-
Rhubarb Curd Tart With Rosewater Meringues
Rhubarb season came early this year, along with all of the things that typically signify the arrival of summer: lilacs, lily of the valley, 90-degree temps. Even the mosquitos seemed to be early to the party. As someone who is constantly too warm and whose skin burns easily, I’ve never been particularly enthusiastic about summer. And while I still can’t say that I’m a fan of 90-degree days, sunburns, and mosquitos, I have to admit that the arrival of the flowers, fruits, and foliage of summer now fills me with a giddy kind of joy. The extra-long days don’t hurt either. I’m a big fan of all things rhubarb, so…
-
Olive Oil Pistachio Brownie Cookies
I’ve been wanting to make an olive oil chocolate chip cookie for a while, and that’s how this one started out. But as I worked on the recipe, it ended up much more chocolatey and brownie-like than I originally intended. And I have to say, I’m not mad about it. This is a rich, fudgy dream of a cookie. Say hello to Olive Oil Pistachio Brownie Cookies! I have a feeling you’ll love them. Olive Oil In Cookies? Yep, You Read That Right. Cookies aren’t the first thing I think of when I think of olive oil. Pasta, bread, salad dressing, roasted veggies…there are a million and one savory ways…
-
Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Bars
Boy have I got a treat for you, my friends. I’ve been working on this one for a few weeks, and in that time I have eaten a LOT of Rice Krispie Bars! (I have to say, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world.) If you’re a fan of soft, marshmallowy Rice Krispie bars, nutty brown butter, and sea salt, you’ll love this recipe. Let’s make Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Bars! If At First You Don’t Succeed… For the longest time, I couldn’t make a decent Rice Krispie bar to save my life. I made damn good cookies, great cakes, and amazing pies. But Rice Krispie bars had…
-
Strawberry White Chocolate Scones
It’s been a while since I posted something breakfasty, and I don’t have a good scone recipe on the site yet, so I thought it was high time I created one. Plus, with strawberry season around the corner, it’s a good time to start stockpiling recipes to use them in. So, give a hearty welcome to the new kid on the block and my new favorite breakfast treat — Strawberry White Chocolate Scones! British vs American Scones There are two main types of scones in the world—British scones and American scones. There are also some pretty strong—and varied—opinions about which of these versions is the correct one. I’ll tell you…
-
Carrot Cake with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
I’ve always wondered how carrot cake became an Easter tradition—in my mind, spice cake is really more of a fall treat. I suppose the Easter bunny has something to do with it, I’m not sure. But as it’s one of the tastiest cakes there is, I’m sure not going to complain. This is my version, with all of my favorite things: walnuts, no raisins(way overrated, IMO), and a sweet, fluffy, cinnamon-y cream cheese frosting. Let’s give a hearty springtime welcome to Carrot Cake with Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting! Carrot Cake History So it turns out that carrot cake has been around for a while. Or, at least, some version…
-
Milk Chocolate Toffee Cookies
Growing up, I loved a good Dairy Queen Blizzard. (TBH I still do, but now I opt for the “mini” size because I just can’t finish the large like I did when I was a kid). Anyhow, my favorite mix-in has always been Heath bar. For a while there, they had a Cappuccino Heath Blizzard that was TO DIE FOR. I loved it so much. Does anyone else remember that? And does anyone know if they’ll still make me one if I ask nicely? Well, the idea for these cookies sprang from my love for Heath bars. Milk chocolate and buttery toffee in a salted brown butter cookie…what could be…
-
Fig Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
This March marks the 10th anniversary of the company I work for, Wild Fig Marketing! Since we can’t get together to celebrate with cake (boo, COVID!), I decided to create a recipe for a Fig Cake that we can all make on our own. Because there HAS to be cake, right? A celebration just isn’t a celebration without it. This single-layer almond-scented cake is dotted with chopped dried figs and topped with a thin layer of fig jam and a lush cream cheese frosting. Perfect for a (small) celebration. Fig Fun Facts As I was tooling around looking for inspiration for this cake, I stumbled on a few fig facts…
-
Mud Pie Cake
Last month, I took a Creative Baking class online with monthly.com, taught by Christina Tosi of Milk Bar. It was such a fun class (and also a lot of work!), and I ended up with three new original recipes: Popcorn & Hot Chocolate Cookies, Brûléed Maple Latte Cheesecake Pie, and this Mud Pie Cake. This is a rich, chocolatey cake that’s doused with a Kahlúa-coffee soak, layered with chocolate pudding and bits of chocolate crunch (think Oreo-like cookie crumbles), then topped with a thick layer of whipped cream. This cake is, in a word, dreamy. A New (to Me) Way to Layer a Cake In the class, we learned Christina’s…
-
Brûléed Maple Latte Cheesecake Pie
As I mentioned in my last post, I’m currently taking an online Creative Baking class through monthly.com. It’s taught by Christina Tosi of Milk Bar, and it’s been so much fun! In the class, we’re baking a few Milk Bar classics, then creating our own bakes with the skills we learn. Our first week was cookies (check out my Popcorn & Hot Chocolate Cookies here!), and the second was pie. Thus, my new favorite pie was born — Brûléed Maple Latte Cheesecake Pie! During cookie week, we had to come up with a cookie that reflected a certain time (a time in our lives, a time of year, a time…
-
Popcorn & Hot Chocolate Cookies
A couple of weeks ago, on my birthday, I started taking an online creative baking class. The class is taught by Christina Tosi of Milk Bar—which, if you’re not familiar, is a chain of bakeries with amazing, unique treats that are ridiculously addictive. Over the course of a month we’re baking a few classic Milk Bar treats, then learning Christina’s prototyping method to develop our own unique creations. These Popcorn & Hot Chocolate Cookies were my first project. Sunday Night at Grandma’s House We were tasked with making a cookie based on a specific time—it could be a time in our lives, a time of year, a time of day…whatever…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
