{ Mélanger :: to mix }

Overall Winners :: These overall winning photographs achieved the highest scores from all three categories (edibility, originality, and aesthetics).

Saffron Brioche by Meeta of What’s For Lunch, Honey?, Germany with Nikon D70

{ Beautiful lighting, simple execution, very edible }

Coconut ice cream by Patricia of Technicolor Kitchen, Brazil with Nikon D40

{ Mouth-watering, nice composition }

Sopa de maduixes/Strawberry soup by Mercè of Cuina per a llaminers, California with Canon Rebel XT1i

{ Lovely styling, great lighting, nice execution }

Edibility, Originality, and Aesthetics Category Winners :: These are the winning photographs from each category – edibility, originality, and aesthetics.

Chocolate cake with espresso buttercream by Jasenka of Sweet Corner, The Netherlands with Canon D450 EOS

{ Mouth-watering, highly edible }

4 Chiles by Kris of Bake in Paris, Thailand with Canon Eos 1000D

{ Interesting and unique styling }

Orange Tian with Spun Toffee by Asha of Fork-Spoon-Knife, New York with Nikon D5000, 18-55 lens

{ Simple but effective composition }

Orange Crepes with Dark Chocolate Ganache by Sandra of Le Petrin, France with Canon 350D

{ Beautiful lighting, great texture of the subject }

Braids, scrolls, tarts, slices, buns. You choose.  Take one recipe of basic sweet bread dough and make your own creation.  Spicy, fruity, or plain, but always sweet, soft and rich.

I was hoping to showcase 6 different variations from my 1 basic sweet dough recipe for Sweet Dough month.

There were in fact 6 different treats produced in the Mélanger kitchen.  The item not published was a cinnamon-y Finnish treat that just did not make it to ‘photography stage’.  No prizes for guessing why! Time was against me this month to reproduce it, so I will wait for for another Finnish inspired baking month to create it again.  I only started to scratch the surface of Finnish baking last May.

Here is a round up of the recipes I created from 1 single sweet bread dough.  I find bread dough is very versatile, as I hoped to demonstrate this month.  If you want even more doughy inspiration for your own bread, I have also included a selection of some of my other favourite sweet bread treats!

{ Hot cross braid } There is no bun, there is no cross, but this braid has all the requisite flavours of Easter.  Those heady flavours of cinnamon and allspice, combined with the citrusy and sweet overtones of the fruit and peel that make hot cross buns such a firm favourite this time of year.  { Read more here … }

{ Chocolate pecan & maple scrolls } Soft, rich and sweet bread is layered with chocolate, pecans and drizzled with maple syrup.  Straight out of the oven it is hard to resist not pulling them apart and enjoying straight away.  Fill with your own flavour combination to personalise your own scrolls.  { Read more here … }

{ Pear & ginger crème fraîche tarts } A simple dough.  Some homemade crème fraîche.  And a few slices of spiced pears.  Easy.  In a few short steps you have a sweet little fruit tart, and a nice twist on the usual pastry versions.  { Read more here … }

{ Mini doughnuts with homemade dulce de leche } Mini balls of fried yeasty goodness.  The distinct aroma of the cinnamon sugar on the warm doughnut.  The unbeatable taste of that just cooked doughnut.  These fluffy yeast style doughnuts are a lovely reminder of old fashioned doughnut shop confections.  { Read more here … }

{ Raspberry lemon frangipane slice } The sweet bread dough base is much lighter than its tart dough or biscuit base counterparts, making it a more delicate sweet indulgence.  The flavours of raspberry and lemon are a classic.  The subtle almond flavoured frangipane helps retains a level of richness and moistness.  The arrangement altogether, is one very easy to eat treat.   { Read more here … }

{ Gingerbread Brioche }  Brioche is a specialty of the Normandy region of France.  This gingerbread brioche is simply perfect with salted butter, or extra special served as French toast. Spicy, light, buttery, rich and soft all wrapped up together.   { Read more here … }

{ Mustikkapiiraat :: Blueberry filled buns } These buns are a snap to make and smell wonderful coming out of the oven.  You may clap your hands in delight (as I did) when seeing the gooey berry drizzle running down the side of a bun or two.  It will be hard to wait for them to cool slightly so you can devour them.  { Read more here … }

