Until a couple of months ago I was absolutely terrified of making my own pie crust. Any and all desserts that involved pie crust started with one out of the freezer aisle in the grocery store. Then one of my coworkers asked if he could order a pie as a treat for his family for Rosh Hashanah. My first instinct was to say no, after all, I had never made a pie crust, and didn't want to try it for the first time on a customers. But as I have mentioned before, I never like to turn down a customer, so I did some research, and I said yes. I explained that it was going to be my first time making a homemade pie crust, and he agreed. I spent a long time searching the internet for advice and … [Read more...]
Cream Cheese Swirled Chocolate Fudge Bundt Cake
Generally I only find out about Nation [insert-delicious-treat-here] Day at the end of it, as I sit down to read through the day's blog posts and I see that everyone else commemorated it with a delicious dessert and mouthwatering pictures. Luckily, that won't be the case for my favorite dessert in the world: National Bundt Cake Day. Strictly speaking, bundt cakes may not be my favorite all-time dessert, but they sure are my favorite to make: minimal design, gorgeous looks...what's not to love? Back to this most glorious of all national holidays. The banks and the postal service may not be closed, but thanks to The Food Librarian and her month-long bundt campaign, I knew about this day … [Read more...]
Peanut Topped Peanut Butter Cookies
If you've read my about me page, (c'mon, you know you're curious!) you know that I sell homemade cookies and other treats. It's a very side business, and I don't push it much, mostly because I simply have no time. I don't, however, like to turn down an order, as the money is going to a special fund for my SLR camera. Imagine how cool it will be to take pictures for the blog on something other than my iPhone? In general, I love to bake, and I am super happy to take an order. The problem is that sometimes a customer orders something that I am simply not in the mood to bake. That's what happened the other day. Someone emailed me asking if I could bake them a couple dozen peanut butter cookies. … [Read more...]
Maple Sandwich Cookies with Toasted Pecans
This post is dedicated to all of my awesome friends and followers on twitter, and the exploration of just how helpful twitter is in day-to-day life. And no, this isn't sponsored by the Twitter folks (like they'd care about lil 'ol me!) nor is it a fishing expedition for new twitter followers. (Although you should totally follow me.) Here's what happened. I was in the middle of baking cookies, and couldn't decide if I liked the rough shape or the smooth shape. I made a tray with half of each, figuring I would decide how they looked baked. They came out of the oven, and I still wasn't sure. So I took a picture, and I tweeted it, asking people which they liked better. I was amazed at the … [Read more...]
Nutella Crinkle Cookies…and I Survived a Blackout!
I often wonder what life would have been like had I been born a hundred and fifty years earlier. Maybe I shouldn't admit to this, but I sometimes think I would have sat in the darkness, staring at a candle, pining for an iPhone. Sure, iPhones wouldn't have existed in those, days, so I wouldn't have known what an iPhone would be, but still, I like to think I'd have wished for one. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but I do love my electronics. I am happier in front of a computer than almost anywhere else, and I would pick a shiny touch screen device over a shiny piece of jewelry any day. Future husband, take note. And so, had you told me a week ago that I would survive close to 36 hours … [Read more...]
Double Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies
I had a very difficult time naming these cookies. Even before I made them, I was coming up with names in my head, trying to figure out a clever title worthy of these clever cookies. It all started when I was walking down the cereal aisle in the local grocery store, and I saw this: Image via Wikipedia A little light flashed in my brain. How awesome would it be to bake chocolate cookies with little chocolate chip cookies in them? Naturally, I had to find out. I bought a box and brought it home. Then a month of Holidays got in the way, and it wasn't until last week that I had time to bake for fun and try new recipes. That's when I finally made these. Then the naming dilemma really kicked in. I … [Read more...]
Apple Cherry Layered Crumb Cake (Kugel)
Remember the Kugel Quandary I had recently? Well, in case you were not yet confused about kugel, here we go. Honestly, I am highly uncertain about posting this recipe as a kugel. It's a cake, really. But when it comes down to it, a sweet kugel (such as this one) is really nothing but a great excuse to eat dessert halfway through your meal. And how can anyone not like that? To avoid confusion, I am going to call this a cake, going forward. Call it a sailboat if you want. The important thing is that you make it and thoroughly enjoy it. Now, a little bit of background on this cake. A number of years ago, just before a holiday, my father came down with a nasty infection and had to be … [Read more...]
Mocha Cheesecake with Oreo Crumb Crust
Note: the pictures on this post don't do the dessert justice- at all! Please trust me on this one- this recipe is delicious, easy to make and even impressive. I've mentioned before that I occasionally get cooking or baking ideas into my head and can't get them out- until I find out how good they might be. Yesterday's Eureka moment came while I was at work. (Yes, on a Sunday. No, I am not insane, nor a workaholic. Ok...maybe a tad of both.) It wasn't until later at night that I was able to get into the kitchen to start tinkering. That's when the first disaster struck. Ok, it was (thankfully) the only disaster, but it was pretty bad. The lid to my food processor was missing. Yes, the very … [Read more...]
Puff Pastry Apple Pie Cups with Crumb Topping
Lets try a little pop quiz, shall we? 1) Are you one of those people who is terrified of making real old fashioned pie crust? 2) Do you simply not have time to make a pie crust, roll it out, and prepare a proper pie? 3) Do you have an over-abundance of delicious fresh apples this fall, and need a great way to use some? 4) Do you enjoy simple, easy and seasonal desserts? If you answered yes to one of more of the above questions, you will love this recipe. It's as simple as buying some puff pastry, peeling and dicing some apples, and making a simple crumb topping. Really, it's that simple. Besides, who doesn't love single serve desserts? Puff Pastry Apple Pie Cups with Crumb … [Read more...]
Bakery Style Cookies
A recent comment on Twitter by my friend pointed out that the last three cookie recipes I posted involved rolling the balls in something before baking. "Too complicated", she complained. "How about a cookie recipe that uses 4 or five ingredients?" As soon as she said that, I knew I'd be posting these delicious cookies. The dough involves just three ingredients, and takes minutes to throw together. The end result is a soft, almost flaky cookie that will make you nostalgic for the sprinkle covered bakery cookies of your childhood. These cookies are endlessly versatile. While they are hot out of the oven, they are soft and somewhat pliable, so you can press something into the cookies (as I … [Read more...]