December 20, 2017

Italian Tri-Color Cookies


I'll be honest with you, I definitely had a lot of hesitation when making these Italian Tri-Color Cookies, also called Rainbow Cookies or 7-Layer Cookies.  Why, you may ask?  Because the first time I attempted them it was a horrible failure.  My Achilles heel was the chocolate coating on the top and bottom.  When I tried cutting the cookies in to bite sized pieces the chocolate completely fell apart and separated from the almond layers.  The perfectionist in me was devastated, to say the least.

But recently I was asked by my friend Maria if I knew how to make them.  Maria grew up on the East Coast (New York City to be exact) and apparently these cookies are ubiquitous staples in every Italian bakery there.  Unfortunately they're not so easily found out here on the West Coast.  Every now and then Maria has a craving for these cookies so I thought I would give it another go and try to give her a taste of home.


Never one to be defeated I set about looking for a "foolproof" recipe - or at least something close to it.  I stumbled upon Smitten Kitchen's recipe and had a very strong feeling they would turn out great.  I'd had previous success with her tres leches cake, one of my absolute favorites.  Just reading through Deb's helpful tips gave me the reassurance I needed.  Be forewarned though: these cookies aren't hard to make but they require some time, most of it inactive though.  

If you like almond flavor these tri-colors are for you!  The festive colors and almond flavor make them the perfect holiday cookie to add to your repertoire.  The true test though would be Maria's review.  I gave her a sample and she said they tasted pretty authentic to her.  Her hubby Lou said the chocolate needed to be thicker..hahaha...I'll remember that for next time! 

December 17, 2017

Ugly XMAS Sweater Cake


Have you noticed how mainstream ugly XMAS sweaters have become?  What used to be the domain of eccentric elementary school teachers and the likes of Mrs. Roper has now become fashion for the masses during the holiday season. 

As someone who's other passion, besides baking, is fashion I cringe at the idea.  In earnest, I hope you don't brand me a snob because I really don't mean to be.  I just don't understand why anyone would want to dress badly on purpose.   I know, I know....just loosen up, it's all in fun!


So when the dress code for my friend Bibsy's holiday party was a choice between ugly XMAS sweater or XMAS pajamas you better believe I chose the former rather than the latter.  While I LOVE lounging around in pajamas at home I certainly wouldn't choose to be caught wearing them outside.  Luckily another friend was able to lend me her sister's ugly sweater so that I didn't have to go through the trouble (or spend the money) to get one myself.

For dessert Bibsy requested that I make an ugly XMAS sweater cake.   This was definitely something I'd never made before but I was up for the challenge.  To me it was a win-win situation; no matter how bad it turned out it would fit the brief of "being ugly" perfectly.


For the cake you see here I baked two 9x13 size sheet cakes, split each cake in half and filled with Swiss meringue buttercream.  I laid the filled cakes side by side on the cake board.  For the "ugly" part I frosted the exterior with colored Swiss meringue buttercream and piped the most garish design I could think of.  To finish it off I stuck a bunch of Wilton holiday cake decorations all over.  Easy peasy!

December 9, 2017

Gnome Sugar Cookie


The holiday season doesn't start for me until I decorate the Christmas tree and bring out my beloved collection of Scandinavian gnomes.  I first fell in love with these adorable felt figures many, many years ago when they festooned my honorary Norwegian mamma's cabin in the mountains outside of Oslo.  Mamma G (aka "MG") loves to decorate at Christmas, no one can hold a candle to her in this regard, and the gnomes are the star centerpieces.  


How ecstatic was I last Christmas when she gifted me with an entire family of white and grey gnomes of my very own!  Little did she know at the time that her generous gift was the start of my ever growing gnome collection.  You might say I have a slight obsession, but I can't help it, they are just so darn cute! I've found some great ones at Zara Home, Swedish Inspirations, IKEA and Heath Ceramics.


So when I happened upon Sweet Sugarbelle's gnome cookies I knew I had to make them.  They were literally screaming my name.  Callye is such a baking inspiration for me and her creativity has no bounds.  She ingeniously used one of her brand's ghost cookie cutters and transformed it in to the gnome.  Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to buy her Halloween cutter collection when it was in stores but I found this great alternative at Truly Mad Plastics.

