Alphabet Soup

You might have noticed that I haven't been posting about Tuesdays with Dorie lately.  I thought I should give an official update about that.  See, I joined TWD when the group was a year old.  I was so excited!  I've learned new things, and made dishes I never thought I would.  And I've found some new friends along the way.  :) However, lately I just haven't been able to keep up.  I've taken a few breaks, due to being pregnant and having a baby, and picked back up here and there.  I thought I could do it.  I really did.  But one of my more (or less!) endearing traits is the habit of over extending myself.  It's something I've done all my life!  I'm learning to say "no"...occasionally!  Since I didn't post enough in October or November, I have been officially removed from the TWD blogroll.  At first I thought about protesting, then I pouted, then I decided that maybe it was for the best.  I have enough commi...

This week's selection for Tuesdays with Dorie comes from Lynne of Honey Muffin .  What a perfect choice for the first Tuesday in October!  It's finally starting to feel like fall around here, so the scents of this cake baking were very welcome indeed. This cake comes together fairly easy, with the exception of grating the apples.  However, you only have to grate two of them, so it's really not that bad.  I had some 2-year-old help in the kitchen while making these, so things didn't go quite as smoothly as perhaps they could have.  I guess I didn't get my bundt pan buttered as well as I thought, because the cake did wind up sticking in a few places, though not too horribly.  And if I'd had a little more time, I probably would have toasted the pecans first.  I was finally able to use the apple butter I bought at a local apple orchard too.  Still, it turned out quite well.  Following Dorie's suggestion, it really is better the next da...

This week, Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine chose Peanut Butter Crisscrosses to bake for Tuesdays with Dorie .  I'm not sure why, but I don't often make peanut butter cookies.  Sprout will eat anything.  I think we've established that fact.  And although Munchkin likes peanut butter and cookies, he won't even try one.  Slight surprise there. I really liked these.  It seemed that some bakers had their cookies turn out soft while others turned out crisp.  Mine were more on the crisp side.  Not biscotti hard, just nice and crisp.  I didn't add quite as many chopped peanuts as the recipe called for.  It was nice finding the occasional chunk without them being overwhelming.  D even liked them, saying that he doesn't usually like peanut butter cookies but that these were good.  Leave it to Dorie -- she's become my baking go-to girl!  I must have made mine (much) smaller that Dorie does thoug...

Mmmm...Oatmeal Breakfast Bread.  It just sounds all warm and yummy, doesn't it?  Natalie of Oven Love chose this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.  This is a quick bread and I loved how, well, quick it was to put together.  I know, welcome to the Department of Redundancy Department.  :)  Anyway, with oatmeal, raisins and applesauce in the bread, and brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans for the topping, it makes a great treat for the morning...or the afternoon.  My loaf turned out super moist.  It almost reminded me of a bread pudding.  It was tough, but I let it cool as much as I could stand before cutting a slice.  It was definitely easier to slice once it cooled completely.  The Munchkin wouldn't try it, but Sprout and I loved it.  I sent a few slices to my parents, and they both enjoyed it as well.  I can definitely see myself making this again.  If you'd like the recipe, hop on over to read Natalie's ...

Chocolate.  Ganache.  Ice.  Cream.  I'll just get right down to business.  This stuff is amazing!! Katrina of Baking and Boys! chose this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe.  She has my wholehearted gratitude.  ;)  Chocolate ice cream is probably my favorite when it comes down to it.  Or really good chocolate ice cream, that is.  This particular recipe starts out by making ganache, which is a French term for a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream.  I have to confess, I'd never actually made ganache before trying this recipe.  I can say, it's super easy!  You put your chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate).  Next you bring some heavy cream to a boil and pour over the chocolate.  After letting it sit for a couple of minutes, you start stirring and are rewarded with a beautiful, glossy, bowl of chocolate bliss.  Not that I stuck my {clean} finger in...

We are going to pretend for a moment that in some alternate reality, it's actually Tuesday and not, in fact, Wednesday.  Cool?  Cool. I think it goes without saying by now that I'm the Queen of Procrastinationland.  I had every intention of getting these baked up yesterday.  Um...yeah.  Didn't work out so well for me. Anyway, this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection was for Chewy, Chunky, Blondies chosen by Nicole of Cookies on Friday , and it was a perfect choice for me. See, we live outside of the city limits and whenever we need our land mowed (and I'm using the term "mow" loosely here...it takes a full size tractor) our neighbor has to do it for us.  When we first moved out here, I asked him what I could bake for him, and his response was butterscotch blondies.  To be honest, I've never strayed from the recipe on the back of the butterscotch chip bag...until now.  And I may never go back! The flavors in this bar cookie are...

