TWD::Date-Nut Loaf

 

 

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet.  I've never cooked with dates before so this was a real treat for me.  I've had those Christmas candies in the box that are dates, and LOVE them.  I've even had a fresh date to nibble on before and was in a sugar-loving coma!  So, needless to say, I was pretty anxious to make this one. 

 Thankfully, it didn't disappoint.  Despite my baking mishap...notice the sunken center.  I checked it, at a diagonal, even, to make sure it was 100% baked.  Guess my toothpick technique failed me this time.  Sad, but we all have those baking mishaps, so why not document them, too.  In any case, I LOVED this loaf cake.  It was dense, yet light. Tasted extremely well balanced between the buttery brown sugar batter, and the nutty sweetness of the dates and pecans.  I haven't tried it yet, but Dorie says this one gets even better over time, and toasted, with more butter to boot.  I mean, really, what is better than MORE butter, right!? 

Take a minute and see how the other TWD Bakers did with their loaf cakes by going to the TWD Blogroll.  You can also get a copy of this recipe by buying Dorie's book, "Baking: From My Home to Yours".

{date-nut loaf recipe}

TWD::Chocolate Biscotti

 This week's Tuesday's with Dorie recipe selection comes from Jacque with Daisy Lane Cakes.  Can I just say, BRAVO Jacque!  I absolutely positively LOVED these!  I didn't make them into true biscotti, all hard and crunchy.  BUT I did a "half baked" version.  I really really enjoy my biscotti on the chewier side, more cookie-like.

Oh and did these deliver such incredible flavors!!!  The original recipe calls for espresso powder and bittersweet chocolate chunks.  Well, I don't drink coffee-type drinks so I don't have that on hand, and after baking many many of Dorie's recipes, I've discovered I don't have the love that she does of the deep dark chocolate flavor. So I opted for 1/2 c. of mini semi-sweet chips and 1/4 c. of white chocolate chips.  Also, because I omitted the espresso powder, I decided to add a splash of almond extract (only the BEST flavor on the planet!) to give it more of a chocolatey-almond oomph.

These were sheer perfection at my house.  The perfect balance of chocolate and nuts and chewy goodness.  The best part...actual prep time was about 15 min.  So incredibly EASY for such maximum output!!!

 Since I know you're going to want to see what other variations were made, here's the link to the TWD Blogroll.  You're really going to want to make this one yourself, too.  So, here's the recipe link.  She'll have it up soon...I promise!

{chocolate biscotti recipe}

TWD::Blueberry Brown Sugar Plain Cake

I'm a bit late in posting, but I really did make this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe on time.  Cindy from Everyday Insanity chose our recipe for the week.  As much fun as I thought this would be making, it's really super super easy, it just didn't turn out for me. 

First of all, I don't know why my blueberries sank to the bottom.  I followed all of Dorie's directions to a "T".  Second, I think my oven still needs to be calibrated.   Sadly, everything I've been baking is just not turning out well...over baking on the outside and under baking in the middle.  The how-to directions are in my owner's manual, it's just a matter of doing it now. 

Hopefully, you won't be swayed by my mishaps, because they're still blog-worthy...we all have them, right!? If you'd like to see how amazing the other TWD Bakers did with their plain cake, check out the TWD Blogroll.  Or you can grab the recipe and make one yourself!

{blueberry brown sugar plain cake recipe}

TWD::Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones

This week, our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe comes from Patricia from Life with a Whisk.  I haven't made too many scones in my lifetime.  Especially not the kind you make with your hands.  I'm still not sure if a recipe turns out better because I've gotten in there and used my hands instead of a kitchen appliance.  Though, I have to say, I DO know my appliances pretty darn well and think these scones would have turned out better had I used my food processor.  Then again, I'm having a hard time with recipes turning out in general lately.  With my "bun in the oven" not just my own balance is off, but my baking equilibrium seems to be as well.  Frustrating, to say the least!  

