Ingredient: cornstarch

Pink Lemonade Cookie Bars

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Pink Lemonade Cookie Bars

These cheerful Pink Lemonade Cookie Bars are sweet, summery and nostalgic. They remind me of the pink lemonade cake my elderly neighbor used to make. She shared her recipe when I was about 10 years old. It was so easy and it was one of the first things I baked on my own. These cookie bars have that same delicious, vibrant flavor, but in the form of a soft, tender cookie and they’re just as easy to make.

Pink Lemonade Cookie Bars

Soft, lemony cookie bars topped with silky, smooth pink lemonade frosting and pink sprinkles
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 16 2-inch bars

Ingredients
  

Cookie Bars

  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar
  • Zest of 2 medium lemons
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon pure cherry extract
  • 1 dash fine sea salt
  • 1 tiny drop pink gel food coloring I used Americolor deep pink*
  • Pink confetti sprinkles

Instructions
 

Cookie Bars

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until incorporated, then beat in the extracts. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined. Do not over mix.
  • Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the top is set and the edges start to turn light golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan.
  • Once cooled, remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper as handles. Frost and add sprinkles. Cut into squares.

Frosting

  • In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together just until smooth and combined. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, cherry extract and salt. Beat until smooth. Mix in the food coloring a little at a time, with the tip of a toothpick, until your desired shade of pink is achieved.

Notes

*To find the pink gel food coloring I used, click here.
Keyword bars, pink lemonade cookie

Triple Berry Crumble Cheesecake Bars

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Triple Berry Crumble Cheesecake Bars

Snacking on fresh summer berries is a treat I look forward to every year. Making desserts with berries is even more anticipated! So I decided to share my dreamy Triple Berry Crumble Cheesecake bars. The cheesecake filling is so creamy and silky. I used a combination of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries with plenty of crumb topping. Feel free to use any combination of berries you like. If you use strawberries, just cut them into chunks. The raspberry sauce is a bonus. You can also make the sauce using strawberries instead if you like. These cheesecake bars are so stress-free. There’s no water bath required and you don’t have to worry about cracking.

Triple Berry Crumble Cheesecake Bars

A creamy cheesecake filling on a graham cracker base, topped with berries and a generous crumb topping. Served with raspberry sauce.
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 9 servings

Ingredients
  

Berries

  • 2 cups (284-312g) assorted berries I used 1 cup (142g) blackberries, 1/2 cup (78g) blueberries and 1/2 cup (71g) raspberries
  • 1 tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
  • â…“ cup (66g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (38g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 ½ cups (170g) graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • â…› teaspoon cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) melted butter

Filling

  • 16 ounces (454g) cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (59ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

Raspberry Sauce

  • 1 ¼ cups (142g) raspberries
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (118ml) plus 1 tablespoon (15ml) water, divided
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions
 

Berries

  • Combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, then drain the juices.

Crumb Topping

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt.
  • Work the butter in with your fingertips until it looks like wet sand and no large pieces of butter remain. Press the mixture together to form chunks. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray an 8-inch (20.3cm) square baking dish with nonstick spray. (I used a ceramic baking dish.*)
  • In a medium bowl, mix the crumbs, sugar and cinnamon together until well combined. Stir in the melted butter until evenly distributed. Press this mixture into the baking pan. Bake until set, about 5 minutes.

Filling and Assembly

  • Turn the oven temperature down to 325ºF (165ºC).
  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar and salt until well combined. Gradually beat in the heavy cream, then the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time, just until smooth and combined. Don't over beat.
  • Pour the batter into the baking dish over the crust. Spoon the drained berries over the batter. Sprinkle on the crumb topping. Bake until the topping is golden brown and the cheesecake center is wobbly but not runny, about 45-50 minutes. The internal temperature should be 145º-150ºF (63º-66ºC).
  • Run a small offset spatula or a knife along the perimeter edges of the cheesecake to separate it from the pan. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve with raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce

  • Purée the raspberries n a blender or small food processor. Pass the purée through a mesh sieve.
  • Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/2 cup (118ml) of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon (15ml) of water. Add this mixture to the saucepan and whisk until smooth. Continue cooking until thickened, about 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer the raspberry sauce to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The sauce will thicken a bit as it cools.

