The Busty Baker

Lavender Lemon Scones

2013-05-13T15:04:00.000-04:00

I'm not a trendsetter. In fact, I seem to always be a bit late to the game. Especially when it comes to entertainment. Whether it's books, movies, or TV, I always find myself getting into something long after everyone else has already realized its awesomeness. (I didn't start reading Harry Potter until just before the 6th book came out.)

TV is the worst. I'm always the last to start watching things. I didn't fall hard for shows like Buffy, Angel, and Alias until they were long over. (And I've still never seen Lost.) My absolute favorite show on TV, Supernatural--it wasn't until this current season, its 8th, that I've actually watched them as they've aired. I'm always a bit behind.

Because of my habitual ignorance to anything popular, I completely missed the boat on the whole Downton Abbey deal. Until now.

I don't have Netflix or anything like it, and I'm poor, so to get caught up on what the cool kids are into, I rely on the library. Which means I put my name on a list and wait 4 months. After being nearly 500 names back for Downton Abbey, my turn finally came, and I totally binged on all things Crawley. (As much as you can binge on a series that only has 7-9 episodes per season.)

After immersing myself in hours of high British life, I found myself craving scones. And wanting to talk to the cat in a (very bad) accent, but let's not mention that part.

I wanted a scone that was light and delicate-- so I settled on lavender and lemon. A bright fresh flavor with a hint of floral tones-- they were the just what I was looking for. Warmed and drizzled with honey, they were the perfect breakfast (and afternoon snack) these past few days.

I had a bit of a hard time tracking down dried lavender that I could bake with though. My quest took me to 2 kitchen stores, 2 craft stores, Trader Joe's, and some specialty French store that only sold dried bundles for fragrance and decoration. But I finally scored some at World Market for pretty cheap. (And on my quest, I realized just how lucky I am to live near a shopping area that has all of this and more in the vicinity, so I didn't have to drive all over town.)

They're a cinch to put together, after you track down your ingredients, and you'll be pulling from the oven beautiful, delicious scones to serve with afternoon tea in no time. That is, if you like tea. (Which I don't...)

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Crispy Oven Fries

2013-04-18T13:35:00.000-04:00

I believe there should be balance in everything. Everything should have a counterpart to complete it. Like yin and yang. Peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Abbott and Costello. One without the other just seems strange. Lacking. I get the same feeling about my dinner plate. My meal feels unbalanced if I don’t have some sort of accompaniment to my main course. Even if it’s just a slice of garlic bread with a pasta meal, I need something else on my plate. The problem is, my hatred of all things veggie leaves me with few options to balance the plate scales.

Which is why most times you’ll find me with some form of potatoes on my plate. Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, French fries. Oh French fries, how I love you. Crunchy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside—there’s nothing better than a hot fry. But for all my love of fries, I’d much rather they come from a bag (fast food or frozen) than actually attempt to make them myself.

Google “French fry recipe” and you’ll come up with nearly 2.8 million results. And nothing within the first few pages is anything I wish to try in my kitchen. Soaking the potatoes in ice water for hours before dropping them in hot oil? No thanks. Sacrificing that crunchy exterior by throwing them into the oven instead? I want none of it. I just want a crunchy/creamy fry that I don’t have to spend 3 hours on a splattered kitchen and a burnt hand to make. Which is why I now think of Shawn at I Wash You Dry as a complete and utter genius.

Potatoes coated in breadcrumbs, parmesan, and seasonings, baked in the oven until golden brown—the perfect crunchy/creamy scenario without all the hassle! Okay, so maybe they’re not McDonalds or Ore-Ida, but they’re dang good. And so easy. You don’t even have to get your hands dirty. Throw the potatoes in a ziptop bag, drizzle in some oil and swish it around, then dump in the coating ingredients, seal it up and shake. Couldn’t be any easier! And you can customize it with any seasonings you want--from hot and spicy to italian flavors, it's completely up to you.

I’ve made these 3 times in the past week and a half, and I see these becoming my new go-to dinner companion. I may never eat French fries from a bag again. Or at least a frozen bag. Cause, let’s be real. I wouldn’t give up fast food French fries for anything. No matter how good these oven fries are.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Strawberry Galette

2013-04-11T14:20:00.000-04:00

I spy some green outside my door! The past week has brought warmer temperatures (finally!) and the first buds of spring popped up seemingly overnight. Hooray! Spring has finally sprung!

The first taste of warmer weather makes me excited for what's to come. I can't wait to rock my dresses again. I live for days I can throw open the doors and windows and let the breeze blow in. I long for evenings spent on the patio, book in hand, surrounded by green leaves and the beginning bursts of colorful flowers. (Until they inevitably succumb to the negligence of my black thumb...) I yearn for dinners on the grill and big bowls full of ripe, juicy, sweet berries. Oh, sweet delicious summer fruit, how I’ve missed you in the cold winter months.

Strawberries are by far one of my favorite fruits. I generally eat them sliced up and sprinkled with an ungodly amount of sugar. Lately, however, I’ve been enjoying them with just a drizzle of honey to enhance their natural sweetness. A bit healthier and a lot cleaner than my usual snack, and every bit as delicious.

And it makes the perfect base for a simple, rustic, no fuss dessert.

Think of a galette as pie for people who are scared of pie crust. No messing with pie plates or double crusts or crimping. Just roll the crust out flat and relatively round, throw some fruit in the middle and fold it up. No need for perfection here. It’s as easy as… pie. Or rather, pie’s calm, laid back brother.

The honey bumps up the strawberries’ natural sweetness, while balsamic vinegar adds a subtle layer of extra flavor. Wrapped in a flaky crust and drizzled with a little extra honey, it’s a heavenly way to welcome in spring.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Chewy Mocha Cookies

2013-03-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

It seems like most people I know need coffee to survive. Or at least function properly. A cup in the morning to wake up and get going. Maybe some more refueling later to make it through the day. While I’m not exactly a morning person, I’ve never actually been one of these people that depends on caffeine to wake me up. Sure I’d indulge in a Starbucks latte every now and then at work (because I’m a sucker for White Chocolate Raspberry Mochas. They’re just so pink!), but that was all it was—an indulgence. Until recently…

I’ve had more coffee in the past month or so than I probably have in my whole life. I couldn’t tell you why. But I think I’ve turned myself into a coffee drinker. I’ve traded in my Biscoff covered toast for a steaming mug first thing in the morning. And I have to say, with enough flavor and milk in it, it’s not half bad. I just have to keep myself from getting completely hooked.

These cookies aren’t helping at all. Laced with a healthy dose of espresso powder, they’re even more irresistible than that morning mug. They’re soft and chewy and totally chocolatey. And with the help of some cream cheese, they’ll stay tender for days. (Not that they’ll stick around that long.) And like the Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies, these bad boys are egg free, so not only is it totally safe to eat the raw dough (which I did. Quite a bit.), but they’re perfect to share with those who have egg allergies.

