I didn't really think they would be "guests" in the same way, since they aren't signed up either. So anyone on the wait list would still be able to join if someone cancels, yes?

pielady: yes. but even if 2 people drop out, i don't want to add any more people, it'll be quite packed, but fun. so i assume you don't mind the interviewers?? joan

As long as they don't put my mug on camera it's all gravy with me.

Although my mind changes with the weather, I believe I'm making Cranberry Dark Chocolate Pie and either Cranberry Welsh Cakes or Cranberry-Nut Jelly Roll.

I tried the pumpkin coconut pie and boy did it suck. The pear tiramisu was fantastic, but I think I'll hold off and make it for my friend's New Years' Eve party since it's made with Prosecco. But if anyone wants the recipe, it's from Vegetarian Times.

Pie Lady wrote: The pear tiramisu was fantastic, but I think I'll hold off and make it for my friend's New Years' Eve party since it's made with Prosecco. But if anyone wants the recipe, it's from Vegetarian Times.

Is this for me? If there is alcohol or meat/lard, gelatin, etc. you should still bring what you want to the exchange. As long as I know it's got alcohol or meat in it I can take a pass but everyone else should be free to indulge & you should make what you want. Besides Pear tiramisu sounds fantastic.

pairs4life wrote:

Pie Lady wrote: The pear tiramisu was fantastic, but I think I'll hold off and make it for my friend's New Years' Eve party since it's made with Prosecco. But if anyone wants the recipe, it's from Vegetarian Times.

Is this for me? If there is alcohol or meat/lard, gelatin, etc. you should still bring what you want to the exchange. As long as I know it's got alcohol or meat in it I can take a pass but everyone else should be free to indulge & you should make what you want. Besides Pear tiramisu sounds fantastic.

Nope, I just like trying out new recipes for exchanges and it sounds new years-y. Plus I had half a dozen cranberry recipes to choose from so this gives me a chance to try some of those. That pie looks fantastic and if it works, I can make it for mom for Christmas.

But for future reference, the pears are cooked in the Prosecco, so does that still count as a no-no?

edited to say: i believe everyone coming should be receiving a PM from me. i still dont know how to do it easily (see below), but i cut and pasted it and it should be done, finally.

i'm trying to PM you all directions to my place. the long message is composed, but i'm stuck there.

help, i can't figure out how to send the message (except i think pairs4life received it). i type in your names in the 'send to' box, but in the message writing area i cant remove the word "NONE" next to 'send to'. if that makes any sense to anyone. i cant spend any more time on this, i'm extremely frustrated, and feeling stupid. if you guys PM me, i think i could then reply with the directions cut and pasted.... joan

Pie Lady wrote:But for future reference, the pears are cooked in the Prosecco, so does that still count as a no-no?

That's a very good question. I don't think so.

Joan--thank you for your gracious invitation, but due to an sudden and unforeseen family matter, Ms. Ingie and I regretfully need to cancel. On the positive side, this will free up some space at the dessert exchange. We hope that you will all have a great time. If anyone is still undecided about what to make, here is the recipe for the cake that I was planning to bring (I was going to substitute cranberries for rhubarb). There are a lot of steps to this cake, but result is a bit of "wow" factor. Maybe someone else will want to try it. mrsm

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Rhubarb-Ribbon-Brunch-Cake

i'm sorry the 2 of you can't make it. hope to see you next time. the recipe looks good! and too rich for a brunch cake, IMO. i think it looks great as a dessert. i am tempted to make it, unless someone else needs an idea. i think subbing cranberries would work well. justjoan

I did a test run of the bacon pecan pie last night. It turned out quite well if I do say so myself. I'll definitely be bringing it for the exchange next weekend.

s

eli wrote:I did a test run of the bacon pecan pie last night. It turned out quite well if I do say so myself. I'll definitely be bringing it for the exchange next weekend.

eli, glad to hear it worked out. i'm looking forward to tasting it. see you soon, justjoan

justjoan wrote:edited to say: i believe everyone coming should be receiving a PM from me. i still dont know how to do it easily (see below), but i cut and pasted it and it should be done, finally.

i'm trying to PM you all directions to my place. the long message is composed, but i'm stuck there.

help, i can't figure out how to send the message (except i think pairs4life received it). i type in your names in the 'send to' box, but in the message writing area i cant remove the word "NONE" next to 'send to'. if that makes any sense to anyone. i cant spend any more time on this, i'm extremely frustrated, and feeling stupid. if you guys PM me, i think i could then reply with the directions cut and pasted.... joan

I got it. Joan, you enter the name of the individual you are sending the PM to in the box and click at the bottom of the box where it says add, then add the additional names.

justjoan wrote:edited to say: i believe everyone coming should be receiving a PM from me. i still dont know how to do it easily (see below), but i cut and pasted it and it should be done, finally.

i'm trying to PM you all directions to my place. the long message is composed, but i'm stuck there.

help, i can't figure out how to send the message (except i think pairs4life received it). i type in your names in the 'send to' box, but in the message writing area i cant remove the word "NONE" next to 'send to'. if that makes any sense to anyone. i cant spend any more time on this, i'm extremely frustrated, and feeling stupid. if you guys PM me, i think i could then reply with the directions cut and pasted.... joan

justjoan- I did get your PM with instructions. I sent it to everyone else (and you so you could see it) that is on the list except Ms.Ingie and mrsm who indicated they would be unable to attend.

