Click here for directions on making the chocolate maple leaves. I’ll be circling back with baking directions soon!
Continue reading “Maple Apple Cake with White Chocolate Leaves”
Maple Apple Cake with White Chocolate Leaves
Ingredient: unsalted butter
Mulberry Matcha Tart
I normally write up a big long description, especially for foraging posts so that folks who are new to foraging will feel confident to give it a try. But when I posted pictures of this tart on a wild edibles Facebook page, I had so many requests for the recipe I decided to just get the recipe part up and circle back to fancy pictures and a detailed explanation later. Hope you give this a try, I’ve gotten rave reviews from my family and neighbors!
Continue reading “Mulberry Matcha Tart”
Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts
I wasted about a week making a string of disastrous sheet cakes. A vanilla rhubarb cake that was tough and spongey with weeping, semi-curdled frosting. An earl grey-lemon one that was simultaneously bitter and bland. The last bright idea I had was a lemon-thyme cake with a goat cheese frosting. But I just couldn’t face another failure so I skipped it. But I had already bought the goat cheese. So I gave it a hard think and in the spirit of Reckless Experimentation decided to make a Chocolate Brownie with a Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts. Continue reading “Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts”
Strawberry Rhubarb Tart
I love the vibrant flavor and tartness of strawberry and rhubarb. A strawberry rhubarb pie is one of the best things about spring. That and the end of another soul-crushing Chicago winter of course. I wanted to see if I could pack all that spring flavor into a tart resembling a lemon meringue pie, using rhubarb as the filling and adding strawberries to the classic Italian meringue topping. This Strawberry Rhubarb Tart does it all. It’s bursting with juicy flavor, rich and tart, and topped with pillowy swirls of strawberry meringue. Continue reading “Strawberry Rhubarb Tart”
White Chocolate Blueberry Buttercream
This white chocolate blueberry buttercream is as versatile as it is beautiful. Loaded with real blueberry flavor and no artificial color, it’s an excellent accompaniment to lemon curd and lemon cake. I’ve used it two ways here, but there are so many possibilities. Continue reading “White Chocolate Blueberry Buttercream”
Chewy Thin Mint Cookie Recipe
These cookies are chewy, satisfying version of the much beloved Thin Mint girl scout cookies. This thin mint cookie recipe is extra chocolatey with a just-right amount of mint, half-dipped in rich dark chocolate. If you are prone to eating a whole sleeve of the originals, this is the cookie for you. One or two of these and you’re all set. Best of all, this recipe couldn’t be easier. No mixer needed, just a couple of bowls and a fork. I like adding little green sprinkles to give it a St. Paddy’s Day/Girl Scout vibe, but that’s totally optional. Continue reading “Chewy Thin Mint Cookie Recipe”
Raspberry Almond Cake with Candied Blood Oranges
I love frosting. I love cupcakes with lots of frosting and cakes covered in big frosting rosettes. But sometimes a cake is just so delicious, you want the frosting to simply complement, not dominate. This raspberry almond cake gets that balance just right. The cake is rich and perfectly textured and the raspberry buttercream frosting adds a bright flavor and color. It’s loaded with real raspberries and topped with tender candied blood oranges, giving just a bit of bitterness to balance the sweet. All of the three components are delicious on their own. But together, they’re magic. Continue reading “Raspberry Almond Cake with Candied Blood Oranges”
Mind-Blowing Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes
These chocolate covered strawberry cupcakes are a valentine favorite at our house. The strawberry buttercream is insanely delicious and loaded with real strawberry flavor. Because the cupcakes are made from a mix and the tops are dipped in dark chocolate candy melts they look fancy but are pretty simple to make. Continue reading “Mind-Blowing Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes”
Mezcal-Chili Dark Chocolate Truffles
I’m still making my way through a bottle of mezcal (a smoked tequila) that a dear friend sent me when I was having a rough day. Now that the New Year is upon us, I’m ready to celebrate past and future and it always puts me in the mood to go all out and be decadent. These Dark Chocolate Truffles infused with mezcal and dusted with cayenne powder are so rich and wonderful. They have a nice snappy chocolate shell and a soft, melting, smoky center. The heat of the cayenne comes through right at the end. And of course they’re topped with a bit of edible gold leaf. Because DECADENT. Continue reading “Mezcal-Chili Dark Chocolate Truffles”
How to Make Koeksisters-Fried South African Mini Doughnuts
I got lucky at a garage sale a few years ago and scored a wonderful table top fryer from the sixties. It’s built like a tank, still has the original cloth cord and had never been used. I had never really done any deep-frying so I was a little nervous. But it turns out that with a bit of practice it’s very easy and super fun. The kids love it when I make frites or chocolate donut holes but I haven’t experimented with it too much. Then I saw a delicious looking, teensy little braided donut from South Africa called a koeksister. Finally, a treat worthy of a Deep-Fried Experimentation Project. New band name, I called it! Read on to learn how to make koeksisters. Continue reading “How to Make Koeksisters-Fried South African Mini Doughnuts”
