TWD/BWJ Rhubarb Baby Cakes

While Rhubarb Baby Cakes may not win a beauty pageant they do taste delicious! This sweet cake starts out with a brown sugar caramel sauce and chopped pecans.  Thin slices of rhubarb are layered over the pecan/caramel sauce. Top all of this goodness with yummy cake batter. This bakes into a delicious little cake with tart rhubarb and sweet pecan caramel sauce on top.
You can make this recipe with any kind of fruit--think apple, peach or how about blueberries? This is a baby cake but you can also make the cake in a larger cake or spring form pan. The possibilities are endless.
Check Erin's blog for the complete recipe. Then check the TWB/BWJ  LYL and see what other bakers did with this recipe.

Gingerbread Baby Cakes TWD/BWJ

First of all please know that I do love ginger--in any form. I just made Dories Ginger Cookies for a Christmas party and they were delicious. I was excited to make Gingerbread Baby Cakes. I don't own baby pans so I made half a recipe and put it in a 'baby bunt' pan. It was beautiful as you can see. It smelled wonderful. But then I tasted it. I cut myself a small slice and put a big dollop of whipped cream on it. The cream helped for sure--but not enough. It wasn't that the ginger was too strong because all I could tasted was molasses.
I had my husband taste it, his comment was, 'that's really a waste of whipped cream'. You will have to check out other TWD bloggers and see how they felt, we gave it at least 2 thumbs down.
I'll stick to Dories All In One Holiday Cake.

But I do have a darling granddaughter, you can enjoy her!

TWD/BWJ Best Ever Brownies

I feel that I am somewhat of an expert on the subject of brownies. I have been making them for about 50 years! I tend to enjoy more of the 'cakey' variety of brownies so I was a bit concerned when I read that this recipe was 'chewy' and if I liked 'cakey' brownies to just move on. Well I couldn't move on, this was the recipe and I trust Julia so I approached this recipe with an open mind. 

 They brownies came together quickly. I did spray my pan--I used a nine inch stoneware pan as the recipe suggested. The batter was smooth and chocolaty. I cooked the recipe for about 7 minutes longer than the recipe stated. I did sprinkle chopped pecans on top of half of the pan, I love pecans. I chilled the brownies and tried to cut them with a sharp very clean knife. The top cracked--not the most beautiful brownie, but I decided I kind of liked the look.
Now for the taste, absolutely delicious. The brownies were perfect--chewy but not gooey. I think I just might have a new favorite brownie recipe. Thanks Julia once again you have broadened my brownie horizons.
Check A Beautiful Mess for the complete recipe. You really will want to make these.

One Year Ago----Pumpkin Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping
Two Years Ago--Candise's Cherry Comfort Bars
Three Years Ago-Baked Potato Soup

TWD/BWJ Buttermilk Crumb Muffins or Grand Canyon Cakes

My apologies to this wonderful baking group. Something went wrong, terribly wrong. I followed the recipe I didn't mind that the recipe called for Crisco, I didn't mind that it seemed to have plenty of sugar. I just feel bad that they look like the Grand Canyon! I'll blame it on the altitude. When you live at 5000 feet you can do that. It's nice to have somewhere to place the blame. But they did taste wonderful!
Will I make them again and try and figure out what went wrong? Probably not. I'll just move on, there are so many recipes to try. But to all those who think everything I make is wonderful--here is proof, sometimes scary things come out of the oven!
Please check the TWD blogroll, I'm sure there are better photos of this recipe. Alisa will have the complete recipe on her blog. Like I said--they do taste good!

Cranberry-Walnut Pumpkin Loaves--TWD/BWJ

This is one full body loaf and  it is delicious. I usually wait till the last minute to bake my recipes for TWD. I am a procrastinator by nature but I like to read the P&Q section on the TWD site. I always get great tips from bakers that aren't procrastinators! This recipe I'm sorry to say had more than a few negative reviews. I almost didn't make it, but really how can anything with cranberries, pumpkin and walnuts not be delicious.
So I baked.