Notes

*To find an 8-inch ceramic baking dish, click here.
Keyword bars, cheesecake, triple berry

Strawberry Lavender Hand Pies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

Good things are coming your way. Your first bit of good fortune today, was finding this recipe. These Strawberry Lavender Hand Pies are exceptionally delicious and delightful. The sweet strawberry filling and the buttery, flaky pie crust are perfect together. When you add the lavender icing, they become positively magical. The icing has a touch of lavender that’s just enough to add a subtle floral note. I decorated mine with lavender buds, sprigs of lavender and dried rose petals. These pretty pies are perfect for teatime or fairy picnics.

Strawberry Lavender Hand Pies

Hand held pies with sweet, fresh strawberry filling, surrounded by a buttery, flaky crust and topped with lavender icing.
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 8 pies

Ingredients
  

Pie Crust

  • 2 â…” cups (340g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (48g) vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup (170g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup (118ml) ice water
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) apple cider vinegar
  • Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

Strawberry Filling

  • 2 ½ cups (375g) chopped strawberries (1/2-inch pieces)
  • ¼ cup (50g) sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons (5g) cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt

Lavender Icing

  • ¾ cup (177ml) half & half
  • 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender* plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1 ¼ cups (150g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1-2 drops lilac gel food coloring
  • 1 tiny drop violet gel food coloring

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 it's evenly dispersed throughout. Work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips, creating flat dime size pieces.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the ice water and vinegar together. Sprinkle over the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring until the dough comes together. You may not need all of the liquid 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 4 x 5-inch rectangles. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Strawberry Filling

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir together the strawberries, sugar and cornstarch. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries release their juices and the mixture starts to bubble. Turn the heat down and simmer until thickened to a jam consistency, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Lavender Icing

  • In a small saucepan, heat the half & half and the lavender over medium heat, just until bubbles form around the edges. Do not boil. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for 1 minute. Strain the lavender cream into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
  • Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add the lavender cream a little at a time, whisking until smooth. Add more lavender cream as needed to achieve your desired consistency. Add the food coloring a little at a time, with the tip of a toothpick, until your desired shade is achieved. Whisk until smooth and well combined.

Assembly

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out sixteen 3 x 4-inch rectangles. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Place 8 rectangles onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Brush the perimeter edges with egg wash. Top each one with about 2 tablespoons of filling. Top with the remaining rectangles. Press the edges to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork. Brush the pies with egg wash. Cut 1/2-inch ventilation slits in the top of each one.
  • Bake until golden brown, about 23-28 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Spoon or drizzle the icing over the cooled hand pies. Sprinkle with a few lavender buds.

Notes

*To find culinary lavender, click here.
Keyword pastry, pie, strawberry lavender

Blueberry Galette with Lavender Cream

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Blueberry Galette with Lavender Cream

This rustic Blueberry Galette is so much easier to make than blueberry pie, but it’s equally delicious. It’s bursting with fresh blueberries on a tender, flaky crust. it’s heavenly served with a cloud of lavender cream.

Blueberry Galette with Lavender Cream

Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 1 â…“ cups (170g) all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (13g) sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons (24g) vegetable shortening
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • ¼ cup (59ml) ice water
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • Egg wash: 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon of water
  • Coarse sparkling sugar for sprinkling

Lavender Whipped Cream

  • ¾ cup (177ml) heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender*
  • 1 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 drop violet gel food coloring
  • 2 drops lilac gel food coloring

Blueberry Filling

  • 4 cups (625g) blueberries
  • 6 tablespoons (75g) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt

Instructions
 

Crust

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Work the shortening into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it's 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 in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring until dough comes together. You may not need all of the liquid depending on your climate.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over onto itself a few times. Do not over work the dough! Form the dough into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour or up to overnight.

Lavender Whipped Cream

  • In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and lavender over medium heat, just until bubbles form around the edges. Turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for 1 minute. Strain the lavender cream into a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
  • Whip the lavender cream until thickened. Add the powdered sugar and food coloring, if using. Whip until medium peaks form, being careful not to over beat. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Blueberry Filling and Assembly

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC).
  • In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt. Mix until well combined.
  • Brush a 2-inch border of egg wash on the surface of the pie dough. Spoon the blueberries onto the dough within the border. Fold the dough border over the blueberries, towards the center, pleating the edges about every 2-inches. Brush the edges with egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  • Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 28-35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with lavender cream.

