http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/07/daring-bakers-mallow-cookie.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-431322886801745222009-07-25T14:30:00.000-07:002009-07-26T15:01:21.228-07:002009-07-26T15:01:21.228-07:00BBA Challenge, Cinnamon HeavenYou would not believe the amount of photos and recipes I have stashed away waiting to be blogged about! I have been baking, but the problem is that typing one-handed is a frustrating business. My little Westley likes to eat--constantly--and when he's not eating he wants to be held most of the time. He's a very well-behaved baby, but he's very affectionate. Not a bad thing at all, although it'sBaked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com3http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/07/bba-challenge-cinnamon-heaven.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-40146371870700536762009-07-23T16:42:00.000-07:002009-07-23T17:12:13.438-07:002009-07-23T17:12:13.438-07:00Sugar High Friday--Sophie's ChoiceBloggers were asked by Sweet Endings to do the unthinkable for July's installment of Sugar High Friday--choose a favorite. Impossible, I tell you! I don't even have a favorite in each category of dessert--ask me today, and you'll get a different answer than tomorrow. My favorite pie? Depends on the season. My favorite cake--what's the occasion? My favorite cookie? Again, no way to answer.So I Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com4http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/07/sugar-high-friday-sophies-choice.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-64297567037236213152009-07-22T15:00:00.000-07:002009-07-26T15:06:13.862-07:002009-07-26T15:06:13.862-07:00Cupcake GeekI made cupcakes today. (What?!) Yeah, I know--cupcakes and me are in a bit of a tiff right now. In my last post, I slammed them. Or rather, my feelings of inadequacy came out in regards to making pretty cupcakes, and you saw me whining. Well, one can only wallow for so long. I have decided it's my mission in life to find a reliable recipe and method for big, beautiful domed cupcakes. It Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com0http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/07/cupcake-geek.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-14374265237178167632009-07-12T16:22:00.000-07:002009-07-13T22:05:28.994-07:002009-07-13T22:05:28.994-07:00<summary>I get pissed off every time I make cupcakes. It's true.Why? They aren't hard to bake--usually, that is, when my oven isn't shutting itself off in the middle of baking. No, it's the little details that I can't ever master that frustrate me. I am annoyingly type-A, and I always have this vision of beautiful cupcakes in my head. Like these. Or these. Big, beautifully rounded tops covered in </summary><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/feeds/1437426523717816763/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6438556335079515699&postID=1437426523717816763&isPopup=true" title="0 Comments" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6438556335079515699/posts/default/1437426523717816763?v=2" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6438556335079515699/posts/default/1437426523717816763?v=2" /><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LifesTooShortForMediocreChocolate/~3/hGo2bPWKfac/i-get-pissed-off-every-time-i-make.html" title="" /><author><name>Baked By Anna</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682</uri><email>mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com</email><gd:extendedProperty name="OpenSocialUserId" value="12375183745129211420" /></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_81p0BqCYGhY/SlwR1M_UC5I/AAAAAAAABt4/ANXOHa27Tag/s72-c/2009-07-13-2142-03.jpg" height="72" width="72" /><thr:total xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">0</thr:total><feedburner:origLink>http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/07/i-get-pissed-off-every-time-i-make.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry gd:etag="W/"A0YBQnY6eyp7ImA9WxJUEUQ.""><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-679576142773111277</id><published>2009-07-09T20:51:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-09T21:12:33.813-07:00</updated><app:edited xmlns:app="http://www.w3.org/2007/app">2009-07-09T21:12:33.813-07:00</app:edited><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="challah" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="bread bakers apprentice" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="soft sandwich loaf" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="yeast dough" /><title>BBA Challenge - Challah BreadBack to the kitchen! I have been blessed with a very well-behaved baby, and he is kind enough to allow me the time to tinker around in the kitchen. Since my husband isn't quite back to work yet and I am determined to get back into my pre-pregancy jeans as soon as possible...I opted to continue with my Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge instead of another sweet treat. Especially since I took Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com2http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/07/bba-challenge-challah-bread.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-1342629760058235192009-07-03T22:47:00.001-07:002009-07-03T23:02:53.316-07:002009-07-03T23:02:53.316-07:00The Newest AdditionThis is just a quick update posting--my little one has at long last arrived. Born late Wednesday night, he's just perfect, and is a sweet, quiet little baby, who even sleeps through the shouting of his two older brothers. I'm doing okay, despite that freshly-run-over-by-a-truck feeling. I am lucky enough to have my husband home with me, and he's a huge help, so I'd like to get around to bakingBaked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com4http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/07/newest-addition.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-3365424407238688212009-06-29T01:17:00.000-07:002009-07-08T22:30:30.080-07:002009-07-08T22:30:30.080-07:00Reinhart's Poolish Ciabatta --BBAWell, I'll admit to you that I skipped a week of BBA--I didn't make the Challah. I will, at some point in the future, just to say I made every recipe, but for right now I just didn't feel like making a loaf to go to waste. Challah is a slightly sweet, very eggy enriched dough, and I didn't really have a use for it right now. There's nothing I hate more than seeing food--handmade bread especially-Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com1http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/06/reinharts-poolish-ciabatta-bba.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-39794594672410121772009-06-26T00:16:00.000-07:002009-06-28T01:29:34.937-07:002009-06-28T01:29:34.937-07:00British Invasion--Daring Bakers Bakewell TartThe June Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart... er... pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800's in England.As I write this on Thursday, I am hoping and wishing to be in labor (or done with it) by the time you all read this! I am due Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com2http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2009/06/british-invasion-daring-bakers-bakewell.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6438556335079515699.post-83811672575909911642009-06-22T12:33:00.000-07:002009-06-22T12:35:13.318-07:002009-06-22T12:35:13.318-07:00Oreo Ice Cream Pie**This post was originally published last August, but I made it again for Father's Day. Since I have a few more readers that may have missed it, I thought I'd refresh the post with some better photos I took this time around. It's also a perfect Summer BBQ dessert!Birthday cake...very, very personal subject. For some, store-bought is the norm, whether you go to a world-class bakeshop or pick Baked By Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17914068695641981682mediocrechocolate@yahoo.com2http://www.mediocrechocolate.com/2008/08/birthday-boy.html