Tuesdays with Dorie: Tropical Crumble + Dimply Plumb Cake

I made this TWD dessert for family night and my husband and kids loved it.  I thought it was pretty good, but a little too rich for me to want to make it again any time soon.  If you'd like to give it a try, stop by Law's of the Kitchen by Gaye for the recipe.

We also had an abundance of plums in our Bountiful Basket last week so I made Dorie's Dimply Plum Cake.  This recipe was the first of Dorie's that I had ever encountered.  I first saw it on Cristine blog, Cristine Cooks, and the name intrigued me.  I've wanted to make it ever since.  Two and a half years later, here it is:

I thought it looked beautiful; it tasted great just out of the oven after cooling slightly.  I guess you'll have to buy the book to get this recipe.  :)

TWD: Carrot Spice Muffins

These Carrot Spice Muffins are quite lovely without the carrots!  My family liked them so much, I made them three times in the space of a few days.  The third time I added in the carrots.  Still good, but a lot of work for something that, in my opinion, downgrades the flavor of the muffin.

Thanks to Nancy of The Dogs Eat Crumbs for choosing this week's recipe!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Creamy Dark Chocolate Sorbet

This chocolate sorbet was simple and delicious.  There were only four ingredients involved: milk, water, sugar and chocolate.  We added a teaspoon of almond extract for some variety.

The boys had a good time helping me make the sorbet.

Thanks to Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon for choosing this week's recipe!

TWD: Another Twofer

I wasn't going to make the Date Nut Loaf--chosen by Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet--simply because the name didn't appeal to me.  I have to strike a balance these days between losing weight and fulfilling the requirements necessary to be a member of this group.  However, after reading some great reviews on the loaf, I decided to do it anyway--a week late--but made and consumed nevertheless.  This was a very good choice!  It was more like a bread than a cake to me, but a very flavorful one.  I loved the flavor of the dates mixed with the texture of the walnuts.  The loaf itself had a nice buttery flavor. Thanks for a great pick Mary!

The second recipe was Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies.  I ended up making ice cream sandwich out of these upon the recommendation of others in the group.  They are good as a cookie, but great as an ice cream sandwich.  The only recommendation I'd make is to omit the raisins if you are planning to make the ice cream sandwiches.

These cookies are very soft and cake-like (hence the name).  When ice cream is added, it makes the cookie slightly crunchy while still retaining its softness.  The hint of cinnamon is a delicious addition to the sandwich when served with vanilla ice cream.  Yum.

Visit Spike of Spike Bakes for the recipe!

Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake

I almost didn't make this cake because of its name.  It just sounded so...plain!  It looks pretty plain too.

But don't be fooled folks.  This easy-to-make cake is a delightful breakfast treat.  The brown sugar and the blueberries are a wonderful combination and it has a tight crumb just like Dorie says.  So head on over to Cindy of Everyday Insanity to get the recipe.  Thanks, Cindy, for a great pick this week!

TWD: Maternity Leave Make Up

Towards the end of my pregnancy and for a while after Ella was born, I missed several recipes.  Here is a snapshot of what I missed:

Toasted Almond Scones chosen by Mike of Living Out West.   I liked these scones.  I didn't shape them like Dorie suggested, so they look like biscuits, but that's ok because they taste like biscuits with almond flavoring.  Yum.

Chocolate Oatmeal Drops chosen by Caroline and Claire of Bake with Us.  Not my favorite cookie, but tasty and addicting nevertheless!


Honey Nut Brownies chosen by Suzy of Suzy Homemaker.  Now I know I took a picture of these, but I guess it was one of those "unreadable files"  because it's nowhere to be found!  These brownies tasted good, but I would never opt to make these when I want a brownie.  They taste NOTHING like a brownie!

Last of all, Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins.  I admit that these muffins chosen by ---- of Bella Baker did not get photographed.  I took them to a brunch and completely forgot to take a picture.  These were good, but they didn't  have a strong enough of a citrus flavor for either Landon or me.  So, I added some more lemon juice, zest and extract to my final batch.  The extra citrus gave it the kick it needed.  These were especially good with a bit of butter.

Be sure to check out the blogs listed in this post.  They look pretty amazing.

Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp

All I can say is...delicious!  Landon thought this was one of the best TWD recipe so far.  One word of caution though, if you don't like ginger, don't make this recipe.  In addition to ground ginger, it calls for 1/4 cup crystalized ginger!

