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In general, I don't like scones. Because most of them are like cardboard with icing, especially at commercial coffee shops.
But homemade is a different thing entirely. Homemade scones are biscuit-y, crumbly, and nice and hefty and rich. And this recipe, for maple walnut scones with maple glaze (made using the good stuff, from Vermont!), is a winner.
They're easy to make and will make your mouth happy, so what are you waiting for?
I know you typically come to this site for sweets, but I need to tell you something. Za'atar bread is where it's at, man.
If you've never heard of za'atar spice, let me briefly explain.
Za’atar is a spice mix which is in frequent rotation in Middle Eastern cooking. It can be used as a flavoring ingredient in a recipe or treated as a condiment. In this za’atar bread recipe, it’s the key ingredient.
Typically, the flavorful mix includes thyme, sesame seeds, and sumac, but it’s one of those things that everyone mixes just a little differently. Some mixes may include oregano or marjoram; some might even call for lemon zest. There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong; it’s something that if you decide to make yourself, you can play with the ratio of ingredients to find the precise mix that works for you.
This recipe is based on a type of bread served at Bedouin Tent, the Middle Eastern restaurant in Brooklyn I worked at during college. If I do say so myself, I did a pretty good job.
Your snacks should be just as fancy as you are. And you're fancy, I can just tell.
While diamonds are dandy, rubies make a more delightful inspiration for candy. These bright red candy gems look super fancy, but don't require a trip to Tiffany or Cartier to obtain. All you need is a candy mold, a little time, and hopefully some aggression (don't worry, I'll explain).
This easy and fun craft/snack is inspired by Erin Gardner, a cake decorator extraordinare who led me through the process on her awesome blog, Erin Bakes.
Adapted from Erin Bakes
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Right here, right now, I'd like to give you permission to Cadbury Creme-ify your salad.
Easter is coming, and Spring makes everyone excited about fresh produce. Well, you can share your excitement about vegetables, while not actually consuming any, with this totally sweet salad. Green tinted coconut acts as a bed upon which "tomatoes" of red candy, "olives" of black jelly beans, and a drizzle of chocolate as "vinaigrette". Since the signature aspect of the Niçoise salad is hard boiled egg, this indulgent version is topped with slivers of Cadbury Creme Egg.
If anyone asks why it doesn't have tuna, well, I don't really like it on salad, so there you go.
Just don't eat too much, because you don't want to ruin your appetite for dessert!
Here's how you do it.
Makes 1
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If you enjoyed this, you may also enjoy my tutorial on how to make a candy salad.
OMG. You can make one of the best Girl Scout cookies in your very own kitchen! No weird stabilizers included.
Calm down. They're just Cadbury Creme Egg Rolls.
I know, all caps are annoying. But in the case of the last series of words, it was necessary. Because Easter has come early this year with my tastiest Creme Egg creation yet: Cadbury Creme Egg Rolls.
I've delved into Asian-meets-Creme-Egg fusion before, with my Cadbury Creme Egg Foo Young recipe from a few years ago. I've also re-created many specimens of classic cuisine with a sweet twist, including Cadbury Creme Egg Salad, Cadbury Creme Deviled Eggs, Cadbury Creme Eggs Benedict, Cadbury Creme Scotch Eggs, and of course, Cadbury Creme Egg in Hole Toast.
But these? These are special. Because they are fried, can be served with sauce, it's true, but mostly because, well, just look at them.
The best news is that if you want to make Cadbury Creme Egg Rolls, you don't need a lot of time or ingredients. Really. Let me tell you how.
First, you'll grab four Cadbury Creme eggs, a tube of pop-n-bake crescent rolls, and some flaked coconut. You'll rustle up a large pan and put a bunch of oil in it.
Then, you'll engage in a montage (80s music encouraged) involving these steps to assemble your egg rolls (don't worry, the full recipe is below).
Once you've done that, you'll heat up the oil and get your egg roll tossin' hands ready*...
(* = don't actually toss. Gently place them in the oil. Don't ruin your pretty face with hot oil spatter, please.)
and fry them to golden perfection. Let them cool slightly then enjoy the gooey rewards contained within.
