Can I Challah at ya?

Yes, I am actually going to post something about today, as in this actual day. Amazing. Don't worry this doesn't mean the end of my procrastination it just means you never know if you'll read about something that happened a month ago or an hour ago. I like to keep things exciting.

well...not too exciting. This post is just more pictures of my thrilling adventures in the kitchen. I felt a Martha Stewartish fever today and started a baking frenzy - if you can call Challah bread and cookies a frenzy, which I can and do. I also was on a little cleaning kick, but then the baking bug bit and I ended up making very little inroads into the messiness that is our apartment. I also didn't want to call in the DH reinforcement because he has been busy doing actual work -from home no less! I think he's in the grips of the New Year's Resolution turn-my-life-around syndrome that takes ahold of us all this time of year. Luckily, have been able to smother my urgings of self-improvement and bake instead. Woohoo!

So, here come the gratuitous photos of my baked goods. It's like baked good porn - I love it.
Now, as a disclaimer, this is my first time baking Challah and it came out fairly well considering. It is a little on the dark and crispy side but I blame that completely on my oven, which lies to me. Oh and on the oven thermometer (we got it for Christmas) it also lies. I know it's hard to believe that these two appliances would be in cahoots with each other but I swear it is true. I don't know what they have against me or my baking but they are working together to get me. The funny thing is they don't even tell the same lies. One says it's one temperature and the other tells me a completely different temperature and I simply don't believe either one of them! So there.
Oh, yeah, the Challah. I was a bit concerned while I was making the bread because it didn't really seem to be rising. I had covered it with a kitchen towel and left it on the stove top to rise for an hour and nothing seemed to be going on. So, I read back through the Betty Crocker cookbook I was using and it said to cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. I did, et voila, rising bread dough. Good ol' Betty, she always comes through in a pinch. Now, in all honesty, I don't know if the plastic wrap had anything to do with it or if I'm just mental. I find the latter option to be quite possible.
As the bread was rising I decided to make some cookies. As a result of my complaining I couldn't find Cream of Tartar anywhere and my plea to be sent some for Christmas I received enough Cream of Tartar to choke a horse. I thank everyone who kindly sent me Cream of Tartar and I will do my best to use it up. I blame myself entirely for ending up with this large stash. I have learned a valuable lesson from this experience: no matter how badly you'd like something don't ask everyone you know to buy it for you! Lesson learned. Luckily, I had this pile of Cream of Tartar so I was able to make the cookies I've been Jonesing for for months - Snickerdoodles. mmmmm.....love me some Snickerdoodles. My DH claimed he'd never had them before (I find this hard to believe, but that is his story and he is sticking to it). After his first bite he fell in love and proceeded to devour 2 more. Hmmm...maybe it is a good thing I have so much Cream of Tartar, it doesn't look like the Snickerdoodles are going to last too long. I might need to make another batch in a day or two if he continues consuming at this rate! the Snickerdoodles turned out remarkably well. considering my distrust of the oven I attempted to keep a close eye on them as they cooked.

While I was making cookies I paused to punch my bread dough - that's one of my favorite parts of making bread, punching it! I divided it into three sections, rolled them into long snakes and braided them together. Ready to rise a second time. By the time I was done with the cookies and had washed all the dishes up the bread was ready to be popped in the oven. I was not so good about watching the oven this time. I let the bread get a little too dark. It kind of has a crispy crust which I've never seen on Challa bread. The egg wash makes it shiny, but I don' t think it should make it crispy. Funny enough I worked for a year in a bakery that mainly made/sold bread and I still don't know this stuff. All I know is that my Challah did NOT turn out like Allen's (the baker). Mine isn't bad for a first attempt, but it's a little overdone on the outside and it's a bit denser than I thought it should be. I mean every time I've had Challah it has had this lightness to it. Or maybe I'm thinking of another type of bread...hmm....
but, it still tastes pretty damn good, if I do say so myself- and I do!