TWD: Puffed Double Plummed Tart and more..

I'm finally back with my posting, sadly it is one of the last bakes of the TWD baking group.

I cannot believe I've baked so much from a single cookbook and with such joy. I've learned a lot and tried things I've would have never dared to.

The book will end in December and then we'll start baking from 'Baking with Julia'.

Puffed Double Plummed Tart chosen by Julie of Someone’s in the Kitchen

Even in Italy I didn't find the right plums but switched succesfully to apples.

Honey Almond Fig Tart in the Florida version chosen by Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table

Again no figs around so I tried the grapefruit version.

at least I got a bump (and I suspect a not straight oven..)

Earl Grey Madeleines chosen by Nicole of Bakeologie

I finally bought a madeleines mold and discovered a passion for them in my kids..

Normandy Apple Tart chosen by Tracey of Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

A very classic torta di mele !

TWD : Classic Brownies

My dear Twd friends I'm coming back to my oven and to my blog with this classic and loved recipe. I sure hope to be able to keep baking and posting, I certainly wish to bake all the past twd recipes that I missed.

I baked these brownies almost as directed only substituting the hazelnuts to the walnuts and the rice oil for the butter (which is something I'm trying to do as often as I can to control our cholesterol level). I loved they fudgy center contrasting with the crunchy nuts.

The recipe was chosen by Anne of Anne Strawberry and she'll post the recipe for you.

Please visit the LYL section of the TWD site to see more versions of this recipe.

TWD : Chocolate Chunk Muffins and trying to catch up

Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles chose Chocolate Chunk Muffins this week and certainly I'm not entitled to tell you why these are muffins and not cupcakes but from my experience they are great to bring out a smile from anyone.

I brought Them at the last wu-shu class of my childen and were a success.

I doubled the amount of chocolate, melted and in chunks, and followed the recipe otherwise. Please visit Bridget for the recipe and the TWD site for more muffins.

Now I must apologize with you my TWDers friends for being so bad in posting lately I wasn't so busy not to bake but didn't blog about it.

Let me introduce to you the main cause of my work overload, a Pontifical Zuave (1865) which is a strange thing to work on in this year where we italians celebrate the 150 anniversary of our Country due to the defeat of the Pontificial State.

And for the sweet part here we go with the past week's baking, Please visit the hosts for the recipes.

Spike of Spike Bakes chose Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies I made them with dried cherries instead of raisins and made them a them 1 inch in diameter knowing they would spread. Yummy ! Especially for Anita.

Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet chose Date-Nut Loaf and was this loaf super delicious ! I really wish I had some now but ....

Jacque of Daisy Lane Cakes chose Chocolate Biscotti which I baked along with the next recipe for a kid's party and were gone quite SUBITO !

Cindy of Everyday Insanity chose Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake I used a frozen berry mix and these babies where a joy to eat.

Peggy from Peggy the Baker chose Caramel Pots de Creme, I had never thought of mixing the caramel in the cream as we usually just pour it in the mold; the results were very greedily welcomed.

Patricia from Life With a Whisk chose Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones even if so many days have passed I remember how I liked the nice crunch they had.

TWD : Maple Corn Biscuits

Lately our cat Cagliostro has decided to wake me up around four in the morning so yesterday, not before feeding him and another nap with him, I decided it was the right occasion for baking these biscuits for breakfast !

They were chosen by Lindsay from A Little Something… Sweet ; I never ate 'real' biscuits or scones and I have no idea of how White Lily flour feels but I thought these biscuits were so good I'm glad, for my diet's sake, that I only made half batch and that my children and husband loved them too !!

Please visit Lindsay for the recipe and the TWD site for more biscuits.

TWD : Brown Sugar Bundt Cake

This week our recipe was chosen from Peggy from Pantry Revisited, a nice friend for me.

And she chose such a wonderful recipe I wish I hadn't shared it with anybody !

I brought it to my high school party (it was really dark there I posted an inside photo just for the sake of it) and everybody was tasting it in silence.

My only trouble was that the pears and prunes went all towards the bottom but my rose pan worked well anyway.

Please visit Peggy for the recipe and the site to see many different versions of this wonderful bundt cake!

TWD : Basic Marble Loaf Cake

This week it was Carol from the Bake More who chose the recipe and I keep thinking 'Baking from My Home to Yours' is truly a treasure : every recipe is a real delish !

I made the peppermint version and brought it to my high school party they were surprised for the peppermint flavour but the funniest thing is that they found a goose -or a swan- in the slices (which I'm told became a bison and lately a pellican) and were sure I made it on purpose ! I had some problems swearing It was just luck.

Please visit Carol for the recipe and the lyl post for more marbling miracles !

TWD : Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies

I was hoping to win the Spreader title at the (sad) end of our Tuesday with Dorie Mission, but with these soo good shortbread cookies chosen by Valerie I' m afraid I won't be alone. I was blaming Italian butter, cookies not cold enough or just a personal gift I had, but with these babies I was not the only one to get The Spread !

