Breakfast – Page 4 – Brownie Mischief

Strawberry Rose Pancakes

Posted on June 12, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Strawberry Rose Pancakes

Pink pancakes made with strawberry purée and rose petals, topped with strawberry syrup and pink whipped cream

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Ingredients

Strawberry Syrup

½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 cup (170g) hulled and sliced strawberries

Pink Whipped Cream

¾ cup (177ml) heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons (45g) powdered sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon pure strawberry extract
1 drop pink gel food coloring

Strawberry Rose Pancakes

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (170g) hulled and sliced strawberries
1 large egg
½ cup (118ml) whole milk
2 tablespoons (30g) melted butter or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 drop pink gel food coloring optional
2-3 teaspoons crushed dried rose petals

Instructions

Strawberry Syrup

Purée the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Pass the purée through a mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Stir in the sugar and 1/2 cup (118ml) of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup thickens, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pink Whipped Cream

In a large bowl, beat the whipped cream to soft peaks with an electric mixer at high speed. Add the powdered sugar, strawberry extract and food coloring in 3 separate additions. Continue beating just until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Strawberry Rose Pancakes

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together until well combined. Set aside.
Purée the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Pass the purée through a mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Add the egg, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract and food coloring (if using) and whisk until well combined. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture just until combined. A few lumps are okay. Stir in the rose petals.
For each pancake, scoop 3-4 tablespoons of batter onto a hot oiled griddle. Flip the pancakes when bubbles form on the surface. Continue cooking until the pancakes puff and are lightly browned.

Notes

*To find the gel food coloring I used, click here.

**To find culinary dried rose petals, click here.

Keyword pancakes, strawberry

Blueberry Donut Holes with Homemade Blueberry Sugar

Posted on May 15, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

If you landed here from one of my social media accounts, welcome! I’m really glad you’re here. I love to create fun, pretty and sweet treats like these delicious blueberry donut holes! The thing that really makes these special is the homemade blueberry sugar, which adds a burst of blueberry flavor. Freeze dried blueberries are combined with sugar to create a beautiful, flavorful sugar that you can use for many other things. It can also be used in tea, lattes, lemonade, cocktails or sprinkled on cookies or scones. Keep in mind that freeze dried blueberries are not the same as dried blueberries. Dried blueberries still contain some moisture, so they won’t work for this purpose.

The donut hole batter comes together quickly and easily. The most challenging part for me is frying them. I found that using a thermometer and testing one donut hole first, helps you determine the perfect oil temperature. Using a small portion scoop helps you get uniform donut holes. Make sure the outside of the scoop is clean between each donut to help them keep the round shape and avoid pointy tails.

Blueberry Donut Holes with Homemade Blueberry Sugar

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 24 donut holes

Ingredients

Blueberry Sugar

¾ cup (3/4 oz or 21g)) freeze-dried blueberries*
½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) granulated sugar

Blueberry Donut Holes

2 cups (9 oz or 255g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons (1 oz or 28g)) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (4 oz or 118ml) whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups chopped fresh blueberries
oil for frying
½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) blueberry sugar

Instructions

Blueberry Sugar

Process freeze dried blueberries and sugar in a food processor or a clean spice grinder until finely ground. Be careful not to over process or you may end up with powdered sugar.

Blueberry Donut Holes

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla extract until well combined.
Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. A few lumps are okay.
Fold in chopped blueberries.
In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 340ºF.
Drop tablespoon size portions of batter into hot oil. I used a #60 portion scoop.** Don't overcrowd the pan.
Cook donut holes until golden brown on all sides, about 2-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. If donut holes cook too quickly on the outside, turn heat down.
Briefly drain donut holes on paper towels, then toss warm donut holes in blueberry sugar. Serve immediately.

Notes

Success tips: Use a small ice cream scoop sprayed with nonstick spray to drop donut holes into oil. Make sure the outside of scoop is clean between each donut hole to keep the round shape and avoid tails on your donut holes.

*To find freeze dried blueberries, click here.

**To find the portion scoop I used, click here.

Favorite Banana Bread

Posted on April 2, 2022February 15, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

This moist, flavorful banana bread is my favorite banana bread recipe to date. It has the perfect texture. Not mushy or gummy like so many banana bread recipes out there. I like to add chocolate chips and/or toasted pecans to make it extra delicious.