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There is no good reason to not have cake in your life.
If you're gluten-free and eating cake made with cake flour is not good for your health, you might have to bake a little differently, but ultimately, your favorite treats should not be off limits. The new book Gluten-Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
This guest recipe for chocolate bundt cake is a very special one indeed, rich and dense and practically perfect in every way. And plus, it gives you the opportunity to say "I like big bundts and I cannot lie".
Yep. With that, here's the recipe.
makes 1 small Bundt cake
We created this for Jenny, a family member and good friend. She was diagnosed with celiac disease a few years ago and was worried that she’d never enjoy our cakes and cookies again. This cake is one of the first things we made for her, and it quickly became a favorite. It’s moist and chocolaty, with a tender crumb. Aki likes just a dusting of powdered sugar instead of icing.
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makes 15½ cups / 2020 grams flour blend
What if you had a gluten-free flour that worked in any recipe as a gram-forgram substitute for all-purpose flour? That was the question was asked ourselves when we developed this blend. “IiF” stand for Ideas in Food, our blog, where we published the very first version of this recipe. Alex came up with it for fun after reading the ingredient list on Cup4Cup flour (developed by Lena Kwak and chef Thomas Keller), and it worked beautifully. It’s gone through a few changes since the original, hence the 3.0, but it remains the easiest gluten-free blend to work with. It mimics all-purpose flour in recipes and for that reason, using a gram-for-gram substitution in any traditional recipe will give you comparable results.
Whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.
Reprinted from Gluten-Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
Hi guys and girls! I made a video explaining the art of how to make coconut macaroons with olive oil. SPOILER: it does include a pug, and unicorns.
When I was in Asheville, several of my yoga school classmates became hooked on something sold at the Whole Foods nearby called "Paleo Coffee". Well, I didn't have too much interest in it until someone told me it contained butter.
I was intrigued, and when I tried the stuff, I found that it was quite agreeable. Turns out, it was not only butter but coconut oil in addition that gave the coffee its rich, creamy flavor. Yes, I liked the stuff.
After Asheville, I promptly forgot about it until I happened upon this article in In Touch Weekly (one of my guilty pleasures fo'sho). I had to roll my eyes at it a bit, but then again, I have to say that the butter diet is one of the better ones I've come across.
They called it "bulletproof coffee" but it was the same thing that Whole Foods in Asheville had deemed Paleo Coffee. Either way, I think this stuff is worth a try. It's far cheaper to make it at home (I've seen it for sale between $4 and a whopping $8 per cup) and it's pretty delicious. While I will never ever suggest a fad diet to you, I think that this buttery coffee is a curiosity that is worth trying at least once!
inspired by In Touch Weekly and Greenlife of Asheville
Procedure: It's as easy as combining all of the ingredients, but I will give you a few small tips. First, you'll definitely want to use super hot coffee, because it needs to be hot to allow the coconut oil, which is solid at room temperature, become liquid, and the butter to melt. Second, I suggest pouring the mixture into a bowl and mixing it all together with a whisk, because if you just stir with a spoon in the cup, it won't be vigorous enough to make the butter droplets go away. I find that it just looks better when mixed thoroughly.
Finally, be sure to drink it while it's quite hot. The fat will begin to separate as it cools, making for a less appetizing visual.
Do you like beer?
In general, I do not. But in recent years I have come to appreciate a few what I will call "fancy beers" - the type that cost more than the average six pack, have the word "handcrafted" somewhere on the packaging, and that the average football watching dude would probably scoff at.
The only problem is that a lot of the fancy beers only come in 22 ounce bottles. Now, as an occasional beer drinker, this is an insanely large quantity to me; I have never and probably will never be able to finish an entire bottle. And as it simply isn't the same the next day (flat!) and I'm the only one in my house who drinks it, it has been relegated to "occasional" treat, and I usually end up throwing out the un-consumed portion.
I hate waste.
So the last time I bought a fancy-ish beer called Cappuccino Stout, I had some, and then decided to experiment with the rest.
Well, given the success of chocolate stout cupcakes, I figured there was a chance that I could be successful. So I heated up the beer, and then mixed it with mixed dark and milk chopped chocolate in an equal quantity.
