Cami's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Loaf

I had high hopes for this loaf. It sounds like something I would go crazy for but in the end it was okay. Just okay. I also had problems with the outside being 'well done'. If I were to do it again I think I might drop the temperature a little so it cooked more evenly.

The taste did improve and deepen the next day. It also improved when I put some left over cream cheese frosting on it. That was tasty!

Danielle's Lemon Loaf

Yum! I was really impressed with this recipe. I like lemony things, but this was even better than I expected! The cake had such a well-rounded flavor, and I think it just may be the best lemon cake/bread I've ever had.

I also only made a half-batch (one loaf is plenty for the two of us). Based on what Melanie said about the butter, I only used 1.5 sticks instead of the 2 it called for (I generally try to use as little butter as I can get away with) and I thought it was perfect. I think the butter is what gave it the well-rounded flavor, but it didn't have a definite butter taste. I also used a little more lemon juice and zest because I had so much extra.

I was too impatient to wait for it to cool completely, and I'm so glad I didn't. The slightly warm cake was fantastic! I actually kind of wished I hadn't put on the glaze because the warm cake was so good by itself. I'm kind of torn about the syrup and the glaze. While the cake was warm, it would've definitely been better without the syrup and glaze. After the cake sat overnight, it tasted pretty good with the syrup and glaze. I think next time, though, I'll try either a plain sugary glaze (not lemon flavored) or a glaze with only a slight lemon flavor. I really just loved the cake itself, and the syrup and/or glaze are non-essential additions in my opinion.

I will definitely be making this again some time.

Melanie's Lemon Lemon Loaf

I'm glad someone else picked this recipe to make, because I probably wouldn't have picked it myself. It's not that I don't like lemon, I just don't love lemon. So it was fun for me to make something out of my ordinary.

I was surprised to find all the ingredients here! They weren't all the exact same as you'd find in the US...the sour cream was a bit more yellow, the lemons here are green on the outside though yellow inside (I was worried the lemon zest would turn it green but it stayed a nice yellow color) and the butter (all dairy here for that matter) has a strange odor and taste. But I think it turned out fine nonetheless.

I opted to half the recipe because I only have one bread pan, plus Josh is gone this whole week and I didn't think I could eat two whole loaves by myself! I used regular flour and medium eggs instead because that's what I had, I made a few minor measurement modifications due to the high elevation, and I used a blender rather than a food processor. The bottom and sides got a little too dark, but that's what happens when your oven only has temperature settings of low, medium, or high. I used both the lemon syrup and the glaze, but I think I would have preferred to only use the glaze. I thought the syrup was a little too much, but the glaze is definitely a must! I also thought there was a little too much butter for my taste.

I liked it better after it sat overnight probably because it gave the burnt bottom time to soften some, and I've already eaten half the loaf! Even though I like it, I probably won't make it again. I'd rather spend my energy on a different kind of bread.

Cami's Lemon Lemon Loaf

This is very lemony! I love it. I really like the extra umph the glaze provides. I would highly recommend doing the glaze even though the recipe says it is optional. I think this would be good with strawberries on the side. It would make a good breakfast or dessert.

I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of cake flour because that is what I had. I also used my Kitchenaid mixer instead of a food processor. I don't think it really makes a difference. I'm sure you could also do it by hand. Although, when I was folding in the flour mixture by hand, my arm got really tired, so it would probably be a lot of work to do the whole thing by hand.

Lemon Lemon Loaf

This week's recipe is Lemon Lemon Loaf on Page 41 of the 'Baked' cookbook. I chose it because I really love lemon and thought this sounded like something new and different.

It didn't turn out as I had hoped, but that is my fault. I tried to get cake flour, but didn't leave myself enough time. So in the end I had to run downstairs to the Market in the Park only to find bugs crawling all over in the "pastry flour." So I ended up using all-purpose flour only.

From that point on, I was a little preoccupied and forgot to put in the melted butter (oops).

So mine turned out not as soft as I'd have liked, but I loved the tart taste. It wasn't too sweet and I will definitely try it again in the future.

Q&A:

When did you start baking/cooking?

I didn't really start trying anything until I was married and forced to. During college I lived in a sorority house that had someone to make our meals (of course I paid for it, but I kinda miss those days).

What is your favorite kitchen tool?

Just a basic wooden spoon. I find I am always in need of more.

Do you have a favorite spice?

I think it might be pepper or sugar, is that a spice?

What is your favorite book?

I really love The Count of Monte Cristo & The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

Growing up I always wanted to go to Egypt to see the Pyramids. That would still be neat, but if I were going right now, I'd pick Switzerland.

If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

Nothing

Where do you currently live?

Chicago

Where are you from?

Farmington, Utah

If you could eat one thing for every meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

STEAK! I am a carnivore.