Favorite Banana Bread

by Mari Vasseur

Moist, flavorful banana bread with chocolate chips and optional pecans

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted, plus 1 teaspoon for the chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
⅓ cup (70ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup (113g) sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (170g) mashed bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
½ cup (60g) coarsely chopped toasted pecans optional
2 tablespoons (15g) chopped pecans optional
1 ¼ cups (213g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (165ºC). Line the bottom an 8 x 4-inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended.
In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla until creamy and well blended. Stir in the bananas until incorporated. Mix in the flour mixture just until combined. Do not over mix. Stir in the 1/2 cup of pecans if using. If using chocolate chips, set aside 1/4 cup (43g) for the top and toss the remaining 1 cup (170g) of chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour, then mix them into the batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the loaf with the chopped pecans or 1/4 cup (43g) of chocolate chips. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Keyword banana, loaf

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

Posted on February 16, 2022February 16, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

A good scone has a way of making you feel elegant, especially if you pronounce it ‘skon’ instead of ‘skōne’. I went to a lovely tea recently where scones were served, along with an array of dainty tea sandwiches and desserts. The scones were round with pink sugar sprinkled on top. Pretty pink food is always so promising. Unfortunately, the scones were hard, dry and bland. No amount of clotted cream slathered on them could help. There’s nothing elegant about a dry, hard bite of a scone that you have to struggle to choke down. Scones should be dense and slightly dry and crumbly, but there’s no reason we can’t make them more delicious. It’s fun to add fruit, chocolate, herbs, nuts or whatever you like to make them more delightful. These Raspberry White Chocolate Scones are tender and buttery with bursts of flavor from the fresh raspberries and white chocolate. I added pink sparkling sugar for texture and, of course, to make them look pretty!

Raspberry White Chocolate Scones

by Mari Vasseur

Tender scones with fresh raspberries and white chocolate, topped with crunchy sparkling sugar.

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Servings 8 scones

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups (226g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
7 tablespoons (100g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup (118 ml) cold heavy cream plus extra for the tops of the scones
¼ cup (57g) cold sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (128g) white chocolate chips or chunks Not chopped white chocolate
¾ cup (113g) fresh or frozen raspberries
Pink or white coarse sparkling sugar

Instructions

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until well combined. Work the butter into the flour mixture 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 until well blended. Stir the cream mixture into the flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Gently fold in the white chocolate chips and raspberries.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a 1-inch thick round, about 6 1/2 inches in diameter. Cut the dough into 8 wedges.
Place scones 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Chill the scones in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Brush the tops of the scones with heavy cream. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake until the edges look golden brown, about 20-24 minutes. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack.

Notes

*To find pink sparkling sugar, click here.

This recipe was updated on 3/23/2023.

Keyword raspberry white chocolate, scones

Lavender White Chocolate Scones

Posted on January 23, 2022February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

If you headed over here from TikTok or Instagram, welcome! Most of my recipes can be found here. I share some recipes in the caption on Instagram reels and some recipes are written in text on TikTok videos. One major drawback of sharing recipes in Instagram captions is the character limit. For these reasons and a few others, my preferred method of sharing recipes is here on my website. I’m able to provide detailed instructions with the option for you to print out the recipe.

Now, let’s talk a little bit about lavender. I used one teaspoon of lavender in these scones, which I think is the perfect amount to give a hint of lavender, without tasting too floral. You can adjust the amount to your preference. Just taste the cream before adding it to the scones. You can use any culinary lavender in this recipe. English lavender is usually used for culinary purposes. Spanish and French varieties tend to be too strong. People are enchanted by lavender because of its beauty and soothing scent. A little touch of lavender makes these scones magical.

Lavender White Chocolate Scones

Print Recipe

Servings 9 scones

Ingredients

¾ cup (177ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon culinary lavender *
1 ¾ cups (223g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
7 tablespoons (99g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
¼ cup (57g) cold sour cream
1 cup (170g) white chocolate chunks or chips (not chopped white chocolate)
Lavender coarse sparkling sugar**

Instructions

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and lavender over medium heat, just until bubbles form around the edges. Turn the heat to low and simmer gently for 1 minute. Strain the lavender cream into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips or with a pastry blender until pea size chunks form.
Whisk together 1/2 cup (118ml) of the chilled lavender cream with the sour cream. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture until a shaggy dough is formed. If your dough seems too dry, add 1-2 more teaspoons of heavy cream. Fold in the white chocolate chunks.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over onto itself a few times. Do not overwork the dough! Pat or roll the dough into an 8-inch round, about 3/4 inch thick. I used 2 3/4-inch heart biscuit cutter*** to cut out 9 scones.
Place the scones about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the scones with the remaining cream. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake until golden, about 15-17 minutes.