So, as much as I LOVED the flavor in these (I'm a BIG sucker for freshly grated nutmeg..I really do {heart} it), I don't know that I enjoyed the texture of the oats in it.  Call me crazy, but they just seemed like a spice cookie to me.  Maybe I happened to over bake them?  I keep doing that, too.  My oven and I need to get reacquainted.  We've become grossly out of sync!  Sigh.

I did add the drizzle of glaze (powdered sugar, cream and almond flavoring), which just made my taste buds sing!

{oatmeal nutmeg scones recipe}

See how the other TWD bakers fared with their scones (because, really, I'm sure everyone did better than I this  week) by going to the TWD Blogroll.

Or buy yourself a copy of this most incredible book, "Baking: From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan.  You won't be sorry!!!

TWD::Maple Cornmeal Biscuits

  This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe selection comes from Lindsay at A Little Something....Sweet!  I'm not really a biscuit person, but since this had so much cornmeal in it, I thought...why not!?  I {heart} cornbread in most any fashion.  These biscuits are a bit drier than typical cornbread, but just as sweet, if not sweeter because of the maple addition.  Even after cooling, they were crumbly.  I'm sure I did something wrong since I haven't noticed any other TWD bakers comment about that being an issue for them.  SO...that being said, I'm thinking I'll probably stick to my cornbread recipe for anything of this nature.  On a side note...my kids LOVED these biscuits!

To see how other TWD bakers fared this week check out the TWD Blogroll.

{maple cornmeal biscuits recipe}

TWD::Basic Marbled Loaf Cake

This week's selection comes from Carol from The Bake More.  As I'm just now getting back into the food blogging world, I was excited that this was not only a SUPER easy recipe, but doubly delicious!  I really really enjoyed this loaf cake!

I switched things up and instead of using vanilla extract, used Almond (my favorite extract of all time!) and I had forgotten to pick up some bittersweet chocolate last time I was at the grocery store, so opted to use milk chocolate.  How did my changes fare?  Well, the 1/2 tsp of almond is a very subtle flavor.  I would probably double it next time.  Also, you would definitely want to use either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate in this recipe since the milk chocolate did what I feared.  It just adds more sweet flavor and gets lost in the shuffle.  Oh well.  Now you and I both know.  Regardless, it still tastes fantastic!  Thanks Carol for choosing a winner in my book!

To see how other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers played around with their loaf cake, check out the TWD blogroll.

{recipe for basic marbled loaf cake}

TWD::Corniest Corn Muffins

I know, I know.  It's about a month and a half late, but I really wanted to bake these since my family LOVES corn muffins!

Thanks to Jilla of My Next Life for choosing such a YUMMY recipe!  We LOVED them.  

There was just the right amount of cornmeal with a touch of fresh corn for added texture.  Delish!

To see how other Tuesdays With Dorie bakers fared check out the TWD Blogroll.  

{recipe for corniest corn muffins}

TWD::Bread Pudding

 This week, our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Sharon from Simply Southern.  Until about five years ago, I wasn't a big fan of bread puddings.  What changed my mind?  I tried a crockpot recipe for my mother-in-law who LOVES bread pudding and since we were living with her at the time, I thought it would be a nice gesture.  Well, as it turned out, I ended up LOVING it, too!  

I mean, if you're a fan of cinnamon rolls, bread pudding is quite similar.  My kids even love the flavor and taste.  Not too sweet, a hint of cinnamon and a creamy eggy flavor and completely decadent and satisfying with every bite.  Dorie's original recipe called for 1Tbsp. of bourbon on top.  Well, we're not into that kind of stuff at our house so I didn't add it, but I really don't think it needed it.  It was DELICIOUS all on its own!  

To see what other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers did with their recipes, visit the TWD Blogroll.

{bourbon bread pudding recipe}

TWD::Nutty Chocolatey Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe selection comes from  Jennifer with Cooking for Comfort.  A bundt cake.  I {HEART} bundt cakes!  Bittersweet chocolate mixed with nuts and sugar all swirled and folded into a buttery orange batter.  What's not to like, right?  Well, this wasn't my favorite.  Not even close, I'm sorry to say.

