¾cup (198g)hazelnut cocoa spread such as Nutella®
½cup (85g)milk chocolate chips
1teaspoon coconut oil or any neutral oil of your choice
½cup (28g)chopped hazelnuts, toasted
Instructions
Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
In a large light-colored saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant. When you start to see golden brown specks forming in the bottom of the pan, immediately turn the heat down to low and add the marshmallows. Stir until the marshmallows are melted, then stir in the rice cereal.
Using a sturdy buttered spatula, press the mixture into the baking dish.
Melt the hazelnut cocoa spread and the chocolate chips together in a heat safe bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the pan. Stir gently until melted and smooth. (Alternately, you can use the microwave to melt the mixture in short spurts.) Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the rice cereal treats. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.
The texture and flavor of these cute Blueberry Lemon Crumb Cakes is immaculate. You’ll love them so much, you won’t want to share, but this recipe makes six 4-inch personal crumb cakes, so you’ll have one all to yourself. You’ll understand once you taste the soft, fluffy lemon scented cake with juicy blueberries, a generous amount of sweet crumb topping and a lemony cream cheese icing. I was a bit hesitant to share this recipe. But I was taught to share recipes by my two grandmothers who were amazing cooks and bakers. They shared their knowledge and recipes with anyone who asked. Recipes are a legacy that should be passed on to family and friends. If you’re reading this, I consider you a friend. So enjoy this recipe that’s especially dear to me, because it’s based on my Grandma’s Apple Crumb Cake recipe.
I used a six serving shallow jumbo muffin pan to bake the cakes. The muffin cups are 4 inches across by 1 inch deep. To find the pan, click here. A hamburger bun pan for 4-inch buns will work too. If you happen to have six 4-inch cake pans, those work nicely. I used jumbo muffin liners to line the muffin cups, which fit perfectly by pressing them in around the inside bottom edges.
Blueberry Lemon Crumb Cakes
Fluffy, soft lemon cakes with blueberries, crumb topping and lemon cream cheese icing
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, brown sugar and salt together.
Work in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like the consistency of wet sand. Press the mixture together to make chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Crumb Cakes
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 6-serving shallow jumbo muffin pan* with jumbo muffin liners.** Jumbo muffin liners will fit by pressing them around the inside bottom edges.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
Beat the egg and egg yolk into the butter mixture in 2 separate additions, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the extracts until combined.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and sour cream together.
On low speed, mix the flour mixture into the batter in 2 additions alternating with half of the milk mixture after each addition. Beat just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, evenly distributing the batter and filling the cups about half full.
In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries with 1 teaspoon of flour and place them into the cups on top of the batter, about 1 ounce (28g) in each. Top each one with crumb topping.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cream Cheese Icing
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, melted butter, powdered sugar, salt and 1 tablespoon (30ml) of lemon juice. Add additional lemon juice, a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over the cooled cakes.
Blueberry cookies remind me of a time when I was little. Every year my family would take a road trip up to Northern California. My parents loved stopping at roadside stands to buy fresh produce on the way back. One year my dad bought an enormous box of blueberries. When we got home, for the next couple of weeks, we ate far too many blueberry pancakes. My dad also used the blueberries in his famous cobbler, which was delightful. Then he made biscuits which turned out like rocks and we all laughed. My favorite blueberry creations that year were the blueberry shortcake and blueberry cookies. I’m sharing my version of the blueberry cookies, with the addition of lavender to make them a little more special.
My Blueberry Lavender Cookies start with butter and homemade lavender sugar. The original cookies had fresh blueberries plopped into the dough, which is perfectly fine if you’re making muffins. To reduce the soggy spots that form as the fruit releases its juices while baking, I typically macerate or cook fruit before it’s added to many of my recipes. The extra step makes a big difference. A quick, cooked blueberry compote is folded into the batter of these cookies, making pretty blueberry swirls. I finished these cookies with a sprinkle of sparkly sanding sugar in a lilac shade. This is optional, but very pretty. You can also make extra lavender sugar to use for sprinkling on your cookies. Sprinkle the sugar on before baking or after the cookies bake, while they’re still warm.
Blueberry Lavender Cookies
Chewy lavender scented sugar cookies with crisp exteriors and swirls of blueberry compote.
