French Fridays with Dorie: michel rostang’s double chocolate mousse cake
Posted: January 21, 2011 Filed under: FFwD 19 Comments »
Liam and Brody had a snow day today. Colby did not. But, I was able to whip this cake up due to not having to run around first thing in the morning. The batter was so easy to put together. I was unsure which option to pick, since this recipe has several options. Cold versus warm. I chose warm.
We haven’t actually cut into it yet. The cake is still hot from the oven. I snapped photos as soon as the middle sank. If the batter is any indication, it is going to be fan-freaking-tastic. I was eating the batter straight from the bowl. Yum!
As I was making this, my son Brody said, “So, its a cake shaped like a moose?” Love that boy.
Go check out all the other moose shaped cakes on the FFWD blog. There were lots of variations for this recipe, so there should be lots of different cakes. Check them out!
Edited to add: Oh my is this cake so good. I mean like seriously, blow your mind good. Its so chocolatey and light. You’d think its going to be dense, but its not. The cake almost melts in your mouth. This recipe is a definite keeper. Brody delcared, ” These are the best brownies ever!” and are they ever.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
Posted: January 18, 2011 Filed under: TWD 12 Comments »
They are muffins. Albeit muffins without lemon or poppyseeds. But, they are still indeed muffins.
When I went to make them, it hit me that I had no lemons. Nor did we have poppyseeds. So, they became blood orange muffins. We liked them all the same. Colby ate 2 before they were even done cooling. I’d say that means they were a success.
Check out the TWD LYL post for all the rest of what should be lemon poppyseed muffins.
Tuesdays with Dorie: Midnight Crackles
Posted: January 3, 2011 Filed under: everyday 29 Comments »Happy Anniversary Tuesdays with Dorie! TWD turns 3 this week. When I posted about TWD for the first time, I never ever imaged we would still be at it 3 years later. It seriously changed my life. I am a totally different baker. I have made some of the best online friends a girl could have. My tweetie ladies are the best, the BEST! And it pushed me to start French Fridays with Dorie as well. I am ever so thankful to the members of TWD for continuing to bake along week after week without fail. You have pushed me to become a better baker. Thank you! Lastly, thank you to Dorie for her continued support of both me and the group. It means the world to me.
To celebrate our 3rd Anniversary, Julie, my TWD sidekick and I decided on Midnight Crackles. We both wanted something on the easy side for right after Christmas. I have been wanting to make these cookies for a long time, so I was uber stoked.
I baked them up just today. I followed the original recipe exactly. They were easy to whip up. The texture seemed really sandy to me, even after chilling. I rolled a few in powdered sugar before baking, just for fun.The finished product came out kind of like the World Peace Cookies, but softer. We all liked them, but I think I will up the cinnamon next time and maybe nix the clove. Overall, good cookie.
You can find the recipe for Midnight Crackles on the Tuesdays with Dorie blog.
Happy Anniversary Tuesdays with Dorie’ers! Here is to another three years! xoxo
Happy 2011!
Posted: January 1, 2011 Filed under: cinnamon rolls, good times, nonsense, slacker 9 Comments »
Okay, first things first. Happy New Year! 2011. Wow! Where does the time go? Really, where does it go?
Last year, my blogging was somewhat.. lacking. Alright, it was awful. Down right, awful. In my defense, 2010 was the hardest year for me that I can remember. It was a mentally and emotionally exhausting. At some points, I did not know how I would get through the year. So, blogging took the back burner. So be it. My family comes first. The end. But, its 2011 now. And I am truly hoping to start blogging more again. I miss it. I really do. Hopefully, I still have a few readers out there. Hi there, nice to see you!
To kick things off, I decided to bake something yeasty today. I love the smell of a yeasty treat in the oven. One of Liam’s favorite breakfasts is cinnamon rolls. With that in mind, I decided to make monkey bread. If you don’t know what that is, you must have been living in a hole the past few years. Its been everywhere. Or maybe you are new to the interwebs. If so, hi there! Nice to see you!
I should have started this project earlier in the morning. It takes several hours to proof and put together. It worked out in the end, since we ended up having a monster brunch to start the New Year.
New Year, new stuff, yada yada. Liam rates all my baked goods. I am totally raising a pastry snob. He is harsh with his ratings. I figured it makes for good entertainment value. This is how he rated the monkey bread.
Liam’s Rating: Bread nice and soft, not too crunchy. Cinnamon really good, but I like a little more cinnamon, a tiny bit more, but otherwise, really good. Overall rating– A
I do not like publishing recipes on my blog. Maybe its my loyalty to Dorie that started it, but its expanded. If you want the recipe for Monkey Bubble Bread in BAKED Explorations, buy the book. Come on, do it. Its a great book with phenomenal photos, and you won’t regret it.
Happy 2011 to everyone! Hope it turns out to be a fabulous year! xoxo- Laurie
Total sidenote: The Pens play in the Winter Classic tonight. Go Pens!
