-
Toasted Coconut Snack Cake
Sometimes, you just need a little cake. Something to go with your afternoon cup of coffee or tea that tastes great and lifts your spirits. Or something special for a brunch that’s quick to throw together and serve with fresh berries and a mountain of whipped cream. This Toasted Coconut Snack Cake is that cake. A Scone-Like Coffee Cake Perfect for Dessert, Brunch, or Whenever You Need a Sweet Snack This is a coffee-cake-style cake. But instead of cinnamon streusel, it’s covered in a heaping mound of toasted coconut topping. Its texture is a little dense and almost scone-like. It’s the perfect canvas for ripe summer berries, roasted peaches or…
-
7-Layer Magic Bars
It may technically be spring, but there’s a blizzard raging outside my window. Yes, it’s a typical Minnesota April—blustery, snowy, and cold. And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love living in the frozen north. Call me crazy if you will, but I truly love it. And I suspect, despite what most Minnesotans would tell you, that they secretly love it too. Because the truth is, there’s almost nothing we love more up here than complaining about the weather. Nothing, that is, except bars. No, not the kind you belly up to and drink (though, admittedly, we love those too), but the kind you eat. Dessert bars.…
-
Coconut Lemon Bars
Spring is here (in theory, anyway), and it has me craving all things sunshiny: actual sunshine, of course, but also sunny scents, colors, and flavors. I pulled out my summer perfume the other day; I suddenly have an affinity for the color yellow; and I need to eat every lemony thing in sight. So in celebration of spring and my cravings, I added a slight twist to a classic lemony treat to make these utterly springy Coconut Lemon Bars. A Tropical Twist on a Classic I LOVE lemon bars. A shortbready cookie crust topped with a lemon curd layer that tastes like pure sunshine…what could be better? This version is…
-
German Chocolate Brownies
February is always chocolate month to me. Besides Valentine’s Day, it’s also ridiculously cold and dark up here in the north. We need plenty of chocolate to guide us through the second half of winter — because yes, we still have half the winter to go (sorry winter-hating friends, but it’s true). Well, more than half, because winter lasts until April here…or sometimes May…but I digress. The point is, we need a little extra chocolate this time of year. And what better way to up our chocolate intake than with rich, gooey brownies? Bonus points if they’re covered in a sweet, custardy, coconutty topping. Introducing your new winter BFF, German…
-
Amaretto Dream Cookies
With the leaves turning, the blustery weather, and Halloween around the corner, my reading preferences are quickly turning to murder mysteries. Now, I have to tell you – I can be a bit of a book snob, and have been known to turn down my nose at anything that isn’t a classic. However, more recently I’ve embraced the joy of a good murder mystery. A few years ago I discovered a series of books that are equal part murder mystery and BAKING(!) by Ellie Alexander. This recipe for Amaretto Dream Cookies comes from book two in that series, “A Batter of Life and Death: A Bakeshop Mystery”. (Side note: if…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
