DIY Brownie Mix
1 C. Sugar
½ C. Flour
1/3 C. Cocoa
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. Baking Powder
Mix these ingredients together and store in labeled container. When ready to cook:
2 Eggs
½ C. Vegetable Oil
1 tsp. Vanilla
Add these ingredients to the baking mix and spread in square pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Raspberry Chia Yogurt Pops
1 C. Raspberries
1 ½ T. Honey
1 T. Chia Seeds
1 ½ C. Whole Milk Vanilla Yogurt
½ C. Plain Greek Yogurt
Put the raspberries and honey into a small saucepan over medium heat. As the berries warm and the honey melts, give it a stir with a fork. Continue to cook, stirring regularly and mashing the raspberries with the fork. After about 3 minutes, the berries will be melted and the liquid will begin to boil. Once it boils, remove the pan from the heat, add the chia seeds, and stir. Put the pan into the fridge to cool completely, about 1 hour. Put the vanilla yogurt and Greek yogurt into a medium bowl, ideally one with a spout for pouring, and stir with a whisk until smooth and well combined. Spoon the chilled raspberry sauce over the yogurt and stir gently several times to mix it into the yogurt. It doesn’t need to be completely incorporated, just stirred enough so that the raspberries are distributed throughout. Pour the yogurt mixture into pop molds and freeze.
Skillet Blackberry Cobbler
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
4 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on blackberries if they’re a little too tart
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Ice cream or whipped cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet or a 9×13 inch baking dish. Takes about about 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, using a potato masher, mash the berries in a large bowl to release some of their juices. If the berries taste too tart, sprinkle on a little bit of the sugar. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add in 1 cup of the sugar, the milk and the vanilla and stir until well blended. Once the butter has melted, remove the skillet or pan from the oven and pour the melted butter into the batter. Stir to mix. Then pour the batter all at one time into the skillet and add the blackberries into the center. Do not spread out. Bake for about 1 hour until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the cake part comes out clean. Serve immediately or let cool to room temperature. Tastes great on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Glazed Apricot Twists
1 frozen puff pastry sheet (from a 17 1/4-ounce package), thawed according to package instructions
1/2 C. apricot jam (6 ounces), melted
1/4 C. confectioners’ sugar
1 T. heavy cream or milk
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Special Equipment
parchment paper
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 12- by 10-inch rectangle, then cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 4 (5- by 3-inch) strips (for a total of 8 strips). Spread each strip with 1/2 T. jam, then fold strips in half lengthwise to form 1 1/2-inch-wide strips. Twist each strip 3 times and place on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer twists to a rack set over a sheet of parchment. Stir together confectioners’ sugar, cream, and lemon juice until smooth, then brush over warm twists. Serve warm.
Acacia Flower Fritters
½ cup (60 g) plain flour
½ tsp (0.5 tsp) baking powder optional
½ cup (120 ml) beer
10-12 (10 ) acacia flowers freshly picked
1 T. brown sugar
½ (0.5 ) lemon
vegetable oil for frying
Shake and inspect your acacia flowers to remove any dirt or little bugs. Make the batter by combining flour (baking powder if using) and beer. Whisk thoroughly until smooth, you should have a runny, slightly thick batter. Holding the stalk dip the flowers in the batter and let any excess run off. Heat up a large frying pan, with enough oil in it to cover the base. You can test the oil is hot enough by dripping a bit of batter in and it will fizz and start to brown when it’s ready. Fry the fritters on a medium/high heat, until the underside is golden brown, turn them over and repeat. Add more oil if you need to cook another batch. Best eaten when very soon after cooking. Sprinkle with brown sugar and a drizzle of lemon. Enjoy your delicious mouthful of acacia flower goodness!
NOTES Don’t eat the stalks, you can just pull them out easily when the fritters are cooked.
Elderflower Panna Cotta with Lemon Sauce
1½ cups fresh elderflowers (no stems)
1 envelope of unflavored Knox gelatin
2 T. cold water
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
⅓ cup sugar
Lemon Sauce
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
½ cup lemon juice
1 T. finely grated lemon zest
2 T. salted butter
In a small saucepan, add 2 T. of water and evenly sprinkle gelatin powder on top. Allow it to stand for 2 minutes. Then heat on low and stir until gelatin completely dissolves. Turn off heat and set aside. In a medium or large saucepan, combine cream, half and half, sugar, and elderflowers. Bring just to a boil, stirring often, and then immediately turn off heat. Strain to remove the elderflowers. Divide the strained mixture among six small cups or ramekins and allow to cool on the counter. Then cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours, until set. Meanwhile, make the lemon sauce. In a stainless-steel bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until smooth. Then add lemon zest, lemon juice, and butter. In a small to medium saucepan, boil some water to make a double boiler. Place the bowl with the egg-lemon mixture on top of the saucepan with boiling water, and cook, stirring often, until thickened. This could take at least 10 minutes. The sauce is thick enough when it could coat the back of a spoon, and you can create a clear path by running a finger through it. Allow it to cool before serving with the panna cotta. To unmold the panna cotta, hold the ramekin for a few seconds in hot water. Turn the ramekin over on a plate. Serve with cooled lemon sauce on the side or on top. If you decide to serve the panna cotta inside the ramekin or cup, simply spread lemon sauce on top. I like to use a clear cup to be able to see the layers.