I brought these cookies into work to share about a week ago and my coworkers are still talking about them. That’s how you know you’ve got a winner on your hands.
But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Buttermilk Waffles

2013-03-04T16:24:00.001-05:00

If I had to pick one meal to eat for the rest of my life, it would most likely be some kind of breakfast. Something dripping with syrup and a nice crispy side of bacon. I L-O-V-E breakfast! I mean come on. Most breakfasts consist of eggs, butter, flour, and sugar. Sounds like dessert disguised as a meal if you ask me. And if I had to pick an ultimate breakfast favorite, it would probably be waffles. Thick fluffy waffles drenched in sweet sticky maple. Mmm..

Okay, so we’re all friends here right? Cause I’m about to let you in on a little secret. Waffles bring out my crazy. Not the “I’m crazy for waffles” crazy, but the “I’m pretty sure there’s something wrong with you” crazy. I’ve told you about some of my food idiosyncrasies before—my hatred for vegetables, my dislike of squishy food (like baked fruit), liking one form of a food and not another (love apples, hate almost anything made with apples--and the exact opposite with oranges). But I haven’t shown you the level of crazy waffles bring out.

I’m very particular about my waffles. Like... OCD particular. First of all, they have to be round. None of this square or fancy shaped waffle nonsense. Round waffles or no waffles at all. (I actually owned a square waffle iron a long time ago. I didn’t make waffles for years because of it. I hated that thing.) You see, they have to be round because I have to cut them into quarters. And once they’re quartered, I have to cut off the rounded edges. Turning them into... yep, squares. (Which, you know, given my hatred of square waffles, makes perfect sense. Like I said, crazy.) (BTW- I do the same thing with pizza that’s been cut into squares, instead of slices. Corners first. Always.)

And the crazy doesn't stop there. After they’re cut into squares (that they could not start out being) I cut off the right third of the square. And then divide the remaining rectangle into thirds from the top down. I do this every. single. time. And I probably shouldn’t even mention that the syrup has to be poured methodically into each and every square—no haphazard drizzles here—to the point of saturation, so there’s ample syrup in every bite.

I don’t know when it started. I don’t know how it started, but it’s just what I do. I know, I know. They're just waffles. They taste the same no matter how they're cut. I'm just weird. But hey. Maybe I’m riding first class on the crazy train, but at least I get to enjoy a delicious breakfast in the dining car.

Be sure to tune in next time when my crazy is brought to you by multiples of five! (Yep. It extends well beyond food. Pretty sure they’re going to promote me to conductor soon.)

Do you have any food related weirdness? I'd love to hear it! I might even save you a seat and some waffles on our awesome train trip to Crazytown.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake

2013-02-20T11:36:00.000-05:00

This is the cake dreams are made of. Literally. I woke up the other day thinking about this cake. And I continued to think about it all day until I finally broke down, gathered up my whisk and mixing bowl, and turned on the oven.

Sometimes you just need a recipe like this. Something easy and satisfying without all the fuss. The kind of recipe that doesn’t even involve a mixer. Don’t get me wrong. I love my KitchenAid like it’s my child, but my tiny kitchen is severely lacking in counter space. Which means each time I use my mixer, I have to drag it from its home on the far end of the counter to the opposite end where there’s more than 8 inches of room to work. And you know those things aren’t exactly light. So anytime I don’t have to give my arms a workout is fine by me. And when that non-workout ends in cake? Well, it’s my lucky day.

Especially when that non-workout ends in cake this good. Seriously. I want to sit in a corner somewhere with a fork and devour every last bite of this cake. Actually, forget the fork. I’ll just eat it with my hands. It’s so incredibly soft and tender and chocolatey, it doesn't even need any extras—it’s perfect as it is. But if you’re inclined to take the chocolate to the next level, whip up the chocolate glaze from the original recipe over at Two Peas and Their Pod to drizzle over the top. Or just sprinkle with powdered sugar like I did and dig in.

I need this cake in my life. Every single day. You complete me, cake.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Blueberry Coulis

2013-02-11T17:49:00.000-05:00

Well now doesn’t that just sound fancy—Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Blueberry Coulis. We’re stepping it up and putting on our fancy pants over here at The Busty Baker! Sort of..

Until very (very) recently, I had no idea what panna cotta really was. I’d heard of it. I’d seen it around the interwebs. But it just sounded very classy and probably way too complicated to make. So I paid no attention to it, because, hello—I’m lazy. I don’t want to work harder than I have to. (Let's just call it low-key instead of lazy, shall we?) But you want to know a secret? Panna cotta is totally simple. And totally delicious.

Think of it as pudding meets Jello, all dressed up in pearls and a pretty dress. This isn't your lunchbox pudding cup. Smooth and creamy, speckled with vanilla bean seeds, and served up in a fancy glass, it’s an elegant dessert at the end of a meal. And the Blueberry Coulis? Dark and dramatic on top of pure white, it’s the perfect accent to the panna cotta. And no one has to know coulis (pronounced coo-lee) is just a fancy name for blueberry sauce.

I mean really, what sounds more classy and impressive: Panna Cotta with Coulis? Or Vanilla Pudding with Blueberry Sauce? I think we all know which one is more likely to wow and woo.

Both the panna cotta and the coulis can be made ahead of time, so you have plenty of time to pretty yourself up for your Valentine’s date night and enjoy a fabulous dinner, followed by a divine (and totally stress free) dessert!

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Chocolate M&M Cookies

2013-02-07T08:04:00.000-05:00

You know why I like Valentine's Day? Because everything's pink. The decorations, the cards, the candy. My inner 4 year old (that I very poorly hide most days) positively squees at the idea of Valentine's Day. Cover everything in hearts and glitter--heck, make it look like a unicorn exploded, and I'm one happy girl.

But my very favorite thing about Valentine's Day isn't the pink or the love or the sappy Hallmark cards (which are actually my least favorite part). No. My favorite thing is that Valentine's is a holiday where chocolate is not just encouraged, it's expected. Chocolate. And lots of it. Which is definitely something I can get behind.

Truth: I ate almost half the bag of M&Ms before making these cookies.

Truth: Almost a quarter of the bag was gone within 20 minutes of buying them at Target.

Truth: I almost didn't share these cookies.

This is my very favorite chocolate cookie recipe. I've been making it for years from my Martha Stewart's Cookies cookbook. They're a bit crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and oh-so-perfectly chocolatey. And each and every time I make them, I have a hard time not eating the entire batch myself. (Are we noticing a lack of self-control theme here?) These cookies had my coworkers asking what sort of black magic I use because they can't possibly be that easy and still be that good. But they are. Easy. And good. And perfect for the class party. Or your Valentine. Or just for yourself. Share. Don't share. It's completely up to you.

Looking for more Valentine's ideas? No fear! I've got you covered.
But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Southwestern Potato Skins

2013-01-28T16:49:00.000-05:00

I seriously contemplated calling this post "The Great Jalapeno Hunt" but that would have just confused everyone.

This post was the hardest recipe I've made in a long time. Not skill wise. No, actually it was really easy. But frustration level? That's a different story. It jumped out at me and screamed, "Make me NOW!" So of course I obliged. It's the perfect timely Superbowl snack. I went to the grocery store that night and gathered the ingredients, anxious to make these delicious little treats. Except I forgot corn. And then my onion was moldy. And then.. I lost my jalapeno.

