Ingredient: baking powder

Cherry Lemon Muffins

Cherry Lemon Muffins

Blueberry and lemon are a classic muffin flavor combination, but have you tried cherry and lemon? They complement each other beautifully in lemonade, so why not muffins? Cherries are plentiful at the moment so I came up with these pretty and delicious Cherry Lemon Muffins that are perfect for summer breakfast, brunch or picnics. They have a lovely soft, moist crumb that’s the quintessential muffin texture. Although I’ve been baking muffins since childhood, I learned to refine my muffins in culinary school. Here are a few helpful tips:

~ Muffins with big hole or tunneling may have too much leavening or it wasn’t mixed in evenly. Whisk the leavening agent into the flour thoroughly. Tunnels can also be caused by mixing the batter too aggressively.

~ Dry muffins were likely over baked or have too much flour.

~ Rubbery muffins were likely over mixed.

~ Soggy or gummy muffins were either underbaked or too much wet fruit was added. Try macerating the fruit first to release excess juices. This helps to prevent soggy spots in your muffins.

~ If you want tall, domed muffins, keep in mind that, although they look nice, domed muffins tend to be chewier and less tender. To get domes, try letting the batter rest a few minutes before baking if the muffins contain baking powder. You can also try giving the muffins a boost of high heat by starting them out with a higher temperature 400ºF (200ºC) then drop the temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) after a few minutes.

~ To keep crumble topping from sinking, make sure to work the cold butter into the flour mixture thoroughly, until it looks like wet sand and no large pieces of butter remain. Press the mixture together to form chunks, then chill it in the refrigerator before topping the muffins.

~ To keep fruit from sinking, lightly coat it with flour. Thick, voluminous batter is best for adding fruit.

Print Recipe
 Cherry Lemon Muffins
Tender, moist lemon muffins studded with fresh cherries, topped with crumb topping and pink cherry-lemon icing
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Keyword cherry lemon, muffins
Servings
muffins
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
Cherry Lemon Muffins
Icing
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Keyword cherry lemon, muffins
Servings
muffins
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
Cherry Lemon Muffins
Icing
Instructions
Crumb Topping
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Work in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like the consistency of wet sand with no large pieces of butter. Press the mixture together to make chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Muffins
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the cherries and 1 tablespoon (13g) of sugar. Let stand 30 minutes, then drain the cherries, reserving the juice.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a 12-serving muffin pan with tulip muffin liners.* (You can also use standard muffin liners. They hold less batter so you'll end up with a couple of extra muffins.)
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together until well combined.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the butter, 1 cup (200g) of sugar and lemon zest with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the extracts. On low speed, mix in the flour mixture in two additions, followed by half of the sour cream after each addition. Beat just until combined. Do not over mix. Reserve a couple of tablespoons of the chopped cherries. Coat the remaining cherries with 2 teaspoons of flour, then gently fold them into the batter.
  5. Divide the batter evenly into muffin liners. (If using standard muffin liners, fill 3/4 full.) Top with the reserved cherries and the crumb topping. 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 12-17 more minutes. Do not over bake.
  6. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely. Drizzle with icing and top with cherries if desired.
Icing
  1. In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, cherry juice, heavy cream, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice together until smooth. Add additional lemon juice, if needed, until your desired consistency is reached.
Recipe Notes

*To find  tulip muffin liners, click here. To find floral tulip muffin liners, click here.

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake

Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake

Baking is considered to be a form of therapy for many people, myself included. It can help relieve stress and help you refocus your mind. Using your senses in a positive way can increase endorphins and we’ve all heard about the way chocolate is known to improve your mood. This Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake is the ultimate baking therapy. Chopping the hazelnut chocolates for this recipe is extremely satisfying. Spreading this luxurious buttercream is so therapeutic. Don’t you love cakes like this, where you can swirl the frosting to your heart’s content?

The contrasting textures of the silky, smooth Nutella buttercream and the crunchy chopped hazelnut chocolates are divine. This soft, moist cake already stands on it’s own, but all of these delicious elements combined take it over the top!

Print Recipe
 Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch Cake
Soft, moist chocolate sheet cake with silky Nutella buttercream, topped with chopped hazelnut chocolates and toasted hazelnuts
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, chocolate
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Topping
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, chocolate
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Topping
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan* with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
  3. n a medium-size bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract and sour cream. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat until combined, then gradually mix in the hot coffee until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter to the baking pan.
  4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, about 18-23 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cake and carefully transfer it to a cooling rack. Frost the cooled cake. Top with the chopped chocolates and hazelnuts right before serving.
Nutella Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  1. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved reaches temperature of 160ºF (71°C)

  2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on low speed until frothy, gradually increasing to medium-high speed. Whisk until glossy, stiff peaks form and the mixture reaches room temperature.