Daniel & Joyce’s Broccoli Fudge Balls
2 cups White Chocolate
1 cups Sweetened Condensed Milk
4 tbsp Salted Butter
1⁄4 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 drops Green Food Coloring
3 tbsp Broccoli
Melt white chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, butter, and vanilla over a double boiler, fold as needed. Add a drop of green food coloring if using. Finely chop raw broccoli. Dry toast broccoli to desired doneness in a pan on low heat. 2-5 minutes just to remove the raw flavor. Fold in broccoli bits as desired. Pour fudge into molds or chill and scoop into balls. Place in a parchment lined container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. Allow to come to room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Rhubarb Cake with Butter Sauce
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups rhubarb diced
2 cups milk
6 T. butter melted
1/2 cup 1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the diced rhubarb, milk and melted butter. Stir just until combined. Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool. To make the butter sauce, combine the butter sugar and cream in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 1 minute stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. To serve, cut pieces of cake and serve with a generous amount of warm butter sauce. The sauce can be gently reheated on the stove or in the microwave if necessary.
St. Patrick’s Brownies
1 box brownie mix
60 ml Guinness
60 ml vegetable oil
1 egg
325 g chocolate chips
120 ml double cream
120 ml Guinness
Heat the oven to 180°C (160ºC fan). Grease a 20 cm (8”) square baking pan. Whisk together the brownie ingredients, then spread into the prepared pan. Bake according to the package directions on your mix, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 35 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan. Meanwhile, make the ganache: Place the chocolate chips in a medium, heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the double cream and Guinness just to a boil. When bubbles begin to break the surface around the edges of the pan, turn off the heat. Pour the hot cream over chocolate chips. Let sit for 15 seconds, then whisk constantly until the sauce is smooth. Once the brownies are cool, pour the ganache over and spread evenly. Refrigerate brownies until the ganache has set, about 15 minutes. Slice into squares and serve.
Blender Orange-Lemon Cake
1/2 C. oil avocado oil or any
1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
zest of one large orange T.
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 C. all-purpose flour 120 grams
juice of one large orange
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Add the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla to a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Pour it into a bowl and mix in the orange zest, lemon juice and baking powder. Add 1/2 of your flour and mix and then the other 1/2 of the flour + the juice of one orange. Mix and pour into a loaf tin sprayed with oil spray and lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes (depending on the oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy
Cherry Sheet Cake
1 cup butter (unsalted)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon lemon zest ((zest from 1 lemon))
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound cherries (fresh, pitted)
powdered sugar (for dusting, optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a 10×15 or 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper then spray the parchment paper as well. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Beat in the lemon zest. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to the egg mixture, and mix until just combined. Spread the batter evenly in the pan, using a spatula to even it out. Next, arrange the cherries evenly over the top of the cake. Do not press them down too deeply, because as the cake bakes it will rise around the cherries. Bake for 30 minutes or until light and golden brown. To check for doneness insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Let cool, then dust with powdered sugar, cut and serve.
Plum Frangipane Tart
1 2/3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out and reserved
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 cup finely ground skin-on almonds
2 large eggs
3 red-fleshed plums, halved and pitted
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Make dough: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until butter is smaller than pea size but not totally crumbly. Whisk egg yolk, cream, and vanilla together in a small bowl and add to flour mixture. Blend just until dough comes together and is smooth. Do not overmix–otherwise it will be tough. Form dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours and up to 4 days. Form and bake tart shell: Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly butter an 8-in. tart pan with 2-in. sides and a removable bottom. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface until about 1/4 in. thick. Roll dough up onto rolling pin, and then unroll over pan. Press dough flush against bottom of pan, into bottom corners, and then lastly, up the sides of the pan. Use your thumb to brush dough from inside to outside of edge to make it even. If you have any cracks or holes, you can patch with extra dough from the edges. Lay a piece of parchment into pan over dough, cutting to fit as needed. Fill parchment with baking beans or pie weights. Bake tart shell until edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove parchment with beans and transfer to a plate or a tray. Bake tart shell until center dough looks dry and is starting to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Make custard: Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it begins to simmer. Add vanilla bean and seeds and let sit off the heat, covered, about 30 minutes to develop flavor. Rewarm milk mixture over medium-high heat until almost simmering. Meanwhile, mix yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Pour mixture back into pan and cook, whisking constantly, until as thick as pudding, about 4 minutes. Pour custard through a strainer into a clean bowl (discard vanilla pod). Lay a piece of plastic wrap against surface of custard to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 4 days. Mix almonds, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, eggs, and custard (chilled or warm) in a medium bowl. Spread into prepared tart shell. Put one plum half, cut side up, in center of the filling and arrange remaining 5 halves around it, spacing symmetrically. Reduce oven to 350°. Bake tart on bottom rack until filling is puffed, golden brown, and firm around the center plum when pressed, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely. Remove tart shell from pan by setting it on a can and letting the rim fall away. Carefully transfer shell, still resting on pan’s bottom, to a large serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar to serve.
