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

apple crumble granola

hello there! it's been a good while and i finally got around to editing some food photos from a while back. i had actually meant to post this up about a month ago but i accidentally deleted the edited photos and had to re-edit them again. anyway, here's a recipe for a breakfast granola, apple crumble granola, that is. sounds pretty awesome, eh? i think so!

i've never made granola before and so this is for sure a first. how did it turn out? ahhhh... okay, i guess. i didn't know what to expect so i can't really say a whole lot. what i can say is that it's not really sweet. or as according to m, not at all! so if you like it a little sweeter, i recommend adding more honey or possibly even sprinkling in some brown sugar (note: i have not tried this). another thing was either i totally did this wrong, mine didn't clump together the way i thought granola should. you see, i found this recipe on some random sight online and from the pictures i saw, it came out perfectly fine. so maybe i did something wrong? who knows.

well, below's the recipe should you be interested. i'm sure you'll have better luck with it than me. regardless, i still thought it tasted alright. i do love the apple and cinnamon flavor that comes through. and what better way to dress up a bowl of non-fat greek yogurt in the morning than some granolas and fresh fruits?





apple crumble granola
recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 300g (3-1/3 cups) oats
• 1 apple (with or without skin)
• 30g (2 tbsp) butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°F.
2. first, pour the oats into a mixing bowl, and grate the apple over the top. or for a chewier granola, finely dice the apple instead for large chunks. stir it into the oats quickly to prevent the apple from browning as it comes into contact with the air.
3. pop the butter in a microwaveable dish and ping on a high heat for 20 seconds to melt. add the honey and cinnamon to the melted butter and stir through. pour into the oats and apple mixture, and stir well to coat lightly and evenly.
4. lightly grease a baking tray or roasting tin (i actually just used a silpat on a baking sheet), and tip the oat mixture in. roughly even out with a spoon, but don't press down as you want it to clump together in chunks, not make a flapjack! pop it into the center of the oven at 30 minutes, removing to shake gently halfway through.
5. allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. it will keep for a few weeks if stored in a cool dry place.

FOR VEGANS: replace the 30g of butter with around 40ml oil, and the honey with either sugar, golden syrup or agave nectar, whichever you prefer.

TO MAKE IT GO FURTHER: add half a handful of raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit to make it go further.

you can eat this slightly warmed up, or thrown into plain yogurt... pretty much anything. it's perfect for breakfast or as a snack anytime throughout the day.

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).

the best banana bread muffins you'll ever eat

happy valentine's day! :)

and hehehehe... that's some title eh? yes, the BEST banana bread muffins you'll ever eat (and make... according to m and me). seriously. it's loaded with tons of bananas, chocolate chips, and hints of vanilla and cinnamon flavor. oh, and to top it off, you've got a crispy cinnamon-pecan-cookie-like topping. O. M. G. i know! these guys disappeared like that. it was that good.

last weekend we finally had some rain in like forever! as you all know, we northern california folks have been enjoying quite the unseasonably warm winter (with high 60's and low 70's and no rain in sight at all!) until this past weekend. yup, it sure rain. and what's the best way to stay cozy and warm when it's awful and wet outside? well, none other than baking to warm up the house. and the bonus is the delicious smell throughout and goodies that you can actually eat! i think i ate like 5,000 calories this weekend from all the baked goods. must be my body telling me to fatten up for this stormy cold weather.

okay, so let's cut to it. below's the recipe should you want to make some. seriously, so good. i literally inhaled one right after a minute or two of it coming out of the oven. i told m it would make for a yummy dessert with a little ice cream next to it. the cold/hot combo would be perfect. m had one soon after it cooled off and said i could sell these. that's quite the compliment being that he's such a tough critic when it comes to me and my baked goodies.

alright, go bake some for your lovebugs today (or this weekend or whenever) and let me know what you think! enjoy and happy eating. :)


these banana bread muffins are amazing. it's loaded with tons of banana, chocolate chips and a cooke topping... so good you cannot just eat one.