Rum.  Vanilla.  Cake.  What's not to like?  This week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection was made by Wendy of Pink Stripes .  And what a good selection it was! I was able to mix these babies up yesterday while my baby was napping.  Trust me, this is monumental around here.  And while I have a love-affair with my Kitchen Aid mixer, I do like that these cakes are easily mixed up by hand.  I thought about halving the recipe, but really, this is a cake that is just screaming to be shared with friends.  Or maybe eaten in one sitting...no, no, no, definitely shared!  I did follow the recipe as written, using vanilla extract instead of the vanilla beans.  And I used half & half instead of the cream.  No particular reason, that's just what I had on hand!  If you like rum, then this is the cake for you!  If you don't like rum, well...there are actually variations listed with the recipe where you can leave the rum o...

Well, after a longer-than-planned hiatus, I am hopefully back in the swing of things. Luckily, this week's TWD pick was rather easy! Cathy of The Tortefeasor chose Tender Shortcakes . Perfect for summertime, if you ask me! These were quick and easy to put together, being essentially a sweet biscuit, and biscuits are something I make frequently. I halved the recipe, and still came out with 8 shortcakes. Dorie must make hers quite large, because the full recipe was supposed to make 10! Hmmm...then again, maybe I should have made mine larger...this way, I could say I only ate one, instead of two. I may have to rethink my strategy next time! Anyway, I probably could have added another spoonful of cream to my dough as it seemed a tad on the crumbly side. However, the end result was just fine - light, tender, sweet, and oh so delicious! Sadly, I did not have any extra cream to whip up to serve with them, so I just had plain strawberries with mine. D stood over the sink and ate his plai...

I thought I'd do my Tuesdays with Dorie post a bit differently this week, just to show you how crazy (and dare we say it...unorganized?) I really am! It's 9:00 am local time, and I just sat my stick of butter out on the counter to come to room temperature. Yes, I'm quite envious of all you wonderful TWD bakers out there that actually prepare the recipe days, even weeks, ahead of time! I always have good intentions to do so, but 1) life always seems to happen, and 2) I tend to be a pretty big procrastinator. I had planned on making these on Sunday, but discovered I was out of honey. Yes, I was out of honey. And I discovered this after I had already been to the grocery store. I finally made it back to the store last night. Did I mention that my oldest is home right now? His school has a two hour delay because of the snow. Yes...snow...again. I live in Texas for goodness sake!! I've had my fill of winter weather thankyouverymuch. So, anyway, I'll be back throughout t...

This weeks TWD selection was My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies , chosen by Kait of Kait's Plate . I actually made this recipe several weeks ago, when I felt we all needed a chocolate fix. :) I halved the recipe, and while they weren't bad, they were almost too buttery (I know, how can such a thing be possible?), and they spread way too much for my liking. Upon reading the comments from the other TWD Bakers, I realized I was not the only one with the spreading problem. Some people like the thin, crispy cookies, but I prefer mine not to spread so much. Many bakers suggested either decreasing the butter, or increasing the flour. If I make these again, I'll probably cut back on the amount of butter used. However, it's likely that I'll try a different recipe first! They definitely filled the chocolate-fix requirement though, and didn't last long! Be sure to check out what the other TWD bakers did with this week's recipe!! Enjoy! :)

First, my apologies for no TWD post yesterday. It's hard to make Cocoa Nana Bread when someone throws out your pefectly good, ripe bananas you were saving just for that recipe because "they looked nasty." Oh well, hop on over and check out what the other TWD Bakers did with this week's recipe, chosen by Steph of Obsessed with Baking ! Now, on to the bread!! I admit that while I own a bread machine, I don't make that much in it. I just prefer to be more hands-on with my breadmaking, literally. However, I do use it quite often to make cinnamon raisin bread. I found a recipe that works well, and everyone in our house loves it, especially the kids!! The recipe is from Fleischman's Bread World recipe site. I'm linking to it, because it has measurements for 1 lb, 1 1/2 lb, and 2 lb loaves on it. The only change I make is in the type of yeast I use, so I have to adjust the amount slightly. Oh, just a helpful hint. You know the little paddle thingy that goe...

Hello everyone! :) I must admit that I did not bake along with TWD this week. The ickies returned a bit, and paired with insomnia I am dragging. I looked over the recipe, looked at my kitchen, and just couldn't deal this week. My apologies!! However, be sure to check out what the other TWD bakers did with this week's recipe , chosen by Teanna of Spork or Foon ?

This week's TWD selection was made by The Tea Lady of Tea and Scones . I had intentions of making this one. However, despite trekking to two grocery stores with two kids in tow yesterday, I somehow managed to make it home without any cream cheese. There was no way I was going back yesterday, nor was I getting back out today in the cold and snow (yes, more snow -- what is up with that??), so no cheesecake for me this week. Be sure to check out what the other TWD bakers did with this recipe, however. For the recipe click here . And cross your fingers that I'll actually make it home with all the ingredients for next week's recipe!! ;) Katy

I had originally planned on ending my TWD break in January, but when I saw that a pecan pie had been chosen...well the break had to end early! I'm always on the lookout for a new pecan pie recipe. I've been baking pecan pies for years, and once I decided that I wasn't satisfied with the recipe on the back on the Karo syrup bottle...well, it's been a neverending quest ever since. Beth of Someone's in the Kitchen with Brina made the selection for this week, chosing a pie that Dorie lists as her favorite pecan pie . After reading the recipe, I decided that there was no way that my family would actually go for this pie -- it contains espresso powder, cinnamon and chocolate in it!! I thought about making it without those ingredients, but then decided just to go for it! It sounded intriguing and I really wanted to try it. I figure I can always make the "plain" version for Christmas if I need to. The only change I made in the ingredients was the addition of a...