Notes

*To find culinary lavender, click here.
Keyword blueberry, galette, pastry

Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

These cookies were inspired by my viral Raspberry White Chocolate Scones. The flavors work so well together and the pretty pink sparkling sugar adds a nice crunchy texture, so I thought they would make excellent cookies too. And I was right! These cookies are everything I was dreaming about. In the scones, fresh raspberries were added directly into the dough. In this recipe, instead, I made a quick raspberry jam to fold into the cookies. Make sure to fold it in gently because if you over mix it, the dough will become too wet, which can lead to excess spreading. I also broke the chocolate into pieces, rather than chopping it. Chopping the chocolate makes too many small chards of chocolate which can also cause excess spreading.

Raspberry White Chocolate Cookies

Cookies with white chocolate pieces and fresh raspberry jam swirled into the dough and topped with pink sparkling sugar
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 18 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups (198g) raspberries, divided
  • ¾ cup (150g) plus 2 tablspoons (25g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 ¾ cups (225g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • ¼ cup (30g) cake flour, sifted
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1 4 oz (113g) bar of white chocolate, cut into bite size pieces, plus extra for tops or 2/3 cup (4 oz) white chocolate chips
  • pink pearl coarse sparkling sugar optional

Instructions
 

  • Set aside 1/2 cup of raspberries. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 1 cup of raspberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar, the lemon juice and the cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then turn the heat down to low and simmer until thickened to a jam consistency, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in the reserved raspberries. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, the cake flour, salt and baking soda until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, the remains 3/4 cup of sugar, and the brown sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the egg yolk in two separate additions until well incorporated. Beat in the extracts.
  • Mix the flour mixture into the batter, just until combined. Stir in the white chocolate pieces. Fold in the cooled raspberry mixture very gently. Do not over mix! You want to see raspberry swirls. Over mixing will change the texture of the cookies.
  • Place 2-tablespoon size portions of cookie dough about 3 inches apart onto the prepare cookie sheets. I used a #30 portion scoop.* Top each cookie with a piece of white chocolate and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until the tops of the cookies are set and the edges turn light golden brown, about 10-14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Notes

If your cookies spread too much, you can try refrigerating the dough balls for 10-15 minutes before baking. Don't refrigerate the dough longer or your dough may become discolored. For best results, weigh your ingredients.
*To find the portion scoop I used, click here.  
Keyword cookies, raspberry white chocolate

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars by Mari Vasseur

The combination of peanut butter and chocolate feels so nostalgic to me. This is a beloved recipe from my childhood with those comforting flavors. We used to make these delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars with melted chocolate chips on top, but I upgraded them with a silky chocolate glaze. My family always devours these easy-to-make, customizable bars. Feel free to add chopped peanuts, peanut butter chips or even a sprinkle of sea salt on top.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

by Mari Vasseur
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 16 2-inch bars

Ingredients
  

Bars

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted plus 1 teaspoon for the chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons (18g) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup (128g) creamy peanut butter
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze

  • ½ cup (71g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Instructions
 

Bars

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together, with an electric mixer, until smooth and well blended. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract in 3 separate additions, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • In a small bowl, toss the chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour then stir them into the batter. Transfer the batter to the baking pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out with a few moist crumbs on it, about 20-25 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool in the pan. Spread the chocolate glaze over the cooled bars.

Glaze

  • Combine the glaze ingredients in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.
Keyword bars, peanut butter chocolate chip

Peach Crumble Pie Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Peach Crumble Pie Cookies

I couldn’t decide whether to call these cookies or pies, so I made a compromise. They’re about the size of cookies, but they taste like little peach crumble pies. The base is tender like shortbread or pie crust and the filling is made with fresh peaches. I’ve seen people make something similar with jam and call them cookies, but since I used fresh fruit for these, they deserve to be elevated to pie status.

The peaches are macerated to draw out the excess juices, to help avoid making your cookies soggy. If you’re impatient, don’t be tempted to skip this step. It’ll go by fast as you prep the crumb topping and the remaining ingredients.

When I first made these, I used cupcake liners because I was worried that they might stick to the pan. It turns out that they stick to the cupcake liners more than the pan. So the next time I made them, I opted to lightly spray the pan with nonstick spray instead of using liners. I ran a small thin offset spatula around the perimeter of the cookies to loosen them from the pan and they popped out nicely.

