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Grapefruit Pound Cake
It’s Easter weekend already – I can hardly believe how quickly time is passing this Spring! It will be a quiet weekend this year. Life in general looks a lot different for all of us right now, with businesses closed and a stay-at-home order in place here in Minnesota. I’m finding myself both anxious about it all and incredibly grateful for everything I have. I worry about my friends and family getting sick (especially those in higher-risk categories), and at the same time am more grateful than ever to have each of them in my life – even if right now it’s only over FaceTime. BTW, who else is super…
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Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies
Well friends, the past couple of weeks have been pretty terrible across the world, there’s no two ways around that. With more than half a million people having contracted COVID-19, and nearly 25,000 dead from it worldwide (www.worldometers.info/coronavirus, as of today), we are all in the grip of fear and grief, and it’s difficult to be hopeful. There is hope though, if you look for it – medical staff and other essential workers putting their lives at risk for us all, neighbors helping each other out, whole communities coming together (in a properly socially distant way of course) to support small businesses and artists, and so much more. With everything…
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Roasted Carrot, Farro, & Arugula Salad
Happy March, friends! It’s been a minute since I posted a savory recipe, so I thought I’d share this Roasted Carrot, Farro, and Arugula Salad with you. This time of year I start to crave allll the veggies. We’re enjoying a bit of fake Spring here in Northern Minnesota, where the sun is shining, temps are slightly warmer, the snow is beginning to melt, and even those of us who have been here for years start to think, “maybe Spring will come early this year”. Spoiler alert: it won’t. I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer here, but let’s face it, winter is bound to reappear at least once…
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Mocha Swirl Meringues
Well my friends, we’re nearing the end of February, so I thought we could all use one more chocolate recipe. Chocolate month continues this week with one of my favorite flavor combinations in one of my favorite treats. These Mocha Swirl Meringues combine my love of chocolate with my love of coffee, all in a crisp and airy meringue. Plus, they’re shaped like snowballs which is appropriate because it’s still very much winter around here. This is the time of year when I start to get antsy for Spring. Unfortunately for me, Spring is still a long way off here in Northern Minnesota. We’ll likely still get a couple of…
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Espresso Brownies with Chocolate Glaze
This has got to be one of my favorite chocolate recipes of all time. These Espresso Brownies with Chocolate Glaze are dense and deeply chocolatey, with a hit of espresso and crunchy pecans. Topped off with a glossy chocolate glaze and a sprinkle of coarse sea salt (or actual sprinkles, if you prefer), these brownies will make any grey day brighter. And in February in Northern Minnesota, we have a lot of grey days. Yes, we don’t see the sun around here much this time of year, so we have to make our own sunshine. Chocolate helps. A lot. Especially if you share your chocolate with loved ones. (Valentine’s Day…
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Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies
It’s February, which means BRING ON THE CHOCOLATE! This month I have a couple of great new chocolate recipes to share with you, beginning with these Chocolate Mint Snowball Cookies. February always seems like the perfect month for chocolate – in part because of Valentine’s day (really, is there any other acceptable V-day treat??), and in part because it’s still winter, still cold, and still dark out most of the time. Hand me the chocolate, please. Chocolate Mint – Decadent and Refreshing I absolutely love a deep, dark, chocolate cookie. Full disclosure – I think Oreos may actually be my favorite cookie of all time. I know that’s a controversial…
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Garam Masala Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter cookies are an all around classic. The flavor is reminiscent of childhood, and that fork-pressed, criss-cross design is iconic. And while I love a good classic, this time I opted for a slight adaptation. These Garam Masala Peanut Butter Cookies still have that old-fashioned feel, but with a flavor update. What is Garam Masala? Garam masala is a blend of spices used mainly in Indian cooking. It’s similar in scent to a curry blend, but has a slightly sweeter flavor. The blend of spices can vary, but it usually contains black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, nutmeg or mace, and turmeric (the one I have at home also…
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Chocolate Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream and Salted Caramel
The beginning of the year brings lots of chances to celebrate in my world – New Year’s Eve/Day, my birthday (last week!), and now my blogiversary! A year ago today I started this blog. And what a fun year it’s been! My first post a year ago was for my Grandma’s Sour Cream Sugar Cookies, a recipe that is beloved in my family. This year, I’m sharing a cake I’ve been wanting to make for a while (and the one I made for my birthday this year) – Chocolate Cake with Earl Grey Buttercream and Salted Caramel Sauce. The Cake The cake itself is Ina Garten’s famous chocolate cake, and…
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Gingerbread Granola
The Holidays are here friends! My gift to you this holiday season is a delicious new breakfast treat. This Gingerbread Granola is full of the warm spices of the season, with a sweet-tart punch from dried cranberries. It’s perfect for cozy mornings in your jammies with loved ones. Plus, it’s quick and easy to make, which is what we all need this time of year, right? I had grand plans for the blog in December. So many new cookie and candy recipes have been swimming in my head (“visions of sugarplums” and all that) over the past few months, all of them perfect for the Holidays. But as often happens…
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Etta’s Pumpkin Pie
My Grandma made the BEST pumpkin pie. Seriously. I know everyone says their Grandma/Mom/Dad/Aunt/Uncle/whoever makes the best one, but I’m telling you hers trumps them all. This pie has convinced even the biggest pumpkin pie haters – it’s that good. Pie Month would not be complete without this recipe. I’m not even sure exactly what makes it so good – there are no crazy ingredients or fancy techniques involved. It just has the perfect flavor blend of molasses-tinged custard, pumpkin, and spices. It tastes like Thanksgiving, family gatherings, and the best holiday memories. And the best part about it? It’s super simple, quick to throw together, and best if made…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
