Category: Desserts

Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Tartlets

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Tartlets

My fascination with Christmas cookies started as a child when my elderly neighbor used to bring over a tray of her homemade Christmas cookies every year. I loved the moment where I got to choose a cookie from the beautiful, interesting selection. In my humble opinion, I think a holiday cookie should be something special. It should be something that you don’t eat on a regular basis, maybe because it seems fancy or requires a little extra work to make. Or maybe it has a special meaning or a fond memory. These Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Tartlets check all the boxes for me. They have that something special a cookie needs to be the star of the holiday cookie tray…tender jam-filled chocolate dough, dipped in shiny chocolate with a pretty pop of red.

Chocolate Raspberry Cookie Tartlets

Print Recipe
Servings 20 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup (1 ounce) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (9 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (5 ounces) raspberry jam or or fruit spread
  • 4 ounces melted semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil or vegetable shortening
  • crushed freeze dried raspberries or sprinkles of your choice Optional

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, sift together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth.
  • Add powdered sugar mixture and beat until well combined.
  • Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.
  • On low speed, beat in flour just until combined.
  • Divide dough into two equal portions. Wrap with plastic wrap and form into disks. Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Roll dough between two sheets of wax paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough into 3-inch rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary. If dough becomes too soft at any point, chill in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes then continue with recipe.
  • Place rounds on prepared baking sheets. Top each round with a teaspoon of jam.
  • With a small food safe brush or with your finger, apply a small amount of water to the edge of half of each round. Fold over and press edges to seal.
  • Bake until tops of cookies look set, about 9-11 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
  • In a small bowl, mix melted chocolate with coconut oil until smooth.
  • Dip cookies about 1/3 of the way into melted chocolate. Top with freeze dried fruit or sprinkles.

Notes

*To find freeze dried raspberries, click here.
To find the cookie cutter I used, click here.
To find food safe brushes, click here.
Keyword chocolate raspberry, cookies

Grandma’s Apple Crumb Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Grandma's Apple Crumb Cake

I remember my grandma making coffee cakes and sweet muffins for breakfast, along with eggs, sausages, hot coffee and a big pitcher of milk on the table. Why do most of our grandmothers cook and bake so well? Because they’ve had decades of trial and error to perfect their recipes, tweaking them here and there until they’re approved and loved by their families, neighbors and friends. This cake has had its share of trial and error. She has earned her place as a well-loved, delicious, beautiful queen of coffee cakes.

A classic coffee cake is usually a subtly sweet cake with cinnamon, crumb topping and maybe some icing. They’re called coffee cakes because they go so well with a cup of coffee, not necessarily because they contain coffee. This Apple Crumb Cake has the elements of a classic coffee cake, but so much better! The cake is fluffy and soft, the crumb topping is chunky and plentiful, and the apples are perfectly tender. And don’t get me started about the icing!

Grandma's Apple Crumb Cake

Tender vanilla cake with generous crumb topping and vanilla icing
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

Apples

  • 1 tablespoon (14g) butter
  • 3 cups (340g) chopped apples (1/2-inch pieces) Use any combination of your favorite baking apples.
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup (67g) brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (38g) sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Scant ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cake

  • 1 ⅔ cups (213g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (118ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (75g) sour cream, room temperature

Icing

  • 2 cups (234g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • 3-4 tablespoons (45-60ml) half & half cream, room temperature

Instructions
 

Apples

  • In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, sugar and cinnamon.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer the apples to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
  • Work in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like wet sand with no large pieces of butter remaining. Press together to make 1/2-inch chunks.

