pretty as a picture...

       ...and,

good

enough

to

eat.

have some cupcake yum...

sugar me colorful.

 

Butter, flour, sugar, eggs = YUMMY!

peanut butter perfect, simply chocolate chip, crazin' oatmeal

I might have mentioned one or two times that I LOVE cookies. Big, soft, chewy cookies. Some people love pie, others may crave candy. My go-to sweet has always been cookies. And I don't feel guilty, because I only eat one...one that probably equals four or five in the real world. But I am a baker, and my job is to make sure that my cookies are fresh and delicious. Now, if I don't have quality control, what kind of baker would I be? It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

snickerdoodles

Some people (unlike myself!) do not like cookies filled with stuff...stuff like nuts, chocolate chips, m&m's, well...you get the idea.  They like plain, simple, no mess, easy to eat cookies.  That's what a Snickerdoodle is...a plain sugar cookie that's been rolled in cinnamon and sugar and has a crackly or crinkly top.  But, don't let the 'plain' part fool you.  These cookies still pack a punch of flavor.  And, the buttery cinnamon dough makes it hard to resist sneaking a nibble before baking!

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

I haven't posted in a long time, so I think it's time to get blogging again! I have been busy baking all winter, and trying lots of new recipes such as this one that I adapted from the book "Home Baking for Profit" written by my friend, Mimi Shotland Fix.  Everyone needs a great, basic pound cake recipe...and this is certainly the one to have!  It's moist, buttery, delicious, and the texture is perfect with a nice tender crumb.  I love pound cake because I add whatever I'm in the mood for.  On these mini cakes, I added a buttery crumb topping to one, and a cinnamon sugar topping to the other.  For chocolate lovers, add some semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips to the batter.  And, of course, a nice lemony sugar glaze would finish off this tender cake to perfection.  But, even without anything extra added, this pound cake is a slice of heaven!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !



Crazy Vanilla Cupcakes



Warm, tender buttermilk muffins bursting with blueberries...with a sugary, crunchy top!  Good to start your day with...or as an end of day snack!

Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins



Chocolate Fix!



Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookie

 Whenever I'm in the mood for chocolate, it's never for candy.  I want a chewy, chocolatey cookie.  And what these are...is indulgent!  Just pour yourself a glass of cold milk and you'll be good to go...

Pumpkin Cinnamon-Chip Scones




Warm and delicious out of the oven...crunchy outside, tender inside.

 



  

 It's a bright, colorful Autumn Sunday morning.  What's better to start the day with than a delicious, warm pumpkin scone?  Scones can be made from just about any flavors that you can think of...savory, sweet or anything inbetween.  Besides the pumpkin scone, one of my favorites is raspberry and white chocolate...the flavors of the tart raspberry mixed with the sweetness of the white chocolate....oh, so divine!



chocolate chip blondie




raspberry muffins




craisin oatmeal cookies

 Choices!

Small bite...big flavor!

peanut butter kissy cakes

I made these mini cupcakes this morning for my daughter Kristin's 24th birthday.  Devils food with fluffy peanut butter frosting...so yummy! 

what's your preference?



simply chocolate chip cookie






chunky double chip oatmeal cookie

Of all the baking I have done in my life, my favorite sweet by far is the chocolate chip cookie.  If I was marooned on a desert island, and could only take one food with me...I definitely would take mounds of chocolate chip cookies.  Now the problem would be, do I take the simple, classic cookie...rich with butter and vanilla, and chocked full of chocolate chips?  Or...do I take the more complex version with oatmeal, and chocolate & vanilla chips, and nutty toasted walnuts?  Hmmm, I think that I might just have to take both!

Cheddar Cheese Please...

These Cheddar Cheese Muffins are tender and fluffy...great to eat on the go, or with your morning cup o' joe. Variations can include bacon, or maybe spice it up with a little jalepeño. And remember, muffins aren't just for breakfast anymore!

Any Chocolate Lovers Out There?

These brownies are so moist and fudgy, it's hard to eat just one.  I use bittersweet, semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate which give the brownies that fully developed, deep, chocolate flavor.  I also use a secret ingredient that makes the chocolate taste even more decadent!

simply...baked

Devils Food

Vanilla

Simply...delicious.

One picture speaks a thousand words!

Surprise ME!

When I came home from work the other day, I was surprised by what my youngest daughter did.  She had baked cupcakes for me.  Now I'm usually the one doing the baking, so it was so nice to have someone else take time to make me something yummy.  Mind you, she is 23, but when I came home and she proudly showed me the yellow buttermilk cupcakes with expresso swiss meringue buttercream icing she had made...I was stunned.  Kristin is not a baker, but the cupcakes were so delicious and beautifully decorated that I actually thought (for a second), she couldn't possibly have made those.  But she did, and it took her seven whole hours to make them...and from what she has told me, probably never will again!!  Thank you peanut...

Cookie Monster

I've always baked cookies, always.  Chocolate chip cookies were the first thing I ever baked when I was 11 and my Mom handed me a bag of chocolate chips and asked me "can you make these"?  Well, she created a monster, a COOKIE monster!!!  From that moment on I baked, and I mean I baked all the time.  I loved it, and so did she.  To this day my Mom gets so excited when I bring her something I just baked...cookies, brownies or cupcakes, it doesn't matter...as long as it's sweet.  And it makes me happy to see her enjoy my creations...and the rest of my family and friends, too!!!

Strawberry Clouds Forever...

I really enjoy baking for people.  There is such satisfaction when I see the smile on someone's face after they have enjoyed one of my sweets, and I have been baking for years for my family and friends,   The strawberry cloud cupcake is one of my favorites...tender, moist and so full of sweet flavor.  And, the icing is just as the name implies, a light cloud of strawberry heaven...

ATTENTION: calling all cupcakes!

 These cupcakes are tender and moist, and the icing is buttery and light.  The devils food is hard to resist with the mocha icing...and of course, vanilla is ALWAYS scrumptious.  No matter how many cupcake flavors there are, chocolate and vanilla are still two of the most popular!