I just love how the gnomes turned out.  In fact, I love them so much I'm using "gnomes" as the theme for the holiday treats that I'll be gifting this year.

December 3, 2017

Tunnel of Fudge Cake



My friend Link texted me a few weeks ago in search of a chocolate bundt recipe.  I initially referred him to this post already on my blog for deep chocolate sour cream cake.  Then I thought to myself, what if you didn't have sour cream and just wanted to make a cake with ingredients you normally already had on hand?

In search for something easier, I was thumbing through my copy of this Cook's Country cookbook and fortuitously happened upon a recipe for Tunnel of Fudge Cake.  I loved the idea of a moist chocolate bundt with a fudgy center.   I've never made this cake before and I don't recall having tasted one either so that was enough motivation for me to try the recipe.


After reviewing the list of ingredients I do admit I was concerned about the copious amounts of sugar it has: granulated, brown and powdered!  My anxiety was quickly alleviated once I tasted the finished cake as I found the rich chocolate flavor tempered any sweetness I had feared.   

The key to success with this cake is to make sure you don't over bake it, otherwise you won't get the lovely "tunnel of fudge."  Follow what the recipe says and test that it's done by gently pressing your finger on the surface of the cake and it springs back gently.  Also, I only used half the chocolate glaze, which was more than enough, so I ended up baking a second cake a few days later! 

November 5, 2017

Dutch Apple Pie


If you've made apple pies before then you've probably encountered the same issues that I have after they're baked.  The dreaded air pocket between the filling and the top crust.  This normally happens because the apple filling shrinks as the pie cools.  Don't get me wrong, it doesn't impact the taste in the least, but the Virgo in me (aka perfectionist), is chagrined.

Dutch Apple Pie is the solution!  Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.  It's perfect because there's no top crust to contend with, therefore no air pocket.  And who doesn't love the buttery crumb topping?  Genius!


If you were following my InstaStories then you know that this pie was actually my second attempt at making Dutch apple.  In the initial recipe I tested the filling came out too watery and the crust was a bit too gummy.  I went back to the drawing board and mashed up a few components from different recipes to get to this beauty you see here before you.

Without a doubt my favorite pie crust of all time is the foolproof one from Cook's Illustrated that contains vodka.  It is seriously no fail and bakes up crispy and flaky every single time.   For the filling I piggybacked off my Honeycrisp Apple Pie but tweaked it ever so slightly.   Everyone knows Dutch apple pie is all about the crumb topping and Cook's Country has the best version around.   

When combined, all three components were culinary magic.  I'll definitely be making this pie again for Thanksgiving.  I recommend you do too!

October 21, 2017

A New England trip and some Apple Cider Donuts


I just returned from a five day trip with my family to the Northeast where the main items on the agenda were leaf peeping and experiencing a New England autumn.  Living in California, and especially San Francisco, late September to mid-November normally signals Indian summer so witnessing the fall colors has been on my bucket list.  The visit really exceeded my expectations.  So much in fact that I'm thinking of making it an annual outing going forward.  



Something I absolutely had to do on this trip was go apple picking and of course sample freshly made cider donuts.  I discovered Cider Hill Farm when I was researching online for u-pick farms.  Its location was ideal because it was only about an hour north of Boston (our home base) and in the general direction of New Hampshire where we were headed for leaf peeping. 


We got to Cider Hill just as it opened at 8am and as soon as we approached the farm shop the smell of freshly made apple cider donuts filled the air.  Absolute heaven!   After gobbling down a half dozen with some hot cider we set about focusing on the task at hand - picking apples!  

There were so many different varieties to choose from and the countless rows of trees were bursting with ripe fruit.  In the end we decided on Empires, with a few Ambrosias thrown in.  One hour and a half bushel of apples later and we left the farm fully satisfied.  


When I got back home to SF all I could think about were those delicious apple cider donuts.  Normally I avoid deep frying at home but in this case I had to make an exception.  I found a recipe from Smitten Kitchen, a highly trusted source, so I felt confident they would be great.   I wasn't wrong - they had a crispy, crunchy exterior with a soft cake-y interior.  So delicious!

