15 Jan
TWD: Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte
Posted by Chelle as Cheesecake, Tuesdays with Dorie | 30 Comments
This week’s Tuesdays With Dorie recipe was the Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte, which I couldn’t wait to tackle because cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite desserts. The crust is a thick shortbread-butter-type crust (pure heaven for a girl in love with crust!), with a layer of berry jam (I used red raspberry) spread over it, and topped with a cream cheese filling. I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful this dessert is. I guess admitting that I ate a piece for breakfast would be an indication, right? Aside from being delicious, this also has a very elegant look and would be a perfect dessert choice for a dinner party or special occasion.
Please take note that the top of the torte isn’t supposed to be THAT brown. I have a feeling that the oven temperature is off (I have an oven thermometer on my shopping list), so as a result it over-browned a bit. However, the flavor definitely wasn’t sacrificed - it was still smooth and silky.
I also learned something new while baking this torte. Up until now I had always thought of a torte as a high, layered cake, so I was curious as to why this particular cake would be referred to as a “torte”. So off to Wikipedia I went. I learned that the word “torte” is actually derived from the Italian word “torta” which was used to describe a round cake or bread. So much for my assumptions!
Head on over to Quirky Cupcake and Abby Sweets to see the tortes made by Laurie and April!
Check back next Tuesday to see Perfection Pound Cake.
Last week: Quintuple Chocolate Brownies
13 Jan
Happy 1st Birthday Einstein!
Posted by Chelle as Dog Treats | 0 Comments
Tomorrow marks Einstein’s 1st birthday, and I thought we would celebrate today by giving him a birthday cake to enjoy 
Einstein managed to inhale his piece of cake in under 3 seconds, so I think he was pleased with his first birthday cake.
Here are some pictures of the birthday boy enjoying his cake:
11 Jan
Homemade Bread - There’s Nothin’ Better!
Posted by Chelle as Yeast Breads & Baked Goods | 21 Comments
It’s true, isn’t it? Nothing smells better than fresh baked bread wafting from the oven, and that first taste of soft warm bread and hard crust is like heaven. After watching Alton Brown make some bread on Good Eats the other night, I have been craving a warm, crusty loaf of homemade bread. And so today was bread baking day. The recipe that I used for this bread makes two loaves, which was just perfect. I made one regular, plain white loaf. The other I transformed into a knock-off of my grandma’s famous Bacon Cheese Bread. Usually around different holidays she will make bread with crumbled bacon and Romano or Parmesan cheese in it. It’s one of my favorite things that she makes and so I decided to make my own.
In that Good Eats episode Alton gave a great tip for getting dough to rise - put the dough in the oven (not turned on) and on the rack beneath it place a pan that has just been filled with piping hot water. With the oven door closed the steam from the water will create the humidity needed for a good dough rise. It worked wonderfully - my dough rose perfectly!
I also did a good bit of research on the best way to store homemade bread, and what I found out was that it’s pretty near impossible to keep fresh homemade bread from going stale or moldy in a few days because it does not contain any preservatives. The vast majority of the advice I found suggested slicing the bread and then, holding the loaf together as one, wrap the bread in a cling wrap, and then again in foil and store in the freezer. You can easily then take out as much as you want and let it thaw. This has been found to be better than keeping out on the counter (goes moldy quickly) or in the refrigerator (it gets dried out).
09 Jan
Banana Muffins
Posted by Chelle as Quick Breads/Muffins/Scones | 16 Comments
I have been making these banana muffins for quite a few years now and they are always a hit. They are very moist, extremely sweet, and have a wonderful banana flavor. The original recipe comes with a mascarpone cheese frosting, but I never use it because, well, #1 - that seems more cupcake-ish than muffin-ish, and #2 - I think they are definitely good enough without it. If any of you have some tips on how to convert this recipe to a cake, I’d love to hear it! I’m not very good at that sort of thing yet 
I typically make a batch of these and wrap them individually and freeze them. When I want one we just pop it in the microwave. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do
08 Jan
TWD: Quintuple Chocolate Brownies
Posted by Chelle as Brownies & Bars, Chocolate, Tuesdays with Dorie | 24 Comments
For our second week of Tuesdays With Dorie, it was my turn to choose the recipe that we would tackle. After poring over endless possibilities, my eyes kept going back to the Quintuple Chocolate Brownies. I was pretty sure, upon reading the recipe, that I might go into sugar shock when I took my first bite. Sugar headaches be damned, my mind was made up - these would be our next Dorie adventure!
The 5 types of chocolate found in these brownies: unsweetened cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.
Wow, when mixing together this batter I think I got a hand cramp. Okay, that might be an exaggeration, but this was by far the thickest batter I have ever made for brownies. Any wavering I may have had on the notion that they might not be as rich as their name indicates went right out the window! Once in the oven, these gave off the most decadent, rich, chocolate aroma. I felt like I was in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory! These brownies were easy to throw together (no KA needed!), and taste absolutely fabulous. Bonus - they look gorgeous as well! Small is good with these babies - just a nibble will satisfy even the most needy sweet tooth!
The only thing that I think I would do differently here is instead of a white chocolate glaze I would make more of a solid layer of white chocolate on top, such that you would find on peppermint bark. To do this I would simply remove the heavy cream from the recipe and spread just melted white chocolate on top of the brownie. There is nothing wrong with the glaze as is - it’s very good! - just a personal preference for a thicker layer
We have now formed a trio of Dorie experimenters, with April from Abby Sweets joining us as well! Head on over to her blog to see her take on Tuesdays with Dorie each week.
Stay tuned next week for… Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte
Last week: Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
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