TWD: Real Buttersctoch Pudding

The recipe for this week is Real Butterscotch Pudding (found on page 386 of Baking: From My Home to Yours) was selected by Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases. Mr. Gooch was very excited to have me make this recipe. You see, friends of our had come to visit and had left behind some single malt scotch so we had all the ingredients on hand.

All the ingredients came together well, but it did make a mess. Apparently my food processor was not large enough and liquid leaked out. I also thought that the back and forth with the food processor that was a bit of a pain, mainly due to it leaking after every switcharoo. (Sidenote: I can't wait until Santa brings me an immersion blender for Christmas.) It smelled good simmering in the pan and had a great color making you think of butterscotch or caramel.

However, the recipe was a half fail. I say half because the pudding didn't set...AT ALL. It was just a thick cream consistency. However, it tasted amazing. So we ended up using the half-fail cream like a sauce over french vanilla ice cream. (Thus the photo at the top of this post.) It was very yummy. The perfect way to end a meal.

TWD: Lizner Sables

No Tuesdays with Dorie Linzer Sables for me this week, though you can find the recipe on page 134 and 135 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.

This week I need to make cookies that will ship well as part of Baking GALS and unfortunately this cookie is not one of those types.

However, if shipping is not a concern and you are looking for a beautiful cookie for your holiday dessert spread. This is the cookie for you.

Look for a post on Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies next week (pages 146 and 147). This cookie fits my needs for shipping.

TWD: Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

No Tuesdays with Dorie for me this week. I am not a fan of nuts in my food and with that being an intergral part of this week's recipe, I have to take a pass.

For those here in the U.S., hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

For my other readers, don't forget to put Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours on your holiday gift list.

TWD: Arborio Rice Pudding

***I can't believe I screwed up. I had a draft of my TWD post ready to go last Tuesday and put in the wrong date to post. Ugh! This is what happens when I don't put things in my Outlook Calendar.***

This week on Tuesdays with Dorie, the recipe for Arborio Rice Pudding (found on pages 412-413 of Baking: From my Home to Yours) was selected by Isabelle of Les gourmandises d’Isa. Visit her blog to get this week's recipe.

First I have to say that I didn't actually eat this week's recipe. I don't like rice pudding. Mr. Gooch is another story, however. He was so excited to find out I was going to be making one of his favorite desserts. Since his favorite flavors is vanilla, that is the only version I made. Add a little cinnamon and, according to Mr. Gooch, you have a perfect finish to a meal.

Having never made rice pudding before, I couldn't tell you how it compares to others, but it did seem to take FOREVER for the milk to thicken. And even after I don't even know how long, it still wasn't that thick.

But I would make it again since Mr. Gooch seemed to enjoy it.

TWD: Kugelhopf

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is Kugelhopf. Selected by Yolanda of The All-Purpose Girl, the recipe can be found on pages 61-63 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.

I will admit that I was a bit worried about this one. The yeast, several risings and comments from other bakers on the website all combined to make my stress level rise quite a bit. (All puns intended.)

Turns out my fears were for naught. The ingredients can together easily (if a bit stickily), the rising was time consuming but allowed me to get other things done around the house and the baking went just according to the directions.

Due to the several of the comments on the board regarding some bitterness , I added vanilla to the butter to be soaked into the baked cake and I put a bit more than a dusting of confectioners sugar. I think these changes added a level of sweetness to the cake that counteracted any bitterness in the cake.

However, it was a lot of work for a cake that tasted similar to other cakes I have made. Maybe if I added more raisins or other fruit (maybe dried apricots or cranberries), orange zest or some other addition. It just seemed to need something more.

All in all, I am glad I made this dish. We will enjoy it for breakfast tomorrow.

Now Mr. Gooch is so excited for next week's recipe Arborio Rice Pudding. He is a huge fan.

Now that you have read my review of Kugelhopf, visit Tuesdays With Dorie to check out the posts from other bakers.

TWD: Rugelach

photo source: Wikipedia

This week on Tuesdays with Dorie, the group is making Rugelach (on pages 150 and 151 in Baking: From My Home to Yours).

