TWD: Granola Grabbers

I gotta give a big thanks to Michelle over at Bad Girl Baking for this one! These were SO SO good. I'm actually surprised that we haven't done more cookies for Tuesdays with Dorie (not that my contribution was a cookie!)

Dorie's description is RIGHT ON, these are a great after school snack, or a great addition to a packed lunch (and maybe even breakfast...not that *I* would do that). I didn't add the coconut, but just because I didn't buy any at the store, since I thought I had some. I'm sure they're great with the coconut as well!

I'm not much of a raisin fan, but I don't seem to mind them in these. Next time, I will probably use chocolate chips....because everything is better with chocolate!

This was DEFINITELY a great pick. They come together so fast, and bake up perfectly. I don't think I had a bad looking one in the bunch.

Check out Michelle's blog for the recipe, and try this one out! You can check out how everyone else did here.

Up Next Week: Chocolate Banded Ice-Cream Torte chosen by Amy at Food, Family and Fun

Sanders' Bumpy Cake

My Detroit area readers will recognize this one...and for those of you who aren't from this area, I will post a pic below showing you what a Sanders Bumpy Cake is.

My mom worked at Sanders when she was a teen. For that reason, we have a couple of their recipes in our arsenal (keep an eye out for Sanders' Hot Fudge!). I'm not sure if this is actually FROM Sanders, but it is from a friend of my mom's who *I believe* worked there, too. If not, I'm sure mom will chime in and let me know. If nothing else, they did ride the bus together!

Anyway, a Sanders Bumpy Cake is legendary here in the Detroit area. They're pretty simple, kind of like a hostess cupcake as far as taste goes. It's a devil's food cake, topped with buttercream (in a "bumpy" pattern), which is then topped with a chocolate icing.

hhhmm...now that I look at a "real" one, I kinda wish I did mine different....oh well! So, that's what a Sanders Bumpy Cake looks like. Here is mine...note that I didn't really do the "bumps" on mine...well, ok, I *tried* to do the bumps, but I think it was just too warm for the liking of the buttercream today.

Not too shabby, eh? It was *very* tasty. I think this is what Ugg will be requesting for his birthday this year!

So...here is the recipe (ok, I'm writing it as my mom wrote it...but geez...Mom, I love you, but more specifics would be good!) -- bolding my additions/clarifications.

Sanders Bumpy Tea Cake
Mix and cool a chocolate cake in a 9x13" pan -- ok, I used a boxed devil's food cake, but followed The Cake Mix Doctors recipe for Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Buttercream:
1 stick of butter
1/2 c shortening
1 c sugar
1t vanilla
2/3 c hot milk

Mix butter, shortening and sugar until smooth, then add hot milk. Mix on low until thick and creamy - takes a long time - ok, really, Mom? "takes a long time"? I mixed for about 15 minutes. Spread on cooled cake (or pipe to make "bumps"), and freeze until set (I froze for about 30 minutes)

Chocolate Icing:
4 T cocoa
2 T oil
2 T + 4 t water (these measurements kind of amused me..but not really, since the first time I did it using 2 + 4 TABLESPOONS - instead of 4 TEAspoons)
2 T dark corn syrup
2 C powdered sugar

Mix all except sugar in a saucepan and heat, stirring, until hot. Mix in sugar and stir (I whisked..you should too, makes it WAY easier/faster) until smooth. Pour over buttercream and refrigerate.

So, there you have it...one of my old family recipes. Keep an eye out for more. I'm planning a mac and cheese casserole that everyone loves (and is way easier than regular mac and cheese), scotch shortbread, rice pudding, French Canadian meat pies....and any more that may strike my fancy.

Enjoy this one! It's a real treat...and THANKS MOM for letting me use your recipe file!

TWD: Bluberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

So, yeah...I know I've told you before that I wasn't a fan of fruit in desserts....so, when I saw that Dolores over at Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity chose a fruit ice cream...well, I was sorta non plussed, I guess. However, since my attendance with Tuesdays with Dorie has been less than stellar as of late, I decided that OF COURSE I would make it....someone would eat it, right?

It's been awhile since one of Dorie's recipes has made me moan. Don't get me wrong..there have been very few I didn't like...but..none that were .. well, moan worthy I guess! I would say the last one was the Lemon Cream Tart. This one did it, too. It made me moan, and I could not believe it....I don't even LIKE bluberries..

The only thing that disappoint me initially, was that it didn't seem to make that much -- which at the time was no biggie, right...I didn't think I was going to be eating it! However, after tasting it...it's pretty rich, with both heavy cream and sour cream (I do wonder if you could go with whole milk and get just as tasty a result), it makes just enough for dessert for a couple nights...

So, thank you Dolores, for introducing me to yet ANOTHER dessert that I will definitely be making again!

If you want to try this out (and I really recommed you do!), check out Dolores' blog for the recipe. Also, be sure to check out the TWD website to see how everyone else did!

Up Next week: Granola Grabbers chosen by Michelle at Bad Girl Baking

TWD: Black and White Banana Loaf

In our house, we have a banana cake recipe. It was my great grandmother's (I think -- mom, correct me if I'm wrong here). We love this recipe...it's pretty straightforward, nothing fancy, but we LOVE it. I don't really mess with it, and don't really make any other recipe for fear of backlash. I mean, Ugg really loves the banana cake, and doesn't always appreciate any kind of artistic interpretation with his food.

So....when I saw that Ashlee's pick this week's was a banana loaf, I was concerned, but excited. I mean, I've been making the SAME recipe my whole life...and yes, it's GOOD...but....what about VARIETY (don't tell Ugg I said "variety"...he likes what he likes!)? What about a recipe that I can't make by heart?

So...how does it stack up, you ask? Very well, thank you. I really loved this recipe, and although mine probably could have used a few more minutes in the oven, it was supremely tasty!

So, definitely give this one a try. You can get the recipe from Ashlee's blog A Year in the Kitchen

Just to note, I used semisweet chocolate, because although Dorie loves her bittersweet...I like my chocolate just a bit sweeter.

So, enjoy this one! I think I did pretty well on my first marbling attempt!

Up Next Week: Blueberry Sour Cream Ice Cream as chosen by Dolores