  3. Turn the mixer to medium-low speed. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, allowing the butter to fully incorporate before adding more. Turn the mixer up to medium speed. If the mixture looks curdled, keep mixing and it will correct itself. 

  4. When the buttercream is smooth and well combined, switch to a paddle attachment. On low speed, mix in the vanilla extract, salt. Gradually mix in the Nutella. Continue mixing on low speed for a few minutes until smooth.

Recipe Notes

*To find my favorite 9-inch square baking pan, click here.

Sour Cream & Chive Biscuits

Sour Cream & Chive Biscuits

These soft, fluffy biscuits with buttery, golden edges are prefect for summer picnics and cookouts. I served them with grilled chicken, salad and peach iced tea. They also make delightful biscuit breakfast sandwiches.

Print Recipe
 Sour Cream & Chive Biscuits
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Keyword biscuits, sour cream & chive
Servings
biscuits
Ingredients
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Keyword biscuits, sour cream & chive
Servings
biscuits
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  2. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until flat dime size pieces are formed. Stir in the chives.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and the heavy cream. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture a little at a time until a shaggy dough is formed. 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 a 6-inch wide by 1-inch tall square. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes. This will make the dough easier to cut.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough square into nine 2-inch squares. Place the biscuits about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with heavy cream. Bake until golden brown, about 18-22 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a cooling rack and immediately brush with melted butter. Apply the chive blossoms to the tops, if using.
Recipe Notes

*I used a microwave flower press kit to press the chive blossoms.  To see the press I used, click here.  Alternately, you can press the chive blossoms  between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper and weigh them down with a heavy book overnight.

Blueberry Muffin Upside Down Cake

Upside down cakes are so much fun and slightly exciting when you flip the pan over and cross your fingers. This blueberry version tastes like a soft, moist blueberry muffin in cake form. It’s heavenly served warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top.

Print Recipe
 Blueberry Muffin Upside Down Cake
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Keyword blueberry upside down, cake
Servings
Ingredients
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Keyword blueberry upside down, cake
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray an 8-inch round cake pan* with nonstick spray.
  2. In a small saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons (85g) of the butter with the brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Simmer for 1 minute, then transfer the mixture to the cake pan. Arrange the blueberries on top.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
  4. In a medium bowl, beat the remaining 10 tablespoons (142g) of butter and the granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and the egg yolk in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla extract until well combined. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 2 separate additions, followed by half of the milk after each addition. Beat unit combined.
  5. Gently spoon the batter into the cake pan over the top of the blueberries. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out nearly clean, about 45-50 minutes. You don't want to see raw batter on the knife, but a little moisture is okay. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter and invert the cake onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes

To find my favorite  8-inch round cake pan, click here.

Deluxe Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This dreamy Cinnamon Swirl Bread is a perfectly soft, tender loaf with two layers of brown sugar cinnamon. It was already delicious on its own, but I’m sure Grandma wouldn’t mind that I upgraded it with a generous amount of crumb topping and a drizzle of cream cheese icing. This versatile loaf is enjoyable year round. During spring, it’s delightful served with a cup of blueberry tea. On summer mornings, it’s perfect with a glass of peach iced tea. And of course, during fall and winter, this comforting loaf is cozy served with a mug of hot coffee or cocoa.

To watch the Instagram video, click here.

Print Recipe
 Deluxe Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Soft, tender vanilla loaf cake with two layers of brown sugar-cinnamon swirl, topped with crumb topping and cream cheese icing
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Keyword cinnamon swirl, loaf
Servings
loaf
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Cream Cheese Icing
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Keyword cinnamon swirl, loaf
Servings
loaf
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Cream Cheese Icing
Instructions
Crumb Topping
  1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon and salt until well combined. With your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like wet sand with no large pieces of butter. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. In medium bowl, stir together 1/2 cup (100g) of brown sugar and the cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup (50g) of brown sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  5. In a small bowl or a glass measuring cup, whisk the milk and sour cream together. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the batter in two additions, followed by half of the milk mixture after each addition. Mix just until combined.
  6. Transfer half of the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture over the batter. Swirl with a skewer. Add the remaining batter and repeat with the remaining brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Sprinkle the crumb topping on evenly.
  7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. (The toothpick may have some brown sugar or crumb topping on it, but not wet batter.) Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.
Cream Cheese Icing
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and 1 tablespoon (30ml) of milk until smooth. Whisk in additional milk if needed to achieve your desired consistency. Drizzle the icing over the cooled loaf.
Recipe Notes

*To find my favorite cinnamon, click here.