Quoting Someone Else On the Board: "Hope This Helps".

pairs4life, thanks, they've all now received the PM twice, because i laboriously sent it out by cutting and pasting it from an email to myself....don't ask. it seems simple enough, i did what you instructed me to do, but it didnt work. i appreciate your effort, thanks again. jjoan

Hello again;

Just wanted to mention that I got the PMs and am still planning on attending.

I am planning to bring a cranberry vanilla danish braid and custard-filled cream puffs.

See you then!

Chouxfly wrote:Hello again;

Just wanted to mention that I got the PMs and am still planning on attending.

I am planning to bring a cranberry vanilla danish braid and custard-filled cream puffs.

See you then!

bill, those sound great, can't wait. justjoan

hi all, just to sum up, we will be 11 plus 2 journalism students who will be joining us for dinner and pepper us with questions. anyone who doesn't want to answer them, doesn't have to, of course. i look forward to seeing you all on sunday. justjoan

Sadly, I am out. I'm fighting a cold and wouldn't want to cook/bake and spread germs

Enjoy all those tasty treats & I'm sorry I have to miss it. I was hoping to feel better by today so I could participate but no such luck...

foodie1 wrote:Sadly, I am out. I'm fighting a cold and wouldn't want to cook/bake and spread germs :(

Enjoy all those tasty treats & I'm sorry I have to miss it. I was hoping to feel better by today so I could participate but no such luck...

hi, i just saw your message. i'm sorry i won't get a chance to meet you (i know who you are from your blog). feel better, and maybe next time.... justjoan

Thanks to justjoan for hosting a very pleasant gathering this evening!

I talked with mamagotcha, and she's OK with us hosting the next dessert exchange some time in mid January.

Chouxfly wrote:Thanks to justjoan for hosting a very pleasant gathering this evening!

I talked with mamagotcha, and she's OK with us hosting the next dessert exchange some time in mid January.

that's great. do you want to pick the date and start a new thread for the next one? your desserts were wonderful, i look forward to what you'll bake next. jj

justjoan wrote:

Chouxfly wrote:Thanks to justjoan for hosting a very pleasant gathering this evening!

I talked with mamagotcha, and she's OK with us hosting the next dessert exchange some time in mid January.

that's great. do you want to pick the date and start a new thread for the next one? your desserts were wonderful, i look forward to what you'll bake next. jj

Agreed. Thanks Joan for hosting & picking a theme. You've caused me to reconsider my disdain for the perfectly healthy and chock-full-of nutrients & antioxidants in cranberries.

Whoops! We also didn't talk about having a southern-themed dessert exchange.

Pics:



Cathy2's Cranberry Dumplings


justjoan's Nantucket Pie


mmmdonuts' Almond Cake


pairs4life's Cranberries & Cream ice cream with Candied Orange Peel


msoma97's Bete Noire


Chouxfly's Cream Puff's


Cookie Monster's Rainbow Cookies & Walnut Pastry (I can't recall what it's called)


Up-Close & Personal with Chouxfly's vanilla cream & cranberry danish-- yep that is lamination


Nancie's Cranberry & Orange Cake


Pie Lady's "This Is Not Pie" Welsh Cakes


Pie Lady's Cranberry & Chocolate Pie

Somehow, I don't seem to have a picture of eli's beautiful bacon pecan pie. It looked beautiful.

Thanks for having us, Joan! It was a great evening as always. I am still in a bit of a coma from all the sweets, but I'm also looking forward to more for breakfast.

Hi,

After a dinner of a justjoan's Turkish spinach pie and squash sauteed with garlic plus a salad by pairs4life, we got down to the business of tasting desserts. At justjoan's suggestion, dessert made of cranberry dominated. There were so many different cranberry desserts, there was no feeling of repetition. If anything, it was a discovery how versatile a cranberry can be.

