TWD: Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

Anne of AnneStrawberry picked this weeks Baking with Dorie recipe - Tall and Creamy Cheesecake on pages 235-237 of Dorie Greenspan's cookbook. You can also get the recipe on Anne's blog.

First - let me start by saying I am totally sick of sweets by this time of year. I've given away the last of the candy that anyone wanted and dumped the rest. I don't even want to look at another Christmas cookie. Sooo, I was teetering back and forth all weekend, should I make this week's TWD or not? Then we had a horrible storm Friday night and lost our power all day Saturday - I was sure I was going to skip this week. But today I just decided I wanted to make it - so it's kind of late and I haven't tasted it yet. I think I will keep it until New Year's Day. If I can remember my camera - (I forgot it at all the wrong times this holiday season!!) I will take a picture.

My other problem was that I thought I had all the stuff in the frig to make this...turns out I only had 2 packages of cream cheese, so I halved the recipe. We'll see how that turns out. I used the 8" springform pan to see if I could get some height out of it. I also layered it vanilla, chocolate, vanilla - and then made a raspberry coulis for some color! It went together very nice and I am anxious to taste it. I'll let you know later!

Here's my raspberry coulis cooking up...















And the final product -

TWD: Real Butterscotch Pudding

This weeks edition of TWD takes us to pudding land...Mmmm-mmm pudddd-innggg!
Thank you to Donna of Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases for the pick this week. Get the full recipe there if you don't already have Dorie's book.

This is really tasty. I didn't use the whiskey and didn't miss it. As a chocolate pudding addict, I have to admit this was pretty good. As with all of Dorie's recipes, it seems like she always does things the hard way. I don't understand mixing the cornstarch and salt in the food processor, granted it was going to get used anyway later, but I just have to think there was a way to pass all the food processor steps and come up with a very good pudding. But that's just the Lazy Baker coming out in me again!!

Gotta go...a cup of puddin is calling my name!!

TWD: Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

My day looked like this outside...so I decided to shape my cookies to look like these - -














Now I have to think that the snowmen I would make outside would have to look much better than this poor guy, but I don't think it would have tasted as good as this one did! Ulrike of Küchenlatein chose this weeks selection. And I have to say that it couldn't have come at a better time. I was planning on decorating cookies with my 4 year old granddaughter and these will be great to work with! You can find the recipe on her blog or in Dorie's cookbook. It's a very easy cookie to make and tastes just right! Thanks Ulrike!

TWD: Linzer Sables

I believe I now should be called "The Lazy Baker"! I think they turned out really nice and taste yummy, but I guess I'm just not into that much work! I know, I know...how lazy can I get? I even think sugar cookies are too much work! I'd never make it as a pastry chef - that much I know!






I start out reading the recipe and thinking...ah that doesn't sound too difficult at all! And then I see the ground nuts and the rolling and rolling....



I'm taking some over to my in-laws tomorrow, who just moved to town this last weekend, so I'll let them taste test them for me. I did like the nuttiness the ground almonds gave them and I even liked the ones without the raspberry jam! They do wonders with a nice cup of java! So thank you noskos of Living the Life for picking this week's recipe. And even though I complain a lot, I do really like them. You can find the recipe on her blog and also in Dorie's book!