Notes

*To find culinary lavender click here

** To find the lavender sparkling sugar I used click here

***To find the heart shape biscuit cutter I used click here

Keyword lavender white chocolate, scones

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Caramel Filling

Posted on October 11, 2021February 18, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

pumpkin spices mini loaves with caramel filling

In early September, I saw someone announce the fall season on social media. In addition to people pointing out that it was too early for the announcement, the word police corrected the person with the word autumn. Since both terms are correct, we can call the season whatever we prefer. I think autumn is a pleasant sounding word, so I’ll use it for the rest of this post. Whatever you call it, these Pumpkin Spice Muffins are a perfect little celebration of the season. They have just the right amount of warm spices, making them so fragrant that your kitchen will smell like cozy autumn heaven.

I originally made them in mini loaf pans, but I thought they would be cute as muffins too. They’re so cute and delicious that I often give them as holiday gifts. This year I decided to try them in ramekins and I loved the results! I used 6-ounce ramekins, but you can use 8-ounce ramekins, any size mini loaf pans, a muffin pan or even an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan. Keep in mind that baking times will differ. To find the ramekins I used, click here.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Caramel Filling

by Mari Vasseur

Tender pumpkin spice muffins with caramel filling and luscious cream cheese frosting

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 7 muffins

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves

1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
1 pinch ground cloves
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (225g) pure pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup (100g) caramel sauce, purchased or homemade
¼ cup (28g) roasted, salted shelled pumpkin seeds

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 ounces (85g) cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pinch fine sea salt
2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
1-2 teaspoons heavy cream, room temperature

Instructions

Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour seven 6-ounce ramekins or six 8-ounce ramekins or any mini loaf pans of your choice.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until well blended.
In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
Divide the batter evenly into the prepared ramekins. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
Cool completely if serving in ramekins or remove from pans after cooling for 10 minutes. Continue to cool on wire rack.
Make 3/4-inch wells in the center of each muffin. Fill with caramel sauce. (For loaves, poke multiple holes with a skewer. Fill with caramel sauce.) Top with cream cheese frosting and pumpkin seeds

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together, with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and well blended. Do not over beat.
Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined. On low speed, gradually beat in the powdered sugar incorporated. Add the heavy cream and continue beating at low speed smooth. Remove any bubbles by gently stirring with a spatula.

Keyword muffins, pumpkin, pumpkin spice

Peaches & Cream Scones with Caramel Icing

Posted on August 14, 2021February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Peaches & Cream Scones with Caramel Icing

Tender scones with fresh peaches, topped with a quick caramel icing

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Servings 8

Ingredients

Scones

1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 oz or 223g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 oz or 100g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup (4 oz or (118 ml) cold sour cream
¼ cup (2 oz or 59ml) cold heavy cream Plus more for tops
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (about 7 oz or 200g) chopped fresh peaches, patted dry Peaches should be ripe but still firm, not over ripe.
egg wash (optional) 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water

Icing

¼ cup (2 oz or 57g) salted butter
½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) packed brown sugar
⅓ cup (2 5/8 oz or 78 ml) heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Work the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or with your fingertips until pea size pieces form.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla.
Mix the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Fold in the peaches.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough together and fold it over onto itself a couple of times.
Pat or roll dough into a 7-inch round. Cut dough into 8 wedges. Transfer to the prepared baking pan. Brush the scones lightly with egg wash or heavy cream.
Bake until golden brown, about 18-22 minutes. Transfer the scones to a cooling rack.

Caramel Icing

Melt the butter a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the heavy cream and heat until bubbly. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool slightly. Drizzle or spoon the icing over the cooled scones.