Apple Spice Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/3 cup warm milk
1 cup of melted butter (or coconut oil)
3 cups grated apples)
½ T. of vanilla
Optional: caramel sauce (recipe below)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup of sugar (coconut sugar works)
3/4 cups of heavy cream +2 T. divided (coconut cream works)
2 T. butter (vegan butter works)
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 325°F and lightly spray and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add in the warm milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Combine. Add in this grated apple and mix until it is well combined and the apple is evenly distributed. Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Add apple slices if you choose. Bake for 65-75 minutes until the center is cooked through. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and remove from springform pan and if using caramel, pour over cake while it is still warm. Over medium heat in a medium pot, combine maple syrup, honey, sugar, ¾ cup heavy cream, salt, and butter. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to med-low, making sure to keep it at a low boil. Watch it closely as it will boil up as it heats. Once it reaches about 235°(softball stage and will just barely start to turn golden), remove from heat, add vanilla and 2 T. of heavy cream. Store in an airtight container for about two weeks in the refrigerator. If the sauce gets too hard in the fridge, gently warm it in the microwave 20s at a time, and it will become pouring consistency again.
“I Want Chocolate Cake” Cake
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (145 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk (see Notes for other options)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (41 grams) Dutch cocoa powder
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table or fine sea salt
2 ounces (55 grams) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups (180 grams) powdered sugar (sifted if lumpy)
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of fine sea salt (optional)
1 tablespoons cream or whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the cake: Heat oven to 350°F (175°c). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper, and either butter the parchment and exposed sides of the pan, or spray the interior with a nonstick spray. In a large bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the butter and sugars until fluffy; scrape down bowl. Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and beat until combined, then the buttermilk and mix again. Scrape the bowl down well and don’t worry if the batter looks uneven. Place your flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a sifter (I find this step necessary because my cocoa is very lumpy) and shake it over the batter bowl. Stir on low until just combined; scrape down bowl a final time. Scoop batter into prepared pan and smooth flat. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes (updated, based on feedback) 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes in cake pan on cooling rack, then flip out onto rack or serving plate to completely finish cooling before frosting. Speed this up by placing it outside for 10 minutes (thanks, winter!). Make the frosting: Place frosting ingredients in a food processor and run machine to mix. Scrape down bowl then process for another 1 to 2 minutes (updated based on feedback) just until smooth and somewhat fluffed. [Don’t have a food processor? Beat butter, powdered sugar and salt, if using, in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Pour in chocolate, milk and vanilla, beat until combined, then one more minute to whip it further.] Scoop the frosting onto the cooled chocolate cake and swirl it around. Finish with rainbow sprinkles; don’t even fight it. Cut into squares and prepare for your family/roommates to completely freak out when they spy it on the counter. (But only share if they offer to do dishes.) Cake keeps at room temperature for a day or two, or in the fridge up to a week, or so I’ve heard but never tested out. Notes: Red wine chocolate cake, mocha chocolate cake: You could replace the buttermilk in full with yogurt or sour cream thinned with a little milk or water, with red wine or replace 1/2 cup of it with strong coffee. (Keep 1/4 cup buttermilk so you’ll have an acidic ingredient to wake up the baking soda.)
Pumpkin Magic Custard Cake
1/2 cup butter
2 cups whole milk
4 eggs — yolks separated from whites
Pinch of cream of tartar
1 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree — not pumpkin pie filling
1 cup all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 8×8 or 9×9 inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
Warm the milk until lukewarm and set aside. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Melt butter and cool at room temperature. Beat the egg yolks with sugar until pale and frothy. Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and butter.
Mix in the flour. Add the pumpkin puree with 1/4 cup of the milk. With the mixer running on low, add in the remaining milk. Fold in the egg whites with a spatula. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 60-65 minutes. Cool completely. Ideally refrigerate so when you cut the cake it isn’t still a little runny. Cut into squares and serve.
Holiday Popcorn Balls
6 T. unsalted butter
1 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows
1/4 C. brown sugar
8 C. popped salted popcorn
Unsalted butter
Melt the butter in a large heavy stockpot. Add the marshmallows and the sugar and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the popcorn. Butter your hands and shape the balls into desired sizes. Set on a parchment paper or silicone-lined cookie sheet to set.
For PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN BALLS, reduce the butter to 4 T. and add 1/3 C. creamy Peanut Butter.
*To color the popcorn balls, add a few drops of food coloring to the smooth marshmallow mixture. Mix well to distribute the color evenly, then pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn as instructed above.
Lemon, Coconut, and Pistachio Cake
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter , room temperature
1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar , divided
3 Large Eggs , room temperature
1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1/3 cup Shelled Unsalted Pistachios
1/2 cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
1 T. Lemons , zested (about 2 lemons)
1/3 cup Lemon Juice , freshly squeezed, divided
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 T. Full-Fat Coconut Milk
1 T. Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease the paper and flour the pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the Unsalted Butter (1/2 cup) and Granulated Sugar (1 cup) . Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on medium speed, add the Large Eggs (3) one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat for one more minute, until the batter is pale and thick. In a medium bowl, sift together the All-Purpose Flour (1 1/4 cups) , Baking Powder (1/2 tsp) , Kosher Salt (1/2 tsp) , and Baking Soda (1/4 tsp) . Add the Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (1/4 cup) and set aside. Place the Shelled Unsalted Pistachios (1/3 cup) in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Remove 1 1/2 T. and set aside for garnish. Continue processing until the pistachios are very finely ground. Measure to make sure you have 1/4 cup, and add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine Full-Fat Coconut Milk (1/2 cup) , zest of the Lemons (1 Tbsp) , Lemon Juice (3 Tbsp) , and Vanilla Extract (1/2 tsp) . Add the wet and dry mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Do not overmix. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack set over a tray to continue cooling. In a small saucepan, combine the Granulated Sugar (1/4 cup) , Full-Fat Coconut Milk (2 Tbsp) , and Lemon Juice (2 Tbsp) . Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat. While the cake is still warm, slowly pour the syrup over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the reserved pistachios and Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (1 Tbsp) , cool completely, and serve.
