Bake-Off Challenge Round 4

Do you like Pecan Pie? What about teeny-weeny, really cute Pecan Pies?

I've got the best recipe for Pecan Tassies and they're so easy to make. And not too time-consuming. I know I say that a lot but it's important to me to have a list of great stand-by recipes that I can make quickly. Time to bake isn't something I always have in large commodity.

Prep time on these little puppies is about 20 minutes. The recipe is on my Facebook Page so I'll just give a quick recap here...

First, this little dowel is your new BFF when making tassies of any kind. I just put a teaspoon by it so you'd see how big it is.

I've made my dough and am pressing it into the tiny muffin tins with the dowel.  You can see how I simply "ball up" the dough, pop it into the tin, then gently press the floured dowel down to make the shell.

Now the tassies are filled with the filling. Hate to be redundant but there we are!

Next, I spoon a teaspoon of chopped pecans into each tassie. If you don't eat the chopped pecans, this goes much faster.

Here we are…ready to bake! I doubled the recipe, btw. One recipe usually makes between 20-24 tassies.

And here they are about 18-20 minutes later. All baked and ready.

Aren't they pretty?

And they're even cuter in the little holiday baking liners. I got mine at Michaels (100 for $1.99, I think, or thereabouts).

I also made a Pumpkin Pie for dessert on Thanksgiving, and this pie is anything but obligatory. I use an older recipe that includes scalded milk and molasses and oh...this pie is to die for. I nearly ate the entire thing myself. And I only wish I was kidding! : }

Next, I fixed my Aunt Lyda's time-honored Sweet Potato Souffle with the brown sugar and pecan topping. So yummy! 

If you'd like to have the Pecan Tassie recipe, click over to my Facebook Page and nab it there.

And if you haven't kept an eye on Angie Hunt over at Lovin' Oven Bakery, she's been goin' macaron crazy! And those gorgeous little creations look as beautiful as I know they are tasty!

Blessings on your Monday, friends, and let me know what you're baking! I may be asking for your recipe. :)

Tammy

USA Today reviews A Lasting Impression

I'm thrilled that USAToday reviewed A Lasting Impression, and I'm even more thrilled that the reviewer enjoyed it! Scroll down for a quick excerpt...

"To put it simply: This book is a full-on HIT. Belmont's history is fascinating and provides a rich setting for historical romance. The author has placed a diverse palette of colorful characters within her heady setting, but among them none is quite as vibrantly drawn as The Lady of Belmont herself, Mrs. Adelicia Acklen.

Smart, wealthy, outspoken, and thoroughly savvy, Adelicia could be considered a minor character in this book, but I'm pretty sure The Lady of Belmont doesn't do minor. Born before her time (how many antebellum women do you know of who had prenups?). Adelicia didn't allow the constraints of Southern femininity to limit the mark she would leave on history. Cast in the part of employer to both Claire and Sutton, Adelicia plays an understated role in bringing the couple together romantically, but even though her role in the romance is slight, it is her example of strength and resilience that greases the wheels that help Claire come into her own.

The two women are very much alike: driven, competitive, talented, and desperate for acceptance in the circles of society at which they aim. But whereas Adelicia's great wealth gives her the means to gradually buy her way back into society's good graces, Claire's poverty, combined with her checkered past as a forger, limits her ability to achieve the (artistic) acclaim she so desires.

I love the counterplay of the two women, especially when viewed through Sutton's point of view. Without being blind to her faults, Sutton's respect for Mrs. Acklen is clear and, as his attraction to Claire deepens, it is that comparison that adds the necessary ingredient of respect to the love relationship . . ."

Read USAToday's full review of A Lasting Impression

I've got a day of writing ahead, except for a quick lunch with a wonderful friend, Kathy, and her sweet 86-year old mother who has read all of my books. Kathy said her mother has some ideas for novels so I'm looking forward to some fun brainstorming too! And lots of laughter, I'm sure.

I'll be back in just a bit with more in the Bake-off Challenge with Angie Hunt too. I'm pretty sure she overdosed on macarons last week, but I understand she's seeking professional help. 

Tammy

Blessings this Thanksgiving

I'm in my kitchen baking and cooking but wanted to pause for a minute and wish you blessings on your day.

It's just our immediate family this year (pictured below) which is so quiet compared to previous years when we've combined with family and friends for a houseful, but it's also nice. We have a wonderful day planned, and I'm praying that yours will be the same.