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line a 9-inch cake pan with a removable bottom*, or a 9-inch springform pan, with parchment paper. Wrap the bottom of the cake pan with aluminum foil and place pan on a baking sheet.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, with an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture in three separate addition, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the milk and sour cream together. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into batter in three additions, alternating with milk mixture. Mix just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Drain any excess liquid from the apples. Top the cake batter evenly with apples, then the topping mixture.
  • Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Cool the cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Icing

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons (30ml) of half & half. Add additional half & half until the desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Notes

*To find the cake pan I used, click here.
Keyword apple, cake

Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are traditional holiday cookies, probably because of the pretty, crackly powdered sugar covered exterior that reminds us of snow. They always seem to show up on cookie trays at Christmas time and I’ve loved them since I was a child. I decided to take my old favorites to another level by adding a surprise inside! Two years ago, I made some cookies with fudge filling that my family and friends raved over. They’re my Marshmallow Mudslide Cookies. To view the recipe, click here. I used the same concept for these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. I filled them with a simple, smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature. The results were absolutely delicious!

Fudge Filled Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate crinkle cookies with a smooth fudge filling that stays soft at room temperature
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 15 cookies

Ingredients
  

Fudge Filling

  • ¾ cup (4 1/2 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup (6 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

  • 1 ⅓ cups (6 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ⅓ cup (2 5/8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 ½ cups (9 5/8 ounces) powdered sugar, sifted and divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Instructions
 

Fudge Filling

  • In a double boiler or in the microwave*, melt chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together until smooth. Set aside to cool while preparing cookie dough.
  • Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
  • In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Gradually beat in 2 cups (7 3/4 ounces) of powdered sugar until well combined. Set aside remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a shallow dish.
  • Beat in eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, until smooth. Stop to scrape bowl as needed.
  • Beat in melted chocolate until combined. Beat in flour mixture just until combined.
  • Cover and refrigerate dough for 2 hours. Don't skip this step.
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Roll dough into 15 2-inch balls, 1 1/4 ounce each. Flatten each ball into a 3-inch disk. Place a fudge ball in the center of each disk and wrap dough around it, pinching edges together to seal. Roll dough balls generously in remaining powdered sugar.
  • Place dough balls three inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies puff up and tops are set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Notes

*To melt fudge filling in microwave, heat for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 10 second intervals, stirring until melted.
MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: To make cookie dough one day ahead, prepare cookie dough. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate in a covered container up to 24 hours. To make fudge filling one day ahead, prepare filling and chill for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Roll filling into 1-inch balls and place on a parchment lined tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. 
Keyword chocolate, cookies

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Soft Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I never imagined that I’d ever be posting a peanut butter cookie recipe. There are already crunchy peanut butter cookies, soft ones, chewy ones, and those peanut shaped store bought ones out there. I mean, do we even need another peanut butter cookie recipe? After I tasted this one, it’s a resounding YES! These soft, tender cookies combined with a silky, smooth filling are a new peanut butter experience that I had to share.

The key to getting the soft texture in the cookie, without being dry, is cake flour. So don’t substitute it, because it’s vital to achieve the correct texture. Make sure to weigh your flour for the most accurate results. The second important ingredient is heavy whipping cream. Just a little added to the filling gives it a luxurious, silky texture.

This recipe makes sixteen medium size peanut butter cookies, which will give you eight sandwiches. If you want more, you can double the recipe or make the cookies smaller. Smaller cookies will have a shorter baking time.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

Soft peanut butter cookies sandwiched with silky peanut butter filling
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 8 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients
  

Peanut Butter Cookies

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ½ cup (57g) cake flour, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup (190g) creamy peanut butter
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup (47g) vegetable shortening
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Filling

  • ½ cup (127g) creamy peanut butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 ½ tablespoons (37ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions
 

Peanut Butter Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda and salt until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter and shortening, with an electric mixer on low speed, until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla, on medium speed, until well combined.
  • Set aside 1/4 cup (50g) of the granulated sugar. Add the remaining granulate sugar and the brown sugar to the peanut butter mixture. Beat on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed, just until combined.
  • Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch (3.8cm) diameter balls (about 1 1/4 oz or 35g each). Roll the dough balls in the reserved granulated sugar.
  • Place the dough balls 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with a fork, making a criss cross pattern. Bake until the cookies are puffy and start to crack around the edges, about 9-11 minutes.
  • Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack. The cookies will be fragile, but they will firm up as they cool.
  • Place a spoonful of filling on the bottoms of half of the cooled cookies. Top with remaining the remaining cookies.