Chocolate Olive Oil Cakes

Chocolate Olive Oil Cakes

These soft, plush mini chocolate loaf cakes with a silky chocolate glaze are perfect for fairy picnics. They also make adorable Mother’s Day treats for moms who love chocolate. They’re easy to make and don’t require a mixer. I garnished them with edible pressed flowers for a magical finishing touch.

Print Recipe
 Chocolate Olive Oil Cakes
Chocolate olive oil mini loaf cakes with silky chocolate icing
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, chocolate, olive oil
Servings
mini loaf cakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Olive Oil Cakes
Chocolate Glaze
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, chocolate, olive oil
Servings
mini loaf cakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Olive Oil Cakes
Chocolate Glaze
Instructions
Chocolate Olive Oil Cakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour the cavities of an 8-serving mini loaf pan,** I use a mixture of equal parts flour and cocoa powder to flour them. It's also helpful to line the bottoms of the cavities with parchment paper. I used a pan with eight 2 1/4-inch by 3 1/2-inch cavities.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream.
  5. Stir the flour mixture into the batter in two additions, followed by half of the milk mixture after each addition. Beat just until combined.
  6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, filling the cavities half full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, about 13-17 minutes. Be diligent and avoid over baking the cakes.
  7. Cool the cakes in the pan for 7 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
Chocolate Glaze
  1. Melt the butter, chocolate and corn syrup together in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  2. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cakes. When the glaze is almost set, garnish with edible pressed flowers if desired.
Recipe Notes

*  I use a microwave flower press to make edible pressed flowers quickly. To find it, click here.

**To find a mini loaf pan, click here.

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies

What’s your self care indulgence? Mine is chocolate. These Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies are the ultimate brownie cookies with the perfect combination of chocolate to satisfy any craving. They taste just like brownies with rich, fudgy centers and crisp edges. A sprinkle of sea salt flakes gives them the perfect balance.

I was inspired to create these cookies after I paid $5 for one disappointing chocolate cookie at a posh bakery. That impressive looking cookie promised gooey decadence, but it was dry and crumbly. I set out to create a cookie that does not disappoint. To achieve the perfect fudgy texture, it’s important not to over bake your cookies. To avoid over baking, I suggest baking one cookie as a test to determine your optimal baking time.

Print Recipe
 Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookies
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Course Dessert
Keyword chocolate, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Melt the chopped semisweet chocolate, the bittersweet chocolate and the butter together in large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly. (Alternately you can melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in short bursts, stirring after each one.)
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well combined.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, stir in the melted chocolate mixture until combined.
  4. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the cookie dough for about 10 minutes, just long enough to make the dough easier to work with.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Roll 2-tablespoon (40g) size portions of cookie dough into balls. I used a #30 portion scoop.*** Place the dough balls on the cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake until the tops of the cookies are set and beginning to crack, about 9-11 minutes, being careful not to over bake. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack. Sprinkle the warm cookies with sea salt flakes.
Recipe Notes

*To find Dutch process cocoa powder, click here.

**To find sea salt flakes, click here.

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

 

Strawberry Blondies

Strawberry Blondies

These golden, buttery bars have soft, chewy centers and crisp edges. They’re studded with fresh strawberry chunks and white chocolate chips. They’re perfectly delicious as is, but I drizzled them with fresh strawberry icing, which is the supreme finishing touch. They contain the perfect amount of salt which balances the sweetness of the white chocolate chips. Macerating the strawberries before baking draws out the excess liquid and helps to prevent soggy blondies, so don’t skip this step.

Print Recipe
 Strawberry Blondies
Golden, buttery blondies with fresh strawberries and white chocolate chips
Course Dessert
Keyword blondies, strawberry
Servings
2-inch squares
Ingredients
Strawberry Blondies
Strawberry Icing
Course Dessert
Keyword blondies, strawberry
Servings
2-inch squares
Ingredients
Strawberry Blondies
Strawberry Icing
Instructions
Strawberry Blondies
  1. Place the chopped strawberries in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sugar and mix well. Let stand for 30-45 minutes, then drain the excess juices.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang to serve as handles to lift the blondies out of the pan.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup (50g) of sugar, the brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg and the egg yolk and whisk until smooth and well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and the strawberries.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until the top looks golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted into the center of the blondies comes out with a few moist crumbs on it, about 28-33 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.
  6. Remove the cooled blondies from the pan and cut into squares.
Strawberry Icing
  1. Finely chop, then mash the strawberries. Press the mashed strawberries through a sieve, using the back of a spoon or press the strawberries through a food mill. Whisk together the strawberries, powdered sugar, melted butter lemon juice and salt until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled brownies.

Strawberry Swirl Cake

Strawberry Swirl Cake

This soft, incredibly moist cake is a happy experiment that successfully combines my favorite strawberry cake with cinnamon roll cake. Instead of cinnamon sugar, it has a swirl of strawberry sugar. It’s bursting with fresh strawberry flavor and it’s so good it doesn’t even need frosting. But of course, I added strawberry cream cheese icing, in the tradition of cinnamon roll cake, which takes it over the top.

Print Recipe
 Strawberry Swirl Cake
Fresh strawberry cake with a strawberry sugar swirl and strawberry cream cheese icing
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, strawberry
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Strawberry Swirl
Strawberry Cake
Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, strawberry
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Strawberry Swirl
Strawberry Cake
Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
Instructions
Strawberry Swirl
  1. In a small food processor or a clean spice grinder, pulse the freeze dried strawberries to break them up a bit. Add the sugar and process to a fine consistency. Strain the sugar mixture through a sieve into a bowl. Mix in the flour, melted butter, salt and lemon juice until well combined.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. I used an Ateco #12 tip.** Alternately, you can snip the corner off a disposable piping bag or food storage bag, creating a 3/8-inch wide opening.
Strawberry Cake
  1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer the puréed strawberries until reduced by half. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan*** with parchment paper. Grease and flour the inside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, egg, egg white, and extracts, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth. Alternately, you can whisk the mixture together by hand until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup of the cooled strawberry reduction and the food coloring. (Reserve the remaining strawberry reduction for the icing.)
  5. Stir the flour mixture into the batter, in 2 additions, alternating with the sour cream. Mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the cake pan.
  6. Pipe the strawberry swirl mixture onto the batter in a spiral pattern. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
  7. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
  1. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and strawberry reduction and beat until smooth and well combined. Whisk in the buttermilk a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Recipe Notes

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

**To find the piping tip I used, click here.

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

Confetti Crumb Cake Cookies

Just when you thought confetti cookies couldn’t get any more fun and cute, Confetti Crumb Cake Cookies have arrived! I took confetti cookies, also known as birthday cake cookies, over the top by adding confetti crumb topping and a drizzle of pale pink icing. For top level fun, I finished them with edible glitter.

Print Recipe
 Confetti Crumb Cake Cookies
Vanilla cookies with white chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, crumb topping and icing drizzle
Course Dessert
Keyword birthday cake, confetti, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Confetti Crumb Topping
Confetti Cookies
Icing
Course Dessert
Keyword birthday cake, confetti, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Confetti Crumb Topping
Confetti Cookies
Icing
Instructions
Confetti Crumb Topping
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it looks like sand with no large chunks of butter. Stir in the sprinkles. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator while you make the cookie dough.
Confetti Cookies
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookies sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and egg yolk in two additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the extracts.
  4. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture into the batter, just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and the sprinkles.
  5. Form the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon size balls. Place them about 3 inches apart onto the cookie sheets. Flatten the dough balls slightly. Top each one generously with the crumb topping.
  6. Bake until the cookies are set and the edges start to turn light golden, about 11-13 minutes. (Be careful not to over bake to avoid drying out your cookies.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Icing
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Using the tip of a toothpick, gradually add a tiny bit of food coloring and whisk until incorporated.
  2. Drizzle over the cooled cookies. Top with edible glitter if desired.
Recipe Notes

If your cookies spread too much, chill the dough for 20-30  minutes, then proceed with the recipe.

Lemon Bundt Cakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Lemon Bundt Cakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing

Say hello to springtime in cake form. These soft, fluffy, little lemon bundt cakes are bursting with lemon flavor and topped with a beautiful, delicious blueberry cream cheese icing. The icing gets it’s natural beauty from fresh blueberries. The colors and flavors of these cakes remind me of sunshine and spring blooms. I decorated my cakes with tiny blue violas from my garden. They would also look pretty topped with fresh chamomile flowers.