Kurt said something funny just as the camera snapped...

Blessings in abundance and I'm so grateful for you,
Tammy

P.S. More "Bake-off Challenge Pics" coming later today! But here are my mom's Sausage and Cheese Balls we had for breakfast. Yummy and so easy to make.

What do these things have in common?

 Find out here! 

Southern Writers One Stop Christmas Shopping Contest

Southern Writers Magazine is offering a One Stop Christmas Shopping Contest and a chance to win a Kindle!

More about Southern Writers:

Southern Writers nurtures and encourages authors on their writing journey and is the first magazine of its kind to equip writers not just with skill as a writer but empowers them to market and sell their books. Their informative and inspirational magazine has been heralded as a "writing conference in a magazine" and is an essential tool for any writer serious about publication and success as a writer.

Grab a glass of sweet tea and check out Southern Writers Suite T blog too!

Good luck and should you buy my book through the contest on their site, let me know and I'll happily send you a signed bookplate. 

Blessings on your week! 

Tammy

Booksigning at the Belmont Mansion and MORE...

Whew! It's finally Friday. Been a long week but a really good one. Hope you're ready for the weekend and that your weekend will hold exactly what you're needing, whether that be rest or play time. Mine holds lots of quiet writing time (that I'm going to guard with my life!), and I'm really looking forward to it after this whirlwind week.

The Southern Style Facebook Party on Tuesday night was a blast! Thanks to everyone for attending and for all the fun banter. Y'all are terrific! And congrats to all the winners.

Here's a transcript of the party and all the laughter (and there was plenty!), and here's a list of the giveaway winners. Take a look at all the pretty faces of the party attendees too. And yes, even a buck-toothed llama. : )

Last night I was at the Belmont Mansion for a booksigning for A Lasting Impression. I met so many new friends and saw some "old" ones too. I so appreciate the mansion's hospitality and am grateful to everyone who came. Pics are on my facebook page, with more coming as I get them.

And finally, Rachel McRae from LifeWay asked me to guest blog today. I appreciate Rachel and all that she does to promote Christian fiction. She's a woman in-the-know!

And one more thing...

If you're a writer and you're interested in knowing more about dissecting novels, check out my guest blog at Southern Writers Suite T and learn why "the first cut is the deepest." Suite T blog is a great resource for writers and is pure pleasure to read (and look at).

Blessings on your weekend,
Tammy

P.S. I almost forgot! I had a radio interview this week too with the oh-so-funny Tricia Goyer. We laughed and laughed. Find out what makes me want to pinch myself and slap myself at the same time! (It's the November 17, 2011 interview.)

I can't believe these are gluten-free!

Welcome to Round 3 of the Great Bake-off Challenge with Angie Hunt! We're having a blast with this, and as I told you yesterday, we're honoring our pal and author Terri Blackstock and all the rest of you who can't (or either choose not to) eat wheat flour.

After much cookbook searching and internet browsing, I came upon an UNbelievable recipe for gluten-free brownies. I'm not kidding. These are to die for. I'd happily serve these for dessert anytime! I still can't believe they taste this good.

I'll give you the link for the recipe below, but here are some quick pics of the process for me. And yes! That's a yellow Tupperware container that I've had since before I was married. Tupperware never dies. It just goes out of style.

First, the ingredients (and I've got a question for y'all on this below)

I've never bought Coconut Oil before so this was new for me, 

as was the Hazelnut Meal/Flour* and the Brown Rice Flour.

(*The original recipe I share below called for almond flour, 

but the store I visited was out of that, so I got hazelnut instead, and I'm glad I did!) 

This is when I had the first whiff of delicious! And to this point, I'd only invested about 6 minutes of "prep time." Which just increases my like factor.

I added walnuts to mine and mixed them in by hand.

Then I dotted the top with carob chips I'd gotten at Whole Foods the other day. Love those. Like little bites of heaven. Especially when frozen. 

Then I slipped the pan into the oven for about 30 minutes...

Out they came...

And they lifted out of the foil-lined pan so easily. Clean up was a breeze!

These are truly fabulous brownies. No one would ever know they're gluten-free if you didn't tell them. I know I wouldn't, and I'm a brownie lover from way back. The crispy corner pieces are my favs. 

