baked goodies perfect for a tea party!

ummm... so, i sort of hosted a mini tea party at work this week. any excuse to bake some yummy baked goods, right? i'm not big on tea or anything, but i'll take all the goodies that come with it. :)

for our initial afternoon tea party kick-off, i settled on some coffee nutella macarons as well as some lemon cream cheese macarons (thanks to all the lemons in my garden), some mini lemon cupcakes with lemon icing, multi-berries scones, jam thumbprints and what better way to top it off then your not-so-typical savory bites, spam musubi. yup, you heard that right. we didn't have cute little tea sandwiches. we opted for spam musubi instead and those were delish! spam musubi is quite a hit with my coworkers and me. we'll take it any time of day, any day of the week, just as we'll take any of the other baked goodies.

anyway, the recipes are below if you'd like to bake any for your tea party or any party or just because. yeah, when you think about it, who needs an excuse to bake? i sometimes just bake because i wanted to. okay, enjoy and happy baking! :)



multi-berries scones
recipe adapted from smells like home's blueberry scones

ingredients:

• 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole
• 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (i used a mix of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 egg, for egg wash

directions:

1. adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425° F. grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater. if using fresh berries, place the berries in the freezer until needed. whisk together the milk and sour cream in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. combine the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. whisk to combine. add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.
2. add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dough holds together in a ragged ball. add small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking.
3. roll the dough into a 12-inch square. fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (a dough scraper really helps with these steps). fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds, to form an approximate 4-inch square. transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.
4. return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into an approximately 12-inch square again. sprinkle the berries evenly over the surface of the dough, and gently press down so that they are slightly embedded in the dough surface. using a dough scraper, roll the dough up to form a tight log. lay the log seam side down and press the the log into a 12 by 4-inch rectangle. using a sharp, floured knife, cut the rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles. transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. brush the tops of the scones with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar. if freezing ahead of time, flash freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag until needed. bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18-25 minutes. transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

makes 12 scones (or however big/small you cut it)




mini eggless lemon cupcakes
recipe adapted from yum'e'licious

ingredients:

for the cupcakes

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup buttermilk (or do what i do; add 1 tbsp lemon juice to 1 cup of milk, stir, and let it sit for 5 minutes before using)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• zest of 1 medium sized lemon
• few drops of yellow color, optional

for the lemon icing drizzle

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

directions:

1. if you don't have buttermilk, this is when you mix the lemon juice and milk together and set it aside while you do everything else.
2. preheat oven to 350°F. then sift the flour, baking powder and the baking soda in a good size bowl and set that aside.
3. in another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. then add in 1/3 cup buttermilk and beat again until fluffy. repeat again with another 1/3 cup. then add the lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well. now, if you want to use some yellow food coloring, this is where i add it in.
4. now add in the dry ingredients and mix well before adding in the remaining buttermilk; mix again until incorporated.
5. fill the mini cupcake cups to 2/3 full (makes about 20-24) and bake it in the oven for 14-15 minutes. or if you'd rather do a loaf cake instead, pour the batter into a greased loaf tin (9"x5") and bake it for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. let the mini cupcakes (or loaf) cool completely before drizzling the icing over. to make the icing, just mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice together. if it's too runny, just add more powdered sugar; and if too thick, add more lemon juice.

makes about 20-24 mini cupcakes or one loaf




other goodies you can find recipes for:

• coffee nutella macarons
• brown sugar salted caramel macarons
• coral french macarons with citrust buttercream filling
• jam thumbprints
• blood orange cranberry scones
• blueberry cream scones
• traditional english scones
• cranberry scones
• white chocolate biscottis

blood orange cranberry scones

i was in trader joe's the other day and noticed they had bags and bags of blood oranges. well, duh me! it is the season. i've just never bothered to look around for them or noticed them in the past. this time, it was so obvious, i couldn't have missed it if i wanted to. i decided to pick up some up thinking i could bake with it, or at least eat them. we don't typically eat blood oranges in our household, but who's to say why not this time?

