BIZZY BAKES

I absolutely ruin cakes because no one will eat them frosted in our home.  This would have to be a company cake and then I could frost it but the week, it was to be baked, there was no company.  So you get this great cake in all its nudity. Club Baked made this in November so, you can see, I am slightly late.  Did I really say slightly?  If you would like to see these cakes, in all their beauty, stop by Club Baked and there is a list of participating blogs and their links.   See the cakes, as they should look. I halved the cake and made it in a round pan and just sprinkled a little confectioner's sugar on top. The sugar was for the photo and not for taste. Hubby loves plain. This was not at all plain, though. The cake had enough flavor to hold its own. In truth, I am not sure it needed anything else. Of course, if you want a beautiful, special cake, as shown in the book, you need that yummy frosting and filling. I hope you have the book so you ca...

  How would you like the first challenge of a new group to be baking or cooking with apples and caramel?  Yep, sounds pretty good.  In fact, it is absolutely delicious.  I made a cookie that truly surprised me.  I thought it would be rather bland and plain but it turned out to be chewy and delicious.   Caramel Apple Cookies   Adapted from Granny's Mountain Ingredients: 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup margarine, at room temperature 1 egg 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup dried apple pieces, chopped 1/2 cup caramel chips  Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. In separate bowl, mix sugars and butter. Add egg, mixing just until blended. Add flour mixture and combine well. Mix in caramel chips and apple. Using a teaspoon size cookie scoop, drop batter about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. ...

I made these cookies, a week before, we were to post them and I completely forgot to post my comments on this cookie from the Baked Baking Book, "Baked Explorations." This is a sweet crackly chocolate cookie and unlike my usual thumbprint cookies, it is not filled with jelly although I did choose my own filling, anyway.  I used caramel for the filling and I omitted the mint.  I am never sure about mint although, I always like the finished product.  I am sure this is delicious with mint and it was delicious with the caramel. You can find the recipe for these cookies at Jamie of Random Acts of Food . Check out the other Club: Baked member's thumbprint cookies here !

When I bake with apples, I don't chop, I don't shred, I chunk, good size chunks.  When you take a bite, you feel the crunch of the apple.  Thus, when I see applesauce as part of a cake, it does not send me running to the kitchen.  I saw a picture of the cake and was drawn to it despite the applesauce.  I am glad I did although, I would cut up small pieces of apple, next time, and include them, in the batter. Applesauce Spice Cake I found this wonderful recipe on Sweet and Crumby , a blog, I discovered recently and like very much.  The spices rule with the brown sugar.  I love brown sugar.  I think, I could get high, sniffing brown sugar.  I guess, that would be a lot safer than some of the other items, out there. I adapted this cake to be gluten free and left out what I understand, is a fabulous frosting, and replaced it with one of Sweet Melissa’s glazes which, I must say, was also terrific.  I also replaced the butter with Ca...