Peanut Butter Filling

  • In medium-sized bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth and well blended. Beat in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt until smooth.

Notes

To find my favorite cookie sheet, click here.
Keyword cookies, peanut butter

Chocolate Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Chocolate Trail Mix Cookies

Many people think of trail mix as a dry, chewy form of nourishment nibbled on during hiking or camping. Let me say that I think of trail mix as a highly customizable luxurious snack. That’s because I love to make my own delicious, personalized trail mixes by choosing my favorite additions. No hate to raisins and peanuts, but gorp is not allowed here. Chocolate covered nuts and fruit, step forward. Almonds, pecans, macadamias, pistachios, and cashews, please enter. Dried cherries and blueberries, welcome friends. White chocolate chips and caramel chips, you made it. Chocolate espresso beans, we’ve been waiting for you.

I took my love of personalized trail mixes to the next level by creating these Chocolate Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies. Everything I love about those wonderful add-ins is combined in cookie form, then dunked in melted chocolate. They become beautiful when you decorate the tops with the add-ins. I used freeze-dried raspberries for my cookie tops because of the tartness and vibrant red color. Feel free to choose your favorite combination of add-ins and get creative when decorating the tops. Your additions combined, minus the oats, should be about two cups.

Chocolate Trail Mix Oatmeal Cookies

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 oz or 223g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ⅓ cup (1 oz or 30g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (8 oz or 227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (2 3/4 or 78g) quick oats (not instant)
  • ½ cup (2 oz or 57g) coarsely chopped almonds, preferably toasted
  • ½ cup (1 oz or 28g) unsweetened coconut chips
  • ½ cup (2 oz or 57g) dried cranberries or cherries
  • ¼ cup (1 oz or 28g) pistachios, preferably toasted
  • ¼ cup (1 oz or 28g) shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • 8 ounces (227g) melted semisweet or dark chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or vegetable shortening
  • A few handfuls of freeze-dried raspberries, whole almonds, pistachios, coconut and pumpkin seeds to decorate tops

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
  • In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the eggs and vanilla in three separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next.
  • On low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • Fold in the oats, almonds, coconut, cranberries, pistachios and pumpkin seeds.
  • Place 1 1/4 ounce round portions (about 2 tablespoons) three inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake until the tops are set and no longer shiny, about 10-12 minutes.
  • Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Combine the melted chocolate and coconut oil in a small deep container, wide enough to fit the width of your widest cookie. Dunk cookies about halfway into chocolate. Top with nuts and seeds.
Keyword chocolate oatmeal, cookies

Butterscotch Bread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

What’s better than the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking or of fresh coffee brewing? The aroma of this warm, sweet buttery loaf of Butterscotch Bread is so heavenly that I’m convinced that angel grandmothers bake this on a regular basis in heaven. The rich scent is accompanied by a soft, tender bread topped with a silky butterscotch glaze.

It all starts with browning your butter first. It adds a nutty, deep butter flavor. When browning your butter, use a light colored saucepan so you can see the visual clues. You’ll see it start to foam and brown specks will collect on the bottom of the pan. It will smell nutty and fragrant. Keep a close eye on it. It can go from brown to burnt in a quick second. When your brown butter has cooled to room temperature, the rest of the recipe comes together quickly. You can also brown your butter a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperate before using.

This delightful bread goes well with coffee or tea and is just as delicious the next day. Store covered at room temperature.

 

Butterscotch Bread

by Mari Vasseur
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Butterscotch Bread

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine seat salt
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (177ml) buttermilk

Butterscotch Glaze

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (59ml) heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Butterscotch Bread

  • In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until brown and fragrant. When brown specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, immediately transfer the butter to a small bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, beat the brown butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions. Mix just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan. Bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 38-43 minutes.
  • Let the bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, them turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Top the cooled cake with two coats of butterscotch glaze.

