Peach Crumb Bars

Peaches are one of those fruits that just scream summer. The smell alone is something rather intoxicating, reminiscent of picnics, playgrounds and ocean side daytrips. This recipe captures the magic of the peach and combines it with nutmeg and cinnamon, creating a spicy peach pie-like filling. The buttery crust is more on the crumbly side, which makes it a delightful substitute for coffee cake and, let’s face it, a really good excuse to eat dessert for breakfast (although not having an excuse has never actually stopped me from eating dessert for breakfast.) These bars are also perfect for potlucks or picnics, so feel free to spread the summery goodness with your friends and family.

Margarita Cupcake Bites

Oh, summertime. Once the weather begins to heat up and the sun retreats from hibernation, I am all about soaking up every ounce of the season, from picnics to beach days. The bright (and slightly boozy) flavor of these margarita cupcakes is sure to be a hit at any summer BBQ or potluck, and the mini size is just enough for a treat which is satisfying but not too heavy.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

This is the first recipe I’ve tried off of the massive time-sucking (yet delightful) Pinterest (for serious, why is it so amazing?) Anyway, I found this cake to be an absolute delight. The edges are crispy, the inside is soft, and it works equally well as a dessert or breakfast.  I chose to leave off the glaze as I felt the cake had enough sugar in it without adding the sweet topping. I was happy with the results, although I will include the glaze for anyone who wants all the elements of a traditional cinnamon roll. I also decided to bake it in my heart-shaped pan for no other reason than I like my heart-shaped pan, although it did make the cake thicker and thus alter the cooking time. I would in the future use the pan size listed (and thus will include the original cooking time), but a smashing success overall. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Dessert Spread

(I know this is a bit late but better late than never).

For the first time this year, I was in charge of part of my family’s Thanksgiving feast- dessert, of course. My mom is a big fan of traditional pumpkin pie, so I figured I would try out Paula Deen’s take on this classic dessert. Unlike Paula’s version, I  made a homemade pie crust, since I think homemade crust tastes better. In addition, I had mini pumpkin spice cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting and molasses spice cookies. The dessert spread went over rather well, and I’m pretty sure I’m now in charge of the task for life.

Classic Pumpkin Pie (modified from Paula Deen)

What you need…

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
• 1 piece pie dough (homemade or store bought. I used this recipe, which I’ve used before)
• Whipped cream, for topping

What to do…

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place pie crust in bottom of a pie plate and bake in oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until crust begins to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Pie!

Happy Birthday to Me!

So apparently when you’re a baker, everyone gets you desserts for your birthday. There was a serious sugar situation at my house, in the most delightful of ways. Cupcakes, brownies, frosting, macaroons….so many sweets! And, a very special heart-shaped birthday cake by my friend, Angela (and her baking assistant, Danielle). Since the cake was assembled at my house, I had the privilege of witnessing her process in action. The cake is chocolate with an espresso frosting (yum!) topped with shaved coconut and fresh raspberries. Happy birthday to me, indeed!

Cutting the top heart

Shapes together

Frosting!

Mmmmm....raspberries

My birthday cake!

Moment of Sweetness

Frosted brownie bites with and without sea salt

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

There are two things you may notice when reading my blog, the first being I really love citrus and the second, I really love baking with Tracie. Being that both Tracie and I love pie, we decided to try this refreshing Sour Cream Lemon Pie. It was pretty tasty goodness. We left off the whipped cream because, well, it’s overrated. We also used frozen pie crust, because sometimes you just want to eat the pie. And eat pie we did.

Sour Cream Lemon Pie (From Chaos in the Kitchen)

What you need…

• 1 9-inch pie crust
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp lemon zest, grated
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sour cream
• whipped cream, for topping (optional)

What to do…

1. Carefully pat pie crust into a pie dish and flute the edges. Prick all over the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake at 350°F abour 8 minutes or until golden brown (or follow the instructions on the package…hehe)
2. In a sauce pan combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, egg yolks and milk. Heat over medium, whisking constantly.
3. Cook filling until very thick, whisking constantly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in butter.
4. Allow filling to cool slightly, then stir in sour cream until well combined.
5. Pour filling into pie shell and refrigerate until completely cold and set.
6. Top with sweetened whipped cream before serving (or not)

Stirring

Filling

Choosing music while baking is very serious business

Baby D's Eggless Chocolate Cake

So, I know it’s been awhile (miss me?) but I have my energy and creative juices up and ready to start working again.