Keyword peach, scones

Fairy Puffs

Posted on July 1, 2021February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

My dad used to take me on walks in the woods to look for fairy rings when I was a child. I wanted to see a real fairy so badly! I read a book about fairies, hoping to learn more about them. Fairies love little cakes, milk, honey and butter so I’m sure these Fairy Puffs would be fairy approved.

My Fairy Puffs recipe is loosely based on an old favorite mini muffin recipe. I tweaked it quite a bit, including the addition of pink dragonfruit powder. Dragonfruit has a subtle flavor, so the bright fuchsia powder is mostly for color. But oh what a beautiful color it is! You can find dragonfruit powder in healthy food stores or online. To find the dragonfruit powder, also known as pink pitaya powder, I used, click here.

Decorating these little cuties was so entertaining! After sampling multiple variations of sparkling sugar and cinnamon sugar, I decided that dipping the bottoms of the muffins in butter and cinnamon sugar, then dipping the tops in butter and sparkling sugar gave them the perfect balance of sugar and spice. I had purchased some edible flowers a couple of days prior, and they added a pretty, magical touch. The flowers I used are called bachelor’s buttons and I got them at a local gourmet flower seller.

sugared mini muffins with edible flowers

Fairy Puffs

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Servings 24 mini muffins

Ingredients

Fairy Puffs

1 ⅓ cups (6 oz or 99g) all purpose flour, sifted
3 tablespoons dragonfruit powder *See note below
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Scant ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup (2 5/8 oz or 75g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ cup (4 oz or 118ml) whole milk

Topping

½ cup (4 oz or 113g) unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) sparkling sugar crystals **I used combinations of white, pink, purple & blue
edible flowers (optional)

Instructions

Fairy Puffs

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 24 serving mini muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, dragonfruit powder, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add egg and beat until smooth.
Add flour mixture and milk alternately in two additions and mix just until combined.
Transfer batter to prepared muffin pan, filling muffin cups about 3/4 full.
Bake until toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean, about 12-14 minutes. (Be careful not to over bake. Check a few minutes early. Small muffins can dry out easily.)
Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove puffs from pan and transfer to cooling rack. (Loosen puffs with a small offset spatula or butter knife if necessary.)

Topping

Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl.
Place colored sparkling sugar crystals in another shallow bowl.
Dip the bottoms of each puff in melted butter, then into cinnamon sugar mixture.
Dip the tops of each puff in melted butter, then into sparkling sugar.
Decorate with edible flowers if desired.

Notes

*To purchase dragonfruit powder, click here.

**To purchase pink sparkling sugar crystals, click here.

Keyword cake, muffins

Happy Jam Tarts

Posted on June 2, 2021February 12, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

We’ve all needed a little cheering up at times, especially this past past year. These cute, happy tarts won’t take your problems away, but they can certainly make you smile, especially if you make them for someone else. They’re super easy to make and they taste better than the ones in the box we ate as kids. You can use store bought pie dough if you want to streamline the process. Any flavor of jam or preserves you have on hand works too!

Feel free to have fun decorating these little cuties. The possibilities are endless. You can use edible glitter, purchased candy eyes or even add mustaches. Happy baking!

Happy Jam Tarts

Jam-filled tarts with icing

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 8 tarts

Ingredients

Jam Tarts

2 9-inch pie crusts, store bought or homemade
1 cup strawberry jam or preserves or any flavor of your choice
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk or water

Icing

1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
gel food color * I used Wilton Rose gel food color
½ teaspoon meringue powder ** optional but helps icing to set

Decorations

sprinkles
black fondant
blue fondant or any color of your choice

Instructions

Jam Tarts

Preheat oven to 375º.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll pie dough onto lightly floured surface. Cut into 8 6-inch by 4-inch rectangles, re-rolling dough as necessary.
Make egg wash by beating egg together with milk in a small bowl.
Spread 2 tablespoons of jam onto right half of each rectangle to within 1/2-inch of edges. Brush edges with egg wash.
Fold dough in half, left side over right. Seal edges by pressing with a fork
Poke several holes in the top of each tart with a toothpick.
Bake until golden, about 15-20 minutes.
Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Icing

In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract and salt together until smooth.
Using a toothpick, add food color a little at a time until desired shade is achieved.
Stir in meringue powder, if using.
Spoon icing onto tarts.
Add sprinkles while icing is wet. When icing has set, add eyes, mouths and bows if desired.

