The 2012 Fall Baking Thread

[AGBF]

I just uploaded two images before I started writing this thread. For anyone who reads Jewelry Pieces and has followed the thread on crosses, the reason why I did this may be self-explanatory. I will explain it to the rest of you: I recently posted in the thread on crosses that I had posted photos of a certain cross, certain I would be able to do so, then was not only unable to do so...but inadvertently posted a picture of my dog and couldn't get it out of the thread!

From now on if I say I have posted a photo, it will be posted before I write it is posted! I won't be hoping I can post it!

Twice in the last few weeks I have made a cake in which I got interested recently, a cake called a "better than sex" cake. I have perused recipes for months and come to realize that there are many variations on this cake, sometimes called a "dump" cake. The yellow version is sometimes-but not always-made with pineapple. (I don't think the original, classic version is. I think that one is made with chocolate chips.) But although the recipes vary, they have fascinated me. Many call for German chocolate and chocolate chips. Some are iced with cream cheese frosting and some with glaze.

I made the chocolate version first for the birthday party of a friend's eight year-old grandson, then for my father's 92nd birthday cake. Absolutely everyone who has had the cake loved it except for the poor eight year-old. I promised him a bakery cake next year!

I will put the recipe up in a little while, but I wanted to get the thread started. I am hoping to get the fall bakers to come forward and tell us what they have been up to!

Deb/AGBF

 

[zoebartlett]

That looks great Deb! I can't wait to see the recipe. We had a staff breakfast at work yesterday and someone brought in apple dumplings made with Pillsbury crescent rolls. They were delicious! I have the recipe at work. I'l try to remember to bring it home and post it soon. My favorite fall food is apple crisp. LOVE it!

 

[Skippy123]

oh yummy!!!

 

[MissGotRocks]

The cake looks delicious!

I tried the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe posted in another thread recently) because it said they stayed soft and didn't get hard. It's true - they do! They were good but somehow not as buttery tasting as the Toll House Recipe. I don't think they will replace the Toll House recipe for me but they were tasty and I found the dough easier to work with than the Toll House. If you don't like hard cookies, it might be the recipe for you!

 

[AGBF]

CHOCOLATE BETTER THAN SEX CAKE
________________________________________

1 chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker super moist dark chocolate)
12 oz. chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
3/4 c. chopped pecans
4 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. water
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding

In bowl combine 2 tablespoons cake mix, pecans and chocolate chips. Stir to coat; set aside.
Combine remaining cake mix, eggs, oil, water, sour cream, vanilla and pudding. Mix well with mixer. Fold in chips and nuts. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.
Bake 350 degrees for 55 minutes until done. Cool 25 minutes and remove from pan.

BETTER THAN SEX FROSTING:

1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar

Melt butter, add brown sugar. Cook until it bubbles. Add milk and cook until smooth. Remove from heat and add sifted powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the cake. (I also poked holes in the cake so that the frosting would penetrate the cake.)

Thank you for the nice comments, Zoe,Skippy, and MissGotRocks. I have been looking forward to this thread for a while. I always love to see everyone's apple and pumpkin recipes! Chocolate isn't really an autumn thing, but I happened to bake this cake in the autumn, so I threw it into the thread!

Hugs,
Deb


PS-My best friend told me she and her husband had fought over the glaze on the first slice I gave them. So when I gave them another slice, I made sure I gave them extra glaze on the side. Luckily I had made a lot more glaze than the recipe called for.

 

[texaskj]

Deb, I've had this same recipe for over 25 years and have made it so many times I've lost count.
FYI, I forgot to buy sour cream the last time I made it and used Fage plain yogurt instead. You couldn't tell the difference.

 

[AGBF]

Deb, I've had this same recipe for over 25 years and have made it so many times I've lost count.
FYI, I forgot to buy sour cream the last time I made it and used Fage plain yogurt instead. You couldn't tell the difference.

How come you didn't post it, texaskj? I thought you were my friend?

Deb

 

[Mayk]

Yeah! Love this thread!

 

[fleur-de-lis]

<---- going to finally get around to buying maternity pants, now that this thread is here.

Keep those photos and recipes coming, Deb!

 

[Ximena]

Oh Sweet Trouble

 

[texaskj]

So sorry, Deb

Here's one I haven't made in ages. It put half the office into a coma; maybe that's why.
It's from my best friend in junior high's mom. She made it every time she had bridge.

Danish Pastry
for the crust, mix:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons water
roll into a ball
divide in two
pat into two strips on jelly roll pan, 12 X 3

for the top:
1 stick butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1 cup flour
3 eggs

boil water and butter
remove from heat and add extract
add flour and stir quickly
add eggs one at a time
divide and spread on top of crust

bake 1 hour at 350

 

[lulu]

This past summer, on our family vacation, I made a millionaire pie. I found the recipe on Pinterest. It is basically a pie crust filled with a combo of sweetened condensed milk( nectar of the gods) and cream cheese with the additions of your choice-berries, pineapple, nuts, chocolate chips or whatever. I mention this only because my very picky grandchildren thought it was the bomb.

