TWD: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies

I had some high hopes for these cookies. Dorie describes them as plain looking but with a taste that brings you back for cookie after cookie. They are more cake than cookie. They are also more sweet tasting than any distinct flavor.

These were a bit of a disappointment to me. I wanted them to be more... something. There wasn't enough chocolate to make them a rich chocolate cookie. There wasn't enough nutmeg or cinnamon to make them a chocolate spice cookie. The sour cream made the cookies tender, but I didn't feel it added to the taste.

They were very easy to make. And if you don't already have a mini ice cream scoop (I used my 1 T. scoop), you should buy one. They were also good as a vehicle for other foods. (Strawberry rhubarb vanilla compote for one) Having said that, I don't think these will be made in my kitchen again. I like my chocolate cookie to have a bit more chocolate oomph. I love that spellcheck likes the word "oomph".

Now all I need is a little ice cream....

Thanks Spike of Spike Bakes for choosing this one. I'm glad to have tried it.

TWD: Date Nut Loaf

I was looking forward to making this one. I really like dates. I especially like dates wrapped in bacon and stuffed with cheese, but that's another post. I actually almost always have some pitted dates in my house. You know, just in case an appetizer emergency comes up and someone needs something with bacon. Anyway, I was looking forward to baking with them.

This is a simple loaf cake. It has a few extra touches - cream cheese for a bit of tang and almond extract for a nice flavor twist. Dorie called for walnuts, but I used toasted pecans instead. Best tip ever for cutting up sticky dates - use a food scissors. Goes through 'em in nothing flat. This came together easily. It smelled amazing when it was baking. It bakes for 40 minutes uncovered and then 40 more covered. In my case, I think it was a bit too long. While not exactly dry, this loaf doesn't have the moistness I would expect.

Having said that, it's delicious. I only made it last night, and I expect that it will ripen and improve over the next couple of days. I assume it will last that long. Only the Boy is home right now; the Girl's at her first overnight camp experience, so I suspect that treats might make it an extra day in our house. Dorie suggests that this is a great toasting loaf, so that's an option as well.

Breakfast of champions! Iced coffee and Date Nut Loaf. Mmmmmm.

Thank you Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet for choosing this one!

TWD: Chocolate Biscotti

Biscotti is such a great cookie concept. It's great for a treat with coffee. It's an excellent ice cream spoon. It's wonderful dipped in jam or chocolate. And, if you can get them to last, they get better with age.

Biscotti in general is easy to make. It tends to be a one bowl cookie that you bake twice. This one was a two bowl. They came together pretty easily. Dorie's has us make two logs, but I like mine smaller, so I made three. I'm always surprised by how much biscotti spread. I like to skip the middle step of moving the logs to a cutting board, so I carefully cut on my cookie sheet. They bake a second time. It gives it a lovely crunch.

These were a hit with the family and the friends who tried them. I used almonds and chocolate chips in mine, but I could see many many variations. I sprinkled coarse sugar on top, and I liked the crunch and sweetness that it added.

Thanks Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes for picking this one!

TWD: Blueberry Brown Sugar Plain Cake

AHHH! I fell asleep last night before I wrote something. I made it. It was delicious. I'll get more up later.

Totally quick post here - I made the cake last week. It's a good cake, but for my money, it was a bit fussy. The recipe has us separate the eggs, beat the egg whites, and fold them in to the rest of the batter. (On a side note - I discovered that my new mixer is TOO BIG to only whip two egg whites) I have another blueberry cake that I love a bit more that has fewer steps. I also didn't seem to have the sinking problem that other people had. Not sure why.

Still, this one was tasty. Not sure that I'll be making it again, though. Thanks Cindy of Everyday Insanity for choosing such a seasonal cake.

Looks lovely in the pan.

Edited to add: Here's the link for my favorite blueberry cake.