Butterscotch Glaze

  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for two minutes.
  • Turn the heat down and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Keep stirring until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
  • Transfer the butterscotch glaze to a small bowl and let cool until thickened.
Keyword butterscotch, cake, loaf

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

Crumb bars with fruit are classic, rustic bars that are easy to make and so delicious. These Blueberry Crumble Bars happen to be the best I’ve ever tasted! With a tender, almost addicting shortbread crust, the filling is perfectly sweet and blanketed with plenty of crisp crumb topping. They’re perfect to pack in a lunch, take on a family picnic or as an addition to a backyard cookout. Everyone who tries these comes back for seconds!

 

Blueberry Crumble Bars

by Mari Vasseur
The best Blueberry Crumble Bars ever! Tender shortbread crust topped with sweet blueberry filling and generous crumb topping
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup (66g) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Crust

  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (42g) powdered sugar, sifted plus extra for sprinkling on top
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Blueberry Filling

  • 3 ½ cups(454-510g) blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • ⅔ cup (131g) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions
 

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips, until it looks sandy, with no large pieces of butter remaining. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, overlapping the ends a couple of inches. These will be handles to lift the bars out of the pan.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined. In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
  • Press the dough evenly into the baking pan. Bake until the surface looks light golden brown, about 15-20 more minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Blueberry Filling

  • In a large bowl, toss the blueberries with the lemon juice. Mix in the sugar and cornstarch. Pour the blueberry mixture over the warm crust. Top evenly with the crumb topping. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the topping is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble, about 28-33 minutes. Let cool completely before removing the bars from the pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Keyword bars, blueberry crumble

Caramel Apple Blossoms

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Caramel Apple Blossoms by Brownie Mischief

Whether you call them apple blossoms, apple dumplings, apple roses or mini apple pies, these are cute, delicious little apple pastries. I made them because I was craving apple pie, but I didn’t have enough apples to bake one. I didn’t invent them, and I don’t know who did, but I’ve had frozen ones and I’ve seen them on restaurant menus. I thought it would be fun to make them, and it was! I could’ve just put some pie dough in muffin cups and made quick little pies, but flower shaped things automatically get extra points for cuteness. And if you know me, you know I love my cute bakes!

Caramel Apple Blossoms

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12 blossoms

Ingredients
  

Topping

  • 3 tablespoons (38g) packed brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (15g) quick oats not instant oats
  • 1 tablespoon (21g) all purpose flour
  • 1 dash fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Blossoms

  • 2 cups (198g) peeled, cored diced apples 1/4-inch pieces
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 crust unbaked pie dough , purchased or homemade
  • egg wash 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
  • ¼ cup (82g) caramel sauce, purchased or homemade

Instructions
 

  • In a medium-size bowl, mix together all of the topping ingredients. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • In a large bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, flour, cinnamon and salt to the apples. Stir until well combined.
  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out twelve 5-inch blossom shapes*, re-rolling the dough scraps as needed.** Lightly mark a 2-inch circle in the center of each blossom. Make cuts between the petals to separate them, just up to the edge of the center circle. Top each blossom with about 2 generous tablespoons of apples.
  • Brush the dough petals with egg wash. Form blossoms by lifting and overlapping each petal 1/2-inch in a spiral pattern similar to a rose. Tuck the last petal under. Press the petals together to seal so the filling won't leak.
  • Top each blossom with a spoonful of topping. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Don't skip this step. This will help the blossoms keep their shape.
  • Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Brush the blossom dough all over with egg wash. Wipe any drips off of the parchment paper. Bake until the crust is golden brown and filling is starting to bubble, about 23-28 minutes. Transfer the blossoms to a cooling rack to cool for a few minutes before serving warm or serve at room temperature. Drizzle the blossoms with caramel sauce.

Notes

*I used a 5-inch blossom cutter. To find a blossom cutter, click here.
**If you need to  re-roll your  pie dough scraps, press the scraps together, cover and let rest in the refrigerator for several minutes to help avoid shrinkage.
Keyword pastry

Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

I had tea with with a well mannered hedgehog once on a crisp fall day. He brought me a tiny bouquet of flowers, which I placed in a small jam jar filled with water. He said the delightful maple scent of these Madeleines reminded him of his time in the woods, as a young hoglet. When he had his fill of the delicate little cakes, I wrapped some in a tea towel for his journey home.