Thank you, Sarah of Teapots and Cake Stands, for a great pick!  Be sure to check out her blog for the recipe.

Tuesdays with Dorie: The Lone Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin

I love these little muffins that Betsy of A Cup of Sweetness chose. In fact, they were so tasty, that by the time I remembered to take a picture of them, there was only one left!

I decided to make mini muffins to take to a brunch I was going to.  The boys were not happy that I was not letting them indulge themselves on all the muffins they wanted.  Apparently the ones I set aside were not enough!  Erik, who is two, was particularly upset even though I explained that I would make more.
Luckily there was so much food at the brunch that there were leftovers.  The boys were very happy about that!

This recipe was obviously a hit and it was very simple.  The only problem was I had to add a cup of milk to the recipe because there was virtually no liquid listed in the ingredients.  It must have been an editing error.

Thanks, Betsy, for choosing a great recipe!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Caramel Pumpkin Pie

My turn to host took me by surprise--twice!  I thought my turn to host would come on November second, so when Laurie emailed me asking me for a recipe pick for October,  it was completely unexpected.  I was also on vacation and did not have my recipe book with me.

Since I thought I'd be posting on election day, my number one choice was the All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie.  Even though it was October, I still replied back "Apple Pie" since I couldn't remember a single other recipe I had chosen.  Then I found out that someone else had chosen it (YAY!), so I had to call my husband and have him look through the book.

Luckily, I had left markings on the other recipes that I wanted to try that were seasonally appropriate.  I was hoping that the Caramel Pumpkin Pie would be something worthy of the Thanksgiving table.  I remember making Dorie's Favorite Pecan Pie and thinking that the addition of chocolate would ruin the wonderful flavor of the pie, but boy was I wrong.  It was so delicious that I decided to making my standard recipe for pecan.  I was hoping to have the same luck with this recipe.

Last Saturday,  I checked TWD to see what recipe was next.  To my surprise (again) it was mine.  For some reason I thought I had another week before hosting.  So, long story short, I ended up making this pie (twice) on Monday.

The first attempt at this pie was foiled by the caramel.  I was trying hard to follow Dorie's directions of letting the caramel get dark, and dramatically smoke as she describes.  When I tasted caramel, it tasted a bit burnt to me although not "black" as Dorie describes burnt caramel to be.  So I went ahead and mixed it in.  Big mistake.  Although it was good enough for me to eat an entire slice I just didn't love it.  Also, without the addition of the streusel (found in the playing around section), I really didn't like it.

If it had been anyone else's pick, I would have chalked it up to a learning experience and posted it as it turned out.  But this was my turn.  How can the host have a failure of a pie?  I also found the crust to be too brown for my taste, and so I decided to make another pie.  This time with better caramel and without partially baking the crust before baking the pie.  After all, my mother never pre-baked a crust.

So how did it turn out?  Worthy of a Thanksgiving dinner!   I am so glad I went through the effort of making it twice.  In conclusion, I'd like to leave you with the following tips:

1) When making the caramel, don't let it get very dark no matter what the instructions make you think!
2) Make sure the cream is room temperature before pouring it into the caramel.  Dorie says the clumps will melt out, but mine didn't.  I picked them out.  It was easier the first time when I used warmer cream.
3) Don't partially bake the crust.  It takes a lot longer and it gets pretty dark--even with foil.
4) Both times I had to bake the pie about 20 minutes longer than directed.
5) After reading several posts by other TWD members, I have to add this tip: consider use the cider-- especially if you don't like "boozy" desserts as one baker put it (that made me chuckle).  I never use alcohol so I automatically used the cider.  I honestly don't know what kind of effect 2T of rum would have on the pie, but it sounds like it may be overpowering.

Thanks for baking along!  I hope you all enjoyed it.  For those of you who will soon be celebrating T-day, I hope you found something interesting, new, and worthy of your Thanksgiving dinner!

First time with streusel:

Second time without streusel:

1-9 inch single crust made with Good                                
for Almost Everything Pie Dough                                    
partially baked and cooled                                                  
                                                                                        
1 cup sugar                                                                        
3/4 cup heavy cream                                                          
2 T dark rum, cognac or                                                  
apple cider
2 T unsalted butter, cut                                                        
into 4 pieces                                                                        
1 cup cunned unsweetened pumpkin
puree
1 1/4 t ground cinnamon
3/4 t ground ginger
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Tiny pinch of ground allspice
 Pinch of salt
 1 1/2 t pure vanilla extract
 2 large eggs
Lightly sweetened whipped cream, for serving

Getting ready:  Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.
     Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the sugar evenly over the bottom of a large nonstick skillet.