Pudding Cake in a Mug for One
2 T. (28 g) butter
2 T. (10 g) cocoa powder
1 1/2 T. (22 g) erythritol blend
1 pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
2 T. (30 ml) heavy cream
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
12 pieces Lily’s sugar-free chocolate chips (optional)
Coat a mug with cooking spray. This cake doesn’t rise much. A shallower mug might work better. Put the butter in it and microwave for 30 seconds to melt it. Add the cocoa powder, erythritol, salt, egg yolk, heavy cream, and vanilla and use a whisk or a fork to stir it all up until you have a uniform batter. If you’re using the chips, sprinkle them over the top and let them sink in a bit. Microwave on High for 90 seconds. Let it cool until you can handle it safely, then tip it out onto a plate.
Roasted Sugar Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Fresh Cranberry and Salted Caramel
1 small sugar pumpkin, halved, seeds scooped, roasted until tender and puréed (about 1½ cups prepared pumpkin)
1½ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
⅓ cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
⅛ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. ground allspice
⅛ tsp. ground ginger
⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 T. vanilla extract
10 cups (from 1 loaf) country-style bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 T. butter, melted
1 cup fresh cranberries, halved
1½ cups granulated sugar
10 T. unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 scant cup heavy cream
2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Whisk together prepared pumpkin purée, cream, milk, sugar, eggs and yolks, salt, spices and vanilla until smooth. Add cubed bread, butter and cranberries and stir to coat bread. Allow to soak for 30 minutes. Transfer to the baking pan. Bake, uncovered, on middle rack until custard sets, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit and cool slightly before cutting. Salted Caramel Sauce: In a heavy-bottom 4-quart saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue stirring and melting sugar until sugar begins to turn a light to medium amber color, then stop stirring. When sugar is reddish brown, carefully add butter and whisk together. Sugar will bubble up, so use caution and a long whisk. Add cream and continue to whisk over medium-low heat until smooth. Add salt and whisk again until smooth and creamy. Reserve to cool slightly or make ahead and microwave to reheat. Drizzle bread pudding with caramel sauce before serving.
PNW Cranberry Tart
For the pastry:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick plus 2 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 c. ice water
For the filling:
1 lb. cranberries, preferably locally grown
1 scant c. sugar
2 T. orange liqueur (triple sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc.)
2 T. cornstarch
Zest of 1/2 large orange
Egg white (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375°. In a food processor, combine the flour with the sugar, salt and butter and process for about 5 seconds. With the processor running, drizzle in the ice water over the flour mixture until the pastry just begins to come together, about 10 seconds. Transfer the pastry to a work surface, gather it together and pat into a disk. Wrap the pastry in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate until chilled, about one hour. Just before the dough finishes chilling, place cranberries in a large bowl and add sugar, liqueur, cornstarch and orange zest. Remove dough from refrigerator and place on well-floured surface. Roll out into large round approximately 14-15″ in diameter. Transfer to large, parchment-covered baking sheet (I usually fold the dough in half very carefully, transfer it to the sheet and unfold it). Brush the bottom of the dough with a very thin coating of egg white to within 4″ of the edge. Place cranberry filling in the middle, keeping it within 3-4″ of the edge of the dough. Lift the edges of the dough and fold over on top of filling, pleating it slightly to keep the tart’s rounded shape. An option here is to brush the dough with egg white and sprinkle it with sugar to give it a shiny appearance. Place in oven and bake at 375° for one hour or so until filling is bubbling and crust is golden.
Lemon-Honey Tea Cakes with Buttermilk Glaze
1 lemon, zested
3/4 cup granulated sugar
7 T. butter
7 T. honey (1/4 cup plus 3 T.)
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/8 tsp. lemon extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 T. buttermilk
A pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
Up to 1 T. fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 300’F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick baking spray with flour. You can also butter and flour each well in the tin. Rub the lemon zest and sugar together in a small saucepan until the mixture is fragrant and looks like wet sand. Add the butter and honey and stir over low heat until the butter is melted, the sugar is dissolved, and the mixture is smooth except for the lemon zest. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk, and lemon extract. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add half of the flour’ mixture to the buttermilk mixture and whisk until just combined. Do the same with half of the butter mixture. Repeat until all the ingredients are added, whisking just until the batter is smooth. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, and bake 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes then take them out and let cool completely on a wire rack. If they don’t easily pop out of the muffin tin, run a small paring knife around the edge of each cake to loosen. While the tea cakes cool, make the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, buttermilk, salt, and lemon extract in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Whisk lemon juice in, a little at a time, until the glaze is just barely thin enough for dipping. When the tea cakes are cool, dip the top of each in the glaze. Let the excess glaze drip back into the bowl then turn the cakes right side up and place back on the cooling rack. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Gingersnaps with Juniper Berry Glaze
Juniper Berry Glaze
½ cup of Milk
2 T.ps. crushed Juniper Berries
2 cups of sifted Icing Sugar
Hopefully, you already have Juniper Berries on hand. If not, you can go to your local Health Food store and they most likely have some.