How exactly do you lose a jalapeno? Well, that's a very good question. I'm still wondering that myself. I swear it was there hanging out with my tomato on the counter when I went back to the store for the fourth time in a week to replace my moldy onion. When I came back not even 20 minutes later, the jalapeno was gone. GONE.

I tore this place apart looking for it. I mean, a jalapeno doesn't just disappear. I looked in the sink. In the trash. Under the stove, the dishwasher, the fridge. Every place I've ever found a cat toy before. Under the couch. Behind the couch. Every place I could think the cat might have knocked it off and batted it to. For over a half an hour I searched every inch of my house. Laying on the floor shining a flashlight under things. Moving furniture. I even looked in my PURSE for goodness sake. (Because it was the only place left I hadn't looked.) And what did I find? A whole lot of cat toys, but no jalapeno. It's gone. My jalapeno just vanished into thin air.

But finally after trip #5 to replace my Houdini pepper, I was able to pull these out of my oven and snap a few pictures to share with you before I shoved them into my face. Here's the thing--truthfully, I don't like half the ingredients in these. I hate onions, loathe beans, despise tomatoes, and don't care for cilantro. But I can guarantee you I ~~ate every last bit~~ destroyed these. It's definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.

They're absolutely perfect for a Big Game party. They're super easy to put together, they can be made ahead of time to save yourself some hassle and stress, and they're utterly delicious. Best of all, unlike a lot of potato skins that are smothered in cheese and bacon, there's no meat in these, so vegetarians and meat eaters alike can nosh on tasty snacks while cheering for their favorite team (or favorite commercial). And since they're full of vegetables and come from Clean Eating magazine, we can pretend that they're reasonably healthy! Maybe?

Just be sure to keep a close eye on your ingredients so nobody makes a daring escape.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Peanut Butter Cup-Cakes Revisited

2013-01-21T13:03:00.000-05:00

January 21, 2009: a cold winter day 4 short years ago that will live on in our hearts and our minds forever. Wait, you're telling me you don't remember that fateful day? It was a day that changed the course of history! A day school children will be learning about for centuries to come! That was the day I hit "Publish" on my very first blog post--Peanut Butter Cup-Cakes. Okay, okay. So posting my first recipe didn't really rewrite history. It's not exactly life changing or earth shattering. Heck, I have to look it up every year because I can't even remember when my Blogiversary is. But looking back on that first post, we've come a long way in those 4 years.

Back in 2009, I knew nothing about this blogging thing. Honestly, I'm not even sure I really knew what a blog was. But suddenly there I was jumping head first into this world. 4 years later, I still can't tell you much about some parts of blogging like SEO and hosting (which is why at this very moment I'm currently reading Food Blogging For Dummies), but I can't even begin to imagine what I'd be doing if I weren't right here right now, doing this whole deal.

Every now and then when I'm bored I go back and read through some of my old posts. Talk about cringe worthy! Wow. Just wow. Some of those.. *sigh* Not only were the posts a ramblefest but the pictures! Oh the pictures. It's like looking through your middle school yearbook. You just want to forget it ever happened. So, in honor of this little blog's 4th birthday, I thought it would be fun to take a little trip down memory lane and show you the good, the bad, but mostly the ugly of the last few years!

There was an unfortunate slant phase. I don't know why.. but it lasted for well over a year--much like my permed hair phase.

I'm ready for my closeup.

Are we at the pool? Why do I feel like swimming?

What is this? That's it. I'm firing my food stylist.

Well that's appetizing..

Oh. Oh wow.. That's just.. sad.

Talk about a wall of shame. But instead of hanging my head (which I should definitely be doing), I'm taking what I've learned about baking and photography and making over my very first recipe! May I present the all new Peanut Butter Cup-Cakes!

The original recipe was marbled peanut butter and chocolate cake--neither of which had much flavor. The underwhelming cake was topped with an overwhelming peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Blegh. It was definitely time for a flavor upgrade.

Using my tried and true chocolate cake recipe, I topped it with a swirl of peanut butter and chocolate frosting. The peanut butter was a bit softer than the chocolate, so it didn't swirl quite as well as I'd envisioned, but one bite, and you'll forgive all its aesthetic imperfections. No tangy cream cheese flavor here--it's nothing but peanut buttery goodness.

After looking at all the terrible pictures that litter my little slice of internet life, I think I might have to revamp quite a few of my recipes and reclaim a bit of my dignity. And here's to hoping that I don't cringe at these pictures 4 years from now.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Peppermint O's

2013-01-15T09:02:00.000-05:00

How is everyone doing on their New Year's Resolutions? Still going strong? Good for you! I'm proud of you! And I totally apologize for this post.

I made you Peppermint Oreos. Well, they're not exactly like Oreos, so we'll just call them O's. And O-my are they delicious. (See what I did there?)

Oreos aren't safe in my house. I can't tell you how many packages I've bought with the intent to make something, only to end up devouring the whole package before they ever make it to the baking stage. One here, one there, and suddenly I'm reaching in to find only crumbs. I can't be alone on this, right?

This homemade version doesn't have quite the crispy-crunch of regular Oreos, but that won't stop you from twisting the tops off and licking the peppermint cream from centers (because we all know that's the proper way to eat an Oreo.)

These come from the gorgeous Bouchon Bakery cookbook by Thomas Keller and Sebastian Rouxel. Part cookbook, part coffee table book, this thing is a sight to behold. I spent quite a while just turning through the pages in awe of the beauty within. With so many delicious sounding things, it was hard to choose what to make first--but I finally settled on the famous TKOs.

I'm not sure where the blame lies on this, but for me, my initial attempt at the recipe as it's written did not work. I don't know if it's error on my part or from within in the recipe, but my original dough was completely unworkable. It bore more of a resemblance to sand than cookie dough. We're talking arid Sahara desert level dry. The directions of pushing the dough together into a block to chill was laughable; it wouldn't even hold together when I squeezed it! It just crumbled into a million pieces. There was no way it was going to hold together enough to roll out and cut. Luckily I've done enough baking to be able to think on my feet and try to remedy the situation on my own. With the addition of an egg to bind it, the dough came together at last. From that point on, it was smooth sailing. The tweaked dough rolled and cut beautifully and turned into the most delectable little cookies, even without the filling!

Maybe it's because my house is desert-like in the winter, or maybe it's because I measure by volume rather than weight. Maybe I was just having a bad day--or maybe I was just trying a faulty recipe. Who knows why the original recipe didn't work, but I'm more than pleased with my adaptation, so we'll call it even. It's still a gorgeous book, and I'm going to give it another shot with another recipe before I write it off as a book that's a bit beyond me.

But until then, I'm going to enjoy dunking some of my Peppermint O's into a big glass of milk.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Hearty Chicken Chowder

2013-01-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Wait, what? Hearty Chicken Chowder? Am I in the right place? There's not a single ounce of sugar and absolutely no baking going on. That can't be right. What's happening? Oh yeah, that's right--it's January. The month where we all need a sugar detox from the Christmas cookies, we're still on our resolution kick to eat healthier, and it's freezing cold outside.

After a mild winter last year, a blazing hot summer, and a fall that lasted well through December, Winter has finally shown up. The last 2 weeks have already brought us more snow than all of last year. I'm not complaining--I think it's pretty. But after a long string of warm weather, it's downright COLD now. All I want to do is wrap up in a blanket on the couch with a book (or seven seasons of Supernatural) and a big bowl full of hearty soup.

