Sub 100 temperatures: I missed you, Fall.

Tax Free Weekend, Back to School, Football Preseason...Fall is here, friends, and even though Austin, Texas is repping the Summer weather, I. Am. Ready.

I always am, but for the 18 years that I have lived South of the Dee Eff Dub, I have consistently been shocked that it's still so dadgum hot.

And so, to prepare for the cold fronts I am manifesting, I have done the following.

I traversed over to the Mecca only to stumble upon a new Austin transplant named Hannah who dressed me head to toe in endless outfits that I could never in my wildest imagination come up with.  I think I'm stylish when I wear more than one bracelet.  I walked out with this dress of which Devin said I looked like the church organ player from his Baptist childhood memories.  I returned it, but these I shalt not return. 

They are gorgeous and I can only assume Dr. Scholls' hip, trendy, great niece created the innards because I swear I could Prancercise in these blister free.

Secondly, I bought this.

Because I'll be able to wear it in 6 months for a good, solid 2-3 weeks.  Reasonable.

I think it's fair to say I'm drooling over all sorts of things for my kitchen...because if you gave me $1000 to spend, I would probably spend $950 on my kitchen, $12.95 on a new bone for Bird, and the rest on clothes.  I'm loving the plums and mustards that Sur la table has out, and I want every ghost and leaf and pumpkin cookie cutter ever made.  I decided to welcome Fall into my home yesterday with a little gluten free baking sesh- Pumpkin Apple Muffins in some super cute and unique papers from some expensive baking supply store Marshalls.

If you can avoid it for the rest of your life, don't make a tart from scratch.

In an effort to move right along on one of the things on my list of 28 things to do before I'm 28, I have been a baking machine since January.  And what I have learned is that when you bake everything in a Baked cookbook, you learn all kinds of hard bakey things.

This week, I made a tart.  I made an Orange Dreamsicle tart from scratch.

Tarts are hard.

There was all kinds of gelling, freezing, cooling, cooking with beans, cooking without beans, cooling, freezing, waiting 4 hours.

This blasted tart took me all day.

But then there was this

And it was to. die. for.

I wish every day was Sunday

Last week I made Baked's Sunday Night Cake.

It came out PERFECTLY even though Devin thought I iced the cake to the plate.

Not true.  The recipe SAID to do it this way.

It was so super easy to make.

The icing is a chocolate pudding icing.  I've never made it before, but I think I can claim pro status on this.

Also, while mixing this cake, my brain (and my mind- someone name the movie) went on autopilot and tilted the mixer up and then turned it on.  

Batter everywhere.

Not so pro status, but hilarious.

Yum!

Baking Redemption

New York Style Crumb Cake

I have been forgiven for the whoopie pie failure.

Blubies

Note to self:

 When it says 2 cups of blueberries 

It means 2 cups.

Not "Hey, Steph, ignore this and put the whole bag in.

Yeah, it does not mean 3 1/2 cups.

Which may or may not result in blue muffins.

Adapted from here.  Like majorly adapted.  Like I pretty much ignored the recipe.

This is a Loaded Post. Prepare yourself.

My girlfriend's birthday was yesterday, so I wanted to deliver her something super colorful and bright with a wine theme.  Because she digs the vino.

I just wrapped a wine bottle in raffia. With some tacky glue.  This was specifically called Hollywood Raffia.  I guess because it is shiny?
Random fact: my parents wanted to name me Holly.  But then my name would have been Holly Wood.  Thank you for not doing that and thus making middle school even more awkward.

Happy Birthday to my #1 She-ruby!

And in completely unrelated news, remember the asian chicken?
We beefed it up.

And it was incredible.

And then I stayed up until midnight baking Monkey Bubble Bread aka thebesthingIhaveeverbaked aka totallyworththelackofsleep aka IloveyouKitchenAidemixerandBakedcookbook.

aka YourewelcomeBiblestudygroup.

Orange Bundt Cake of Bliss

When I saw "Mom's Orange Olive Oil Cake" in thebestcookbookgiftever,  I was all, "Woah, woah, woah, woah...woah...woah...woah...woah.  Lois...this is not my Batman cup". 

Name the show.

Random side note- I found out in baking this that one of my least favorite things to do, like, ever, is beating egg whites to a stiff peak.  Longest. Process. Ever.

But worth it.

