A Quick Stop at Ball Square Cafe
It feels like it’s been forever since I attended a Boston Brunchers event, so I was excited to get a chance to see the group a couple weekends ago for a brunch at Ball Square Cafe. If you’re from the area, you might have heard of the Ball Square Cafe vs. Sound Bites rivalry, which was really the only thing I knew about Ball Square Cafe before visiting… that and the fact that you can almost NEVER get in without standing in line. That usually means good things for a brunch place, so I was really looking forward to this meal. (more…)
Brunching at B Street
Two weekends ago, I joined seven other bloggers from Boston Brunchers for a late afternoon brunch at B Street in Newton. I don’t venture out to Newton much (or ever, really) so it was nice to check out a spot farther from home than my normal stomping ground. B Street is a cozy bistro space, with modern decor but a very comfortable feel. Booths line one wall, and tables the other, with a nice bar towards the back of the space. Shortly after we arrived, the proprietor Elli came out and greeted us with a nice warm welcome – and the servers brought us two cocktails! What a way to start brunch. (more…)
Recipe Index
** This page is a work in progress! Only a small representation of recipes is listed here, so please bear with me while I build it out. You can find the rest of my recipes via the main menu, where recipes are broken out by dish type. Happy browsing!**
BREAKFAST
The World’s Greatest Coffee Cake
Lemon Cream Cheese Sticky Buns
Peat Buckwheat Pancakes
Morning Glory Muffins
Raspberry Dark Chocolate Muffins
Granola Bars
Flour Bakery Banana Bread
Banana Espresso Crumb Cake
Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Banana Belgian Waffles
Bacon Cheddar Scallion Scones
Rhubarb Buttermilk Muffins
Santa Fe Breakfast Bake
Overnight Oats
COOKIES
White Choco Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double Chocolate Cookies – Levain Bakery Copycat
Chocolate Chip and Honey Lavendar Madeleines
Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double Chocolate Levain Bakery Copycat Cookies
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Levain Copycat Cookies #2 – Chocolate Chip Heath Bar
BROWNIES AND BARS
Oatmeal Chocolate Almost Candy Bars and Oatmeal Chocolate Almost Candy Bars, take two
Nanaimo Bars (GF)
Mascarpone Brownies
Brown Butter Blondies
Raspberry Lemonade Bars
Outrageous Coconut Brownies
Chewy M&M Brownies
Candy Bar Brownies
Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies
DESSERTS
Lemon Goat Cheese Cheesecakes
Chocolate Mascarpone and Banana-filled Crepes
Citrus Tian
Chocolate Souffle
Homemade Chocolates
Maple Yogurt Pound Cake
Brown Butter Banana Cake with Chocolate Chips and Ganache
Tiramisu
Chocolate Strawberry Cannoli Crepes
Strawberry Cupcakes
Piece Montée
Creamy Arborio Rice Pudding
Blueberry Peach Shortcakes
CAKE
Upside-down Strawberry Rhubarb Cake
Strawberry Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Lemon Rhubarb Buttermilk Cake
PIES AND TARTS
Spring Fruit Tart
Cherry Pie
Black Bottom Banana’s Foster Pudding Pie
Strawberry Crostata
BREADS
Brioche
Espresso Banana Bread
Flour Bakery Banana Bread
Carrot and Coconut Bread
Strawberry Bread
Blueberry Banana Bread
Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread
SAVORY
Tuscan Ribollita
Goat Cheese and Chicken Orzo
Corn Spoon Pudding
Quinoa Summer Salad
Homemade Grilled Pizza Dough
Rhubarb Strawberry Jam
Strawberry Rhubarb is easily one of my favorite flavor combinations EVER. I love it in pies, cakes, pop tarts, bars, jams – any way I can get it. I’ve actually never made my own jam before, but when I acquired about 5lbs of rhubarb from my Grandpa, I needed something to do with all of it! So I decided it was high time to make some jam. (more…)
Gluten-Free Challah
May’s Daring Bakers’ Challenge was pretty twisted – Ruth from The Crafts of Mommyhood challenged us to make challah! Using recipes from all over, and tips from “A Taste of Challah,” by Tamar Ansh, she encouraged us to bake beautifully braided breads. Since I’m still not having gluten, this month’s challenge was a bit bittersweet. I absolutely love challah, and find it to be one of the most beautiful breads with it’s pretty braid, and the lovely golden sheen it develops when baking. But after a quick bit of research, I found that gluten-free challah is a whole different beast (as is the case with most gluten-free adaptations), and would probably not resemble normal challah. Still, I was happy to find a Gluten-Free Challah recipe on Epicurious, provided as an alternative to this month’s challenge, that had a couple of rave reviews. After all, if someone else has executed this recipe and loved it, what’s to say I won’t love it too?