instead of your typical banana bread loaf, why not make muffins? this recipe is super versatile, quick and easy to make, you can leave out the chocolate chips or cookie topping if you like. or throw in some nuts and you've got a crunchy muffin. yum!

banana bread muffins with chocolate chips & cinnamon-pecan cookie topping

for the banana bread muffins:

• 4 brown medium-size bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 cup chocolate chips (any kind, i used dark and semi sweet)

for the cookie topping:

• 1/4 cup ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, broken
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

directions:
preheat oven to 350°F. line cupcake muffin tins with paper cups.

for the cookie topping: in a medium-size bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar until fully incorporated. reserve a tablespoon or two and set them aside. then add in the pecans to the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss until they're coated. now add in the softened butter and mix until all the ingredients are blended together. lastly, add in the flour and mix until dough forms. set cookie dough aside (preferably in the fridge while you make the muffin batter).

for the muffins: in a good size bowl, mix everything but the chocolate chips together until combined. then throw in the chocolate chips and fold until fully incorporated. spoon out the mixture into the paper cups, about 2/3 full. top it off with the cookie batter and sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar on top. note: you may want to use a fork and kind of break the chilled dough a little bit so that it resembles crumbs, etc. otherwise, just put in bits on top of the muffin and that will do just fine too. if you run out of the cinnamon sugar, you can always make more by combining 1 part cinnamon to 2 parts sugar (or equal parts if you like).

bake muffins for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when you insert it into the muffin. let the muffins cool a little bit before taking them out of the tin and cooling on a wire rack. eat shortly after while still warm because they taste delicious or you can wait until they are completely cool. it'll still taste just as good. of course, i prefer it warm. ok, enjoy! :)

makes about 16-18 standard size muffins (you know, the regular cupcake kind).

banana bread, three ways

you know what you do with extremely ripe bananas right? of course! you make banana bread with it. that's what happened about 2 months ago when a giant bunch of bananas were going super ripe on us at work. instead of tossing it in the garbage, i took it home and turned it into these three delicious different variety of banana bread. the first one being the classic. yes, pure and simple, nothing to it. the second had some pecans added with a cinnamon-y sugar topping. and lastly the third one was in the shape of a bundt cake and turned into a banana bread coffee-cake of sort with a yummy cinnamon-swirl sugar and pecans inside and the same on top. the topping was super crispy and crunchy. all three breads tasted wonderfully with our morning coffee the next day after i baked it the night before. let's say everyone was quite happy with the end result of those ripening bananas.

so if you have some ripe bananas and you'd like to tackle or try a new recipe, why not give this a shot. i love how it uses vegetable oil and the buttermilk really makes it good, and not dry at all. i think these taste even better as it sits, like on the second or third day. but who's to say you can't eat it all in one day (the same day). and yes, this recipe is so good, i just made a loaf last night with some riped bananas. so go ahead and bake a loaf. it would be super perfect for later this week when everyone's around for thanksgiving. :)


i think what i love most about this recipe is that it doesn't use butter. especially when you're making 3 loaves. the oil makes it super easy to stir (when using a fork instead of doing it in a proper mixer).


i really like the cinnamon sugar streusel topping. it adds a nice crunchy texture to this bread. if you're a fan of sweets/sugary goodies, you should definitely try it.

banana bread
banana bread recipe from all recipes

ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup mashed bananas (no idea how many bananas, but a good rule of thumb is 2-3 really ripe medium bananas should do)
• 1-1/2 cups white sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

optional cinnamon streusel topping:

• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup (8 ounces) chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

directions

1. preheat oven to 325°f (165°c). spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.
2. blend together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.
3. sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. add to banana mixture and stir in pecans. mix well.
4. pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

makes 1 9x5-inch loaf. or you can triple it like i did and make 3. enjoy and happy eating. :)

three banana bread variations:

• plain: make as is, leave out the nuts.
• banana bread with pecans (or any nuts) & cinnamon streusel topping: make as is, but with the nuts. top the batter with cinnamon streusel topping.
• banana bread coffee cake: make as is, with the nuts. also make the cinnamon streusel topping. pour half the batter into a bundt cake pan, top it with half the streusel topping, then top it with the rest of the batter, follow by the rest of the topping. the result is something delicious-looking when you cut into it, like this.