I let it sit until it firmed a bit, and here's what it looked like.
And as for the taste? Surprisingly good. Like, actually good. The beer didn't so much taste beer-y anymore, but it more imparted a malty, caramelly taste to the chocolate. If I had been given a sample and you'd asked me to do a blind taste, I would have said that it was some sort of malted chocolate sauce.
Stout beer ganache is definitely worth your time. I think I'll try it on top of brownies next!
Note: you can use whatever quantity you like, as long as the beer and chocolate are in equal weights.
"If I could only eat one pie for the rest of my life, I would choose this one. It’s so incredibly good!" - so says Roy Fares in the headnote for this recipe, featured in the new book United States of Cakes: Tasty Traditional American Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and Baked Goods
Now, the title might be a bit misleading - while you might be picturing sweets from sea to shining sea, the book is mostly set in Southern California. The author, Roy Fares, is an international pastry chef celebrity, and on his travels, the Los Angeles area intrigued him quite a bit--so he settled there to bake through some American favorites. It's a beautiful book, but don't expect a book like United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State
Makes 12 pieces
Pie Shell
Frosting
Garnish
Make the Pie Shell
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius), convection function. Run the cookies in a food processor until they become fine crumbs. Melt the butter and add it. Add a little more butter if you think that the mixture is too dry to work with. Line a springform, 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter, with the crumbs, create an edge of about 11⁄2 inches (4 cm) high. Flatten the surface a little with the back of a tablespoon. Bake in the center of the oven for 7 minutes. Allow to cool.
Make the Cheesecake Filling
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius), convection function. Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour in a bowl until fluffy. Whisk in the cream. Fold in the egg yolks one egg at a time with a spatula. Cut the Snickers into pieces and spread them over the bottom of the pie shell along with the peanuts. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top and smooth with a spatula. Bake in the middle of oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (105 degrees Celsius) and bake for 35 minutes (do not open oven door). Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake stand in the heat for another 25 minutes (which reduces the risk of cracking). Remove and let cool completely. Let the cheesecake stand in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, so that it hardens properly. Run a thin knife around the form’s edge before it is removed. Rinse the knife with hot water a few times during that process.
Make the Frosting, and finish up
Mix all the ingredients except the cream in a bowl and whisk until the mixture feels fluffy. Whip in the cream in batches until it becomes a smooth frosting. Pipe or spread the frosting over the cheesecake. Garnish with Snickers chunks and peanuts and, if you like, dust with cocoa powder.
Got eggs, peanut butter and sugar? You could be enjoying this cake in less than an hour. Really.
It's only three ingredients, but it tastes way fancier. Trust me: try this one.
Intrigued? Recipe here.
I made something savory. Deal with it.
Well, as savories go, this Monte Cristo-inspired sandwich is sort of a crossover. The traditional sandwich features meat and cheese on bread, which is battered French toast style, toasted, and often served with confectioners' sugar and jam. So it's got one foot in the dessert world, even if technically, it's a savory food.
Honestly, I don't know why Monte Cristo sandwiches served on panettone aren't a thing. 
The lightly sweet, spongey bread is the absolute perfect carbohydrate for this sandwich: absorbent enough to get crispy and flavorful once toasted with the egg mixture, and with little fruits and bits and bobs which make the whole sandwich more interesting.
If you still think it's totally inappropriate that CakeSpy made something savory, well, I have this to say: you have to warm up for dessert somehow.
As hybrid foods that span sweet and savory go, this is an indulgent and delicious one. Here's how you make it.
Makes one large sandwich (suitable for sharing; or, double or triple the recipe)
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Have you ever heard of Torta Caprese?
My sweetheart was enchanted by this recipe in Brooks Headley's book Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts: The Recipes of Del Posto’s James Beard Award–Winning Pastry Chef
According to the book, Torta Caprese is an Italian sweet, named for the island of Capri. This is a traditional version that gets its structure from "walnuts and the superpowers of egg whites".
It's a very thin brownie, so we decided it was better to serve them in little short stacks, like the one pictured (five brownies at once? How American!). Since they're so thin, it's really like making a DIY layer cake.