Place the skillet over medium-high heat and, staying close by, cook until the sugar melts and starts to color.  Once you see a little color, gently swirl the skillet so that the sugar colors evenly.  Cook the sugar, without stirring, until it turns deep amber--almost mahogany.  The sugar will bubble up and foam and soon it will start to smoke.  It is very dramatic, and it might make you think you've gone too far, but you want a dark (though not burned black) color; the darker the sugar, the fuller the flavor.

My advice: don't let it get dramatic.

When the bubbles have gone from foamy to big and fat, you will probably have reached the right color.  To check the color, drop a bit of the caramelized sugar on a white plate.

     Lower the heat to medium, stand back and pour the cream into the skillet.  The sugar will bubble and hiss and, if the cream was cold, it may even clump.  Just continue to cook, stirring and it will even out.  Add the cider and butter and cook just until the caramel is smooth.  pour the caramel into a heatproof pitcher or bowl and cool it for about 15 minutes.

     Working with a whisk in a large bowl, beat the pumpkin to break it up and smooth it.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat to blend.  Whisk in the spices, salt vanilla and eggs, beating until the mixture is smooth.  Whisk in the caramel.  Rap the bowl against the counter a few times to de-bubble the filling, then pour the filling into the crust.
     Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is puffed and set--tap the pan gently and the filling won't jiggle.  A thin knife inserted into the center of the pie will come out clean.  it will also leave a gash in the filling, but you'll be covering it with whipped cream.

     Transfer the pie to a rack and cool to room temperature, or cool and refrigerate (see Serving).  When you are ready to serve, spread the lightly whipped cream over the top of the pie.  If you'd like a dressier look, whip the cream until it is firm, put it into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe rosettes over the surface of the pie.  Alternatively, you can pipe the cream in a lattice pattern.

Tuesday's with Dorie: Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

Today Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine chose Peanut Butter Crisscrosses.  I couldn't have enjoyed these cookies more!  They were chewy inside and slightly crispy on the outside.  I think they would have been fabulous with chopped peanuts like the recipe calls for, but I was out of peanuts.

Thanks, Jasmine, for a great cookie pick!  If you'd like the recipe, be sure to stop by Jasmine's blog!

Tuesday's with Dorie: Crunchy and Custardy Peach Tart

This week Rachel of Sweet Tarte chose Crunchy and Custardy Peach Tart.  Not only do I love tarts, but I learned something really handy making this tart: how to easily skin a peach.  When I imagined making this tart, I assumed that I would simply cut off the skin with a knife, but Dorie instructs a different and very easy way to get the skin off.  After halving and pitting the peach, submerse or blanche the peach in boiling water for ten seconds.  Next, briefly put the peach in ice cold water, and viola! the skin easily peels off.   Make sure to do this one peach at a time because if you leave the peach in the cold water too long it won't work.

Thank you, Rachel, for choosing this recipe.  It was delicious!  Be sure to check out her blog for the recipe!

Tuesday's with Dorie: Oatmeal Breakfast Bread

It's good to be back after a long absence of illness.  Boy did this bout of sickness really make me appreciate my health.  I'm still not totally better, but good enough to participate with TWD!  I am so happy this recipe was chosen this week.  Thank you, Natalie of Oven Love, for choosing it.  Not only did I mark this one as a potential recipe for when I host in November, but I still don't feel much like eating dessert.  So this was a perfect transition recipe for me.

This bread was yummy and somewhat healthy too.  In lieu of butter, the recipe calls for canola or safflower oil and unsweetened applesauce.  It also has oats (obviously) and dried fruit.  There is some sugar, so I will never earn the title of a "health food," but the sugar, along with the other spices, is what makes this bread so tasty.  I especially like the brown sugar and walnut topping.  Be sure to stop by Natalie's blog if you'd like the recipe!