With that, my first offering is the lovely (pink) cake I made for my nieces birthday. As I’ve mentioned before, the little princess can’t eat eggs but a little thing like that is certainly not going to keep Ms. D from getting her dream birthday cake. DeeDee requested a chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting. And she wanted it pink. Needless to say, Auntie delivered.

The cake is very moist, but a little lacking in flavor. Next time I make this cake I’m going to add some cinnamon and chili powder to help make the flavor a little more interesting. The cake itself is vegan, so feel free to leave off the whipped cream or substitute a different frosting for a lovely vegan option. 

 

Recipe and more pictures after the jump 

Pie, Cheesecake, Wine and Deep Conversation

Baking can often be a really wonderful “me time” activity, one which allows me to push myself into trying new things, feel accomplished and, at times, even relax. However, sometimes it’s wonderful to try new things with a friend. My dear friend Tracie and I have made food a few times together before and it’s always a pleasure. On this particular day, we couldn’t decide between fruit pie and cheesecake, so we opted to do both. So among conversations of oppression and change and lots of red wine, we tried two recipes that were new to both of us. And, with Tracie cheering me on, I made my first homemade pie crust! Hooray!

More pictures and recipes after the jump…

Happy Birthday (cake), Angela!

When someone in my life has a birthday, it is automatically assumed that I will be making a cake (duh). When my dear friend Angela turned 26 in January, my first question was, of course, “what kind of cake do you want?” At her request, I found a light, fluffy white cake recipe and paired it with a whipped cream frosting and fresh strawberries. Not only was this recipe loved by the birthday girl and all of her guests, but it also marked the first time I successfully got stiff peaks in my egg whites (I was ridiculously excited)!

Recipe and more pictures after the jump…

The Cure for Chocolate Cravings

One night while sitting on the couch, I found myself craving something delicious, rich and chocolaty. Rather than whine about it or picking something up from the 7-11 down the street (ew) I decided to be a real problem-solver and googled myself some brownie recipes. I honestly picked this one because I had all of the ingredients handy in my kitchen. I don’t actually own a 8x8 brownie pan, so I just used a round cake pan instead, shortened the time and the brownies turned out beautifully (not having a certain pan is not going to keep me from brownies). I also cut the sugar a tad form the original frosting in order to create a richer, not overly sweet frosting. I was really happy with the result and will keep this recipe in my pocket for when nothing but chocolate will do. 

Best Brownies (modified from All Recipes)

What you need…

Brownies:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting:

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup confectioners' sugar

Water as needed

What to do…

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.

In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Do not overcook.

To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar. Add water 1 teaspoon at a time until you get a fudgy consistency. Frost brownies while they are still warm. 

Everything can be mixed together in the saucepan...efficiency win

Freshly out of the oven and frosted

To continue on the lemon theme…

I made this Lemon Frosted Lemon Cake to bring to an epic Female Sexuality meeting (I think it ended up being 10 ½ hours), and it was a big hit. One of my favorite things is too feed people, so this was a fun opportunity to share my food with a group of fabulous (and at some points exhausted and delusional) women. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Lemon Frosted Lemon Cake (from Joy of Baking)

What you need…

Lemon Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated white sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 large lemon

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Lemon Frosting:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

What to do…

Lemon Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in the center of the oven.  Butter, or spray with a nonstick spray, a 9 inch spring form pan and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. 

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and then add to the batter along with the lemon juice. Mix only until incorporated. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Bake about 40 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool, then gently remove the sides of the pan.