10tablespoons (5 oz or 142g)unsalted butter, softened
1largeegg white
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
lilac, lavender or purple decorative sanding sugaroptional
Instructions
Blueberry Compote
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of water, stirring until the blueberries soften and start to release their juices. Smash the blueberries slightly with the back of the spoon. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Turn the heat down to low. Simmer until thickened to a jam consistency, about 1-2 minutes.
Transfer the blueberry compote to a small bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Lavender Sugar
In a small food processor or a clean spice grinder, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar with the lavender. Pulse a few times to chop the lavender into smaller bits. Add the remaining sugar and pulse a few more times to combine.
Blueberry Lavender Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC) Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and lavender sugar with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy.
Add the the egg white and vanilla and beat until well combined.
On low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions and mix just until combined.
Add dollops of the blueberry compote to the batter. Fold in gently, but don't completely combine it. You want to see swirls of blueberry.
Place 2-tablespoon size portions of dough about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. I used a #30 portion scoop.*** Sprinkle with decorative sugar if desired.
Bake until tops of cookies are set and bottom edges turn light golden brown, about 10-14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. Do not over bake. Test one cookie before baking the entire batch if you are unsure about how to determine the doneness of cookies.
Notes
*To find culinary lavender, click here.**To find the decorative sanding sugar I used, click here.***To find the scoop I used, click here.
These rich, fudgy, coffee scented brownies, with caramel and whipped cream topping are inspired by one of my favorite coffee shop drinks, a caramel latte. I was thinking about how to get the caramel inside the brownies. With some methods, the caramel ends up over baked and chewy. Then I remembered poke cakes from my childhood. You poke holes all over a baked cake and pour whatever you like on top to soak into the holes. It worked beautifully with these brownies. To finish them off, I topped them with fluffy cream cheese whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel.
Caramel Latte Brownies
Rich, moist coffee scented brownies soaked with caramel, topped with fluffy cream cheese whipped cream and drizzled with more caramel.
6 oz (170g)bittersweet chocolate (70-72%), finely chopped
2tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process or dark
2tablespoons hot water
1tablespoonespresso powder
1 ½cups (10 1/2 oz or 300g)sugar
½teaspoon fine sea salt
3largeeggs
1largeegg yolk
1 ½teaspoons pure vanilla extract, divided
1cup (4 1/2 oz or 128g)all purpose flour, sifted
â…“ cup (3 5/8 oz or 107ml)caramel sauce, purchased or homemade
3oz (85g)cream cheese, softened
6tablespoons (1 1/2 oz or 46g)powdered sugar, sifted
¾cup (6 oz or 177ml)cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang.
In a large heat safe bowl, melt the butter together with the chocolate, in the microwave or on the stovetop over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, hot water and espresso powder until smooth.
Whisk the cocoa powder mixture, sugar and salt into the warm melted chocolate mixture until well combined.
Add the eggs, egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
Stir in the flour just until combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with moist crumbs on it, about 25-28 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool completely.
Once cool, remove the brownies from the pan and place on a serving platter. Using a chopstick, poke holes in the brownies, about 1 inch apart, to within 1 inch from the edges.
Spread caramel sauce over the surface of the brownies with a small offset spatula.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, with an electric mixer, until smooth. Gradually add the heavy cream and beat to stiff peaks.
Spread or pipe the whipped cream onto the brownies. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce.
If you like tropical flavors, you’ll love this spring dessert from my childhood. We used to call it Pineapple Coconut Snack Cake, but I would consider it more of a cake bar, so I changed the name to Pineapple Coconut Cake Bars. We would typically enjoy it on Easter or Mother’s Day because it was my mom’s favorite. It’s buttery, moist and rich. It’s also kind of addicting, because everyone always asks for seconds. You can double the recipe if you need to.
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Pineapple Coconut Cake Bars
by Mari Vasseur
Soft, ultra-moist pineapple cake topped with a buttery toasted coconut topping
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (142g )all purpose flour, sifted
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼teaspoonfine sea salt
¼cup (57g)unsalted butter, melted
1cup (200g)sugar
1largeegg
1 largeegg yolk
18 oz (227g) cancrushed pineapple in juice, undrained
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Topping
¼cup (57g)unsalted butter
¼cup (50g)granulated sugar
¼cup (50g)packed brown sugar
â…›teaspoonfine sea salt
â…“cup (78ml)heavy cream
1cup (75g)sweetened coconut flakes
½cup (50g)chopped toasted pecans
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, sugar, egg, egg yolk and vanilla until smooth & creamy. tir in the pineapple until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.
