Hello, friends! Happy Sunday!
If I’m being honest, I don’t know what I think this week. I’ve head my head in recipes and food styling all week and that’s what I know. I know I mostly kept up with laundry and “swimming”. I know I didn’t keep up with text messages and emails. I know the world spun around with talk of vaccines and TikTok and something about Gamestop (and those last two I couldn’t keep track of). I know I taught 161 people how to make the swirly King Cake pictured above with The Bakehouse Live. I know I did every bit of my best and I’m sure you did too.
The offering this week is below. Take only what you need. Please be sure to take time to rest today.
• We really miss all the people we sort of know: The Pandemic Has Erased Entire Categories of Friendships (The Atlantic)
• This is my favorite read of the week: Jim Haynes: a man who invited the world over for dinner (BBC)
• My next audiobook listen is going to be the late Cicely Tyson’s Just As I Am. (Amazon)
• Did Everyone Buy a Guitar in Quarantine or What? I bought a piano and even though I’m not very good, sitting down to learn a new song brings me a lot of peace. (Rolling Stone)
• We all know that Pellet Ice Is The Good Ice. (The New Yorker)
• Ok have you watched Bling Empire on Netflix yet? It’s frivolous and over the top and exactly what I demand of my reality television. After binging the series I have several questions, mostly about the very mysterious and vvv rich Anna Shay. One of those questions: why were they doing fake yoga in her foyer on bath mats? The Cut asks a few more questions and the answers are both puzzling and satisfying.
• Scheming the care packages I’m going to send to friends this Valentine’s Day! (hellocarepackage.com)
• I like this Sno-Ball Canvas Kit that comes with a youtube painting tutorial. (Etsy)
• Currently craving: homemade apple fritters. Can we make them gluten-free? Of course we can. (Preppy Kitchen)
• I’ve been baking old fashioned Southern cakes all week for a food styling job for Swan’s Down (we love them, btw) Cake Flour. You mY find a few reimagined cake recipes here in the coming weeks because all I care about is making a Lady Baltimore and Black Forest Cake just a little more modern. (Swan’s Down)
• Next week I’m making pizzas in a RoccBox (I’m VERY excited) and I’m already thinking about my dough. I haven’t had much success with home pizza (thankfully I live near New Orleans’ best pizza) and I’m taking notes from Alexandra’s Kitchen.
My love to you today!
xo Joy
Allison
Thanks for sharing the care package site! I really needed a heartfelt gift for a friend, and I didn’t want to do the usual cookies/fruit thing. I loved this idea so much! Placed my order as soon as I saw the link.
samantha campanini
Those masks are beautiful! (For how beautiful masks can be)
Annie R.
Hi Joy, I was a manager and pizza maker at Pizza Delicious for 2 years (I made you pizza many times), now live in Louisville. I have an Ooni oven, a Koda 16. I have tried a lot of dough recipes in it and have settled on Ken Forkish’ long fermented doughs from The Elements of Pizza. The one you linked too looks good but should be adjusted for hydration. The baker’s percentage in Alexandra’s dough is 89%. When you bake at 900ish degrees F you want a dough at 60%. When I make Ken Forkish’ NY style pizza dough in my Ooni oven at 700 I make the dough 62%.
Good luck with your pizza! I’m sure it will be great whatever you do, because pizza kinda always is.
Emily G Withrow
what kind of pan do i need for the king cake?
Dottie
Happy Sunday to you Joy! I haven’t started digging into the articles yet, but I plan to spend some time on them this week. I like the idea of the Lady Baltimore cake! Your chocolate peanut butter cake earlier this week looks amazing!
Now you have me thinking about making cakes.
Have a great week! Enjoy your swimming.
MB
Best NOLA pizza? Please share your choice for the best! We spend 1/2 the year in New Or.eans so I’d love to try the place you deem best.
Annette Taylor
When my Grandmother PIttard’s kids were young, this was her specialty at the family Christmas dinners. It became popular after being mentioned in the 1906 romance novel, Lady Baltimore, where the book’s narrator just can’t finish describing the soft layer cake with nuts because it makes his mouth water too much. A fitting source for the recipe because Grandma Pittard loved her soap operas.