This is not a quick bread which surprised most of us. It is a yeast bread that requires mixing 15 minutes in the trusty Kitchen Aid, a rise of 2 hours then an overnight rest in the refrigerator. Day 2 requires a four hour rest and a two hour rise. This sounds like forever but really there isn't much hands on time. The dough responded just like the recipe said it would (I love when that happens)! We were rewarded with the delicious smell of holiday baking and a yummy loaf of 'fall' bread.
I used pecans in place of walnuts and I replaced half of the golden raisins with King Arthur's Fruit Cake Blend Dried Fruit. The bread is light but stands up to the weight of all the added goodies. This recipe welcomes fall and I think you should make it!
Check Rebecca's blog The Bountiful Harvest  for the complete recipe.

Whole Wheat Loaves TWD/BWJ

Making bread has been a big part of my life.  With 6 children at home making homemade bread was a necessity. We went through plenty of peanut butter sandwiches. Making bread was a big savings. I had a Bosch Bread Mixer and a wheat grinder that sounded like it had an airplane engine! I made 6-8 loaves of bread every week. Over the years my bread making has all but subsided--how much bread can two people eat? I do however believe in the skill of bread making. My daughters are great bread makers. If you master the art of bread making you can be the hit of any gathering. A pan of hot rolls is always welcome! A loaf of homemade bread and a jar of jam makes a wonderful hostess gift.

So what happened to my bread today?? Well, as I said making bread is a skill--if not practiced one becomes rusty. I started out great. Fresh yeast, freshly ground flour. I was off to a great start, the dough felt perfect and it raised as it should. My problem was in my pans. Yes, pans. I didn't have the sized specified in the recipe so I used pans that were too big. I let the dough raise to much and when it hit the heat the loaves deflated. The bread was too coarse. This was my fault, not the recipe! I asked Hubby's advice on how to photograph my less than perfect loaves. Cut thick slices was his remark. So I did. This bread didn't taste bad. I will give it another try. These loaves will become salad croutons.
Hopefully my fellow TWD bakers had better luck. Check Michele and Teresa's blogs for the complete recipe. And learn to make bread--it's a good thing to do.

Nectarine Upside-down Chiffon Cake--TWD BWJ

We celebrated Hubby's birthday late--a month late to be exact. That's what happens when a birthday falls just days before a child's wedding. Normally I would just make a chocolate bundt cake or something tried and true. Thanks to this wonderful baking group I had the challenge to make something new and different.
I read the recipe thru several times--it does need a little thought and planning.

But can I just say for the record that this Nectarine Upside-down Chiffon Cake was absolutely delicious. It was like nothing I've ever tasted (maybe I should get out more)! The nectarines and brown sugar made a beautiful topping. The Chiffon Cake part  was light and delicious. The streusel was good but if I made the recipe again I would leave it out so I could just enjoy the cake. The baked streusel was tasty and I see many uses for it. Like atop blueberry muffins or on top of fresh peach ice cream. I really don't lack in the dessert department!

All in all I'm glad I made this recipe, glad I tried something slightly out of my comfort zone. Very happy to have a well written cookbook that walks me right thru a dessert such as this. We were all happy to have a delicious late birthday cake!
The complete recipe can be found on Marlise's and Susan's blog. It really is worth making.

Popovers--TWD/BWJ

I can't believe I've been cooking for over 40 years and have never made Popovers. They are a magical dish that any child would love and sophisticated enough for an adult. I deem Popovers the perfect food!

A few simple ingredients and a hot oven are all you need to create Popovers. They can be made in a muffin tin or custard cup. You can also buy a special Popover pan--I could be tempted.

They are so simple, don't wait any longer to make this yummy dish.

Our hostesses this week are Amy and  Paula, check their blogs for the complete recipe. 

Berry Galette TWD/BWJ

This was one fun recipe! Pies scare me but a Galette I can handle. I like the words rustic, free form and open faced. I think a galette is a pie on vacation!