sour cream coffee cake with cinnamon streusel topping

a few weeks back we had tacos for dinner. along with the many ingredients in making a yummy taco was sour cream. we had some sour cream leftover sitting in the fridge from the taco dinner and garbage night was fast approaching. so instead of throwing it out, i decided to make the most out of the leftover sour cream. so, what do we have here? you guessed it. nothing more delicious for breakfast than that sour cream coffeecake. i did a quick google search and landed on king arthur flour's website for this very tasty coffee cake. it's so tasty, they called it their "favorite sour cream coffee cake."

the end result? a very tender cake that was the perfect accompaniment to my morning starbucks iced coffee the next morning after i baked it. actually, i had another slice later that same day as an afternoon snack. delicious, all around and for sure a new favorite. i love how the cake is filled and topped with this yummy cinnamon-y streusel. the nuts in the streusel gave it a nice crunch and another dimension to the cake. i didn't have walnuts around so i substituted pecans instead and it was just as good. overall, a very excellent coffee cake. i brought about 3/4 of the cake into work and it was a hit.

now, if you're interested in making this cake, i say why not. it is so good and is perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea or whenever, just because. i know i will for sure be making this coffee cake again and possibly modifying it to see what else this recipe can do. enjoy and happy baking! :)


i never thought i'd be a sucker for breakfast sweets, but since i started baking, i love anything sweet for breakfast. this coffee cake is a perfect treat with my morning coffee.


close-up of the cake. see that layer of cinnamon streusel? yummy!


i must bake this coffee cake for breakfast again. especially with fall here already, it would go perfect with that pumpkin spice latte. oh, that just sounds so good right now.

sour cream coffee cake
recipe from king arthur flour

cake

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter
• 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream or yogurt*

*feel free to use low-fat (NOT nonfat) sour cream or yogurt; if using yogurt, try vanilla or another complementary flavor, if desired.



 topping

• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup (8 ounces) chopped walnuts, optional

directions
cream together the butter or margarine, sugar, and eggs. in a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream or yogurt, stirring after each addition.

grease and flour a regular-sized (9 1/2-inch) tube pan or bundt-style pan, or a 9 x 9-inch pan. spread half the batter in the pan, and sprinkle with half the topping mixture. repeat with remaining batter and topping.



bake the coffeecake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake tests done. cool it for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan. (if you've baked it in a 9 x 9-inch pan, just serve it right from the pan.) place the cake right-side-up (topping up) on a plate to serve.

makes 12 generous servings. enjoy and happy eating! :)

blueberry-lemon buttermilk cake

happy september! wow, september already?! i can't believe summer came and went and we're almost into fall. before you know it, it'll be halloween. that's when all the fun begins. you know, the good holiday season with all that fun and festive decorating, baking and cooking. oh, i love the holiday season. now, i don't know about you guys, but typically when i bake a cake with fruit in it, i feel like they always dry out. either i'm not very good or the recipes i've been using aren't quite there (yet). anyway, i came across a cake recipe here a while back while looking for breakfast cakes (or cakes that you can kind of pass for eating in the morning). i don't think i've had a more perfect (fruit) cake than this blueberry-lemon buttermilk cake here. even on day two, unwrapped, it still tasted as if it just came out of the oven a few hours ago. and i swear, i still had some on day four and it was just as good, but note that i cover the cake with plastic wrap after day two.

i'm not sure exactly how i came across it. i've lost the link to this cake recipe so i'm very sad i cannot give credit to whoever came up with the recipe. although i did stumble upon a blackberry cake recipe on food & wine's website and it was almost identical to this. i'm pretty sure whoever came up with the blueberry-lemon cake adapted it from food & wine's blackberry cake recipe. seriously, it was almost the same with a few minor changes. i will have to make that blackberry cake one day soon and see if it is up to par with this one. now trust me when i say this, you cannot go wrong with this recipe. it comes out perfectly moist and stays that way even on day 2 or 3. i couldn't get enough of it and usually i'm the type of person who will eat while baking or soon after baking. but beyond day 1, i forget there's even baked goodies around (most of the time anyway). i remember the other day while at work i thought about having a slice of this cake all day long. the minute i came home, i cut myself a slice and ate it before dinner. mmmm…. so. good.

