Bake 52: Black and White Cookies

These cookies are super soft and cakey with a *hint of lemon and slathered with vanilla and chocolate frosting.  I say *hint of lemon because I think even a *hint might be too much for me.  If you are a lemon-lover, you will probably commit to loving these cookies for your lifetime.  I would probably omit the lemon next time but that is just because I am who I am.  And if we are being honest, I might forget the vanilla frosting altogether.  It makes a lovely presentation but why eat vanilla when you can have chocolate?  (That's pretty much my motto for life anyway.)  I can't convey how much we all liked the texture of these cookies, even if some of us (mainly me) didn't love the lemon.  They are definitely worth making and tweaking to be just what you would like.  I wonder if a *hint of orange might be better than lemon...

Bake 52: Southern Style Cornbread

Jen and I have had this fight before.  What kind of cornbread is better, Northern or Southern.  She has made it clear how she feels about it.  Not that I understand.  I am, after all, a Northerner.  I actually think this is what the Civil War (unless you are from the South and call it The War of Northern Aggression) was really about; which cornbread is better.  It is worth getting aggressive about in my mind.   And I do believe the North won.  And with good reason.  Cornbread should be sweet and cakey and more of a dessert disguised as a side dish.  (I love desserts disguised as part of my meal.  Like the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving.)

TWD: French Strawberry Cake

{We are in Colorado for a couple weeks so I am not sure how much I will be posting except for my baking group posts.  When we get back home, I will get back to it.}

I know I have mentioned at least 3 million times that I love my baking groups because they encourage me to bake new things.  I feel like I am constantly saying, "I haven't made or eaten this before."  This is another one of those situations.  The base of this French Strawberry cake is a genoise.  Don't ask me, I don't even know how to say that. 

Fruit Dip-The caramel-ish kind

How do you feel about asking people for recipes?  I don't usually ask.  I think I have some kind of mental disorder where I can't handle rejection.  The idea of someone saying, "No, it's a family recipe."  and the awkwardness that follows is enough for me to just eat it and say, "This is delicious!" and go on my merry way.  I went to a party once and they had a fruit dip that was brown and unlike the normal dips I had seen (which are also delicious) and needless to say, I loved it.  But instead of asking, I just decided to figure it out myself.  No awkwardness there, just me and my kitchen, and most of the time the kitchen is super supportive.

Bake 52: Cinnamon Swirl Bread

 If you have ever been to the Seasider Snackbar in Laie, Hawaii, you will know what I am referring to when I talk about the best cinnamon swirl bread I have ever eaten.  Hadlee and I would ride our bikes to the Seasider at least once a week to get it.  You had to go at just the right time though.  Once it was out of the oven and ready, it went fast.  We always tried to go around 9:30 because they would bring it out between 9 and 9:30 and by 10:30 or 11 it was gone.  The worst days were the ones we'd ride there only to be too late and have to ride home bread-less (don't feel too badly for me, we were still in Hawaii).  Now that we are no longer there (you can feel bad for me now), I have been on the look out for a bread that will claim the void in my heart left by the Seasider cinnamon swirl bread.  I have tried a few recipes but they haven't been what I was looking for.  I was super excited to try this one and see how it measured up.  

Tortellini, Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato Salad

Summer is here!  I can't decide if I am super excited about it or dreading it.  I prefer temperatures in the 80s.  Around here, is isn't unusual to see temps in the 100s and I don't look forward to those days.  But the pool is warmer and we hang out there a lot.  I just like the idea of summer, you know?  Barbecues, lemonade, lazy pool days.   This is perfect for a summer barbecue and one of my favorite summer salads.  It's delicious and a little different than what everyone is used to.

Steak Taco Salad with Black Bean-Corn Relish

We don't eat red meat all that often these days but I knew I wanted to make this when I saw the photo and read the recipe title.  We all know I love black beans and corn (It's pretty obvious around here).  I completely expected to love this and I wasn't disappointed.  This was another cooking magazine situation where I had to buy it.  (I really need to get a hold of myself.)  The book was a 5 ingredient and 15 minute recipe special edition by Cooking Light.  Although I think the title of the book is misleading a bit, there are more than 5 ingredients in this dish, and it took me more than 15 minutes (because I made it harder on myself than I had to), I would still make this again and again.  The recipe called for light Ranch dressing, but I wanted to make the dressing and the pico de gallo.  You can use your judgment on whether those things are completely necessary for you or not. :)

Bake 52: Coconut Macaroons

I have decided that coconut macaroons are way easy.  Which is weird.  I didn't think they would be.  They have very few ingredients, one of which I am leaving out next time (the salt) and they really don't take long at all to put together.  And they seem somewhat healthy if you don't count the sugar and the chocolate I dumped on top.  

TWD: Oasis Naan

I have never made naan before.  I liked it.  The recipe was pretty straight forward and easy to follow.  Although I cheated and used my mixer for the kneading instead of using my hands.  I am a cheater like that.  It's just against everything I believe in to knead things by hand with my mixer sitting right there, inches away, watching me.  It just wouldn't be right.  Not to mention my food processor and bread maker in close vicinity.  Any or all of them could have easily been offended.  

Cookies and Cream (Oreo) Cheesecake (with a mint twist)

First things first; have you tried mint Oreos?  Completely delicious.  I bought some to use for this cheesecake and ate far too many of them.  I just used them for the crust because I didn't want it to be a mint-Oreo cheesecake, I just thought it would add a little something extra.  You could use all mint Oreos though and I am sure it would be nothing short of spectacular.

The Moment We have ALL BEEN WAITING FOR....

Remember how I said a week or so ago that I had some new features coming to the blog.  And then you didn't hear anything forever.  Yeah, have I mentioned I am a jinx?  I finally got it all figured out and ready (I think) and I am UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED to announce that I have partnered with Ziplist to change your life.  That's right, change your life.  If you already use Ziplist, you know what I am talking about and you don't necessarily need this life-changing experience, but if you don't already use Ziplist, get ready.  Remember what you were doing right this moment because things will never be the same.