Chicken, bacon, potatoes, and corn--it's a bowl filled with all my favorite savories. And I was surprised at how easy it was to put together. (Okay yes, I had to YouTube how to chop an onion.. but still totally simple) It's definitely going in the winter dinner rotation. And at roughly 250 calories a bowl (split into 4 servings), it's a dinner (with bacon! and heavy cream!) you don't have to feel guilty about.

Now if I could just keep somebody's hands off it long enough..

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Top 5 of 2012

2012-12-31T16:34:00.000-05:00

Well, we made it! We bested the Mayans (as far as I know..) and here we are once again at the end of another year. Before we look ahead to '13, let's take a look back and see what 2012 brought us.

2012 was a bit of a slower year here in this slice of web. Between losing my #1 taste tester and a having major burnout, it's been a bit of an adjustment to get back into the swing of things. Don't worry. Boyfriend's still around! Well most of him at least--there's about 90 pounds of him missing now. He began the year with the serious commitment to lose weight, and almost a year later, he's lost about a third of himself! With him as inspiration and motivation, I attempted to cut out some of the sweets and junk in my life too, which kept me out of the kitchen, but left me almost 10 pounds lighter than last year. (Well, I was, until I went full-on Cookie Monster on the Christmas cookies..)

The time I was in the kitchen was well spent. I learned to can and make jam, which netted me 2 ribbons at the Ohio State Fair this year-- a 2nd place ribbon for my Honey Chipotle BBQ sauce and a 1st place Blue Ribbon for Cherry Jam! (I also got a 2nd place ribbon for my Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cream Cheese and a 3rd place for my Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies.) I also got to put together a dessert table for a wedding shower and bake for a rehearsal dinner too! When I wasn't learning how to do brand new things, or party baking, I was whipping up some delicious treats to share with you all. As far as I can tell, you guys seemed to enjoy what I shared, because a whole lot more of you showed up this year compared to last year! So without further ado, I present to you--the Top 5 recipes of 2012!

#5 - My personal favorite of the year-- Lemon Pull Apart Bread

I still dream of this bread and its sweet, carby deliciousness. This bread is the destroyer of diets and fitness dreams. It sings its siren song, just begging you to pull off another piece, and before you know it, you're standing at the kitchen counter devouring half the loaf. Bake this bread with caution.

#4 - Identity Crisis Cookies

What happens when you combine a peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookie together? You get an amazing hybrid that will keep you grabbing for more.

#3 - Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

Sometimes you just need to get back to the basics to get back into the groove of things. It's like hitting the reset button when you start to feel overwhelmed. A very tasty reset button. That I want to keep pressing over and over again.

#2 - Lemon Pound Cake

2012 was the year of simple flavors. Don't get me wrong--I'm all for questionable flavor combos, but classic flavors are classics for a reason. They're tried and true and rarely go out of style. Lemon is one of my top classic flavors!

And the #1 most popular recipe of the year -- Chocolate Salted Caramel Thumbprints

This post has a special place in my heart because these cookies were the very first pictures taken with my brand new camera. Is it weird to have an unhealthy attachment to an inanimate object? Cause I do. I also have an unhealthy attachment to these cookies. Chocolate and caramel are meant for each other.

And I have to give an honorable mention to two posts that weren't from this year, but have been the top 2 most viewed posts of 2012 thanks to a HUGE boost from Pinterest!

Caramel Pretzel Bites and Peppermint Sugar Cookie Bars. These two posts, because of Pinterest, gave my humble little site a nearly 300% increase in visits over last year. So THANK YOU to everyone who shares my posts with your world! It means the world to me. You seriously blow my mind. And a big, humongous thank you to everyone who stopped by this year and to all those who left sweet, wonderful comments here, in my inbox, and on my Facebook page! Here's to an awesome 2013!

Did your favorites make the list? What would you like to see more of in the coming year?

Gingerbread Stout Cake

2012-12-27T12:51:00.000-05:00

Well, the holiday season is winding down. I hope everyone had a good one! I sure did. I made it through another shopping season at work without losing my mind, I had a nice relaxing Christmas with my family, and I've eaten nothing but sugar for the past week. So all in all, it was a good time! I'm going to need a desperate sugar detox very soon, but it was worth it.

One of the culprits behind the neverending sugar high was this cake. Gingerbread Stout Cake. Mmmmm..

This cake was meant for Santa. Instead of the usual milk and cookies, I thought Santa would enjoy cake for a change. Cake made with beer. The big guy had to like that, right? Well, I guess we'll never know because he never had a chance to try it. I totally ate all your cake, Santa. Sorry about that. I hope that doesn't put me on the naughty list for next year already.

I'm a sucker for cake made with stout. Gingerbread Stout, Chocolate Stout.. it doesn't matter-- I will devour it! It makes it incredibly moist and flavorful. Add the full, robust flavor of spicy gingerbread to it, and I just can't help myself! I seriously had this cake for breakfast a couple mornings. And a snack. And maybe for dinner..

I even liked it without the frosting. Just sprinkle it with some powdered sugar and eat it plain! My only issue with it-- it sank like the Titanic. I may have overmixed it, which the instructions clearly stated not to do, because both pans puffed up, then dropped like a rock in the center, leaving a huge crater behind. It still tasted amazing, and it was nothing a little frosting couldn't cover up, but the perfectionist in me still hated the sight of the slumped little slice when the cake was cut. Oh well.

Also, the recipe says it makes two 7-inch cakes. I don't own 7-inch cake pans. I'm not sure I've even seen 7-inch cake pans. So I made mine in a 8-inch and a 6-inch pan. Maybe next time, if they don't completely sink in the middle, I might try two 8-inch pans. They'll be shorter, but I'm sure you can stack them like a layer cake with the frosting in the center.

While Santa won't get to enjoy this cake for another year, you should totally whip one up for New Year's! What could be better to celebrate the last day before you start your new diet than a cake filled with alcohol?

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

2012-12-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you just need a fuss-free, quick and easy treat to throw together at the last minute. A "hurry--the guests will be here in an hour!" snack for your holiday party. The nearly midnight "I forgot I was in charge of dessert for the office potluck tomorrow!" treat. Or maybe you just need chocolate. Now. Right now. Right this instant, or else. Whatever the reason, sometimes you just need these cookies.

I've come to love these pantry cleaner types of cookies. They're always good in a pinch, when the urge (or necessity) to bake strikes with limited time and supplies. Just pull out whatever you have, throw it in the mix, and reap the deliciousness that will come forth from your oven in a short amount of time.

Almost brownie-like cookies studded with tart cherries and gooey chocolate chips--they're meant to share. You won't want to. You'll want to hide in a corner and eat the entire batch alone, but trust me. You should probably share.