for sure will i be making this cake again. actually, i've already made this recipe three times within the last week! i made the blueberry-lemon version twice and another one with figs added to it. all three came out perfect and delicious just as expected. i love how it requires no frosting and is perfect the way it is. of course, you can serve it with a little bit of freshly whipped cream on top for that extra touch of creamy sweetness, but i don't think it's necessary. i've eaten it both ways and both options are just as good. it's just a matter of preference i guess.

below's the recipe should you be interested. i say go ahead and make one today. you'll be so glad you did. seriously, delicious right?! i think so. enjoy and happy baking. :)


this blueberry-lemon cake is so moist and not at all dry. yes, even on day 2 or 3!


this easy to make and tasty blueberry-lemon buttermilk cake is perfect for those afternoon tea or as a sweet morning treat with that coffee.


i don't think i've baked or tasted a more yummier cake than this cake right here. for sure will i be making this one over and over again, in all different fruit variations hopefully. and yes, with and without that dollop of freshly whipped cream on top.

blueberry-lemon buttermilk cake

ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 sticks (4 oz) butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus 1-1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken
• 5 oz fresh blueberries (or you can use frozen ones as well, maybe 1/2-1 cup)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 400°f with the rack in the middle of oven. butter or spray (i buttered mine) an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. butter or spray the parchment paper.
2. whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. add vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. add egg and beat well.
3. at low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches, mixing until just combined.
4. add blueberries and fold in with a spoon. pour batter into cake pan, spreading and smoothing the top. sprinkle with 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar (this makes it a little crispy on the top).
5. bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
6. cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more.
7. invert onto a plate and cut into 8 slices.
8. serve plain or with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. enjoy!

makes 8, or however many you want to slice it. :)

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! :)

blue bottle coffee's zachte belgium waffles

last saturday morning m and i were downtown (sf) and i really wanted him to try blue bottle coffee's drip coffee. i'm not a big coffee drinker (only started drinking it occasionally since the birth of v), but i do drink it sometimes and mostly just your typical starbucks; and occasionally blue bottle coffee. anyway, i wanted him to try blue bottle's so we headed out to their location at mint plaza. we ordered two drip coffees along with the zachte belgium waffle. i've had their other waffle before (the liege waffle) at the ferry building location. i have to say both waffles were great. the zachte is almost similar to your buttermilk waffle in that it finishes with a nice slather of butter, topped with maple syrup and powdered sugar and optional whipped cream and fresh fruits. we just opted for the maple syrup and powdered sugar with the butter. oh my, the waffle was delicious with just the right amount of sweetness. i was a little worried the maple syrup and powdered sugar may be too much, but no, not at all. i love how soft the waffle was on the inside but nice and crisp on the outside. cutting into it and taking those first few bites felt like you were in some kind of breakfast or food heaven. we really had to slow down and enjoy the waffle because we didn't want to rush through such a good thing. that and the coffee was the perfect saturday morning breakfast combination. you really can't complain.

this morning, craving that exact waffle from last saturday, i decided to whip up my own homemade version. i didn't have any maple syrup on hand so i decided to skip that and just topped mine with powdered sugar and whipped cream with fresh fruits. it was still delicious.

below's the recipe should you want to make some. it's very easy and unlike the liege waffles, there's no yeast so no waiting for the dough to rise! make some and let me know what you think. pretty awesome tasting waffles, isn't it? i say so. now, next time you're in san francisco or at a blue bottle coffee shop elsewhere in the us, order the real thing and do tell me it's one of the best tasting waffles ever. so worth that $8-9 price. :)


this was a photo i took with instagram last weekend. now, seriously, it's one good-looking waffle. delicious!


