Tender, flakey puff pastry with a layer of cream cheese, piled high with roasted veggies and an egg to top it off. Creamy, tender, and full of flavor! These puff pastry tarts are incredibly easy to make!
This insanely good pull apart pizza bread takes all of 5 minutes to prepare, and is done in under 30 minutes. Easy, cheesy, pizza deliciousness. Perfect for game day!
As weird as the words cranberry and salsa sound together, cranberry salsa is actually really good! Think of it as salsa's sweeter cousin with a little pizzaz. It's tart, tangy, a little sweet, with a little bit of spicy. Of course the spicy-ness is all up to you and how heavy your jalepeño hand is.
Have you heard of snake bites? Most people haven't. You might know them by a different name. What they are are bacon-wrapped, cream cheese stuffed jalapenos. Need me to say that again? Jalepenos filled with cream cheese, and wrapped in BACON! Yeah. I know.
Tender, moist banana bread studded with chocolate chips. Made with melted butter, so no mixer required!
This no-knead bread has become a staple in our house. Instead of taking all day to rise, I've adapted this recipe so you only need 2 hours rising time.
Flakey, buttery, delicious croissant dough filled with melty dark chocolate. A foolproof recipe for homemade "Pain Au Chocolat".
These fluffy, soft, and incredible cinnamon rolls are not only vegan, but they are made start to finish in 1 HOUR.
Perfectly tender, moist, and full of spice. This zucchini bread is just dense enough to be considered "bread" and packed with zucchini making it moist without being oily. Full of spices that make it a classic, this will become your go-to recipe for zucchini bread.
I have spent many hours perfecting this recipe. With the right ingredients, proper technique, and lots of love, these delicious buttery flakey croissants are just a few steps away. While homemade croissants seem like a daunting difficult task, they really are not! They just take time, and require patience. I've provided detailed instructions and TONS of photos to show you that they are possible! And AMAZING.
Traditional rustic soda bread studded with dried currants and orange zest. A delicious and fool-proof recipe for St. Patrick's Day.
This insanely good pull apart pizza bread takes all of 5 minutes to prepare, and is done in under 30 minutes. Easy, cheesy, pizza deliciousness. Perfect for game day!
Cinnamon roll dough layered with brown sugar and pecans that sit atop a layer of sticky brown sugary goodness!
Full of spice and robust molasses flavor, this bread is the for the gingerbread lovers. It's flavorful and ultra moist and will make the perfect holiday gift!
Let me just preface this post by saying this french toast recipe is not limited to just Brioche bread! Make it with whatever bread you prefer. However, using Brioche, or some other rich bread will yeild a much more decadent french toast than normal. This is like happy-birthday-french toast..or, congrats-on-your-new-job-french toast. Or more like YOLO-french toast.
I've knocked a few big things off my baking bucket list as of late. First it was Morning Buns, and now it's Brioche Bread. They both require a bit more time and patience than my usual baking conquests. Hence, the bucket list placement. But the time spent waiting is well worth it. I'm sure you know exactly what I mean if you've ever made any type of home made yeasted bread before.
If you're not familiar with Morning Buns, let me introduce you to your new obsession. Meet Morning Buns, the flakey, buttery pastry dressed in a cinnamon brown sugar and orange zest swirl. Morning Buns are similar to cinnamon rolls, except the dough is made from croissant dough. The croissant dough produces the tender, flakey, buttery layers that you just can't get from normal cinnamon roll dough.
This savory quiche is full of incredible fall flavors. Roasted butternut squash, bacon, fried sage leaves, and freshly grated gruyere cheese.
Creamy, rich chocolate muffins that use avocado as a fat source, making these chocolate muffins VEGAN. You read that right, these muffins have avocado in them. Do they taste like avocado? Not at all. They taste like chocolate. They’re rich, filling, and full of chocolate flavor.
Tender, moist banana bread studded with chocolate chips. Made with melted butter, so no mixer required!
This quiche sits in a delicate flaky crust and is layered with cheese and broccoli. This classic flavor is a crowd pleaser.
Flakey, buttery, delicious croissant dough filled with melty dark chocolate. A foolproof recipe for homemade "Pain Au Chocolat".
This savory quiche is filled with bacon, leek, cheese, and fresh thyme. It's always a hit and disappears quickly.
These fluffy, soft, and incredible cinnamon rolls are not only vegan, but they are made start to finish in 1 HOUR.
Fried fluffy vanilla cake donuts with a vanilla glaze and sprinkles. These donuts are classic and taste even better homemade than they do from the donut shop!