Lemon Frosting:

In a bowl, combine the sifted confectioners' sugar with the 2 tablespoons lemon juice. (You want the icing to be thicker than a glaze but still thin enough that it will just run over the sides of the cake. If not the right consistency add more lemon juice or powdered sugar, accordingly.) Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, allowing the icing to drip down the sides. Let the icing set before covering.

Makes one - 9 inch cake.

Fresh out of the oven

Frosted!

Ariel very excited to cut into the cake

Good food and cofac love: Monica and Tracey

 

Heavenly Buttermilk Lime Shortbread Bars

Lemon bars are one of my favorite desserts, so when I came across this variation, I decided to give them a try. These bars are super simple (especially if you happen to have a food processor) and, as one of my roommates so aptly put, “they taste exactly like they’re supposed to.” The crust is flaky, and the filling delightfully tangy. The only thing that would improve upon the experience of eating these bars would be if I had been sitting by a pool with a fruity cocktail in my hand (if anyone would like to provide the pool and the cocktail, I will bring the bars).

Buttermilk Lime Shortbread Bars (from Baking Bites)

What you need…
Crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, cold

Filling:
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp lime zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

What to do…
Preheat oven to 350F. Get out a 9×9-inch baking pan (or a Baker’s Edge pan, if you have one) and set it aside.

Make the crust. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Cut butter into chunks and add to flour mixture. Pulse until mixture forms coarse, sandy crumbs with no piece of butter larger than a small pea. This can also be done by rubbing the butter in with your fingertips. Pour sandy mixture into pan and press mixture down very firmly (with your fingers or the back of a spoon) into an even layer.
Bake for 16-19 minutes, until just lightly browned around the edges.
While crust is baking, prepare the filling by whisking together all filling ingredients in a large bowl or whizzing together in the food processor.

When the crust comes out of the oven and is still hot, pour in filling mixture.
Bake for about 20 more minutes, or until filling is set and does not jiggle when the pan is gently shaken.
Cool completely before slicing.
Top slices with confectioners’ sugar to serve.

Filling pre-oven

Post-oven, pre-powdered sugar

With powdered sugar

Citrus-Butter Cookies

Sometimes I spontaneously feel like making something and will search through my recipes to find something that I can make with whatever I happen to have in my fridge and pantry. That was the case the first time I made these Citrus-Butter Cookies (originally Lemon-Butter Cookies, but the last time I made them I only had limes, so I had to be a little flexible), but I found they were so delicious I could not stop eating them (I may have a problem). When I first moved into my new apartment, I had that same craving for something baked and whipped these out in no time. They’re butter cookies, so they’re not too sweet and they’re eggless, if that is a concern for you. They also don’t spread in the oven so they end up looking like cute little buttons of golden deliciousness (how’s that for a description? Food critics, eat your heart out).

Citrus-Butter Cookies (from Mixingbowl.com magazine, 2010)

What you need…

1 cup butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel (though lime works as well and I also imagine orange is tasty too)

2 cups all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar (optional)

What to do…

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar; beat until mixture is combined, scraping side of bowl. Beat in lemon (lime/orange) peel. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in remaining flour.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are light brown. Transfer to a wire rack. If desired, sift powdered sugar over tops of cookies. Makes 60 cookies. 

The original recipe

About to go into the oven

Little buttons of happiness

The spice pantry in my new apartment ROCKS

70th Birthday Cupcake Duo

Back in November, my mom threw a 70^th birthday party for a family friend. Although the guest of honor requested no big cake, I decided that cupcakes were an appropriate way to mark the occasion. The birthday girl decided on lemon and pumpkin, so I brought out a recipe for Lemon Cream Cupcakes I had made before and loved and tried a Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes recipe she had found online, topped with a basic Cream Cheese Frosting. Although the two flavors were not, perhaps, the most expected pairing, both got rave reviews at the party.

More Pictures and Cupcakes after the jump...

Self-Frosting Nutella Cupcakes

Nutella is pretty much amazing. And making this recipe may or may not have been an excuse to buy myself some Nutella. These cupcakes look super cool and taste delicious. I highly recommend to anyone looking for something to satisfy their Nutella fix.