knowing i'd bake something with these blood oranges, i decided i'd make some scones. lately i've been treating myself to that morning cup of coffee at starbucks and noticed the cranberry orange scones that they have on displayed. i've yet to try one of theirs, but i figure i know how to bake so i may as well make my own. not having oranges on hand, what better alternative than blood oranges?!

below's the recipe for these blood orange cranberry scones inspired by starbucks cranberry orange scones. how were they? pretty good. i accidentally added too much sugar to the scones but i think the mistake was actually a perfect one. i really think you get the right amount of sweetness with the orange flavor. and the dried cranberries give you something chewy and a tiny bit of tartness when you bite into it. overall a great treat with that morning coffee or afternoon tea. now of course, you can drizzle some glaze on top (i was too lazy and couldn't be bothered) or spread it with jam and butter (or clotted cream) and it would just elevate this scone to the next level. very. good.


these blood orange cranberry scones inspired by starbucks are the perfect little treat with any morning coffee or afternoon tea.


a little blood orange glaze would go so well with these scones.

blood orange cranberry scones
inspired by starbucks' cranberry orange scones with recipe adapted from here.

scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour
10 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cold butter
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon raw sugar (or regular sugar works fine too), for sprinkling

glaze: (optional)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon blood orange juice

directions:
in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, orange peel, baking powder, salt and baking soda. cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. in a small bowl, combine the cranberries, orange juice, buttermilk and egg. add to flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.

on a floured surface, gently knead 6-8 times. pat dough into an 8-in circle. cut into 12 wedges. separate wedges and place on an ungreased baking sheet. note: this is the part where i like to stick the wedges in the freezer for a good 15 minutes or so before i bake it. i've read that by doing this it gives the butter time to harden so when you bake it, it makes the scones a bit more flaky and delicious. and is that true? i guess so. i do this almost every time when i have time to spare, otherwise i just skip this part.

brush with milk; sprinkle with raw sugar. bake at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. remove to a wire rack to cool.

for the glaze (optional): combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over scones.

if you like, you can even split it, spread some butter and jam and oh my, what a yummy-looking treat! enjoy. :)

makes about 12 wedges (more or less depending on how you cut it).

12 days of christmas baking - day 6: earl grey tea macarons

well hello there! and welcome to day 6 of my not so crazy christmas baking. i say not so crazy because this year i'm taking it slow. of course now that christmas is almost here, i'm not sure if that's quite so true now. i've worked it out and let's just say i'll be posting a new recipe every day up until christmas eve. i think that's right. we'll see. regardless, there will be 12 recipes in all. :)

today's recipe calls for earl grey tea french macarons. i'm a giant fan of macarons so it's no surprise. tea in it itself is another story (i'm not quite a tea fan, just because i've yet to acquire the taste for it). but i don't mind it in some of my baked goods. this cookie is actually quite good because i feel like you only get hints of the tea. so it's not crazy infused or anything.

as usual, if you'd like to give this recipe a try, i say go for it. enjoy and happy baking! :)


for any tea lover or macaron fan, these earl grey tea flavored macarons are spot on. i love the hint of the earl grey tea and the crispy and chewiness combo.

earl grey tea macarons with earl grey tea buttercream filling

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
1 packet earl grey tea leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon of loose leaves), plus more for sprinkling on top
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar

earl grey tea buttercream:
1 packet of earl grey tea leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon of loose leaves)
1 stick of butter, room temperature
2 cups of powdered sugar
milk or cream, if needed

directions:

to make the macaron batter/shells:

1. line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.
2. sift together the powdered sugar and almond meal so there are no lumps. add in the earl grey tea leaves and stir it to make sure it's fully incorporated with the sugar and almond meal mixture. set aside.
3. in the bowl of a standing electric mixer (or if you prefer, you can use a bowl and hand mixer), beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. while whipping, beat in the sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. when the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons. then let it sit for at least 30-60 minutes depending on humidity before baking them in the oven. about 10-15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. bake for 15 minutes.
7. once macaron shells are out of the oven, let them sit for 30-60 seconds before removing the hot baking sheet underneath. let the macarons cool completely before removing them from the parchment paper.