As cooler weather approaches, I’m always looking for a little something to enjoy with a warm drink and a good book. Although traditional Madeleines typically remind me of spring, these Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines have a cozy fall feeling. They go well with coffee, tea or hot cocoa. If you want to make them for a friend, make the batter and keep it in the refrigerator. Bake the Madeleines right before your friend arrives.

I used a spherical Madeleine pan to make these maple scented little cakes. The Madeleines made in this pan are a little thicker and fluffier than those made in a traditional oval pan. To find the Madeleine pan I used, click here. You can certainly use a traditional pan if you prefer. Keep in mind that the baking time will be shorter and you will end up with about twice as many.

Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

  • 1 cup (4 oz or 113g) cake flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure maple extract or natural maple flavoring
  • ½ cup (4 oz or 113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Maple Icing

  • 1 cup (4 1/4 oz or 120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ teaspoon pure maple extract or natural maple flavoring
  • 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (1 oz or 28g) finely chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

Instructions
 

Maple Brown Sugar Madeleines

  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In a large bowl, beat the eggs, brown sugar and maple extract, on medium-high speed with an electric mixer, until the batter is voluminous, light in color and holds its shape when you lift the beater, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Combine the melted butter and maple syrup.
  • Gently fold the the flour mixture into the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the melted butter. Fold just until combined, being careful not to deflate the batter. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all of the flour is combined.
  • Cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease a spherical Madeleine pan* with nonstick spray or melted butter. Dust the pan with a light coating of flour. Tap out the excess flour.
  • Fill the wells of the Madeleine pan with batter 3/4 full, about 2 tablespoons each, using a scoop**or a spoon. (If you're using a traditional oval Madeleine pan, fill 3/4 full, about a generous tablespoon of batter in each.)
  • Bake until golden brown around the edges and puffed in the center, about 10-12 minutes. (Baking time for oval Madeleine pan will be about 7-8 minutes.) Do not over bake.
  • Cool in the pan for one minute then turn Madeleines out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Maple Icing

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, maple extract and one tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk as needed until your desired consistency is reached, Stir in a pinch of salt to taste.
  • Brush icing onto the Madeleines with a pastry brush. Apply nuts to the edges of Madeleines. Serve immediately. Madeleines are best served the day they're baked.

Notes

*To find the Madeleine pan I used, click here.
**To find the scoop I used, click here.
Keyword madeleines, maple

Blackberry Cornbread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

This sweet Blackberry Cornbread is super easy to make. It makes a delicious breakfast, brunch or side dish. It’s so good served with Blackberry Honey Butter. I love baking my cornbread in a cast iron skillet. It gives the cornbread a crisp, rustic crust. You can also use a cake pan if you prefer. (The baking time may vary.) Make sure not to over bake your cornbread since overtaking will dry it out. Use fresh, ripe blackberries when they’re in season. You can also use frozen blackberries or fresh or frozen blueberries. Skip the macerating step if you’re using blueberries or frozen berries.

Blackberry Cornbread

Sweet cornbread studded with ripe blackberries
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cups (158g) AP flour, sifted (plus one tsp for the blackberriesAP flour, sifted (plus one tsp for the blackberries)
  • ⅔ cup (132g) sugar
  • ¼ cup (35g) cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup (170g) sour cream
  • ¼ cup (57ml) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 ¼ cups (6 oz or 170g) ripe blackberries, divided (Cut large berries in half)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease an 8” cast iron skillet* or an 8” round cake pan.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil and melted butter until smooth. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until combined. A few lumps are okay. In a small bowl, gently toss one 1 cup (136g) of the blackberries with 1 tsp of flour. Gently fold the berries into the batter.
  • Transfer the batter to the skillet. Top with the remaining blackberries. Bake until the top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-43 min. Let cool in the pan 10 min. Serve with Blackberry Honey Butter** or honey if desired

Notes

*To find an 8-inch cast iron skillet, click here.  
**To find the Blackberry Honey Butter Recipe, click here.
 
