Tuesdays with Dorie- Parisian Apple Tartlet

So how in the world is June 9th already upon us? Time is moving so quickly, and I have very little of it this month... free time that is. That said I opted to do this recipe, even tho I knew I wasn't going to be able to make it gluten free. GASP... But knowing that I only will be free to do a couple of the TWD recipes this month, given my schedule, I had to make a go of it.


Jessica, of My Baking Heart, chose this ridiculously easy delicious treat. (*YES, I tried it .. don't judge, ok? 99.999% of the time I am so very disciplined about eating GF. But I had an "opps", as it just smelled so good! I know... someone with Celiacs disease should never eat gluten, luckily I can get away with a small cheat and not have any symptoms. Please don't mention it to my doc.. cool? thanks! ;-) ) I used Jazz apples which baked up wonderfully, perfectly tart and moist, along with the fall back of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. (again, I am short on time so had to be done). This would be a terrific dish to serve at a dinner party, and even better with some vanilla ice cream. I loved it... Now all I gotta do is figure out how to make puff pastry gf and I will be set. Please visit Jessica's delightful blog for the recipe, you will not be disappointed!

Tuesdays with Dorie- Chipster Topped Brownies

This week's TWD was chosen by Beth at Supplicious. When I first read the choice I was thinking, wow two of my favorite things together... brownies and cookies! How could this go wrong?? Then I started reading the actual recipe, and realized... holy cow... this is a heart attack in a pan. 3 1/2 sticks of butter, are you kidding me?? good god.. eek!! Forgive me, you know I love my sweets... really I do, but I also would like to keep my arteries in tack... if you know what I mean.


I made my usual substitutes for the flour... 2 part Brown or white rice flour, then 1 part tapioca flour, 1 part potato starch and some added xanthan gum. I also used semi- sweet chips for the cookies.. as it was what I had on hand. I only baked this for 55 minutes, and honestly I think it could have used an additional 15 more. It seemed to be TOO gooey, and undercooked. I can't believe I am about to say this... but this sweet was TOO rich for my taste. GASP!! (I know, try to not fall over.) It was good, but I think I like cookies and brownies separate and not together. However, it was certainly fun to give it a go & I am, of course, looking forward to trying more Dorie recipes in June! :)

Tuesdays with Dorie- Fresh Mango Bread

After a month of chocolate packed recipes for Tuesdays with Dorie, this recipe was a very refreshing change! Fresh Mango Bread, chosen by Kelly of Baking with the Boys , was a perfect summer bread. I am a major sucker for fresh fruit and veggies at this time of year, but to be honest... I generally steer away from Mangos simply because they are SUCH a bear to cut. Love the taste, hate the mess.

For my gluten free substitutes, this week I used 1 1/2cups brown rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup potato starch & a very generous teaspoon of xanthan gum. I left out the raisins (not a big fan) and used lemon zest instead of lime. I had to tent the bread after 1/2 an hour... as you can see the edges were already getting overcooked....ACK!! Next time I would add more cinnamon and ginger.... as I think it could have used a bit more spice.

This recipe really was splendid, and my coworkers devoured it in under an hour so I would call that a success. Thanks Kelly for a great choice! Check out her awesome blog... she also posted a lightened up version of the recipe which looks fab!

Tuesdays with Dorie- Chocolate Bread Pudding

This weeks Tuesdays with Dorie was chosen by Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle. To be honest I have never been a bread or rice pudding fan. I think it is a texture issue, we all have our likes and dislikes and pudding (& jello) has never been mine. BUT I have never actually made bread pudding so I thought I would give this week a go.

It was very easy to make, I used gluten free rolls and made a third of the recipe in 2 ramekins. Sadly... this recipe did not change my mind. However, I did enjoy learning how to make it.. the baking process is always enjoyable for me. :) I also could not resist showing off my beautiful Orchid plant. After a wild weekend of weather in Denver.. (some areas got up to 22 inches of snow ..ACK!), spring has finally sprung here. I for one am very excited for some "spring fever" and beautiful weather! :) Despite the fact that this was not a favorite desert, I of course, am looking forward to more TWD adventures. 