I thought the orange peel batter was INCREDIBLE!  So incredible, I'm tempted to make up a batch of just that yummy orangey batter and stir in some cranberries, bake them as muffins and top them with more orange glaze.  THAT combination makes my mouth water!  I'll have to bake that up this week and tell you all about it!  That is if I can get the batter into the molds and into the oven.  It was THAT good!  We {HEART} batter at our house!

{recipe for nutty chocolatey swirly sour cream bundt cake} 

To see how the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers fared this week, check out the TWD Blogroll.  You never know, maybe they liked it WAY more than I did.

TWD::Orange Poppy Seed Muffins

Have you ever not liked something forever because repeated taste tests just didn't quite measure up?  Yeah, well, I've been like that practically my whole life when it comes to poppy seed anything.  No matter how often I would try, I just couldn't enjoy it.  Until NOW. 

 Betsy of A Cup of Sweetness chose our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe this week and I have to say Betsy, Thank you.  I absolutely positively fell in LOVE.  I changed mine up a bit since I have so many oranges on hand and made mine and orange-flavored instead of lemon as the recipe suggests.  Though, I know this would taste incredible with lemon as well.  They're called muffins, but really, I say that loosely.  They tasted more like a delicious citrus-y cake-y dessert.  This could easily be made into one large loaf, a few mini loaves or cupcakes perhaps!?  I mean, when you slather an amazing orange glaze all over the top that makes you want to lick it right off just as fast, what else is there.  Really.  They taste just as good fresh and warm out of the oven as they do cooled.  The best part about this recipe, was that it was so EASY!  I {HEART} recipes that are not only easy but taste incredible, too.   

{Recipe for Orange Poppy Seed Muffins}

Don't forget to see how other TWD bakers did with their recipe by checking out the TWD Blogroll.

TWD::Not Apple, but Zucchini...Crisp?

*Don't forget to enter the Rhodes Giveaway.

You heard me right!  I said Zucchini Crisp.  It's a VERY close relative to the Apple Crisp, but it involves a fun tricky game you get to play on all your unsuspecting friends and family.  

You see, I don't like apple Pie.  Not one bit.  However, I absolutely {HEART} Apple Crisp, BUT only when I get to make it.  Why?  Because, I like to shred my apples.  Yes, as in grated.  I'm crazy like that I guess.  But I just LOVE how each bite combines the perfect amount of topping and apple instead of having the big chunks of apple slices throwing off your apple-to-topping ratio.  

Since today is my Tuesdays with Dorie day I thought I'd combine both!  Thanks to Emily from the Sandmuffin who chose the All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie.  As I'm sure the pie turned out perfectly delicious for everyone, I didn't quite stick to the recipe this week...

Because....as I said in my first zucchini post of the week, I am overflowing with gigantic zucchinis.  Even though I've found that the only good way to freeze zucchini is by shredding/grating them and bagging them, I still like to use some fresh straight from the food processor.  So, with that in mind, I was in the mood for an apple crisp.  Perfect time of year for one, too.  Problem.  In my house we've been devouring apples right and left.  Whole Apples.  Sliced Apples, you name it.  All fresh.  So, since we're on this fresh apple binge, I wanted to save them for actual fresh consumption and decided to play with my zucchini shreds in an unconventional way.  Zucchini Crisp is what came out of it.

I used my original {Perfect Apple Crisp Recipe} and tweaked it a bit to make it fit the Zucchini addition.  If you're feeling a bit squeamish about using zucchini, don't fret.  You can do half apple and half zucchini if you'd like.  But I'm telling you.  NO ONE WILL KNOW!  I served this at an event with a lot of women, one of whom HATES zucchini.  She gobbled it up.  It wasn't until AFTER she was done I told her what it was.  The look on that face....priceless!!!!