The next time I make this recipe I'll probably just make the donut holes.  I actually prefer the smaller portions because you don't feel so bad eating a few in one sitting.  My favorite way to enjoy them?  With a cup of piping hot apple cider, of course!  


September 13, 2017

Washboards from ATK's The Perfect Cookie & a Giveaway



If you follow my blog then you already know how much I love everything that comes out of America's Test Kitchen.  I'd even wager to say I'm their #1 fan, albeit a self-appointed title to be sure!  So when they reached out to me inquiring if I was interested in reviewing their new baking book, The Perfect Cookie,  there was no hesitation on my part whatsoever.   


 
If ever there was a cookbook with my name written all over it, this was it.    As I flipped through the countless pages of beautiful imagery I noted that almost every foolproof recipe you could imagine was covered.  No doubt you'll be like me, reaching for this tome again and again when you've got those cookie cravings.  [Notice the myriad of Post-Its peeking out from my copy!]


Since I've been baking along with ATK for ages now I've made quite a lot of their cookie recipes already.  For this review I wanted to try one that was new to me.  I'm a sucker for coconut in baked goods so I was immediately drawn to the Washboards.  Crispy, crunchy and lightly sweetened with coconut flavor, these would be the perfect treat to serve along with ice cream or a cup of tea.


Even better, because they were "slice and bake" cookies I could make the dough days in advance and bake them off whenever I wanted.   Forming and shaping the washboards couldn't be easier and the ridges on top are made using a fork.  The cookies baked to a gorgeous golden brown and after a cool down I devoured three of them straight away.   The texture and flavor actually reminded me of a coconut flavored Biscoff cookie....so delicious!   As far as I'm concerned ATK is batting a thousand with this recipe and the new cookbook. 


To celebrate the release of their newest publication ATK was kind enough to host a giveaway for 2 copies of the cookbook.  Here's how you can enter:

1) Blog: comment on this blog post with your email address 

2) Instagram: Follow me @treatssf and ATK @testkitchen, then like the giveaway post

RULES: 
  • Giveaway ends at 11:59pm PST on Saturday Sept 30, 2017
  • Winners chosen at random and have 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
  • Only open to U.S. mailing addresses 

August 6, 2017

Bacon & Maple Syrup Scones


Sometimes you go to a restaurant and there's one item on the menu that really stands out and forever sticks in your mind.  When I went to Frenchie Covent Garden this past July that thing turned out to be their snack of Bacon Scones with Maple Syrup.  

 
One bite and I was a complete goner.  Salty, sweet, smoky and savory....what more could I ask for?  They were so good, in fact, that I not only had them as my starter but later on as my dessert!  Don't get me wrong, the entire meal and service at Frenchie was fantastic, but one month on and I am still dreaming about those amazing scones.    



Lucky for me the recipe for their signature dish was readily available on the internet.   The ingredients are easy to gather and the dough comes together super quick.  Try and use the best maple syrup you can find for this recipe.  I finished off the glazed scones with a light sprinkling of smoked Maldon sea salt to further enhance the smoky flavor.    

 
While the restaurant's version will always taste best in my mind, I think these homemade beauties are a pretty good substitute - and I don't need to travel 5,000 miles to get them!

August 1, 2017

Aloha Bundt Cake



If ever there was a thing called baking bad luck, this Aloha Bundt was its poster child.  Why?  Because for some crazy reason this particular pan seems to incite power outages.  Read on and you'll see what I mean.

Proof #1: I found this fantastic Nordic Ware pineapple bundt pan on sale at Sur La Table in Palo Alto.  Anyone who knows me knows I'm crazy about pineapples, they're my favorite fruit of all time.  Just as I was about to pay all the power in the store (and mall) went out.   No till, no purchase.  Argh!  Luckily the electricity was restored half an hour later and I was able to complete the transaction and take my pan home.  But you can be sure I was worried I'd have to leave it behind in the shop.

Proof #2: Got up early this past Sunday to make my favorite lemon poppy seed sour cream bundt cake using the new pan.  I was supposed to meet up with some friends for brunch later that morning and wanted to make sure the cake was done beforehand.  Forty five minutes in to baking and suddenly all the power in my flat went out.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  Rien.  No worries I thought, I've got a gas range.  Not so fast.  Little did I know that while the oven was fueled by gas, electricity kept it running.  Suffice it to say 3 hours later and the power came back on.  Luckily I was able to finish baking the cake without any issues but it was definitely a close call. 