The most wonderful part of these cookies is that they're very flexible. No cherries? Try cranberries. Throw in some crushed candy cane bits and use peppermint extract instead. Perfect for the season! Make them festive with red and green M&Ms. Or leave out the extras entirely, and just have the perfect chocolatey chocolate cookie. You can't go wrong. Just be sure to serve them with a big glass of milk because these cookies and milk are total BFFs.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Orange Spritz Cookies

2012-12-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

I missed the majority of summer baking. I missed pretty much all of fall baking. But I'm determined not to let the best baking season of all pass me by too. I live for holiday baking! Give me all things gingerbread, peppermint, and chocolate and I'm a happy girl. A bit of a chubbier girl, but definitely happier. So I'm ready-- bring on the holiday treats!

Last week I took a week of vacation to relax before the onslaught of crazy at work over the next month. It was quite honestly the most glorious vacation ever. 7 full days of absolutely nothing to do. And I enjoyed nearly every minute of it. I used my time to do a little Christmas shopping, clean up around the house, and finally put up my Christmas tree that had been riding around in the back of my car since Thanksgiving. (Luckily it's fake. That would have been awkward riding around with a real tree for a week.) I delight in putting my Christmas tree up every year. I spend hours winding lights around every branch, stringing the pearl garland just right, and decking the tree out in beautiful color. But every year, I seem to have the same issue. I always need more lights. ALWAYS.

This year was no different. I started putting my tree up Wednesday night. 4 branches into the bottom layer, and I'd already used an entire 150-light strand. By the time the first of 8 rows was done, I'd already used 2 of the 10 strands of lights I had. I made it halfway up the tree before I ran out completely. Over 1000 lights on just 3 feet of tree. At the rate I was going, it was going to end up like that scene in the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, where Clark finally gets the lights on the house lit, and it's so bright, it blinds the neighbors and drains the power to the rest of the city. You'd be able to see my tree from space! I mean, really, I probably had more lights on half my tree than most people put on their house. But by that time, it was midnight, and I wasn't about to make yet another light run. I'd finish it in the morning.

I decided the next day, instead of going to buy more lights, I'd have to make do with what I had. 1000 lights was enough. So I spent the morning and part of the afternoon unwinding the lights from every branch, taking the whole tree apart, and starting over again. Hours later, I made it all the way to the top of the tree, and while it didn't glow quite as bright, it was still beautiful. Until the entire thing went dark.

After consulting the knower of all things, Google, I figured out that I had blown a fuse in my first strand of lights. Let me tell you, every website on how to replace a fuse makes it sound SOOO easy. Just slide up the little door by the plug, the fuse just falls out in your hand, and you just drop a new one in, no problem! Right. It took me 2 HOURS to finally jam the new fuse back into the plug. But, once I finally did get it back in, problem solved! Let there be light! Again!

Well.. Let there be light until the fuse blows out again the next morning. Apparently 10 strands was a bit too much...

So, after I vowed not to make another light run, I found myself at Target, staring at the overwhelming selection of Christmas lights, looking for the longest, most heavy duty strands I could find to replace the shorter, more temperamental ones I had. 2 packs of 200 lights each that I could plug up to 8 strands into without burning the house down? You're totally going in my cart. That afternoon, for the third time, I spent several hours taking apart my tree, branch by branch, and putting it all back together again.

And I swear to everything holy--if it goes dark one more time, I'm chucking the whole thing, ornaments and all, down the hill behind my house.

It's a good thing that I didn't have any cookies in the house while I was putting up the tree. Because I seriously would have stress eaten the entire batch within a day.

As it is, I've nearly inhaled the whole batch of these Orange Spritz Cookies in a matter of days. A bit of citrus burst makes these tiny tender cookies irresistible. I literally take handfuls at a time. They're perfect for filling a holiday cookie plate, and are even great for those cookie packages to send across the country. With ample butter and a bit of cream cheese, these little gems stay soft and tender for days. (I'm on Day 4 right now, and they're still just as soft as Day 1.) Filled with orange zest, they're a a bright little balance to all the peppermint and spices that fill this time of year. I think they'd be amazing with lemon zest too, and maybe drizzled with a bit of white chocolate. Mmmm.. I think I have to go bake another batch!

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

2012-11-27T14:54:00.002-05:00

Oh hey. Hi. Remember me? It's okay if you don't. It's been awhile.

Are we still doing the pumpkin thing? Or is that over? Did I miss it? Well shoot. I hope you're still up for at least one more recipe, because I have something that's going to help you use up your leftovers. You know, those random few tablespoons that you always have after making a pumpkin recipe (because for some reason, it never uses the entire can). They either get thrown away immediately, or they sit in the fridge, hoping I'll figure out a use for them, before inevitably getting tossed in the trash. But what if we put them to good use? What if we turned them into a delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte--one that doesn't cost half your mortgage, and one you don't even have to put on real pants to enjoy.

I know, I know. You're probably so over the PSL (as it's known in that Starbucks hieroglyphs on the side of your cup). It's totally Red Cup Peppermint Mocha time. But this is a good one to tuck away for next year. Or for that cold February morning when all you want is something hot that doesn't remind you the least bit of snow. I promise, it's so easy-- you don't even have to figure out what all those random letters and numbers and doodles scrawled on the side of your Starbucks cup even mean. If you can boil water, you can do this.

We're just creating a simple syrup. True to it's name, it's totally simple to make. Equal parts water and granulated sugar. Heat it and stir until the sugar dissolves and turns clear. Then just add in your flavors, let it steep, and strain. That's it. You're good to go! Add it into your morning coffee or espresso, and you've got your very own Pumpkin Spice whenever you want, without breaking the bank.

See. Told you it was easy! Now who wants to help me out with the crossword puzzle?

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Strawberry Peach Jam

2012-08-20T22:45:00.000-04:00

I seem to be living a very eco-hippie life right now. Not really by choice either. My 16-year old car has recently taken to overheating to the point of smoke pouring from under the hood, and with my very limited (non-existent) budget, she’s been sidelined in the parking lot in favor of taking the bus to and from work every day. Yay public transit. And then there’s my washer. My free, hand-me-down, probably older than I am washer I acquired from a lady at work who was moving and couldn’t take it with her. After what I assume was a long and productive life, it’s finally given up. It doesn’t spin anymore, so there’s no real washing going on. With no way to get my clothes to a laundromat (because I’m NOT taking them on the bus), I’m hand washing my clothes in a bucket. Luckily my free, hand-me-down dryer from yet another coworker is still going strong, so the neighbors don’t have to see my unmentionables hanging out on my back patio to dry.

So I figure, while I’m embracing this forced hippie life, why not dive in even further. Let's take up canning! Because obviously, I needed a new hobby. (Right.) Now trust me, I had no interest in canning. At all. The thought had never even crossed my mind. But then I made my own barbecue sauce. And then Boyfriend raved so much about it, he wanted to give some to his brother and coworker for them to try.

It’s one thing to make a batch and put it in my fridge to use. I have a very high tolerance for expiration dates (I mean, those are really just suggestions, right? As long as it smells fine..), and if I make myself sick, well it’s my own fault for being stupid. And it's fine to give it to Boyfriend who used it on nearly everything almost immediately. It’s a completely different thing to give it to someone else who may or may not use it in a timely manner. And I don’t want to kill anyone with spoiled food. So I started Googling how to can homemade barbecue sauce. And found out just how easy it really is. Boiling water, a big pot, and some Mason jars. That’s really about all you need. Obviously there’s a bit more to it than that, but if you’ve got those, you’re nearly ready to can!