Tuesdays with Dorie- Chocolate Amaretti Torte

After a weekend of MAD holiday baking.... (cookies for the kidos, bread, home-made ice cream and cheesecake.. phew..) I was just about to skip this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie. I was just exhausted and a bit baked out. Given the fact that this was "promised" to be a 15 minute prep recipe, with using only a food processor... and I happened to be at Starbucks yesterday afternoon with a coworker, saw some Amaretti and figured the baking gods had intervened!


This weeks recipe was chosen by Holly of Phe.mom.enon. This recipe was just as promised, super easy and fast.(it really did only take 15 minutes.. woot woot!) I can see why Dorie says she uses it as a base for hot fudge sundays... as it is very Brownie like. I halved the recipe and used a mini cake pan. I also skipped the glaze.. as I was just too darn'd tired. Regardless, it was delicious... and would be fabulous with some vanilla ice cream! Thanks Holly for a great choice... :)

Tuesdays with Dorie- Coconut Butter Thins

WARNING... WARNING... SYSTEM FAILURE ....BAKER FAILURE .... Pamela's Gluten Free FLOUR Mix MASSIVE FAILURE!!!!!

Le sigh is all I'm sayin this morning.... le sigh. My tried and true ready made Gluten free flour mix failed me this week, and it really was my fault. You see I have tried Pamela's before with several cookie recipes, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But when I was mixing the dough for the Coconut Butter Thins for TWD this week, I had a feeling in my gut. It was saying "STEP AWAY FROM THE PAMELA'S CAROLYN"... ha.


What was the result?? Well the dough looked exactly like it was supposed too, but what often happens with Pamela's and cookies is MASSIVE, MASSIVE SPREADAGE. I checked on the cookies at 8 minutes, and what did I have??? ONE GIANT COOKIE... ha ha ha ha ha. I should have taken a picture, I wish I had... that way you all could be having a good laugh with me. (and I did have a really good giggle at myself) Live and learn right???

To see what they REALLY are supposed to look like, please visit Barefoot Kitchenwitch's rockin site. She takes fabulous pictures and will have the recipe for these cookies that everyone is raving about!

** I will be redeeming myself this week. When I bomb a recipe, it hurts my frail little baker ego... so I will have to save myself in some way. he he. I am actually on the hunt for a gluten free french bread recipe for Easter. If you have seen any, send em my way!

Tuesdays with Dorie- Cranberry Crumb Cake

Oh man, another great Tuesdays with Dorie this week that is going to force me to punish myself at the gym today, and tomorrow and the next day. ;) Sihan great choice this week with the Blueberry Crumb Cake! I decided to switch mine up a bit, I added Cranberries instead of Blueberries.... and baked them in a muffin pan for easy office distribution. The muffin version only required 35 minutes of baking time.For the gluten free flour substitution I used 1 cup sweet white rice flour, 1/2 cup Tapioca flour, 1/2 cup Potato Starch and 1 tsp of Xanthan gum. It worked flawlessly,and had the perfect "crumb cake texture". Although, the crumble sunk into the muffins, you can see it still had a nice layer.The cranberries were just delicious and tangy with a slight hint of lemon, and theses got rave reviews with my coworkers. Already gone! Please visit Sihan's adorable blog for the recipe.

Tuesdays with Dorie- French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze

What a great choice this week of the French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze, by Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction. This cake was a breeze to put together, and just delicious! I decided to depart from my regular gluten free flour mix ,Pamela's, and try some other grains to convert this cake. (I know gettin crazy, huh? ha!) I substituted 1/2 cup sweet white rice flour, 1/4 cup potato starch & 1/4 tapioca flour (as well as 1 tsp of Xanthan gum) for all purpose flour.