for the earl grey tea buttercream filling:

1. in a medium bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix until incorporated.
2. then add in the packet of earl grey tea leaves and mix until combine and you've reached the right consistency for buttercream. if it's too thick, thin it out with a little bit with milk or cream. if too thin, add in a little more powdered sugar.

to assemble the macaron cookies:

1. before assembling these cookies, make sure to pair up all the cookie shells so they are as close as possible in size.
2. using a knife, spread a good amount of the buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together. note: you can certainly put the buttercream in a piping bag and pipe the buttercream onto the cookie. it's a lot easier i think and less mess. but i can't be bother to do this so i almost always just spread it with a knife.
3. let them stand at least one day (keep them refrigerated) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors.

store in airtight container for up to 5 days. makes 20-24 macarons. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)


check out last year's day 6 recipe: chocolate cream cheese cupcakes

blueberry cream scones

since that first time i baked some scones, i've been a fan of it. i love how it's not too sweet and so if you're not a sweet tooth-kind of person you can have it as is, with a dab of butter or not. or if you've got a sweet tooth (i do most of the time), you can add on some jam and cream. oh it is really good, especially when it's nice and warm soon after it's come out of the oven.

i had some fresh blueberries in the fridge and decided i would finally make some blueberry scones. having a bunch of heavy whipping cream still on hand and very few eggs available, i opted for the cream scones instead because it uses no eggs or butter. the outcome like i've mentioned above is delicious. absolutely the perfect breakfast or afternoon treat. i actually had mine for breakfast. i prepared the scones the night before and had them sit in the fridge overnight. in the morning i preheated my oven and baked these delicious goodies. the house smelled wonderful the other morning when these were in the oven.

if you'd like to have a delicious smelling warm oven in the morning or any time of day, i say why not make some of these scones. again, it uses no eggs or butter so it's perfect for anyone who has an egg allergy. below's the recipe should you be interested. enjoy and as always, happy baking and eating. :)


i love how this recipe uses no eggs or butter. it's super easy to make and comes out perfect every time.


scones are perfect for any time of day really. i could eat them for breakfast, snack, lunch or yes... even dinner! ;)

blueberry cream scones
recipe adapted from food & wine

ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5-6 oz blueberries (i used fresh blueberries, but you can use frozen ones too)
• raw sugar, for sprinkling

directions:

1. preheat the oven to 375°f and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or you can use a silpat like i did).
2. in a bowl, whisk the flour with the granulated sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt. using a wooden spoon, stir in the cream and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice; fold in the blueberries.
3. on a lightly floured work surface, gently knead the dough just until it comes together. pat into a 9-inch round, a scant 1/2 inch thick. cut the dough into 8 wedges and arrange them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
4. brush the scones with heavy cream (or you can use milk) and sprinkle it with some raw sugar.
5. bake the scones for 20 to 25 minutes, until slightly firm and lightly browned on the bottom, pale on top.
6. let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

makes 8. of course, more or less depending on how you cut it. ;)

note: i don't quite agree with the cooling completely part unless you don't plan to eat it right away. generally scones are best eaten warm. they're delicious as is, but you can add butter and/or jam (or clotted cream as they do in england and i swear it's the best thing ever), if you like. to reheat room-temperature scones, place on a baking sheet, tent lightly with foil, and warm in a preheated 350°f oven for about 10 minutes.

lemon loaf cake

yes, i know, i've been MIA lately. but just because i haven't been blogging about any baked goodies or delicious eats doesn't mean i haven't been baking or eating good stuff, or designing or even exercising/running. actually, i have been with all of that. in fact, i've been baking a lot. i just haven't been taking any pictures and sharing them on here. that's because i can never find the time to take pictures of all the delicious eats i've been making. about the only time i can take photos of any baked goodies i make is in the morning and mornings around here are quite hectic with two little ones.

