Friends

I made my very first Buche de Noel this weekend. It was quite tasty, and amazingly, was a weight watchers version.

I made the cake the night before and left it rolled in the teatowel until I was ready to assemble it.

Cake:
3 tbsp icing sugar
3/4 c flour
1/3 cocoa
1 oz semisweet chocolate (grated)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
3 large eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c skim milk

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray 10 x 15 cookie sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick spray and lightly flour.
Dust a clean kitchen towel with icing sugar and set aside.
Combine 1st 7 ingredients and set aside.
Mix the eggs, sugar & vanilla at high speed with electric mixer until a ribbon forms when beaters are lifted. At low speed, add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour.
Pour into pan. Spread evenly. bake 8-10 minutes. Invert onto sugared towel and roll up.

Frosting:
8 oz light cream cheese
1 c icing sugar
1/3 c cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz melted semisweet chocolate (cooled slightly)

Combine 1st 4 ingredients. mix unitl smooth, then add melted chocolate. Beat another 2-3 minutes on high.

Filling:
2 c whipped cream or cool whip (I used ultra low fat)

Unroll cake. Spread topping over, and roll up.Place seam side down on platter.Cutoff a wedge, and put along the side as a branch. Cover with frosting.

I am looking for a biscotti recipe with out almonds or almond extract. My sister and I both have an allergy to almonds. It seems all of the recipes out there call for almonds or almond extract. I know I can take out almonds, but does it matter if almond extract is substituted for vanilla?

Hi! This is my first time posting here, so I hope I've done everything right :)

I had a bit of a bake-a-thon this evening, trying to come up with something interesting with the guidelines of "chocolate and mint" (and of course, vegan!). Mint around Christmas time immediately makes me think of candy canes, and so these whoopie pies were born. I then realised that the theme for this month's contest was peppermint, so here is my entry!

( To save your friends page, click for the recipe... )

I am looking for an amazing, easy dense brownie recipe. I am making brownies as a gift for a co-worker from England, and he said he really wished for some good dense brownies. Im used to the ooey gooey kind, and I know that it doesnt fit the bill. Any tried and true recipes?

These are a soft shortbread cookie with a nice peppermint buttercream holding them together then rolled in peppermint sugar.

( recipe and picture under here )

I adore carrot cake and cream cheese frosting.
My friends are having a potluck and I'd like to bring this (among a few other things.. I'm just baking things I've been meaning to so I can eat them and I really love dessert)

SO I was wondering what you guys think is the best carrot cake recipe that you have.
A delicious frosting is definitely important.

I wanted to maybe make a layer cake.

Thank you!

Just wondering if you could link me to your favourite cherry pie recipe. I'd prefer it to have a shortcrust pastry base rather than a graham cracker base.

Thanks in advanced! <3

Hello bakers!

I want to make some Christmassy cupcakes to take into work this week and I've decided on using cinnamon but I can't decide whether to put it with another flavour or not.

My ideas are either orange cupcakes with cinnamon frosting or vice versa? Or just cinnamon with cinnamon?

Any other simple Christmas suggestions you have, throw them at me! Emphasis on the simple though...I have so much to do this week already, last week of term means many a Christmas party/carol service/hyperactive 5yr olds!

Thankyou :)

Per comments on Bloolark's post, here is what my house sounds like from 7am to 7pm, courtesy of Seafoam.



( Zon vids x2 )

ETA: Oh no! They heard the video and are now chattering and singing IN THE DARK. Oh, budgies...

While hanging out with my newborn niece I saw this on the tv I thought you guys might find it as adorable as I did.
It's a children show called "Bird & 3rd" and It's about Sammy the lovebird and his little sister Muffin. Weither or not you wanna be picky about the coloring and the sounds they make, you gotta at least love the fact that they finally have some parrots on tv instead of another cat and dog show. Not that I don't like cats and dog but they are more than represented.

CBeebies Aus 3rd & Bird S1 Gen 30 from Channels Creative on Vimeo.

( 3rd & Bird )

This actually is the best banana bread you will ever taste. I'm serious. Whichever minion of Martha's came up with it deserves a nice firm handshake and a cigar. Or something. Anyways, this is the moistest (moistest?) banana bread you will taste. It keeps really well, although I don't think you'll have to worry about that.


( Recipe and another pic )

See more at The Cast-Iron Darling!

I figured I should share these here too.

This is the entire household, with most of the talking coming from Schrödinger, my scarlet macaw, and Kyklos, my DYH amazon.

This one's just Schrödinger.

No, they're not that loud all the time, but boy, when they get going, it makes your head spin.

Hello all! I want to start by saying that I am an artist and writer/English major/general lover of words, so I *love* this comm, and am so excited to soon be an active member!!

I have my first tattoo planned out--I want to get the word "fireworks" (sans quotes) on the inside of my left wrist. Its the title of my favorite poem, a memorial piece by Gwendolyn MacEwen. I've loved this poem for as long as I've been reading poetry, and it inspired one of the first decent poems I ever wrote. That poem was in memory of my late grandfather, so the title brings all of my nice memories of him to mind, too. There are about a hundred other reasons I want to get this word, but that's the short of it, at least.

Anyway, I'm posting for two reasons.

1) I was wondering if anyone had any advice about wrist tattoos-- does a particular type of font work better? I'm thinking something where the letters are spaces since its supposed to spread lots on the wrist... Any other general words of wisdom?
2) Does anyone have a favorite shop in Philly? I'm willing to travel--home is in Philly but the family is in South Jersey, so anywhere between the two works. I just want someplace good :)

Thanks so much in advance!!

Also!--my brother is coming with me, and is probs getting a Harry Potter piece, so I will definitely be doing a follow up picture post!

The winner of the contest for November's cranberry theme was utopiatears with her Cranberry Shortbread! Congratulations! Amy will award you your premium account soon.

And in case anyone missed it, our theme for December is peppermint.

I made my first ever Christmas Yule Log :]



( bigger picture + another )

These cookies are sweet, simple, warm, and homey. I've taken the liberty of dubbing them Cinnamon Roll Cookies, though their original name was Iced Cinnamon Chip Cookies. I think they taste just like buttery glazed cinnamon rolls in chewy cookie form!.

We loved them -- definitely going in the "make again" pile!



( recipes and photo )


To read more about this recipe, see a closeup of cookie goodness, see some wonky cheese straws, or to enjoy at least two references to hamsters, please head over to my baking blog, Willow Bird Baking!

x posted to food_porn, cooking, and bakebakebake

I made these brownies for my school's bake sale.
They're store bought brownies and I found the recipe on the back of the box, which was really simple! :D



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