i love how soft and tender this belgium waffle is; with a perfect crispy exterior and topped off with just the right amount of maple syrup and powdered sugar. a nice cup of coffee completes a delicious breakfast beautifully any day of the week.

blue bottle coffee's zachte belgium waffles
recipe from blue bottle coffee

ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups (12.3 oz / 350 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs (3.5 oz / 100 g), at room temperature
• 2 cups (475 ml / 484 g) half-and-half
• 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 7 tablespoons (3.5 oz / 100 g) unsalted butter, melted, plus softened butter for serving
• maple syrup, for serving
• powdered sugar, for serving (optional)

directions:

1. in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and mix well.
2. in a medium bowl, combine the eggs and half-and-half and whisk vigorously until well blended. split the vanilla bean, scrape the pulp into the egg mixture, and whisk until the vanilla seeds are evenly distributed. add to the flour mixture and stir just until evenly combined. gently stir in the melted butter.
3. preheat a waffle iron to medium-high heat. cook each waffle until the indicator light goes off or until browned and crisp. serve immediately with softened butter and maple syrup. waffles are the most delicious, and have the crispiest exterior, when eaten hot from the iron. if eating with a group, the waffles can be held in a 200°F (93°C) oven until all of the waffles are finished, but the exterior won't be as perfectly crisp.
4. any leftovers can be cooled completely, stored in a zippered freezer bag, and frozen for up to 1 month. reheat them in the toaster for an easy weekday breakfast.

makes 6-7 waffles and takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish. 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! :)

tartine's bread pudding

happy memorial day everyone and thank you to all of you who have put your lives out there (and/or still are) to serve and protect our beautiful country of u-s-a!

i love 3-day weekends. nothing particular about it, just the fact that i get one extra "weekend" day or two sundays as m calls it. now, with the weather being gloomy and all today, it was the perfect day to bake something delicious this morning. yesterday during one of my outings, i needed to stop at trader joe's to pick up some of their naan bread for m's chicken tikka masala he's making tonight for dinner. yes, someday we'll make our own naan bread to go with m's indian cooking, just not today. while i was there i noticed that they had some challah bread in stock. usually i always end up going to trader joe's at the end of the day and almost always they are out of challah bread. but nope, not yesterday. actually, that was probably because i went early enough in the day!

anyway, i bought the challah bread. why challah and not brioche? well, that's because they don't sell brioche anymore – i asked a while back and they said they're still trying to work out a deal w/ their bread vendor for brioche breads. i decided that it was finally about time i make tartine's famous bread pudding. and hopefully that it would turn out okay if not as good as the actual one from tartine itself?! well, sure enough i did make it this morning and i have to say, it was delicious! just as good as i remembered it, eating their bread pudding at the bakery. so, so good! i made the entire recipe (minus the making your own brioche bread of course!), from the bread pudding itself to the caramel sauce and even caramelized fruit toppings to add to it. oh, i have to say, it was seriously that good! even m was impressed and he said he doesn't care for bread pudding (hehehe.. that's because he grew up having to so much eat bread pudding as a kid and somewhat despises it these days). well, he said this bread pudding was quite good and if all bread puddings were like this, he wouldn't have a problem eating it. it's sort of like a yummy french toast. very rich and buttery – just yum, period.

below's the recipe if you want to make it yourself. i say it's totally worth a try. someday when i'm up to making bread (i can't be bothered because i don't have enough patient for it, waiting for the dough to rise, etc), i will make my own brioche and make this bread pudding again. otherwise, i'll stick to my store-bought or bakery-bought brioche or challah bread. yes, you can make tartine's brioche bread pudding with challah or croissant, and that's exactly what i did, using challah because brioche wasn't available. it's just as good.


i had been eyeing this recipe for the longest time ever. and finally, i've made it! too bad no one else in my family likes bread pudding. i may have to share it with my coworkers.


a close-up of all this yummy goodness.

tartine's bread pudding
recipes from tartine cookbook

bread pudding:

• 6 brioche slices*, cut 1-inch thick
• 8 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. salt

caramel sauce (for topping):

• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 of one vanilla bean
• 1-1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 3/4 tsp lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

directions for bread pudding:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°f. Butter a 9×5-inch glass loaf dish (i used an 8x8 glass dish and that works fine too!). Arrange the brioche slices on a baking sheet. Place in the oven until lightly toasted, 4 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
2. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk until blended. Add the sugar and whisk until smooth. Add the milk, vanilla and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve.
3. Place the toasted bread slices in the prepared loaf pan, cutting the slices to fit as needed. Pour the custard evenly over the bread, filling the dish to the top. You may not be able to add all of the custard at this point. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes, so that the bread can absorb the custard.
4. Just before baking, top off the dish with more of the custard if the previous addition has been completely absorbed. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, place in the oven, and bake the pudding for about 1 hour. To test for doneness, uncover the dish, slip a knife into the center, and push the bread aside. If the custard is still very liquid, re-cover the dish and return the pudding to the oven for another 10 minutes. If only a little liquid remains, the pudding is ready to come out of the oven. The custard will continue to cook after it is removed from the oven and it will set up as it cools.
5. Let the pudding cool for about 10 minutes before serving. You can serve the bread pudding by slicing it and removing each slice with an offset spatula, or by scooping it out with a serving spoon.
6. Serve with fresh or sautéed fruit and caramel sauce (directions below). Makes 6-8 servings.

*note: you can use challah bread (which is what i did) or croissants if you can't find or have brioche available. both alternative bread options should yield a very satisfactory result. :)

directions for caramel sauce:

1. Pour the cream into a small, heavy saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and use the tip of a sharp knife to scrape the seeds from the pod halves into the cream. Place over medium-high heat and bring to just under a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low to keep the cream warm.
2. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, water, salt and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then cook, without stirring, until the mixture is amber colored, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. The mixture will continue to cook off the heat and become darker, so make sure to have your cream close by. Carefully and slowly add the cream to the sugar syrup. The mixture will boil vigorously at first. Let the mixture simmer down, and then whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
4. Cut the butter into 1-inch chunks and add them to the caramel one at a time, whisking constantly after each addition. Then whisk the caramel periodically as it continues to cool.
5. The caramel will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
6. Makes 1-1/2 cups.

*note: Use a good-sized pan when preparing this caramel. When the hot cream is added, the caramel will boil furiously at first, increasing dramatically in volume. Have ice water nearby in case of burns.

for photos of the step-by-step, you can visit Jun-blog or Alexandra's Kitchen. they've got great photos. ;)

browned butter vanilla yogurt cake

in my previous posts i mentioned how i had baked all these cakes for my uncle's funeral service. well, i came upon this lemon rosemary cake on pinterest and actually made that recipe. anyway, the cake turned out delicious (and unfortunately i don't have any pictures to show for here). m was actually quite a fan of the cake (he's always such a tough critic with my baked goods). because of his rave review i decided i would make it again. except for this time when i went to make it, i didn't have my butter ready at room temperature like the first time and the microwave wasn't cooperating when i went to use it (to soften the butter) so i ended up having to brown my butter – therefore leading to this new cake recipe i came up with, adapted from the lemon rosemary cake of course!

this browned butter vanilla yogurt cake is just right. i haven't cared too much for frosted cakes lately so yogurt cakes, cake loaves, cakes with simple powdered sugar dusting or glaze icing was right up my alley. plus, it doesn't hurt that i still have all those ingredients in the fridge. so yes, i know… even after that 12-hour marathon baking expedition, i went ahead and baked this cake a few days after. i have to say, this yogurt cake is delicious. it's nice and simple with nothing too extravagant, but elegant enough that you know you're eating something good. the browned butter really enhances the vanilla flavor. and the yogurt in the cake really keeps it nice and moist. of course, not to mention the added lemon glaze on top that gives it that nice sweet and sour kick. oh, it's good!

