Monday, March 30, 2009

TWD: Coconut Butter Thins








I love cookies. Love to make 'em, love to eat 'em. I have only made, however, the simple, basic cookes. Shortbread is new to me. My cookies weren't pretty, but they sure were delicious! The hint of lime with the coconut and macadamias is a perfect flavor combination. The cookie is soft and buttery; a melt-in-your-mouth kind of texture. The raw dough was delicious, too.

I forgot to fork the dough before baking the cookies. Perhaps that's why the square shape kind of stayed in the center while the edges spread out (?) I decided to dress them up with some white chocolate; which would have been a good idea had I not applied too much white chocolate to the cookies. It ended up overpowering their delicate flavor and texture. A drizzle, though, would have been lovely. A big thanks to Jayne of The Barefoot Kitchen Witch for selecting this wonderful recipe!

Monday, March 23, 2009

My First TWD: Blueberry Crumb Cake




I'm very happy to post that I'm now part of the very sweet, awesome Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD). Blueberry Crumb Cake was the first recipe since I became a member...at least I think I'm a member.

This recipe was very anticipated in my house since blueberry coffee cake is one of my husband's favorites.  Dorie did not disappoint!  My husband declared it the best crumb topping he's ever had.  That's high praise from a food writer.
One of the things I enjoyed in this selection was combining the lemon zest with the sugar.  It smelled and tasted amazing.  Also, the nutmeg within the coffee cake added just the right hint of spice.




As with any add-in, I tossed the blueberries in flour before folding them into the batter. (Which is also specified in the recipe.)

The only thing I will say to alter if you make the recipe is the cooking time. Mine took a lot longer to bake. I ended up covering the top with foil to keep it from over-browning as the center firmed, as I read some other TWDers did also.

The crumb cake rises significantly and is absolutely delicious. Look how tall it is!

This one will stay in my recipe rotation and be varied with other fruits or fillings. Travel on over to Befuddlement by Sihan for the recipe.