{zucchini crisp}
from the kitchen of Lisa Jensen, Gourmified

Zucchini mixture:
10-11c. Zucchini, GRATED (if it's the big hard-skinned kind like I use, be sure to peel the tough green shell off and scrape out the seeds inside)
1/4 c. flour
1c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1c. salted, melted butter
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional but oh so tasty!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a Large bowl, combine zucchini mixture ingredients.  Mix well & put into greased 9x13 pan.  Mixture will be quite soupy.  This is what the flour will help to thicken. Combine topping ingredients and mix well.  Sprinkle evenly over zucchini.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and sides are bubbly and topping no longer looks doughy.  Allow to cool for 15 min while the juices continue to thicken.

Serve warm with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.

Oh, and this is definitely an apple crisp photo.  I've made this zucchini crisp recipe a few times now and it gets eaten so quickly that I don't have time to get a picture!  Yikes!  It will look very similar to the Apple Crisp anyway!

To see how the other TWD Bloggers pies turned out check out the TWD Blogroll.  OR if you just want to make this pie for yourself, you can get the recipe by visiting Emily's blog.

{All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie}

What's Next on the Menu?

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

TWD::Almond Peach Upside-Downer

For this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, Sabrina of Superfluous chose Dorie's Cranberry Upside-Downer.  I love cranberries, but since it's still technically summer, I have SO many other fruits around that need using up before they go bad.  That's why I changed it up a bit and used peaches.  Freshly picked by yours truly I might add!  I also swapped out the pecans for almonds (will toast them next time for added flavor and better presentation) and used almond extract instead of the vanilla, and homemade peach jam infused with butter and a touch of vanilla pureed to give it a syrup consistency for the glaze. 

All in all, this cake was a complete HOME RUN!  No kidding! I mean, the batter itself was delicious!  Yes, I'm still one of "those" people that can't resist licking the beater.  Hey!  The taste of the batter is a great indication of how delicious or not the finished product will be..right!?  The smell of the cinnamon, peaches and almond wafted throughout the whole house and started our drooling early.  It was all I could do to be patient and take a couple of decent pictures just so I could dive right on in.  I have to say...you won't be disappointed with this one.  Not in the least....well that is if you make the changes I did.  I can't attest to the original version, but this way was pure heaven!  My husband and kids DEVOURED every last piece.  Even kept telling me how good it was while they were devouring it.  Yes.  This one will be made again.  For certain!  Especially since it was such a breeze to throw together.  5 min of mixing ingredients and you're done and 45 min of baking and you've got a finished product that tastes like you slaved for hours.  Don't mind all the butter...you deserve it.  Go make this recipe for yourself...you can thank me later.

To see what the other TWD Bakers did with their recipe this week, check out the TWD Blogroll.

{Cranberry Upside-Downer Recipe}

TWD::Peanut Butter CrissCrosses with Reeses

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine chose the peanut butter crisscrosses, p. 78 in one of my favorite baking books, "Baking; From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan. 

I have to tell you they are incredibly delicious, but not that different than the recipe I grew up on.  The one difference here was making the crisscrosses.  In a chocolate-loving family it's WAY more fun to add the chocolate kiss to the top. Also, I find when you make the crisscross pattern in this cookie, it tends to be less chewy, which is how I {HEART}my cookies.  So, I made a few as directed by Dorie, then put a little childhood twist on them.  That's right.  Not kisses, but CUPS!  Peanut Butter Cups, that is!  I have to say, if you LOVE peanut butter with a touch of chocolate THIS is how to make your cookies.  You will DIE!  They are THAT good!  Don't put them on until the cookies are done and out of the oven.  Chop up your PB cups and then sprinkle and lightly press them into the top of the cookie.  The heat from the cookie will melt the chocolate just right to make it adhere to the cookie.  DELICIOUS!!!

To see how other TWD Bakers fared, check out the TWD Blogroll.

