Saturday, December 16, 2006

A keeper...

So I feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction tonight. I've made a darn tasty cake from a recipe of my own creation. Just had a slice a moment ago...and went back for two more tastes.

The cake the other day was sort of a test run, and is still in need of tweaking, but this one I think is a home run. This one is a raspberry cake, using sparkling raspberry juice, raspberry port, and ground up freeze-dried raspberries. With the addition of a little bit of vanilla and orange zest for good measure, it's a definite keeper.

It's tasty!

Giddy up!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dan,
This sounds tasty.
I have a question. What is your favorite brand of Vanilla extract?
I have been using the brand that I see the chefs use on Foodnetwork, but I wondered if you had any preferences after being at CIA?
Please let me know what you think.

Dan said...

I like that Nielsen Massey stuff, the stuff they use on Food Network, though I like Penzey's just as much, and that's usually what I have around the house, since I go there often to stock up. I think they're both equally good.

If I remember correctly, they use the Nielsen Massey stuff at the CIA too, but I don't think there's really any huge difference between the two. I will buy either of them if I see it at a good price.

N-M has a cool product which is sort of like a vanilla syrup, infused with vanilla beans. I really like that when I've made ice cream before. And what's nice about Penzey's is that they have a vanilla bean pod in every bottle of vanilla, and they also have a double strength version.

Alison Hodgson said...

Baking nerds - the bofes of you.

Dan said...

I see a potential dearth of baked goods from bofes of us, with nerdish talk like that, sister.

Alison Hodgson said...

Dan, you are cracking me up all over the Sphere, today.

Nerdy and loved - the bofes of you and your baked goods.

Anonymous said...

Dan thanks for the info.
When the bofoes of us are in the kitchen like two little Red Hen's making good stuff she will think twice about her sassing the sugar.

Dan said...

That's right, Torey...there's no sassing the sugar, sister! You tell her!

Alison Hodgson said...

I would NEVER sass the sugar, I was sassing the vanilla.

Dan said...

Listen, little Miss Sassy Pants, there's no sassing the 'nilla neither...are Torey and I gonna have to get all Roy D. Mercer on ya and pull out a can o' you-know-what?

Straighten Up and Fly Right, Baby...

Dan said...

I thought of a better way to leave you my comments...

Call me crazy...

But click on this link:

http://www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail/?mid=17380429

And then click on this one:

http://www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail/?mid=17380536

Unknown said...

Just a comment (I respect both the sugar and the nilla): Rupret the Monkey Boy - both incarnations - very funny.

Alison Hodgson said...

Dan,

Finally listened. Excellent stuff. There will be no more sassing of the sugar nor the nilla, but I still might be tempted to sass the bofes of you.

Scott,

Love that you articulated your respect for the sugar and the vanilla. The perfect touch.