To make the glaze, crush 2 T. of Juniper Berries in a coffee grinder or spice grinder. Or with a Pestle and Mortar. Or you can even put them in a Ziploc bag and run a rolling pin over them…or crush them with a mallet. Place them in a small pot. Add ½ cup of milk. Put on the stovetop on low…like setting 1-2. The idea is warmth will help infuse the flavor. You do not want to burn the milk, so keep it on low. As you let your milk and Juniper Berry infuse, bake your cookies! Once your milk is reduced by half, it’s ready for straining. We are going from 1/2cup of milk to 1/4cup of milk. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour depending on your stovetop. Low and slow will make a stronger flavored infusion! Strain your mixture with a fine metal sieve. Take the back of a spoon and press the milk-soaked berries through the fine metal sieve. This will get more of the ‘berry pulp’ and the berry skins will be left behind. There won’t be too much to press through and the pulp will transfer on the underside of the sieve, so be sure to scrape it off and add it to the milk infusion. Add ¼ cup of the milk infusion to a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, or a stand mixer, add icing sugar in small amounts – up to two cups, or desired consistency. It should have a ‘runny’ texture…but not really runny. Take cooling racks and place wax paper underneath (wax paper will make clean up easier when the icing drips off the cookies). Place cookies on top. Transfer icing to icing bag, or by spoonful, drizzle icing over baked, cool-downed cookies. Leave on cooling rack until icing has set.
¾ cup Shortening
1 cup of White Sugar
¼ cup Molasses
1 Egg – beaten
2 cups of Flour
2 tsps. of Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
1.5 tsp of Cinnamon
0.5 tsp Clove
1 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsps. Ginger (or more to taste)
You can replace these traditional spices with 1 T. ground, dried spicebush berries and 2 ½ tsp. ground, dried wild ginger rhizomes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening, sugar molasses, and egg until well mixed and slightly fluffy. In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients together and mix well. Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients. With clean hands (no rings), mix well. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop cookies onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Note: at this stage, you can dab each cookie into white sugar to have that coated sugar look. But since we are adding a glaze, I would recommend skipping the extra sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will have a ‘cracked’ appearance. Transfer to cooling rack (with Wax Paper underneath). Once cool, drizzle Juniper Berry Glaze over the cookies. Let glaze set
Spruce Tip Panna Cotta
1 cup evergreen tips
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1/2 T. unflavored gelatin powder
2 1/2 T. sugar
1 T. water
Combine the spruce tips, milk, and cream in a blender, and use a low to medium speed to break up the needles. You don’t need to pulverize the spruce tips, but breaking up the needles increases their surface area and releases more flavor. I don’t use the high setting on my Vitamix because I’m afraid that might churn the cream into butter. I’ve never tested this theory, because I don’t want to waste perfectly good cream, but now that I think of it, ending up with spruce tip infused butter wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. It just wouldn’t be dessert. Refrigerate the cream/milk overnight, or for up to 24 hours. The next day, strain the liquid, pressing on the needles to remove as much liquid as possible. You’ll probably want to do a second straining, or squeeze the cream through a jelly bag or cheesecloth to catch the little bits of tree. You should end up with about 2 cups of dairy. Sprinkle the gelatin on top of the water to let the gelatin bloom. It will be ready by the time you need it. Combine the strained cream/milk and sugar in a saucepan and bring it just to a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until it’s completely dissolved. Rub a little of the liquid between your fingers to make sure it’s silky, not grainy. If it’s grainy, keep whisking until the liquid is smooth. As soon as the gelatin has fully dissolved, place the saucepan in an ice bath: a shallow pot or pan, filled halfway with a combination of ice cubes and water. Sit the bottom of the saucepan in the ice and whisk the cream until it’s lukewarm. You’ll know you’ve reached this point when the liquid feels neither warm nor cold against your finger. This is an essential step, without which the texture of your panna cotta will not be right. Pour the lukewarm liquid into mini-canning jars or ramekins, and refrigerate until jiggly (4 hours or overnight). I use 4 oz. canning jars because each one has its own lid and I don’t have to use that infernal plastic wrap. I also have loads of canning jars and they’re cute. Dessert should appeal to both the eyes and the stomach, don’t you think? Your spruce tip panna cotta can be served plain, or if you happen to have some brown sugar/spruce tip syrup in the back of your refrigerator, pour a drizzle of syrup onto each serving for an extra shot of flavor. Feel free to play around with different edible evergreens (spruce, fir, and hemlock are all tasty; pine is meh; yew is toxic) and see which flavors please you most. And be prepared to field some questions from your pleasantly surprised dinner guests.
Triple Ginger Snaps with Sorghum
2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 T. finely chopped candied ginger
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sorghum
2 extra-large eggs
1 T. freshly grated wild gingerroot
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
About 1/3 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 350º F. In a bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger and candied ginger; toss well to mix. In a food processor or a mixer, pulse or cream butter with the brown sugar until fluffy. Add the sorghum and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, until mixed; add the gingerroot and vanilla extract and pulse or mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients and pulse or mix until just blended. Place the sugar in a saucer. Scoop the dough by the heaping tsp. and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat and place them on a baking sheet at least 2-inches apart. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until flattened and cracked on top. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies stand for about 2 minutes. Remove cookies from the pan onto baking racks to cool. Store in a tightly closed tin for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Pumpkin Fritters – Buñuelos de Calabaza
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (120g)
1/4 cup tapioca flour (30g)
1/4 tsp. dry yeast
1 small egg
oil for frying
sugar
Mix together all of the ingredients and cover it and set it aside to rest while you heat your oil. Heat the frying oil on medium heat. You’ll want somewhere around 360ºF, but I don’t ever check the actual temperature. The oil is ready for frying when you add a small amount of batter to the oil and it begins to bubble and make a frying sound. The easiest way is to spoon small amounts of dough into the oil. You want the fritters to lightly brown on both sides after frying for around a minute on each side. If they get too dark or aren’t browning quickly enough, adjust the oil temperature accordingly. Frying pumpkin fritters in hot oil. Remove the buñuelos from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels or cloths to absorb the oil. recently fried pumpkin fritters on a paper towel to drain the excess oil Sprinkle them with sugar and serve with a small bowl of sugar for dipping them.