{ Baba au rhum } This dessert, introduced into France by way of Alsace-Lorraine, traditionally shaped like a Champagne cork, is a rich, yeast bread, baked in a cylindrical mould.  It is liberally (emphasis on liberally) soaked in a sweet rum syrup.  { Read more here … }

{ Brioche Tart with Caramelised Fruits } A rich egg bread is filled with creamy custard, topped with a tangy sabayon sauce, and served with caramel poached fruits.  Watch for the volcanic-like reaction during the sauce process when adding the wine to the caramel.  A great sweet weekend breakfast alternative to the typical pancake or waffle options. { Read more here … }

{ Pulla :: Finnish cardamom bread } Pulla was the first item I baked for my (now) husband.  After much searching for the perfect recipe, I took the plunge with my Beatrice Ojakangas baking bible.  When I was told the bread tasted, “just like my mummo used to make”, I knew I had chosen well.   { Read more here … }

{ Fruit buns } My very first baking competition.  With much practise, I was overjoyed that one of my entries into the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka) Cooking Competition, won a place.  I could not believe it.  I felt like a five year old child excited when I saw my ribbon and certificate.  { Read more here … }

There are times when you feel you have been let down.  Disappointed.  Days when you feel like those around you have done you wrong.  You quickly become disenchanted with people, and with life.

But then days like today roll around.  ANZAC Day.  You are quickly reminded of all the selflessness out there.  Reminded of the thousands of people who have sacrificed their lives … for you.

This time of year, I always think about the men in my life who have faced war.  My grandfathers who both fought in the first world war at the Somme.  My father who was posted in Malaya for two years and supported the Korean War effort for the British Army during the early 1950s.

Last year I celebrated the memory of my family, and of the countless servicemen and women who have served their countries, by attending the ANZAC parade here in Brisbane.

I also baked some ANZAC biscuits.  The photograph in my post last year was incredibly special.  It contained my paternal grandfather’s war medal.  It also contained the last ever photograph taken of my father.

My father passed away nearly 14 years ago.  Not a day goes by when I do not think of him.

Given the significance of that image, I was so honoured, and humbled, to have my image selected to feature in 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences in Australian Traveller Magazine.  #63.  Anzac biscuits.

My father would be so proud, too.

As I said last year, and I think again today,

To all the men and women who have served their countries, with immense gratitude, I thank you all for the simple and uncomplicated life I have now been afforded.  Thank you for your bravery.

Lest we forget.

It should have been a sign.  Typically undisturbed in the kitchen while taking photographs of my baking, on this occasion, I had a little intruder.

Mr Mélanger is usually patient with taste testing.  So in this instance, my assumption was he wanted to tease me while I attempted to focus on something serious.  He threw his hand into a shot, in a mock “I am about to take a piece of this warm slice” type of way.  (See photograph set below – top right.)

The reality was he simply wanted some of the slice.  It seemed that no sooner had the photographs been completed and the memory card inserted into the laptop, that two slices were practically devoured.  Then three.  Then five.  Insert a small amount of time here, and when I turn around next, virtually half the original slice was gone!

Now I am not saying this is the world’s best slice, but it very well could be for Mr Mélanger.  The sweet bread dough base is much lighter than its tart dough or biscuit base counterparts, making it a more delicate sweet indulgence.  The flavours of raspberry and lemon are a classic.  The subtle almond flavoured frangipane helps retains a level of richness and moistness.  The arrangement altogether, is one very easy to eat treat.

I wanted to use my basic sweet bread dough recipe in a new way.  To memory, I have never eaten a sweet bread based slice.  Rolled out incredibly thin, this bread dough makes a wonderful base for an array of toppings.  I adore the classic frangipane and fruit combination of a traditional sweet tart, and was curious how it would hold up to such a fine and delicate bread base.

Top marks, according to Mr Mélanger.

{ Basic sweet dough recipe } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

This recipe takes around four hours from beginning to end.  You will need to plan accordingly but the taste will be worth the effort.

