Baking A Sweet Life

Dorie may have gotten it right this time.  I’m willing to consider changing my opinions.  These pumpkin muffins were everything she promised.  They were fantastic.  I had hoped these would be sweet - but not too sweet; perfect for breakfast with a little butter and maybe a dab of honey.  I couldn’t trust myself with these, so I decided to make them as a thank you gift for my neighbors for dog-sitting.

Kelly of Sounding my barbaric gulp picked these for our weekly TWD recipe, and I’m so glad she did.  You can find the recipe at her blog.  I made only a few minor adjustments to the original recipe - I had no ground allspice on hand, so I withheld it.  Also, instead of using pecans I used candied walnuts, and lastly, instead of raisins, I used dried cranberries (I’m sorry - I’m just really head over heels for fall right now - sue me.) I also had leftover pumpkin puree that I had prepared from scratch when making my pumpkin cake, so it was nice to throw that in instead of the canned stuff that I’ve relied upon so heavily the last few years.
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My experience with biscotti is limited at best.  I was never turned on by the whole idea of biscotti because to me it appeared to have the same texture as (very) stale bread sticks.  That and they’re not overly sweet and not overly savory, so their function seemed rather limited as well.  <enter complete and pure love for cappuccinos> What was I saying about biscotti? Oh yes - how perfect they are as dunkers for coffee and chocolately drinks alike.  I think what truly turned me off to biscotti in the past was that where its usually sold, its just plain old.  Fresh biscotti seems totally unheard of.  Its usually individually wrapped, loaded with preservatives, and sold months years past its expiration date. Luckily Gretchen of Canela & Comino gave me the chance to whip up some fresh biscotti, which I haven’t done in quite some time.
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SIGH! I don’t know where to start! I’m underwhelmed and disappointed! Sigh! I had such high hopes!  I was so excited when Tammy of Wee Treats selected the Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake! It had all the right components. Brownies. Caramel. Peanuts AND Cake! How on earth could this go wrong? In more ways then one!
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There’s always desserts that linger in the back of our minds as “ones I’d like to make someday” but am too chicken to do it. Why? I don’t know. Just am was. Not anymore! Tuesdays with Dorie member Mari of Mevrouw Cupcake has selected this weeks bake off and creme brulee was it! Off to the races I was.. I couldn’t wait to make it.  I had a girls-night-in with my sweet friends Karen Rose and Stephanie, and thought this would be an appropriate dessert.

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Okay, I’ll be blunt. This dimply plum cake was fantastic! The recipe had very few ingredients for a cake.. and I just wasn’t expecting much.  IMO, what really does this cake in is the orange zest.  Its SO flavorful, and the smell is out of this world.  Because of this recipe and my Greek Celebration bread, I’ve realized just how much I love orange zest.  The two items both smelled so divine.

This weeks Tuesdays with Dorie bake-off is for the Dimply Plum Cake, chosen by Michelle of Bake-En.

I brought this to an evening barbecue as the dessert, and most people were just intrigued that there were plums in it.  Everyone agreed that it tasted fantastic.  I served it with cool-whip because I didn’t have time to make whipped cream from scratch.  The BBQ that I thought started at 6pm actually started at 5pm. OOPS! So hubby and I stopped off at the local grocer on our way there.
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Because I live for key lime pie, I had marked this recipe when I first bought this book. I was *so* glad that it had finally come up in the rotation! Dianne of Diannes Dishes chose our recipe and I had plans to starting baking as soon as I saw it posted. Of course the weekend came (and went) and that’s why I’m a total slacker posting it now, almost midnight on the day of submission!! Not to mention that I cheated some - I bought a pre-made crust. Go on, send me the mean remarks - I can take it. Its the first time I’ve done that in about 6 years. I have a good excuse! I’m taking a cake-decorating class, and I’m not getting home until almost 10:30pm…
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Its Tuesday, and that means that the TWD’ers are back at it again. This time it was carrot cake! I’ve been wanting to make carrot cake for a while, but I’ve got so much going on it the kitchen, it had just taken a number and was waiting at the back of the line. So, luckily for it, its number was called this week, and I got to play around with one of the tastiest recipes I’ve made in a while.
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Okay, so not really, but it was fun to make these little bites of chocolatey goodness. Dorie’s recipe for Gooey Chocolate Cakes were what was on this weeks TWD agenda. I had opted to make miniature versions, simply because I wanted to bring all of the left overs to work (especially since hubbs is out of town) and I thought that it would be nice to have more to share - 15 in fact. Dorie says that you definitely need to serve this with something - its too rich to stand on its own, and I’d have to agree. I plated it with some fresh cut strawberries and some seedless raspberry preserves (that I used yesterday in Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake, no less!) and those flavors balanced the richness nicely. I just wish I had thought ahead enough to pour a glass of milk, but I was too focused on eating chocolate.
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I’m back, TWD‘er’s, I’m back! The kitchen remodel took two weeks more than I thought it would, and now the kitchen is finally done (and clean!). I made this flan on Tuesday, but didn’t realize that it not only had to cool to room temp AND chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. That was going to be around 11pm, and I had to get to bed.

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The Tuesday that would’ve been… I had been planning on making this - I mean, it’s only my second week with the Dorie crew. BUT… My kitchen remodel started yesterday AND I came down with an awful cold. Right now my kitchen is covered in white dust over a 1/4″ thick because we had our ceilings smoothed out. Will be totally worth it when its all done - but not the best cooking environment, nor are my flu-like fingers.

I won’t be baking next week either (about 90% sure) because I’ll be in San Francisco (!!!!!) for a 5-day bread making class!!!!! I’m so excited - it was an awesome birthday present from my hubby. I’ll be staying in a hotel and won’t have any great cooking stuff with me - I will definitely be back “on” for the March 11th challenge!

So Please, TWD crew, don’t think I’ve forgotten you - or left the group - I can’t wait to start looking at all the pics of the wonderful biscuits you’ve created! (me and my kleenex box…)

I’ll post pics of all the yummy bread that I make!