Fall Ultimates

Thanks for the "ultimates" suggestions - I played around and found a perfect cinnamon roll recipe. Super yummy.
As for now, well, it's fall and time for warm, cinnamon-y smells. I just bought two pounds of honey crisp apples (I'm such a sucker for well-named fruit, and this one just appeals to me!). Time for apple pies and pumpkin tarts. I'm also thinking of making a sweet potato cupcake with toasted marshmallow frosting. Or just a cake! For those of us who love that dish at Thanksgiving. With pecans in it? Tasty? We'll see. Might even take a photo of them!
It's raining in Seattle today and I'm loving it. Have to get some baking supplies so I can make it nice and toasty cozy here.
Happy fall! We're going to have a "back to school" fest on Wednesday night with something special. Maybe a trial run of my caramel pumpkin tart.

Ideas?

Found this fabric and I'm in love - but what to make with it? Ideas?

Jennie's Ultimates

I'm making a list of "ultimates" - things that I want to make, and someday sell in my bakery, that are truly the ultimate version of themselves. So far I've perfected:

Carrot Cake
Coconut Cake
Lemon Tart
Chocolate chip cookie
Oatmeal cookie
Brownie - at least, I think so!

On my list of things to perfect:
Peanut butter cookie
Chocolate cake - I'm close on this one

What else? Not recipe suggestions, but just things you crave that you would want to eat and say "That's the best ________ I've ever had." That's my goal.

Didn't Make It

My cookies weren't chosen for Eating Well's contest - sigh. But this means I'll have a better idea of what to enter next year. I'm going with my chocolate rugelach. Maybe get all crazy and make them chocolate peppermint rugelach. That might be fun, although the chocolate raspberry is quite delish.
Still waiting to hear from Nordicware. I think they are supposed to contact me on or around September 5 to make travel arrangements, if I made it that far. I hope I do - a free trip to San Francisco would rock!

Recipe Contest Explanation

Just for you Aunt Annette - your very own post!

The bundt cake recipe contest was through Nordicware. At stake? An all expense paid trip to San Francisco for the bake-off (including $300 for food - can you say chocolate and pastries?) and up to $10,000 in cash-ola. If I win, I'm buying a minivan! I find out around the 5th of September if I've made the cut.

The cookie contest a bit back was through Eating Well magazine - if I'm named as a finalist, I'll be asking everyone to go vote for my cookie. If I win, it's $2000 to spend at cooking.com. That won't take very long. I'll find out next week if I'm a finalist. I'll let y'all know.

The Current Obsession

Now that recipe contests are done for a bit, this is my current obsession - the charlotte royale. By the time I get to this, it will be late, late, late summer, early fall, so I'll have to think those kinds of flavors. But such fun!
Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the petit fours and macarons. Working on flavor combinations for those too.

Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

Here it is - my much slaved-over bundt cake recipe. It has apples caramelized in reduced apple cider and a caramel-toasted pecan glaze. It is tres delish!
I'm no food stylist, but this is the official entry photo. You have to include the pan in the photo so they know you used an official Nordicware bundt pan.


Still to come this week: coconut lime cake and the honey beesting. I have until the first!