Well, Spread or not I loved them. Crunchy as they were (actually are but I hid them) and with the lime hint Valerie suggested in the P &Q I absolutely loved them !

Please visit Valerie for the recipe and much more and the LYL for more cookies.

TWD : Tourtely Apple Tart

Jeanette of The Whimsical Cupcake chose the recipe this week, we loved this tarte or pie, I'm the least entitled to say what it is, but I can tell you the all building had its share and it was very welcomed !

I only had three apples but had made an unsweetened apple sauce few weeks ago so I added a few tablespoon of it to the apples when cooking and I had enough filling.

Please visit the LYL post and find out how many different versions there can be !

TWD : Strawberries Double Crisp

Sarah of Teapots and Cakestands chose this wonderful crisp for us this week and I must say it's so good even without Rhubarb I really would love to try it with it.

I halved the recipe and made four mini ramekins, easier to share this way !

Please visit Sarah for the recipe and the LYL for more crisps.

TWD : Pecan Powder Puffs

The host of the week is Tianne of Buttercream Barbie she chose these sinful cookies and wil have the recipe here. Please visit all the other bakers .

My dear friends as some of you might know I have a problem with spreading and as you can see me puffs (made with almonds btw) I did it again !

I tried reducing the butter, freezing the dough before shaping and after ..... well anyway even if I'm dieting I tried a tiny crumb and they were heavenly !!!!

You can see the spreading problem but it was not the only problem !

I saved the precious crumbs for a cheese-cake crust what do you think ?

TWD : Honey Nut Brownies

I feel like the Groundhog finally coming out...let's see !

Suzy of My Suzy Homemaker chose this recipe and, I know I repeat myself, everytime I'm surprised and think that Dorie's book is like Mary Poppins bag : wonderful recipe keep coming out !

I used a very special honey : Sulla (hedysarum coronarium ) now....please do not ask me how the brownies were because I'm on a strict diet and didn't taste a crumb ! But I saw my family eating them with a smile and happy neighbours too.

I had read on the P&Q that they were a bit cakey so I cooked the brownies a bit less and I think they were very good.

If you happen to be around here give me a buzz and I'll be happy to share some cookies too !!

Please visit Suzy for the recipe and the blogroll for more honeys !

TWD : Nutty Chocolatey Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

My friend Jennifer of Cooking for Comfort chose the recipe for today and the bundt did not stick,

burn, over or undercook but.... I met my friend Tamara and discovered it was her birthday so I DID NOT EVEN TASTE IT !!!!

Her kids (they both go to school with my kids) were very happy for my present !!

As a reward I got a wonderfully smelling kitchen though.

As you can see the swirl was on top too but the cake rose and the swirl stuck to the cake anyway actually it was very nice on the wrong side too.

Please visit Jennifer for this and many recipes, and go here to check all the others bundts !

TWD : Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

This week it was Betsy of A cup of Sweetness who got to choose the recipe, and, I must confess that after baking so much from this book I would have imagined the 'last' recipes to be so so but this muffins are really super special !

So I must thank Laurie again and again for creating this group and for letting me become acquainted with Dorie Greenspan.

I made both versions of the muffins : the glazed ones are plain and the hearts are filled with blueberries jam (Anita's favourites).

Please visit Betsy for the recipe and go here to see all the different muffins.

Now I think all of you know how bad I was (at least) in blogging so I give you a quick summary of my unblogged TWD past recipes:

Laurie of Slush and Jules of Someone’s In the Kitchen chose Midnight Crackles

Margo of Effort to Deliciousness chose Chocolate Fluff Filled Madeleine

Hindy of Bubie’s Little Baker chose Translucent Maple Tuiles

Amber of Cobbler du Monde chose Apple-Coconut Family Cake

Jill of Jill’s Blog chose Cardamom Crumb Cake

Nicole of Bakeologie chose Peanuttiest Blondies

Jessica of Singleton in the Kitchen chose Not-Just-for Thanksgiving Cranberry Shortbread

Whitney, April, and Elizabeth of Celestial Confections chose Cranberry LIme Galette

Emily of Sandmuffin chose All-American, All-Delicious Apple Pie

TWD : Apple-Coconut Family Cake and I am finally back !!!

Ciao a tutti my dear friends ! I feel really guilty having abandoned my blog for so long and even if I baked almost all our recipes I wished to come back with some wonderful and stunning post.. but it is almost midnight and I'm dyeing some fabric I need tomorrow and maybe I'll just post my Apple- Coconut Family Muffins hoping in your friendship as always ...

This recipe was chosen by Amber of Cobbler du Monde and it was a very pleasant surprise for me as it is simple and fast but also healthy and super delicious ! Please visit Amber for the recipe.

I toasted the coconut and made it as directed even if I really did't understand how i should have cut the decoration apple !

I made it in this small form as I can share it easily and I must say everybody loved it as much as I did !

I added a photo of a part of one of the two mitre I had been working in the last month. It is from the Duomo of Orvieto dating from the 1700 century. I hope to be able to show some more pictures soon !