I do, I do. I bake even in the middle of summer when it is hot and nasty outside. But as soon as the temperatures start to drop I have the perfect excuse to spend hours and hours in my oven-heated kitchen. That’s one of the many reasons why I love fall and winter. There are so many carbs just waiting to be baked!
This last weekend I baked 2 black forest cakes. One for Jon’s sister’s birthday and one for a wine tasting party we attended. I have never made that kind of cake before, but it was pretty simple following these videos and using the last of my Devil’s food cake mix. The result was a cake that everybody loved:
It looks sinful, doesn’t it? Don’t you love those big cherries on top? But things didn’t stop there. Last night I was in the mood for chocolate chip cookies, but not just any chocolate chip cookies. I fired up my Google Reader and searched in the long list of delicious recipes that my foodie friends have posted on their blogs. I found many variations but there was one that especially caught my attention:
There weren’t exactly chocolate cookies, but rather mandelbrot (literally almond bread), but intelligent Ben forgot to add the almonds to the mixture so I ended up with a fancy looking chocolate biscotti, very tasty nonetheless. The only changes were that I used mint chocolate chips, a sprinkle of sea salt on top and no almonds (DUH!) I really, really, really recommend this dessert. It is amazing!
More than giving you the recipes for these yummy desserts (you can get them following the links) I want to inject new steam in my monthly event I love baking. Remember that you can enter with bowth savory or sweet entries. The only rule is that it has to involve baking at some point in the preparation. Also you can participate with up to two entries per month, one entry per category. So your changes to win great prizes at the end of the month are double! Last month’s winners were Divya’s homemade oven baked potato chips (savory entry) and Cinnamon Spice’s Chai-spiced banana & fig muffins (don’t you just love that combination?)
Congratulations! I will be contacting the winners next week and sending the prizes, too. Please bear with me, I am trying to re-organize my life… In the meantime remember to visit the forum and leave your entries. Don’t mind the funky looks. I will be working on it, hopefully it doesn’t collapse like our economy :p
¡Buen provecho!
15 Replies
Oh yes Sinfull but super delicious.
Posted on October 2nd, 2008 at 1:22 pm
These are really fab, Ben! I’ve made various nut versions, but not chocolate…here goes!
Posted on October 2nd, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Wow Ben, those cookies look fantastic! Yum! I am going to put them on my list!
I agree I love the foods of autumn as well!
Posted on October 2nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Me too! Me too! I alsobake in the middle of summer, i don’t care! Both the cake and the cookies/biscotti looks delicious! I especially love your changes on th biscotti, mint chips and the salt on top, yummy!
Posted on October 2nd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Beautiful mandel bread! I love it with chocolate chips. My boyfriend’s mom makes a wonderful chocolate chip mandel bread too. Thanks for this!
Posted on October 2nd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Oh – those cookies look so interesting! Yum!
Posted on October 2nd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Oh boy! I’m starting a diet and when I read posts like this I can just think about breaking it… It looks delicious!!!! Mmm…. cherries… and cookies…
Best regards, mate! And I’m thinking about using the oven again…
Posted on October 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
The cookies are coffee-ready…I like two with my latte.
Posted on October 2nd, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I love that black forest, which is on the top of the list of my favourite desserts. I’ve been baking all summer, nothing changed my cooking habits and the biscotti look fantastic. I hope to be contributing to your event this month.
Posted on October 3rd, 2008 at 12:12 am
Great cake and biscotti Ben…perfect with a strong cup of coffee.
Posted on October 3rd, 2008 at 1:27 am
Hola Ben! Your site looks kind of messy in the lower part… don’t know if its only my computer or is your html that’s behaving funny.
About Your baking skills… me quito el sombrero! What a Delicious pastel and the nonalmond bread looks stunning!
Maybe I should get in your contest too
Posted on October 3rd, 2008 at 4:56 am
That cake looks fantastic!
Posted on October 3rd, 2008 at 9:13 am
I’ve never made Black Forest Cake either …..oh how you tempt me!! I’ll be trying this one!
Posted on October 3rd, 2008 at 9:38 am
Haven’t had Black Forest Cake in years and years. I’m loving the cherries. And those giant chocolate chip lovelies? Well. They look like they’d do fine in the mail. You want my address? I could test ‘em for you. heh.
Posted on October 3rd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
it does look amazing!!! both of them are winners…
guess you’ve been busy in the kitchen… keep them coming, Ben… 
Posted on October 6th, 2008 at 8:45 am
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