Brown Sugar Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble (GF)
Though I am (currently) a city dweller, I am fortunate to come from a family who lives in a place where they have space to grow their own food. And they’re fortunately all close enough to me that I can reap the benefits of their gardens! When I was visiting my family for Mother’s Day this year, my Grandpa brought me 5lbs of rhubarb from his garden, so I got to work immediately on this tasty, gluten-free dessert. Rhubarb happens to be one of my favorite late-spring produce options, but typically I bake it into cakes and pies, so I was happy to find a way to bake with it that I was able to eat as well. (more…)
Strawberry Basil Almond Muffins
Welcome to post 2 on gluten-free baking! Gluten-free AND dairy-free. I sound like a whole lotta fun now don’t I?! But the good news is I met a GREAT dietitian who inspired me and made me feel hopeful for the first time in nearly two years, and most importantly made me believe that this crazy stupid elimination diet just might make me feel better. For those of you who feel fine every day it’s probably hard to imagine what it’s like to have pain 24/7/365, but for someone who’s had that for nearly two years, the idea that I might be able to lead a mostly pain-free life is hugely exciting! (more…)
Strawberry Coconut Tapioca Pudding
Today I have something a bit different to share with you, as a segue into a new time in the life of me, and by association, Sweetly Serendipity. I have battled some pretty awful stomach pains for the past almost two years, and despite lots of tests and doctors visits and second (and third) opinions, all results say I am “healthy.” But being myself and living with the daily pain, I know I’m not okay, so I’ve decided to try out a new diet with the help of an experienced dietitian, to see if I can’t reign in the pain with some eating changes and work towards a pain-free life. (more…)
French Macarons
Last week, I finally tried my hand at French Macarons. I’ve been scared of them since practically forever, but figured a mark of a good baker is being able to execute these little beauties, so I gave them a try. Twice. I did some reading beforehand, just to make myself comfortable with the process and different tips and techniques, so once I got going I’d have the best shot of executing accurately. I decided to start with a basic chocolate macaron recipe from David Lebovitz. He had also done some research and tried various macarons recipes, and stated that after trying several different recipes, he’s developed this particular one and promised it would work out well. I figured if he’d done the research and ti worked for him, well, must work for everyone!
Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Squares
Strawberries and bananas are a winning combination. I went on a fruit-hiatus for a couple of weeks last month, and when I finally added fruit back into my diet it all tasted SO good. I added it to my breakfasts and snacked on it during the day, and baked it into some goodies! I had a banana that was going bad, and a container of fresh strawberries, so when I came across this recipe I wanted to make it immediately. (more…)
Strawberry Cupcakes for Easter
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…)
Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Cake
This month’s Secret Recipe Club challenge totally snuck up on me, and come Friday I still hadn’t made anything from my assigned blog, Shockingly Delicious. Fortunately, I had a wide open weekend of relaxation planned, so I was able to whip this together with ease for a lazy family breakfast on Saturday. And it’s a good thing I did! This cake was surprisingly fantastic. Moist and flavorful, and so nice to look at. I know it’s a long ways away from true strawberry season, but this felt so lush and springy and wonderful. Thanks to Dorothy, the author of Shockingly Delicious, for the delicious inspiration! (more…)
