tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25132045522339955672024-03-18T13:25:05.086-07:00Treats..making every day a little bit sweeter..Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.comBlogger503125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-24424192045783121682024-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-10T02:34:21.260-08:00Valentine's Day Cookie Box In December I always make holiday cookie boxes to gift to friends and family, but this year I decided to adapt it for Valentine's Day. What better way to show your loved one how much you care than a box of homemade treats? My Valentine's Day Cookie Box included three types of cookies: Heart Linzer Cookies, Glossy Fudge Brownies and Valentine's Sprinkles Cookies. Chocolate Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-11225537294473591192024-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:002024-02-09T04:32:49.706-08:00Valentine's Sprinkles Cookies Another addition to my Valentine's Day cookie box are these Valentine's Sprinkles Cookies. The recipe comes by way of Dan Pelosi. The inner child in all of us will absolutely adore these. I love how easily adaptable the cookies are to celebrate any holiday by simply changing the sprinkles colors, e.g., pastel for Easter, red/white/blue for the 4th of July, etc.Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-77259340562338323112024-02-08T14:16:00.000-08:002024-02-08T18:36:32.076-08:00Heart Linzer CookiesIn honor of Valentine's Day I made some Heart Linzer Cookies. Crisp shortbread sandwiched with tart raspberry jam and showered in powdered sugar is never a bad thing in my opinion. I used this recipe from Preppy Kitchen which includes almond flour in the dough. These beauties will be included in a Valentine's Day cookie box that I'm planning to assemble. Stay tuned! Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-60036601318569266942024-02-02T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-03T16:19:22.115-08:00Year of the Dragon Cookie In 2024, Tết (the Vietnamese Lunar New Year) falls on February 10 and it's the Year of the Dragon, considered the most powerful of all Asian zodiac animals. It's no coincidence that birth rates in these years are higher than other years because dragon children are supposedly destined for wealth and greatness. I don't know if there's any data to support that theory but my Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-86177062955961204952024-01-06T12:47:00.000-08:002024-01-06T12:47:57.158-08:00Apple Galette des RoisJanuary 6 marks Epiphany or Three Kings Day in the Christian faith, when the three wise men visited the baby Jesus after he was born. In honor of the occasion many countries in Europe celebrate with a King's Cake. In France it's known as galette des rois, traditionally made with puff pastry and an almond frangipane filling. This year to mix things up a bit I made an Apple Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-8222366332312845192023-12-21T11:59:00.000-08:002023-12-21T13:33:06.425-08:00PizzelleMy last post of 2023 and I present to you Pizzelle. I confess that the inspiration to make these Italian waffle cookies was anything but divine. In reality it was the cutest video of a nonna making them for her grandchild that came across my Instagram feed. Undoubtedly you'll already have all the cookie ingredients on hand in
your pantry, but the required Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-64066661530484147792023-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:002023-12-19T05:34:15.108-08:00Lime MeltawaysWanna know a surefire way to get me to bake for you? Present me with a challenge, coupled with an intimation that I'll most likely fail, and I take the bait every single time: hook, line and sinker. When it comes to baking chalk it up to my competitive and perfectionist tendencies, which makes me predisposed to fall for the dare. I refuse to accept defeat! Such was Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-6071186359574425732023-12-12T14:45:00.000-08:002023-12-18T07:10:49.293-08:002023 Holiday Cookie Box For the 2023 Holiday Cookie Box I stuck to the tried and true classics that everyone seemed to love along with the new addition of vanillekipferl. Year after year I vow to cut back on the different types of cookies I make to save myself the time and effort, yet every year I never do. I can't help it, baking is my love language and what better way to show someone you care than byTruchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-67946357485686403952023-12-08T17:28:00.000-08:002023-12-08T20:53:21.093-08:00Checkerboard and Marble Sablés French butter cookies are a personal favorite of mine and this year I made them as Checkerboard and Marble Sablés. Don't be intimidated, the checkerboard pattern isn't as difficult as it may appear. I made two batches of Cook's Illustrated sablés recipe, one flavored vanilla and the other chocolate, to create these beauties. For the design I turned to this King Arthur's Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-36934803072651115462023-12-02T15:07:00.000-08:002023-12-02T15:07:11.724-08:00Vanillekipferl Vanillekipferl are crescent-shaped almond shortbread cookies traditionally made at Christmas time in many European countries, e.g., Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They're a very close cousin to nut snowballs or Mexican wedding cookies, but the dough is much smoother with the addition of almond flour. I love that they aren't too sweet so you don't feel guilty eating so many. Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-80270077842627814342023-11-21T10:22:00.000-08:002023-12-17T15:03:29.304-08:00Rice Krispies TurkeyFor Thanksgiving I present to you a Rice Krispies Turkey. I love a 3-D cake pan so when I saw this turkey shaped one I had to add it to my (evergrowing) Nordic Ware collection. My favorite use for these type of cake pans is to make molded rice cereal treats like the ones I've done for Easter, here and here. Note to self for the next time I make it: prepare 2x the Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-10215292978535526032023-10-29T09:42:00.001-07:002023-10-29T09:42:38.282-07:00Pumpkin CupcakesPumpkin Cupcakes are perfect for your Halloween or autumn gathering. For the chocolate cupcake I used Cook's Illustrated's recipe which is super easy to make and comes together by hand in one bowl. My favorite Swiss meringue buttercream was piped on top of each cupcake to create the pumpkin effect. Cook's Illustrated Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake Swiss Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-28936852573761109542023-10-21T16:35:00.005-07:002023-10-26T20:54:00.465-07:00Maritozzi I could literally kick myself for never having tasted Maritozzi, a