Here is her recipe: Fannie’s Lady Baltimore Cake
Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter,softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanillaextract
½ teaspoon almondextract
3 cups all-purposeflour
1 tablespoondouble-acting baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
7 large egg whites,room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream oftartar
Icing:
1 teaspoon brandy(optional)
2 cups sugar
¾ cup water
6 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanillaextract
½ cup finely chopped, dried figs
1 cup pecans, toastedlightly and chopped fine
½ cup raisins, chopped
Sliced dried figs or dates for garnish
Pecan or walnut halves for garnish
Cake: Preheat the oven to325°F. Line 3 buttered 9-inch round cakepans with rounds of wax paper, butter the paper, and dust the pans with flour,knocking out the excess. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and beat in thevanilla and the almond extract. In a bowl stir together the flour, the baking powder, and the salt, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches alternately with the milk, and stir the batter until it is just combined. In another large bowl beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, stir one third of them into the batter,and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake in a preheated 325°F oven for 25 to 35 minutes,or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, turn them out onto the racks, and let them cool completely.The cake layers may be made one week in advance if sealed well in plastic wrap and frozen. Let the layers thaw before proceeding with the recipe.
Icing:
Soak figs and raisins in brandy (optional). In a small sauce pan combine the sugar and the water, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup until it registers 248°F on a candy thermometer. While the syrup is boiling, in a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks and with the mixer running add the hot syrup in a stream. Beat in the vanilla and beat the icing until it is cool. Transfer 2 cups of the icing to a bowl, reserving the remaining icing. Fold the chopped figs, the chopped pecans, and the raisins into the 2 cups of icing. Place a cake layer, flat side up, on a serving plate, spread it with half the dried-fruit icing and top the filling with another cake layer, flat side down. Spread the top layer with the remaining dried-fruit icing and top the filling with the remaining cake layer. Spread the top and side of the cake with the reserved plain icing and garnish the cake with the sliced figs and the pecan halves.
Poppy
If you want to post your own recipes…I suggest you get your own blog. Just saying…:)
Rhonda
Thanks for sharing!
akbright
Thank you for intorducing me to Jim Haynes. What a warm heart he appeared to have. I loved his thought of introducing the whole world to each other.
Heather
Dear Joy, Thanks to you I now have new linen blend sheets and a new duvet cover from Wayfair. A major upgrade from last Sunday. Keep those affiliate links coming. I’m gonna try that chocolate cake this week. Unfortunately I don’t have room for a piano : ( One thing that has been giving me something to look forward to is afternoon decaf espresso that turns into a homemade peppermint mocha.
mg
Dear Joy, like so many others I look forward to your Sunday posts! They are a lovely way to start Sundays and I always find some inspiration.
Just want to shout out for King Arthur 00 flour. This flour has been a game changer for my pizza crusts! KA recipe for Neapolitan pizza is easy & delivers a chewy crisp crust. Alexandra’s Kitchen post is great info too.
Thank you!
JoDee
The Jim Hayes article was delightful. What a man!
I have forward this to my daughter and friends…
Marsha Gibbons
The Jim Haynes article was wonderful. I wish I had met this amazing man. Better yet, been at one of his suppers. Please report back on the pizza oven!!!
Heather
Good Sunday morning Joy??
Today’s Let it Be Sunday was an absolute delight to read and absorb.
I learn so much from you every week. You give so graciously and I thank you for all you teach me about.
Have a wonderful restful day…you are a gem.
See you next Sunday xo
Nora
I look forward to your posts on Sunday morning – I had never heard of Jim Haynes. What a fascinating life he lead.
Thanks for your efforts to make the world a kinder, happier place!
Amy
I adore the article about Jim Haynes. I cried while reading it and I’m not ashamed. Thank you for sharing.
Jo
Cannot recommend the pizza recipe from Alexandra enough it’s amazing & best part it’s so easy best recipe ever. I use AP flour from Wheat Montana it’s also great for baking. It’s the best pizza I’ve ever made simple sauce good cheese & one or two toppings is all you need. If you’re into deep dish king Arthur’s cast iron skillet recipe is wonderful read the comments very helpful. I made your easy KingCake recipe we loved it. Be well everyone please wear a mask.
Darla
Good Sunday morning, Joy! Thank you for your readings. I ordered the daisy masks for myself. I’m looking forward to these. Plus, I ordered carepackages for my daughters for Valentines Day. Such fun selections ?
Two baking projects for me: your easy King Cake and homemade pizza. I love cake and pizza! This will definitely be a celebration ?
I hope your coming week is a good one
Sara
Hi Joy, happy Sunday to you! I look forward to checking your site each weekend – it’s a little Sunday treat – so I wanted to say thank you for curating these links and always putting forth such a lovely and gracious mindset. It helps me more than I can say to see your relentless and gentle kindness each week. Hope you are well, and thank you again. x