* Ingredients *
1 cup milk
¼ cup water (110F/45C)
3.5g / ½ package dried yeast
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4½ to 5 cups of plain, all purpose flour
¼ cup / ½ stick of butter, melted
Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten

* Directions *
Warm the milk in a saucepan until bubbles appear around the edge.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 110F/45C.  In the meantime, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes.   Stir in the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.  Beat the mixture until smooth.  Add 2 more cups of flour and continue to beat.  Continue until the dough is glossy.  Add the melted butter and stir well.  Add a further 1 ½ cups of flour and continue to beat well.  Stir in the remaining ½ cup of flour bit by bit until the dough is stiff – you may not need to add it all.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Then knead the dough lightly until it is smooth and glossy.  Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, lightly spraying the top of the dough with oil to prevent drying.  Allow to double in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.  Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled, about 1 hour.  Turn out onto a floured surface.  You should have roughly have between 2.4-2.6lb / 1.1-1.2kg of dough in total.  The quantity of dough should be sufficient for three small loaves.  Once you have shaped your final dough, let rise for 20-30 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350F/180C.  Brush lightly with egg and then bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on size.

{ Raspberry & Lemon Frangipane Slice variation }

1. 1/2 batch of above dough recipe will yield a 13” x 9” / 32 x 22 cm slice.
2. After the third rise, roll out the dough to fit a lightly greased baking sheet.
3. Allow-to proof for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the frangipane.  Mix 3 oz / 90g of equal quantities of butter, sugar and almond meal into a bowl.  Add the zest of one lemon and 1 egg.  Mix well until combined.
5. Spread the frangipane across the proofed dough.  Sprinkle across raspberries (or berries of your choice).
6. Bake in a preheated 350F/180F oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

:: Yeastspotting ::
I am submitting this Raspberry & Lemon Frangipane Slice to Yeastspotting.

I was about 10 years of age, if I had to guess.  An age where, back then at least, the idea of playing shop was a terribly appealing one.  In this case, it was a real grown up version.

It would start with a Saturday morning ritual.  An outing.  A trip to the local shops.  For my mother, it was a highly practical affair.  Secure groceries for the week ahead before the stores closed at noon.  For me, it was the promise of something sweet.

I vaguely remember her being an older lady.  Happy.  Friendly.  And always eager to share her fresh, sweet treats.  I am not sure how I managed to find myself on the other side of that kiosk counter, but one day there I was, helping this charming older lady.  She managed a tiny doughnut shop.  As a child, it was a sugar ladened wonderland.  There were brightly iced doughnuts.  Cream and jam filled doughnuts.  And warm, fresh cinnamon doughnuts. 

The doughnut lady would take care of all the iced and filled doughnuts, plus cook the plain doughnuts ready for cinnamon sugar dusting.  That was where I came in.  As the freshly cooked doughnuts fell onto the rotating cooler, my little hands would grab on to the sugaring stick.  Gently navigating the centre of each doughnut, it was not long before I was quickly picking up half a dozen piping hot doughnut with ease.  With the requisite number of doughnuts ready to go, I would then move my little self towards the large, shallow pan of cinnamon sugar.  The best part was to come.  Gently rolling the doughnuts from back to front in the sugar pan.  Ensuring an even coating.  The last step was to transfer a full stick of doughnuts, into a long, narrow plain white glycerin bag.

Come noon-time, as the shops prepared to close, my reward for my sugaring help was a handful of doughnuts, which were not sold that day.  Happily munching, I left with my mother, and young dreams of having my own doughnut shop one day.

I have never made doughnuts, and the moment my hand started to turn these little balls of fried yeasty goodness into cinnamon sugar, the memory came flooding back.  The action of the sugar coating.  The distinct aroma of the cinnamon sugar on the warm doughnut.  The unbeatable taste of that just cooked doughnut.

These fluffy yeast style doughnuts were a fun twist on Sweet Dough month, and a lovely reminder of old fashioned doughnut shop confections.

{ Basic sweet dough recipe } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

This recipe takes around four hours from beginning to end.  You will need to plan accordingly but the taste will be worth the effort.  

As delicious as these little doughnuts would be with a simple sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar, I paired with some homemade dulce de leche.  Again, using the recommended technique from my Chilean friend, Ms Contreras.

