Perfect Party Cake

I just want to celebrate. This weeks Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is Perfect Party Cake. I have been wanting to make this cake since I first got the book and it did not disappoint. It is a great cake. It doesn't rise a lot but I liked that because it made it very easy to work with. And did I tell you that I made butter cream!!! I read the recipe about 20 times before I started. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. I have overcome my fear of butter cream. Thanks to Carol of mix, mix… stir, stir for choosing this recipe.

Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise

This weeks recipe for Tuesday's with Dorie was Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise and it was chosen by Andrea of Andrea In The Kitchen. I was so undecided about making this recipe. The picture looked delicious but I have not always been successful with meringues. Plus it has been raining and really humid here for the past week, not the best conditions for making meringues. I had just about decided against it when I saw pineapple happened to be on sale this week at the store. OK, I guess that was a sign I need to make the Dacquoise. OK, maybe just half a recipe.

This recipe is not hard to make but it takes some time. I realized that the Dacquoise first had to cook for 3 hours but I failed to read through and see the chilling times. I baked this on Friday afternoon and didn't finish it until Sunday. I made three 6 inch square meringues and a third of the recipe for the white chocolate ganache. This makes such an elegant dessert. The broiled pineapple, ganache, and coconut were so good together!

I didn't have a problem baking the meringues. They turned out very nice. The only problem I had was toasting the coconut just a bit long. The verdict-I'm really glad that I decided to make Coconut-Roasted Pineapple Dacquoise.

Honey- Peach Ice Cream

I grew up on a farm in the 60's. Shopping trips to the large stores in the downtown area of the nearest city only came around a few times a year. At Christmas time, or when I needed new shoes, and always for back to school clothes. When I was about 7 or 8 my mother and a few of her friends and their daughters went on such a trip. I remember buying a light blue blouse that I wore to have my school picture made later that year and a new red winter coat. But what I remember most about that shopping trip was lunch. We stopped by the lunch counter at Woolworth's to eat. I don't remember anything special about lunch until it was time for dessert. Behind the counter there were mirrors everywhere with signs proclaiming the special ice cream flavor of the day. It was peach, and it looked so cool and refreshing. Everyone decided they had to have some. Everyone except me. I was a very picky eater and I only liked plain chocolate or vanilla ice cream. I was scolded by all the mothers for not trying something different. I would be missing out. I don't remember what flavor I ordered that day but I remember trying a spoonful of my mother's and I was hooked. It was cold and heavenly and picky me loved it.

This week Tommi of Brown Interior selected Honey-Peach Ice Cream for our Tuesdays with Dorie recipe. It can be found on page 437 of Baking, From my home to Yours. This is a nice recipe for ice cream. It has a velvety smooth texture. It was quick and easy and had a great peach flavor. My peaches were not all that large so I had to use 6 to have the 2 pounds. I only added one chopped peach to the mixture at the end of the freezing. The flavor and texture are even better after they blended overnight.

Bailey liked the peach ice cream too.

TWD Parisian Apple Tartlet

The recipe this week for Tuesdays with Dorie was Parisian Apple Tartlet and it was chosen by Jessica of My Baking Heart. This is about as simple as it gets. You only need apples, puff pastry, brown sugar, and butter to make this tart. The apples get a gooey caramel sauce that goes great with the buttery pastry dough. It is good eaten hot or cold. I ate mine hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Yummy.

TWD Cinnamon Squares

I was very undecided about this weeks recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie. I am not a fan of cinnamon and chocolate together so I thought that I might sit this one out. Last night I decided since I had all the ingredients and it seemed quick and easy to prepare I might as well go ahead and make it. Everything is simply whisked together. It didn't even require bringing out the mixer.

This cake does require using several mixing bowls. I have a thing for sets of mixing bowls. I just can't resist them. These Pyrex ones belonged to my grandmother and are my favorites.

My squares didn't turn out all that pretty. The chocolate sunk to the bottom and the spice layer just sort of blended into the rest of the cake. That didn't matter they tasted pretty darn good. The chocolate icing was a nice compliment for the spicy cake. They are really good with a cup of coffee. Thanks to Tracey of Tracey’s Culinary Adventures for choosing this recipe.