July 27, 2017

No-Bake Lime Cheesecake


When the temperature rises even I, as an avid baker, hesitate to turn on the oven.   Call me crazy, but when I was a kid growing up in the sweltering summers of California's San Joaquin Valley I used to bake all the time.  But mind you, I was wearing my bathing suit at the time - it was the only way I could tolerate the crazy hot weather.  These days you definitely won't catch me wearing that particular attire!

So when I was browsing the July/Aug 2017 issue of Martha Stewart Living the recipe for a No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake immediately jumped out at me.   Even better, I had all the ingredients in my kitchen.  [Note: I used regular organic limes, not key limes.]  Graham cracker crusts are de rigueur for cheesecakes, but the twist with this recipe was it didn't require baking.  Instead you just pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes.  Genius!


The filling is super light, creamy and jam packed with lime flavor.  If you love citrus this cheesecake is right up your alley.  It's the perfect dessert for your next BBQ, but honestly I'd indulge in it for any occasion.   


July 15, 2017

Parmesan Focaccia


Apologies for the radio silence these past few weeks.  I was on a business trip to Europe and tacked on some summer holidays as well.  I live for vacation but I definitely miss my kitchen while I'm gone, especially my oven and stand mixers.

One of the first things I did when I got home after three weeks away?  Duh, bake of course!  
 

I'd been craving carbs big time so ended up making a pan of Parmesan focaccia.    Nothing better than warm, soft bread sprinkled with herbs and cheese.   I used an Anne Burrell recipe I found on The Food Network and just added cheese at the end.   The dough comes together so easily and is a dream to work with.   Only requirement is patience while the dough proofs twice.  

I served the focaccia with one of my favorite summer salads, prosciutto and melon, and it was so delicioso!  I can guarantee this will be on repeat!  


May 29, 2017

Wedding Cake & Favors


My friend Jesse was married over the weekend and it was a really beautiful event.  I was happy to contribute by making the wedding cake and cookie favors.  Can't deny that I really love how the cake turned out - simple, elegant and more important, tasty; just what Jesse wanted.  

I must confess though, in the past I shied away from making wedding cakes because the idea of it seemed so daunting.   But after the success of the baby shower cake my confidence with tiered cakes soared.  They weren't as difficult as I previously thought.


Per the bride's request, red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting made up the bottom tier while the top tier consisted of chocolate cake with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.  Both layers were covered in vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream.  The wedding florist decorated the cake impeccably with roses, the leaves and blooms.
 

For the evening reception each seat at dinner was set with a California cookie.  Jesse had requested the favors be decorated in blush pink, to match her wedding colors, with a gold heart placed for San Jose, her and Tyler's hometown.  They actually grew up across the street from each other!


As a baker the best compliment you can receive is that your bakes not only look good, but taste good too.  I was delighted when so many of the wedding guests came up to me during the reception to say they loved the cookies and the cake....the best seal of approval I could ask for! 

Congratulations Jesse & Tyler!!!


May 20, 2017

M&M's Cookies


What to do with a huge bag of plain M&M's that were leftover from the office ice cream sundae party?  Such was the predicament I found myself in recently.  Most people would just eat them, but that thought wasn't the most appealing to me since I've got more of a salty tooth than a sweet one.

Then I remembered those huge M&M cookies that you can find in almost every bakery and supermarket in America and I knew that was what I was going to make.  No mystery to them people.  They're basically chocolate chip cookies with the candies replacing the chips.  I under bake them just slightly so that they maintain a moist and chewy texture.   Give them a try!

April 23, 2017

Surfer Cake


Apparently I'm on a cake kick because it seems like they're all I've been making in the past few weeks.  Case in point: this post is my fourth in a row about it.  I can't help it...lots of occasions to celebrate I guess!

My friend Marcelo was having a party to celebrate not only his birthday, but also house warming.   He and his wife Juliana recently moved out of SF and found a house in the suburbs that was more dog friendly for their mini Australian shepherd.   Marcelo loves to surf and their house is just a stone's throw from the beach so I thought a surfing themed cake seemed appropriate for the celebration.

