Vanilla Chiffon Roll

I was a bit perplexed heading into this recipe.  The picture in the Baking with Julia cookbook shows a chocolate filled cake roll somewhat similar to the above picture, yet the title said "Vanilla" not "Chocolate".  Hmmm.  Somehow I could not get my head wrapped around the idea of a chocolate chiffon cake that was really vanilla?  And I must say, since I am not much of a cake person nor a mousse person, the idea of a mousse filled cake did not sound all that appealing to me.

Regardless I forged ahead. And I am glad as this recipe did not disappoint even for a non-cake person.  And it was super fun to roll up a full sheet cake, kind of like playing with play-dough but way better tasting. 

I made the mousse filling a day ahead of the cake.  As a result, the recipe did not feel overwhelming.  Had I done it all in one day, I think the dishes alone would have been overwhelming.  (And how many times can one recipe call for a stand mixer?) I put the whole thing together and cooled it overnight in the fridge.  In the morning, all I had to do was dust it  with cocoa and we were off to brunch, with goodies in hand.

the chilled cake roll

And Rhiannon liked this one too.

To see the other bakers' blogs in the Tuesday with Dorie baking group, click the link.

Country Bread

This basic bread recipe required an entirety of a day (+) to finish. 

Here's a quick recap:

Sunday night: Return from sledding on the mountain.   

Mix up sponge (no rye flour, substitute with more wheat flour). Put in fridge to let rise/ ferment over night.

Monday morning:  Forget to take out sponge. Run.  Take out sponge. 

Go to doctor appointment for the first born while sponge warms up.

Shots!

Return. Mix sponge into dough with more yeast, flour, salt and water. 

Let rise.  Go to tumbling for the second born, Rhiannon.

Go home. Fold bread and shape for the third rise.

Rhiannon naps.  We play with legos.

Slash and bake. (I couldn't envision an added decorative braid this time.)

Monday night: Dinner.

It was actually a simple loaf, despite its time requirements.  The crust was chewy and rustic, contrasting nicely with the soft center portion. It turned out a bit flatter than I expected, not so round and gorgeous as I was dreaming all day.   I believe my loaf lacked the extra flavor the small amount of rye flour could add and I would not miss it next time.  It did keep well, as it had nice texture and moisture the second day out from baking without any special storage.    

Rhiannon in the snow; still not a fan this year.