* Ingredients *
1 cup milk
¼ cup water (110F/45C)
3.5g / ½ package dried yeast
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4½ to 5 cups of plain, all purpose flour
¼ cup / ½ stick of butter, melted
Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten

* Directions *
Warm the milk in a saucepan until bubbles appear around the edge.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 110F/45C.  In the meantime, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes.   Stir in the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.  Beat the mixture until smooth.  Add 2 more cups of flour and continue to beat.  Continue until the dough is glossy.  Add the melted butter and stir well.  Add a further 1 ½ cups of flour and continue to beat well.  Stir in the remaining ½ cup of flour bit by bit until the dough is stiff – you may not need to add it all.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Then knead the dough lightly until it is smooth and glossy.  Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, lightly spraying the top of the dough with oil to prevent drying.  Allow to double in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.  Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled, about 1 hour.  Turn out onto a floured surface.  You should have roughly have between 2.4-2.6lb / 1.1-1.2kg of dough in total.  The quantity of dough should be sufficient for three small loaves.  Once you have shaped your final dough, let rise for 20-30 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350F/180C.  Brush lightly with egg and then bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on size.

{ Mini doughnut variation }

1. 1/2 batch of above dough recipe will yield approximately 25 doughnut holes.
2. Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon into the dough with the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.
3. After the second rise, divide the dough into 25 equal portions (about 0.8oz or a 20-25g a piece). 
4. Allow-to proof for 20 minutes.
5. Heat up a small saucepan of neutral flavoured oil (vegetable, canola) to 370F / 190C.  Cook 4-6 doughnut holes at a time for 1-2 minutes, turning as you cook to ensure they are evenly browned.
6. Allow to drain on absorbent paper.  Once slightly cooled, toss in cinnamon sugar.

:: Yeastspotting ::
I am submitting these mini doughnuts with homemade dulce de leche to Yeastspotting.

Were you ever fascinated with shapes as a child?  The outline of a jagged leaf.  The wingspan of a bird.  The shape of fluffy clouds.  The swirl of a seaside shell.  The non-uniform shape of a garden stone.

I was.  I was fascinated with many shapes, including the distinctive tapering of the humble pear.

I can almost picture my tiny, chubby hands holding a pear, looking at it, contemplating it.  Wanting to roll it out in front of me, but knowing it was never going to stay straight.  It was so uniquely shaped compared with the common apple or orange.  Line all three up, and you have a stand out, for sure.

I still have a soft spot for the pear.  Less so now because of their shape, and more so because of what they signify.  The start of cooler days, and more importantly, the start of cooler nights.  As we move into our winter season here in sub-tropical Brisbane, this little odd shaped fruit makes a regular appearance in my grocery basket each and every week.

The soft, buttery flesh of the pear is delicious eaten raw and unadulterated, but cooked, the pear certainly can hold a flavour of its own.

For my Sweet Dough month, I wanted to incorporate some pears into my baking.  I have enjoyed the gooey blueberry drizzle of the Finnish Mustikkapiiraat, and the rich, creamy Brioche Tart paired with caramelised fruits.  I was also inspired by the talented Y, at Lemonpi, with her Persimmon, cinnamon and yogurt brioche tart.

A simple dough.  Some homemade crème fraîche.  And a few slices of spiced pears.  Easy.  In a few short steps you have a sweet little fruit tart, and a nice twist on the usual pastry versions.

{ Basic sweet dough recipe } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

This recipe takes around four hours from beginning to end.  You will need to plan accordingly but the taste will be worth the effort.

* Ingredients *
1 cup milk
¼ cup water (110F/45C)
3.5g / ½ package dried yeast
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4½ to 5 cups of plain, all purpose flour
¼ cup / ½ stick of butter, melted
Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten

* Directions *

Warm the milk in a saucepan until bubbles appear around the edge.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 110F/45C.  In the meantime, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes.   Stir in the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.  Beat the mixture until smooth.  Add 2 more cups of flour and continue to beat.  Continue until the dough is glossy.  Add the melted butter and stir well.  Add a further 1 ½ cups of flour and continue to beat well.  Stir in the remaining ½ cup of flour bit by bit until the dough is stiff – you may not need to add it all.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Then knead the dough lightly until it is smooth and glossy.  Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, lightly spraying the top of the dough with oil to prevent drying.  Allow to double in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.  Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled, about 1 hour.  Turn out onto a floured surface.  You should have roughly have between 2.4-2.6lb / 1.1-1.2kg of dough in total.  Divide into three equal parts to make three separate braid loaves.  For each, divide each into three again.  Roll each piece into a 12”/30cm strip.  Use three strips and braid into a loaf shape.  Let the braided loaves rest on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Let rise for 20-30 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350F/180C.  Brush each loaf lightly with egg and then bake for 20-30 minutes.

