The Perfect Party Cake comes from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.   She writes that she adapted this recipe from her very favorite Nick Malgieri.   Who has authored  numerous notable and award winning cookbooks.  As part of a group of bakers called Tuesdays with Dorie, just under 400 bakers fire up their Kitchen Aid mixers, splatter flour on their cheeks and noses and proceed to bake  a weekly recipe selection. Each member takes his or her turn with the honor of selecting a recipe from Dorie’s book.  This week’s Perfect Party Cake was chosen by Carol of Mix, Mix, Stir, Stir and I think its a perfect cake for this time of year.  Snowy white, lemony cake with a splash of fruitiness on the inside between the layers and or outside if you wish, with an optional coconut finish.   White again.   I think if you ventured along amongst the blog world you would find much associated with Fourth of July celebrations and this cake would certainly be pronounced among the top choices.  Just in case this sounds and looks good to you, the recipe is posted on Carol’s Mix Mix Stir Stir website  or you can find it in Baking From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan.  

I hope you’ll go a step further and go get the book for the bounty of fabulous recipes or visit Carol for this cake.  Start your  oven ~ and bake like a mad person.  Its great fun, plus you can share with friends and make new ones all at the same time.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  

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Dorie, most of the TWD bakers  all know you love to be in your apartment in Paris as often as possible. So what would a “Dorie Book” be without the near and dear to the heart, apple tartlet? Dorie introduces her Parisian Apple Tartlet as a version of a widely enjoyed little treat that can be eaten out of hand or elegantly plated. So make it your choice.  

On one end of the tray is an apple tartlet, the opposite is an apricot & blueberry.  The beauty of this delicious treat (I ate them both after Corbin photographed them…..shhhh)  is the “bang for the buck!”  These can be produced in a very short amount of time.  Start to finish, a little more than 1/2 hour.  Depending on the size of the fruit the recommended baking time may be a bit shorter.  Now, if you keep your secrets to yourself you can present a very tasty and impressive sweet treat to an unsuspecting loved one.  :-)  

Thanks goes to  Jessica of My Baking Heart  for  the palmsized sweet treat that I enjoyed eating tonight.  She had the fun choice this week.  You can get the recipe on her site as well.    Get into that Baking From My Home to Yours cookbook by Dorie Greenspan if you have it on your shelf.  If not ?  Seriously, why don’t you?  Thanks again Dorie for such a nice, homey little treat.  It is way better than a donut!!!

Dorie’s Chocolate Cream Tart is the perfect dessert for a Celebration, a Supper Club, a Birthday or a Holiday Gathering.  Since today is my birthday, I’m thinking the birthday angle.  I have a mental picture  of it as a woman dressing for a dinner out.  A pretty little black dress, the perfect  shoes and the all important accessories.  Luscious chocolate cream made from your favorite chocolate,  layered on top of a  chocolate shortbread tart dough, finished with the lightly sweetened whipped cream.  I think I must have my mind on “Birthday Dinner.”  Ya think?  he he  

Thank you Dorie for another “feel good” dessert.  The Chocolate Cream Tart is definitely a winner (so chocolatey) in my collection of favorites from Baking From My Home to Yours. 

I’m off celebrating getting old-er.  I hope all the bakers at TWD enjoyed this weeks Chocolate Cream Tart.  Stayed tuned for next weeks selection Tiramisu.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  Isn’t it fun to make new friends?

Proscrastination = photos later.  I will tell you that I am going to enjoy this tart today….hope you do too.  I made the elements last night and assembled this morning hoping for a photo shoot before school….ooops, guess I will have to wait til this afternoon.  Darn!!  So for now please enjoy a cupcake photo.

Some Birthday Cupcakes I made earlier.  

I’ve never made this  recipe before so there were some ups and downs.  As of this writing the cake has not been cut and tasted other than the crumbs and the remnants of cake batter in the mixing bowl.  Which by the way were really pretty good.   By all appearances the cake is nice and moist.  That is a relief with a dark chocolate cake.  

You know that recipe I haven’t tried before?  I’m sending it (minus one piece in the frig) to work with my husband so maybe his coworkers can hash out if it is something I should buy 8″ cake pans for future baking and refining.  Tomorrow I will post an update after I have a taste.  Yum!