I love topping these little peach delights with caramel sauce. Salted caramel is also a delicious addition. Or you can simply sprinkle them with powdered sugar if you prefer.

Peach Crumble Pie Cookies

Tender, peach-filled cookies with crumble topping and caramel drizzle
Print Recipe
Servings 12 cookie tarts

Ingredients
  

Macerated Peaches

  • 1 ¼ cups (213g) chopped peaches
  • ¾ teaspoon lemon juice
  • ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ teaspoon cornstarch

Crumble Topping

  • ½ cup (64g) all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 ½ tablespoons (35g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Cookies

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 7 tablespoons ( 99g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup (28g) powdered sugar

Topping

  • 3-4 tablespoons caramel sauce, purchased or homemade

Instructions
 

Macerated Peaches

  • In a medium bowl, toss the peaches with lemon juice. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir gently to combine. Let stand 30 minutes.
  • Drain the peaches, reserving 1 tablespoon of the juices. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved peach juice with the corn starch. Mix with the drained peaches.

Crumble Topping

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
  • With your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like wet sand. Press the mixture together to form chunks.

Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Lightly spray a 12-serving muffin pan with nonstick spray. (If you're concerned about the cookies sticking to the pan, see notes below.*)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • In a large bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
  • Mix in the flour mixture on low speed or by hand, just until combined.
  • Press generous tablespoon size (about 20g each) portions of dough into the bottoms of the muffin pan cups with a pastry tamper dipped in flour. You can also use the bottom of a flat shot glass.
  • Top with the peaches, then the crumble topping mixture. Bake until the cookies are set and the topping is golden brown, about 15-17 minutes.
  • Cool the cookies completely in the pan. Once cool, remove the cookies from the pan by running a small offset spatula or paring knife around the inside perimeter of the muffin cups to loosen them. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Notes

*You can line the bottoms of the muffin cups with 2-inch parchment circles to make sure your cookies release. I don't recommend cupcake liners because the cookies stick to the ridges of the liners. You can, however, cut the circles from the bottom of the cupcake liners if you don't have parchment paper.
Keyword cookies, peach

Blueberry Ripple Scones

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Blueberry Ripple Scones

Once there was a blueberry scone. She was good and reliable. One day she felt bored and tired of her soggy blueberries. She thought about her friend, the other blueberry scone. The one with the dried blueberries. The shriveled up blueberries reminded her of raisin bran. “It’s time for a change,” she thought. So she grabbed her friend, and they headed over to Brownie Mischief for a makeover.

That’s how Blueberry Ripple Scones were born, at least in my imagination. These scones are the new and improved, elevated version of blueberry scones. They have a ribbon of sweet blueberry compote swirling through the tender vanilla dough, making them look beautiful and taste delicious. Although the blueberry compote is quick to make, it requires a little more effort than simply folding blueberries into the dough. But it’s definitely worth it. I like to make my compote the night before, then it’s ready to go when I make my scones in the morning.

Blueberry Ripple Scones

Vanilla scones with ribbons of sweet blueberry compote and crunchy sugar topping
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Servings 8 scones

Ingredients
  

Scones

  • 1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 oz or 226g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 oz or 100g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup (4 oz or 113g) cold heavy cream Plus more for tops
  • ¼ cup (2 oz or 57g) cold sour cream
  • ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • â…“ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) blueberry compote Recipe below
  • coarse sugar for tops

Blueberry Compote

  • ¾ cup (4 oz or 113g) blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions
 

Scones

  • Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  • Work the butter into the flour with your fingertips or with a pastry blender, until pea size pieces form.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla.
  • Stir the cream mixture into flour mixture until a shaggy dough is formed.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into an oval. Spoon dollops of blueberry compote onto the dough. Fold the dough over onto itself 3 times.
  • Form the dough into a 1-inch thick round, about 6 1/2-inches in diameter. Cut the dough into 8 wedges.
  • Place the scones 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Chill the scones in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
  • Heat your oven to 375ºF. Brush the tops of scones with heavy cream. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
  • Bake until the edges look golden brown, about 18-22 minutes.