It worked like a charm, and had the perfect consistency of regular cake! I was thrilled... Because I made mini- loafs it only needed to be baked for 35 minutes. I had my doubts about using the lemon marmalade, but it was very tasty. This cake would be a terrific addition to a brunch....and will most definitely be repeat. Thanks, Liliana for a wonderful choice! For the recipe please visit Liliana's site.

A late Tuesday with Dorie- Caramel Crunch Bars

Opps I am a bit late on TWD this week, but hey I have had a pretty legitimate excuse!! I have been here for the past week. Just got home on the red eye yesterday....

We had spent some time at the beach, & we did some of this..

Saw so many of these... and they are just as majestic & magical in person as you would expect.

And just had a wonderful vacation & it goes went way to quickly... Sigh, back to the grind today. But just had to share a few pictures with my TWD entry, to explain why I am so late. Hopefully you can forgive my error. ;) I made the Caramel Crunch Bars before I left. They were just wonderful! Once again I used Pamela's GF Flour Mix and it worked like a charm. Great choice!

I even wrapped them up as gifts for some girlfriends I was meeting for brunch that morning. They were a hit! This is a recipe worth repeating.. please see Whitney's great site. :)

Tuesdays with Dorie- World Peace Cookies

Hello February, woa is it really possible we are here already?? Where does the time go?? Too fast I say!! To kick off this months Tuesdays with Dorie, Jessica of Cookbookhabit chose World Peace Cookies. (please see Jessica's blog for the recipe or see page 138 in the book) Traditionally I have never been a fan of chocolate cookies. Now don't get me wrong... I heart chocolate just as much as the next girl, but chocolate cookies have never really "spoken" to me. So when I saw this recipe, of course my first thought was that I might not be a fan. But boy was I wrong!These cookies really were just divine. They were the perfect combination of salty and sweet! And they had a "shortbread' ish" texture which was a nice surprise. The recipe was simple to put together, instead of chocolate chips... I chopped up some semi sweet baking squares I had left over from my holiday baking. I also substituted gluten free (Pamela's mix) flour for all purpose, & was happy to see that was an easy switch. The World Peace Cookies were an absolute hit with everyone I gave them away too (of course I had to get them out of my house asap, for fear of having to add 20 more workouts to my week if I ate them all, ha).... This one is a keeper, and without a doubt will be repeated! Great choice, Jessica!

Tuesdays with Dorie- Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

I can honestly say I am not sure I have ever tried real gingerbread. Cookies of course, but not the real thing! Lucky for me Heather from Sherry Trifle, chose it for this weeks TWD recipe. I made a few adjustments for my gingerbread, only out of necessity.. as I just didn't have the right ingredients. (it was 17 degrees on Sunday.. and my lazy self was not up to braving the cold for a trip to the store.)
Never the less I think this recipe turned out great! I used semi- sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet, I also used Pamela's Gluten Free Flour Mix... & I could not find buttermilk at my Albertsons. (Have I mentioned I hate my neighborhood Albertsons? Everything is overpriced, their produce is never good and they don't have a wide variety of product... Opps sorry for my tangent... I'll be quiet now.) Anyways, I looked up "Substitute for Buttermilk" and it I found several sites that suggested 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 cup milk, allowing it to sit for a few minutes.

My gingerbread sank a bit in the center, no doubt because of the Gluten Free switch. Despite that, it was just delicious.. and something I may never have tried on my own. Once again, another fun week with TWD... thanks Heather for the great choice.

* PS- Next week... "World Peace Cookies", I already made them and they were divine!!

Tuesdays With Dorie- Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

This weeks recipe was chosen by Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake (whose site I adore btw), Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins. As my first TWD of the year, this couldn't have been more appropriate for me.... as I love muffins.... corn, berry, chocolate muffins.. you name it.

Dorie certainly did not disappoint with this recipe. I did, however, make a few adjustments of my own for this recipe.. The first was using Pamela's Gluten Free Flour mix rather than All Purpose Flour and I left out the cilantro... as it is the one spice that makes me cringe...not a fan.