Selected by Piggy of Piggy’s Cooking Journal, Rugelach is a Jewish pastry of Ashkenazic origin. The name is a Yiddish diminutive form of the Hebrew, רוגלית (roglìt), meaning "creeping vine," perhaps because of the rolled-up shape of the cookie.

It can be made with a cream cheese dough (like the version in the book), though the dough is more typically pareve (no dairy ingredients), so that it can be eaten with or after a meat meal and still be kosher. The different fillings can include raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, chocolate, marzipan, poppy seed, or apricot preserves which are rolled up inside.

Sounds good right? I bet you are wondering why I have all this info on Rugelach and I don't have my own photo and review of the recipe.

Well, my schedule got away from me this weekend and I didn't have time to make this recipe. I am excited for Kugelhopf next week and Mr. Gooch is aquiver with anticipation of the rice puddings.

Make sure to visit Tuesdays with Dorie to see other bakers results, reviews and modifications of this week's recipe.

TWD: Chocolate-Chocolate Brownies

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie*** recipe was Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes (page 215-217 in the fabulously delicious cookbook "Baking: From My Home to Yours") was selected by Clara of I Heart Food4Thought.

When I saw the title of this recipe I was thrilled. I LOVE chocolate. My husband can tell you that it could be considered my downfall. This recipe had it all: cocoa powder, melted chocolate, chocolate ganache frosting. My mouth watered just looking at the picture in the book.

I was so pleased with my results. What I mean is, I was thrilled with results of the cupcake photo shoot. It shows the shininess of the frosting and makes the cupcake look so tempting. The cake stand that has been in my husband's family for years event looks great.

The reality of the cupcake taste was less thrilling. They were dry. I had seen some of the comments on the Tuesdays with Dorie blog and so made sure to thoroughly cream the butter and watched the time in the oven. Neither of these things seemed to help. This was the first of the TWD recipes that I wasn't thrilled with. But that is what make this group so nice, I know that next week we will move onto something totally new.

Please note: the dryness didn't stop my husband and I from eating them all. We managed to polish them off in just two days.

***If you are interested in joining Tuesdays with Dorie, DO SO QUICKLY. No new members will be accepted after October 31.***

TWD: Pumpkin Muffins

No Tuesdays with Dorie for me this week.

While I am sure that the Pumpkin Muffins chosen by Kelly of Sounding My Barbaric Gulp are amazing (as are all of Dorie's recipes), I just am not a fan of pumpkin.

I even wrote a post about my lack of love for the that particular vegetable earlier this month, click here to read those random thoughts.

I will be totally on board next week for the Chocolate-Chocolate Brownies however. Nothing can keep me away from a recipe containing chocolate. Unless is contains pumpkin. :-)

Visit TWD to see other baker's blogs and learn more about Kelly and her baking background.

TWD: Lenox Almond Biscotti

This week for Tuesdays with Dorie, Gretchen of Canela & Comino chose Lenox Almond Biscotti. A great (and totally) tasty pick.

When I told Mr. Gooch that I was planning on making this recipe, he thought I said Lemon Almond Biscotti. At that point he said it sounded frou frou and if I was going to "man it up" by adding some ground glass or broken nails. He thinks that biscotti is slightly girly.

However, this recipe changed his mind. My new nickname is "Hotti Biscotti" because of it . So thank you Gretchen and Dorie.

Back to the recipe review. This was an easy recipe to follow.

The ingredients came together easily and quickly (just another reason I love my Kitchen Aide Mixer) without much mess.

I did have to bake the "loaves" about 10 minutes more than the recipe but I think that is because my oven is a bit off.

It loaves were easy to cut and stand up after the first baking for the second round in the oven. The final product was crispy and more than enough for many breakfasts and coffee breaks.

I ended up making 2 batches. One as written and one with dried cranberries added. I have to say I prefer the batch with the cranberries. It adds just a bit of tartness to the sweet flavor of the dough. (Note: Mr. Gooch says the cranberry version doesn't go as well with a Cinnamon Dolce Latte as the original version.)