Keyword blackberry, cornbread

Perfect Pumpkin Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Pumpkin Cake

This Perfect Pumpkin cake brings back memories. The tender, moist texture reminds me of the pumpkin cake bars I used to make in junior high. I got the treasured bar recipe from an old children’s cookbook. I lent the cookbook to a neighbor and never saw the book or the recipe again. Through trial and error, I came up with this perfectly spiced, soft fluffy cake, which I think is even better! It’s so delicious it doesn’t need frosting, but the classic pairing with cream cheese frosting takes it over the top.

Perfect Pumpkin Cake

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Cake

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar
  • ⅔ cup (150ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (227g) pure pumpkin purée Not pie filling

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 6 tablespoons (85g) cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1-3 teaspoons heavy cream, room temperature

Instructions
 

Pumpkin Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan* with parchment paper**. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and pumpkin purée with an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk, until smooth and well blended. Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 38-43 minutes. Cool the cake in pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from pan and transfer to a cooling rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer, until creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt until well combined. On low speed, beat in the powdered sugar. Keeping the mixture at low speed, beat in the heavy cream a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Stir with a spatula to smooth out any bubbles.

Notes

*To find the cake pan I used, click here.
**To find the parchment rounds I used, click here.
Keyword cake, pumpkin

Harry Potter Inspired Pumpkin Pasties

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Pumpkin Pasties

Even though the weather is warm where I live at the moment, I’m dreaming about all the delicious fall treats I’ll be baking this year. Let’s look forward to cool, crisp weather, the smell of pumpkin or apples baking, and sipping a warm mug of something spicy while we wait for our bakes to come out of the oven.

Inevitably, every fall, the Harry Potter movies come on at my house and it’s nice to have some popcorn and sweet treats to enjoy while watching the movies. And these Harry Potter Inspired Pumpkin Pasties are perfect for that! If you’ve read the Harry Potter books, you may remember the Pumpkin Pasties being mentioned. There are many interpretations out there, but I imagined them to be crispy and flaky on the outside with a sweet pumpkin filling. I included a delicious flaky pie crust recipe here, but feel free to use store bought pie dough if you want to streamline the process. I sprinkled mine with raw turbinado sugar before baking which provides a sweet delicious crunch. You can also use maple sugar or sparkling sugar. To find the sugar I used, click here. And as a magical touch, I added some edible gold star glitter. To find the edible gold stars, click here.

Pumpkin Pasties

Harry Potter inspired sweet pumpkin filled hand pies
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 12 hand pies

Ingredients
  

Pie Crust

  • 2 ⅔ cup (340g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (50g) vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup (170g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup (118ml) ice water
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) apple cider vinegar

Pumpkin Filling

  • ¾ cup (170g) canned pure pumpkin purée Not pie filling
  • ⅓ cup (66g) sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground

Assembly

  • egg wash 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of water
  • coarse sugar

Instructions
 

Pie Crust

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Work the shortening into the flour mixture with your fingertips until evenly dispersed throughout.
  • Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips, creating flat dime size pieces.
  • Mix the ice water and vinegar together. Sprinkle over the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring until dough comes together. You may not need all of the water depending on your climate.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over onto itself a few times. Do not overwork the dough! Form the dough into two disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or up to overnight.

Pumpkin Filling

  • In a medium-size bowl, mix together the pumpkin purée, sugar, egg, heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until well combined.

Assembly

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the dough into twelve 5-inch* rounds, re-rolling the scraps as needed. Place the dough rounds a couple of inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.
  • Place about 2 tablespoons of filling on each round, leaving a half-inch border. Apply egg wash to the edges of the rounds.
  • Fold the dough over and press the edges together. Crimp the edges with a fork. If any filling oozes out, wipe it up with a paper towel or it will burn.
  • Brush the pasties with egg wash. Cut a half-inch slit into the top of each pastie. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  • Bake until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

*To find a 5-inch round cutter, click here.
Keyword pastry