The galette dough came together in just minutes in my food processor. This dough calls for cornmeal--an interesting crust ingredient. I like most anything with cornmeal so I was anxious to try it. With a well floured board I had no problem rolling out the chilled dough. I then piled blueberries in the center of the dough. I sprinkled the berries with sugar, drizzled them with a little maple syrup and dotted with butter. The crust was then folded, pleated around the fruit. I brushed the crust with water and sprinkled some sparkling sugar on top. I thought it was a masterpiece (remember I'm not a pie maker).

As it baked juice did leak out but it did not affect the taste. We all enjoyed this dessert, The cornmeal crust was delicious and the blueberries screamed 'summer'! I can't wait to make this galette with peaches and apples. The recipe stated that the galette would make 4 to 6 servings. The galette is quite small, I wouldn't try to serve more than 4 guests. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream tops this dessert.

 Our host this week are Lisa and Andrea. Check their blogs for the complete recipe.

O

Semolina Bread TWD/BWJ

Stepping outside my comfort zone often happens as a result of being in a baking group. Take Semolina flour for instance. I've been baking for over 35 years and never used it. Does one admit such things on a public blog?? But I'm happy I accepted the challenge because this bread was delicious. I will make it often.

This is not a quick recipe but it is not a difficult recipe either. It comes together easily in your food processor or mixer. It does have 3 rising times, each for about 2 hours. But patience pays off with a beautiful loaf of sunny, slightly nutty bread. It was perfect with a bowl of Cream of Broccoli Soup.

Our hostesses this week are Anna, she blogs at Keep it Luce, and Renee from The Way to My Family's Heart check their blogs for the complete recipe.

Now that I think about it I did decrease the salt a bit. The recipe called for 2 teaspoons of salt, I cut it down to 1 1/2 teaspoon. I think it would have been fine either way. I also made White Loaves while I had things out. 3 beautiful loaves of bread in one day--what a treat!

TWD/BWJ Oasis Naan

I was excited for our recipe this week. Naan is a food that is on my 'baking bucket' list, I do love Indian food and good curry. Naan is the perfect accompaniment to such dishes. So I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make. I started the dough by hand but finished it in the mixer, my back just can't knead. I added the lesser amount of flour as I was aiming for a softer dough. 

I can tell this is a recipe that needs practice! Why is round so difficult?? But my last naan looked much better than the first one. I served the warm, chewy naan with Skillet Chicken Tikki Masala, a favorite 30 minute meal.

You'll want to check Maggie's or Phyl’s blog for the complete recipe. This is a recipe worth perfecting. Who doesn't love warm bread with a meal?

TWD/BWJ Hungarian Shortbread

I really have no Idea why this particular treat is called Hungarian Shortbread. I will just call it excellent!

I made one big mistake --I  only made half the recipe! It was barely out of the oven and family would cut off a small square and say things like 'this is delicious' or 'best dessert ever'. Of course they would continue taking small bites until most of the pan was gone.  Please I begged save me a square that I can photograph tomorrow! Being the kind ones they are I have a few small squares to photo at first light tomorrow.

I was late making this treat I thought we had another week to procrastinate. But here we are the first Tuesday in May which happens to be May 1st! In waiting till the last minute I garnered many ideas from fellow bakers. Little helps that they thought just may improve the recipe. Now I really don't have time for failures so I took all the advice of my fellow TWD bakers because they are smart!!

I made my rhubarb jam with rhubarb freshly picked from my garden. I feel bad for those that had to pay $4.89 at Walmart for rhubarb! I cooked it longer than the said time and it was still much more runny than jam so I put it in a fine mesh sieve and it was the perfect consistency in about 30 minutes. I also added a drop of red food coloring to make it a more pleasing color.

I made my short bread as directed, and grated it into an 8 inch square pan. I cooked this layer for about 15 minutes as suggested by other bakers.