Every flavor shines in this recipe, so it's a good time to bring out quality ingredients: basically, your brownies will taste as good as the chocolate you use.
It's also naturally gluten free, "making it perfect for passover, or for that friend who is not eating gluten, for whatever very real or totally imagined reason."
Only slightly adapted from Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts: The Recipes of Del Posto’s James Beard Award–Winning Pastry Chef
Yield: 1 baking sheet of brownies
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Buttercream is amazing stuff. I mean, no part of the word is wrong: it's composed of equal parts "butter" and "cream". And the actual substance is great, too: butter, confectioners' sugar, a little cream, and sometimes even pink coloring.
Yes, I love buttercream. But today I've got to tell you that it's not the only frosting.
Greek yogurt cake frosting deserves your love, too. I would consider this more like a cream cheese frosting in that it has a tang, but the greek yogurt version has a unique texture, which is almost like a soft fondant, that makes it a fascinating food experience. I say you give it a try.
In spite of the cartoon treatment above, these cookies are actually quite sophisticated.
They're shortbread, yes, but with an important departure from tradition: they're made with olive oil. Sound weird? Get over it. Because these cookies are so tender, so flavorful, so delicious, that you'll be craving them long after the batch is gone.
The olive oil gives them an intriguing taste that more than makes up for the fact that they are delicate--so delicate, in fact, that I like to eat them with ice cream and a spoon.
A drizzle of chocolate, which is my preferred garnish, helps hold the cookies together, so that they can melt in your mouth--not your hand.
Here's how to make these crave-worthy and conversation-starting cookies.
Makes about 12
Optional: 2 ounces melted chocolate, for drizzling on top of the finished cookies
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These are much softer than regular shortbread so handle with care!
If you'd like, drizzle the cookies with melted chocolate (my fave!).
This is an empty peanut butter jar. But it isn't a bigtime bummer: it's a delicious opportunity.
No more do you have to lament the loss of the last hard-to-remove bits of peanut butter from the jar. Instead, make it a delicious snack: peanut butter hot chocolate.
All you have to do is this.
Gather up:
And do this:
You may not get every last shred, but you'll get a good amount mixed in.
Don't do this with low fat peanut butter. In fact, don't buy low fat peanut butter, EVER.
I suggest "up to 8 ounces" as the liquid amount because this leaves you room to shake the liquid.
Don't like chocolate? I don't know what's wrong with you, but I guess we can share space on the same planet. You could also use warm milk or any soy/rice/nut alternative.
You're welcome.
I'm totally not lying. DIY cream cheese is a thing, and it is delicious. It takes some time and patience, but it's really quite easy to make--the hardest part is the waiting, as it has various resting periods.
This cream cheese is great eaten on bagels, or used to make a very impressive cream cheese frosting. Seriously--how cool will you seem when you tell people you made your own cream cheese for the awesome red velvet cake you're serving?
Olive oil chocolate chip cookie dough truffles. That's a mouthful to say, but an even more delicious mouthful to eat.
Olive oil can be employed in this absolutely gorgeous egg-free (it won't kill you!) cookie dough for an intriguing flavor which becomes all the more seductive when coated in rich dark chocolate.
Go ahead--you deserve it. So does your Valentine.
Photo via Post Foods
Did you know that February 7th is National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day? I know, I know: best holiday ever. Finally, a reason for ice cream stores to open early! Because one of my true laments in life is that ice cream stores open too late. Surely I'm not the only one who craves ice cream at 9:00 in the morning, right?
But I digress. To celebrate this wondrous day, I'd like to present an easy way to "breakfast" up your ice cream--by adding Grape Nuts.
Believe it or not, Grape Nuts ice cream not only exists, but can be quite common in parts of New England. Weird as it might sound, it works: the ice cream basically does to grape nuts what takes milk at least 40 minutes to do: it softens it, so that you can eat and enjoy the nutty, somewhat wholesome flavor without breaking your teeth. It works very nicely as an ice cream flavor.
If you're not in New England, however, you can do it the easy DIY way, by mixing Grape-Nuts into existing vanilla ice cream. Here's how.
Adapted from Post Foods
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