My Bundts Bring All The Boys To The Yard - Lemon Almond Bundt Cake

Damn right, it's better than yours! I do have fun with my blog. Anyway, the Lemon Bundt was nice, but could be improved upon. The glaze was nice, brought out the lemon flavor, but the cake needed more almond flavor. Next time I am going to add almond extract to the cake itself to pull the flavor through (there are ground almonds int he cake itself, but it needed more). I also need to make it just a bit more moist. The Chocolate Cinnamon bundt had the perfect consistency, and I need to make this one more like that one. It was good, close, and with some tweaks, could be great.

I Like Big Bundts And I Cannot Lie - Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt with Cinnamon Glaze

Anyone remember My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Well, every time I hear the word bundt, in my head I hear the Greek mother saying the word 'bundt'. Cracks me up every time. I had never made a bundt before this weekend. I got the pan as a Christmas gift, and I just had to try it out. As far as cakes go, this was super easy to make. Throw all of the ingredients together, pour into bundt pan, bake, and voila! Yummy cake ready to go. Now, I am not a chocolate fan, but this cake was pretty spectacular. The cake was super moist, not too rich, and the glaze really brought out the cinnamon flavor. Absolutely would make this one again, it was quite the hit!

A Study In Brownies - Part 2 - Oreo Brownies

Now this was a great brownie. I was really happy with all aspects of this brownie. Dense and moist, great chocolate flavor, a little added kick with the instant coffee bits and the Oreo pieces. I felt like the Oreo pieces paired nicely with the instant coffee, and as a matter of fact, the one brought out the flavor in the other. I personally couldn't taste the coffee, I could tell there was something different, but wouldn't have placed it as coffee. The Oreo was also not super strong, you might not have known it was in there, maybe just that there was something chocolaty and crunchy on the inside. All around a good brownie that I would for sure make again.

A Study In Brownies - Part 1 - Sweet and Salty Brownies

This brownie in theory had everything you would want in a brownie - peanuts, pretzels, chopped up candy bars . . . and chocolaty goodness. I think this brownie was ok, but not spectacular. It was a little drier than I would have wanted, not as chocolaty as I would have liked, and the candy bars melted away into the cookie itself. I do like the pretzels and the peanuts in the brownie, I might incorporate them into a brownie recipe that I like better, maybe along with some dark chocolate chips. In theory, lots of goodness, in reality, just ok.

Not Every Cookie Is A Home Run - Cinnamon Snaps

When you get used to knocking them out of the park, a series of average cookies / brownies / breads makes for sadness. Take this cookie for example. A perfectly acceptable cookie. It had great consistency, crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside (I am sure it was from the Crisco that I used). But it didn't have a 'wow' factor, nothing special to set it apart. I wished it had a more cinnamon-y flavor, or maybe I should have used different spices like nutmeg or allspice to add to it, but it was technically supposed to be a Cinnamon Snap. The cinnamon flavor really should have stood on its own. Maybe I needed more cinnamon in the sugar that went on top. I really wanted good things from this cookie, but alas, just average.

More Variations On Heat - Aztec Chocolate Cookie

The second or third in the spicy cookie series . . . This particular cookie was not as highly rated as the Mexican Sandwich cookie, and I can see why. The other had a lot going on, with the dulce de leche and the right balance of heat. This cookie was not as complex, it was like a chocolate chip cookie with some heat added to it (chipotle pepper this time). There was no interplay between the flavors, it was like you at the chocolate chip cookie, and then on the back end you felt the heat. There wasn't anything wrong per se with the cookie, it turned out nicely, and it tasted fine, just nothing special. Oh well, we can't always have specials, somethings have to just be normal.

I Like My Master Baking Messy - Cornflake Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

This is not a pretty cookie. The first batch I was fully ready to give up on them and trash everything associated with this cookie. They were fragile and messy and gooey, and I thought this is the worst cookie disaster ever. But then they cooled, and I tasted one, and then I tasted some more, and I thought wow, this is a pretty darn good cookie. And surprisingly, everyone that has tasted it has said that of the 5 I made this week, this one is the best. The taste is great, I just need to find a way to make it hold together a bit better. It feels like a mess, and it does not travel well. Things to ponder.

Can I Keep On Master Baking Like This? - Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

So I have made better banana breads before. And this bread, texture wise, taste wise, was really nice. But I like my banana breads to have a banana flavor, and this just wasn't there. It also didn't have a super peanut buttery flavor either. It was like the two flavors just cancelled each other out, and you were left with a nice bread with chocolate chips. I would add way more banana to this bread the next time I make it (if I ever make it again, it might not make the cut at this rate - a girl has to get picky). The turbinado sugar sprinkled on the top was a really nice touch, I might incorporate that into other bread recipes. Just a special something that gave it some fun texture as well as taste.

I Am A Hot Momma When I Master Bake - Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies with Dulce De Leche

In this photo, the dulce de leche looks like a tongue to me, like the cookie is licking its lips, that is how good it tastes. And seriously, what is not to like about this cookie? Chocolate? Good. Dulce De Leche? Good. Sandwich them together? Good. Add a little spice and cinnamon to the cookie? THE BEST!

Seriously, this cookie was a huge hit. The spice (cayenne pepper) gave it just enough kick. I will admit, I bought the dulce de leche, and next time I will try to make it from scratch. The chocolate was just right for me, I wouldn't have wanted it to be one of those overwhelming chocolate flavors. It would have overpowered the spice and the dulce de leche. Mmmmmmm, spicy, like me!

Another Disappointment with Nutella - Peanut Butter Nutella Brownies

I feel like the dumb girlfriend thinking that her obnoxious boyfriend is going to change. I keep going back for more even though I can almost predict what I am going to get. Another Nutella recipe, another baked good with no Nutella flavor. Don't get me wrong, as brownies go, this one was good, the peanut butter really came through, and the brownie itself had a great chocolate flavor, nice and dense, but moist. You just couldn't taste the Nutella. Now maybe the peanut butter was too much for it, or maybe I needed to use more, but it just wasn't there for me. Will I ever learn?

Oh I Am So Behind In My Posts . . . - Toasted Coconut and Macadamia Nut Bread

Oh I'll tell ya, I have had the will to bake, just not the will to blog. I am the worst food photographer in the world, and when it comes to writing about food . . . I would just rather have some virtual way for everyone out there to experience the food first hand vs. trying to describe it. Enough of my complaining, on to the blog!

I have not been making breads recently, and I am not sure why. I might be a better quick bread maker than a cookie maker (hard to believe), but I find them to be more satisfying. I also like the fact that I can make them and then they go into the oven for enough time that I can get other things done around the house. This bread was hearty, with the right amount of crunch with the toasted macadamia nuts and toasted coconut. I am not a fan of the coconut milk I have been using, I wish I could get my hands on what I had in Africa, but that is highly unlikely. I did add some white chocolate chips to this one for fun, and I think it matched up nicely.

Heated up it is certainly better, and I liked it the next day more than the day I baked it.