I spread my 1/2 cup of rhubarb jam over the par baked crust. I then used a box grater to grate the rest of the dough over the filling. It was easy, easy. I cooked it till light brown. Just after removing it from the oven I sprinkled plenty of powdered sugar over it.

A delicious dessert that everyone loved. I'll make it again with different kinds of jam. But the garden fresh rhubarb was an excellent addition to this sweet treat.

Our Hostess this week is Cher and Lynette check their blogs for the complete details.

TWD/BWJ Lemon Loaf Cake

Today's Tuesday with Dorie/Baking with Julia is hosted by Michelle who blogs at The Beauty of Life and Truc who blogs at Treats. Check their blogs for the complete recipe. I also saw some amazing cakes and cookies on their blogs, so spend a moment and get to know these bakers.
So...Lemon Loaf Cakes, I made this treat today. The beauty of making something at the last minute is that you can use the advice of many bakers who are not procrastinators.

This cake comes together in five minutes says the instructions. I guess this baker didn't have 4 small children under 5 in their kitchen. But it did come together quickly and in one bowl. I rubbed my lemon zest into my sugar--a trick I learned from Dorie. It smells heavenly and makes me happy. I also added the juice of a lemon to up the lemon flavor. I baked 3 small loaves in my Pampered Chef Mini Loaf Pan. I also made a frosting with a little butter, powdered sugar and lemon juice.
The verdict...delicious! The cake had a tight crumb and was very tender. I think a bit more salt would help and maybe some lemon oil to up the lemon flavor.  Next time I make this I will serve it with a fresh blueberry sauce and whipped cream.

TWD/BWJ Rugelach

Can I just tell you how proud I am! When I first looked at Rugelach I decided it would be the recipe of the month I would skip. I knew Irish Soda Bread would be no challenge. But if this baking group is to be about challenge and putting myself outside my comfort zone I better make Rugelach.
The reason I make so many cookies is the instant gratification factor. Rugelach contains no part of instant!
But I did enjoy the process once I realized it was just that a process.
I made cream cheese pastry.
I chilled.
I chopped nuts.
I toasted nuts.
I chopped fruit.
I plumped fruit.
I made prune lekvar (I didn't even know there was such a thing as prune lekvar).
I made brown sugar mixture.
I made nut topping.
I rolled pastry out.
I filled pastry.
I rolled pastry.
I chilled rolls.
I egg washed.
I sliced.
I rolled slices in nut mixture.
I baked.
I ate, and ate and ate. They were delicious!

I kind of feel like Melinda Mae in the poem by Shel Silverstein.

Melinda Mae

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Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae, Who ate a monstrous whale? She thought she could, She said she would, So she started in right at the tail. And everyone said,'You're much too small,' But that didn't bother Melinda at all, She took little bites and she chewed very slow, Just like a little girl should... ...and in eighty-nine years she ate that whale Because she said she would!!!  And I made Rugelach--because I said I would! For complete recipe and instructions please check Jessica's blog My Baking Heart.

TWD--BWJ White Loaves

I'm happy to be baking again with the TWD bakers. Our new cookbook Baking with Julia is full of wonderful recipes.  I love Dorie's style. I feel like she is in my kitchen baking with me. Her directions are clear and friendly, encouraging me along. Telling me not to worry if, 'the dough comes apart with the addition of butter---beating will bring it back together.' And it did!
Our recipe this week was White Loaves. This recipe came together easily in my Kitchen Aid. Ten minutes of kneading gave my machine a good workout. Better it than me. The dough was silky smooth, wonderful to work with. As it baked the house smelled heavenly. Once it was out of the oven I told the family that Dorie said to wait till the loaves cooled before cutting. They couldn't do it. They ate the complete loaf, quickly and enjoyed every bite.
This recipe will be repeated often. The recipe can be found on Jules Blog, or just purchase the book. We have plenty of new bakers this round, check the TWD site and see how they liked White Loaves.
Could you wait till the bread cooled before you sliced it?? Please tell.