ABC: Evie Lieb's Processor Challah

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I think I may be ready to cross out “conquer anything with yeast” off my kitchen bucket list.

Uh, maybe.

This month’s choice for Avid Baker’s Challenge called to make Challah bread.  I have to note that I love French bread, because I tend to like breads that are super “crusty” and then light and airy inside.  But, Challah is one of my favorite soft breads (the other is brioche) plus I use it all the time to make the best EVER, SUPER DUPPER EASY French Toast Casserole.  It also holds a special place in the Jewish tradition of the three Sabbath and two holiday meals, which begins with two complete loaves of Challah bread being blessed by the head of the household. On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the challah may be rolled into a circular shape (sometimes referred to as a “Turban Challah”), symbolizing the cycle of the year, and baked with raisins in the dough. Sometimes the top is brushed with honey in honor of the “sweet new year.”

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HCB: Chocolate Bull's Eye Cake

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This is one of those recipes that just throw you.  First, it’s in the “baby cake” section of the book, so you think – oh, easy.  Then you start to read it and realized that with 4 pages of instructions and 5 different components there was no way this could fall under the easy category.

So, I put it off.

And off… I was busy: watching TV, lounging, reading, playing with presents, reading tons of blogs, getting over a MAJOR New Year’s hangover (hello 2011!), as you can see – doing anything BUT these easy cakes.

Until…yesterday.

I just could not bring myself to miss another cake, I have been so lazy lately with the HCB commitments, I’m afraid that Marie is ready to send me a stern email, telling me to get off my lazy butt, get it together and get in the kitchen and bake!

So, I put all of my ingredients out the night before, to get them to room temperature, and decided, first thing in the morning I was going to tackle this and get it over with.

I woke up to a raining day.

Which meant one thing: “STAY IN BED! STAY IN BED!”

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HCB: Financier Style Vanilla Pound Cake

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If you asked me what my preference for cake is, I would right off the bat tell you that it will be those that are rich, dense and full of fat goodness, meaning they pack a gazillion calories, because they tend to be rich in butter, eggs, sugar and flour.

It’s no wonder that when it really comes down to it, I usually prefer the simple cakes.  I admired the fancy cakes with all the cool ingredients and decorations and fillings.  But, deep inside, I tend to run for those simple, easy cakes.

For the last couple of weeks, I been craving a pound cake. So when I read that this week’s choice for the Heavenly Bakers was the Vanilla Bean Pound Cake, I was ecstatic.

This lasted until Sunday, when I actually took a look and really READ the full recipe and realized that it was NOT going to be a pound cake. 

Tsk, Tsk, Rose, you had me fooled.

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