A tasty cell phone

As a tech geek, I read a lot about the latest smart phones, like the iPhone and the new Verizon Droid. I guess I'm a bit slow, though, as it took me until this week to realize that Google's Android operating system, which powers several smart phones (including the Droid), names each version of the OS after various desserts: cupcake, donut, and éclair so far. Kudos to the Android team for choosing such a delectable naming scheme.

Meanwhile, it's Halloween and the final day of National Dessert Month, so I'm looking forward to an evening of handing out candy (perhaps sneaking all the a few candy corns for myself) and baking apple crisp.

Aida's cinnamon roll bread pudding

With some leftover Martin's potato rolls and some fresh-from-the-orchard apples, I decided to make some bread pudding this weekend. I'd tried Aida Mollenkamp's cinnamon roll bread pudding recipe once before, and while not perfect, I thought I might be able to tweak it to my satisfaction. I eliminated the nuts, decreased the amount of amaretto, and added some sliced apples. I also found that the pudding was set firm (probably more firm than many people would like) before it started to brown (after around 55 minutes of baking), so I took it out at that point.

The verdict? My wife and I felt that the amaretto flavor, while no longer overpowering like the first time I made it, was unnecessary, and that the texture didn't come out quite right. Next time, I think I'll have to try a different recipe. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments.