Wordless Wednesday - Nom nom nom...apple good!

Help a girl out!

My food photography skills are severly lacking. I would love love love any help and/or advice anyone could give me. I'm tired of working so hard on what I make to only have redonculous photos.

Much love!

TWD - Vanilla Ice Cream

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie, we're all screaming for ice cream! Lynne at Cafe Lynnylu chose this week's recipe...Dorie's vanilla ice cream. After chocolate my next favorite food is ice cream, but I've never tackled making it myself so I had to give this one a shot. It definitely does not disappoint! I recently purchased a countertop ice cream maker, & I've discovered that I'm going to have to be very careful...it's way too easy to whip up a batch of homemade ice cream with that puppy. My thighs are getting bigger just thinking about it!

The recipe was actually very simple to follow. I was a little scared about the whole custard making thing, but I didn't have a problem. (Thank goodness!) I did make a little addition as per Dorie's instructions...I added some cinnamon to the mix. I mean really who can resist cinnamon ice cream?! Not this girl! I had to stop myself from eating it all directly out of the ice cream maker because it was delicious. It's now hardening in the freezer, & I can't wait for it to be ready!


Getting ready to go into the freezer. (Before I annihilated half of it!)


Look at those gorgeous cinnamon specs!!

Head on over to Lynne's blog for the recipe & her awesome pictures. Also be sure to check out the rest of the TWD blogroll for everyone's delicious ice cream creations!

TWD Rewind - Tribute to Katherine Hepburn Brownies

I wasn't able to participate in TWD last week, but I really wanted to try these brownies so I decided to make them this week. Lisa of Surviving Oz designed a fabulous new logo for TWD, so she got the priviledge of choosing the recipe & posting it on her blog. Congrats!

This recipe was so amazingly simple to put together, & I got so lucky to have them turn out perfectly after the recommended baking time. (That's a first for me!) Of course they tasted wonderful...the perfect combo of gooey chocolateness. (Oh yes, I said chocolateness!) I think that this will probably be my go-to brownie recipe from now on!

See my little tester divot? Perfectly baked!!

Still warm...these two didn't survive long after this photo was taken.

Check out Lisa's blog for this recipe! Also head over to the TWD blogroll & visit Denise at Chez Us for this week's recipe...Brioche Plum Tart!

Summer Slacker

I will be the first to admit that I have been an extreme baking/blogging slacker this summer. I've recently moved & may be doing so again very soon, & this summer has been the busiest one I can remember. I should have a TWD post for my lovely readers tomorrow!

TWD - Cinnamon Squares

Another Tuesday, another yummy treat! This week Tracey of Tracey's Culinary Adventures chose Cinnamon Squares. Cinnamon you say? Oh how I love cinnamon! Every week I fall in love with what we make, & this was no exception. Cinnamon & chocolate in one dessert...I'm in! The layer of cinnamon, sugar, espresso & chocolate in the middle of these squares is so perfect. Plus the cake is moist & delicious. I had to bake mine about 15 minutes longer than the recipe called for, but I covered it with a foil tent for the extra time so it didn't dry out at all. The only issue I had was that I didn't have enough chocolate to do the frosting. (That's what I get for assuming I had enough. You know what they say when you assume...) I had enough to cover a little piece of it just so I could try it. The rest will just have to be gobbled up plain, but I'm sure that won't be an issue!!

Check out Tracey's blog for the recipe, & the TWD blogroll to see how everything turned out!

TWD - Chipster-Topped Brownies

This week Beth of Supplicious chose Chipster-Topped Brownies for the TWD selection. I've been making chocolate chip cookie brownie cupcakes for a while now, but I was super excited to try Dorie's recipe. I never would have thought that the combination of the two would be any good, but it is actually one of the best things I've ever tasted. We had a big cookout last night, so I figured that would be the perfect occasion for these beauts.

This recipe went together so well, & I didn't have any problem with the cookie dough sinking into the brownie mixture. I popped it in the oven, 55 minutes letter the tester came out exactly like it was supposed to, & everything looked great. I left them to cool for several hours & then turned them out to cut into bars. That's where it all went to bad...I cut the first row & everything looked great, but after I cut the next row the entire middle oozed out. They weren't done...not at all. The middle was still completely raw & uncooked, so I had to trash the whole thing. Needless to say I was absolutely disappointed, but I think I will definitely give this recipe another try in the future.

I did manage to snap a pic while everything was still in the pan & looking oh so delicious. Ahh if only...

Check out the TWD blogroll to see everyone's brownies that actually turned out wonderfully, & take a peek at Beth's blog for the recipe!