below's the recipe should you want to make one yourself. i did mine in a 9-inch cake pan, but of course, you can use whatever pan you like. enjoy and happy baking! :)


this browned butter vanilla yogurt cake is really the perfect treat. i love it with a nice cup of coffee -- when i do drink coffee (because i don't drink tea) in the morning or afternoon as a mini sweet treat. ;)

browned butter vanilla yogurt cake
recipe adapted from baked bree

ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (i used plain because that was all i had)
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

lemon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350° F.
2. in a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat until it turns into a nice, sweet and delicious golden brown. note: you'll know when you've got browned butter when your whole kitchen starts to smell or smells like a nice toffee butterscotch candy. otherwise, i say anywhere from 3-5 minutes is pretty good. then pour it in a medium bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
3. while the butter is cooling, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. set aside.
4. now, add the vanilla to the bowl with the butter. mix to blend. then add yogurt, and add eggs one at a time. again, mix all the ingredients until blended.
5. add in the dry ingredients and mix for an additional minute, scrapping the bowl, until everything is smooth and combined.
6. pour batter into an 9-in cake pan (or you can use a loaf pan) that has been sprayed with cooking spray (i used olive oil instead).
7. bake for 45 to 50 minutes. cool in pan for 10 minutes. take the cake out of the pan, and cool completely on a rack.
8. to make the lemon glaze: whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice together. then add more sugar and lemon juice as needed. drizzle over cake. let glaze stand until completely set.
9. serve right away once the glaze has set. enjoy! :)

makes 8-12 servings depending on how you slice it. this yogurt cake is best enjoy within the same day it's made. otherwise, it can keep up to two days if nicely wrapped.

banana nut bread

as mentioned in my cranberry scones post, i also made a bunch of banana bread for my uncle's funeral service. below is one of the recipes i used. i think i tried at least 3 different ones, some with nuts and some without. how did they all taste? i'm afraid i can't really tell you because i didn't try all three. but what i can say is, banana bread is banana bread. okay, actually, that's no true. some banana bread could be pretty dry out. this one here isn't too bad actually. i love how it stayed nice and moist even overnight (i made it friday, served it saturday morning).

so if you have some brown bananas you'd like to use up, i say go ahead and make some banana bread today. the recipe below is so easy to make and whips up in a flash. the only time consuming thing is waiting for it to finish baking in the oven. but it's kind of like, you set it and forget it (well, not totally, but while it's baking you can do other stuff).

below's the recipe should you want to make some. and if you do, let me know what you think. enjoy and happy baking!


i love my banana bread lightly toasted with a little butter spread on. so good.


banana breads are so easy to make. i love how they really put all those browning bananas to good use.

banana nut bread
adapted from my baking addiction

ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 overripe bananas
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup walnuts

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350°F. lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan – i used olive oil, but you can use butter or any oil of your choice.
2. in a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cake spice. in another large bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes. stir in eggs, vanilla and mashed bananas until well blended. using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently stir banana mixture and walnuts into flour mixture – stirring until ingredients are just combined. pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack.

notes:

• you can add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to your batter if you like. i personally don't care for it so i skipped it.
• banana bread is better served after it has had time to sit overnight at room temperature.
• banana bread will keep wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 3 days.
• this banana bread is amazing toasted with a pat of butter.

cranberry scones

i know i haven't posted too many new entries lately, regardless if it was food related or exercise or whatever. this last week has been really tough. i think i averaged about 4-5 hours of sleep each night. yeah, pretty brutal. i'm not sure how i made it through though, but somehow i managed.

