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.