traditional Italian breakfast treat consisting of a brioche bun filled with freshly whipped cream, whenever I visited Italy. This enticing Instagram post from Bread by Elise motivated me to correct that grievous error. What especially drew me to Elise's bun recipe was the use of tangzhong. This Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-55151934835051093842023-10-13T15:02:00.004-07:002023-10-13T15:03:22.212-07:00Boston Cream Pie The last time I made Boston Cream Pie was more than a dozen years ago but I had another go recently for my Mom's birthday. Back then I wasn't satisfied with the runny texture of the pastry cream, so for this attempt I made sure it was firm. To assemble my cake I also went a bit off piste. The cake was baked as three layers, instead of the traditional two, and Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-46654141940588165442023-10-07T09:29:00.000-07:002023-10-07T09:29:02.017-07:00Bien Cuit ShortbreadFour simple ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, flour and kosher salt. Basic staples found in any pantry that triumphantly come together in these delicious Bien Cuit Shortbread. I've never been to the eponymous New York bakery where the recipe comes from but, fortunately, now I don't have to make the cross-country trek. I first saw the shortbread featured on Food 52's InstagramTruchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-41412739397147694852023-10-01T15:17:00.001-07:002023-10-01T15:54:31.352-07:00Dutch Apple Cake I've visited The Netherlands exactly twice: the first time as a university student passing through with a Eurail pass and the second when one of my besties was working there on a long-term project. During neither of those trips did I have the fortune to taste the famous appeltaart (more like cake) from Cafe Winkel 43 in Amsterdam. Actually, I'd never even heard of this famous Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-69626712353639727902023-09-24T09:22:00.003-07:002023-09-24T14:27:20.214-07:00Lemon Curd Gooey Butter Cookies Pardon the extended hiatus from my blog but I was enjoying a long overdue sabbatical for most of the summer. I missed my kitchen and baking to be sure, but I kept myself busy with traveling and relaxing...a perfect way to recharge. Now that I'm home I'm easing back into the swing of things.First up are these Lemon Curd Gooey Butter Cookies, which I'd seen pop up on my Instagram feed Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-69505340320658292162023-05-01T00:30:00.002-07:002023-05-02T00:03:21.973-07:00Cal Berkeley Sugar CookiesThe month of May heralds the start of commencement season, graduation from high school and college/university. Can you hear the notes of Pomp and Circumstance in your head? My friend Bibsy commissioned these Cal Sugar Cookies for a dual celebration in her family: her youngest child's recent acceptance into Berkeley, as well as her oldest's graduation from the esteemed university. Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-86480344487626258802023-04-18T00:30:00.040-07:002023-04-18T00:30:00.222-07:00Platinum Engagement Ring Cookie Recently my friend Jesse commissioned a cookie order to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of her soon-to-be sister-in-law. I suggested a Platinum Engagement Ring Cookie as the design, selfishly on my part because I haven't made or decorated that shape before. I bought this cookie cutter set from Amazon and used my favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipes. Aren't Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-52936817155920085882023-04-13T00:30:00.000-07:002023-04-13T00:30:00.201-07:00Lemon Pudding Cakes I recently had a friend over for lunch and for dessert I made these individual Lemon Pudding Cakes. As a lemon lover I will gravitate towards citrus flavors any day over something like chocolate. The recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen and while it's very simple to make, it packs so much delicious flavor. Miraculously, when the batter bakes you end up with a Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-7491362013099612602023-04-09T00:30:00.007-07:002023-04-09T06:52:26.241-07:00 Coconut Pineapple Cake The Duncan Hines Dolly Parton coconut cake mix has become a recent favorite of mine and I'm finding even more ways to incorporate it into my baking. I wanted to thank a friend for a recent act of kindness and I thought the cake would be a nice and delicious gift. This time I took a tropical turn and made a Coconut Pineapple Cake. Who doesn't love the combination of Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-80014776885252311722023-04-07T00:30:00.007-07:002023-04-07T00:30:00.180-07:00Hot Cross Buns Yesterday (Holy Thursday) I decided to make a batch of Hot Cross Buns, which are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, but I like to enjoy them throughout the Lenten season. To make the buns I used my all-time favorite fluffy dinner rolls recipe from Cook's Illustrated. The only revision I made to the original version was to add cinnamon, nutmeg and plenty of raisins. Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-54640188036992775632023-04-06T00:30:00.015-07:002023-04-06T00:30:00.223-07:00Lily of the Valley Easter Table The theme for my Easter table this year, Lily of the Valley, came courtesy of tablescape extraordinaire brand Mrs. Alice. Setting a beautiful table gives me so much joy and upon discovering the brand in 2020 I've been a super fan ever since. Their raison d'être is "take the hassle out of hosting" and they certainly do with all of the beautiful products they sell. In Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-71227559442459705592023-04-05T16:39:00.005-07:002023-04-05T16:46:39.540-07:003D Bunny and Basket Rice Krispies Treat Since 2020 I've been making a 3D Rice Krispies treat bunny centerpiece for my Easter table. It always elicits ooohhhhs and aaaahhhs when people see it, but in actuality it couldn't be simpler to make. My "secret" is to use Nordicware's bunny cake pans. I've collected two (so far!) and usually nab them at Williams-Sonoma in their post-Easter sale. TheTruchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513204552233995567.post-29552882433869554352023-02-12T11:50:00.006-08:002023-02-13T18:10:30.379-08:00Dong Phuong King CakeAs a self-proclaimed foodie it's a bit ironic that I never had a desire to visit New Orleans, home of gumbo, jambalaya and po' boys, until I heard about Dong Phuong King Cakes. Dong Phuong is a renowned Vietnamese bakery in New Orleans East whose king cake is considered by many
to be the best in The Big Easy and even nationwide. I can't remember where I
first heard about it but I Truchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813816993845611824noreply@blogger.com13