Chockablock Cookies

This weeks recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie is Chockablock Cookies and it was chosen by Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet. What is a chockablock cookie you ask? Well, it's a cookie that's stuffed with just about anything you can think of. I used pecans, chocolate chips, coconut, and dried apricots in mine. I changed the recipe just a bit by using dark karo syrup instead of molasses. I wasn't sure about how all the flavors would be together but, hey it worked. We all loved them. They are even better the next day. I just made half a batch and now I wished I had more. Thanks Mary for picking this recipe.

Sweet Cream Biscuits for TWD

Biscuits have always been on the southern table. They are made from simple ingredients that are found in the pantry and can be whipped up in a jiffy. Biscuits are a staple for breakfast but they can be found at every meal and they make a good snack when you add a little jam. They may come from humble beginnings but you can add a thin slice of salty country ham and you have a treat fit for a king.

Just because biscuits are simple doesn't mean they are easy. Biscuits can scare even experienced cooks. If you aren't careful they can come out of the oven flat and hard as a brick.

The best advice I have been given for making great biscuits is use White Lily Flour and have a very gentle hand when working with them.

I have made biscuits many times but never without using shortening. This weeks recipe calls for only cream.. I have to admit that I was very skeptical. The biscuits mixed up easily and looked like any other recipe that I have used. The mixture was light and easy to handle. I was able to pat it out without using a rolling pin.

I use White Lily flour so I was a little concerned when I read Dorie's comments about needing to add more flour when using it. I decided to start with the 2 cups the recipe called for and see what happened. I added one cup of milk and still had a very dry mixture. I needed to add about 1/3 cup milk to get the mixture to look right. I didn't need to add any extra flour and thought the biscuits came out great. They had a nice rise and the texture was very nice. I saw very little

difference in these and my regular biscuits.

My husband and I had these Sunday night. I fixed breakfast for dinner. We really liked these biscuits with apple butter. Yummy. I froze the rest to have with sausage gravy this weekend. Did you know that sausage gravy has magical powers? It has been known to bring home roaming children home from all over the country. It works every time.

Thanks to Melissa of Love at First Bite for picking this great recipe.

TWD-Swedish Visiting Cake

This weeks recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie is Swedish Visiting Cake. The best way to describe this cake is easy, easy, easy. It takes only about five minutes to stir it up and about 25 minutes to bake. And even better you just use one bowl and no mixer. The only thing I would change is maybe cutting down a bit on the almond extract.

I love anything made in an iron skillet. It just seems so homey. You feel like everything is right with the world, like going back to your grandmother's kitchen. My grandmother had a cake very similar to this. She called it her little butter cake. She could transform it many different desserts. She would use it for her strawberry shortcake or add a pecan, butter, and cinnamon topping and she had a great coffee cake. Add a brown sugar sauce and she had a quick dessert. She could make a great pineapple upside down cake using this recipe. But my all time favorite was her banana upside down cake. Yum yum. This cake, warm from the oven with a spoonful of whipped cream was heavenly. I need to make this cake soon.

Thanks to Nancy of The Dogs Eat the Crumbs for choosing this great recipe. Please be sure to check out her blog for the recipe. She has a great site, you'll love it.