Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is the second part of the Tuesdays with Dorie anniversary party. This recipe is super simple with only four ingredients. Apples, butter, sugar, and puff pastry. It's wonderful, try it.

Happy Birthday TWD

Happy Birthday to us. Can you believe that Tuesdays with Dorie is turning 2? What a lot of wonderful things we have baked. Thank you Dorie for providing all the great recipes to make this possible. Thanks to all the fabulous bakers who make up this group. I have enjoyed every week of baking with all of you.

This weeks recipe was voted on by the group and the winner(s) were Cocoa-Buttermilk Birthday Cake and Tarte Tatin. This was really a hard choice but in the end I decided on the cake but I'm going to try to make the tart sometime soon. This made a nice 2 layer cake but I found that mine turned out to be just a bit crumbly. I added the extra bittersweet chocolate and was pleased with the chocolate flavor. After reading some of the comments about the frosting I decided to make my regular fudge frosting. The combination was very nice.



I served this cake to my family for dessert on Saturday night and they liked it but said that they preferred my regular chocolate cake that I make for birthdays. I thought that the cake was better after it set overnight.

Here's to another year of great baking.

Perfect Chocolate Frosting (adapted from Southern Living)

1 stick butter


1 cup chocolate chips (I used Hersey's special dark)


1/2 cup half and half


2 1/2 cups powdered sugar



Combine chocolate chips, half and half and butter in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Remove from heat, blend in the powdered sugar. Set saucepan in ice, beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until frosting holds its shape This will take take about 10 minutes.

TWD-Low and Luscious Chocolate Cheesecake

This weeks selection for Tuesdays with Dorie is Low and Luscious Chocolate Cheesecake and it was chosen by The Tea Lady of Tea and Scones. WOW, is all I can say about this cheesecake. This is one great cheesecake. I also believe that it may be one of the easiest cheesecake recipes that I have ever made. Lets face it cheesecake can be fussy with water baths and wrapping in foil. This recipe has none of that. Just mix the few simple ingredients in the food processor and bake. It just couldn't be easier. Dorie says that the cream cheese mixture will look like white velvet. This gives the cheesecake a smooth as silk texture. Yummy.

My husband said that this is his new favorite cheesecake and it may be mine too. Thanks again Dorie and Tea Lady for this great recipe. Hope everyone is having a great holiday season.

Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas

and a very Happy New Year

TWD-My Favorite Pecan Pie

I love pecan pie. Nothing says holiday more than a pecan pie for dessert. But while pecan pie is great it can cross the line and become too sweet and gooey. This recipe combines just the right amount of syrup and sugar for a great pie. The chocolate and cinnamon give it just a little extra zip. I decided not to add the espresso powder and thought that it tasted really good. I also cooked the pie about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for because runny pecan pie is a faux pas in my humble opinion.

I like to eat pecan pie while it is still warm. The problem with that is you can't get a pretty slice. Oh well, such is life. Thanks to Beth of Someone's in the Kitchen with Brina for choosing this wonderful recipe for this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie.

Cafe Volcano Cookies

This weeks selection for Tuesdays with Dorie is Cafe Volcano Cookies and it was chosen by Mcduff of The Lonely Sidecar. These are a very different cookie, not at all like anything that I have ever made. They are simply nuts (I used pecans and almonds) sugar, egg whites, and some instant espresso. They bake up to a cratered crispy concoction. I'm not sure if mine were a success or a failure. I forgot the coffee in the first dozen that I baked and we liked them a lot better than the ones with the coffee.

TWD Sables

Tis the season for.......COOKIES. This weeks recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie is sables and it was chosen by Barbara of Bungalow Barbara. These cookies are super easy to make. They are very buttery and crisp and similar to sugar cookies. Add a sprinkling of colored sugar and they are festive and just the right addition for all of your Christmas cookie trays. Happy Baking to all.