And to give credit where credit is FULLY due... Thank you to Karina, the gluten-free goddess, for her over-the-moon recipe for Dark Chocolate Gluten-Free Brownies. Karina, my taste buds salute you, lady. And so does my schedule. Prep time on these is 7-10 minutes, then only 30 minutes to bake. Lovin' that! If you eat gluten-free, check out her blog.

Meanwhile, Master Baker Angie has been crafting French Macarons! I first tasted these on a trip with Kelsey to NYC this summer and they were delicious! Can't wait to see Angie's! I'll post pics of her lovely creations later today, and you can always visit her at the Lovin' Oven Bakery.

Lastly, two things I'm wondering:
1) Do y'all have a neat solution for keeping spices organized that you've tried and liked (other than the old Lazy Susans)?
2) And are you the kind of baker who a) gets all the ingredients out before she starts to bake, or b) do you just grab it as you go?

Waiting to hear from you,
Tammy

P.S. Tick, tick, tick! Register before noon (PST) today for a chance to win a Kindle FIRE. Then join me tonight at 5PM (PST) for a lavish Southern-style Facebook Party. Should be lots of fun! Hope to see you there.

I just hope I don't get banned from commenting again, LINDA RIVERS ATTAWAY!   : {

Great Bake-off Challenge, Round 3

Angie Hunt and I are back in our kitchens again, whipping up something yummy. And this week, we're baking gluten-free in honor of our pal and author Terri Blackstock and the rest of you dear souls who can't (or choose not to) eat wheat flour.

Angie's making French macarons and I'm baking some mouthwatering (or at least they look that way, we'll see) gluten-free brownies. So...may the best recipe win!

Join me back here tomorrow for an on-line taste test. But wait, I need volunteers! Sign up below and I'll send you a warm bite of brownie first thing in the morning. : )

Off to find my Hazelnut flour, AFTER getting more words on this next book!

Win a free Kindle FIRE....and Loveless Cafe Biscuits!

This Tuesday, November 15th, I'll be wrapping up the release of A Lasting Impression with a lavish Southern-Style Author Chat Party on Facebook! We'll be giving away a bunch of great treats, including a Kindle FIRE, Southern Food Baskets, and Southern Plate cookbooks, and more. But hurry! You have to sign up by noon Tuesday for a chance to win the Kindle FIRE. 

So grab your copy of A Lasting Impression (it's okay if you don't have one yet––you might win one!) and join me tomorrow night (Tuesday evening, November 15th) for a fun chat, a trivia contest (How much do you know about the 1860's?) and lots of giveaways: 

One $20 Amazon gift card

Five $10 Starbucks Gift Cards (For the cafe au lait that Claire Laurent [the heroine in the book] loves so much.

Two Loveless Cafe Ham & Biscuits Gift Packs (Representing some of the food prepped by Cordina, the Belmont Mansion's head cook, in the book)

One Loveless Butter My Biscuits Gift Pack 



Two copies of Christy Jordan's Southern Plate Cookbook (Which contains a recipe for Southern Tea Cakes, much like the ones Cordina made in the book, and lots of other great Southern comfort food)



 

And several copies of A Lasting Impression!

Don't miss a minute of the fun. It all starts at 5PM Pacific. So that means 6PM Mountain, 7PM Central, and 8PM Eastern. 

Hope to see you there.

Enter for a chance to win a Kindle FIRE

Baking in Style!

Oh my goodness, I opened my email this morning, saw this gorgeous hunk of appliance, and could hardly wait to share it with you! Look at what KevinandAmanda.com (love her stuff) is offering in a giveaway today! A dreamy candy apple red 7-Quart (!) Kitchenaid Mixer. Can you imagine the baking delights you could whip up in this puppy?

I've already entered but I want you to enter too! What a fabulous early Christmas gift to yourself! Or to someone special to you (if you don't bake, perish the thought!). : )

Thanks to everyone who joined me at Bethany House Publisher's first Book Banter yesterday. We bantered and chatted and snarked and it was such fun. I so appreciate y'all and the connection we share.

I've got a haircut this morning but the bulk of my day is going to be spent writing. And I need it. Yesterday my word count was about nil with all that bantering.

Blessings on your day and hurry up now...enter to win that mixer. And let me know if you win!

