2011 Round-Up & Looking Forward to 2012

Happy Eve to New Year’s Eve! 

This is a first for Torts to Tarts, a recipe round-up for the year featuring the favorite recipes of readers, tasters, and yours truly for 2011.  This has been a big year for Torts to Tarts.  Though not quite a nationally known blog, it has reached more homes this year than ever before.  I am honored so many people have taken time to look at my humble creations (and less than stellar photography).  Thanks so much and it can only keep getting better from here, pinky swear!

Now, on to the favorites, which will be followed by some remarks for the year to come.

Most Popular Recipes Viewed On-line

These recipes, posted in 2011, received the most on-line views:

 1. Confetti Cake

 2. Neapolitan Cake

 3. Sugar Cookie Bars

Most Popular Recipe with Taste-Testers

This recipe was by far the hands-down favorite of taste-testers for 2011.  I originally made this recipe for my officemates.  They loved it.  The second, third, and fourth time I made this recipe, I shipped it out to friends on the East and West Coast, they all loved it (except one coconut disliking friend who shall remain nameless).  As a result of this recipe, I received a marriage proposal and a proclamation of love.  If you are looking for that in 2012, try this recipe (you’re welcome).  The taste-testers favorite recipe of 2011 is:

 Samoa Brownies

My Favorite Recipe/Creation

My favorite recipe for 2011, actually has little to do with the recipe itself (which was actually very tasty by the way), and more to do with the technique.  It was time for another office celebration, with cake; it was the hundredth time in a month time span (I may be exaggerating just a bit).  Quite frankly, I assumed everyone might be tired of frosting.  I created this frosting-free cake in celebration of an officemate’s birthday.  This cake was perfect for the warmer summer climate and a step away from the traditional.  I created a layer cake consisting of the most unlike cake technique, in my favorite recipe of 2011:

Pineapple Upside-Down Layer Cake

Exciting Things to Come in 2012

First, I feel the need to make some baking resolutions.  I resolve (that just sounds odd, but I think it is the correct verb form of the noun; I like that resolve sounds complete, like I already know it will be completing this things!)… I resolve to:

(1) take more and better quality photos;

(2) not fail to attempt a recipe just because it looks hard or seems to be very involved; and

(3) bake more.

Second, there are some exciting things to come to the Torts to Tarts blog in 2012.  I am thinking new site design; I mean the busy fork, spoon, and knife background has to go! 

Third, in 2012, I plan to start dedicating more time to my (very small and fledgling) business, Torts to Tarts, LLC.  I currently have the business in name, but I plan to expand in 2012 by taking on more orders and growing my clientele.  Baking is my passion and in growing my business, I do not want it ever to feel like work (just long hours doing what I love!).

I hope you have a safe New Year’s celebration—NO DRINKING AND DRIVING!—and a happy and prosperous 2012.

Holiday 2011 Baking Round-Up

Warning—this is a picture free post, due to the fact that I did so much baking, I literally had no time to take pictures.  I was wrapping and distributing cookie packets so fast that I often had to stay up late or wake-up extra earlier to get it done.  But, I did want to share with you some other holiday goodies I made.

Friday, December 16, 2011:  I made the 4 treats featured here.  This was supposed to be my only day of baking.  I took off from work to dedicate the whole day to getting my holiday baking done.  I made treats for my office.  I then took some to the ladies who worked at the gym.  I also gave a few to my Mom to take to work, and this is where the problem began.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011: Not everyone at my Mom’s job got treats on the first go round and more specifically, the people who the treats were intended for, did not receive them.  Also, one of the ministers at my church loves chocolate chip cookies and I wanted to give him and his lovely wife some at the Christmas program on Thursday.  So, I made:

(5) Peppermint Oreo Chip Cookies (chocolate chip cookie base with peppermint Oreo pieces and chocolate chips);

(6) Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (chocolate chip cookies using my smallest sized cookie scoop; one batch yielded over 60 cookies); and

(7) Candy Cane Kiss Blossoms (light chocolate chip cookie batter, with the dough rolled in sugar prior to baking, and a candy cane flavored Hershey’s kiss pushed into the top once out of the oven).

Thursday, December 22, 2011:  Yet again, my Mom got high-jacked at work and the cookies did not reach most of their intended targets.  Plus, my Mom was feeling under the weather on Thursday and was not going to be able to attend the Christmas program at church and I did not want to hold the cookies to Sunday as they would not have been as fresh, so the Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies got broken down from the one tin to several smaller gift bags.  Lastly, I did not feel like the cookies were enough, so I made:

(8) Pecan Brownies (pecan pieces and halves added to my go-to brownie recipe: Baker’s One Bowl Brownie Recipe)

Friday, December 23, 2011: I now needed to remake the chocolate chip cookies for the minister and his wife at my church.  I also received some Virginia peanut as a gift and wanted to use those.  Additionally, I finally saw the Christmas sprinkles I had been waiting for all season at the grocery store, the long green jimmies with red non-perils mixed in.  Lastly, cookies thieves run rampant at my Mom’s job and a couple of the previous day’s cookie packets were pilfered from among my Mom’s things.  I felt the need to replace those packets because some of the best people my Mom worked with had still not received holiday goodies.  So, I made:

(9) Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies (part II);

(10) Holiday Browned Butter Sugar Cookies (sugar cookies covered in green jimmies and red non-perils; note to self--only cover cookie top with sprinkles, because when you cover the entire cookie the underside looks like a red and green blob of melted sprinkles); and

(11) Chocolate Dipped Soft Peanut Brittle (soft peanut brittle, dipped in a mixture of three different kinds of dark and semi-sweet chocolate).

Saturday, December 24, 2011: I went to the grocery store that morning and saw green mint chips!  I had to have them and subsequently had to use them.  I decided that these last batches of cookies would go to some members of my church on Christmas Day.  I wanted to give a chocolate option with the green mint chips and a non-chocolate option with one of my favor ingredients, browned butter.  I made:

(12) Mint Chip Chocolate Cookies (green mint and mint chocolate chips in a chocolate cookies base) and

(13) Browned Butter Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies (oatmeal cookies made with browned butter and butterscotch chips mixed in).

That is it; 13 batches of holiday cookies in a week!  I was delighted with the results however, and more than happy to be able to get into my kitchen so much considering it was a work-week during this cookies madness!  Now, you can see why I did not have time to pick up the camera.

I hope you all had a great Christmas!