After my first BBQ attempt, I was hooked. I wanted to can everything in sight! With my aversion of all things veggie, the next obvious step was to make jam. Lots of jam. Blackberry, strawberry, cherry.. Jam, jam, jam! And it’s all so easy! I may never, ever buy jam at the store again. At this very moment, I have 4 different types of hanging out in my pantry. Which is perfect, since I'm living on a PB&J budget with my hippie ways.

Making and canning jam isn’t as scary as it seems. I went from thinking about canning, to reading books about canning, to actually canning my own jam in the course of an afternoon. 1 afternoon! The next morning I had toast and jam for breakfast. My own jam. That I made. Jam that spread just like Smuckers. And tasted just as good! If I can figure it out in my tiny little kitchen (and win a 1st place Blue Ribbon at the Ohio State Fair for my first attempt at Cherry Jam!), I have all the faith that you can too.

I wish I could go into all the details and specifics of the canning process for you, but honestly, I don’t really know them all. Which is why I haven’t progressed much past jam. (And because of that whole veggie aversion thing.) I will say that it’s very important to know the difference between water bath processing and pressure canning, and which you should use for your creations. Water bath processing is simply boiling the jars in water for a period of time. This method of processing is fine for fruit based products, such as jam, because the majority of fruit is high in acidity, which bacteria generally don’t like to hang out in. Boiling the jars will kill off what bacteria might still be hanging around. Pressure canning requires special equipment that uses pressure (obviously) to heat the jars to a temperature higher than boiling. Unlike fruit, veggies are generally low in acidity, which makes them perfect playgrounds for all kinds of yuckies that can make you sick. To kill the bacteria and prevent spoilage, you need heat that’s well above temperatures that boiling alone can reach, which is where the pressure canner comes in. There’s a bit more to canning than that, so I definitely recommend doing a little research before diving headfirst into it.

If you’re into the book reading thing, I highly recommend Canning & Preserving with Ashley English. This is the one I read nearly cover to cover before I started. It’s easy to read and understand, especially that science-y part about the pH levels (high vs low acidity). And of the 6 books I got from the library on canning, this is the one I liked the most. There’s also the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, which is written by the experts of all things canning, so you know they know what they’re talking about. If you’re more into the web surfing thing, check out the Ball website for quick reference on the basics of canning, as well as tons of recipes to get you started. So what are you waiting for? Go forth and jam!

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Friday Favorites - Vol 6 - Electricity (Or, the Night the Lights Went Out in Ohio)

2012-07-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

As I said in my post earlier this week, July has been insane. Stressful and crazy. I started this month out baking an entire dessert table for a party my BFF Kelli was throwing. I was super pumped about it, with everything totally planned and ready to go. It was a week before the party, and I had JUST stocked up on my essentials like butter and eggs that I'd need for my baking extravaganza. I had set up camp at Boyfriend's while he was out of town, making use of his huge kitchen table, empty living room, and no cat to mess things up. I had gotten through piping my monograms for the cookie favors and had settled in on the couch to watch a couple episodes of Six Feet Under and work on my banner when I noticed it starting to get a bit dark outside.

It was just before 5 o'clock, so I turned over to the news to catch the weather. I didn't even have to wait for the news to start. They were already interrupting whatever show was on with weather warnings of a pretty nasty storm coming. Nasty indeed.

That picture was taken literally about 1 minute before the skies opened up. I barely made it back inside from the porch before it unleashed. And rained down every bit of its fury. Watching from Boyfriend’s back door, it looked exactly like pictures they show on the news of a hurricane. Raining sideways, debris flying everywhere, trees bent over. They clocked wind speeds at nearly 80mph during the storm! I stood watching, horrified, as part of a tree fell across the road and almost hit a car that was driving! The lights flickered a few times, then went out. And stayed out. Of course, Boyfriend, who was camping in upstate NY at the time, had taken his good flashlight with him. Which left me scouring his house with my cell phone held out in front of me for the lanterns, which were battery-less, and not a “C” battery to be had.

Once the storm let up, I rushed home to make sure that none of the trees that are within 10 feet of my back door ended up in my living room. Luckily my house was fine. Dark, but fine. (And really only semi-dark. I have battery filled flashlights.) That night, I made a mad rush to find ice to pack my fridge and freezer so I wouldn’t lose any food—especially my newly purchased butter and eggs. Driving around, I realized the reason my area was dark--A huge ancient tree up the road had fallen into the power lines, popping them right off the pole and scattering them across the street, along with all the tree's branches.

It wasn’t until the next day at work (which NEVER loses power. Boo.) that I realized that I wasn’t the only one without power. Most of Columbus and its surrounding areas were out too. Nearly a million people in the dark. (And all of them deeply reliant on their technologies they couldn’t charge. I probably could’ve retired if I’d thought to charge people to use the plugs at work. Phones, laptops, iPads.. One lady even brought her hot rollers to plug in in our bathroom!) By the time I got off work at 5pm, the idea of actually finding more bags of ice to keep my freezer frozen was almost laughable. Everyone in town was out looking for ice. There was no way there was still any left for me. I luckily stumbled on some at random, and grabbed nearly 50lbs worth. The guy in the truck next to me kept shouting at his son to go grab more. When the boy asked how much they needed, the dad screamed back, “THERE’S NO ICE LEFT IN THE CITY! GRAB AS MANY AS YOU CAN!” And the cashier told me I didn’t need to bring my bags in with me to pay… Yeah right, dude. I’m not letting go of these until they’re in my car. And if anyone tries to take them from me, I WILL fight.

That night, facing a completely dark house, I hunkered down in the bathroom with a bunch of candles, a book, and some lukewarm bathwater to keep myself occupied before attempting to sleep in my silent, warm, fanless room. I had just gotten out and was starting to get dressed, thinking to myself, “I can just change right here in front of the window in my room. It’s dark and no one will ever see,” when, wouldn’t you know it--All my lights popped on. RIGHT THEN. Thanks AEP.. I truly appreciate having my power back, really--I do! But you couldn’t have waited until I was dressed??

I was one of the lucky ones. I got my power back after 28 hours. I ended up throwing out some of my fridge stuff (the unimportant stuff I didn’t bother to try to save while I was packing ice around my boxes of butter), but luckily didn’t lose any of the huge stockpile of meat in my freezer. Others around town weren't as fortunate.

There were some people in town, even those not too far from where I live that didn’t get power back for 7 to 8 DAYS. They lost all the food they had, and had to deal with powerless homes with no AC or fans while temps crept back up into the 90s day after day. The power company was so overwhelmed with the amount of areas without power, they had to bring in people from other STATES to help out. I count my blessings that I didn't have to go through that, and I'm so grateful that things around town weren't any worse than they were, because we've all seen the ruthless power of Mother Nature. Things could have been a LOT worse.

The storm throwing off my baking schedule a bit was just a minor bump in the road compared to so many others, and I was happily able to get everything done and help throw a successful party. Even just my day without power makes me appreciate having it back, and makes me grateful for the luxuries of AC and everything that I have. Yay electricity!

Let's Have a Party!