These moist and tender scones are full of pumpkin spice flavor making them fall perfection! The maple glaze just takes them over the top and adds the perfect sweetness to them. The only thing that would make these better? A nice hot latte to go with them.
Perfectly tender, moist, and full of spice. This zucchini bread is just dense enough to be considered "bread" and packed with zucchini making it moist without being oily. Full of spices that make it a classic, this will become your go-to recipe for zucchini bread.
I have spent many hours perfecting this recipe. With the right ingredients, proper technique, and lots of love, these delicious buttery flakey croissants are just a few steps away. While homemade croissants seem like a daunting difficult task, they really are not! They just take time, and require patience. I've provided detailed instructions and TONS of photos to show you that they are possible! And AMAZING.
Tender, flakey puff pastry with a layer of cream cheese, piled high with roasted veggies and an egg to top it off. Creamy, tender, and full of flavor! These puff pastry tarts are incredibly easy to make!
It's your favorite vanilla almond granola with so much more. It's packed with vitamins, nutrients, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Fluffy, almost cakey inside, with a delicate soft crumb. These are not the rock-hard scones you're used to.
Cinnamon roll dough layered with brown sugar and pecans that sit atop a layer of sticky brown sugary goodness!
Full of spice and robust molasses flavor, this bread is the for the gingerbread lovers. It's flavorful and ultra moist and will make the perfect holiday gift!
Let me just preface this post by saying this french toast recipe is not limited to just Brioche bread! Make it with whatever bread you prefer. However, using Brioche, or some other rich bread will yeild a much more decadent french toast than normal. This is like happy-birthday-french toast..or, congrats-on-your-new-job-french toast. Or more like YOLO-french toast.
I've knocked a few big things off my baking bucket list as of late. First it was Morning Buns, and now it's Brioche Bread. They both require a bit more time and patience than my usual baking conquests. Hence, the bucket list placement. But the time spent waiting is well worth it. I'm sure you know exactly what I mean if you've ever made any type of home made yeasted bread before.
If you're not familiar with Morning Buns, let me introduce you to your new obsession. Meet Morning Buns, the flakey, buttery pastry dressed in a cinnamon brown sugar and orange zest swirl. Morning Buns are similar to cinnamon rolls, except the dough is made from croissant dough. The croissant dough produces the tender, flakey, buttery layers that you just can't get from normal cinnamon roll dough.
This Skillet Cinnamon Pear Coffee Cake is the perfect breakfast. It's full of cinnamon and brown sugar, and studded in pears. It's slightly denser than a normal cake, hence the name coffee cake. Though that's not to say it isn't fluffy and moist, it definitely is.
Scones are sort of the underdogs of baked goods. They're always looked over and come second to their lighter, fluffier, prettier counterparts. But they have their own great qualities.
It's hard to know when you're ready for something. Are we really ever ready? I feel like I'm always trying to get to a place that will make me feel there. Always trying to make it there, to that place where I'll be comfortable.
If only I was here, had this, and was doing this, I'd be set. I'd be ready.
I think we're due for another "Skinny Muffin", don't you? Judging by the popularity of my Skinny Blueberry Muffins, I'd say people like this kind of thing!
So here's the skinny, on what makes them "skinny". See what I did there? These muffins contain NO BUTTER, and NO OIL. They use bananas and applesauce instead. Also, they are low sugar. The bananas and unsweetened applesauce have natural sweetness, so we only need to add a little extra. I also used a mixture of whole wheat and all purpose flour. You can play with the mixture of flours, and even make them all whole wheat if you want! Each muffin is also LESS than 150 calories!
Soft, chewy, rich and chocolatey. These brownies are made from pantry staples and come together in one bowl.
The search is over. These brownies are rich, fudg-y, chewy, and have the perfect soft crackly top.
Ultra rich and fudgy, these Greek Yogurt Brownies don't taste healthy at all! Made in one bowl, with no butter or oil, they come together in under 30 minutes.
Tender, moist, and perfectly sweet, this funfetti cake is perfect for stacking, and most importantly: birthdays!
This spice cake is warm, moist, and studded with chunks of pear. All this bundt cake needs is a sprinkle of powdered sugar and it is ready to go. Simplicity at its best!
4 layers of rich, moist chocolate cake slathered in a mocha frosting and drizzled in homemade caramel sauce. This cake is the perfect combination of chocolate and caramel!
Moist and full of warm spices, this skillet coffee cake is studded in juicy ripe peaches.
This technique for decorating a cake is so easy and simple! You don't need any fancy tools to make this design. In minutes you can transform you cake into a beautiful eye catching dessert with little skill required. I'll show you!