but yes, at long last, here is a yummy post. and if these photos aren't so great, it's because i took them with my phone this morning. so please, forgive me for the awful backgrounds and anything else that's imperfect about it. ;)

over the weekend my bro-in-law stopped by with a giant bag of freshly picked meyer lemons from his backyard. i kid you not, when i say giant, i mean one of those 13-gallon white garbage bag. it was halfway full at least, with who knows how many lemons. i know i've used about 1/3 of it already and there's still a ton left. so you see, my bro-in-law has this good-size (i don't think it's huge, but it sure produces a ton of lemons) lemon tree out back in his yard. it seriously is one lemon-producing machine because no matter how many branches he has cut off, the tree still finds ways to get more lemons out.

anyway, i decided to make use of the lemons. one of the things i've made with these lemons is this lemon loaf cake. i've made this recipe twice already in the last three days. it's pretty simple, so yes, piece of cake. i love how lemony this cake is. the amount of lemon juice is perfect and the added zest in the cake really makes all that lemon flavor stand out. i love how it uses both butter and oil and not just one or the other. the cake comes out just right and not dry at all. oh, to make it even more lemony is that added lemon glaze at the end. oh, so good. our house smelled delicious as the cake was baking in the oven. i couldn't wait to get it out and eat it while still hot. but yes, i was patient enough to wait until it cooled down to slice into it.

below's the recipe should you want to make it yourself. it's very easy and pretty straight forward. i've baked it twice already with minor adjustments and it hasn't failed me once (or twice). so go ahead and make some. these are delicious as an accompaniment to that afternoon tea or with your morning breakfast (i had it this morning w/ my iced coffee). enjoy and happy baking! :)


i love how lemony this cake is. it's the perfect treat with that afternoon tea or morning coffee.


this lemon loaf cake is so easy to make. you can make it again and again and it'll turn out just perfect every time.

lemon loaf cake
recipe adapted from sugar loco

ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup oil
• zest of one lemon

lemon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°f. prepare 9x5 loaf pan or 6 mini pans.
2. in a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. in a medium bowl combine eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla and lemon extracts, and lemon juice with a mixer. scrape bottom to make sure all is combined.
4. pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and blend until smooth, scraping sides and bottom of bowl.
5. add oil and lemon zest. mix well.
6. pour into prepared loaf pan(s) and bake for 45 mins (9x5) or 25 mins (minis). note: i did the loaf pan and only baked mine for 43 mins and it was fine. but of course, every oven is different.
7. insert toothpick to test. if the toothpick comes out clean, they should be good and taken out of the oven.
8. once removed from the oven, let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
9. while cake is cooling in the pan, prepare the glaze. combine both the lemon juice and powdered sugar and whisk to combine.
10. remove the cake from the pan(s) and onto a wire rack. make sure and put a cookie sheet or newspaper under the rack. pour glaze over the cake loaf. let the cake cool completely on rack.
11. once cooled, slice and serve. enjoy!

makes 10-12 servings depending on how thick or thin you slice it. cake is good for 1-2 days covered/wrapped (uncovered for me because i'm too lazy to cover it so we leave it uncover, plus it gets eaten within a day) at room temperature. it could probably go longer, but it might go dry as the days passes. enjoy! :)