Blueberry Compote

  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries start to release their juices.
  • Turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Notes

*To find coarse sugar, click here.
To find purple coarse sugar, click here.
Keyword blueberry, scones

Pink Velvet Cookies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Pink Velvet Cookies

Whenever I walk into a bakery, my eyes are always drawn to anything pink. Pink cupcakes, cookies, donuts or anything with pink icing will inevitably come home with me. This probably started in childhood. Most bakeries back then, including the bakery my aunt always took me to, had pink boxes, so I associate it with delicious, freshly baked treats. Maybe pink desserts do taste better or maybe our minds just tell us that. Either way, if you love pink treats, you’ll love these cookies.

Pink velvet is similar to red velvet, but without the cocoa powder and red food color. The texture should be somewhat velvety, like red velvet cake. I have yet to taste a velvety red velvet cookie, but I think the texture of these cookies is pretty velvety as long as they’re not over baked. Pink velvet desserts are typically vanilla flavored. I upgraded the flavor by adding a touch of cherry flavoring. It’s not enough to give you cherry flavored cookies, but it will add depth to vanilla flavored treats. It’s an old bakery trick that I learned years ago that adds a fruity note in the background.

For best baking results, I recommend using a scale to weigh your ingredients, especially your dry ingredients. If you love baking, you should invest in a food scale if you don’t already have one.

To watch the Pink Velvet Cookies TikTok video, click here. To watch the Pink Velvet Cookies Instagram video, click here.

Pink Velvet Cookies

Pink vanilla flavored crinkle cookies with chewy exteriors and soft, velvety centers
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Servings 14 cookies

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cups (7 7/8 ounces) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • scant ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon natural cherry flavoring See notes below*
  • 1 small pea size drop pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink**

Optional

  • ½ cup white chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and oil until light and fluffy.
  • Beat egg whites into butter mixture in two addition, until well combined.
  • Beat in extracts until well combined.
  • Add gel food color, a little at a time with a toothpick, until desired shade of pink is reached. (Adding remaining ingredients will lighten the color slightly.) Beat until evenly distributed.
  • Add flour mixture to batter and beat just until combined. Mix in white chocolate chips if using.
  • Roll dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each. I used a #30 portion scoop.*** Roll dough very generously in powdered sugar. Place two inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake until cookies are puffed and tops are set, about 11-13 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Notes

*The cherry flavoring in this recipe is not intended to make a cherry flavored cookie. The addition of cherry flavoring adds a subtle fruity note. You can also use pure cherry extract. Use a bit less (scant 1/2 teaspoon)  because extracts tend to be stronger than flavorings. DO NOT use imitation cherry extract. It has a medicinal flavor that will disappoint you. If you want your cookies to be cherry or strawberry flavor, reduce vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon and  use 1- 1 1/2 teaspoons of natural cherry or strawberry flavoring.
**To find the pink gel food color I used, click here.
***To find the portion scoop I used, click here.
This recipe was updated on 2/14/23.
Keyword cookies, pink velvet

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce

This cake story has a happy ending. Once, many years ago, someone gave my grandparents’ neighbor a flourless chocolate cake. The neighbor had a slice and couldn’t finish it because it was too rich. She brought the cake over to my grandparents and they each had a slice and couldn’t finish them, because they were too rich. I had a slice and I couldn’t finish mine either and, well…you can guess why. So my grandparents, not wanting to be wasteful, put the cake in the freezer and forgot about it for a very long time. Whenever I opened the freezer and saw it, I wondered why none of us could eat more than a few bites of that rich cake. Although I don’t know for sure, it was probably because the ratio of chocolate to butter was off. But I do know that serving it with something acidic, like berries or raspberry sauce, would have helped immensely.

The happy ending to this story is that this flourless chocolate cake was created to be enjoyed to the last bite. It’s decadent, but not overly rich. It has a good balance, not too sweet or too bitter. The raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries compliment it perfectly. This luscious cake is also delicious with strawberries or any combination of berries you like. It’s also delicious served with salted caramel sauce. I wish my grandparents were still around to give my version of a flourless chocolate cake a try. I think they would have loved this cake and finished every last bite!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Print Recipe
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Flourless Chocolate Cake

  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
  • 6 large eggs, chalazae* removed
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • boiling water
  • powdered sugar for sprinkling
  • fresh raspberries for top
  • raspberry sauce (Recipe below)

