A Month In Review: October

Another month gone. As October gave way to November, I realized that 2009 was quickly coming to an end, and honestly, I can't bring myself to feel sad about that. Two worthwhile things happened this year: I started watching NCIS (and subsequently realized just how freakin' hot Michael Weatherly is) and I realized how much I liked to bake (and subsequently started this blog). So really, I guess maybe four worthwhile things happened?

Whatever.

Regardless, it's time for another montly review of my baked goods.

The German Chocolate Cake: I never really understood what made a German Chocolate cake so much better than a regular chocolate cake. I still don't. In fact, I'm pretty sure that you could bake a regular chocolate cake, top it with the German Chocolate Cake frosting and nobody would be able to tell the difference. Really. Regardless (Wow, I really like saying that word, huh? Or technically... I guess typing it), the recipe that I had for the cake was nothing short of amazing. My guinea pigs officers absolutely loved it, and in fact, I just took a request to make it again for another upcoming birthday. The verdict: I will most defnitely use this recipe again.

The Reese's Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies: Despite the fact that these treats were baked on a whim (after finding a lonely bag of peanut butter chips in cabinet), these cookies are definitely considered a favorite among my guinea pigs officers. The recipe is simple and to the point and the outcome is pretty darn delicious. I've made these cookies a couple of times since and everyone always enjoys them. The verdict: Nothing special but yummy none the less.

The Blondies: This was the first recipe for blondies that I tried, and if you'll remember correctly, this was the day I had my very first kitchen accident! This recipe was nothing spectacular. I made these only because I felt guilty for making chocolate all summer when one of my guinea pigs officers was clearly allergic and wanted to find some way to make it up to him. I wasn't a fan of the recipe or of the final outcome. The verdict: You couldn't pay me to sell these in my bakery. You know, the one I don't have yet.

The Stolen Cheesecake: Despite the fact that I didn't actually make this dessert (a minor technicality, really), I decided to include this in the monthly review for the simple fact that I did feed the cheesecake to my guinea pigs officers. I've passed this dessert off as my own many times and every time the verdict is the same: It's one of the best cheesecakes they've ever had. It's easy to see that I get my baking skillz (yes, with a Z. That's just how damn good I am) from my momma.

The Ice Cream Cake: I more or less made this cake for my fellow dispatchers (namely KW. HI KW) but I did offer it to my guinea pigs officers as well. The original recipe I had called for boxed brownie mix, but if you haven't noticed, I'm not into the whole boxed mix thing anymore so I used a recipe I have for the best brownies ever. The verdict: The cake itself is a little messy, but I prefer it to bought ice cream cakes. I wouldn't feature something like this in my bakery, but it's definitely fun for birthdays and other special gatherings.

The Chocolate Cupcakes: The recipe I had promised that these cupcakes would be the ultimate chocolate cupcake. That recipe clearly sits on a throne of lies because the cupcake basically sucked. It was dry and in my opinion, didn't even have a very good taste to it. I tried to decorate them in a festive fashion, thinking perhaps that would make up for the suckiness in taste, but apparently, my decorating skills need more work. The verdict: I need a new recipe.

The Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting: Another request from KW (Hi KW). The recipe that I have was simple and easy to follow. The cupcakes and frosting both had a really good taste and despite the fact that I made two dozen, I only had a couple left over. The verdict: This is definitely another recipe that I would try again, maybe next time in a cake form.

The Blondies 2.0: One of my Lieutenants (who really, I probably shouldn't refer to as a guinea pig) was pretty taken by the first batch of Blondies. I'm not quite sure why, but he when he called another meeting at work, he requested that I make blondies. So I did. With a different recipe. They had a very good taste to them, despite the fact that I was short an egg. A little flat and a little dry, but apparently tasty enough to overlook that. The verdict: I'm already making plans to make them again.

The Black Magic Cake with Ganache Frosting: This was by FAR my favorite cake to make. I'm not quite sure what it was about this recipe, but I'd been looking forward to trying it out since the beginning of September. Because of the cool name, I held off on doing so until the week of Halloween and it was definitely worth the wait. Despite the fact that the original recipe didn't indicate what kind of frosting to use, I went ahead with the Ganache because frankly, it looks cool. I'm not a huge fan of coffee and being that it's an ingredient in the cake, I wasn't sure how I'd like it, but it was amazing. The verdict: This cake is one of the favorites at work. I'll definitely make this again.