{ Pear & ginger crème fraîche tarts variation }

1. 1/2 batch of above dough recipe will yield 8 fruit tarts.
2. Double the quantity butter for an almost ‘lean’ brioche type dough.  For 1/2 a batch of dough, use 1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter.
3. After the second rise, divide the dough out into 8 equal portions.  Roll each portion gently and line 8 individual tart tins with the dough.
4. Allow to proof for 20 minutes.
5. In the centre of each piece of dough, add 1-2 tablespoons of crème fraîche.  Gently arrange thin slices of spiced pear on top.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F/180c.  Dust with icing sugar to serve.

:: Yeastspotting ::
I am submitting these pear & ginger crème fraîche tarts to Yeastspotting.

It was a typical Saturday morning.  In the warm morning Queensland autumn sun, I find myself domestically inclined outside.  Calmly tapping my foot along to the music I hear inside the house.  Weekend laundry was a bearable chore when enjoying the orchestral rich tunes of Duke Ellington and his band pouring through the windows.

I am not sure what distracted me from my task, but out of the blue I am aware of the deliberate nature of my hands, purposefully pegging my clothes on the line.  I stare for a moment, at my hands, and it is almost like I notice them for the first time, in quite some time.

I detect how my hands have aged.  Fortunately, they appear to have aged gracefully, but they certainly have aged.

Then I think of my paternal grandmother, the only grandparent I knew.  She passed away just shy of her 91st birthday, over 20 years ago.  I was only young at the time so my memories of her are sketchy.  Incomplete.  Full of holes.  But I do vividly remember one thing.  Bach, Chopin, Schubert.  Her expert hands, flying across the ivories of her grand piano.  Her barely 5 ft frame being swamped by the size of the piano, but her commanding every single key.  She was in full control of the music.  It was hers.

Even at 90, her aged, arthritic hands, which had become stiffened and less mobile over the years, did not slow her down enjoying one of her greatest pleasures in life.  Playing her piano.  Classical piano.

I thought again of my own hands later that day as I worked with this sweet bread dough.  Wondering, hoping, praying that in the decades ahead, I too will be able to push through any pain and be able to enjoy my love of baking, always.

Those days are hopefully a long time away for me, so a reminder to me to enjoy what I can now.  To never take anything for granted.

{ Basic sweet dough recipe } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

This recipe takes around four hours from beginning to end.  You will need to plan accordingly but the taste will be worth the effort.

* Ingredients *
1 cup milk
¼ cup water (110F/45C)
3.5g / ½ package dried yeast
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4½ to 5 cups of plain, all purpose flour
¼ cup / ½ stick of butter, melted
Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten

* Directions *
Warm the milk in a saucepan until bubbles appear around the edge.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 110F/45C.  In the meantime, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes.   Stir in the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.  Beat the mixture until smooth.  Add 2 more cups of flour and continue to beat.  Continue until the dough is glossy.  Add the melted butter and stir well.  Add a further 1 ½ cups of flour and continue to beat well.  Stir in the remaining ½ cup of flour bit by bit until the dough is stiff – you may not need to add it all.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Then knead the dough lightly until it is smooth and glossy.  Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, lightly spraying the top of the dough with oil to prevent drying.  Allow to double in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.  Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled, about 1 hour.  Turn out onto a floured surface.  You should have roughly have between 2.4-2.6lb / 1.1-1.2kg of dough in total.  Divide into three equal parts to make three separate braid loaves.  For each, divide each into three again.  Roll each piece into a 12”/30cm strip.  Use three strips and braid into a loaf shape.  Let the braided loaves rest on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Let rise for 20-30 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350F/180C.  Brush each loaf lightly with egg and then bake for 20-30 minutes.