 

[lulu]

Better than sex, I've been eating since the 70s. In the 70s I disagreed, but in 2012 it's a different story.

 

[minousbijoux]

Better than sex, I've been eating since the 70s. In the 70s I disagreed, but in 2012 it's a different story.

This made my day! Most I've laughed all day today! I am totally ready for this cake, heh heh...

 

[Dougsgirl]

I haven't actually BAKED anything yet... Heaven forbid

But I was drooling over this recipe yesterday that arrived in my inbox... Pumpkin cupcakes made with butterscotch pudding, pureed pumpkin and chopped up bits of crystalized ginger... Are you KIDDING me??!!!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-ginger-cupcakes/detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=95101210&prop26=MSA&prop27=2012-10-08&prop28=Body&prop29=link1&me=1

If you try it... Let me know how it turns out! LOL

 

[tuffyluvr]

It's finally cooled down over the last couple days, but it's been in the 80s-90s almost every day for months... which means I have hardly turned on the oven since June...

I made these tiamisu cupcakes for my boss' birthday about a month ago, and they were really good. The marcarpone frosting was light and airy, and the flavors were pretty dead-on. I didn't have any Marsala, so I substituted brandy in the coffee syrup, and it worked.

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/03/25/tiramisu-cupcakes-for-my-birthday-today/

I saved DF and myself each a cupcake, and he was very excited for a home-baked treat since I had such a baking "dry spell"... sadly he never got his treat, as our 18 month old pup scarfed them off the table--paper wrappers and all--while my back was turned for literally one second! How could I stay mad at that face though?!?!

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

I actually make a different chocolate version of the "better than sex cake". I have to make it for every single occasion because everyone seems to love it
When I'm on the computer and not falling asleep at 3 in the morning I will post mine.

Had anyone else done the Amish friendship bread? It is literally the best bread ever for fall and Christmas. I am hoping to make a bunch of loaves and passing it out. Now, I just need to get my hands on the starter batch. I had it going for a long time, probably a few months but I got tired of having to take care of the starter and to bake bread every week. But now I miss that awesome bread!

 

[yennyfire]

It's finally cooled down over the last couple days, but it's been in the 80s-90s almost every day for months... which means I have hardly turned on the oven since June...

I made these tiamisu cupcakes for my boss' birthday about a month ago, and they were really good. The marcarpone frosting was light and airy, and the flavors were pretty dead-on. I didn't have any Marsala, so I substituted brandy in the coffee syrup, and it worked.

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/03/25/tiramisu-cupcakes-for-my-birthday-today/

I saved DF and myself each a cupcake, and he was very excited for a home-baked treat since I had such a baking "dry spell"... sadly he never got his treat, as our 18 month old pup scarfed them off the table--paper wrappers and all--while my back was turned for literally one second! How could I stay mad at that face though?!?!

Oh good Lord!! That face! I agree with you...it would be impossible to be mad at that face!!! He looks like he enjoyed them though! I can't wait to try that recipe!! It looks delish!

I've been baking with alot of apples! Every year, we take the kids to the country to pick apples and then I spend the next few weeks baking every kind of apple treat you can think of....apple crisp (since it's a little healthier than pie), apple muffins, baked apples...you get the gist. I'm honestly going to be relieved when all of the apples are gone!! If I have to peel and core one more apple....

 

[JewelFreak]

What is it about fall & baking? Some prehistoric gene makes us want to hunker down & stock the larder for the long winter ahead. At least I do.

My grandmother made heavenly pie from the Concord grapes in our back yard. It means Fall to me. She didn't use a recipe but I watched her often as a kid & have made it myself. Scrumptious!

Make crust for a 2-crust pie. 2 to 3 pints Concords. Slit grapes & squeeze out the insides, seeding them as you do so. (A little labor-intensive but no problem if you watch a brainless SciFi movie while you do it. ) Save peels separately. Put grape insides & about 1/2 the peels into a pan; bring to a high simmer but Do Not Boil. Add juice of 1/2 lemon. Add sugar (substitute works fine) to taste -- around 1/2 cup or more depending on how tart you like it. Allow to simmer until mixture cooks down a bit & thickens a little, about 1/2 hr. Pour into pastry shell, then sprinkle approx. 1/4 c flour over filling. Finish pie with top crust & dust w/sugar (or sugar/cinnamon mixture, that's great!). Place pie dish on a cookie sheet in the oven to catch any liquid that escapes. Bake 30 min. at 400 degrees, until crust is golden. Fabulous served w/vanilla ice cream!

--- Laurie

 

[AGBF]

My grandmother made heavenly pie from the Concord grapes in our back yard. It means Fall to me. She didn't use a recipe but I watched her often as a kid & have made it myself. Scrumptious!