Recipe from Home Cooking Rocks

What you need…

140 g. of butter (that’s a little less than 2/3 cup), softened to room temperature
3/4 c. white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. of vanilla
1-3/4 c. of all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
9-12 (depeding on the size of your cupcake pan) heaping tsps. of Nutella

What to do...

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. First, you need to have all your ingredients at room temperature, including the eggs and the Nutella. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. With a wire whisk or a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together. Just keep beating until the mixture is light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour mixture and mix. The mixture may appear lumpy at first, but keep right on mixing until you have a smooth batter. Note that the batter will be heavy and hardly pourable. Stir in the vanilla. Meanwhile, line the muffin pan with paper cups. Use an ice cream scoop (very practical) to fill the pans until about 3/4 full. Top with a heaping teaspoonful of Nutella. Take a toothpick, dip into the unbaked cupcake until the tip hits the bottom of the pan.Using a scooping motion, swirl the Nutella with the batter so that some of the batter comes up on top of the Nutella. Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for exactly 20 minutes.

Love me some Nutella

Batter with dollops of deliciousness

After swirling the batter over the Nutella

Post-baking. The roommates have already attacked the pan

My roommates excited to try the result!

The Great Cookie Extravaganza

Last Monday I had the day off so I decided to make a ton of cookies. Because I felt like it. Cookies aren't usually my favorite thing to bake but I thoroughly enjoyed them. None of the recipes are mine but I've made them all previously and they're pretty delish.

The original inspiration for cookie day was these molasses spice cookies...they taste like fall!



Ready to go into the oven



They smell divine

I actually take half of the dough of these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and put raisins in them to make a half batch of Oatmeal Raisin cookies and half of Oatmeal Chocolate Chip to add some variety. I also add about 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to add extra flavor.



Dough with chocolate chips



Dough with raisins



Oatmeal raisin in the background, oatmeal chocolate chip in the foreground

My final variety for the day was a classic Chocolate Chip. I made these extra chocolatey by using 3 cups of chocolate chips rather than 2. I was pleased with the way they turned out.



Yum



All 4 varieties bagged up, labeled and ready to go to my company softball game

Peach-Browned Butter Pie

Since summer is on its way out and fresh summer fruit will not be around anymore (yes, I am a tad late but Berkeley Bowl had peaches so it was ok) I decided to make something that would allow me to savor the last bit of summer flavors. I for some reason lost my lemons in my refrigerator, so I ended up using orange peel. I would defiantly recommend using the lemon, as I think it would brighten up the flavors a bit. I also ended up using 3 good sized peaches, because to me fruity desserts should actually be fruity. If I were to make this pie again, I would use fewer eggs in the browned butter mixture for a better texture (in my humble opinion). Also, I totally used a pre-made pie crust since this is only my second fruit pie ever. I think I would make this pie again when yummy summery fruit comes back in season.

Peach-Browned Butter Pie (from Ultimate Desserts Magazine 2010)

What you need…

• Single Pie Crust (you can either use a pre-made or make your own…I used pre-made)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (2 medium)
• ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

What to do…

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• For streusel topping, in a food processor combine ½ cup flour, oats, ¼ cup almonds, 2 tbs. granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ¾ tsp. nutmeg, and ¼ tsp. salt. Process until mixture resembles course crumbs.
• In a small saucepan heat ¾ cup butter over medium-low heat until melted. Continue heating until butter turns a light golden brown. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup flour, vanilla, and ¼ tsp. salt. Whisk in browned butter; set aside.
• In a large bowl toss together peaches, ½ cup almonds (optional), lemon peel, and ¼ tsp. nutmeg. Transfer mixture to pastry shell. Pour browned butter mixture over peach mixture. Top with streusel topping.
• Place pie on baking sheet. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until filling is set and golden. Cool on wire rack.

Melting then browning the butter



Streusel topping



Boiling the peaches for easy skin removal



Skinned peaches



Pie!