Or if you want to be a part of the Dorie Greenspan deliciousness, join our new cooking/baking group French Friday's with Dorie starting  October 1st using Dorie's new cookbook that just came out, Around My French Table.  Get your copy and start baking/cooking with us!

TWD::Chewy, Chunky Blondies

 

This week our Tuesdays With Dorie recipe was chosen by Nicole of Cookies on Friday.  Nicole, I have to say, BRAVO!  This was a HIT all around!  It was so good I was afraid to leave the whole batch at home for my me my husband and two small children to eat all alone so took all the leftovers to work.  Now I work in an office full of men who didn't shy away from gobbling up every last crumb, either.  I swear you could hear their "mmmmm" motors running with each bite.  These Blondies are THAT good!

I did make a few changes. I added the 1 c. of semisweet chocolate chips, but instead of 1c. of butterscotch chips, I changed it to 3/4 c. and 1/4 c. bittersweet chocolate chips.  I always find the butterscotch chips WAY too sweet for my liking.  I also swapped out the walnuts for toasted almonds.  YUM!  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Toasted Almonds are the BEST!!!!  I also had to cook mine for about 20 min longer than the 40 minutes that Dorie suggests.  My oven is new and perfectly calibrated, but this just didn't bake up in the first 40.  So mine looks a little extra golden and crispy.  Delicious just the same!!!

To see how other TWD bakers fared with their recipes this week, check out the TWD blogroll.

{Chewy, Chunky Blondies Recipe}

TWD::Lots-of-Ways Banana Cake

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe comes from Kimberly of Only Creative Opportunities. Kimberly, THANK YOU for choosing this yummy recipe. My whole family has enjoyed it!!

I have three favorite smells in the kitchen. 1. Baking homemade bread 2. almond extract 3. freshly grated nutmeg. This recipe comes in with two of the three favorites! Okay, technically just one, but since it's a banana cake, it smelled just like banana bread. NUTMEG! I {HEART} it when I freshly grate it and I {HEART} the flavor in foods I'm eating.

The other component I'm a huge fan of that is in this recipe is coconut milk. That milk is AMAZING! Such small amounts lend such amazing flavors! I really think this banana cake would've turned out better if I had made it in a loaf pan like a bread and still frosted it. It was super crumbly, but VERY delicious!

Where are my pictures, you ask? Nada. My kids felt they needed to be taste-testers this time and couldn't wait to dive right in...hands and all! Yeah...and forgot to laugh and take pictures of the whole ordeal, too. So sorry. You'll just have to drool all over pictures from the other TWD Bakers this week. OR you could go to the link below to Kimberly's blog and see her amazing pictures while you get the recipe to make it yourself!

{Lots-of-Ways Banana Cake Recipe}

TWD::Brrrrr-ownies

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen by Karen of Welcome to our Crazy Blessed Life.  I'm seriously so incredibly glad she did because as a York Peppermint patty LOVER, this brownie was P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N!!!

Chewy in all the right places.  Minty all over.  It was basically combining the best of both worlds.  Brownies and York patties.  Yes, sheer HEAVEN!  Definitely go make yourself a batch.  You won't be sorry.  

 

To get a copy of this recipe, jump on over to Karen's blog (link below) or grab yourself a copy of Dorie's book, "Baking; from my Home to Yours."  Don't forget to check out the blogroll to see what other kinds of fun other TWD Bakers created with their Brrrr-ownies.

{Recipe for Brrrr-ownies}

TWD::Apple-Apple Bread Pudding

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe was chosen  by Elizabeth of Cake or Death.  I have to say, I was really excited about this one, too.  Though you wouldn't have guessed it by how late I am at posting it.  Sorry about that.  Time completely got away from me this week.  I also couldn't find Apple Butter or Brioche to make it.  So, I kept hunting and finally was successful, albeit late.  I ended up making my own bread as suggested by a fellow TWD blogger. The bread recipe was seriously amazing!  Like making my own croissant rolls at home, in the bread machine, and in a bundt pan.  I'll definitely be making those again and posting all about it!  Just watch out!