I do wonder what these would taste like if you toasted the almonds first before adding to the dough? I think it would add a stronger nutty taste that would compliment the cranberries. Guess I will have to add that to the list of recipe modifications to try.

Visit TWD to see other baker's blogs and learn more about Gretchen and her baking background.

TWD: Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake

This week's recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake suggested by Tammy of Wee Treats by Tammy sounded very tasty but every time I got ready to make this, we got a call from the realtor that someone wanted to see the house. Sticky caramel and needing a pristine kitchen do not go together so this recipe will have to be added to the "Have to Make Sometime in the Future" list.

But I am looking forward to Lenox Almond Biscotti and Chocolate-Chocolate Cupakes.

Watch for posts reviewing those recipes in the coming weeks.

See you next Tuesday for the Biscotti.

TWD: Creme Brulee

This week with Tuesday's With Dorie, Mari from Mevrouw Cupcake selected Creme Brulee and my husband was thrilled. Creme Brulee is one of his favorite desserts. I, however, have not been a huge fan.

That may be changing as a result of this recipe, which I found to be quite tasty. This version was smooth, creamy and vanilla-y and not at all like the stiffer versions I have tried in several restaurants. Mr. Gooch was both impressed at the results and looking forward to his next serving.

Logistically, the ingredients came together quickly and easily, and the directions were clear and easy to follow. Here are my little brulees ready to go into the oven.

My only problem with it was the cooking time. It needed to cook for much longer than the 50-60 minutes in the directions. I am not even sure how long it look as I stopped keeping track after 80 minutes.

TWD: Dimply Plum Cake

This week on Tuesday's with Dorie Dimply Plum Cake, selected by Michelle of Bake-en, is the highlighted recipe. Found on page 41 of Baking: From My Home to Yours, this is an easy and tasty cake.

I am a fan of the plum, though this is the first time I have baked with them. I usually just eat them. I also have never had a prune plum in it's unshriveled version. So this recipe has a few firsts for me.

The ingredients were all currently in my cupboard or fridge (with the exception of the plums).

The steps were very easy to follow.

The only differences in my version of the recipe were I deleted the cardomon and used a round pan since I couldn't find my square pan. As a result of this modification, I placed my plums in a circular pattern.

TWD: No Chunkers for Me

With Mr. Gooch and I up to our eyeballs in house projects, there will be no Tuesdays with Dorie this week. So the Chocolate Chunkers selected by Claudia at Fool for Food will have to be added to my list of recipes yet to make.

However there is a light at the end of the tunnel on the putting the house on the market front so I am looking forward to the Dimply Plum Cake next week. Mr. Gooch is already excited about the Creme Brulee (his favorite dessert) for the week of the 30th.

TWD: Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops

This is my first go around with Tuesdays with Dorie. And the recipe, chosen by Rachel at Confessions of a Tangerine Tart couldn't have been a more appropriate. I LOVE malted anything. As Mr. Gooch knows, I always have to get a malted shake whenever it is on the menu. Mmmmmm, malted shake.

Sorry, got sidetracked dreaming about the tasty chocolate malts at one of our local restaurants. Now back to the how the recipe came together.

This is an easy recipe to follow. The ingredients are easy to find and come together quickly and without much fuss. What makes this cookie so fabulous is the combination of malt, semi-sweet chocolate chunks and, of course, the malt ball. The texture is slightly cakey with the carmeliness (is that a word?) of the melted malt balls with just a bit of crunchiness from those malt pieces that didn't melt completely. Just writing about it makes me want to head over to the kitchen to get another one.

The batter is thick so I used a cookie scoop to place the batter on the parchment lines cookie sheet.

One note: I cut the whoppers in half versus chopping them into smaller pieces. I think this helped with keeping some of the pieces intact in the baking process.


The final product smells amazing and tastes the same.


The recipe makes about 30 cookies, which is way too many for just the two of us. So I made 1/2 the batch and froze the rest in cookie sized balls. The plan is to save them in the freezer so we can just pop them in the toaster oven whenever we need a chocolate cookie fix.

Can't wait for next week's recipe, chose by Claudia of Fool for Food, Chocolate Chunkers. Watch for an update next week.