The Sweetest Thing I've Ever Made

This Thanksgiving our family has something to be extra thankful for - this little bun was nine months in the making but absolutely worth the wait.



Annalise was welcomed into this world on November 12th (1 day after her due date) at 5:42pm. She weighed 7 lbs 4.4 oz and measured 20-inches long.



Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with lots of good eats, sweet treats, and holiday cheer.

Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies (TWD)

As previously mentioned, for the month of November, we're posting recipes in any order, not just one particular week. So for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) I'm posting about the Sugar-Topped Molasses Spice Cookies chosen by Pamela of Cookies with Boys. I actually made these cookies last year for the holidays and loved them!

The black pepper really gives them a nice flavor, so I recommend adding 1/4 teaspoon instead of just a pinch. The cookies also spread quite a bit while baking, so be sure not to place them too close together on the baking sheet.

My only other tip would be to watch these closely and take them out while they still look a little soft in the middle. This will yield a soft and chewy cookie. If you wait until they look done in the oven, they will be more of a crispy cookie. I guess it depends on the kind of cookie you like :)

If you would like the recipe, you can find it here or on Cookies with Boys. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see what everyone else baked up this week.

Thanks Pamela, for choosing this recipe. While I did not have the time bake along with you this week, I will surely be making them again at some point during the holiday season.

* Recipes notes:
- For tips from other TWD bakers, click here.

All in One Holiday Bundt Cake (TWD)

As I pointed out last week, for the month of November, we're switching things up and the recipes can be posted in any order, not just one particular week. So for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) installment, I made the recipe chosen by Britin of The Nitty Britty: All in One Holiday Bundt Cake.


It really is everything you think of when it comes to the holidays. It's a spiced pumpkin cake filled with apples, cranberries, and pecans (though I omitted the pecans). Much better than any traditional fruit cake, in my opinion!

Dorie says it's a one bowl recipe, but I am not sure how it can be when you have liquid and dry ingredients? It is, however, a pretty simple recipe that requires only two bowls. The most time consuming aspect of this recipe is peeling and chopping the apple and chopping up the fresh cranberries.


I read that some bakers had problems getting their cake to release from the bundt pan. I had no such issues, but I did butter and flour my pan. The recipe says to just butter it but I have always buttered and floured my bundt pans so I went ahead and did that and it worked just great.


This was a pretty good cake. I really enjoyed the flavors of pumpkin, apples & cinnamon, and cranberries together. A lot of my apple chunks sank to the bottom of the bundt pan (top of the cake) but otherwise everything came out perfectly.


Thanks Britin, for picking this recipe - it's a great cake for the holidays. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see what everyone else baked up this week.

* Another update - I am due tomorrow, with no promising signs of labor thus far, so we'll just have to wait and see when this baby makes her arrival! In the meantime, I'll keep baking along...



* Recipes notes:
- For easy release from your bundt pan, butter and flour it before adding the batter. PAM cooking spray with flour works well, too.
- Baking time was just at 65-70 minutes in my oven.
- Wrapped well, the cake will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, at which point it will be perfect for toasting, or for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- For more tips, click here.

Cran-Apple Crisps (TWD)

For the month of November, we're switching things up and the recipes can be posted in any order, not just one particular week. So for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) installment, I made the recipe chosen by Em of The Repressed Pastry Chef: Cran-Apple Crisps.


I love baked fruit, and crisps are among my favorite desserts. They take very little time but they're so delicious. This recipe is pretty much your basic apple crisp, with the addition of both fresh and dried cranberries. I have to say that I absolutely loved the cranberries! They were slightly sweet but also tart enough to add a little contrast to the sweet apples. A few bakers thought the filling was too sweet, but I didn't find that to be the case, especially if you serve the crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream :)

I made one large crisp in a 1.5 quart casserole dish and then one mini crisp in a creme brulee dish. The mini crisp was done in 45 minutes but the large crisp was done around 50-55 minutes. My only complaint was that the filling was a little runny in the large one, so I would recommend adding more flour to your filling if you are going to make one large crisp instead of individual servings.


Thanks Em, for picking this recipe, I would definitely make it again. If you're looking for a quick and easy dessert for Thanksgiving that will surely be a crowd pleaser, then I would recommend this one. It would be a nice change from all the pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and sweet potato pies that are typically served! If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see what everyone else baked up this week.

And with eight days left until my due date, I'm not sure when I will be posting another recipe, but stay tuned for an update! :)


* Recipes notes:
- Baking time was increased by about 5-10 minutes for one large crisp as opposed to 8 individual servings.
- Add some extra flour to the filling if you're making one large crisp.
- You can easily make the topping without the use of a food processor by simply cutting the butter in with a pastry blender.
- Omit the sugar from the filling if you prefer something less sweet but keep in mind that the cranberries may seem more tart if you do that.
- For more tips, click here.