Mulberry Crumble Cake
2½ C. sugar
2½ C. all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2½ C. all-purpose flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 C. sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk, milk or dry white wine
4 C. mulberries
Make the crumb topping by pulsing the ingredients in a food processor or cutting them together with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture is crumbly. Chill. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 375°. To make the cake, combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. Beat the butter until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar slowly and continue to beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add about ¾ cup of the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add ½ cup milk and stir to combine. Repeat, ending with the remaining flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top evenly with mulberries. Sprinkle crumble topping over all and press lightly. Bake 1 hour, or until top of cake is brown. It may jiggle a little in the middle, that’s expected. Serve with cream or vanilla ice cream. Also delicious for breakfast. Makes about 16 servings.
If using frozen mulberries: Cook 90 minutes.
Peach Melba Popsicles
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup whole raspberries
2 C. peeled chopped peaches in small/medium chunks
1/8 tsp. almond extract (optional)
1 1/2 C. vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt or non-dairy vanilla ice cream of your choice, slightly softened (think: soft-serve consistency)
Combine sugar and water in a small-medium saucepan (intentionally larger than it requires) and bring to a simmer; stir until sugar dissolves. Pour 1/4 cup syrup (just eyeball it — it’s 1/3 of mixture) over raspberries in a bowl. Add peach chunks to remaining syrup in saucepan and bring back to a simmer, cook for 1 to 2 minute, until they soften. Let both raspberries and peaches cool in syrup. The raspberries will quickly but you can hasten the peaches along by setting them in a larger bowl of ice water for 10 to 15 minutes. In a blender or food processor, puree peaches and their syrup first, then scrape into a measuring cup with a spout and stir in almond extract, if using, then puree raspberries and place in a smaller spouted cup. (The raspberry color would muddle the peach puree much more than vice-versa, hence blending peaches first.) Pour a tiny splash of raspberry (you’ll only want to use half of your total sauce) in the bottom of each popsicle mold or small glass that you’re using as a mold (I like champagne flutes, for this and really everything), following by a larger splash of peaches (again, using about half the puree) and dolloping in a little softened ice cream. Repeat with remaining raspberry, peaches and ice cream. Use a skewer to lightly marble the mixtures together — I get the best swirls by swiping the skewer right along the inside of each mold. Freeze popsicles according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Danish Rice Pudding with Cherry Black Pepper Sauce
1 cup (185 grams) short-grain white rice, such as Arborio
3 cups (710 ml) water
1 1//2 cups (355 ml) milk
1 vanilla bean, split
A pinch of salt
1 cup (140 grams) chopped almonds, toasted (well chopped but not powdery)
1 whole skinned almond
24 ounces sour cherries (about 5 cups or 680 grams), pitted (frozen are fine)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams total) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (150 ml total) water
A few grinds of black pepper
2 cups (475 ml) heavy cream
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
Bring the rice, water, milk, and vanilla bean to a simmer, then cook at a low simmer, stirring frequently, until the rice is very tender, and the mixture is thick but loose, like a risotto, another 20 to 25 minutes. A spoon dragged across the bottom will clear a brief path in the rice. Remove the vanilla-bean pod and save it for another use, such as infusing vanilla sugar. Cool the mixture completely and press a piece of plastic film against the surface so no skin is formed. Chill it in the fridge for several hours—ideally, overnight. make the cherry sauce Place the cherries and sugar in a medium saucepan. Stir the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the water together until smooth, then pour this into the pan, along with the remaining V2 cup water and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and, stirring frequently, cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes (the sauce should be served hot). finish and serve Shortly before serving the pudding, whip the cream with the sugar to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream, along with the chopped almonds and one whole almond, into the cold rice. It will be stiff at first but will eventually lighten and become fluffy. Serve in big scoops, and ladle with warmed cherry sauce.
Baked Apples with Spices, Olive Oil and Nuts
4 tablespoons dried cranberries, finely chopped
4 tablespoons shelled unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
4 tablespoons slivered almonds, finely chopped
1 cup (250ml) fresh apple juice
Finely-grated zest and juice of one organic lemon
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped out
4 crisp, flavorful apples, e.g. Reinette, Pink Lady, Cortland, Winesap or Liberty
4 cinnamon sticks
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar
In a small bowl, combine the cranberries, pistachios and almonds; set aside. In a pot, combine the apple juice, lemon zest, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F(175C). Core the apples, then slice the top off each one (set these aside) and drizzle with lemon juice. Place the apples in a baking dish and divide the stuffing mix among them. Place a cinnamon stick in each apple and cover them with their tops. Pour the infused juice and the oil over the apples and sprinkle with sugar. Place the apples in the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the flesh is tender, regularly drizzling with the cooking juices. Remove from the oven and serve warm with the juices and plain yogurt on the side.