traditional english scones with clotted cream and jam

over the weekend during one of my grocery shopping outings i came upon some clotted cream. i know, clotted cream in an american grocery store!?!! i mean seriously, i have never ever seen or even knew what one of those things look like. i've shopped in mini british shops where they usually have british goodies (typically your jams, candies, chocolates, etc) or the international aisle in grocery stores, but had never came across any clotted cream until this weekend. sure, i've heard plenty about them in my household, but had never had the opportunity to taste them – i know! even after being in england last year and the time before that as well down in cornwall (yes, i was in cornwall and i didn't even get to eat scones with clotted cream!). anyway, long story short, i bought one jar of clotted cream right off the bat. of course, i actually put two in my basket then decided i would only need one and if i needed more, i could come back for more. sadly, i went back the next night and they all disappeared. i was so disappointed. i swore i saw at least 6-8 jars of them still on the shelf. really, who came and bought them all? i mean, within a 24-hour time span? seriously!!?! i couldn't believe my eyes when i went back and discovered they were all gone. i didn't bother asking the store about them because i knew they wouldn't have any left. if it was gone, it was gone. boo hoo. i know i will be very sad when all the clotted cream is gone or when we have to throw it out (because it's only good for 5 days once you've opened it) because i don't know when i'll get to have it again, especially here in the states. ahhh! that just mean we have to plan a trip to england. hehe ;)

now, that very night i got the clotted cream i came home and baked up a batch of your traditional english scones. yes, the ones where there aren't any eggs in them. actually, there are so many scone recipes out there, some with eggs, some without, some with no butter and just cream and some with butter but no cream (milk instead)… lots! i did a quick search online and came across one on bbc good food website. this one sounds simple enough and i had all the ingredients needed so i went ahead and made some. i have to say, the scones right out of the oven, still hot or okay, maybe warm after it'd cooled a little bit with some raspberry jam and clotted cream spread on was just the perfect late night snack. hahaha, yes, late night because by the time i finished baking, it was about 10pm! and yes, i couldn't wait, i had to have one right away. it was so good. so, what does clotted cream taste like? i think it's sort of like a thick heavy whipping cream. like super thick and very, very creamy. you could almost substitute whipping cream for it, but then again, it's not quite the same. but i think for the most part, it will do the job – it'd just be a tad lighter since it won't be as thick. i have to say, the combination of the jam and clotted cream in the scone was just delicious. if you've never had clotted cream before, i say it's a must try anytime you get a chance to have it. so. good. i know i will make sure i eat plenty of scones with jam and clotted cream the next time i'm in england.

below's the recipe should you want to make some scones for that late night snack (okay, afternoon tea or morning brunch/breakfast?!). this recipe's pretty simple so you can whip it up quickly. i've converted everything to american measurements so it's easier for us americans. i say use the cups measurements if you're making it, it's a whole lot easier. of course, if you want the actual UK measurements, i've included that as well. so make some and let me know what you think. enjoy and happy baking. :)


i love how these traditional english scones turned out. they're sort of like an american biscuit but with a hint of sweetness. and of course, nice and buttery – and perfect with clotted cream and jam!


jam and clotted cream with these english scones are just the perfect treat for any time of day. i, of course, had it for breakfast today, yesterday and the day before that. yum!

traditional english scones
recipe from bbcgoodfood

ingredients:

• 2 cups (225g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons (30g) caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons (55g) butter
• 1/3 cup (55g) raisins or sultanas (optional)
• 2/3 cup (150ml) milk
• milk or egg wash*, for brushing

directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350° F (200C/fan 180C/gas 6). Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar in a bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the raisins or sultanas, if using.
2. Bit by bit, add 150ml milk until you have a firm dough. Turn out onto a floured work surface. Pat the dough into a circle about 1/2 in (1 1/2 cm) thick and cut out the scones (I used 2-1/2 in biscuit cutters). optional: if you like, you can put your scones in the freezer for 15 minutes to let them set before putting them in the oven. i hear it's supposed to harden the butter so when you bake it, it actually makes your scones a bit more flaky and yummy. i personally couldn't be bother to do that for this recipe here because i didn't have the patience or time to.
3. Put onto a non-stick baking sheet and brush the tops with milk or egg wash. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Serve with butter, or jam and cream.

*random note: i think i prefer egg wash over milk. having made this recipe twice in the last two days, the egg wash definitely helps the scones come out of the oven looking more brown or like it's been baked than the milk. the first time i made it i just brushed the scones with milk and they came out looking all pasty like it wasn't ready (baked) when really it was. so i say use egg wash and make your scones look scrumptious! :)

enjoy! makes about 8 scones. happy eating! :)