Ok, anyway, where was I...I don't think anyone thinks anything delightful when they see Olive Oil as the main, like big time main, ingredient in a cake.  It just doesn't sound right.

But if this isn't right, I don't know what is.

Let's try that again.

Happy Monday!

Like a cow patty...in a good way.

  

They're called Cowboy Cookies.

They are my first recipe to bake from this.

They have things like oats, pretzels, dark brown sugar, espresso...

And they taste like NOTHING I have ever had before. Friggin' yum.

Devin had 3 before I could even put money on how many he would eat.

I think my Baked cookbook and I are beginning a very beautiful friendship.

Ze Exchange o de Cookies

I went to my first cookie exchange this week!  

I had great plans to bake the cookies Tuesday night and make them perfect like Martha...but then we made dinner plans with Devin's friend and drank wine and stayed up late and then I'm all forget the freakin' cookies.  

I woke up and baked before the rooster even crowed.

We don't have a rooster.  

Oh but my great grandma did in her backyard and when we went over there we would have to sprint to the trampoline so the rooster wouldn't peck our ankles and the bull dogs wouldnt tackle us.  That rooster was as tall as I was.  

Kind of makes me want one.

What in sam hill was I saying?

Cookies.  

It amazes me how some of these posts progress.  

Cookies to roosters.  I need medical help.  And a rooster for Christmas.

So my first cookie exchange! 

 

The goods.  Check out that spread!  Someone explain a cookie exchange to me...because we got there and oo-ed over the cookies and then we were kind of like...so what do we do?

 

Amy made the prettiest cookies.  And they were so good!  And she doesn't even like them. 

Makes total sense.

I brought a couple of each home to my bottomless pit of a man.  His favorite were the cranberry pecan shortbread...which happened to be mine.

So now I have baking fever.  If anyone has any ohmygoshsogood cookie recipes, send them my way!

Dare to...be sick and not make cookies

I am really lame this year for Kim's Dare to Do It Yourself thing.

This week is Dare to Eat Cookies.

I, however, have felt under the weather since Wednesday night, and the sick bug has slowly made his home in my lungs (just like the Mucinex commercial), so I thought it would be best not to make an entire batch of cookies with a 13th ingredient of otorhinolaryngitis (which translates to ear nose and throat inflammation which actually is not a word/term...but otorhinolarygology is.  There is your medical terminology lesson for the day).

So, I bring you my Dare to Eat Cookies from last year.

Ready go.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter: A marriage designed by God.

No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe at Buns In My Oven. 

She adapted another recipe that called for 1 c butter (she uses 3/4).  I used Land O The Lakes light butter, and I don’t think you need as much as it calls for.  If you’re concerned.  1/2 c. should do.

Also, because I was not meant to be a baker, I used old fashion oats (which, for the record, baking recipes usually call for) instead of quick oats.  So it turned out more like goat food.  But, like, delicious goat food.

Happy Monday.

Quite possibly the most unhealthy post on this blog...but oh so good.

Bakerella.  Do you read it?

I don't regularly (until now!), but I did the other day and holy transfats, Batman!! 

2 words: pillow cookies.

They didn't look like they would really work, so I had to make them to make sure that Bakerella was not leading us all on.  That's the only reason I made them.  Just doing my part for our country.

I made them to eat them and you know it.

Uh. what do you mean that cookie dough looks too good to have been made by me?

Busted.

shove that brownie morsel into the cookie, then roll the dough around it

 

Pour glass of milk.  Serve.

You can get the recipe here.

Happy Monday!

You can eat 4 of these cookies, think about a 5th, and not feel guilty….unless you’re someone who never feels guilty about eating 4 cookies…DC.

 

I try to make these cookies about once a month. 

They are from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters.  If you haven’t picked this up yet, you should.  Very interesting with tons of good recipes- Everything we have made from this book has been fantastic.

These cookies go great with coffee, they’ll satisfy your sweet tooth, and you can put whatever you want in them.  With this batch, DC is averaging 5 a day.  1 before breakfast, 1 after, 2 at lunch, 1 at night.  It would be more, but my mom brought cupcakes over this weekend.  He has to space it all out.

Anyway, the recipe!