{ Chocolate pecan & maple scrolls variation }

1.  1/2 batch of above dough recipe will yield 8 chocolate pecan & maple scrolls.
2. Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon into the dough with the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.
3. After the second rise, roll the dough out into a 12″ x 16″ / 30cm x 40cm rectangle.
4. Brush the entire surface with 1 oz / 30 g of melted butter.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of roughly cut pecans evenly across the dough.  Finish with a drizzle of 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup.
5. Roll the dough up jelly roll style, starting from the longest side.  Cut into 8 even pieces and place flat into a prepared pan to expose the filling.  I use a 8″ / 20cm springform tin.
6. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.  Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F/180c.

I am pleased to present the judges for the Does My Blog Look Good in This? April 2010 Edition.  We have a panel of judges from across the globe, collectively bringing together over 10 years of food blogging experience.  I highly admire every one of these blogs, so want to thank each of these food artists for giving their time and expertise.

A native of Brittany, Dominique is intrinsically passionate about food.  Her passion first and foremost is French food.  She particularly enjoys creating flavoursome dishes with the array of foods abundant in the Breton region – seafood, vegetables, buckwheat flour, sea salt caramel.  Her culinary taste buds are not limited to her native France.  She has traveled extensively throughout the world – Indonesia, Japan, China, Morocco, Greece and Australia – savouring all the local food offerings available.  She captures her local and international food journeys on her blog, De vous à moi.

Fresh is the dessert journal of El, a self-taught baker, writer and photographer who has a penchant for quality ingredients, artistic presentation and hand crafted desserts.  A native New Englander, El loves local farms and orchards, historic homes, fresh cut flowers, fine chocolate and everything French.  She holds two advanced degrees, has an incredible husband who makes homemade bread and puff pastry and together they are fixing up and decorating their Victorian home.  El is an advocate of locally grown fresh food and believes that what and how we eat is a reflection of who we are.

Though Giao began her career as a management consultant for Fortune 500 clients, she’s always had a deep love for good design, and for good food. After pouring blood, sweat and tears into a two year remodel, Giao stepped foot into her new kitchen and never left.  Her food is simple, seasonal, local and organic whenever possible. She’s transferred her passion of interior design into web design and photography –with an etsy store and web design shop in the works, so stay tuned. Until then, she chronicles her homemade culinary adventures at Kiss My Spatula.

Mowie comes from a long line of German bakers and grew up in a whirlwind of flour, sugar, and spices.  He remembers falling in love with baking, seeing it as some form of alchemy, an almost magical hobby, and after my first successful attempt at an apple cake at the age of 8, he was hooked.  Now Mowie bakes as often as possible always trying to use organic, fair-trade, seasonal and local ingredients whenever possible.  Photography was a natural creative extension of baking.  When Mowie picked up his first digital camera, everything seemed to fall into place.  The blog Mowielicious was born.

I will also be providing input on the judging front as well.  Please keep those submissions coming.  For detail on how to enter, click here.

Entries must be received by April 20, 2010.

:: Julia ::

As much as I welcome the pure, unadorned technical depth of detail in some cookbooks and recipes (think Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and the like), I do enjoy the seduction of cookbooks, magazines and blogs with their mouth-watering food photography.  Like many of you, I could curl up with a pile of reading paraphernalia, and pour over lip-smacking imagery of food all day and all night.

Over the last 12 months, I have entered a handful of Does My Blog Look Good In This (DMBGLIT) events — a monthly food photography event for food bloggers and food photographers everywhere.

For all the time that past hosts and judges have donated for this event, I am truly appreciative.  (Check out the winners from last month at Susan’s blog The Well Seasoned Cook.)  So as my way of contribution, I am proud to announce I am hosting the April 2010 Edition of DMBLGIT.

Special thanks to Andrew of Spittoon and Spittoon Extra for managing this popular event, as well as allowing me the opportunity to host this month.  (If you are interested in hosting the event, please email Andrew with “DMBLGIT Host” as the subject.)

The judges have been selected (to be announced in a separate post), and the gallery is awaiting your very best food photos posted to your blogs in March 2010.

I look forward to seeing all your images.  Start sending them through!

Judging

Photographs are reviewed by a panel of judges, who score them in three categories: edibility, aesthetics, and originality. The host then compiles the scores to determine the winners. The specific things the judges will be looking for are as follows:

- Aesthetics: composition, food styling, lighting, focus, etc.
- Edibility: “does the photo make us want to dive in and eat the food?”
- Originality: the photograph that catches our attention and makes us want to say “wow!”, displaying something we might not have seen before.
- Overall Winner: top overall scores in all three categories combined.

