Jennifer Moorman's Blog, page 17

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Dark Chocolate Oreo Tart

Oreos were first introduced in 1912. They’ve been warming hearts, creating smiles, and causing debates for more than one hundred years. There are those who will never agree whether or not to dunk a cookie into milk, twist the sandwich cookie apart first, or shove a whole cookie into the mouth without twisting or milk. But there won’t be much debate on whether or not people love Oreos.After a late night conversation, Beatrice realized her close friend Mary Margaret suffered from the winter dol...

Cooking Through "The Baker's Man": Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

When it comes to baking, there are victories and there are failures. Sometimes the cakes don’t rise, and sometimes they rise like lopsided mountains. Sometimes cakes stick so badly to the pan they have to be eaten with a fork and never make it to the cake plate. Being a baker means accepting that your recipes (and you) will never be 100% perfect every time.New years and new months and even new days bring resolutions to be better, stronger, kinder, thinner, happier, etc. People strive to start...

Cooking Through Fiction: Moby Dick

There are a few books that have first lines that when read aloud are immediately recognizable. For example, this next one:Call me Ishmael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. You guessed Moby Dick, correct?Many of us are fanatics about something. Music, sports, books, food. Captain Ahab, captain of the Pequod, was a full-bl...

Cooking Through Fiction: The Catcher in the Rye Grilled Cheese and Malt

The Catcher in the Rye, written by J. D. Salinger, was published in 1951 and was originally meant for adults, but its popularity rose among teenagers due to its rebellious, angst-driven themes. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist and narrator, is a sixteen-year-old, six-foot-two-and-a-half-tall cynical, foul-mouthed young man who despises all things phony. And yet, he is still one of the most loved characters of the 20th century. He’s one of my favorites as well. But dang, that boy has the mout...

Cooking Through The Baker's Man: BEST Childhood Birthday Cake

One of the best parts of Anna’s childhood is being in her grandma’s bakery. She loved sitting on a barstool, listening to Grandma Beatrice explaining recipes and talking about how she made Grandpa Joe out of dough.Anna particularly loved her birthdays because Grandma Beatrice made Anna the perfect cakes, using some of Anna’s favorite ingredients. Each birthday yielded a different cake, just as special as the year before.Anna’s best friend Lily asked her to create a fun, colorful birthday cake...

Cooking Through The Baker's Man: Critters

If you’re passing through Mystic Water on a Tuesday, you should stop by Bea’s Bakery. On Tuesdays, Anna creates a few animal-themed treats that the after-school kids love as well as the adults.Feeling tired? Out of sorts? Heart-weary? Anna has a cure for you on Tuesdays. She makes turtles and bears and critters, oh my! Customers in need of a boost of happiness buy dozens of turtles (chocolate-covered pecans) every Tuesday. Those who need peace in their weary hearts buy bears (chocolate-covere...

Cooking Through The Baker's Man: Tie-Dye Cake

When a week of rainy days pummels Mystic Water, the townsfolk need something to help lift their spirits and help them push through the puddles of water with positive attitudes.Anna bakes up the perfect cake! This Tie-Dye Cake, bursting with rainbow colors, brings an instant smile to everyone. Kids and adults bounce on their toes while waiting for a slice.Feel down and gloomy, sopping wet and wishing for summer? Stop by and grab a hearty slice. Ready to unhitch your boat and row outta town? Go...

Cooking Through The Baker's Man: Chocolate Hazelnut & Peanut Butter Cream Donuts

I love surprises (of the good variety), but it’s difficult to surprise me. I tend to pick up on people’s shifty behavior, and I seem to know when something amiss is afoot. I don’t like to ruin surprises, honest, but if you keep acting weird around me because you’re trying to surprise me, I’ll figure it out. Your goal: play it cool, and I won’t notice a thing!Anna, Mystic Water’s baker extraordinaire, oversleeps one morning and wakes to the smell of donuts cooking. She runs downstairs to her b...

Cooking Through The Baker's Man: Double Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Most people have Saturday rituals, such as two cups of coffee before breakfast, reading the newspaper at the table, or sitting on the back porch watching cardinals.I like to sleep past 6:00 a.m. (what a rebel!), think about what I’m going to eat for breakfast, and relish being a rebel who sleeps past 6:00 a.m.Others like to rush to Bea’s Bakery on Saturdays because it’s a chocolate lover’s fest. If I lived in Mystic Water, this is exactly what I’d do on Saturdays. I’d probably find a corner b...

Cooking Through Fiction: Son of Neptune Spaghetti

I’m a sucker for happy endings and unlikely heroes who bring these happy endings. I like when the underdog wins. I release a happy sigh when the boy gets the girl or vice versa. I especially enjoy when someone doesn’t believe he or she has the stuff that heroes are made of, only to discover by story’s end that he or she is, in fact, the one who saves the day.In Son of Neptune (a story that takes place in a continuation of the world created by Rick Riordan in the Percy Jackson series), Percy J...