While I really enjoyed this bread pudding recipe, I'm not in love with it.  Then again, I don't like apple pie and this tasted fairly similar to that for me.  So, neh....will I make it again.  Probably not.  Now if I were to tweak it a bit.  Use some of that delicious cinnamon burst bread from Great Harvest THEN add some raisins...and top it with a gooey caramel sauce.  Yeah.  That's what I'd make.

If this recipe sounds like it will suit your fancy, then by all means, swing on over to Elizabeth's blog to get your copy of the recipe.

{Apple-Apple Bread Pudding Recipe}

You can also see how other TWD bakers did with their bread pudding by going to the TWD Blogroll.

TWD::Chockablock Cookies

This week, our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe for Chockablock Cookies was chosen by Mary at Popsicles and Sandy Feet.

The description "everything but the kitchen sink"-would be quite appropriate for this one. Dorie's recipe calls for a variety of dried fruits, chocolate, coconut, nuts, raisins, molasses, oatmeal, etc. I've never really liked Molasses but was pleasantly surprised at how subtle the flavor was and in no way overpowering.

I'm not a big fan of dried fruit, especially in my cookies, but I decided to take Dorie on with these cookies. I used raisins. Probably not the best choice. I should have left them out. I'm sure I would have enjoyed these cookies so much more without the raisins or any dried fruit for that matter.

Oh, lets not forget the bittersweet chocolate chips. I know! I've made friends with the bittersweet chocolate, I think. Or maybe I'm just really getting old and my taste buds just aren't what they used to be...or maybe they're much more refined now. Yes. That's what we'll go with. Refined. In any case. These cookies are good...not great, just good. Their flavor is best when first out of the oven and all the flavors are so ooey gooey together. After they cool completely, the raisins are more pronounced, so not quite as good leftover.

My kids LOVED these cookies. I added a small scoop of ground flax to the mix, hoping to get them to "pass" as a healthy treat. Hm, there I go rationalizing again!

If you'd like to snag this recipe for yourself, grab yourself a copy of Dorie's book, "Baking: From My Home to Yours" or you can head on over to Mary's blog, too. To see how other TWD bloggers fared this week, check out the TWD Blogroll.

TWD::Swedish Visiting Cake

For this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs Chose to bake the Swedish Visiting Cake. I have to say, that it was a brilliant choice! I wasn't in the mood to bake this week...pants fitting a little too snug again (or still). So I was going to skip it. But when life hands you lemons, you turn to Dorie and her amazing recipes and this most delicious Swedish Visiting Cake. Which coincidently has lemon zest in it! So, please excuse my incredibly LATE posting. I just HAD to share this delicious recipe with you!

I thoroughly enjoyed making this one. I only used one bowl, one rubber spatula and a wisk..well, the random measuring cups and spoons, too but that is unavoidable. The fact that I made this with such little mess AND it was a breeze to whip up, makes it a BIG winner! Especially when you're really in the mood to do some serious emotional eating! Haa!

I had to bake it a little longer than the time listed, but probably because I don't have a cast iron skillet thus my pie pan wasn't as hot. Regardless, it turned out beautiful. Lightly golden, fool-proof and filled with all the flavors I LOVE! Almonds, Almond extract, vanilla extract, butter, sugar, lemon zest. Yes, everything that sends my mouth singing. Dorie suggests to eat it all the first day, but I found it still delightful on the second day. Though there really wasn't much left by then. I think next time I make this, I'm going to see if it will work in a 9x13 or jelly roll pan. It would definitely taste great made into bars for a luncheon or treats to take somewhere.

Since I know you're going to want to try this recipe, too. Either run don't walk, and get yourself a copy of Dorie's book, "Baking: From my Home to Yours" or you can check out Nancy's blog for a copy of the recipe. To see how other Tuesdays with Dorie Bakers fared, check out the TWD Blogroll.