The cake consists of three layers of carrot (with pineapple and coconut mixed in) filled with boiled milk cream cheese frosting and decorated with Swiss meringue buttercream.  Ring a bell?  It should since it's basically the same cake flavors from my last post, found here.  

For the sandy beach I used graham cracker crumbs, the ocean is made of colored buttercream, and the beach towel and beach ball are made of tinted fondant.   I really love how it turned out and hope the birthday boy enjoys it too.

Yuhuuuuu....surf's up!  Happy Birthday Marcelo!!!!


April 8, 2017

Confetti Carrot Cake


I made this cake for Julia, who not only had a baby recently (check out the baby shower cake I made for her here) but was also celebrating a milestone birthday.  I wanted the cake to be something happy, blissful and festive.  I think a Confetti Cake checks all the boxes.   The rainbow of colors can't help but bring cheer to any occasion, no?


Julia's  favorite cake is carrot with cream cheese frosting so I turned to weelicious' awesome recipe.  It's the easiest thing to make and tastes fantastic!  For the cream cheese frosting I turned to my absolute favorite one from Cook's Country which uses a boiled milk paste.  Trust me when I tell you it's AMAZING and probably unlike any cream cheese frosting you've had before...super light, fluffy and not too sweet.


The best thing about this cake is how easy it is to decorate.  Once you fill and frost the cake just press the confetti sprinkles to the sides.  This technique hides a myriad of mistakes so you don't need to be a master decorator at all to get fantastic looking results.   Give it a try, you'll see!

January 21, 2017

Oh Baby Shower Cake


My friends Claudio and Julia are expecting their first baby this spring, a girl.  For their baby shower they asked if I could make the cake and I was more than happy to oblige.  These are the exact occasions where I love to put my baking skills to good use.  

For the cakes themselves Julia had requested her favorite, carrot, for the bottom tier and I suggested red velvet for the top since it was Claudio's favorite.  As for the theme Julia had in mind something similar to this pink and grey themed creation she found on Pinterest.   Lucky for me it didn't look too complicated once you deconstructed its parts. 


Don't be intimidated by the design because it's a bit easier than you might think.  Once I filled and crumb coated the three layers of carrot cake I simply piped large rosettes all around the outside with pink hued Swiss meringue buttercream.  For even the novice baker this is achievable with beautiful results.  Admittedly, the top tier of red velvet did require a bit more patience and skill in order to get the buttercream perfectly smooth and even.  Once that was achieved I decorated with grey and pink fondant circles and applied a thin fondant ribbon at the bottom.  

One trick I did learn from watching numerous episodes of Ace of Cakes is to use large boba straws as supports when doing a tiered cake.  This provides structure so that the top tier doesn't sink in to the one below.  The straws are so much easier to use than wooden dowels and they're super cheap too.  I picked up a packet of 50 straws from the local restaurant supply store for under $1!

Congratulations Claudio and Julia!

January 13, 2017

Zebra Bundt Cake


If you peeked in to my pantry you'd think I was trying to set up my own kitchen housewares shop.  I can't help it - I'm the first to admit I'm a total addict.  Call me a sucker for the latest cake pan or baking equipment out there.  

The inspiration for this Zebra Bundt Cake stemmed from my recent acquisition of NordicWare's Kugelhopf pan.  I'm a huge fan of this company and love all their bundt pans.  Over the years I've amassed quite a collection because they never seem to fail in terms of quality and aesthetic.  I call it effortless baking when the pan does all the cake decorating work for you.   


My intention was to make a marble cake and when I happened upon Bakers Royale's Zebra Bundt on Pinterest it immediately caught my eye.  I just love how the alternating stripes of vanilla and chocolate batter make the cake look so interesting and inviting.  When I took a closer look at the recipe I was even more pleased because it was based on one from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book.   Tish's cookbook is one of my favorites so I knew it was going to be a winner.  I wasn't wrong.

The crumb on this cake is really incredible, so tender, moist and melt in your mouth.  I was a tad bit concerned that the depth of the bundt pan would require extra baking time, leading to a drier cake, but this was not the case at all.  I'll definitely be making this recipe again!


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