Go Giants Cake

The San Francisco Giants clinched the 2010 National League pennant and are heading to the World Series!

Ok, so I'm the first to admit that I'm not much of a baseball fan.  Frankly the sport is a bit too slow for my taste and there are too many confusing rules.  But it's great to see the Bay Area uniting behind its motley crew of a squad.  Black and orange has blanketed the city and Giants fever is contagious!

So as the Giants face the Texas Rangers in the World Series I wish them the best of luck, and for good measure, I'll throw in a few Hail Marys too!  

GO GIANTS!

Giveaway Winner Announced

Congratulations to Lynda who has won the $40 CSN gift certificate!!!  Her favorite Halloween candy is mini Snickers bars...good choice! 

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Chocolate-Raspberry Torte and a Giveaway

The November/December 2010 issue of Cook's Illustrated is on newsstands now  and I highly recommend you pick it up.  As soon as I saw the Chocolate-Raspberry Torte I knew I had to make it right away. 

You wouldn't think that something that looks this good would be so easy to make, right?  Wrong!  It's so simple to make and it will easily impress your family and friends.

Chocolate and raspberries go perfectly together here.  For folks who don't like their desserts too sweet this is right up your alley.  The chocolate flavor is rich but the tart raspberries complements it beautifully.  I'm definitely adding this cake to my repertoire and you should too!

Now for the giveaway....

Once again I have a $40 gift certificate for CSN Stores that you can win.  If you haven't heard of CSN Stores you should check out their website.  They have anything and everything you could think of: bakeware,  dining sets, furniture, etc.  The world is your oyster!

To enter, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post by 12pm PST Thursday October 7th.    The winner will be chosen randomly and announced on October 8th.   

What's your favorite Halloween candy?

RULES: Only one comment per person allowed and you MUST include your email address  in the comment to be eligible.  Sorry, but that's the only way the winner can be notified to claim the gift certificate.  CSN only ships to addresses in the US and Canada.   There may be international shipping charges for Canadian addresses.

Gluten-Free Lime Shortbread Sandwiches

I first glimpsed a version of these cookies on foodgawker, posted by Jamie (aka Sophistimom).  There's nothing I love more than a simple shortbread cookie, especially one bursting with citrus flavor. 

I tweaked the original recipe a bit and made them gluten-free by replacing the all-purpose flour with superfine brown rice flour.  It worked like a dream.   The finished cookies were delicious and you can't even tell the difference.  The crumb is tight and crisp, just how a shortbread should be.  I gave samples to two gluten-free friends and both gave the thumbs up.