Spring Battenburg Cake This was my first time making Battenburg cake, and it certainly will not be my last. I'm smitten! I love the bright almond flavor the cake imparts, and I can't help but smile at the colorful two-by-two checked pattern. I had a difficult time finding good step-by-step instructions for this recipe, so I am including my own in this post. I didn't have the two 7" square pans called for in the original recipe, so I had to work around that. I ended up using a 10 x7 stoneware dish with the parchment divider and it worked great. As a final touch, I dressed the cake in white fondant and added pearl dragees. Spring Battenburg Cake [click to print] Serves 6-8 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the pan: Fold a piece of parchment paper in half, then, while folded, trim the edges to fit the length of the pan. Bake the cakes: Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Assemble the cake: Using a serrated knife, trim each cake evenly into two long cuboid cakes.
Currently Baking {Rocher-stuffed Brownies} « Miss Renaissance Truly (in my little world, at least), there’s hardly a better combination than chocolate and hazelnuts. It’s the perfect marriage of intense cocoa flavor & nutty sweetness. I could go on and on about this….those close to me know how intense my love for this combo really is (hence, my crazy addiction to Nutella!) This being said, let me introduce you to heaven in brownie form: the Tartine Bakery Brownie. The only thing better than a deliciously rich brownie or a handful of yummy Rocher is this mash-up of sorts. I used Tartine’s brownie recipe from their book (pictured above, click to see it larger), and simply “dunked” 16 Rocher into the batter before baking. {All images by Miss Renaissance.}
Peanut Butter and Jelly Baby Lattice Pies Good Tuesday to you! I had so much fun making these baby pies! For some reason party food seems more fun when it’s miniature right? So, these are totally doable, they look detailed, but seriously are really easy. Peanut Butter and Jelly is one of those combinations that I could do in almost any dessert. Time to create the lattice top… My strips were a little long, but you get the idea. Brush lightly with egg wash Here you have the lovely little PB&J pies. Peanut Butter and Jelly Baby Lattice Pies 1 roll Pillsbury pie dough 1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter 1 Tablespoon sugar 1/2 Cup Smucker’s Strawberry Preserves 1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash Sugar Crystals for sprinkling on top if desired 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar 1. 2. 3. 12 mini pies…..let’s see what the judges think… Think we’ve got some happy taste testers! Other recipes you may enjoy...
Kevin & Amanda Secret Ingredient Christmas Cookies These secret-ingredient cookies are insanely delicious, perfect for Christmas, and are sure to have everyone trying to guess the secret ingredient at cookie swaps! :) It may be a little early to start talking about Christmas cookies, but honestly, these cookies are amazing any time of year! I love nuts (especially when they’re candied) but I can’t stand nuts in my cookies!! What happened next are these decadent, Brown Butter, Cinnamon Toasted Pecan, Oatmeal Snickerdoodles. I am so, so thrilled with how these cookies came out. They were a huge hit with my friends and neighbors. You’ve got to try these at least once. :) Put these on your cookie to-do list! Here’s how I made them. The first step is to brown the butter. Browning butter is so easy. And that’s it! The next step is to toast the pecans. Place the nuts in a large skillet over medium heat. Immediately transfer the nuts to the bowl of a food processor. Add one cup quick 1-minute oats. And whisk to combine. Oh mama mia. 1. 2. 3. 4.
