Every year I make violet jelly just like my mom taught me when I was a girl. But because the season is so brief and the color of the violet tea is so divine, I’m always looking to make something new and different with the foraged flowers. Last year it was Violet Lemonade, the year before that was Violet and Elderflower Gummies.
Continue reading “Lilac and Violet Panna Cotta Tart”
During all those walks around the neighborhood gathering violets and dandelions for jelly, I started to notice that baking inspiration literally grows on trees around here. There are lilacs, redbuds and magnolias galore. They all have edible parts but I was all flowered out. Then I happened to see a post from Once Upon A Weed about spruce syrup and remembered there’s a spruce growing in the parkway just a few blocks from here. It’s about 40 feet tall and absolutely covered in itty-bitty spruce tips. Continue reading “Caramelized Spruce Tip Syrup”
My quest for the perfect Thanksgiving pie is over. This Bourbon Butterscotch Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream is going to make you a dessert table hero. Rich and buttery with deep butterscotch flavor, the brown sugar and molasses help cut the sweetness and a crust sturdy enough to resist sogginess. If you’re looking for a non-pie Thanksgiving dessert check out this Cranberry Curd Tart with White Chocolate Mousse, but if you want pie, this is your new best friend.
Continue reading “Bourbon Butterscotch Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream”
Cranberry curd tarts have been all the rage since a recipe was posted on NYT Cooking last fall. I wanted to try the curd for my Thanksgiving dessert this year but didn’t want to eat an entire tart full of curd. That just seems like overkill for Thanksgiving.
Continue reading “Cranberry Curd Tart with White Chocolate Mousse and Biscoff Cookie Crust”
I made this Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mousse Tart last night and have already had so many requests for the recipe, so I’m fast-tracking this post! This tart has a chocolate graham crust, a layer of feather-light and minty white chocolate-peppermint mouse, and a velvet-y dark chocolate glaze on top. My husband, who is a notoriously tough customer, said it was “incredible”.
Continue reading “Dark Chocolate Peppermint Mousse Tart”
I love frosting. I love cupcakes with lots of frosting and cakes covered in big frosting rosettes. But sometimes a cake is just so delicious, you want the frosting to simply complement, not dominate. This raspberry almond cake gets that balance just right. The cake is rich and perfectly textured and the raspberry buttercream frosting adds a bright flavor and color. It’s loaded with real raspberries and topped with tender candied blood oranges, giving just a bit of bitterness to balance the sweet. All of the three components are delicious on their own. But together, they’re magic. Continue reading “Raspberry Almond Cake with Candied Blood Oranges”
Pawpaw is the super-yummy native fruit most people have never heard of. It is the largest fruit native to North America and grows abundantly in midwestern forests. It’s the only fruit in its family that grows in our temperate climate. The rest, like the custard apple, are tropical. And the best, most delicious way to enjoy pawpaw is Pawpaw Ice Cream.
I’ve been on a quest for the perfect IPA-inspired dessert. Spoiler alert: this post is not about that dessert because I’m still mulling it over and tinkering and drinking beer for research. But I know a few things about this mythical sweet. It must have hops. It must have conifers. And it must have grapefruit. My love for lemon curd borderlines on fetish, so I thought grapefruit curd had to be even better.
Despite my own personal views, apparently cupcakes are not the solution to every problem. Sometimes you need to bake something for a brunch, for a potluck, or for a weekend treat and for some reason cupcakes just won’t work. Sigh. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to have a go-to, delicious, and simple recipe that will still get rave reviews. This is it. Plus, they have fruit in their name, so I’m thinking they’re probably very healthy. Continue reading “Blackberry Bramble Bars”
It’s handy to have a basic frosting for every occasion and this Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting is a decorator favorite. It holds it’s shape perfectly to show of ornate designs. It smooths easily for a finish as crisp as fondant and is sturdy enough to weather warmer temperatures. And the flavor! Yum! Continue reading “The Perfect Crusting Cream Cheese Frosting”