I know so many of the TWD bakers made this to serve with a Chili recipe.. and it really would be the perfect addition! I however, was not feeling Chili on Sunday... but instead paired it with "breakfast for dinner"... an omelet. :) Thanks Rebecca for this great choice, I will surely be repeating it... and was thrilled the GF conversion was a success.

Tuesdays with Dorie- Buttery Jam Cookies

This weeks TWD, was chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl. The cookie madness continues with her choice of Buttery Jam Cookies. It is a really simple and easy recipe to make. Dorie's instructions call for apricot jam, however I used Raspberry (as it was what was in my fridge). I did pull them out of the oven after a few minutes, to flatten them out a bit.
These were an interesting "cookie", in fact I'm thinking these are more like biscuits rather than cookies. They have a "cakey" texture, and the jam flavor was very mild. I can see them being served with afternoon tea. :) I personally, am a "crispy cookie" girl..... so most likely this recipe will not be repeated. But that said, I always enjoy making a new recipe regardless of the outcome.

Tuesdays with Dorie- Grandma's All-Ocassion Sugar Cookies

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies this month! The first three recipes, this month, for TWD are cookie recipes... "Tis the season". This weeks recipe was chosen by Urlike, of Kuchenlatein. (For the recipe click here.) These yummy little sugar cookies, were fairly simple to make. I made a little Lemon Glaze (powdered sugar and lemon juice) to ice the cookies and added some sprinkles.

I hate to admit it, but it was one of those weeks where I was in a rush to get these done, and did not put too much creativity into them.. oppssss, sorry! (I also know, that I will be decorating these cookies.. Christmas style, with my nieces and nephews later month.. so I am saving myself for that.. ha ha)


The dough, I found, was a bit tough to work with.. so sticky and mine was nearly impossible to cut. But really they were worth it! A great little sugar cookie.. buttery, flaky and light... I would definitely repeat it. But next time, I will be taking a cue from my cousin Lynne, and doing the slice and bake. Thanks Urlike.. great choice!

Linzer Sables- Tuesdays with Dorie

This weeks Tuesdays with Dorie was chosen by Dennis, of Living the Life... Linzer Sables. I, of course, had never made these yummy little cookies & was excited to try out something new. The recipe calls to use pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts in the dough. I choose Hazelnuts as I have a big bag of them on hand, and I just love the flavor.This was a very easy recipe to put together. I rolled mine out, and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes... and got to work. I found that I had to work very quickly as the warmer the dough got, the harder it was to work with. I decided to try two different fillings... Raspberry Jam & Nutella. They were just delicious... in fact, I had to get them out of my house immediately for fear of devouring them all!!

Tuesdays with Dorie- Thanksgiving Twofer Pie

This time of year is always busy, and I only was able to squeeze in 2 of the Tuesdays with Doire this month. I completed the first one & have been holding out for this weeks recipe chosen by Vibi of La casserole Carree. I was pretty excited when I heard that the pie was a combo of my two favorites.. Pumpkin Pie and Pecan. My Grandmothers Pecan Pie is an absolute favorite in my family... I look forward to it always. As well, my mothers Pumpkin chiffon pie.. it is so light and fluffy. Yum. I figured, how could this possibly go wrong??

I hate to say it, but I did not like this pie at all... the only appropriate word that comes to my mind is "ICK". I was so bummed. (perhaps it was baker's error on my part, although I did follow the recipe to a T. or maybe I am just a plain old traditionalist when it comes to pies?? ) As I was explaining to my cousin Lynne, who also is a member of TWD, the pumpkin part was somewhat flavorless (maybe needed more spices??). I also was not crazy about the taste of the two mixtures together. Oh well, with 100's of recipes in Dorie's book... it is nearly impossible to win them all. It happens... regardless I am looking forward to the next adventure in TWD. No doubt it will turn out better!