almost two weeks ago one of my uncles passed away. in doing my part or pitching in, i volunteered to bake some goodies for the funeral service this past weekend. my volunteering to make some cookies as snacks to pass out throughout the day during the weekend service turned into baking enough goodies for one morning breakfast (there are 3 mornings, i ended up with one morning). not knowing how many people i would be serving, i just knew there would be a lot of people. i asked my mom how many cakes and other goodies i should make and she said at least 10 breakfast cakes. and so with that number i spent literally the entire friday last week (from 11am to 11pm) baking a bunch of lemon loaves, fruit cakes (apple, strawberry, raspberry, lemon), and banana breads. in all, i think i had about 11 or 12 different cake-like goodies. in addition to all the cakes there were also a bunch of cranberry and raisin scones for the non-sweet eaters, blueberry muffins for the muffin fans and over 100 chocolate chip cookies. i think there was about 125 cookies or more in all. i lost count after so many dozens. in all, there were probably about at least 300-400 pieces of baked goods once all the cakes and loaves were sliced/cut. by friday evening i think my entire family was annoyed at me for being in the kitchen all day and taking up every counter space in the house, plus the dining room table. but i am glad and very pleased to say that m was so impressed with all my goodies that next morning (saturday) when i served all the goodies at the funeral service. he couldn't stop eating the toffee apple cake and rosemary lemon cake i made. he's such a tough critic, i couldn't believe he loved them. i will have to make those two again, take some pics and write a blog about it.

i have to say, that 12-hour baking marathon last friday in addition to the previous two nights of baking for the event was so worth it. it felt really good knowing i could contribute/give something to my uncle who has passed. everyone in my family: mom, dad, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles and cousins all wanted to make sure we gave my uncle the best send off we possibly could, especially since he never had a family of his own. he lived a tough life, but i'm sure in a way it was a very happy life. i know everyone loved him and will miss him dearly.

i'm terrible at taking pictures and i was so tired after all the baking i couldn't be bothered to take pictures of most of the goodies. what i did manage to take was the cranberry scones and banana bread. as for the others, i only took a few and those i posted them onto my instagram. below are the pictures and recipes for the cranberry scones if you'd like to make some for your next event or just because. i say these scones were quite the hit and i love how flaky they turned out. yummy! :)


this was only part of the kitchen that was captured on instagram. the dining table was a giant mess as well with baked goodies cooling, cakes waiting to be bake, ingredients and lots of miscellaneous baking items.


i never got to try these blueberry muffins or the strawberry cakes in the background. but from what i gathered on saturday, everyone liked it. i hope to make it again one of these days and actually eat one myself.


my instagram photo of the scones


this is only my second attempt at making scones and i have to say i've fallen in love with these delicious english biscuit-like treat. they are buttery and perfectly flaky when done right. add some butter or jam on them and you've got quite a treat for tea time or any time of day!


noticed all those layers in the scones? omg! so flaky and good.


i can't wait to make this recipe again. i know that from now on when i make scones, i will think of my 12-hour baking marathon for my uncle's funeral; and how special that feeling felt knowing i was part of the celebration of his life.

cranberry scones
adapted from cooking light

ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 2 teaspoons turbinado or granulated sugar

directions:

1. preheat oven to 425°F.
2. lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. combine flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; stir with a whisk.
3. cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. combine 1/2 cup milk, vanilla, and egg white in a bowl. add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be soft).
5. turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. sprinkle surface of dough with dried cranberries. with floured hands, knead 4 times or just until the cranberries are incorporated.
6. pat dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. cut dough into 12 wedges, cutting into, but not through, dough. note: at this point, i like to chill my shaped dough in the freezer for at least 30 minutes (okay, 15 minutes if you can't really wait the whole 30). see tip notes as to why below.
7. just before baking, brush 2 teaspoons milk over surface of dough; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar. bake at 425°F for 17 minutes or until golden.
8. serve warm, or cool on a wire rack. optional: if you like you can even dip the slightly cooled scones with some icing glaze (i like my glaze w/ a hint of lemon so i add a little bit of lemon juice to mine for a lemon glaze to dip them in) or drizzle the glaze over the scones for an added touch of sweetness. oh so good!

makes 8-12 wedges depending on how you cut your dough. enjoy! :)

tips to making and eating delicious scones:

• freezing scone dough for 30 minutes in the freezer relaxes the gluten in the flour, which makes the scones more tender and allows them to rise higher. it also chills the fat, which will make the scones a bit flakier.
• scones are best served warm. they're delicious as is, but add butter and/or jam (or clotted cream as they do in england), 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.