TWD: Gingerbread Baby Cakes

Crapola. I need to get off my behind and start shopping for Christmas presents. I can't believe it's already December! I'm usually pretty good and have ideas on what to get people by mid-October. But this year. Oh man....

Oh well! I'll just distract myself with baked goods instead. This week's TWD recipe is Gingerbread Baby Cakes.

These things are evil! EVIL I SAY! I couldn't stop eating them! Maybe because they are packed full of caffeine. Or maybe because they are just spicy enough for your body to release some endorphins. I don't know...but I sure did scarf a lot down.

Alone, they are rich and sticky from the molasses, with a big kick in the face of ginger power. The black pepper is really apparent in the aftertaste. It lingers on your tongue, just long enough, that you lose your willpower and have to take another bite.

To tone down the spiciness, I made some lemon mascarpone. The sweetness definitely mellows the cake out and brings in yummy tartness into the mix. Yay.

I liked having the cake either way, but I think I enjoyed it more on its own. Every time I took a bite, my mind would immediately think of the fight scenes from the old Batman TV show. KAPOW! WHAMM!

For the recipe, check out Karen's blog, Karen's Kitchen Stories. She was this week's host!

Notes: I used random amounts of molasses, because I was running really low on unsulphured molasses. I had 1:1:2 ratio of unsulphured molasses, blackstrap molasses, and agave nectar. Also, I used grated ginger instead of minced ginger. The batter was baked in a mini muffin pan and some of it was placed on a parchment paper lined sheet pan to make mini-cookies/whoopie pie-ish things. Yum.

TWD: Best Ever Brownies

Today was a weird day. I got up (that's normal). Went to work (also normal). And then all of a sudden, one of my lymph nodes was swollen and sore. Just one. What's up with that?!

It stayed that way for the rest of the morning. Every time I would turned my head, I could feel the lump. By the afternoon, it was gone. No idea what happened there. Poof! Huzzah!

However, there was a negative repercussion after the disappearance. It left me feeling achey and just plain old tired the rest of the day. I felt and looked like one of those tired people on the 5-hour Energy commercials.

Blahh....

Ok. Let's talk brownies. These brownies were good. Not the best, but definitely up there. Like any good brownie, the edges were the best. Chewy. Yum. I also really enjoyed the top of the brownie. The top was so flakey, it was almost like it had a hard icing. It definitely gave the brownie the additional texture it really needed. The rest of the brownie was very fudgey and I have to say, I'm not really down with that. Desserts that taste undercooked or soggy, such as bread pudding or molten lava cake, are just not my cup of tea.

Even though the middle was too fudgey for me, I think the combo of the flakey top and chewy edges still made it a pretty good brownie.

I probably won't make these again. Well, I might. Maybe if I combo it with another recipe to get the best of both worlds, I could make the chewiest, flakiest brownie ever. It would be called the Ultimate Brownie. Yes....MUAHAHahaha!!!

If you love fudgey brownies versus cakey or chewy, try making these. You can find the recipe on Monica's blog, A Beautiful Mess. She was this week's TWD host!

Oh no...the big lymph node is back!!! Ackk! I guess it's time for bed....Hopefully this will be gone before Thanksgiving. I don't want to miss out on the massive carbo load. Oh, and I guess seeing friends and family too.

TWD: Buttermilk Crumb Muffins

I'm such a slacker. I made these yum yums last night. They were lovely and quick to make. They're not the most filling breakfast, but they taste pretty good right after they are baked or straight from the toaster oven the next day.

I love how they are moist and fluffy. It kind of reminded me of a good, not so dense coffee cake or banana bread without the banana. I guess shortening can do that to muffins. Never knew.

I also liked the subtle tanginess from the buttermilk. It was so delicate, it made me want to eat muffin after muffin to bring out the flavor. Oh muffins, you're so fun and addicting.

The muffin top was fun too. The small brown sugar crystals gave it a tiny crunch, which reminded of rock candy. Kind of.

If I make these again, which I probably will, I would want to up the healthiness to these muffins. Maybe add some wheat bran. Or maybe I'll just eat a head of broccoli on the side to make myself feel better. We'll see.

If you would like to make yourself this quick breakfast treat, check out Alisa's blog, easier than pie, for the recipe.

TWD: Bagels

You might not believe me, but these two are actually brothers. You might even say they are twins. They are stemmed from the same dough, but were exposed to two different environments to reach their final stage. Below is their life story.

The first one is named Bagel Fail and the second one is named Bagel. 

Bagel Fail started off with his brother, Bagel, as a large, sticky, but springy dough. Together they grew happily in a nice cozy kitchen. Once they grew too big for their home, they were kicked out, punched in the face, and then...sadly, they were split up from each other.

They missed each other, but they could never be together again...

After being brutally attacked, Bagel Fail was immediately rolled, squished, and transformed into a ring toss. He lay sad and depressed in his new home, a baking sheet with parchment paper that had a plastic lid as a roof. He could feel the slight, chilly breeze coming from his new refrigerated environment. He was given a night's rest, but it looked like it didn't do him any good. All he wanted was more rest but sadly, he didn't get his wish. Early in the morning, while it was still dark and dreary, Bagel Fail was taken from his sad home, and was boiled alive, and then baked. He transformed to the experienced bagel he is now. 

Bagel, on the other hand, was given mercy. He was placed in a tightly sealed, glass container and was given a day's rest. He loved his new home. Every hour, Bagel ate and grew happily. Even after a night's rest, he was strong and creating a beautiful and intricate network. When it was his time to move to his final stage of his life, he was ready. Bagel endured the squishing and squashing with vigor. And considered his boiling and baking, a day at the spa. At the end, even though he might have had a little too much sun tanning, he transformed into the beautiful bagel he is now. 

Two bagels from the same origins, lived two different lives. They missed each other every minute they were apart. If Bagel knew how Bagel Fail turned out, he would've been upset, and then immediately, he would've saw Bagel Fail's potential to move to next level of bagelhood, which was to become Bagel Chips. Because everyone knows Bagel is a half full kind of bagel. 

If you would to experience your own bagel stories, check out Heather's blog, Heather's Bytes, for the recipe. Also, if you're interested in looking at beautiful bagels, check out TWD. They're lovely.