Dessert table

Dessert table by cal222, on Flickr

almond cake by mmmdonuts

Chocolate-chip-cupcakes by cal222, on Flickr

Cranberry chocolate pie by the Pie Lady

Cranberry-chocolate-pie by cal222, on Flickr

Cranberry danish coffee cake by chouxfly

Cranberry danish coffe cake by cal222, on Flickr

Cranberry dumplings by Cathy2

Cranberry-dumplings by cal222, on Flickr

Cranberry orange cake by nancie

Cranberry-orange-cake by cal222, on Flickr

Cranberry orange ice cream by pairs4life

Cranberry-orange-ice-cream by cal222, on Flickr

Cranberry scones made in a Northwestern dormitory by a journalism student (name?)

Cranberry-scones by cal222, on Flickr

Cranberry Welsh Cakes served with raspberry jam and creme fraiche by Pie Lady

Pancake-with-raspberry-jam- by cal222, on Flickr

Cream puffs by chouxfly

Cream-puffs by cal222, on Flickr

Hazelnut-pepper cookies by justjoan

Hazelnut-pepper-cookies by cal222, on Flickr

La Bete Noire by Msoma97

la-bete-noire by cal222, on Flickr

Nantucket Pie (cranberry upside down cake) by justjoan
Cranberry-upside-down-cake by cal222, on Flickr

Pecan bacon pie by eli

Pecan-bacon-pie by cal222, on Flickr

Rainbow bars and walnut tarts by cookiemonster
Rainbow-bar-&-tarts by cal222, on Flickr

The dessert exchange is like Christmas once a month. Never know which dessert to eat first.

Thanks to joan for hosting and everyone for participating.

Regards,

Thanks Joan for a great evening! I look forward to reading the book you loaned me...

Here is the recipe for 'The Black Beast'
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/ ... ire-235831

Thanks to Joan for a wonderful exchange and both Joan & P4L for a tasty dinner. Everyone's desserts were excellent, and I daresay this was the best exchange yet. I got a bite of Eli's Bacon Pecan Pie when I got home, but I gave Mr. Pie the lion's share. He said it was fantastic, a nice mix of salty and sweet. Would you mind sharing the recipe? This is the recipe for the cranberry chocolate pie, although I halved the sugar in the filling and used one third as many pecans as called for (the other half got too...let's say, caramelized). I think next time I'll add pistachios instead, use a chocolate cookie crust or a basic pie crust, and for mom's birthday someday, raspberries instead of cranberries.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/201 ... fudge-pie/

Cranberry Welsh Cakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup cold butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup dried cranberries
1 large egg
½ cup milk
8 ounces crème fraîche
¼ cup raspberry preserves

Sift together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and lemon zest. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in sugar and cramberries. Combine milk and egg; stir into flour mixture until dough forms. Roll ¼-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut out shapes. In heavy skillet coated with cooking spray, cook cakes 4 minutes per side over medium heat. Serve with crème fraîche and preserves.

Pie Lady wrote:I got a bite of Eli's Bacon Pecan Pie when I got home, but I gave Mr. Pie the lion's share. He said it was fantastic, a nice mix of salty and sweet. Would you mind sharing the recipe?

Thanks! I'm glad he liked it.

I cobbled together the recipe from several different versions, plus some additions of my own. Here's basically where I landed:

1 pie crust, blind baked. (Use your favorite pie crust recipe. Cover with foil, fill will beans/pie weights, bake at 400F for about 20 min, until baked and just starting to brown.)

6-8 oz pecans
about 1/3 lb bacon, chopped
6 Tbsp fat (bacon grease + salted butter)
1 cup dark brown sugar packed
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp bourbon
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 10 min. Turn the oven down to 300 after the pecans come out.

Cook the bacon until it's starting to get crispy, but still a bit chewy. Pour off the fat and measure it. Add enough butter to get to a total of 6 Tbsp fat. (I got about 4 Tbsp bacon fat and added 2 Tbsp butter.)

Put the pecans in the bottom of the pie shell, then cover with the bacon crumbles. (If you put in the bacon first, it stays under the pecans and you can't see it in the topping. I like the look better with the bacon showing, plus it lets people know the pie is meaty.)

Put the fat, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil and boil for about a minute. (I stirred while the butter was melting, but several recipes said it will all mix itself even if you don't stir.)

In a big enough to hold everything, beat together the eggs, bourbon and vanilla extract. Slowly pour in the hot sugar/fat while whisking. Pour over the pecans and bacon. Bake for about an hour.

wow, people really outdid themselves on creativity last night. i'd never heard of la bete noire, or welsh cakes before. everything looked and tasted great. thanks to whoever did so many of the dishes- much appreciated. i'll remember next time to offer my dishwashing services.
i hope you willl all be glad to hear that my broken toiilet was fixed by 9am today. luckily, it chose the end of the party to self destruct. the replacement means no more floatiing ball in the tank - who knew? i'll miss it. jj

Thank you so much justjoan for a great night filled with wonderful information for our project and even more wonderful sweets for our stomachs. It was really great to meet all of you and thanks again for letting us in on your event. Our project is going to be that much better because of it