Tuesday's with Dorie: Brrrrrrownies

I was really looking forward to making these brownies.  The recipe caught my eye several times before it was chosen and I thought it was a brilliant combination: York Peppermint Patties and brownies.  Soon after it was chosen, I bought the ingredients and made them right away.  Now, I should know from past experience that butter is like baking glue when it comes to cakey treats.  Brownies are cakey.  So of course they stuck to the aluminum foil that Dorie instructed us to cover the baking dish with.

This was not the only problem I encountered.  When I checked the brownies at 30 minutes they were far from done.  I baked them probably twice as long as the written recipe.  And then there was the taste.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't nearly as enjoyable as I thought it would be.  It was as if the Peppermint Pattie was not meant to be baked.

When I was at the store buying chocolate for the Tarte Noire,  I spotted a dark chocolate with peppermint oil.  That's kind of the same idea as a York Peppermint Pattie, I figured, so I  decided to make the brrrrownies again.  This time I baked them without aluminum foil, with a little flour in the pan, a little less chocolate, a little more sugar and the new peppermint-oil chocolate.  I also added walnuts because I like them in my brownies.

The result?  They baked up nicely in 30 minutes, they didn't stick to the pan and they tasted grrrrrrrreat!

Thanks to Karen of Our Crazy Blessed Life for choosing this recipe.  Hop on over and check out her blog.  You'll be able to find the recipe there too.

Tuesday's with Dorie: Tarte Noire

When we lived in Germany, we were friends with some self-proclaimed (American) food snobs.  I would always chuckle to myself at what they wouldn't eat: canned meat, rice and beans etc.  Not that they had never eaten those things, it's just that they had developed great cooking skills and dreamed of opening a restaurant.  Eating plain old rice and beans just doesn't cut it after you reach a certain skill level like they had.

Well, I think I am turning into a dessert snob although I am not all the way there yet.  After baking so many wonderful dessert recipes with the best ingredients with this baking group, it is actually becoming difficult for me to like or enjoy certain desserts as much as I would have in the past.

Take this weekend for example.  I took my tart to a pie party on the 4th.  I figured the tart is related to the pie and the French helped us gain our independence, so it would be fitting.  With great anticipation, I eyed the other pies trying to decide which of the twenty or so pies I would sample.  I tried four others besides my own and I only liked half of them!  Who doesn't like dessert?  DESSERT!  What is the matter with me?

(By the way, the ganache was perfectly smooth until it was time to transport it.  I put plastic wrap over it and it instantly stuck to the top.  Blast!  When will I ever get a picture of a good LOOKING dessert!?!)

Well, maybe some people didn't like mine as it was made out of dark chocolate (noire being French for "dark").  I know a lot of people do not like dark chocolate.  It is an acquired taste.  Once you love it, you are officially a dessert snob! :)  It's still not my favorite, and that is why say I am not a fully-developed dessert snob yet.  I sure did feel like one as I was eating my pies.  I almost felt ashamed.  Guilty.  After all, how much time and effort did someone put into making these pies, and (more importantly) how many not-so-great desserts have I made?  PLENTY!

Even though my food snobbery is not yet fully developed, I did like this tart despite its darkness.  I think two things made it "acceptable" to my taste buds.
1)  I used really good Belgium chocolate.
2)  Dorie's light, buttery, shortbread-like crust really balances the bitter taste of dark chocolate.

Would I make this again?  Yes, for someone who loves chocolate, or for some dessert snob I need to impress.  :)

So, all you dessert snobs and chocolate lovers, please visit Dharma Girl's blog: Bliss Towards A Delicious Life, to view the recipe for this tart.  Thanks, Dharma Girl, for choosing this week's recipe!

Tuesday's with Dorie: Pineapple-Almond Drenched Vanilla Cakes

For this recipe, I substituted pineapple juice with a little almond extract for the rum.  I ended up using the entire amount of liquid called for in the recipe even though I had cut the recipe in half for the cake.  I really like how it turned out.  What I think made it stand out were the pineapple and almonds on top.  At first I just had the pineapple and it seemed like something was missing.  Adding the sliced almonds was just what this cake needed.

Thanks to Wendy of Pink Stripes for choosing this recipe.  If you'd like the recipe, be sure to stop by her blog.

Now for two other Dorie success stories.  I made Snickery Squares for my husband to take to work.  That was one of the recipes made before I joined.  It was a big hit.  A co-worker said that eating the Snickery Square was "...one of the best 30 seconds of [his] life."  Haha!  I guess it was a hit!