There are three overall winners for photographs with the highest point totals in all three categories combined, and one winner in each of the three individual categories.

Rules

- Only one entry per person (a single photograph, no diptychs)
- All pictures must be text free
- The photograph must have been taken by you
- The photograph must have appeared on your blog in March 2010
- Entries must be received by April 20, 2010

What do you have to do to join the event?

Send your entry to julia {at} melangerbaking {dot} com with DMBLGIT as the subject. Please include the following:

- Your name
- Your location
- Your blog’s name and URL
- Your photograph’s title
- The URL of the post containing the photograph
- Type of camera used, lens if you wish

Please send photos in an attachment to your email in a jpeg format, of no more than 500 pixels in width.

By submitting a photo, entrants agree to their photo being redisplayed and altered in size on Mélanger and on the Spittoon Extra DMBLGIT? page.

The complete details around Judging, Rules, and Submission Requirements can be found here.

Gallery

All submissions will be posted to the April 2010 DMBLGIT gallery, which will be updated as I receive entries. Please give me a few days to update the gallery with your submission.  And make sure yours is included once I start publishing them.  I look forward to your entries. Good luck!

:: Julia ::

There is no bun, there is no cross, but this braid has all the requisite flavours of Easter.  Those heady flavours of cinnamon and allspice, combined with the citrusy and sweet overtones of the fruit and peel that make hot cross buns such a firm favourite this time of year.

As much as I adore hot cross buns, this year it was time for something different.  An Easter braid that could be cut into generous slices, layered with butter, and shared over a cup of tea or coffee.

This hot cross braid remains true to the traditional flavours of the hot cross bun, but feel free to vary yourself.  The braid is based off one my very simple sweet dough recipes.  The bread is moist, rich and has a great texture.  With a few simple changes, you can make it your very own!

A happy and safe Easter to everyone.

{ Basic sweet dough recipe } Original recipe by Julia @ Mélanger

This recipe takes around four hours from beginning to end.  You will need to plan accordingly but the taste will be worth the effort.

* Ingredients *
1 cup milk
¼ cup water (110F/45C)
3.5g / ½ package dried yeast
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4½ to 5 cups of plain, all purpose flour
¼ cup / ½ stick of butter, melted
Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten

* Directions *
Warm the milk in a saucepan until bubbles appear around the edge.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 110F/45C.  In the meantime, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes.   Stir in the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.  Beat the mixture until smooth.  Add 2 more cups of flour and continue to beat.  Continue until the dough is glossy.  Add the melted butter and stir well.  Add a further 1 ½ cups of flour and continue to beat well.  Stir in the remaining ½ cup of flour bit by bit until the dough is stiff – you may not need to add it all.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.  Then knead the dough lightly until it is smooth and glossy.  Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, lightly spraying the top of the dough with oil to prevent drying.  Allow to double in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.  Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled, about 1 hour.  Turn out onto a floured surface.  You should have roughly have between 2.4-2.6lb / 1.1-1.2kg of dough in total.  Divide into three equal parts to make three separate braid loaves.  For each, divide each into three again.  Roll each piece into a 12”/30cm strip.  Use three strips and braid into a loaf shape.  Let the braided loaves rest on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Let rise for 20-30 minutes.  In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350F/180C.  Brush each loaf lightly with egg and then bake for 20-30 minutes.

{ Hot Cross Braid Variation }
1.    Add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of all-spice into the dough with the milk, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and 1 cup of the flour.
2.    When adding in the last of the flour, mix in 1–1 ½ cups of sultanas/raisins and ½ cup of mixed citrus peel.
3. Note: when weighing and dividing, you will obviously get a heavier dough with the addition of dried fruit. The above dough weight ranges are a reference for plain dough only.

{ Cardamom & chocolate hot cross buns }

Looking for something more traditional for Easter, but with a twist?  Try the unique flavour combination of cardamom and chocolate in a hot cross bun.  The floral and menthol overtones of the cardamom pair well with the creaminess of the chocolate.  { Get recipe … }