Make crust for a 2-crust pie. 2 to 3 pints Concords. Slit grapes & squeeze out the insides, seeding them as you do so. (A little labor-intensive but no problem if you watch a brainless SciFi movie while you do it. ) Save peels separately. Put grape insides & about 1/2 the peels into a pan; bring to a high simmer but Do Not Boil. Add juice of 1/2 lemon. Add sugar (substitute works fine) to taste -- around 1/2 cup or more depending on how tart you like it. Allow to simmer until mixture cooks down a bit & thickens a little, about 1/2 hr. Pour into pastry shell, then sprinkle approx. 1/4 c flour over filling. Finish pie with top crust & dust w/sugar (or sugar/cinnamon mixture, that's great!). Place pie dish on a cookie sheet in the oven to catch any liquid that escapes. Bake 30 min. at 400 degrees, until crust is golden. Fabulous served w/vanilla ice cream!

Wow. That is labor intensive. It sounds magnificent. Somehow I cannot see myself doing that...but I think you are a heroine! You sound like one of the pioneer women who put up supplies yourself!

Hugs,
Deb

 

[minousbijoux]

I've been dying to make leek and butternut squash soup (I don't know how this relates to baking, but I thought inquiring minds needed to know), and pumpkin muffins. I think today might be the day...overcast and cold(ish).

 

[vc10um]

I'm dying to make these:

Pumpkin Pecan Polvorones (Mexican Wedding Cookies)
Prep time 25 mins Cook time 15 mins Total time 40 mins

Tender and nutty whole wheat pumpkin pecan cookies that are so simple to make. These little fall treats are vegan if you use coconut oil instead of butter, but if you are a butter lover or if that is all you have on hand, by all means go with the butter. Little hands might like to help roll the dough into balls, and since there are no eggs, you can savor a spoonful of dough without worries.

Author: Cookie and Kate

Ingredients
•1/2 cup melted coconut oil or room temperature butter
•1/2 cup pumpkin purée
•1/2 cup fine cane sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
•1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•1 slightly heaping cup raw pecans or raw pecan pieces
•2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
•1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2.Lightly toast the pecans in a skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, under they are nice and fragrant. Remove from heat. You can either use a food processor to finely chop the pecans (about 10 pulses should do it, don't blend so well that you end up with pecan butter) or finely chop the pecans with a chef's knife on a cutting board (you might want to let the pecans cool a little before chopping).
3.In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil or butter, pumpkin purée, cane sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Since I used melted coconut oil, it didn't get light and fluffy but it did blend well (I wonder if it would get light and fluffy with solidified coconut oil at room temperature?). Gradually add the chopped pecans and flour, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended.
4.Using your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the cookies on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2-inch space around each cookie (the cookies will not expand in size).
5.Bake for 14 to 15 minutes, until the bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Pour the powdered sugar into a small bowl and roll the warm cookies liberally to coat in powdered sugar. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

 

[minousbijoux]

vc10um: Please report back - they sound great, but then again, its combining two of my favorite things: pumpkin and mexican wedding cookies!

 

[Dougsgirl]

I actually make a different chocolate version of the "better than sex cake". I have to make it for every single occasion because everyone seems to love it
When I'm on the computer and not falling asleep at 3 in the morning I will post mine.

Had anyone else done the Amish friendship bread? It is literally the best bread ever for fall and Christmas. I am hoping to make a bunch of loaves and passing it out. Now, I just need to get my hands on the starter batch. I had it going for a long time, probably a few months but I got tired of having to take care of the starter and to bake bread every week. But now I miss that awesome bread!

We have done the Amish Friendship bread... Agreed that it is AMAZING!!
But there was so much "burping, squishing and feeding" of the "starter" bags, that my mom and I dubbed it "bondage bread"!! It's like you could never get rid of it once you had it!! LOL But it is SOOOOO good!!

 

[minousbijoux]

Somehow, "bondage" is just not what comes to mind when I think "Amish"

 

[oranges]

I have been making Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies-- HANDS DOWN the best brownie recipe that I have ever tried. They are truly decadent! Served with freshly made whipped cream .... yum

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/outrageous-brownies-recipe3/index.html

 

[Enerchi]

Recipe's are foreign turf to me... my DH says, "when in the kitchen, remember, you are only a guest" so I live by that motto... but today, I was craving ginger/molasses cookies ... and I just made a batch!!! YUMMY! The kitchen (and me!) both survived a baking experience!

 

[jas]

It's been a lot of apple pie baking around here...also S'mores Chocolate Chip cookies and a batch or seven of cheesecake stuffed lemon cupcakes with raspberry topping.

And then I wonder why my scale taunts me in the morning...

 

[vc10um]

vc10um: Please report back - they sound great, but then again, its combining two of my favorite things: pumpkin and mexican wedding cookies!

Will do...we have some pumpkin puree in the freezer, so I may end up making these on Sunday. If not...I don't think I can hold out much longer, I suspect we'll have some by the end of next week at the latest!

 

[JewelFreak]

But there was so much "burping, squishing and feeding" of the "starter" bags, that my mom and I dubbed it "bondage bread"!! It's like you could never get rid of it once you had it!!