TWD: Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

The last TWD of 2008 and my favorite dessert of all time! So I was so excited to see the line up for December and this being on there. Anne from AnneStrawberry picked this recipe and I have her to thank for me having my last piece or pieces of cheesecake before the new year, you know when the diet kicks in...(well sort of diet...hehe) So here is why it was so amazing making this cheesecake this time...for Christmas...you ready...I got a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer!! Well me and Jason got it, but he doesn't bake, so it's mine all mine! Muwahahaha...well I do have to bake him goodies with it. So it was extra fun to make it! Well, that is, before we thought it was a "defect".

Here is the story...I got all excited and cleaned my attachments, because this was my first night I was going to be baking with my new baby. I started out making Snickerdoodles for Jason, because that is his favorite cookie and I told him that would be the first thing I make with the new mixer. (so he could benefit ya know??) So I was mixing and mixing and it started to make this funny noise, the paddle was scraping the bowl really bad. I made Jason come in there to check it out, we checked the troubleshooting part in the "owners manual" and tried to figure out why it wasn't working! I was starting to freak out in the nicest way possible. Well, we decided, that was it, we were going to have to take it back. So I cleaned everything up and thought of the bright idea to get on thenest.com and ask my cooking gals. Thanks to nestie nital and nestie moreace01, I would have returned a perfectly good mixer! So I went on to make just the Cheesecake and will make the Snickerdoodles tomorrow night!

One thing I didn't like about this recipe is that you had to put it in some kind of roaster that this little chicky doesn't have. So I skipped the water part and cooked it like I cooked my Pumpkin Cheesecake (posted below) and I think it turned out fine. I seriously couldn't find anything to put my pan down in. Oh well...just another reason to go out and find a roaster!! =]

It's 10:44 and I have just pulled my Cheesecake out of the Oven. I am going to stay up just a little while longer for it to cool and then put it in the fridge.

TWD: Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

Well, I didn't get to make the Linzer Sables last week, but I made a point to make these babies! I love sugar cookies, and this will be the recipe I always use! These were delicious! Ulkrike of Kuchenlatein got to pick this recipe this week. I made my dough on Sunday night and left it in the fridge all night and all day on Monday and rolled a few out to make just a couple to get my by this week. I was busy making my Grandmothers Chicken & Noodle recipe, that I will soon post in a few. Of course I forgot to load the pictures on my computer and will have to do it tonight! But I highly recommend these cookies to make. I cut out little Christmas shapes likes Santa, Angel, Snowman and a Tree. I can't wait to make more with the remainder of the dough. This cookbook is full of so many amazing treats, and this month we have so many amazing treats to make! I have had a blast making all the different stuff, if you want to check out the blogroll and what others Sugar Cookies look like, click here.

Will update pictures tonight...sorry...

TWD: Two-fer Pie

Ok I have been a HORRIBLE Tuesdays with Dorie-er this month. It's the holiday season and time flies. So here is one that I totally looked forward to doing. A pecan and pumpkin pie in one! That sounded amazing! The recipes this month were from

Nov 4- Rugelach by Piggy of Piggy's Cooking Journal
Nov 11- Kugelhopf by Yolanda of The All-Purpose Girl
Nov 18- Arborio Rice Pudding, White, Black (Or Both) by Isabelle of les gourmandises disa
Nov 25- Thanksgiving Twofer Pie by Vibi of La Casserole Carree

Thanksgiving Twofer pie was the only one I did this week, and I actually got to make it early since we had our amazing friend Thanksgiving party. I really enjoyed making this and wish I could have made ALL of the recipes this month. There are 5 weeks available for the month of December and LOTS and LOTS of cookies! So hopefully I can make most of them!

This pie was very much liked because it's like two great pies rolled in one! What an amazing idea. I will definitely be making this pie again, maybe start a tradition =)

TWD: Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

Clara got to choose this weeks choice from TWD cookbook. I was excited about making Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes (those are three very awesome words rolled into one recipe) Of course I had a bible study tonight so I actually get to make these and pass them on, BUT we missed our boss's birthday and conveniently made them his birthday cupcakes.

I didn't have time to make the chocolate icing, but will next time I make these awesome cupcakes. I have been involved with a Vampire you see...so HE distracted my cooking time. I've been reading an awesome book, I'm sure you've heard of it...yes it's Twilight. I am on the 3rd book right now. So I did half and half with this recipe.

The cake was very moist, and of course I always let Jason lick/eat the leftovers in the bowl. While eating he said the batter tasted like icing. I thought so too! I will definitely make these again, and loved this choice for this week. I did three out of 4 recipes this month, I am pretty proud of myself! =)

If you are interested in doing Tuesdays with Dorie, you better do it now, b/c October 31st is the cutoff to join on. It's an amazing opportunity to make stuff you've never made! Next month there are so many different choices to make that I've never ever heard of, but I am excited about trying them out. (my hips don't like me baking though) hope you all enjoy

TWD: Pumpkin Muffins

Kelly chose this weeks recipe of Pumpkin Muffins in the TWD cookbook on page 13. This is one recipe I so looked forward to doing!! I omitted the raisins and sunflower seeds because I don't really like either in baked goods. They were so delicious without them. This is a recipe I will soon make again!! It was the best time of the year to make these muffins. I do not think Jason even had a chance to get one, and I am actually not sure if he would even like them. I enjoy doing this Tuesdays with Dorie challenge every week, some weeks I am just not able to do it, but it has challenged me to make more things. I can't wait for next month, there are two things I have NEVER heard of, but I think I might tackle them. Hope you enjoy the pictures, and check out Kelly's site in the link, it very scrumptious! Enjoy!

