Apple Pie. Please let me introduce you to the perfect apple pie. Why This Pie Works We follow all the finicky rules that make a buttery, flakey pie crust like using high-quality butter, keeping it cold, not over-processing the butter & flour, not playing with it too much, and letting it rest. We use Honeycrisp […]
Berry Pancakes With Cream Cheese Filling. I cannot help myself. I have declared this summer the summer of drunken berry everything. It will be a very good summer. Enter stage left… or stage right… or does it even really matter which side of the stage they enter from? The drunken-berry-topped cream-cheese-filled pancakes. Berry Pancakes With […]
Let’s make some Small-Batch Strawberry Jelly with those strawberries you didn’t use this week! This is an easy, Laura Ingalls Wilder-style recipe. It’s simple and delicious. No apples or pectin are needed. Small-Batch Strawberry Jelly 1 pound strawberries, rinsed, hulled, & stemmed 1 2/3 cups sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice Place a small plate in […]
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting are, perhaps, the very best way to welcome fall. Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls Makes 12 large pumpkin cinnamon rolls. You will need cooking twine to cut the rolls. 1/4 cup water at 110°F or lower 2 packages (or 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons) yeast 1/2 cup scalded milk (heat […]
Lemon Curd is a delightfully refreshing treat that is so versatile. Lemon Curd About 8 lemon rinds. 1 cup fresh lemon juice (this will take about 2-3 juicy lemons to create) 1 cup sugar 8 large egg yolks 2 tablespoons arrowroot (or 3 if you’d like it to be firmer) 3/4 cup salted butter Using […]
Peach Cobbler is a perfect summer treat. Top with high-quality vanilla ice cream for one of the best desserts of your life. Peach Cobbler Serves 10-12. Preheat oven to 350°. Peach Filling 3-4 pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced or diced 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 […]
Cherry Pie Bars are a lovely summer treat and will last for a long time in the refrigerator or, of course. freezer. Cherry Pie Bars See these links to Oatmeal Streusel crust or Sweet Cream Cheese Filling options. Makes twenty 2.5″ bars if cut 4 X 5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cherry Filling 6 cups sweet pitted […]
Vanilla Cake With Raspberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting is a sight to behold. Swirly goodness and mercy she is a delight! Vanilla Cake With Raspberry Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting Serves 8-12 people. Preheat oven to 350°F. 1 recipe Raspberry Jam (or 13-16 ounces of store-bought is fine too) 2 3/4 cups cake flour […]
Strawberry Jam is a must-have recipe. It can be used to fill cupcakes, layered cakes, pastries, and doughnuts. Gorgeous Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish made with Strawberry Jam. Or, you know, you can use it on toast. Strawberry Jam 36 ounces (or about 6 pints) fresh or frozen strawberries 4 cups sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon […]
Blackberry Jam is a must-have recipe. It can be used to fill cupcakes, layered cakes, pastries, and doughnuts. Or, you know, you can use it on English muffins. Blackberry Jam 36 ounces (or about 6 pints) fresh or frozen & defrosted blackberries 3/4 cups sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice If you’d like to remove […]
Blueberry Jam is a must-have recipe. It can be used to fill cupcakes, layered cakes, pastries, and doughnuts. Yummy Blueberry Sour Cream Pudding Cups made with Blueberry Jam. Or, you know, you can use it on toast. Blueberry Jam 36 ounces (or about 6 pints) fresh or frozen blueberries 4 cups sugar 1 tablespoon fresh […]
Raspberry Jam is a must-have recipe. It can be used to fill cupcakes, layered cakes, pastries, and doughnuts. Or, you know, you can use it on toast. Raspberry Jam Makes about 2 quarts. 36 ounces (or about 6 pints) fresh or frozen raspberries 4 cups sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Place everything in a […]
Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins pair well with coffee in the evening. Or, you know, if you like eating dessert in the morning you can take one on for breakfast or brunch. Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins Chocolate Muffins Makes about 24 regular muffins or 12 large ones. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2 cups sugar 3 cups […]
German Chocolate Cupcakes German Chocolate Cupcakes Penuche Filling 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 egg 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cups pecans, chopped & lightly toasted 7 ounces sweetened coconut, shredded Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. […]
This Apple Filling is great for using in cakes, over pancakes, and in pastries. If you’d like it more syrupy for pancakes, you can use the smaller amount of cornstarch and if you’d like it thicker for cake filling, just use the higher amount of cornstarch. Easy peezy. Apple Filling 4 honeycrisp apples, peeled and […]
