My Top 10 List!
As some of you may know, Dave Letterman holds a special place in my heart. Don’t worry I’m not one of those girls who digs really older men, there’s a good reason for it. Back when I was in college, I was a guest on Letterman. Yep, you read that right, a guest. And not just a stupid human tricks guest or something similar, an actual guest (Hubby was in the audience, and for those of you who we know in real life, I know you’ve seen him in his Letterman t-shirt!). Even before that day, I was always a fan. I had a great roommate who was OBSESSED and we would watch together. My favorite part was always the Top 10 list.
When I saw Cait’s Top 10 blogging event (check out her blog Food*Nerd), I knew it was something I wanted to participate in. This month the topic is Blog Envy: Top Ten Recipes You’ve Been Meaning to Make.
Basically you make a list of the top 10 recipes you’ve been saving and then you make one and blog about it! This is very time appropriate since our kitchen renovation just about finished up and I’ve been trying to figure out what to bake when I could get back in the kitchen. I had a really hard time coming up with a Top Ten List since there are so many great recipes out there I want to try. But here it is (in no particular order):
10. Rainier Cherry and Goats Cheese Pie from Peabody – I love goat cheese and this combo sounds awesome
9. Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream from Scrumptious Photography – I’ve been dying to try the chocolate/bacon combo – update: I made these cupcakes for a friend’s pirate party!!!
8. Fresh Strawberry Cake from A Good Appetite – Strawberries are in season and this cake looks awesome – update: I made this cake into cupcakes!!
7. Dorie’s Chipster-Topped Brownies from Engineer Baker – I’ll probably leave out the nuts and add ganache to the top like Bakerella did – update: I made these!!
6. Chocolate Goat Cheese Truffles from Divine Domesticity – I’m intrigued by this recipe…
5. Bagels from Smitten Kitchen – I’ve been wanting to make bagels for a while, but they kind of definitely intimidate me… – update: I used a different recipe, but I did make these Mini Whole Wheat Bagels
4. Choc-alot Cake from Confections of a Foodie Bride – You knew I was going to have a super chocolatey cake on here – update – I made this cake and it’s AMAZING!
3. Billy’s Vanilla Cupcakes from How to Eat a Cupcake – I’m still searching for the perfect vanilla cupcake… – update: I’ve found a go-to vanilla cupcake recipe, so I’m not going to be trying this one!!
2. White Cake with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream from Peabody – again, strawberries are in season and how awesome does this cake look?!?
1. Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake from Smitten Kitchen – Um, hello?!? Cheese cake, ganache, and brownies in one dessert – heaven! update – I made this cake with a winter twist – peppermint!! It was everything I hoped and dreamed it would be.
I had HIGH hopes of actually being able to make something off my top ten list by the end of the month. However, we had a mishap with the granite (um, they lost our order for over a week!?!) which set us back about a week. The good news is that on Thursday, I’ll be able to use the kitchen again!! It won’t be completely done, but very close. I’ve decided that the first thing I’m going to bake is going to be from this list… now which one should I make… I’ll post as soon as I make it!
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I love freezing dough but somehow most ends up in my tummy unbaked when I do that 🙂
What a great gift! I’m thinking that would be wonderful for all sorts of occasions. Thanks for the idea!
These are adorable and I love that idea! Two questions, though: 1) Were these as good as the cookies from the other recipes? and 2) When you freeze them, do you bake right from frozen?
Great questions Carly – As far as comparing them to the other cookies. I enjoyed the chocolate M&M cookies the best, but they were REALLY chocolatey. The other non-chocolate M&M cookies were a bit more chewy and they had nuts in them, so they had a different vibe. This recipe was more of a classic M&M cookie for sure.
As far as baking from frozen, you can def just go straight from freezer to oven. Bake them ~13 minutes instead of ~11 and take them out when they look done.
these were delicious!
they look so cute all frozen up 🙂
I love the pink and red M&Ms. Thanks for the idea of freezing the cookie dough.
I was going to ask you the same thing as Carly, well the first question. These cookies are cute. Your freezing method reminded me that I have a bunch of sugar cookies still in the freezer! Do you know how long cookies can stay in the freezer?
I don’t know how long they will last in the freezer. I have a tendency to forget about things in my freezer… I’d guess a couple months? Anyone have ideas?
What festive little cookies 🙂 I love them! I also like the fact that you froze them. I bet they were delicious. Make sure to enter the All Through the Year Cheer event for Valentine’s Day 🙂
I think that sounds like a great way to spend valentine’s day. It can be intimidating the way it’s so hyped up. The cookies look very festive, love ’em!
We don’t do “valentine’s day” either since my MIL was born on the 14th and daughter’s birthday is the 15th – besides, its more important to say you love someone everyday, not just one day out of the year. Love the idea about freezing the cookie dough in preshaped form and giving that away. Wonderful idea!
I am looking for cookies that travel well for my soldier adopted through Soldier’s Angels and these look like a winner!!
Mmm, these were so tasty! Happy Valentine’s Day!
These are just too cute!! I love M&M cookies too!!
http://www.singforyoursupperblog.com
Just had to add my two cents on the idea of giving cookie dough frozen and ready to be baked – genius! For some reason, I’ve never thought of that, even though I’ve given cookies frozen to people to be defrosted when they’re ready to eat. I love the dough idea!
YUM-these look absolutely delicious! I love the pink and red M&Ms!