Paul and I share birthdays. Not just birthday months, or birthday weeks, but the actual DAY. And today is OUR birthday! And I have finally made the poor guy a birthday cake. Too bad I made him wait 4 years for one.
Green velvet cake with a delicate, moist texture and the perfect amount of sweetness. Covered in a smooth silky swiss buttercream frosting in a rainbow effect for St. Patrick's Day!
Attention all peanut butter lovers-this one's for you! A fluffy cake infused with rich peanut butter and layered with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting. Grab a cold glass of milk because you're going to need one, trust me.
Today my blog turns 1 year old! It's flown by so fast, and I'm so happy with this little sprinkle-filled corner of the internet I've created. Sure I've only come a little ways farther than having just my boyfriend read my blog, but I'm so proud of it. I've learned so much, and yet there is exponentially much more to learn about this thing we call food blogging.
This Skillet Cinnamon Pear Coffee Cake is the perfect breakfast. It's full of cinnamon and brown sugar, and studded in pears. It's slightly denser than a normal cake, hence the name coffee cake. Though that's not to say it isn't fluffy and moist, it definitely is.
This is my GO-TO recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Your generic chocolate chip cookies pale in comparison to the brown butter, dark chocolate chunks, and sea salt flakes in these . These cookies are the my most made recipe at home.
Sweet, delicate peppermint french macarons sandwiched with a rich white chocolate ganache. These macaron cookies are lightly peppermint-flavored, and perfectly paired with the white chocolate filling. What makes macarons so delightful is their light and chewy texture that is almost addictive. The way I wax on poetically about them, would you believe it if I told you I used to dislike them? Yepp, at one point I thought I hated them. That is, until I attempted making them for myself..
Thick and chewy, these cookies are packed with flavor. Lots of molasses, spices, and bits of candied ginger make these cookies so drool-worthy.
The classic cake flavor in cookie form. Crunchy outsides, chewy insides, and full of the classic red velvet taste.
Eggless royal icing for decorating cookies that dries shiny and stiff. This is perfect for Christmas cookie decorating!
These delicious little cookies are flavored with pumpkin pie spice and the filling has real pumpkin in it! Pumpkin Pie in French Macaron form. What could be better?
These cookies are soft centered with perfectly crisp edges. Sweet sugar cookies with a slight tang and full of SPRINKLES! If these don't put a smile on your face, I'm not sure what will.
In this post I break down the steps of baking French Macarons, to make it as foolproof as possible. Troubleshooting, FAQ's, tips and tricks all on how to make French Macarons.
With one bowl and less than 20 minutes you can have a giant chocolate chip cookie ready to devour. Full of brown sugar, studded with chocolate chips, and perfectly chewy.
An easter egg shaped sugar cookie slathered in greek yogurt and topped with fruit makes this the perfectly festive fruit pizza.
Soft, moist, and packed with carrots and shredded coconut, these cookies taste just like carrot cake.
Rich chocolate cookies with a kick of espresso. These cookies are perfectly soft and chewy!
These cookies are buttery and full of warm toasted pecans, and shredded coconut. The perfect envelopment of classic holiday flavors.
Brown Butter Cookies filled with Heath Toffee Bits and chocolate chunks. Soft, chewy, and full of the caramel nutty flavor that brown butter brings.
Small Batch Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. Try saying that 10 times fast! While I distract you with trying to say the name, I'll be stealing myself another cookie. This recipe makes 4 medium sized cookies. Perfect for when you just need some cookies-and quick!
I feel like I'm behind the curve when it comes to all the fall/Halloween baking. You know how as soon as school starts back up, the stores are instantly packed with Halloween and Christmas decorations? Well in the baking world, (food blogs, Pinterest, magazines, everything) it's the same. September has hit, school is in session, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are here, so that means it's officially the holiday season! Or so we like to think.
One of my best friends is getting married next month, and to help out with her Bridal Shower I made these cookies, and some cake pops. It was a tea party themed shower and I was given free reign on what to make.
I don't know what it is about peanut butter cookies, but they're something special.
Maybe it's because they're not as over-the-top sweet as most other cookies, which makes them easier to eat more of..
Or maybe it's the fact that they're made with peanut butter and so they're extra creamy..
Whatever it is, they're stinkin' good. And we all need a good go-to recipe!
These 4 easy Halloween cupcake decorating ideas are simple enough that anyone can do them! They are perfect for any type of halloween celebration. Ranging from cute to spooky; I've got you covered!
Strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla layered cupcakes topped with whipped cream, chocolate ganache, sprinkles, and a cherry on top! These cupcakes are the perfect envelopment of an ice cream sundae wrapped up into a single cupcake.