Salted Spicy Watermelon Margarita Popsicles
4 cups cubed watermelon
1 jalapeño, halved and seeded, if desired (optional)
2-6 tablespoons granulated sugar, using more or less to your taste
1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon tequila
2 tablespoon Cointreau (orange liquor) (orange liquor)
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus 1 tablespoon lime zest
4 kiwi, peeled and chopped
2 Persian cucumbers, peeled and chopped
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
In a blender, blend the watermelon, jalapeño, and sugar. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. Add the tequila, Cointreau, and 1/2 cup lime juice + lime zest, stirring to combine. Pour the mixture among 6 popsicle molds or Dixie cups. Freeze one hour. Rinse the blender out and blend the kiwi, cucumbers, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 tablespoon tequila, blend until smooth. Pour the kiwi over the watermelon layer, filling the molds to the top. Insert popsicles sticks. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Serve with lime wedges and flaky salt…and maybe even a margarita too!
Watermelon-Jalapeno Popsicles
6 cups chopped fresh watermelon
1/2 cup of lime juice
1/2 cup of sugar*
2 large jalapenos, quartered, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 heaping Tablespoon of lime zest
Combine the watermelon, lime juice, corn syrup and jalapenos in a blender and process until pureed. Pour through a strainer or chinois and press out the liquid. Discard the solids. Adjust sweetness/tartness/bite* to taste. Stir the lime zest into the liquid. Pour into Popsicle molds. Freeze until ready to serve. *Depending on the sweetness of your watermelon, you may want to add a little more sugar. Taste and adjust.
Lychee Sorbet
2 tins (20oz, each) canned lychees or 1 ¼ lb. fresh lychees flesh (peeled and deseeded)
2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey
Mint leaves for garnish (optional)
Combine the lychees and agave syrup or honey into a Nutribullet or food processor and blend until you get a smooth texture.
Using Ice Cream Maker: Transfer the lychees mixture into the ice cream maker and follow the instruction manual. Serve immediately when ready or transfer to a freezer proof container and freeze until ready to serve. Serve with mint leaves.
Without Ice Cream Maker: Transfer the lychee mixture into a freezer proof container and freeze for around 8 hours or overnight. Check occasionally with a fork to see whether consistency has been achieved. Once desired consistency is achieved, remove from freezer and serve immediately with mint leaves.
Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 25
Fat: 0g
Fiber: 0g
Lemon Sponge Cake with Pear Marmalade
Pear Marmalade needs to sit at least 3 hours; Make the day before.
Unsalted butter, for greasing the cake pans
2½ cups cake flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
5 T. extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
Grated zest of 6 lemons
½ cup whole milk
¾ cup pear marmalade
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 8inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, toss the flour, salt, and baking powder with a fork to mix well. In a large bowl, beat the olive oil & sugar together with an electric mixer until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Put the dry ingredients in a sifter & sift about one third onto the egg mixture. Add the lemon zest & fold in the flour and zest, then stir in about one third of the milk. Add the remaining flour and milk in two additions each, blending well. Turn batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until cakes are beginning to pull away from sides of the pans & spring back when pressed lightly in the center with a finger. Turn the cakes out onto a rack, & invert onto another rack to cool. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread marmalade over the top. Place the second layer on top and gently press the layers together. Sprinkle the top of the cake with confectioner’s sugar.
For Pear Marmalade
2 lbs. firm unripe pears, peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces
1 ½ C sugar
3 cloves
1 T freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, mix the pears, sugar, and cloves together. Cover with a kitchen towel and aside for at least 3 hours to let juices start to run. Transfer the pear and juice to a large nonreactive saucepan, bring to a simmer, and simmer gently, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking, until the pears are tender. Remove from the heat, stir in the pepper, remove the cloves, & allow to cool.
Pastelli (Armenian Sesame and Honey Candies)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup honey
11/2 C. sesame seeds
Combine sugar, water and honey in a heavy pan. Stir occasionally over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and bring to the boil. Boil for about 15 minutes to the soft ball stage. (When a little is dropped into cold water it forms a soft ball.) If you have a candy thermometer, cook to 115°C (240°F). Stir in sesame seeds and return to the boil. Boil for 15 minutes until seeds turn golden and a little of the syrup dropped into water forms a hard ball, 130°C (265°F). Take care not to overcook as the sesame seeds will brown too much, spoiling the flavor. Pour into an oiled 18 x 28 cm (7 x 11 inch) slab cake pan, or on to an oiled marble slab, shaping it into a rectangle of that size with a spatula. (should be 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick). When almost cool, cut into squares, triangles or fingers. Cut again when completely cold
and wrap pieces in waxed paper or cellophane.