Decorations

For the eyes, make 16 1/8-inch balls of black fondant. Flatten slightly. Adhere with a bit of water.
For the mouths, make 8 1/2-inch long, very thin strips of black fondant. Adhere with a tiny bit of water, using tweezers if necessary.
For the bows, roll out blue fondant to 1/16th-inch thickness. Cut out bows using ***bow cutter. Adhere with a bit of water.

Notes

*To find Wilton Rose gel food color, click here

**To find meringue powder, click here

***To find bow cutter, click here

Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Muffins

Posted on May 18, 2021February 17, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

Have you noticed the strawberry shortcake crumble topping trend? I noticed many people sharing various versions of the crumble recipe all over Tiktok. I’ve seen the topping on cake, cupcakes and countless other desserts. Most people seem to make it using strawberry gelatin mix and vanilla pudding mix. The version I’m sharing here uses freeze dried strawberries instead. I’m not opposed to using gelatin mix, I just seriously love the tart, natural flavor of freeze dried strawberries.

This topping is irresistible on these tender strawberry muffins. I wanted to pile on as much crumble topping as possible so I used tulip baking cups. They’re made of grease-proof parchment paper squares. You can buy them online or make them yourself with squares of parchment. You can use the link provided at the end of the recipe to find the ones I used. Keep in mind, if you use standard muffin liners, you’ll use less batter and topping for each muffin, so you’ll end up with a few more muffins.

I used fresh strawberries for the puree in the muffins, but feel free to use frozen, defrosted strawberries if you cant get fresh ones.

Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Muffins

by Mari Vasseur

Strawberry muffins topped with strawberry shortcake crumble

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Topping

1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
½ cup (100g) sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (113g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup (14g) freeze-dried strawberries, finely crushed* (weigh or measure before crushing the strawberries)

Strawberry Muffins

2 ¼ cups (287g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
1 ⅛ cups (225g) sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
½ cup (118ml) buttermilk
½ cup (118ml) strawberry purée
1-2 drops pink or red gel food coloring optional

Instructions

Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Topping

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt until well blended. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it looks like sandy, with no large pieces of butter remaining.
Place half of crumble mixture into another medium-sized bowl and combine it with the crushed freeze dried strawberries. Mix well and press it together with your fingers to form pea sized pieces. Gently combine the two bowls of crumble together. Set aside in refrigerator while preparing the muffin batter.

Strawberry Muffins

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a 12 serving muffin pan with tulip baking liners or parchment squares.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until pale and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Beat in the extract until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed, just until combined. Add the buttermilk, strawberry puree and food coloring. Beat on low speed, just until combined.
Divide batter evenly into the tulip muffin liners. (If using standard muffin liners, fill them 2/3 full.) Sprinkle crumble topping evenly over the batter.
Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 5 minutes, then turn oven temperature down to 350ºF (180º) and continue baking until topping is golden and a toothpick inserted in center is clean, about 12-17 more minutes. (If your topping starts to brown too quickly, you can cover the muffins with a bit of aluminum foil.) Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

* A small food processor or a clean spice grinder is helpful to pulverize the freeze-dried strawberries. Pass the crushed strawberries through a sieve to remove seeds if desired.

To find tulip baking cups, click here

To find floral tulip baking cups, as seen on TikTok, click here

Keyword muffins, strawberry

(118ml)

Orange Vanilla Bean Donut Holes

Posted on March 12, 2021February 18, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

During citrus season, in the heart of winter, my backyard orange tree is brimming over with fresh oranges. So I love bringing some fresh-picked sunshine to my family with these fluffy Orange Vanilla Bean Donut Holes from my childhood. When I was a child, my parents used to love taking our family to a smorgasbord. The owner would always come out from the kitchen and say hello to my parents. He made delicious fried donut holes that my brother and I looked forward to at the end of our meal. At home we duplicated the donut holes using a recipe from an old cookbook. Unfortunately the cookbook is lost, but this recipe is pretty close to the original. Tossing the little donuts in vanilla sugar makes them even more fragrant and delicious. The vanilla sugar can be used immediately, but for the best flavor, make it in advance.

The original recipe had vanilla and nutmeg in it, which are classic cake donut flavors. The addition of fresh orange zest and juice makes them vibrant and flavorful. I love making different flavors of these donut holes. To view Blueberry Donut Holes, click here.