Topping
In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt. Whisk in the heavy cream.
When the mixture starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the coconut, pecans and vanilla. Spread over the warm cake. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting the cake.
These little personal-sized coconut cakes are soft, moist and so plush! They’re perfect for Mother’s Day or any springtime or summer celebration. I love topping them with cherries for a super cute, vintage look. They’re also lovely topped with fresh flowers.
1tablespoonavocado oil or any neutral oil of your choice
1teaspoonpure coconut extract or natural flavoring
½teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2cups (150g)sweetened coconut flakes
Maraschino cherries with stems or fresh, pesticide free edible flowersoptional
Coconut Frosting
½cup (113g)unsalted butter, softened
3 ¾ cups (454g)powdered sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons (74ml)coconut milk or whole milk
½teaspoonpure coconut extract or flavoring
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
â…›teaspoonfine sea salt
Instructions
Coconut Bundt Cakes
Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Grease and flour a bundtlette pan with six 1-cup servings.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well blended. Add the butter and mix, with an electric mixer, on low speed, until the mixture looks sandy.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg whites, coconut milk, oil and extracts together until smooth and creamy.
On low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Turn mixer up to medium speed and beat for 1 or 2 more minutes, just until the batter is smooth.
Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan, dividing the batter equally among the cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 18-22 minutes. Do not over bake.
Let cakes the cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan and transfer them to a cooling. Frost the cooled cakes and cover with coconut. Top with maraschino cherries or fresh flowers if desired.
Coconut Frosting
In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, until pale and smooth.
On low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined. Add the coconut milk a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Add the extracts and salt and beat on low speed until smooth.
Notes
*If your coconut milk is separated, re-emulsify it with a blender or whisk it vigorously with a whisk before using. **Do not use imitation coconut flavoring. It tastes very artificial. ***To find the mini bundt pan I used, click here.
This is the ultimate chocolate chip bread! There are no cookies in this recipe, but it tastes so much like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies that Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread is the perfect name for it. Brown sugar, vanilla and semisweet chocolate chips really help to mimic that beloved chocolate chip cookie flavor. I love the big pockets of chocolate that come from using jumbo chocolate chips, but of course you can use regular or mini chocolate chips if you prefer.
I typically wait until a loaf is cooled off before slicing it, but in this case, I wanted to capture the melted pools of chocolate for the video. The fresh baked chocolate chip aroma was so heavenly, that it took all of my willpower not to immediately devour the entire loaf! It’s easier to slice a fresh baked loaf when it’s cooled off. But if you want to experience the melty chocolate chips, warm your slice in the microwave for 8-10 seconds.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread
A moist, tender loaf cake with brown sugar and chocolate chips that tastes just like chocolate chip cookies
Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line the bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cups (223g) flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.
In a small bowl, whisk the milk and sour cream together.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in two additions, alternating with half of the milk mixture after each addition. Beat just until combined. Do not over mix.
Set aside a handful of chocolate chips for the top of the loaf. In a small bowl, toss the remaining chips with 1 teaspoon flour, making sure to coat them all, then fold them into the batter. This will help to prevent them from sinking. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Top with the reserved chocolate chips.
Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 325ºF (165ºC) and continue baking until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45-50 more minutes. Cool the loaf in pan for 10 minutes then turn the loaf out onto a cooling rack.
Notes
*If you want to use mini chocolate chips, use one cup (6 oz or 170g)
One of the reasons I love baking is because of the joy it brings. In this case it’s joy and sunshine. These vibrant, lemon tarts are pure sunshine. With only four ingredients, they’re so easy to make that you’ll be surprised at how silky and delicious they are.
22vanilla sandwich cookies, finely crushed (including the filling)I used Golden Oreos.
3tablespoons melted butter
1 ½cups (12 oz or 340g)mascarpone cheese, softened
1cup (10 oz or 283g)lemon curd, homemade or store bought
whipped creamoptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place six 4-inch tart pans with removable bottoms* on a baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix crushed cookies with melted butter until well combined.
Press crumb mixture firmly into tart pans with the back of a spoon or the bottom of a small cup. It's important to press firmly, especially on the sides.
Bake tart shells for 8 minutes. Let cool completely.
In a medium bowl, stir mascarpone cheese with a spatula until smooth. Fold in lemon curd until well combined.
Fill cooled tart shells with mascarpone mixture. Refrigerate tarts until set, about 2 hours.
