TWD - Thumbprints For Us Big Guys

*Editors Note: I'm a complete ding-dong & forgot to hit the Publish Post button late Tuesday night when I originally typed this thing. It's been one of those weeks.*

This week's selection belongs to Mike of Ugly Food Dude, & he chose Dorie's Thumbprints For Us Big Guys. I had to make a minor adjustment to this recipe & substituted pecans for hazelnuts. Let me just tell you, it's nearly impossible to find hazelnuts in my small town grocery store. I also made sure to chill the dough in the fridge before I baked the cookies...they stayed perfectly shaped & didn't spread all over the pan.

These cookies are light & buttery & yummy. I topped them with some strawberry all-fruit spread (I'm not a jam girl...I need chunks of fruit), & they were absolutely perfect.

Thanks Mike for the great pick! Check out his blog for the recipe, & the TWD blogroll for everyone's delicious cookies.

We Have a Location!

Our little bake sale officially has a home! On April 17th we will be at the red barn at the Canadian County Historical Museum in El Reno, OK. The El Reno Convention & Visitors Bureau has been an amazing help thus far. Now I'm just ironing out some of the details. We've got big plans for the sale including a cake contest, so stay tuned for more info!

National Food Bloggers Bake Sale

I'm putting a call out for all Oklahoma food bloggers & bakers.  Gaby from What's Gaby Cooking has organized the first annual National Food Bloggers Bake Sale to benefit Share Our Strength.  I am heading up the bake sale for the state of Oklahoma.  It looks like the OK sale will be held in El Reno, & I will post more information on the exact location as I get it. What I need right now it people that want to help bake & work the sale; if you think you would like to be a part of this great fundraiser, please e-mail me at abates1113@gmail.com. Any & all help would be greatly appreciated...it's going to be a lot of fun! I will keep this site updated as information comes in.

National Food Bloggers Bake Sale Official Site

Perfect Pound Cake & Valentine Sweets

Last week I actually had some down time which is completely unusual for me these days, & all I wanted to do was bake. I had seen a recipe for pound cake on The Pioneer Woman's website that looked good, so I decided to give that a try. You can't go wrong with a good pound cake...it's buttery & dense with a nice crumb. The recipe came together very easily, but I had to bake my cake for about 30 minutes longer than the recipe called for. The cake itself is very delicious, but it was a little too lemony for me. I would like to make it again but use less lemon extract. You can find the step-by-step recipe here.

After the pound cake, I decided to whip up some sugar cookies for my best friend & I to enjoy on our Valentine's Day date. (Our date consisted of eating junk food & laying on her couch watching movies.) The only sugar cookie recipe I ever use is the one from the book Cookie Craft. The cookies have turned out perfectly every time I use the recipe, & this batch was no exception. I just used some simple colored sugar & heart sprinkles that I had to decorate them, & I think they turned out really cute.

TWD - My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Three months since I've blogged...really?! Gees I am such a slacker. I've been doing pretty much every TWD recipe but obviously haven't been posting them. Shame on me!

This week Kait of Kait's Plate choose My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, & girl you picked a good one! I have tried many many different chocolate chip cookie recipes, but this is by far the best ever. E-VER. I made these a few weeks ago when the snow/ice storm came through, & I was stuck in the house for 4 days. It's a good thing I got out when I did so I could bring the leftover cookies to work & quit eating the damn things! Of course the girls at the office loved them (but when do they not love baked goods?), & they all asked for the recipe. (Which is the true test when I bake something...if they love it they want the recipe so they can make it over & over.) These cookies will definitely be my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe from now on.



Thanks to Kait for the fantastic choice! Check out her blog for the recipe, & the TWD blogroll for everyone else's creations!

Gobble Gobble

I am so ready to pig out tomorrow, & I have no shame in admitting it. I know I'll come away from the table completely miserable, but that won't stop me one bit. We are having Thanksgiving dinner at my grandparent's house this year, & I was put in charge of a few things. I'm bringing the pumpkin pie because it's my favorite, an apple pie, & my mom's 5 Cup salad. I have absolutely no idea where the recipe for 5 Cup Salad came from, but we make it every year. The recipe is so ridiculously easy...seriously...a child could make it. The pumpkin pie is the usual recipe, & for the apple pie I chose The Pioneer Woman's Flat Apple Pie recipe.



5 Cup Salad

1 c. sour cream
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. mandarin oranges
1 c. crushed pineapple
1 c. miniature marshmallows

Combine all ingredients & set in the fridge overnight.




Pumpkin Pie

1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, & cloves in a small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar/spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake for another 40 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

The Pioneer Woman's Flat Apple Pie

(I won't post this recipe since it's in her new cookbook. You'll just have to buy it to find out.) :-)

I hope everyone has a very happy & safe Turkey Day!!!

TWD - All in One Holiday Bundt Cake

It's almost Thanksgiving!! Yay! I love this holiday...there's nothing better than having an excuse to completely stuff myself with yummy food. This week's TWD recipe was chosen by Britin of The Nitty Britty, & she picked the All in One Holiday Bundt Cake. Dorie out did herself with this recipe...it combines everything that is so perfect about holiday baked goods...apple, pumpkin, nuts, ginger...oh yeah! I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago, & now I'm sitting here wishing I had another one. Yet another home run for the TWD crew!

Unfortunately I don't have pics of the cake...I forgot to take any before we gulped it up. Oops!

Check out Britin's blog for the recipe & the TWD blogroll for everyone's pics!