Whenever I flipped past this week’s Tuesdays With Dorie recipe, Honey Nut Brownies, in Baking, I’d think of breakfast cereal – but I was always intrigued. It’s certainly not a flavor combination I would think of. Since we were a little uncertain about these, I made a half recipe, which seemed like a lot of brownie batter and these did bake up very thick. As far as brownies, go these definitely are on the cakey side, though I felt like they did have a bit of chew to them. I think a chocolate glaze would be stupendous on these and really bring the flavors together. You know, they just could have used a little something extra. However, they are being consumed just fine.
We rated this recipe a 7 for Deliciousness and I gave it a 2.5 for Effort, for an EDR of 2.8. Thanks to Suzy of Suzy Homemaker for giving us an opportunity to try this unique combination. You can find the recipe here on Suzy’s site and visit the TWD site to see what the rest of the group thought of this treat.
This week the Sweet Melissa Sundays selection was a nice seasonal recipe, Irish Soda Bread. I didn’t manage to make the bread until after Saint Patrick’s Day and slathered with a little butter, it made an excellent Saturday morning breakfast. While we were eating breakfast, Josh asked if I knew why there was a cross on the soda bread. I did not, and he informed me it was to ward off evil spirits. Josh’s office had a Saint Patrick’s Day party and he was responsible for writing a “pub quiz” with Irish trivia. This tidbit did not make it on the, according to some co-workers, too-difficult quiz, but he found out this fact when he was researching it. And I totally believe that Josh made the quiz difficult (especially if you’d had a Guinness and a slice of the whiskey-soaked chocolate cake I’d made for him to bring to the party).
I thought this bread had a great sweet-savory taste. I know not everyone likes caraway seeds, but this is a delicious use for them. I rated this recipe a 7.5 for Deliciousness and a 2.5 for Effort, for an EDR of 3. Many thanks to Julie of A Little Bit of Everything for a fantastic selection. You can find the recipe here on Julie’s site and visit the Sweet Melissa site to see how the other bakers liked this bread.
This week Tuesdays With Dorie made Citrus Currant Sunshine Muffins – an absolutely perfect choice for this time of year. Spring (and the fruits that accompany it) aren’t quite here and these bright muffins are a nice reminder that it’s on its way. My muffins are a little darker since, per Nancy’s suggestion on the Problems & Question site, I used half whole wheat flour. I didn’t have any lemon extract, so I added some zest instead, which I think worked fine (I wasn’t going to buy a bottle of lemon extract to use a ¼ teaspoon). I thought these muffins had the perfect amount of sweetness for a breakfast treat and would happily make them again. 
This recipe rated an 8 for Deliciousness and a 2 for Effort, for an EDR of 4. Many thanks to Lauryn of Bella Baker for a splendid selection. You can find the recipe here on Lauryn’s site, along with many other beautiful treats, and check out the TWD site to see if the rest of the group liked these as much as I did.
The Sweet Melissa Sundays group switched to two recipes a month, rather than four, which you would think would make it easier to keep up with, but for some reason it has had the opposite effect on me. Las t month I got confused about the posting dates and managed to miss the first recipe (which I later made and forgot to photograph), then I didn’t really want to make the second recipe. Anyway, I am back on track for March with Chocolate Pudding.
I love pudding of all kinds - and pretty much any dessert you can make in a ramekin. However, I don’t make spoon desserts very often since Josh prefers treats that you can pair with ice cream. I made a third of the recipe, which gave me two ramekins, plus a partially filled one. I used half-and-half rather than heavy cream, and did not feel like the pudding lacked richness at all. I thought the pudding was very tasty, though I would sometimes take a bite and wish there was a bit more chocolate flavor, so if I were to make it again, I might consider upping the chocolate content.This recipe rated a 7 for Deliciousness and a 2.5 for Effort, for an EDR of 2.8. Many thanks to one of my favorite bloggers Leslie of Lethally Delicious for hosting this week. For this recipe, plus lots more chocolate, stop by Leslie’s site, and to see how the rest of the group liked it, stop by the Sweet Melissa site.