Carefully remove tarts from tart pans. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
Once there was a blueberry scone. She was good and reliable. One day she felt bored and tired of her soggy blueberries. She thought about her friend, the other blueberry scone. The one with the dried blueberries. The shriveled up blueberries reminded her of raisin bran. “It’s time for a change,” she thought. So she grabbed her friend, and they headed over to Brownie Mischief for a makeover.
That’s how Blueberry Ripple Scones were born, at least in my imagination. These scones are the new and improved, elevated version of blueberry scones. They have a ribbon of sweet blueberry compote swirling through the tender vanilla dough, making them look beautiful and taste delicious. Although the blueberry compote is quick to make, it requires a little more effort than simply folding blueberries into the dough. But it’s definitely worth it. I like to make my compote the night before, then it’s ready to go when I make my scones in the morning.
Blueberry Ripple Scones
Vanilla scones with ribbons of sweet blueberry compote and crunchy sugar topping
1 ¾cups (7 7/8 oz or 226g)all purpose flour, sifted
2tablespoons sugar
1tablespoon baking powder
½teaspoonfine sea salt
7tablespoons (3 1/2 oz or 100g)cold, unsalted butter, cubed
½cup (4 oz or 113g)cold heavy creamPlus more for tops
¼cup (2 oz or 57g)cold sour cream
¾teaspoonpure vanilla extract
â…“cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g)blueberry compoteRecipe below
coarse sugar for tops
Blueberry Compote
¾cup (4 oz or 113g)blueberries
3tablespoonssugar
1teaspooncornstarch
1teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Scones
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Work the butter into the flour with your fingertips or with a pastry blender, until pea size pieces form.
In a small bowl whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla.
Stir the cream mixture into flour mixture until a shaggy dough is formed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into an oval. Spoon dollops of blueberry compote onto the dough. Fold the dough over onto itself 3 times.
Form the dough into a 1-inch thick round, about 6 1/2-inches in diameter. Cut the dough into 8 wedges.
Place the scones 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Chill the scones in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Heat your oven to 375ºF. Brush the tops of scones with heavy cream. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake until the edges look golden brown, about 18-22 minutes.
Blueberry Compote
In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries start to release their juices.
Turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
However your day is going today, it’s about to get better. I can confidently say these lemon muffins are some of the best you will ever taste. Follow the recipe exactly, weigh your ingredients and you’ll be enjoying these soft, tender muffins in no time. These delightful muffins are perfect for breakfast, brunch or an anytime snack. I love enjoying one with a cup of strawberry green tea or chamomile tea.
Glazed Lemon Muffins
Soft, tender lemon muffins glazed with lemon icing
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a 12-serving muffin pan with tulip baking liners.* (You can also use standard muffin liners. They hold less batter so you may end up with a couple of extra muffins.)
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest, with an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated. Add the extracts and beat until combined.
On low speed, mix in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with half of sour cream after each addition. Mix just until combined. The batter will be thick.
Divide the batter evenly into muffin liners. (If using standard muffin liners, fill 3/4 full.) Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 5 minutes. Turn the oven heat down to 350ºF (180ºC) and continue baking the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 12-16 more minutes. Do not over bake.
Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely. Brush icing onto the muffin tops with a small pastry brush.
Icing
Whisk the powdered sugar, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon (15ml) of lemon juice together until smooth. Add additional lemon juice until your desired consistency is reached.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet. Gently toss with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Roast until the tomatoes are blistered, about 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Turn the oven down to 350ºF (180ºC). Cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions.
Set aside 1/4 cup (28g) of each of the cheeses for the top. In a small bowl, whisk the milk and heavy cream together.
In a 2-quart oven safe pot,* melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk and cream. Heat until thickened, whisking out any lumps. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (I used 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.)
Remove from heat. Gradually stir in 3/4 cup (85g) each cheddar and Gruyere cheeses. Taste the sauce and season with more salt or pepper if necessary.
Fold in the cooked pasta, roasted tomatoes, bacon, 1 teaspoon of parsley and 1 1/2 teaspoons of chives. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake in top third of the oven, just until cheese is melted, about 7-10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and chives.
Notes
If you watched the video on Instagram or TikTok, you may have noticed I  baked my mac & cheese in a heart-shaped Dutch oven. To find a similar pink heart  Dutch oven, click here. To find a  blue heart Dutch oven , click here,