At my husband's work, everyone is responsible for bringing a cake for the person whose birthday falls after theirs.  That person just happened to be my husband's boss, so I knew the cake had to be good.  I chose to make the Perfect Party Cake because I remember it being a fabulous cake.  This time it came together much more smoothly, and it was enjoyed by everyone--coconut and all!

Tuesday's with Dorie: Dressy Chocolate Loaf Cake

As you can tell from the title, this should be a loaf cake, but I really wanted to try out my mini-bunt pans.  It also makes it easier to give part of it away to friends and neighbors.  I just might use them next week too.

I couldn't decide if it looked better with the top open showing the jelly filling or covered in chocolate.  What do you think?

Now, on to the most important part: how did it taste?  The answer: marvelous!  I love this recipe and I know I will use it over and over again.  This cake is rich and moist with silky smooth frosting.  What is the secret ingredient you ask?  It's sour cream.  I think by itself the cake would be great, but what makes it outstanding is the jelly filling.  I chose cherry and, my friends, the combination was absolutely divine.

Thank you Amy Ruth, of Amy Ruth Bakes for choosing a simple, yet fabulous TWD recipe.  Please stop by her blog.  You will be able to find the recipe there and you'll want to have this one...if you haven't already been convinced to buy Baking: From My Home to Yours that is!

Tuesday's with Dorie: Raisin Swirl Bread

While this picture does not look as pretty as Dorie's, I still loved this bread.  I even completely messed up the recipe, and it still tasted good.  I guess that's why it looks like it does.  So much for multitasking!


This bread is like one giant cinnamon roll with a few extra nuggets of goodness and without the frosting.  I haven't had the chance to make any of it into French toast as suggested in the "Playing Around" section, but I can only imagine that it would make fabulous French toast.

Thanks, Susan of Food Baby, for a great choice.  Hop on over to her blog for the recipe and a beautiful picture to  boot!

Tuesday's with Dorie: Tender Shortcakes

Simple goodness.  That's how I describe this week's dessert chosen by Cathy of The Tortefeasor.  Thank goodness this was incredibly easy to make.  I was so busy painting and cleaning this week that I was a bit behind with TWD.  I came home from my errands this morning and whipped up these shortcakes in no time.  There wasn't any stress involved!  As you can imagine, a flaky biscuit with berries and whipped cream makes a delicious combination.

Thank you,  Cathy, for choosing this week's recipe!  Please stop by her blog.  You'll be able to find the recipe there.

Tuesday's with Dorie: White Chocolate Brownies

This week, Marthe of Culinary Delights chose White Chocolate Brownies.  Doesn't it look good?

Now, besides this not resembling a brownie at all, I thought it was quite delicious.  Take a look at the ingredients:

What brownie has fruit in it or a meringue on top?  None other that I have tried.  I liked this recipe because it was unique, easy and tasty.

There was one itsy, bitsy problem though.  See the picture above?  It's not done at all.  Either the time or the temperature is written incorrectly in the book.  I'd say this brownie need about 60 minutes at 325--not  30 -35 minutes!

Unfortunately, I was heading out the door to a BBQ when I discovered this problem.  When it finally finished baking, I grabbed the pan and the camera and headed to our neighbors' new house.  I quickly took a picture at the BBQ, but felt silly doing so in front of a bunch of people I didn't know.  The blurry picture above was the result.

Please check out Marthe's blog to see how her brownies turned out and to get the recipe!

Tuesday's with Dorie: Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie

This week's dessert, chosen by Spike of Spike Bakes, was very easy to make.  The only cooking or baking involved was browning the coconut in butter.  Usually I am a fan of coconut, but I thought it was really overpowering in this recipe.  Also, the addition of the banana mixed with the ice cream should be left out.  In my opinion, it made the chocolate ice cream taste funny.  Maybe that's why Dorie calls for lemon juice and rum to be added to the mix.  I left out the rum and used lime juice since  I didn't have any lemons.  I couldn't taste it anyway.  The bananas on top, however, were a great addition.  

To sum it up, if I were to make this recipe again, I would change the crust and leave out mixing in a banana with the ice cream.  My family and I still enjoyed it, but it wasn't one of our favorites.  

Please stop by Spike Bakes to see how her version turned out, and to get the recipe.  Of course, to get this recipe and many others, you can always buy the book Baking: From My Home to Yours.  I highly recommend it!