Soft, fluffy, and full of peanut butter; these cupcakes are a peanut butter & chocolate lover's dream come true!
Perfect for when you just want 2 cupcakes. This recipes makes 2 delicious cupcakes that are fluffy and moist.
You read it right. These are Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting. And they're the best cupcakes I've made to date. This is your favorite sweet potato casserole in cupcake form. I'm not the only one who loves sweet potato casserole am I?
I feel like I'm behind the curve when it comes to all the fall/Halloween baking. You know how as soon as school starts back up, the stores are instantly packed with Halloween and Christmas decorations? Well in the baking world, (food blogs, Pinterest, magazines, everything) it's the same. September has hit, school is in session, Pumpkin Spice Lattes are here, so that means it's officially the holiday season! Or so we like to think.
A simple recipe for a quick and delicious blueberry lemonade using all fresh ingredients!
This simple blueberry syrup is made up of 3 ingredients. Cooked down, and thickened, this compote makes a great addition to drinks, and even a topping. It's the perfect way to use up those blueberries you've had in your fridge.
A simple and easy recipe for frozen strawberry margaritas that uses all fresh ingredients.
The easiest to prepare, this Mimosa Sangria will be the spotlight at your New Year's party!
I can't wait to make this for future bridal showers, brunches, and New Year's parties. All it takes is a few minutes of prep the night before, and you have the most delicious bubbly sangria the next day
With cranberries all around, I wanted to make something using the tart little fruits other than cranberry sauce because I'm not particularly a fan of the stuff. I've seen a lot of shrub recipes over the summer and though this would be a perfect time to try one! And I'm not talking about a bush here, this is a form of drinking vinegar.
I'm usually a latte purist. I like my lattes with espresso and steamed milk. No sugar, no flavorings, nothing. If it ain't broke don't fix it-am I right? But Paul loves all the holiday flavored lattes there are to offer, and his favorite being the eggnog latte. Since I bought some eggnog for some baking ideas, he requested a homemade eggnog latte.
It's happening! Our weather in the past few days has dropped a whopping 10-15 degrees and I'm officially calling it FALL! Sure the drop only led us to a high of 70ish degrees. But I'm taking what I can get, and running with it. I'm in long sleeves, and even wore a scarf to my night class this week. I'm loving it. Give or take a couple of hot flashes.
Apple Cider has always been my favorite fall-time drink. Warm, cinnamon-infused fall in a glass. I remember year after year rummaging through our kitchen cabinets trying to find any remaining apple cider packets to make.
Fun fact: Did you know that the Daiquiri was one of the favorite drinks of Ernest Hemingway and J.F.K?
There are a few ways to make a Daiquiri. One way is with shaved ice, where you pour the liquid ingredients over the shaved ice. Another way is shaking the liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice, and pouring it into a chilled glass, without any ice. The third way, and the more common way, is the "frozen daiquiri". This is when the ingredients are blended together with ice. That is how I made these.
Eggless royal icing for decorating cookies that dries shiny and stiff. This is perfect for Christmas cookie decorating!
This technique for decorating a cake is so easy and simple! You don't need any fancy tools to make this design. In minutes you can transform you cake into a beautiful eye catching dessert with little skill required. I'll show you!
This frosting is thick, creamy, and so rich it almost tastes like fudge. Perfect for piping, swirling, smoothing, and inhaling, if you're into that kinda thing..
Perfect for when you just want 2 cupcakes. This recipes makes 2 delicious cupcakes that are fluffy and moist.
Today my blog turns 1 year old! It's flown by so fast, and I'm so happy with this little sprinkle-filled corner of the internet I've created. Sure I've only come a little ways farther than having just my boyfriend read my blog, but I'm so proud of it. I've learned so much, and yet there is exponentially much more to learn about this thing we call food blogging.
Rich, creamy, smooth chocolatey cream cheese frosting.
This frosting is rich, and decadent. Not too sweet, and perfectly tangy. A wonderful change from the usual super-sweet buttercream. Besides, who doesn't love an excuse to sneak some cream cheese into things?
Cool, refreshing, and perfectly sweet, these popsicles are a great way to cool off this summer.
Toasted marshmallow ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate graham crackers. Basically s'mores and ice cream sandwiches had a baby. A DELICIOUS baby.
Creamy Greek Yogurt Popsicles swirled with roasted strawberries and roasted blueberries.
Ice cream made with roasted balsamic strawberries for a sophisticated and tangy twist on strawberry ice cream. This creamy ice cream starts off tangy from the balsamic vinegar and finishes of sweet with the taste of strawberries. It's creamy, dreamy, and delicious. It puts a nice little grown-up twist on the classic strawberry ice cream.