Thank you to Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater for choosing this wonderfully fun recipe this week.  Don’t forget to check out the cake art of the entire Tuesdays With Dorie Blog roll.  It should be so amazing to see all the black and white cakes.  The recipe for this weeks baking art is here and at Stephanie’s site.  All of the TWD bakers are baking from Dorie Greenspans Baking From My Home to Yours.  

Thank you for visiting here and I hope you enjoy your cake this week.  See you next week for Carmel Crunch Bars.

 My hubs told his brother tonight on the phone that its hard to loose weight around here no matter how hard you work out, because there is all this good cooking going on around the house.  To that I added, Oh My Goodness, Honey, you should see all the cooking groups out there in the blogosphere.  I just belong to ONE of them. Many foodie bloggers belong to multiple groups.   The blogosphere only knows about my baking, so far.  He just smiled.  Life is good.

Gretchen of Canela & Comino selected Lenox Almond Biscotti as this weeks recipe.  You can make friends with Lenox Biscotti, really… here.  Thank you so much for introducing us.  Its a pleasure knowing Biscotti.  If you are tempted by all the wonderful recipes included in Baking From My Home to Yours, you can run down to your local book store and have Dorie’s book for your very own or just click and shop.  [SinglePic not found]

A trip down Google Lane, provided me historical information about Biscotti.  Interesting thing, turns out many European countries have their own version and name for biscuits, twice baked.  I learned about the traditional flavors of anise and almonds.  Of course, since then they have evolved into a many splendored thing.

This time, I adhered to Dorie’s version with only a single addition and variation.  I had some dried cranberries in the pantry that were begging to be included.  Since they needed a little fluffing up I took Dorie’s advice on page 92 to steep and flame the fruit.  I did so and used some Amaretto for the “flaming.” Also, I used slivered almonds rather than sliced because thats what I had on hand.    

Again, following Dorie’s suggestion for the “controversial baking time” was really pretty much on target for me and my oven.  Because I was dealing with a completely different concept I realized I needed a baseline experience and so I only added 5 minutes to the second baking time.  I think they became a little more golden than was ideal.  So next time I will adjust for that.   After they cooled they firmed up nicely and they tasted delicious.  I had a cup of chai tea with mine.  Scrumptous!!!  Tomorrow, Sumatra coffee. (then the gym)  Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit.  I read all comments  and make friends easily. [SinglePic not found]

Please join in the fun before the cutoff date of October 31.  Tuesdays with Dorie baking group to view the blogroll of all the baking maniacs.  We have fun baking desserts together.

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This is my first post and from the looks of it…. ar ar ar, I’m new to this whole blogging scenario. Although, reading them has been a hobby of mine. So, if you have read any of the about me stuff, well, I bake and others eat. That way the work out at the gym keeps sizes in check. You know!

A little late to the finish line but I scrambled, to the store, back home, and magically these Granola Grabbers came together lickety split. I was surprised how simple. My son the photographer wasn’t home from football practice, so I snapped a few shots. Not being the photo-talent that he is, you’ll have a giggle, but I stopped the process to take a few photos while mixing up. Which in turn, gave me a some ideas. Like: Okay, here we go ladies/gentlemen bakers. The kind of granola you use has to have an impact on how the cookies taste. I picked up some Cascadian Farm Organic, honey and oat. It seemed to be one of the most straightforward i.e. without fruit. “Grabbed” the wheat germ off the shelf, you know its gotta be healthy so far, right? he he Anyway, well like a lot of us chocoholics out there, had to have chocolate, so the chips came into the mix, minus the raisins. Pulled out the scales, converted the butter measurement to ounces and changed part of the butter to peanut butter. Try it ! You might like it too. I don’t know for sure, maybe someone else did it too. I’m sorry ladies and gents. Still getting through all 250 of the membership. What fun! Thats about it. Anyway, I gave them to a “Birthday Club” neighbor after my football son had some and I had some. We deemed them “keepers”. I’ll definitely make them again! For “Friends”. Thanks Dorie!