TWD - BWJ: Hazelnut Biscotti

You can tell by the picture that this is NOT hazelnut biscotti. I just didn't feel like going to the store to get hazelnuts and peel them so chocolate chip biscotti was the way to go! The recipe was super easy and very yummy!

Thanks to Jodi of Homemade and Wholesome and Katrina of Baking and Boys for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs.

TWD - BWJ: French Strawberry Cake

This week's recipe was French Strawberry Cake and I was very excited for it! It starts with a basic genoise (sponge) cake and is layered with whipped cream and macerated strawberries. Basically a fancy strawberry shortcake. I opted against making a full sized cake (supposed to be an 8" round) and made mini cakes. Easy to eat and super delicious!

Thanks to Sophia of Sophia Sweets and Allison of Think, Love, Sleep, Dine for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs.

TWD - BWJ: Pecan Sticky Buns

This recipe is one of those recipes that is so amazing and yet SO bad for you! I think there was a total of 5 or 6 sticks of butter in the entire recipe but you know what? They were so delicious that I just didn't care!

The recipe started with brioche dough... my absolute favorite dough to work with. The brioche is then laminated with more butter just like puff pastry. Then you top it with cinnamon and sugar, roll it up, put it in a pan with more butter and brown sugar, and bake it.

They are AMAZING! I don't think I would ever make them just for a random weekend breakfast for my family but for a group of people I most definitely would!

Thanks to Lynn of Eat Drink Man Woman Cats Dogs and Nicole of Cookies on Friday for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs.

TWD - BWJ: Hungarian Shortbread

The two recipes for TWD this month are Hungarian Shortbread and Pecan Sticky Buns. I went to the store on Saturday and bought everything for Pecan Sticky Buns because I thought they were first. Right before I started making the recipe I thought I would check the TWD site. It's a good thing I did because I found out that Hungarian Shortbread was first!

This recipe calls for a layer of jam in the middle - specifically a homemade rhubarb jam. I would've LOVED to make that jam but I didn't want to make a run back to the store since I had just gotten home. I did what I had to do... I used a layer of Nutella in place of the jam. :)

These bars were amazing but then again anything with Nutella is amazing in my book!

Thanks to Lynette of 1 Small Kitchen and Cher of The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs.

TWD:BWJ - Lemon Loaf Cake

I love anything lemon so this loaf cake was a perfect pick for me. It was fantastic and very lemony!

Thanks to Truc of Treats and Michelle of The Beauty of Life for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs.

TWD:BWJ - Pizza Rustica

This was one of those recipes that I wasn't expecting to like but ended up really enjoying! It is very quiche like and while I don't usually like quiche I actually like this!

The crust is slightly sweet and pairs well with the creamy filling. The filling is ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, and meat. The recipe called for procuitto but I used genoa salami instead. I loved the saltiness it provided for the filling.

Thanks to Emily of Capitol Region Baking and Raelynn of The Place They Call Home for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs.

TWD - BWJ: Irish Soda Bread

Four ingredients... flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. Easy and delicious!

Thanks to Carla of Chocolate Moosey and Cathleen of My Culinary Mission for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs.

TWD: Baking with Julia - RUGELACH

Rugelach is a cream cheese pastry dough that is usually filled with dried fruit and nuts. They are traditionally rolled like a crescent roll but this recipe is filled with so much that it is rolled like a jelly roll. I ended up baking mine flat like a cinnamon roll, though, because my filling was falling out! :)

We made rugelach with the original TWD and I did a craisin/white chocolate variation. I remember loving it so much that I decided to go against the recipe and use craisins, white chocolate, and pecans again. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.... LOVED THEM!

Thanks to Margaret of The Urban Hiker and Jessica of My Baking Heart for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs.

TWD: Baking with Julia - Chocolate Truffle Tart

I was excited that a tart recipe was chosen for TWD because it gave me an opportunity to finally use my rectangular tart pan. :) I know, I know... I get excited for the little things!

This tart was super chocolatey. It started with a chocolate crust and then the chocolate filling had chopped chocolate biscotti and white chocolate mixed in. I made it on Valentine's Day and we ate it cold out of the refrigerator. It was super rich and delicious!!!

Thanks to Steph, Spike, Jaime, and Jessica for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs or in the wonderful book BAKING WITH JULIA.



TWD: Baking with Julia - White Loaves

Tuesdays with Dorie is back!!!! I baked along for 3 1/2 years when we were working through "Baking:From My Home to Yours" and am excited to be back as we begin our journey through "Baking with Julia". I am really excited for this book because of the wide variety of recipes. It's going to be a fun ride!

The first recipe chosen were the White Loaves. There is something so wonderful about bread straight from the oven and these loaves didn't disappoint. They were gone quickly! We ate the slices with butter & honey and even used some for sandwiches. SO good!

Thanks to Laurie of Slush and Jules of Someone's in the Kitchen for leading this project and hosting this week. The recipe can be found at their blogs, or better yet, go buy the book! :)