I know y’all dig chocolate-covered strawberries. Now we’re going to a whole new level!
Lately, I’ve been trying to bake with conventional flour a little bit less. After all, I’ve got a GF spouse, so it’s the least I can do. The good news is, this bread is still amazing, gluten or no. And it’s filled with strawberries and chocolate chips (and covered in chocolate)!
Can we say thank you? Someone. Please. I’m hungry for praise and dessert.
Nobody ever says no to an Oreo brownie. Nobody.
On the surface, these are the simplest brownies ever. They’re also the best, and completely impossible to resist. Oreo lovers, I dare you to walk away. Can you? Didn’t think so.
I’ve been in the dessert business now for two-plus years, and I can tell you that Oreos have a strong and very devoted following. I’m definitely a disciple. I’d rather have an Oreo any old day than a Girl Scout cookie (I know, I know). When I insert them whole into brownies? Yeah. See you all next week while I collapse on the floor in a chocolate cloud.
Here’s what happens in life. You ready?
The gas light comes on in the car. Your six-month dental checkup comes due. You realize you didn’t pay your credit card bill. Somebody gets the promotion you deserved. Your favorite pair of shoes loses a heel in the middle of the workday. And the bananas lie forgotten on the counter, turning from green to yellow to spotty to brown.
But that last one has a definite upside because all you do is bake it into banana bread. Moist, delicious, banana bread filled and glazed with brown sugar. Just for those days when things aren’t going quite your way!
Cinco de Mayo is Thursday? Aaaaaah. Not ready!
Well, I am planning on slamming back some five-dollar margaritas, so does that count as being ready? Maybe I’m okay. But in all other respects, I haven’t been baking my way ready. It’s all Passover’s fault. But now that’s over, so this no-strings-attached party can get some love!
People love lemon bars at picnics, but that’s only because they’ve never met lime bars. If given the choice, I’ll go for lime every day. It’s so much more refreshing, and it pairs beautifully with a frozen margarita. Salt on the rim, of course.
One more Passover recipe, everyone. After all, the holiday isn’t over until Saturday night! But this one is also gluten-free and just super easy.
The other day, an old friend of mine asked for a chocolate cake recipe for her daughter’s birthday, which happens to fall this week. Since she also keeps Passover and works outside the home, I wanted to make her life as easy as possible.
The key to making this cake work lies with two factors: not overbaking it (it will dry out) and putting in lots of chocolate chips!
Well, the week marches on. Today was Primary Election day in my state, and I watched a lot of people agonize over which terrible candidate to vote for. Yay for democracy!
Ideally, the voting process should be nothing but exciting, but it’s harder this year than usual. Looking toward November is a worrisome occupation, at least for me. I want to believe that everything will turn out okay, but I’m in a negative frame of mind these days.
Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I bake. There’s a mindful mindlessness about baking that lets my brain fall away a bit as I make ganache or press tart dough into a pan. The motions are repetitive, soothing, and exactly what I need sometimes. When the result is this mind-blowing linzer tart smothered in ganache and almonds, I can banish all the negativity and just think about the rich flavors exploding in my mouth.
Happy new week! And Happy Passover to everyone out there who is still celebrating all the way through this coming Saturday. Today I have a very special treat for you. Instead of sharing a recipe of mine, my beloved mother has guest written my blog post for today. Are you ready? Here we go!
It’s that time again, my lovelies. Passover is upon us! What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t give you some recipe love?
As I’ve mentioned, this is the most challenging food week of the year. I don’t like matza or anything that tastes like it, so my Passover philosophy is to avoid cooking or baking with it as much as possible. Instead, I use nut flours and potato starch, which taste much closer to the real deal.
Every year I buy a new recipe book, and this year I got Paula Shoyer’s The New Passover Menu. It’s an incredible cookbook, and it includes these cookie bars. My holiday is now officially better!
It’s definitely time for cupcakes. After all, spring has sprung. What better time to get our pastel frosting action on?
Well, I think spring has sprung. The D.C. area has a habit of swinging back and forth like a crazed toddler on a playground with temps, but I’m hoping we’ll stabilize soon. Until we do, I plan to hide in the house with cupcakes.
These are, according to a picky person I work with, the best thing I’ve ever baked. The cupcake batter is made with Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale and topped with a blackberry frosting. They’re pretty darn special.
My entire childhood was devoid of butter.
I mean, there was good reason for it. When my father had a triple bypass relatively early in my life, my mother overhauled the kitchen. If there had been butter before, it was gone forever. So I never knew what it tasted like, much less how it could elevate a baked good.
Believe me, I’m making up for lost time here. This is my favorite cookie bar base, which has very few ingredients, so it’s easy to throw together as well as delicious. I’ve filled it with milk chocolate chips and spread melted milk chocolate on top. Really, life doesn’t get much better than this.
