What's the last thing you baked?

The traditional Christmas cake.  Holy cow is it dense!

a recipe off of the Pioneer Woman website


Pumpkin bread with strudel topping

Nestle's Toll House chocolate chip cookies.

Nestle's Toll House chocolate chip cookies.

Yeah, I'm contemplating those myself. I always junk 'em up, though, and add raisins and oatmeal!

Yeah, I'm contemplating those myself. I always junk 'em up, though, and add raisins and oatmeal!

Sounds like you de-junk them balmerhon!  Raisins and oats--yummy and healthy!  I almost put Reese's pieces in some of mine, but maybe next time!

Making pumpkin bread and Turtle Bars.

Turtle Bars.

Can you bring a couple (literally just two or three) when we meet up on Tuesday? 

cupcakes for dd's b day

I made a carrot cake this afternoon - it was a Nigel Slater recipe.  And I'll have to say it is the first Nigel Slater recipe I've ever made that has let me down! 

I thought it would be good because - well it's Nigel Slater's recipe & also he said it's one of his most requested recipes from emails that he gets.  However, I thought as I was making it - geez, this doesn't really have very many carrots in it?!  I remember when my mom made carrot cake - she used to have a right moan about having to grate sooooo many carrots for it.  And this cake took hardly any at all!  It called for 150g of grated carrot, which ended up being only about four small carrots.  But I thought well it's Nigel Slater's recipe, so it must be right.  Nope - not nearly carrot-y enough for my tastes (and it's not as moist as I would like either) - but I will say that most of the carrot cake I've eaten here in the UK isn't very carrot-y & moist either.

Afterwards, I thought to look at the Hummingbird Bakery's recipe for carrot cake, and while it is much the same recipe in several respects - it calls for twice as much grated carrot.

The cake I made today - well it's not bad & the frosting is very nice (combination of mascarpone & cream cheese with icing sugar & orange zest)...but the cake is just 'meh'. 

carrot cake cupcakes

I just made some Kiefle! Took a slight risk by using puff pastry rather than making the dough myself (lazy...). I'm not thrilled with the pastry, but it still turned out really well, and I got the BF to actually enjoy something with walnuts.

Well, so far this weekend, I've baked some sausage rolls (made my own sausage filling and pastry and they were pretty nice!), a (savoury) mince pie, and an apple walnut cake for my brother in law. He is so shy and he actually asked me to make him this cake because he had a slice of the one I made for MIL's birthday, so it was nice to know he liked it enough to ask me to make him one. Then when he brought over two bags of apples and a big bag of walnuts a week later, I realised he liked this cake more than I even knew... LOL. Anyway, he is coming to get it today, so I hope it's as good as the last one!  Later I'm baking some gingerbread people, I think. Maybe some snowflake cookies! 

Jewlz, DH made his own sausage rolls about a week ago too - making his own sausage filling, but not the puff pastry bit (he bought that pre-made).  He's been following the Guardian's food blog - How to Make the Perfect...  And there was one for sausage rolls on there awhile back.  They were really nice!  Although we daren't take them down to Mum's when we go for Christmas - if she thinks we're cutting in on her 'business', then she might stop making them for us. 

Good to see you on here, Jewlz - we've missed you! 

Jewlz, DH made his own sausage rolls about a week ago too - making his own sausage filling, but not the puff pastry bit (he bought that pre-made).  He's been following the Guardian's food blog - How to Make the Perfect...  And there was one for sausage rolls on there awhile back.  They were really nice!  Although we daren't take them down to Mum's when we go for Christmas - if she thinks we're cutting in on her 'business', then she might stop making them for us. 

Good to see you on here, Jewlz - we've missed you! 

Awww, man! I miss all of you guys, too! It's just been stressful around here lately. I'll fill you in sometime. 

I think my sausage filling could have used some work, but I just used my normal flaky pie pastry recipe (more like shortcrust, really) for the rolls and that worked out fine.

I'm hoping to make some of Nigella's sticky gingerbread this week. Recipe looks really nice. 

Well, so far this weekend, I've baked some sausage rolls (made my own sausage filling and pastry and they were pretty nice!), a (savoury) mince pie, and an apple walnut cake for my brother in law. He is so shy and he actually asked me to make him this cake because he had a slice of the one I made for MIL's birthday, so it was nice to know he liked it enough to ask me to make him one. Then when he brought over two bags of apples and a big bag of walnuts a week later, I realised he liked this cake more than I even knew... LOL. Anyway, he is coming to get it today, so I hope it's as good as the last one!  Later I'm baking some gingerbread people, I think. Maybe some snowflake cookies! 

Your BIL sounds so sweet! Is he single?

I know it's not technically baking, but today I made home made marshmallows and yesterday we tried a no-bake cereal cookie. You make a sort of toffee out of brown sugar and butter and mix in cheerios and salted peanuts. I added some marshmallows (mininature ones) to some of them for my kids.

Mrs. R - I adore Nigel but never liked his cake recipes. He's firmly in the British dessert camp and I know you and I aren't!