This Four-Berry Sauce doubles as pastry or doughnut filling, pie filling, and the leftovers can be placed in a jar and refrigerated as preserves. Aren’t they just beautiful? Four-Berry Sauce 4 cups fresh or frozen berries, one kind or mixed 1-2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup bourbon (optional for drunken berry […]
Sweet Cream Cheese Filling is a heavenly addition to sweet baked treats. You can add it to the middle of muffins and danish or place a layer of it in the middle of your favorite lemon bars. Sweet Cream Cheese Filling 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 – 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon […]
Chocolate Pizzelle Italian Waffle Cookies are fun to make and the prettiest little things you’ve ever seen. Nevermind the hours of cookie decorating when you can just bake the pretty right into your cookie in less than two minutes. Fill with frosting and lace with edible gold flakes and you have a magical treat everyone […]
France and Italy come together to create this dreamy, creamy Almond Tiramisu French Toast. Almond Tiramisu French Toast 1 recipe Almond syrup (make ahead, recipe below) 1/4 cup hot water 2 tablespoons instant coffee 8 eggs 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, divided 2 tablespoons almond extract, divided 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 4-6 tablespoons butter 8 slices […]
Some things are completely unnecessary, you know, like French Toast Cubes With Cream Cheese Filling & Triple Berry Sauce. Yet, they are glorious and scrumptious so we simply must splurge. French Toast Cubes With Cream Cheese Filling & Triple Berry Sauce Triple Berry Sauce 4 cups mixed fresh berries 2 cups sugar Juice from 1/2 fresh […]
Dutch Gevulde Speculaas Bars are a sassy spicy cookie filled with tender almond paste. Perfect for the holidays or, you know, when you want to escape to Holland for the afternoon. Note: The speculaas dough needs to be refrigerated for 12-24 hours. The longer the better (that’s what she said) so be sure to fit the extra […]
Because homemade is always best, we present thee with homemade almond paste. It’s a necessary ingredient for many Scandinavian and Dutch dessert recipes. Homemade Almond Paste Makes about 12 ounces. 1 pound slivered almonds 1 cup powdered sugar 1 egg white 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon almond extract Place almonds in a food processor and […]
Caramel-Filled Stroopwafels are fun to make and to eat. A perfect small fall-ish treat to go with coffee with friends… especially Dutch friends. Caramel-Filled Stroopwafels Makes 10 stroopwafels. Stroopwafels 1/4 cup lukewarm milk 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp (or under 105°F) 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups flour 4 […]
Banana Cream Pie. Delightful vanilla pudding topped with fresh bananas. It’s a classic and you don’t need a box to make it. Banana Cream Pie Vanilla Pudding Makes about 4 one-cup servings. 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups half and half or milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla paste […]
My years spent sleeping on bakery shelves before grade school are paying off for you once again. Today, I share with you the Almond Coffeecake. Almond Coffeecake 5 teaspoons yeast 1/2 cup lukewarm water (110°F or lower) 1/2 cup sugar 3/4 cup instant mashed potatoes stirred together with 3/4 cup lukewarm water 1/4 cup shortening […]
Here’s how to make a swiss roll cake with giraffe spots. I’m gonna stick my neck out and guess that you’ve seen Animal Adventure Park’s live video giraffe cam of April the giraffe awaiting the birth of her mini-me. If you love giraffe’s as much as I do, you cannot wait for baby; so, while we […]
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies With Cream Cheese Filling. There is nothing as happy in this world as makin’ whoopie… or red velvet anything. Putting them together throws us over the top into just plain glee. Thus, I present thee with the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie. With mini flags. You’re welcome. Red Velvet Whoopie Pies 1/2 […]
This week I’ve been makin’ a lot of whoopie. Have you been making enough whoopie? If not, I implore you to do so. I see far too many packaged items and store-bought fried chicken at potlucks these days. So, please, bring back the whoopie… or, if you’re more straight-laced, bring another favorite old-fashioned recipe. But, just […]
You’re about to score with these Game Day Whoop Ass Pies. Here a new play on a classic dessert… the Whoop Ass Pie for game day. Go Seahawks! Not a Seahawks fan? Here’s the recipe so you can adjust to your team colors… if you must. Game Day Whoop Ass Pies Preheat oven to 350°F […]
