As 2011 comes to a close, it is time to review the dishes that made my first eight months of blogging memorable.  The original premise of Daisy’s World was to blog about the little things in life that brought me happiness.  Quickly, the focus shifted to food, which has been a constant source of joy in my life.  So I guess, after almost 100 posts, the premise still stands.

So long, 2011, and hello 2012!  I look forward to sharing more simple, easy-to-make dishes with all of you.

Happy New Year!

Most Popular Post – Santa Hat Brownies (December 4)

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this post would be visited over 360,000 times (and still counting) in the month of December.  It has been favorited (FoodGawker) pinned and repinned (Pinterest), liked (Facebook), tweeted, and reblogged by people, literally, all over the world.  The post has been featured in the daily blogs of Bon Appetit, Glamour Magazine, and mentioned in newspapers blogs in Australia and New Zealand.  On the first full day it appeared on my blog, this post was actually the most popular post on all of WordPress and Daisy’s World was one of the most visited. Craaaazy!!

I think a few factors contributed to its appeal.  First of all, it is a simple little treat.  Anybody can bake (or buy) brownies.  Also, there are many options to use for frosting – from the mascarpone buttercream to white chocolate to whipped cream.  In addition, the photo of the brownies turned out to be a great one.  I wanted to take a colorful and simple photo showcasing the bright red strawberries against the brownies, and I think I succeeded!  Plus, these things really are so darn cute!  It’s festive without being too overly kitschy.

Breakthrough Post – Pumpkin Bread Pudding (October 3)

First of all, this was a fabulous recipe that I adapted from Gourmet Magazine.  I plated this a few different ways, but in the end this one in the ramekin was the best.  This was the first photo I ever submitted on both Tastespotting and FoodGawker.  The appearance of the photo on those sites gave my blog traffic a great boost.

Gadget of the Year – Ice Cream Maker

We bought our Cuisinart ice cream maker for Christmas 2010, and it has been in constant use in 2011.  My husband is the primary ice cream maker, but I got in on the fun, too.  At the request of a friend who loves the Razzleberry Pie at Marie Callenders, I developed the Razzleberry Ice Cream, using both raspberries and blackberries.  I tasted a Lemon-Olive Oil ice cream at Carmela’s at the Hollywood Farmers Market and I knew I had to make this for myself.  I love the richness and unique flavor of the olive oil with the meyer lemon.  The Salted Caramel is so good and brings me back to Berthillon in Paris every time.  I haven’t gone to Coldstone Creamery since I discovered how to make my own Cake Batter Ice Cream, one of my favorites.  So, thanks to the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker for all the great ice cream we’ve had this year.

Now, on to the countdown of the top ten favorite dishes I made this year:

#10 – Peanut Butter Pies (September 3)

#9 – Chicken Pot Pie (September 16)

#8 – Baked Sausage and Spinach Shells (December 26)

#7 – Meyer Lemon-Mascarpone Bars (October 27)

#6 – Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid (November 27)

#5 – Pistachio and Tangerine Cookies (December 11)

#4 – Razzleberry Ice Cream (July 17)

#3 – Prosciutto, Mascarpone, and Spinach Pizza with Balsamic Glaze (October 21)

#2 – Bacon Mac & Cheese (October 10)

#1 – Pumpkin Bread Pudding (October 3)

© Daisy’s World, 2011. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Daisy’s World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.