TWD: Chockablock cookies

For Tuesdays with Dorie this week, Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet chose the Chockablock cookies from page 86 of Baking From My Home to Yours.

These cookies were not what I expected.  You know how sometimes you just have this image of how things are going to be made, and then they aren't it at all?  When I started first grade and was going to eat cafeteria food for the first time I would try to imagine what the food was when we got the menu each week.  When I saw "chuck wagon" on the menu, I was so far off....I imagined that the cafeteria ladies would actually have made little covered wagons out of vegetables!  (i tried to find an image of what I was imagining with Google, but apparently I am alone in this fantasy...)  Well...needless to say, I was very disappointed when instead of an intricately designed sculpture, I was served a breaded patty of mystery meat.  *sigh*

My thoughts were similar (though a little less grandiose) when it came to these cookies.  Apparently I just think very literally:  I imagined square shaped chocolate cookies (you know, like chocolate blocks?).  I did read the recipe and figure in all the chunks of things, but I just thought they would be a little more chocolatey.  When I mixed up the dough I was kind of "eh" about it.  I really felt that the molasses flavor was overpowering.  I liked them pretty well when they came out of the oven though, and I'll update you tomorrow to see if I like them even more (I've heard that they are even better the next day).  

I did as Dorie suggested and froze some of the dough in lumps in the freezer for later consumption and only made six little (ok, BIG) cookies for myself b/c I knew in advance that these would be a "Sarah cookie" aka, too many "ingredients" for hubs to try.  I did use dried cherries for my fruit component b/c I had some on hand and I LOVE them.  I got excited with my new chopper and cut the walnuts a bit too much, so they weren't quite as chunky as I would have liked, but overall I think they are good--lots of flavorful components and a very little amount of fat compared to most recipes that we do, and that is always great!

Thanks to Mary for picking this week's recipe (check her blog for the recipe) and check out the TWD site to see who baked along this week!

**Update: I really like these the next day!  I think some substitute other than molasses would make them even better, but they are pretty darn tasty cookies!  :)  **

TWD: Cherry fudge brownie torte

This week's TWD assignment was chosen by April of Short + Rose

I was really excited about this one, #1 because I have not had luck making brownies from scratch, and even though these are not normal brownies, I found a great new recipe; and #2 I LOVE the brownie/cherry combo!

I halved the recipe b/c I knew that this is one that hubs wouldn't be into. I thought it came out very delicious, and the mousse on top had a white-chocolate flavor to me, even though the main ingredients were marscapone, cream cheese, & cream. I didn't have any kirsch, so I used some rum that I had on hand from making tiramisu previously, and I was not able to flambe the rum-soaked cherries--most of the alcohol had evaporated before I was able to make it over w/my skewer and get it lit!

I forgot to take it to work today, but I'm gonna take the rest to the office tomorrow so that I don't have this decadent torte sitting in the fridge calling my name! (I did exercise today though! yay me!)

And b/c I can't resist, here is a very sad bulldog b/c her parents had to go back to work after a super fun weekend

she kinda melts into the couch

Thanks for the pick April, and if anyone wants the recipe, be sure to check out her blog or buy Dorie's book (b/c it's super fabulous)