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. Hey, Punkin’! Here’s a little fallish treat for you and your loves. Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Hazelnut Mousse Filling Pumpkin Whoopie Pies 1/2 cup butter (or 1 stick), softened 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup pumpkin 1 1/4 cup buttermilk 1 egg 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking […]
Homemade Plum Jam. Nothing makes one feel more like an old-fashioned kid like balancing while walking across a log and picking fresh fruit from a tree. One of the most underrated fruits of all is the plum. How could we possibly overlook the colors, the smells and the taste of the gorgeous plum? Let us go […]
I love a dark, moist German Chocolate Cake. The real magic, though, might be the penuche topping. I can still almost see it on top of my great aunt & uncle’s bar… a 9X13 pan of chocolate cake – all messy and perfect and messy. German Chocolate Cake Makes one double-layer 9-inch round cake or […]
One of my favorite Scandinavian treats is the Raspberry Almond Mazarin Tart. It is rich and regal yet one of the easiest things one could make for friends… the perfect dessert. Raspberry Almond Mazarin Tart Makes six 4-inch tarts. Preheat oven to 350F. Crust 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 egg yolk 1 […]
Penuche Coffee Cake. Life is about breaking the rules. Like, who says penuche is only for German Chocolate Cake? For new readers, I worked in one of the Seattle area’s most popular bakeries back in the eighties & nineties. It is where my love of all things small business, all things sugar, all things Scandinavian, […]
As the oldest child, I remember having special privileges – privileges like staying up late with mom to watch Dynasty. Once a week, we would make lemon bars, snack ourselves into the world of shoulder pads, and male stunt doubles in awful wigs playing the roles of over-privileged, fighting women. Lemon bars never made me […]
It is Christmas cookie baking time and thumbprint cookies are the perfect choice. Thumbprints are the gems of the cookie kingdom. Thumbprint Cookies Makes 18 small cookies. Preheat oven to 350°F. 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup […]
Ever since we were featured in Evening Magazine, these homemade danish pastries have been my most requested recipe. It simply whisked across the screen for 30 seconds and people were in love. I don’t blame them. I figure I’ve frosted 58,923 of these in my life so far. They were popular at Scandia Bakery when […]
Family is over for the weekend and bless-ed Bavarian Cream Doughnuts are the answer. They are, in fact, the answer to more things than one might even think. So while your family piles up on the sectional sofa to re-watch Star Wars – the good ones, not the new ones – for the gazillionth time, […]
Whoever declared autumn to be a slow season for travel must not have realized that warm, fallish flavors are an innkeeper’s dream – especially Praline Pumpkin Crepes With Cream Cheese Filling. Everything cinnamon. Everything pumpkin, and yet, still, whipped cream. Oh, so much whipped cream. The foundation of every dessert known to man. Only, you […]
Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins. The blueberry season opens in 72 days, 9 hours, 54 minutes and 28 seconds here in the Northwest. You know, either that or in about 2 1/2 months. I do believe, however, it is imperative to have a perfect blueberry muffin recipe for any day of the year. Blueberry Cream Cheese […]
The girls in our family were looking through old cookbooks this week. Almost everything in certain books were combinations of processed foods with corny names… naughty names even. If there is one dessert that every girl should know how to make, it’s Better Than Sex Dessert. Good Christian women call it “Better Than Robert Redford […]
Cherry & Cream Cheese Bread Pudding. There are few things as beautiful as a perfect flavor combination. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that is something I was learning when I used to sit on a stool and watch the bakers do their magic on doughnuts, pastries, and bread. While all I could […]
Blackberry Crumble Bars are an old-fashioned favorite. Traditionally a summer treat, we don’t have to wait for the sunshine anymore with frozen blackberries available year-round. Let us celebrate blackberry crumble in January and February and March, and… well, you get the idea. Blackberry Crumble Bars Berry Filling 6 cups blackberries 1 1/2 cups sugar […]
Overnight Caramel Apple French Toast for fall. Every year, our family decorates for fall the night before school starts. Fall leaves, rustic orange candles, and mini wool pumpkins adorn my mantel. Candy dishes are filled to the rim for guests. Yes, honest, it’s for my guests. That is unless I happen upon my favorites first. Fall is good for […]
Nothing says autumn more than colorful fall leaves and Pumpkin Coffeecake with Cream Cheese swirls and pecans. With the leaves still falling at the inn, I just had to make an autumn breakfast treat for our guests. One mention of it on Facebook and Twitter made for recipe requests. This recipe was just invented last […]