strawberry, blueberry, cobbler, recipe — Eating Out Loud Berry season is upon us and I couldn’t be more happy. Whether you’re looking for strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or boysenberries, the fruits are becoming readily available and at affordable prices. This berry cobbler is versatile and a great use of any type of berry or soft and juicy fruit. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been wrangling with our excess of strawberries. I made strawberry cornmeal muffins, jam and froze a bunch for later use, but I still had quite a few in the fridge. The recipe is simple and perfect for those afraid of baking. I’ve played around with the recipe a little bit, adding some cinnamon and nuts, both of which are optional. Strawberry-Blueberry Magic Cobbler inspired by Grandma Mary’s Magic Cobbler and Southern Peach Cobbler 1/3 cup butter 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups milk 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 cups chopped fruit 1/3 cup pecans 1/3 cup brown sugar Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars If you’re in need of portable whole grains, these are perfect. They are the flavor of good nutrition! Baked Oatmeal Snack BarsIngredients1.5 cups rolled oats1/2 cup chopped walnuts [or any nuts you like]1/2 cup dried fruit (any you like – raisins, cranberries, dates, figs)1/4 cup seeds (any you like – sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame)1 tsp cinnamon1 tsp kosher salt1.25 cups skim milk1 egg1 tsp vanillaMethod:Preheat oven to 350*Mix dry ingredients.Mix wet ingredients.Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine.Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment.Bake for 40 minutes.Cut into 9 squares.Makes 9 servings . Each bar is appx. 170 calories, 3 grams fiber and 5 grams protein. [Cut into 12 squares reduces calories to about 125 calories per square]While delicious, the only sweetness in these comes from the dried fruit. All mixed up: Going into the oven Parchment makes lift out SO easy: So does a pizza cutter : Whole grains to go.
Cinnamon Streusel Baked Donuts So here’s the thing. Wes is apparently not ever in the mood to sleep these days. Not at night, not during naptimes, nothing. I love my little dude so stinking much, but how do you tell a 4-month-old that mama needs sleep to be able to play all day long, make up silly songs, snuggle and read? Yes, tried to reason with a baby. So on the eve of our first flight together I’ve decided to share my favorite donut recipe to date – because if there’s anything that I like to eat when I’m having to prop my eyelids open with toothpicks it’s soft warm donuts with mounds of buttery-cinnamony-salty goodness baked on top. For the donuts: 1 cup flour1 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt1/3 cup sugar2 eggs1/4 cup vegetable oil2 Tbsp plain yogurt1/2 tsp vanilla extract For the streusel: 1/4 cup brown sugar2 Tbsp oatmeal1 Tbsp butter1/2 tsp cinnamon1/8 tsp salt Preheat your oven to 375. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to talk to Wes about the chances of him sleeping and eating well on the plane tomorrow.
No-Bake Chewy Cookies and Cream Bars Oh how I love a treat that can be whipped up in about 15 minutes. My boys and their buddies couldn’t get enough of these Chewy Oreo Bars we had as an after school snack this week. Sometimes my spontaneous recipe creations turn out to be the most fun, lol! Yes you use an entire package of Oreo Cookies, but what you get in return is a marshmallow-y Oreo treat that is worth every bite Surprise the kids (and yourself) with this one, they’ll be all smiles, Enjoy! 3 whole ingredients. Break out your Cookies! Place them all in the food processor or blender and mix until ground. Like so. Melt the butter and marshmallows into a large bowl until puffed. You’ll get a little something like this Working quickly, pour in your ground cookies. Mix, mix and mix You’ll get a gooey mess….that’s delish! Transfer to an 8×8 inch baking pan and let set for about 10 minutes. Cut into squares and indulge No-Bake Chewy Cookies and Cream Bars One 16 oz package of Oreo 5 cups Large Marshmallows 4 tablespoons butter 1.
Fluffy Vanilla Cake with Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting 8640 minutes, 144 hours, 25 loads of dishes, 7 recipes, 8 pounds of butter, a few tears, a couple of happy children, and 1 relieved husband later, I have finally found it: a new favourite classic vanilla cake recipe! The perfect fluffy vanilla cake and creamy vanilla frosting–sounds simple, right? Well, yes and no. Or no and yes. Or not at all. As a matter of fact, I think I need a hug. After I baked, frosted, and then ate some (it’s been known to happen) of each cake, I thought I’d succeeded in finding a really light and fluffy cake, but, then upon second taste, I was a bit disappointed with them and I wasn’t inspired to share them with you for that reason. The thing is, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a recipe out there that yields a fluffy vanilla cake, you know, one that is as close as can be to the boxed white cake we all love so much (yep, I said it!). This method is found in many of the cakes in Rose Levy Beranbaum’s book entitled The Cake Bible Transporting Cakes 1. . 2.