Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

A few years ago, I vacationed in Ogunquit, Maine. I knew I just had to read Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan when I discovered that it's set around Ogunquit. I enjoyed reading about Barnacle Billy's and Cafe Amore and hiking the Marginal Way footpath.

But do you know what I enjoyed more then reading about Maine? Discovering the rich characters created by Sullivan as three generations of the Kelleher clan descend on the property. I wanted to spend more time with Alice, the matriarch who recently bequeathed the family summer home and property to her church unbeknowst to her children. And Kathleen who ran away from her family to California to start a wildly successful worm farm with her hippie partner. And Maggie who's learning how to trust and believe in herself rather than the men she dates. And Ann Marie...good old Ann Marie who wants the world to be as perfect as the miniature doll houses she builds.

I'm going to call this a leisurely read because I wanted to take my time with the book kind of like enjoying the last few lazy days of summer. Alice reminded me of Olive Kitteridge from Elizabeth Stout's novel by the same name. You don't read a lot of books that focus on women as they age into their 70's and 80's. We think we know them, but we don't know their history as much as we think we do. I was also reminded of Emily from Stewart O'Nan's Wish You Were Here. O'Nan's novel (please forgive its rather unfortunate title) is set at the family summer home in Michigan. It's filled with lush details that might drive some readers insane (where's the plot?), but this reader likes to lose herself in those details. Sullivan has a way with details, too. You want to know these things because it reveals more about the characters.

If you love character studies, read this book. I cannot wait to read Commencement, Sullivan's first novel.

Club: BAKED: Buckeyes

Have you ever wondered how they get the texture of the peanut butter filling in a Reese's? It's somehow moist yet manages to be slightly crumbly? I always thought it was magic. I do believe the BAKED boys know the answer: graham cracker crumbs and confectioners' sugar. This is my introduction to the tasty Ohio treat known as the Buckeye.

The recipe made 60 treats (!!). I didn't want giant gobs of candy, so I made the balls smaller then suggested and next time I might even make the balls smaller. I tried to rush through the chocolate coating which is never a good idea. It took several tries before I managed the coating technique. I kept imaging Grandmas scattered across Ohio making these delicious treats. What method would they use to coat the peanut butter balls? I have no idea, but I found it easy to drop the entire ball into a shallow pan of melted chocolate, then gently rock the pan back and forth until just the right amount of peanut butter was exposed to make it look like a Buckeye. I used a chocolate fork to retrieve the chocolate covered candies.

I shared these treats at our friend's party. Everyone gobbled them up as they raved about the great flavor. Next time I might add a scant 1/4 teaspoon of salt to balance the sweetness. I briefly considered using crushed gingersnaps instead of graham crackers, but maybe next time. Thanks to Karen for for hosting this week's recipe. Be sure to check out Karen's post for the recipe and the baked creations by members of Club: BAKED.

How to make a parchment paper circle by Michael Ruhlman

I always suspected there was a way to cut parchment paper to fit your cake pans without tracing the pan. Brilliant!

Goodbye tracing.

Club: BAKED: Caramel Apple Cake

This is the latest installment of Club: BAKED. Check out Lulu the Baker's blog for the recipe. Awesome selection!

Anyone who reads the smittenkitchen knows about Celebration Cakes. This is a Celebration Cake: a glorious 3-layer apple cake with an elegant caramel buttercream. I baked this cake for Paul's birthday. He took one look at it on the cake stand and said "that's one tall cake!"

I made the applesauce on Saturday (using McIntosh, Cortland, Fuji, and Golden Delicious apples), the caramel on Sunday, then baked the cake and whipped the buttercream on Monday. I'm glad I spread out the components because you cannot rush this cake. Take your time. Enjoy the process.

I previously baked the Whiteout Cake from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking which uses a similar buttercream. Warming the sugar/flour/milk/cream mixture reminds me of making a bechamel. It takes 10-15 minutes, but it's so worth the wait. I think the flour balances the sweetness. I beat the warm flour mixture for probably 10-12 minutes until it was cool to the touch. I worried that my butter was too warm when I added it, but it came together lovely. I had to restrain myself from licking the bowl. I often have a ton of leftover buttercream, but this recipe is the right amount. The ratio of cake to buttercream is right on!

This cake is very forgiving. I noticed several kind of large craters cracks in the middle when I added the second layer. I started to bum out...before remembering that frosting is really spackle! I added enough to cover the cracks. The cake held together and sliced like a dream. Perfection!

This is what is looked like after we burned 18 sparkler candles on it. Excuse the red candle drips and the smear. Photography is hard work.