Sheet Pan Vanilla Sheet Cake with Sprinkles
Cooking spray
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil, or melted and cooled unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
1 T. vanilla extract
8 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 T. whole milk
Disc sprinkles (optional)
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Coat a 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheet (also known as a half sheet pan) with cooking spray; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil or butter, milk, and vanilla and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Pour the batter into the baking sheet. Bake until the cake is lightly browned and springs back when gingerly pressed with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cake on a wire rack while preparing the frosting. Make the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and milk and beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread the frosting right on top of the cake and use the tip end of a small spoon to work the frosting back and forth, creating a striped pattern. Decorate with sprinkles if using. NOTES: Storage: The cooled cake can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Better Banana Cake with Caramel Frosting
1 package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of canola oil
3 large eggs
Quick Caramel Icing (see below)
1 cup of chopped pecans
Instructions
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with Baker’s Joy non-stick spray. In the bowl of your mixer, add the cake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon and whisk to break up clumps. In a separate bowl, combine the bananas, water, oil and eggs until mixed together. Add to the dry ingredients. Beat on low for about 1 minute, stop scrape down the sides, and beat another 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake another 25 to 30 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool in the pan. Pour icing over the still warm cake and sprinkle the pecans on top while the icing is still warm. Allow the cake to set for at least an hour to fully cool. Variation: Make this an applesauce cake by replacing the bananas with 1 cup of applesauce
Quick Caramel Icing
1 stick of pure unsalted butter
1 cup of packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup of half and half
2 cups of sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and cook over a slightly higher than medium fire, until mixture begins to boil. This will take anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes depending on your stove. Once it begins to boil, slowly whisk in the half and half until well blended. Bring back just to a boil, turn the burner to low, remove the saucepan from the heat, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and blend. Return the saucepan to the burner and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Icing will get stiff quickly so you’ll need to immediately pour over cake and allow it to set.
Summer Solstice Herby Honey Cookies
1 & 3/4 cups of flour
¾ cup softened butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown or cane sugar
1 teaspoon minced thyme
1 teaspoon lavender buds
1 teaspoon minced rosemary
1 teaspoon minced sage
a few crushed cardamom seeds
pinch of salt
NOTE: I used more like a tablespoon of each herb in my cookies, but this might be too herbaceous for some, so adjust accordingly. And I also added 3/4 cup oatmeal to another batch of cookies and cut back on the flour. Feel free to experiment or use whatever cookie recipe you like…after all it’s not the cookie that matters as much as the spirit!
Icing:
3 teaspoons milk
1 cup icing sugar
a wee bit of grated lemon rind. (I also added lavender buds to the second batch of icing)
Coloring. I used a combination of golden beet juice, St. John’s Tincture and a pinch of turmeric powder, but of course, you could use a store-bought natural food dye.
Combine your milk and icing sugar. Slowing add in your coloring and mix until you find the desired color/consistency
Preheat Oven to 300 F. Beat flour, sugar and soft butter together until creamy. Slowly drizzle in honey while beating until mixture pulls together. Add minced herbs and petals, mix well through the dough. Divide into four balls and chill for an hour or so. Roll out and cut into round shapes. Add flour as needed.
Bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes. Let cool. Decorate using the flowers and herbs of the sun: petals of calendula, lawn daisies or ox-eye daisies (not store bought daisy chrysanthemums), St. John’s Wort, rose, or sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage.
Torn Figs and Burrata
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
3 rosemary sprigs
About 18 perfectly ripe figs* preferably Mission
12 ounces (3 balls) burrata
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted pistachios chopped, for garnish
Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and rosemary just until the leaves begin to crisp. Place the rosemary sprigs on a paper towel for at least 10 minutes. Strip the leaves from the stem, discarding the stems. Tear or slice each fig into 4 pieces and divide them among 6 plates. Tear each ball of cheese in half and add a portion to each plate. Sprinkle the crisped rosemary and pistachios on top of the burrata cheese and figs, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
Tropical-Fruit Salad with Coconut Crunch
1 large egg white
2 T. clover or orange-blossom honey
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla paste or extract
1 tsp. grated Meyer-lemon zest, plus 2 T. fresh juice
1 T. poppy seeds
Pinch of kosher salt
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 quart strawberries, halved lengthwise if large
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick fingers
1 small papaya, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 1-inch-thick fingers
1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch-thick fingers
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk egg white with honey, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, poppy seeds, and salt until foamy and thoroughly combined. Stir in coconut to evenly coat; spread on a rimmed baking sheet in a thin layer. Bake, stirring a few times, until golden in places, 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely (mixture will crisp as it cools). Rub between your fingers, breaking up any clumps, until crumbled. Arrange fruits on a platter; sprinkle with coconut crunch to serve. Fruits can be loosely covered with plastic, without coconut crunch, and refrigerated up to 8 hours. Coconut crunch can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
Peach Upside Down Mini Cakes
Non-stick cooking spray
1 T. unsalted butter cold
6 tsp. light brown sugar
For cake batter:
3 fresh peaches (Note 1)
1 ½ C. (190g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
2/3 C. (130g) granulated sugar
1/3 C. (90g) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ C. (120ml) buttermilk at room temperature (Note 2)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177° C). Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. To prepare the topping: Cut 1 T. of butter into 12 equal parts. (TIP: cold butter is easier to cut.) Place each butter piece in 12 muffin C.. Sprinkle ½ tsp. of brown sugar into each muffin C.. Slice 1-2 peaches into thin slices. Arrange about 3 slices into the bottom of each muffin pan. To make the cake batter: Cut the remaining peaches into small cubes. You should get about 1 C. of cubed peaches. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat it for another 2-3 minutes, or until well combined. The mixture should be fluffy and white. (Note: It’s totally normal for the mixture to curdle right after adding egg, but keep mixing and it’ll turn nice and fluffy!) Add half of the flour mixture into the batter, beat for 1 minute on low speed. Stir in the buttermilk and beat for another minute. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just until combined. Don’t overmix the batter, or it’ll make tough cake. Fold in the cubed peaches. Divide the batter into 12 muffin pan C..  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Then carefully run a butter knife around the edges to release the cake from the sides. Now, place a wire rack over the muffin pan and carefully turn the pan upside down to remove the cakes. Place an empty baking sheet to catch any juice, if needed. Cool the cakes completely before serving.