1/2 c. peanut oil or vegetable oil, or 8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (I use Land of the Lakes light butter- it’s still not fantastic, but it’s about 1/3 everything of regular butter)

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. applesauce, or 2 eggs

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

2 c. rolled oats (it says not instant but I use instant and they’re still amaze)

1 c. dried fruit- This is pretty much where I say forget the recipe and add so much deliciousness in the bowl that I think I could make 64 dozen cookies with one batch.

I do tons of raisins or craisins or both because DC says he can never have too many in a cookie

1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (I do walnuts and I do waaaaay more than 1/2 a cup)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (more, please)

pinch of salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 c. milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I just realized I forgot this for this batch- my mom is rolling her eyes and laughing at me, but guess what!  The cookies are still delish)

Hokay, so, mix the softened butter and sugars together, then add the applesauce or eggs and mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and the next 6 ingreeds together

Alternating between the flour mixture and the milk, add them to the sugar mixture until mixed well

Add the vanilla, mix

Spoon onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes (I did mine for 14 because our apartment oven is bunk).

Cool 1 minute on the pan, then completely cool on a cooling rack.

Hide 1/2 the batch for yourself.

Devour.

The Snozberries Taste Like Snozberries!

Name the movie.

Short and simple…I made this Lemon Snozberry Blueberry Pound Cake.

I love cake like this because it is delish with coffee.

and I love coffee.

and even better…

it’s from Cooking Light.

I used less sugar, more lemon, light cooking butter, frozen blueberries (thawed and drained), and fat free sour cream.  So basically nothing the recipe recommended.

But, Devin can’t stop eating it.  Always a good sign.

fatty fatty fail.

I’ve been doing a lot of baking lately. Husband hates it while he is training for his RACE AGAINST LANCE IN 3 DAYS!!!! but I love to do it. I just can’t stop and as a result, Devin feels like a fatty fatty no friends. Just don’t eat it, you might say? He would say erroneous.

One of the reasons I love to bake is this.

When I posted this picture, I made a high-pitched VROOOOOOOOOOOM sound. Out loud. Reminds me of this guy. This was our wedding gift from OV06. Tell me that thing is not your dream appliance and I’ll call you a liar. Best gift ever.

Do you see my cute apron in that picture?

Ok back to whatever I was posting about.

I made some sweet potato bread and it was delish dot com

The ingreeds. Or most of them. That’s one honkin’ sweet potato! Yum.

And behold.

How’s that for a step by step instruction?

Fine.

Here’s the recipe from Cooking Light

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 c fat free cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey (I added a bit more)

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 cup mashed sweet potato

cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Combine flax, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Beat cream cheese and next 5 ingredients, stir in sweet potato. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

3. Spoon batter into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

It should look perfect like mine. Ha!! I drizzled some honey on top. Devin liked his warm with cinnamon and sugar on it. I liked mine with coffee because I like everything with coffee.

So, what sort of transition can I use for the next item on this post?

How about this: sometimes I am the worst baker in the history of the United States of America.

I was looking through one of the cookbooks I got as a wedding gift. My good friend, Janice, (you may remember her from the hot sauce post) gave me her family favorites cookbook and I found a recipe for pumpkin cookies. Pumpkin cookies! How different! How fun! HOW I LOATHE THEM!!!

Ingreeds. Looks fun, right?! WRONG.

Just minding my business, following the recipe, being super excited for pumpkin cookies.

Then I go to roll it out…and…

Yeah. Sick me out. No amount of flour could have made this dough stop sticking to everything it touched. Martha wouldn’t even know what to do, I guarantee it.

Have I mentioned that the pictures here are of the THIRD TIME I TRIED TO MAKE THESE DADGUM COOKIES?!?! So, I wasn’t about to waste this third (and final) batch. I threw that slop in a pan and cooked it like a cake.

And then I informed Devin that he had to taste it.

So he smells it first?

The “make a funny face so she doesn’t think I hate it”

and then I didn’t get the the picture of the projectile vomiting.

Janice, if I were you, I would kick whoever submitted this recipe into your family secrets cookbook OUT OF THE FAMILY.

I’m just bitter that I can’t bake. Actually, people, I can bake. It’s just that pumpkin cookies with delicious orange glaze icing don’t actually exist. Oh, Lord love a duck…I do not lie to you…as I was writing this, Real Simple Magazine emailed me a recipe for pumpkin cookies.

They’re liars.

Me- 0, Pumpkin cookies- 3.