I used a bundtlette pan with six 1-cup servings. To find the pan I used, click here. This recipe also works as cupcakes using a standard muffin pan. The baking time will be a bit shorter. If you’re not a fan of blueberry icing, you can glaze the cakes with lemon icing instead. To find my lemon icing recipe, click here.

Print Recipe
 Lemon Bundt Cakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing
Soft, fluffy lemon bundtlette cakes topped with blueberry cream cheese icing
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, lemon bundts
Servings
Bundtlette cakes
Ingredients
Lemon Simple Syrup
Lemon Bundt Cakes
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Course Dessert
Keyword cake, lemon bundts
Servings
Bundtlette cakes
Ingredients
Lemon Simple Syrup
Lemon Bundt Cakes
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Instructions
Lemon Simple Syrup
  1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon juice, and water over medium-low heat. Cook and stir gently just until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Lemon Bundt Cakes
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour a bundtlette pan with six 1-cup servings. Make sure to thoroughly grease and flour all of the crevices. (To find the pan I used, see note below.*)
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together the sugar and lemon zest until well combined. Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth and well combined.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream. Stir the flour mixture into the batter in 2 additions, followed by half of the milk mixture after each addition. Stir just until combined.
  5. Fill the cake pan wells half full with the batter. (If using a standard muffin pan, fill the wells 2/3 full.) Bake until the tops are springy and a toothpick inserted in the centers of the cakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached, about 14-16 minutes. Check for doneness a couple of minutes early to avoid over baking. (Baking time is shorter for a standard muffin pan.) Cool the cakes in the pan for 8 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Brush the warm cakes generously with lemon simple syrup.
Blueberry Cream Cheese Icing
  1. In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Stir occasionally over medium heat, until the blueberries start to soften and the mixture starts to bubble. Smash the blueberries with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Let the mixture simmer gently until thickened to a jam consistency, about 2-3 minutes. Strain the cooked blueberries through a mesh sieve for a smooth consistency. You can skip this step if you prefer a chunky consistency. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Don't over beat. Cream cheese tends to curdle if beaten too much.
  3. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of milk and beat until smooth and well combined. Stir in the cooled blueberries until combined. Stir in more milk as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Spoon or drizzle the icing onto the cooled lemon cakes.
Recipe Notes

To find the bundt cake pan I used, click here.

Brownie Cheesecake Cookies

Brownie Cheesecake Cookies

If you love chocolate chip cheesecake, you’ll adore these Brownie Cheesecake Cookies. I took my favorite elements from brownies and chocolate chip cheesecake and combined them into a cookie. The brownie batter cookies are soft and chewy on the inside and crispy on the edges. The cheesecake filling is creamy and smooth and dotted with mini chocolate chips.

The cookie dough should be refrigerated for a few minutes to help make the dough easier to work with. A short amount of chilling time worked best for me. I had minimal spreading during baking, but If your cookies spread to much, you can form the dough balls, add the indentations and refrigerate them for 20-30 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.

Since it’s so close to St. Patrick’s Day, I also made a version with Irish cream filling. See the notes below.*

Print Recipe
 Brownie Cheesecake Cookies
Brownie cookies with soft, chewy centers and crisp edges, filled with creamy cheesecake filling and mini chocolate chips.
Course Dessert
Keyword brownie cheesecake, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Filling
Cookies
Course Dessert
Keyword brownie cheesecake, cookies
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Filling
Cookies
Instructions
Filling
  1. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract together until smooth. Set aside 1 tablespoon of mini chocolate chips. Stir the remaining mini chocolate chips into the cream cheese mixture. Set aside in the refrigerator while you make the cookie dough.
Cookies
  1. Melt the chopped chocolate and butter together in a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. (Alternately, you can melt the chocolate in the microwave with short bursts.)
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
  4. Refrigerate the cookie dough for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to work with. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Roll 2-tablespoon (40g) size portions of cookie dough into balls. Place them onto the cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Press a 1-inch wide indentation into each cookie dough ball using a pastry tamper, the flat top of a bottle cap or with your thumbs. Spoon a generous 1 teaspoon of filling into each indentation. Sprinkle with the reserved mini chocolate chips.
  6. Bake until the edges are set and beginning to crack, about 9-11 minutes. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes

To make the Irish cream version of the filling, replace the heavy cream and vanilla extract with 2 teaspoons of Bailey's Irish cream liqueur.