Raspberry Sauce

  • 3 cups (12 ounces) fresh raspberries
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/4-1/3 cup (1 3/4-2 3/8 ounces) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions
 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a 6-inch springform pan** with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray. Wrap the bottom two inches of the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Set pan in a baking pan.
  • Combine chocolate and butter in a large stainless steel bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat.
  • In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer until doubled in size, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract and salt.
  • With a large spatula, gently fold beaten eggs into chocolate mixture in three additions until no streaks of egg remain. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth top of batter with a small offset spatula.
  • Pour 1 1/2 inches of boiling water into baking pan. Bake until top is set and internal temperature*** reaches 140ºF, about 28-37 minutes.
  • Remove cake pan from water bath. Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or up to overnight, but cake is best served the day it's made).
  • Remove cake from pan when chilled and set. Top with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries.
  • To serve, remove cake from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving and serve at room temperature for best texture. Serve with raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce

  • Purée raspberries in blender or food processor. Pass purée through a fine mesh sieve**** to remove seeds.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch.*****
  • In a small saucepan, heat raspberry purée with sugar and cornstarch slurry to a boil over medium heat. Turn heat down to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Notes

*Chalazae are the opaque chords of egg white. Removing them is optional, but they do show up as white spots in the cake after baking.
**To find the 6-inch springform pan I used, click here.
***To find an instant read thermometer, click here.
****To find a fine mesh sieve, click here.
*****To find a mini whisk for whisking small amounts, click here.
Keyword cake, chocolate

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
  • â…“ 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 cuts (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
  • â…” 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

Cherry Cutie Pies

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Cherry Cutie Pies

Cherry season is highly anticipated at my house. We love enjoying a bowl of fresh cherries during the summer. We also love fresh cherry desserts. These cute little hand pies are a family favorite. They have the most delicious fresh cherry filling, surrounded with buttery, flaky crust and topped with vanilla icing. The small size makes them perfect for sharing or taking them along in a picnic lunch. I like to make the crust and the filling the day before, which makes them come together quicker on baking day. I decorated mine with bright red maraschino cherries for the photo, but my favorite cherries to top them with are Italian-style maraschino cherries.

 

Cherry Cutie Pies

by Mari Vasseur
3-inch cherry hand pies with flaky crust, topped with vanilla icing
Print Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 20 hand pies

Ingredients
  

Pie Crust

  • 2 â…” cups (340g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (48g) vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup (170g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup (118ml) cold ice water
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) apple cider vinegar

Cherry Filling

  • 12 ounces (340g) fresh cherries, pitted, halved and stems removed (about 1 3/4 cups after prep)
  • â…“ cup (66g) sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (10g) cornstarch
  • â…› teaspoon almond extract
  • Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water

Icing

  • 1 ¼ cups (150g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon meringue powder (optional)
  • 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) whole milk
  • ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 dash fine sea salt
  • Pitted cherries for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

Pie Crust

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Work the shortening into the flour with your fingertips until it's evenly dispersed throughout. Work the butter into the flour mixture, creating flat dime size pieces.
  • In a glass measuring cup, mix the ice water and vinegar together. Sprinkle the liquid over the flour mixture a little at a time, stirring until the dough comes together. You may not need all of the liquid depending on your climate.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over onto itself a couple of times. Do not overwork the dough. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and form into disks. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Cherry Filling

  • In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the cherries, sugar and cornstarch. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cherries start to soften and the juices are thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cherries to a bowl. Stir in the almond extract. Set aside to cool completely.

Icing

  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons (22ml) of milk, the salt and the vanilla extract. Add additional milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency. (If you decide to omit the meringue powder, you'll need less milk.)

Assembly

  • Preheat oven to 375°F (190°). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about 1/8-inch (.3cm) thickness. Cut out 20-22 3-inch (7.6cm) rounds. Transfer half of the rounds to a baking sheet, placing them about 2 inches (5cm) apart. Using a slotted spoon, place the filling onto rounds to within 1/2-inch (1.3cm) of the edges. Using a small pastry brush or your finger, apply egg wash to the edges. Top with the remaining rounds. Press the edges to seal & crimp with a fork. Brush the pies with egg wash. Cut a small x in the top of each pie.
  • Bake until golden, about 18-24 min. Transfer the pies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Brush icing on the cooled pies with a pastry brush. When the icing is almost set, top the pies with pitted cherries if desired.
Keyword cherry, pastry, pie