With the summer coming to an end, and a new school year approaching, this cake feels right. It's the big summer send-off. The Ice Cream Social before the school year. Did anyone else do those as a kid?
It's one of those desserts where you get to dive in, head-first, and indulge. Forget the bikinis, skinny jeans, and tank tops. We're headed towards oversized sweaters, and stretchy pants. You deserve to pull out all the stops, and so does this cake.
A few days ago it rained here. In California. In August. What's going on? Rain in the summer might be a normal thing in other places but not here. I'm not complaining though. Waking up to the smell of rained on sidewalks is my favorite thing to wake up to. The quick glimpse of cooler weather and a soft breeze gave me a craving for some autumn commodities.
Since wearing a scarf and boots while it's still over 100 degrees isn't appropriate, I took the logical course of action. Popsicles!
Let's talk about peanut butter and jelly, okay?
Classic combination.
Sweet and salty / creamy and delicious / childhood memories... need I say more?
Blackberries were on sale, so I made blackberry ice cream. Naturally.
I've made so much ice cream this summer, you wouldn't believe me if I told you how much. Over 10 gallons! Don't believe me? I told you you wouldn't.
Chocolate cake layered with vanilla coconut ice cream, chocolate sauce, coconut and chopped Almond Joy candies.
Good lighting makes me happy.
I'm far from calling myself a "food photographer", but I feel like each new recipe I shoot I am learning more and getting a little bit better. I think I enjoy the photo-taking just as much, if not more, than the baking! It's definitely the creativity.
Carmel-Swirled Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Covered Pretzels. WHEW! Try saying that 10 times fast! While it sounds complicated, this ice cream is far from it.
Just a simple (yet delectable) vanilla ice cream, with crushed up chocolate covered pretzels mixed in, and layered in carmel syrup! Sweet and salty, chocolate and vanilla-y, pretzel and carmel-y.... UMM YUM!
Creamy, hearty, warm, and comforting. Chicken pot pie is something I make often in the winter, and always from scratch. This is one of my number one comfort foods!
Sweet potatoes don't need much to dress them up. A little brown sugar and spice, and this pie takes on the form of the beloved sweet potato casserole.
All-butter, from scratch, three ingredients, HOMEMADE PIE CRUST. Fear not, pie crust is easy to master and once you taste your homemade pie crust you will never want to eat that store-bought crunchy cardboard stuff again.
I didn't think pie could get any more American, but now I think it has outdone itself. This mixed berry pie is decorated like the American Flag and is perfect for the 4th of July!
When asked what my favorite thing is to make, my answer is always pie. I love the rustic, simplicity of pies, and how they bring about a warm coziness and feelings of nostalgia. Making the dough by hand and forming the crust brings a sense of accomplishment. Perfect in its imperfections, and always welcome.
Not only is it Pi Day this week, it is the ULTIMATE PI DAY! Every March 14th is Pi Day because the date matches up with the first 3 numbers of pi 3/14. But this year, the date matches up with the first 5 numbers! 3.1415 and 3/14/15! If that's not cool I don't know what is.
Perfect mini sized pies that fit right in your hand. Filled with a creamy strawberry filling, and wrapped in a flakey buttery crust.
This isn't just a pumpkin pie, it's a black bottom pumpkin pie. (In case you didn't catch that from the title). But what in the world does that mean? WELL! It means that it's got a bottom layer of delicious, chocolatey ganache hiding below. Pumpkin's partner in crime to help offset it's sweetness, and add to the richness of flavors.
Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin hand pies. They're pumpkin, they're mini, and they're jack-o-lantern themed!
What is it about mini things that make them so darn cute? Whether it's their size, their portability, their personality, or something else, things in miniature form are usually even cuter than normal.
This isn't just a peach pie, it's a ginger peach pie. The fresh minced ginger gives it an extra little ZING! The little kick goes great with the peaches.
Pie making can be intimidating for some. So I've broken down the steps of the pie, (pie crust especially), to hopefully make this daunting task a bit easier, and more enjoyable.
Before school started Paul and I went to Walnut Creek to do a little shopping. Out of all the places to shop there, where do you think I was most excited to go? Williams Sonoma, and Crate & Barrel. I don't have those stores (or any really) in my town so I was so excited to find them and spend as much time as I could daydreaming in them.
After our long shopping filled day, what did I go home with? A cookbook and a baking mat. Not just any cookbook, have you. It's full of JUST pies! It's the Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book. Full from cover to cover of beautiful pies, and amazing ideas. They even have it sectioned off into seasons, so you're making pies with fresh ingredients according to the season.