Tammy

Bethany House Book Banter TODAY

If you have a minute, join me over at Bethany House Publisher's FB Page for the first BOOK BANTER, and a chance to win a copy of A Lasting Impression and all of my BHP books. We've had some glitches but we're working them out. No thanks to Mark Zuckerberg who blocked me from commenting! Can you imagine? Someone blocking me from talking? The nerve...

Start Book Bantering!

Bake-off Challenge Part II - Caramel Cake Supreme

Author and buddy Angela Hunt recently started her Lovin' Oven Blog which chronicles all the fabulous creations she's been baking. I've been following her and marveling (and drooling) over her recipes. The breads especially. I love bread. It's at the top of my personal food pyramid, for sure––wait, make that the bottom half––as are the sweeter tastes in fare.

I made a Creamy Praline Pecan Pie (below, left)then challenged her to a bake-off, throwing down the baking mitten, which she promptly snatched up, accepted the offer and made this wondrous creation below, a Tuxedo Cake!

Wondering what I should bake next, I read a comment from a reader on my facebook page (waving to you sweet Stacey Daniels) about her mother's decadent Caramel Cake and––BING!––I knew what was next on my list to make. #1 because she said it was fabulous (and she wasn't lyin'!), and #2 because I'd never made a Caramel Cake before. However, I have made caramels and divinity so knew what I was in far. Sort of. LOL!

The homemade cake in this recipe is one of the best I've tasted. So delicate and moist, and not overly sweet. It's definitely a batter I'll use again even when not making the Caramel Cake.

So, for starters, I creamed the sugar and crisco...

Then added the milk and egg yolks, beating well. Then I beat the separate egg whites until stiff...

And folded them in...

Like I said above, these cakes turned out beautifully. So flaky and just a great "soft old-fashioned" cake.

Next came making the burnt caramel icing. Mmmm.... But! you know those disclaimers they put on commercials were a professional driver is road racing, like: "PROFESSIONAL DRIVER! CLOSED ROADWAY! DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME." That's what someone should've told me so I would've been more cautious. LOL! So a word to the wise, do not answer your cell phone during this stage. Do not pause to let your dog go outside because he sees a squirrel and is going berserk! Do not do anything but mind this icing. Just sayin'...

Put the butter, sugar and milk into a pot and melt. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup sugar slowly in a small saucepan until it's gold and syrupy, then add it to the milk mixture. Boil the icing until soft ball stage (about 240 degrees F).

Then pour into a glass bowl, add your vanilla and whip with a mixer until spreading consistency.

I'd done a little reading on the internet about making a Caramel Cake and everyone said that this stage was the trickiest. And it is...as you'll see by my cake below. But hey, we're friends, right? We can be real with each other? : )

If the mixture gets too thick as you're working with it, you can add a touch of cream to thin it back out. But a warning, don't add too much. Like I did. You can add more but you can't take it back. Words to live (and cook) by...

And the final product...tada!

Certainly not Southern Living worthy but oh, does it taste delicious! And I put it on one of my sweet mother's favorite cake plates no less. She loved square cake plates and I love them too. I'll admit, I've got LOTS of cake plates. Love them. Collect them. And use them often just to spruce up normal everyday dishes. Kind of like I drink my sweet tea from a wine glass. They don't call it the Wine of the South for nothing. 

Oh yum, this cake is delicious, and the recipe follows below with permission of Pam Sanders, Stacey Daniel's mom.

And now, Ms. Hunt, the baking mitten is back in your court––or kitchen! What are you making next? Something sweet, I hope. I think next week, we should turn to homemade breads and rolls. Something yummy for Thanksgiving!

So...what do y'all think? 

CARAMEL CAKE

Pam Sanders (via Stacey Daniels)

1 cup Crisco
1 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 cup self-rising flour
4 eggs (separated)

Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. Slowly add flour
and milk alternately. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold in mixture. Bake
in 3 greased and floured cake pans until done at 350 degrees.

Burnt Caramel Icing
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put 3 cups sugar, milk, and butter in large boiler. Bring to a boil and let
cook on medium heat. As soon as mixture starts to boil, heat small fry pan
and sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar slowly into pan as you stir and it melts to a
golden syrupy color. 

Add to milk mixture that is on medium heat and stir until boils again. Test mixture for soft ball stage. When reached, pour mixture into large glass bowl, add vanilla, and  mix with electric beaters until  consistency is ready for icing cake layers.  Enjoy!