2012-07-16T14:06:00.000-04:00

July has been insane so far. Like tear my hair out, cry a few times, and stress eat marshmallows from a bag crazy. It’s been a non-stop kitchen extravaganza, but so far, I don’t have much to show for it. (Hopefully you’ll get to see a lot of that later!) I do have one thing to share with you though—my first real party dessert table!

My BFF Kelli’s little brother is getting married, and Kelli is the Maid of Honor. With the title comes some pretty big responsibilities, like throwing the wedding shower. Knowing that I’m all about the desserts, have crafting ADD, and am completely addicted to Pinterest, she requested my help with party ideas. Needless to say, we spent HOURS scouring far corners of the internet to come up with a plan. (Except some of those weird corners of the web. We stayed far, far away from those.) It was a DIY bonanza! Wish trees, banners, favors, invites, recipe cards, decorations—There was barely a store-bought thing in sight!

I took my dessert table responsibilities seriously, planning everything a month in advance, right down to the baking schedule. (Which didn't quite work out the way I planned, thanks to Mother Nature..) While it was slightly terrifying and stressful leading up to the party, once I got rolling, everything went smoothly. The party went off without a hitch, and everyone raved about the dessert table! Yay!

Here are a few pointers I learned from it, in case you find yourself in charge of the sweets.

1. Prep as much as you can ahead of time.

One of the party favors was a set of monogrammed cookies with the bride and groom's initials. Instead of waiting for 1 round of royal icing to dry before piping the detail and waiting for a 2nd round of drying, I piped the letters onto wax paper way ahead of time, let them dry completely for several days, then peeled them off and plopped them right onto the wet base of royal icing I’d piped on the cookie. When the base layer completely dried, they were already ready to bag up! Cut my work time down CONSIDERABLY. Plus, it made it a lot easier to pipe out perfect letters when I had something to trace. Just draw or print your design on a piece of paper, put a piece of wax paper on top of it, and pipe away! Make sure you pipe your detail kind of thick though. I broke quite a few of my letters since they were pretty thin. (Note- This picture was taken just hours before a huge storm rolled in and knocked my power out for 2 days. Glad I got that part done!)

2. Embrace the simple and easy.

I’m all about creative combinations, especially with cupcakes, but at a party, not everyone’s into bacon. Unless it’s a bacon themed party, in which case, send me an invite! It’s okay to stick with something simple like chocolate or vanilla, and dress it up accordingly with the color scheme or theme. They're classics for a reason--everyone loves them! My table was filled with classics—Vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, as well as chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. (Also realize that you'll be driving for a half an hour in a car with no AC, so put your fondant toppers AFTER you arrive so they don't melt. Lesson learned.)

3. Really. Simple and easy. Embrace it! You’ll save yourself so much stress.

I thought about making so many things for this table. I thought about macarons. I thought about meringues. I wanted to fill my table with so many classy elegant desserts. Then I thought about how much time and effort those take, and how much I needed to get done in a short amount of time. So I went with Rice Krispie Treats and chocolate covered strawberries. Easy. Simple. And you know what? Those were devoured just as quickly as anything else. And, honestly, probably more quickly than macarons or meringues would have been.

4. Rock the store bought.

Especially if you’re trying to fill a big table. Don’t stress yourself out thinking you have to make EVERYTHING that goes on that table. Find candies or things that fit your theme to fill it out. Our color scheme was red, white, black, and gray, so I bought red candy—Twizzlers and Swedish Fish—that matched. And you know what? People kept picking those as they passed by the table throughout the night. Think rock candy, lollipops, M&Ms, Hershey’s Kisses—the candy possibilities are endless! And delicious.

5. Label everything.

That way people know exactly what they’re putting on their plate and in their mouth. And you don’t have to stand there all night and answer over and over what each thing on the table is.

6. Containers and decor – Use what you have. Or hit the thrift store.

Nearly every container or plate on that table was something I already had in my house. The tall flower centerpiece is the display that sits on the table in my living room. (And the "rocks" that fill the bottom are actually Christmas bead garland. Another fun tip for you!) The container with the chocolate chip cookies—that’s where my brown sugar lives in my kitchen. The plates, cake stands, and bowls are props for my blog. For things I didn’t have, I hit up thrift stores. They have TONS of glassware and plates, for really cheap. I purchased about 5 or 6 things, and spent maybe about $5 total. Look for clear glass or plain white plates—they’ll match everything, and you can use them over and over again for all your parties!
(Note the other camera in the picture. I wasn't the only one paparazzi-ing the table! The bride, Ashley, and I both stood around for about 10 minutes taking pictures!)

7. Set up early. And enlist help.

This is a rule I kind of broke. Mainly because I was completely off on knowing what time the party started. (Another tip. Look at the invitation at least once or twice.) I thought I had another hour before people arrived. And then the doorbell rang. It was a last minute scramble to get a couple things on the table, our first round of chocolate covered strawberries weren’t completely set, and we didn’t have enough time to dip the rest of the batch. But it worked out thanks to a few sets of extra hands from Kelli and our little helper Jeri who rinsed our strawberries, set out all the label cards and acted as our table bouncer while we finished setting up. She might only be 9 years old, but my money’s on her in a throwdown.

8. Always have a backup plan.
Have a plan B in case something doesn't work out quite as planned. Or at least have a backup kitchen/refridgeration plan if your power goes out. And stays out. For days. (Luckily I didn't have to enact Plan B.)

9. Don't stress. Relax and just have fun. It's a party afterall!

What are your favorite party planning tips?

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Lemon Triple Berry Buckle

2012-06-26T14:57:00.000-04:00

I’m a sale shopper. Nothing makes my little heart soar more than those 4 little letters. S-A-L-E. Even if I don’t really need it, I can’t help myself if it’s on sale. A pair of shoes that I can’t wear through an entire shift at work without feeling crippled? But they’re adorable, and they’re on sale! 5 of the exact same shirt in different colors? They're half off! Numerous bottles of BBQ sauce? They’re on sale for $1 and I have $1 off coupon. They’re FREE! No matter that I have no use for 8 bottles of BBQ sauce. I didn’t pay a dime!

Nothing gets me more than fresh fruit on sale. Every trip to the store, I load more fruit in my cart because, “you just can’t beat that price!” Before I know it, I have more fruit than is humanly possible to eat, and I’ve got to use it NOW. Because unlike BBQ sauce that’ll hang out in the pantry for awhile, fruit doesn’t stick around forever. We’re just hitting the stride of summer fruit sales, so right now, my fridge is packed with berries, cherries, and other fruity goodness just begging to be used up. When I saw this recipe, I knew it’d be the perfect way to show them off—a Lemon Triple Berry Buckle.

Honest truth—I’d never heard of a buckle before, other than what’s on a belt. Cobbler, crisp, crumble, pie—those I get. But buckle? What the heck is a buckle? Think of a buckle is a cake/crumble hybrid. A moist soft yellow cake base, a layer of delicious juicy berries, topped with a lemony sweet crumb topping. I think I found my new favorite thing to bake! It's perfect for summer picnics and barbecues. Portable cake you can eat with your hands, and no worries of melty, gooey frosting! It may be your perfect 4th of July treat!

I used a mixture of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries, because I had them all hanging out in my fridge, but feel free to use whatever berries you want. And absolutely make sure you rub the lemon zest into the sugar first before mixing it in with the other ingredients. It releases all the oils from the zest and gives it a bright lemony pop.

