Strawberry Easter Cupcakes
In all the time I’ve been a blogger, I’ve never gotten into the groove of sharing holiday-themed recipes in advance of the holiday. Obviously it makes sense, nobody wants a recipe for Easter Cupcakes when Easter is over, but I’ve just never put enough planning into it to make it work. Well, this is my newfound attempt at getting holiday content up and shared BEFORE the holiday, and I’m quite pleased with what I have to share! (more…)
Toasted Coconut Meyer Lemon Curd Layer Cake
Before this cake, I’d never really thought to combine lemon and coconut. The flavors are vastly different, and don’t necessarily seem like they’d play nice when combined in a dish. That said, a couple of weekends ago I was asked to make a really decadent, luscious dessert, and immediately I thought to make something with lemon and coconut. When I started doing a bit of recipe research, I realized the flavor combo is actually a popular one, so I decided to go with it. I found several recipes that looked good, and ended up taking components from a few different places to make one incredible cake. (more…)
Giant Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Sometimes, you just need a cookie. They’re the perfect cure for a long day or a rough week, and the ideal solution for a serious sugar craving. Personally I think they’re best with loads of chocolate, crispy on the edges and oh-so-chewy in the centers. They can do no wrong by me. After I received a Levain Bakery cookie from my Foodie Pen Pal last month, and after Kevin adamantly insisted on a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies, I decided to try my hand at another Levain copycat recipe. This time I went for chocolate chip walnut, and I was thrilled with the end result. The cookies had a great shape, with a crispy-all-over exterior that yielded to a soft, gooey center. YUM! (more…)
Blood Orange Citrus Bars
Citrus reminds me of spring, and at the first sign of warmer days, I ran out and bought blood oranges and meyer lemons to bake with. I guess citrus fruits are really more seasonal to the winter, so that logic might be somewhat flawed, but something about the warm, bright, zesty citrus flavors reminds me of the impending warm, bright spring. I decided to surprise my Mom on her birthday this year, so Kevin and I headed west one Saturday, loaded down with Cocoa Nib Brownies and these wonderful Blood Orange Citrus Bars. (more…)
Homemade Oreos
As a long-time lover of Flour Bakery and Joanne Chang’s Flour Bakery Cookbook, I periodically revisit the cookbook and try out recipes I’ve never made before. I’ve certainly indulged in my share of of Flour’s Homemade Oreos in my time, but never from my own kitchen. This past weekend I decided it was long past time to give them a try for myself! After all, how can you say no to homemade oreos?! All butter and chocolate and sugary goodness… I was sold. (more…)