Tuesdays with Dorie- Rugelach

One of the things that I just love about baking and/or cooking is creating something new, the process of putting it together and the outcome. It is like a science experiment for me, sometimes it is a great success and sometimes it explodes into disaster. Regardless the result, I just get a kick out of it... so entering a new challenge is incredibly fun for me. This week's recipe was chosen by Grace.... Rugelach. I personally don't think I have ever had this treat, so I had no idea what to expect... perfect!

When I made the dough it came together really quickly.. in fact I was a bit concerned that I "overworked it", as Dorie warns, so I let it chill over night. I switched up the recipe a bit... as I generally am not a fan of cookies with jam or Currants/raisins. Instead for my filling, I used Maple Pumpkin Butter, mini chocolate chips, toasted pecans(chopped finely) and of course cinnamon sugar.

My dough rolled out very easily... but man was it sticky. Thankfully I had fair warning from my cousin Lynne who had made the recipe the night before. *Use lots of flour on your rolling pin and wax paper to make it easier. I decided to go the "pinwheel" route for the sake of ease...


After putting it all together, I let it chill for an hour as it had gotten very soft thru the process. I then, sliced the rolls in 1/4 inch pieces and covered them in cinnamon sugar... skipping the "basting" that Dorie's recipe called for.I have to say, the result was fantastic! The perfect "fallish" combination for me... and they have all but disappeared in the kitchen at my office. My co-workers loved them. Thank you so much Grace for choosing this recipe, which I most likely would have never tried. These will surely go into my cookie "rotation". For the recipe, please visit Grace's wonderful site.

TWD- Chocolate-Chocolate Cupakes

This weeks "Tuesdays with Dorie" recipe was chosen by Clara from Iheartfood4thought. She went with Dorie's Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes. When I saw the choice I was pretty excited, as I really do heart cupcakes (as you may have already guessed). I followed the recipe to the"T", the batter was uber yummy, and I decided to go the mini route (by the way.. Clara requested a Halloween theme).I hate admitting it, but I was entirely disappointed in the cupcakes. They were incredibly dry... I didn't even bake them for the fully allotted time. Thankfully, I read thru the other bakers comments & a large majority had the same issue. Phew... at least I know it was not a complete bakers error on my part.. because that would upset me. ;) I think the error could have been in 2 parts. 1. I have found using butter in cake/cupcakes recipes sometimes results in dryness. Next time I would probably use oil instead... or add some yogurt to moisten it up??? 2. I did not weigh the flour, I just used my trusty measuring cup instead... I have been reading a lot lately that it is very important to weigh the flour instead. Lesson learned!The glaze however was great, and fun to work with. I used the "dipping" method, which was fun, to ice them. Sadly these little babies did not make it into my office. I have a reputation to uphold here (ha!) they went to (as my cousin Lynne calls it) the little cupcake heaven in the sky.. aka. the trashcan (gasp!) . Check out some of the other TWD bakers results here...

Lenox Almond Biscotti- Tuesdays with Dorie

I am thrilled to be joining this amazing group of bakers... Tuesdays with Dorie. What a fun way to get a "baking education" and have an excuse to experiment with recipes from Dorie Greenspan's book. This week the recipe was chosen by Canela & Comino, "Lenox Almond Biscotti". I have never made biscotti before & I must admit I was a tad intimidated. But was happily surprised that it was a fairly simple process, and the results were delicious. For my first TWD, I stuck to the basics with using just Almonds (oh and I did add cinnamon too). I noticed that I had to bake mine a bit longer than the recipe called for (which I saw was the case in many other bakers notes). There is a very special lady in my life who just adores Biscotti and loves to keep them on hand for visitors...my 96 year old grandmother, Mary. So of course I took the entire batch to her on Sunday morning. I am very happy to report that they got rave reviews. She took them to dinner and served them to her table mates. The ladies just loved them.. and apparently they had quite the discussion on what the ingredients were. Mary insisted cornmeal was one, and her table mates protested. Way to go Gram, you really know your stuff! all in all my first TWD was a success.... can't wait for the next one.