"Awesomely delicious!" That's how Sean described this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Brownie Buttons , chosen by Jayma of Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen . And I couldn't keep him out of them! Well, we all thought they were great. My parents were over for supper again (a Tuesday thing at our house) and my dad and I agreed that I should have put a pecan half on top of each brownie before baking. I'll try that next time. It was a bit chaotic in my kitchen tonight, so I didn't get any pics of the process, but I will say that these brownies were simple and quick to make. The only thing I did differently than the recipe was that instead of melting the butter, chocolate and brown sugar on the stove, I did it in the microwave! It seemed to work just fine. My only complaint about this recipe (and the only complaint I heard from anyone else) was that it didn't make nearly enough. Sixteen mini brownies just isn't going to cut it at my h...

Welcome, welcome! Look at me. Actually baking and blogging about a Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. :) You can all quit staring in shock and disbelief now. This week's recipe, Classic Banana Bundt Cake , was chosen by Mary of The Food Librarian . Now, let me start by saying that not only did I actually make this recipe, but I made it yesterday even. That's right. I didn't wait until the last minute. Good thing too. So yesterday I drop Sean off at chess camp (yes, chess camp) and then run to the grocery store for a few items that I know I need for the recipe. Namely bananas and sour cream. I'm just hoping that the grocery store has relatively ripe bananas (they did!). Kade crashes on the way home, so I take the s-l-o-w route there to give him a little longer to sleep (he is the anti-nap child). I don't usually take the time to take a picture with all of the ingredients lined up beforehand. I'm glad I decided to this time. Look at the picture below. Do you see anyt...

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection was Vanilla Ice Cream by Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu . You would have thought I could actually get this one made, right? And I intended to. I even went to the grocery store this afternoon and bought the ingredients to make it. Then we got home. And I had to get supper going. And then I re-read the recipe. And realized it would be ready to eat about, oh...say, midnight. So, my apologies to all those to came looking for yummy pictures and rave reviews. I'm sure it's a great recipe (although I may decrease the number of egg yolks, as suggested by some) and I hope to try it soon. In the meantime, be sure to check out what the other TWD Bakers did with the recipe!!

Mmmm...brownies...yum. Brownies with espresso powder, cinnamon, chocolate chunks, and pecans...YUM! This week's Tuesdays with Dorie pick was Tribute to Katharine Hepburn Brownies , chosen by Lisa of Surviving Oz . Lisa is not a regular TWD baker, but she recently won the TWD logo contest so she got the honor of making this week's choice. omg, you should read her blog...she's hilarious! Now, on to the brownies! I'll admit, mine are still baking away in the oven, but I wanted to get my blog post in while it was still technically Tuesday, and if I don't do it now while I have a chance, well it might never get done!! According to Dorie, this makes a thin, soft gooey brownie. Doesn't that just sound sinful? :) It's actually made without much flour at all, which sounds intriguing to me. I'm anxious to see how they turn out. Here comes the hard part...the waiting...I have to let them cool for 30 minutes in the pan after baking, then I am instructed to let them ...

What a perfect week to get back to baking! This week, Jessica of My Baking Heart chose Parisian Apple Tartlets . At first, I thought "oh no, how complicated is this going to be?" especially since I was coming off a week with sick kids. But after reading the recipe, I thought "is that all? I can definitely do that!!" It is a super simple, yet super delicious recipe! Sheets of frozen puff pastry are cut into circles, chunks of peeled and cored apples are placed on top, sprinkled with brown sugar and dotted with butter, then baked. And then enjoyed!! I will admit that I added cinnamon to the apples, but then again I love to add cinnamon to lots of things. :) I even baked ahead, making these for dessert on Sunday night. They were enjoyed by most. Sean being the exception, but take his reviews with a grain (no, a whole shaker!) of salt...he doesn't like much. I highly recommend trying these. In fact, I'll be making them again for dessert tonight. And be sure t...

Well, here it is. I finally just decided to throw one picture up and at least post my review. Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle chose Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding. I was excited about it -- it sounded very good. It was...interesting. All of my testers agreed that it was good, but they've enjoyed some of the other things I've made more. I concurred. It was good, very rich, but probably not something I'll be rushing to make again anytime soon. I will say that I used challah and it wasn't quite stale, so it didn't soak up as much of the liquid as perhaps it should have. Also, I left the raisins (or cherries) out. I don't know...it wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite either!! At any rate, be sure to check out what the other TWD bakers did with this week's recipe (and hopefully I'll be more on time next time!!)