TWD: Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake

Hmmm...the only thing that is right in my recipe is the Brownie Cake...let me explain. Let me first tell you that this recipe was chosen by Tammy her Blog is called Wee Treats , what a cute name! I had a really hard time with this recipe. Well not the brownie cake itself but the topping. I had already decided to omit the peanuts from the start and just make the caramel brownie cake. Not the biggest fan of peanuts. So I went on to make the cake, very successful in that, as you can see. It was my first time making a cake with a spring form pan, and I'm so glad I bought them!! But what Tuesdays with Dorie is doing, is making me more experimental in the baking field. This being an experiment, if I can make my own caramel. It started out great! Smelled so sweet and was so proud I was making my own caramel! But then....as I was putting in the Heavy Cream (which I put in Heavy Whipping Cream? does that make a difference) and the butter it turned brown very fast. I'm thinking I had a little burn to it? I went to taste the caramel as I transferred it over and had to spit it out! I had also just cleaned the pan, so maybe I even left the slightest bit of soap. My caramel looks the same color as all the other pictures but it sure didn't taste like caramel. So I just chucked it, I left a funny taste on the spot I put it on my mouth, I didn't know if it was supposed to taste like that or what?? Not my kind of caramel, I need to try again though. Never give up! I proceeded to eat mine with ice cream! Which the cake was very yummy and moist. It was a great pick but I just flopped in doing it. Which is alright, not everything you make in the kitchen is going to come out perfect. Trial and Error. Which this must have been an error. I really enjoying doing the Tuesdays with Dorie, but my hips don't! I don't know what I am going to do when I go on a diet, just make it try it and send it to work with Jason. This book is full of soooo many recipes and I would suggest everyone to get it!

Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours with Dorie Greenspan

TWD: Chocolate Chunkers

What a name right? "Chunkers" because they make you chunky, because they are so darn good that you want to eat the whole batch! My third week or TWD and it's cookies again! yeah! I love cookies, so I am living it up! This recipe was chosen by Claudia, Mmmmmmm good choice.

That is how I feel when I eat one of these cookies. They are probably the ugliest cookies, but they are soooo good. They have a very chewy "brownie-ish" inside texture to them. I did omit the raisins though, didn't think they sounded as good with them. There is un-sweet, bittersweet, semi-sweet and milk chocolate morsels ALL in this cookie, plus some pecans. Mmmm...I think I may grab another one. This cookbook has so many darn good recipes it's unreal. This being my favorite cookie made so far =) out of three. My pictures are not so good and do not do justice to how they really taste. I just hope my dear sweet husband might get me a "sweet" camera for my birthday or Christmas?? Anyway...cookies...ahhh, they are so good, and I totally suggest you bake these yummy goodness cookies...they definitely got the Yummy Goodness of Approval. (I don't really have one of these, but I might just start =) ENJOY!!!

TWD: Chocolate Whopper Malted Drops

Oh where do I start with these sweet treats....well how about I start about saying FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. I say that because...I burnt a batch of these sweet treats because I didn't put down my parchment paper. ::Gah! What was I thinking!:: But I still had a good time making these. Rachel from Confessions of a Tangerine Tart picked these amazing cookies and a good pick she made. I was lucky to have another church get together to make Tuesdays with Dorie cookies for...so I don't have to eat them all at home =) Here I sit in my work uniform and my apron cooking up a storm of cookies...(well burning up a storm)
This is my second week for Tuesdays with Dorie...and if you are wondering why I'm not posting the recipe to those of my local readers. It is simply because you need to go out and buy the wonderful amazing delicious book Baking: From My Home To Yours I have seen more recipes for fruits I would have NEVER imagined cooking with. It's a neat experience and though I am lucky enough to have my first two weeks cookies =) Yum! There will be more challenges for me to bake and I look forward to it! Thanks for checking out the blog and I hope you enjoy! (And join TWD and buy the book!) Enjoy!Source: Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

TWD: Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

I have just jumped on the bandwagon of Tuesdays With Dorie bakers. You bake one thing a week and then post a blog about your experience. They ask for you not to post the recipe so you will feel urged to buy the book, which is a GREAT baking book if you love to bake.


So for my first week Stephany picked Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. I was glad this was the first one I jumped in on because I love cookies! They were very easy to make and very very scrumptious. They are a mixture of three different cookies combined...Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter. I am so excited about joining this group because it will challenge me to make stuff I am too afraid to make! Buy the book and join the fun!

From Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan