Bundt Cake Fiasco

Photos to come soon!
I've narrowed my entries down to these (they have to be for a specific holiday):
Halloween: Caramel Apple Bundt Cake - with caramel glaze and toasted pecans
Easter: Coconut Lime Bundt Cake, baked in a bunny pan and glazed and decorated with coconut, so it's a "fluffy" bunny
Mothers Day: Orange Pound Cake Baskets with Strawberry Rhubarb compote and cream

I'm thinking the apple one is my winner - apples are good luck for me.
I have to enter them with pictures anyway, so they'll come this weekend or early next week. Wish me luck!

Recipe Testing . . .

. . . is going well. I'm working on the coconut cake for Easter - the specialty pan should arrive soon for that (bunny-shaped!). My fall cake is going to be a caramel apple bundt. Not the right season to be testing it, but my entry has to be in by the 1st of August. This one might be my winner - apple desserts have done well for me in the past (my scholarship pie!).

I've just ordered a big book on french macarons (yes, that is the right way to spell it). I'm excited to try them out - once again, something we made at school that I found irresistable. They are quite popular these days.

Update - the bunny pan has arrived. We'll be trying it out tonight!

Sound Good?

I *heart* petits fours. Not the monstrous ones that you need a fork to eat it. No, the tiny little bite-sized ones in fun colors and yummy flavors. We made them at school and I've been addicted since. Haven't had one in years though. But someone is making and selling them over the internet - www.dragonflycakes.com - and I got to thinking that I could do something like this.

Only question is, does this appeal? They are quite cute and would make for fun favors or as an alternative to chocolates for gift giving. This would fulfill my love of baking with my love of tiny treats (I originally wanted to do a chocolate shop, but I'd miss all the other things!.

So, thoughts? Comments? Flavor suggestions? I'd do traditional ones and also some recipes of my own - coconut and lime, stuff like that.

I'm in love

Holy cookie greatness! This is my latest and greatest cookbook. I just have to say, I love Martha. I know, so cliche. But seriously, her cookbooks are great, her website is great, her magazines are great. I'll never be her, but it's fun to fantasize.

We've tried a few recipes from this one already (Coconut-Swirl Brownies and Blueberry Bonanza Bars) and they are super tasty. I have a list a mile long of ones I still want to try. Good thing I need cookies while I study - I'll be doing some baking therapy this week for sure!

Can I take a survey?

I'm here to pick the brains of those I love and like. Just consider it research for flavor combinations. Just comment and tell me what sounds best to you in terms of a cake:
1. Coconut and lime
2. Chocolate and coconut
3. Chocolate and orange
4. Chocolate and raspberry
5. Coconut and mango

Truly, I'm leaning towards coconut and lime right now. It's really a favorite of mine.
Any other thoughts, please share!

Cookie Tweaking is done!

I just entered my cookie recipe. Honestly, with some cookies that don't end up truly brown (gingersnaps, peanut butter), it's not a great idea to replace the flour with whole wheat, even white whole wheat. Since the grand prize winner last year didn't replace her all-purpose flour, I chose not to as well. I went with reducing the fat and sugar content instead. I hope I win!
I also, at the last minute, entered my pumpkin gingerbread pudding recipe over at Cooking Light. That one involves a cook-off/bake-off in Alabama (woohoo - never been to Bama!) in September. Wouldn't that be a hoot! I'll have to leave Aaron home with Laurel and Will and see about taking my mom with me. That one is worth $20K!
Seriously, there are people who just do recipe contests. I might have to look into it more. It's insane the kind of money you can get for these things!

Cookie Tweaking

I'm working on a recipe for a Christmas cookie contest. Shh - it's a secret. It's for a healthy food magazine, so I have to watch the fat and sugar, which is pretty tough for a cookie recipe, let alone a Christmas cookie. I think I've got a winner. Maybe two winners. We'll see. Could be worth $2000 from cooking.com - and we all know I can spend that kind of money in minutes.

As for other cooking, I got my fried chicken education for Mother's Day. We had a super yummy dinner with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy (my SIL Teresa makes the BEST gravy - she filled me in on that one too), warm rolls, green beans. Then we had pound cake (found a new favorite) with strawberries and whipped cream.