Orange Vanilla Bean Donut Holes

by Mari Vasseur

Orange & vanilla donut holes, fluffy & fragrant on the inside, crisp & sugary on the outside

Print Recipe

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 24 donut holes

Ingredients

Donut Holes

2 cups (255g) all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
½ cup (100g) sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
2 tablespoons (28g) melted butter
½ cup (118ml) orange juice
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste
½ cup (100g) vanilla sugar Recipe below
Oil for frying

Vanilla Sugar

½ split vanilla bean
½ cup (100g) sugar

Instructions

Donut Holes

In a large, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, orange zest, melted butter, orange juice and vanilla bean paste until creamy and well combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. A few small lumps are okay.
In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil to 340ºF (170ºC). Place the vanilla sugar in a medium-sized bowl.
Drop tablespoon-sized portions of batter into the hot oil. (I used a #60 portion scoop**) Don't over crowd the pan.
Fry the donut holes until golden brown on all sides, about 2-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. If the donut holes cook too quickly on the outside, turn heat down a bit.
Briefly drain the donut holes on paper towels, then toss them in vanilla sugar. Serve warm.

Vanilla Sugar

With the dull side of a knife, scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean.
In a small bowl, whisk the vanilla seeds together with sugar, breaking up any clumps. Use immediately or make in advance and let the flavor develop 1-2 weeks in a covered container.

Notes

**To find vanilla beans, click here.

*To find the scoop I used, click here.

Keyword donuts, orange vanilla

Lemon Buttermilk Donuts with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Posted on May 1, 2017February 18, 2026 by Mari Vasseur

I was seriously happy when I started seeing donuts appearing at weddings, bridal showers and occasions other than work meetings. I’ve always felt those sweet, fluffy rings of dough had a higher calling. They had such potential! And honestly who doesn’t love donuts? They’re delicious, but they can also be beautiful. These Lemon Buttermilk Donuts could certainly win a beauty contest. They would make a gorgeous edition to any breakfast, brunch or dessert table. The fresh lemon zest and the earthy flavor of honey will bring springtime right into your kitchen.

If you’re on the lookout for a Mother’s Day recipe, any mom will love these pretty, fragrant treats. This is a very easy recipe and the donuts bake up quickly, so you’ll have time to fix mom a cup of her favorite tea. If you don’t have a donut pan, and you’ve been reluctant to buy one, I can honestly say I love mine. It was very affordable and I’m pleased with the performance and ease of clean up with the pan I purchased. To find the donut pan click here.

In keeping with the springtime feel, I decorated my donuts with pesticide-free edible flowers. I used pansies, but if you’re unable to find them, you can substitute pesticide-free rose petals. I found these edible pansies at my local food market in the produce department, near the fresh herbs. You can also find edible flowers at farmers’ markets and online. For a list of edible flowers, click here. Note: The above pictured orange ranunculus flowers on the table are not edible.

Lemon Buttermilk Donuts with Honey Cream Cheese Icing

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 7

Total Time 27

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Servings 6

Ingredients

Lemon Buttermilk Donuts

1 cup (113g) cake flour, sifted
½ cup (100g) fine granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅓ cup (78ml) buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
Zest of 1 medium lemon

Honey Cream Cheese Icing

¼ cup (85g) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch fine sea salt
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons milk

Finishing Touches

Pesticide-free edible flowers
Sugar pearls*
Nonpareils**

Instructions

Lemon Buttermilk Donuts

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Spray the wells of a donut pan*** with non-stick cooking spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well blended.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and lemon zest together until creamy and well combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Do not over mix.
Transfer the batter to a piping bag or plastic zip bag. Snip off the tip of the bag and pipe batter into the prepared donut pan, filling the wells 2/3 full.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into donuts comes out clean, about 7-8 minutes. Let cool in the pan for a couple of minutes, then remove the donuts to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Prepare Honey Cream Cheese Icing while the donuts are cooling. Dip the tops of the donuts into the icing and decorate as desired. Serve immediately.

Honey Cream Cheese Icing

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth and well blended. Do not over beat. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Mix until combined.
On low speed, gradually add powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add the honey and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Beat on low speed until smooth.

Notes

*To find sugar pearls, click here. **To find nonpareils, click here. ***To find the donut pan, click here.