Thanksgiving morning, yeast-free cinnamon buns

Sometimes the last thing you want need to deal with is the agonizingly long time it takes for yeast to rise (especially if you have company and the only packets of yeast left in the cupboard expired 5 years ago). What were you doing five years ago?

Whenever I see dates from 2003-2009, I always try to remember where I was and what was going through my head at the time. Usually I'm tempted to cut my hair short again and get back into pilates...I can't believe that I used to get up at 5am. Anyway, where was I? Oh right, food!

Pistachio-Walnut Baklava (Daring Bakers' Challenge)

Phyllo dough, along with symmetrical layer cakes, yeast breads that actually rise, and the ability to avoid stepping barefoot through a rogue hairball at 3 o'clock in the morning, is just not in the cards (not mine anyway.) I'm not sure what went wrong, or when the phyllo dough, which up until the rolling portion of the recipe, had been so genteel, decided to turn on me. I would like love to blame the humidity and heat for making all the layers stick together, but considering where this amazing dessert has it's origins, I can't really point fingers at the temperature. I'm eyeballing the flour though. Maybe the half-bag that I threw onto every square inch of every layer (as well as my kitchen) wasn't enough? Maybe the flour wasn't really flour, but sticky tape? It shall remain a mystery. But phyllo dough and I will meet again, and next time I'll be prepared... and I'll have an unexpected ally, Winter.

Erica of Erica's Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava. Thank you Erica. Despite the the devious dough, I did have fun making this!

Churros

A quick note to all those with an active overactive imagination, never watch a scary movie when you're home alone, especially when it's late at night. Case and point; Paranormal Activity 2.

I knew it would be oafish to watch that particular movie alone, at 11 pm, whilst house sitting. But besides a hyperactive imagination, I'm also delightfully impatient and perhaps masochistic. As I slid the harmless dvd into the non-threatening dvd player, I wondered why 'we do this to ourselves?' What compels us to watch movies that we know, well ahead of time, will to freak us out? Even though Paranormal Activity 2 didn't require the futile method of "watching through basket-woven fingers" technique, it did leave me jumpy for the rest of the night/morning.

Luckily these churros, along with an acerbic episode of House, smoothed things right out.

Mini Pièce Montée (Daring Bakers Challenge)

By the burning of my thumbs, Something saucy this way comes.

Pièce montée means 'mounted piece.' A croquembouche is an assemblage of pastry cream filled puffs held together with caramel or chocolate sauce.

Tiramisu (Daring Bakers' Challenge)

'I'm late, I'm late for a very important date

No time to say "Hello", "Goodbye"
I'm late, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late'

Vol-au-Vent ( Daring Bakers' Challenge )

The September 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

When I joined The Daring Bakers I knew that I was going to be creating amazing things that I never imagined my oven and I could bake, But I had no idea how much fun I was going to have along the way.