Pumpkin Spice Cake with Honey Frosting

Prep: 9 minutes
Bake: 40-45 minutes (start checking at 25 for half recipe)
Cool: 1+ hour
Frosting: 5 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Everyday Food (November 2005)

This cake is good. My version was a little bit dry. I made a half recipe in a bread pan and it ended up being done quickly, but that was my fault. I froze the cake then frosted it a day or two later. I didn't love the frosting at first. It was not very sweet. Perhaps a better honey would have worked better. I ended up adding a Tablespoon or so of powdered sugar to sweeten a little, which helped. Still not terribly sweet, but it worked well with the cake. My picky eater liked it, probably because the frosting wasn't too sweet. The combo of spice cake plus the frosting ends up being good and a little bit unique, since it is different than other cream cheese frosting.

I made this a month ago and we just finished the frozen leftovers this week. The cake froze nicely. It is a nice not too sweet dessert. 

Milk and Honey Corn Muffins

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Bake Time: 12-23 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

My bake times have a wide range, because I made these muffins in a muffin-top pan, and they baked very quickly.

I almost didn't make these, because I don't often like corn muffins, unless filled with lots of fat. But the "milk and honey" drew me in, and I'm glad I tried them. These are very, very good, with a little sweetness, but not too much. And you would never know they were made with whole wheat. I will definitely use this recipe again to go with soups.

Whole Grain Banana Muffins

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 23-25 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

The prep time included 10 minutes of resting time before baking. This recipe is different than most muffin recipes I've tried because it calls for using the mixer and creaming the butter and sugar. But not much harder. This are richer than the other banana muffins I've made before - but not too rich. It looked like the bananas caramelized, but maybe that was the honey. I've never had that happen before, so I'm not sure.

Roasted Sesame Green Beans

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Grade: A-

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated (November 2005)

I didn't love these as much as I loved the Maple Mustard version, but they were still good and I will make them again probably. I might like just a bit more honey on them.

One thing I need to remember is that the garlic mixture started to overcook after a few minutes, so I didn't need to continue roasting for the recommended 10-12 minutes. I was using pretty fresh beans, and not winter grocery store beans, and they didn't need all that roasting anyway. If I was doing this with tougher beans, I would wait to put the garlic mixture on later.

Honey Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 2.5 hours (total)
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes

Grade: A

Make Again: Yes

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

I really wasn't very careful with this recipe and it showed as I ended up with a very squat loaf. However, it is very delicious bread. Part of the prep time is waiting for the oatmeal mixed with boiling water to cool.

I didn't have enough honey and tried to sub in some other sugars (a little molasses and a little brown sugar) to fix it. I also didn't let it really double for the first rise, because I was being impatient and my kitchen was quite cool. Also, then I didn't grease the pan and the bread totally stuck to pan. I also overcooked it a bit, because it was taking forever to get past 185 degrees, so I let it go awhile, then suddenly it was at 195 degrees instead of the 190.

Anyway, the bread is still very tasty and I will make this again. It is a easier than the CI whole grain bread so a nice alternative. It is a sweeter bread, but not too sweet and nice for sandwiches (especially if I had a better rise!)

One small complaint about the cookbook is that they don't always give the best instructions. There wasn't much guidance on how long to knead the bread or what the dough should feel like. I've done enough bread to make an educated guess, but I do prefer CI's more detailed instructions.

Honey-Whole Wheat Biscuits

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 20-22 minutes

Grade: B-

Make Again: Maybe

Recipe Source: Whole Grain Baking

At first when I tasted these, I wasn't sure if I really liked them. The one thing that bothers me is that the butter flavor is not very pronounced, and since this recipe calls for a full stick of butter, I want to be able to detect it. I had even brushed the tops with a little melted butter. But the taste of the wheat was stronger, so the butter flavor was not as strong.

But these do really taste good - just different than what I was expecting. I'm freezing the leftovers, and I will try to report back on how they taste.

I was impressed with the ability of these to create those flaky layers that I love in biscuits.

Update: I didn't love the reheated biscuits as much, and when I do other biscuits (with regular flour) I do usually still like them almost as much as the orignals. So, I probably won't make these again. I think I want a lighter texture and flavor with biscuits.