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Holiday Gift Guide: Fun & Fancy Baking Ingredients for Your Foodie
It’s go-time for holiday shopping, which means another holiday gift guide is in order! If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that for the past couple years, I’ve shared a list of some of my favorite things to help you find a gift or two for the baker in your life. Last year it was pie-baking tools, and in 2020 it was cookbooks. This year, I’m sharing some of my favorite fun and fancy baking ingredients that will make great gifts for your baking foodie. I’ve included links for everything (I think—if I’ve missed one, let me know in the comments and I’ll find it for you:)).…
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Cranberry Apple Crumble Pie
Winter is here in Northern Minnesota! We finally got our first measurable snow this week. It’s so beautiful. When it’s about to snow, you can smell it in the air. If you don’t know that scent, it’s sort of like the smell of ice—cold and clean. It smells just like you’d imagine diving into a cold freshwater lake feels. “Refreshing” is a good word for it, I suppose. And I love it. The arrival of snow means the holidays are about to pounce on us like a cat on a tasty, tasty mouse. So it’s time to get ready. If you haven’t decided what pies you’re making for your holiday…
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Helloooo fall baking season! From now through the end of the year is my FAVORITE time to bake. There are so many great flavors to play with! Right now we have apples, maple, caramel, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pumpkin. Then once the holiday season hits, we add in peppermint and a whole slew of other nostalgic flavors I look forward to all year. This pumpkin chocolate chip muffin recipe is one that I’ve had for years. It came to me in bread form from a previous roommate, but it’s been so long that I can’t remember who that was (if it was you, let me know!). I tweaked the recipe…
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Whiteout Cake: White Cake With Whipped Vanilla Almond Buttercream
I’ve been craving white cake lately. Plain white cake with white frosting—the kind you have at weddings, office parties, kids’ birthdays…you get the idea. Normally I’m a chocolate cake fan (if I have to choose), but occasionally I just need something lighter, preferably topped with fruit. Thus, this white cake with whipped vanilla almond buttercream was born! The Classic White Cake I know that a plain white cake seems a little…boring. But if it’s done right, it’s anything but. First of all, you could keep your white cake just plain-old-vanilla (no judgement—vanilla can be delicious), but I like to add a smidge of almond to mine. It gives the cake…
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No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
“Summertime…and the livin’ is easy…” Louis Armstrong had it right…summertime is for easy living (or easy livin’, if you’re Louis). And that extends to baking. Summer is the time for easy, simple desserts that taste great but don’t take a lot of time…and, preferably, ones that don’t require us to turn on the oven. This No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake fits that bill perfectly. A Simple but Delicious Mashup of Two Great Desserts Summer BBQs, picnics, beach days…all require tasty snacks. This no-bake cheesecake is perfect for all of our warm-weather gatherings this summer. This is a mashup of two crazy delicious desserts…key lime pie and cheesecake. It combines the brightness…
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Mini Almond Biscotti
One of the first times I visited a newer coffee shop in town, I ordered my usual coffee (decaf americano), and it came with a teeny tiny almond biscotti. It was adorable. And delicious. I knew then and there that I had to go home and make my own mini almond biscotti. And here they are! Mini But Mighty These cuties have every bit of the flavor of a regular-sized biscotti, but in mini form. They’re the perfect little treat for your afternoon coffee break (or for breakfast…you do you). Plus, they’re easy to make. If mini isn’t your jam, I have a regular-sized biscotti recipe on the site too.…
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Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the subtle power of comfort food. Maybe it’s the war in Ukraine, maybe it’s the fact that we’re coming up on two years of the pandemic, or maybe it’s any number of other difficult and scary things happening in the world. But whatever the reason, there’s something innately comforting about sharing food with those we love when we can’t control what’s happening around us. When I think about comforting desserts, I think of cake. Especially chocolate cake with a rich, creamy frosting. In that vein, I created these über-comforting Mint Chocolate Cupcakes. They’re perfect for St. Patty’s Day, but can offer a dose…
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Tiramisu Brownies
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Whether you like this particular holiday or not, you have to admit it’s a great excuse to eat chocolate. And although we don’t actually need an excuse to eat chocolate, it’s still a great reason to make — and eat — an over-the-top chocolate dessert. Our assignment for Valentine’s Day 2022: Tiramisu Brownies. Brownies…But Sexier Yep, these beauties are a mashup of brownies and tiramisu. Think deeply fudgy brownies with pieces of ladyfingers mixed in, then covered in a thick, creamy mascarpone-whipped-cream-Kahlua topping and a hearty dusting of cocoa powder. A decidedly sexier version of brownies…perfect for Valentine’s Day. The Fudgiest Brownies This…
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Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie
My living room is lit with twinkling lights, there are Christmas carols playing through the speakers of my record player, and my freezer is full to the brim with Christmas cookies. All sure signs that Christmas is coming soon. Now all that’s left is to plan my holiday meal, and maybe an extra-special treat for dessert. This Chocolate Peppermint Cream Pie will fit the bill nicely. Chocolate and Peppermint: A Match Made in Winter Somewhere around the beginning of November, or the first snowfall, or whichever arrives first, my tastebuds undergo a drastic change. They shift from craving pumpkin and cinnamon to a flavor combination that I’ve come to associate…
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Mini Apple Crumble Pies
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It’s my favorite holiday, because the only purpose of it is to gather with loved ones and eat. No presents, no pressure…just good food and good company. When I was growing up, my grandma made the pies (well, she made almost everything really). Every year there was her famous Pumpkin Pie, of course, and usually some kind of apple pie as well. As an adult, I now make my own pies for Thanksgiving. And while I always opt for my grandma’s pumpkin pie for the big day, sometimes I’ll make a second option — either this Maple Pecan Pie or some kind of apple…
Recipes and Musings from the Zenith City