Now to find more recipes to use up the rest of my raspberries and blueberries before I bring the next load of fruit home.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Friday Favorites - Vol 5 - Summer Food (Recipe Recap)

2012-06-22T16:22:00.000-04:00

Currently I'm sitting on my back patio staring up at a brilliant blue sky filled with white puffy clouds. I'm surrounded by warm air, bright pink flowers, the heavenly scent of mint leaves, and a tiny hummingbird that keeps coming to visit. It's summer, and it's absolutely perfect. I wish it would stay exactly like this forever.

Can you guess what my absolute favorite part of summer is? The food. Fresh fruits, ice cream, picnic snacks--there's so much great food to eat during the summer! I put together a list of all my favorite recipes for you, so hopefully it's not too hot in the kitchen to jump in there and whip up some deliciousness before you head back out to the pool or the barbecue!

Let's start with something to cool off--Ice Cream!

1. The perfect blend of slightly salty and sweet - Salty Caramel Ice Cream, 2. Simple yet utterly delicious - Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, 3. The easiest ice cream you'll ever make - Peanut Butter Ice Cream, 4. It's all about hot and cold, so add a little spice to your chill - "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream

There's nothing better than fresh fruit in the summer. Ripe juicy berries are my weakness, and they just beg to be used whatever way they can.

1. Blackberries bursting with flavor - Blackberry Crumble Bars, 2. Be patriotic with a great Independence Day picnic dessert - Red, White, and Blue Shortcakes, 3. Chocolate and Raspberry marry beautifully - Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes, 4. This stunner of a dessert is simple to whip up - Strawberry Cream Cake, 5. Why not take your pie with you! - Peach Hand Pies

Heading out to a baseball game or a drive-in or outdoor movie? Make sure you pack some popcorn to munch on!

Left: Homemade Kettle Corn - a little bit spicy a little bit sweet, a whole lot of yum, Right: Homemade Caramel Corn - Lame prize not included.

Don't want to spend time inside? Take your snacks to go!

Left: Whether you're sitting around the campfire or just sitting in the airconditioning, S'mores are the essential summer snack. Class it up with Homemade S'mores, Right: Create your own beautiful fireworks with out all the noise and danger of blowing your hand off - Firework Sugar Cookies

And last, but certainly not least, celebrate Independence Day with a delicious cake! Red, White, and Blue and oh so good.

Hope you have a great summer, and happy summer baking! :)

Backyard Mint Ice Cream with Hot Fudge Sauce

2012-06-15T14:11:00.000-04:00

Although we're still about a week or so away from being official, summer is definitely here. The days are warm and sunny. The flowers are blooming (I’ve even got my first flowers on my tomato plant!) I’ve signed up for the summer reading program at the library. I’ve even gone on our first camping trip of the year! But the thing that really makes it summer—I’ve officially made this season’s first batch of ice cream.

Along with a couple tomato and pepper plants, I also planted some fresh herbs this year. Since I don’t do much in the way of veggies, I mostly planted things I could use to make pasta—thyme, rosemary, and oregano. But of course I had to throw in a little something for dessert—a mint plant! I’m terrible at keeping things alive, so I went for the starter plant rather than seeds, and within a few weeks, it was ready to harvest.

I’ve been eyeing the recipe for Backyard Mint in Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home since I got it last year. I love Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, and knew it would be even better with mint from my own plant!

Like the most of the recipes in the book, it’s not a quick “throw it all together” type of recipe. But it’s not a “slave the day away” recipe either. And trust me--it’s well worth the little bit of extra time it takes to put together. It’s insanely creamy and smooth. If you don’t have fresh mint leaves, feel free to substitute mint extract, but if you’ve got leaves, definitely use them. They give the ice cream more of a fresh, earthy taste.

Because I’m planning on sharing it with Boyfriend, who always complains that it’s impossible to find plain mint ice cream, I left the standard chocolate chips out. Instead I made a mint infused hot fudge sauce to pour over top so we’re both happy. It’s dark and luscious, and I kind of want to eat it with a spoon straight out of the jar I poured it into. It's the perfect topping for pretty much anything. I've even used some of it to make microwave s'mores!

So here's a question for you: I still have a lot of mint and all of summer left, so what else can I make with fresh mint? Besides ice cream and mojitos? Leave me your best mint recipes!

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

2012-05-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

Ever had one of those days? You know the ones. The “not enough hours in the day” kind of days. The “thanks for volunteering me for that project” days. The “why are you driving 20 miles under the speed limit when I’m late” days. The days that, right from the start, you know by the end of it you’ll be stress eating cookies by the handful and watching episodes of Glee on Hulu. (Or maybe that’s just how I deal.) We’ve all had them. And for those days, when you want nothing more than a cookie or five and some mindless TV to decompress, these are the cookies for you.

Today was one of those days for me. Way too much going on at work, and never feeling like I was on top of any of it. From lunch on, all I could think about was coming home and immediately baking these cookies. I made them for the first time last week, but I’ve just been itching for another reason to bake them. Today was that perfect reason.

Believe me when I say these are probably some of the easiest cookies I’ve ever made. No joke. I timed myself today. From walking in my front door to shoving these in the oven—18 minutes. 18 minutes! And I only used 2 bowls, 1 measuring cup, 1 measuring spoon, and a spatula to make them, along with ingredients I can almost guarantee you probably already have in your kitchen. Seriously minimal prep for these babies.

And they’re so good! A crunchy exterior with a soft chewy center—they’re little bite-sized pillows of peanut buttery goodness. There’s no butter in them, so they don’t spread much, which means these little guys are dangerous. They’re on the small side, so you’ll find yourself popping these cookies like candy. Before you know it, you’ve eaten half the batch! And you’re not even through the first episode of Glee yet! (Or again, maybe that’s just me.)

So next time you’re having one of those days (like when all your perfectly sharp post pictures look slightly blurry after uploading, no matter what you do.. grr!), or just scrambling because you forgot it was your turn to bake for the class party, don’t turn to the “break and bakes” or the cookie dough logs. All it takes is 20 minutes, a couple utensils, and some pantry staples to whip up deliciousness from scratch.

But wait! There's more! Get the recipe here...

Friday Favorites - Vol 4

2012-05-18T21:28:00.000-04:00

I'm cutting it close to get my Friday Favorite in this week. My favorite this Friday is planting season!

I spent the entire afternoon driving to literally every store that has a garden center within a 10 mile radius, picking up supplies to turn my tiny patio into the perfect spot to relax.

I don't have a yard of my own, so I'm relegated to containers. A little skimpy right now, but it'll fill out soon enough.

It's a work in progress still--after all my trips, I still don't have everything I need, so it's back to Lowes I go tomorrow to get some bigger pots for my herbs (and to take back an entire flat of flowers, because I severely overestimated). And maybe some veggies to try my hand at. (I'll have to pawn them off on someone though, since I won't eat them myself.). I'm thinking tomatoes, so I can make a good pasta sauce out of them and use up some of this guy.

Hot and Spicy Oregano. You're looking mighty fine already.

Do you have a garden, vegetable or flower? If so, what are your favorites to plant?