Dessert

Baked Apple Crisp

Baked Apple Crisp

Fruit crisps are heaven–rustic desserts that are the perfect way to show off seasonal fruits. The best part about fruit crisps is that they are simple to make, only needing fruit and few other ingredients. I thought about how to put a little twist on the classic Apple Crisp. What else makes classic dishes more fun than making them self-contained, individual servings? Top em off with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, and enjoy the tender, cinnamon-bathed apples and crumbly crisp topping. So today I'm going to show you the fast and simple way to a delicious dessert that will impress all your holiday guests. Let's get baking :) 

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Pumpkin French Toast

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Pumpkin French Toast

#PSL... not Pumpkin Spice Latte, but Pumpkin Spice Life. Are you about it? I personally don't drink coffee but tend to get a kick out of how the food industry rolls out countless Fall twists on our favorite foods; simply by making a Pumpkin Spice version. I decided to give in a little this year, and experiment with pumpkin! I love Pumpkin Pie... the ginormous $5 Pumpkin Pie from Costco is one of my favorite things about the holidays. Adding pumpkin puree and a few spices to a classic French Toast recipe is an easy way to get in the holiday spirit. I love the twist on simple French Toast. The spices are so warming and cozy, and the pumpkin flavor compliments the custard so well! Let's get cookin :) 

 

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Dutch Babies

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Dutch Babies

Food firsts are so memorable. You remember the excitement over trying something new, the first bite, who you were with, and how delicious this new dish was. Whoa. Was that too serious? Is it just me? Well, if it is, I’m totally ok with that because that’s exactly how I feel. There’s something about trying something new that is so special. 
While visiting my God Father in Palm Springs, I had my first German Pancake at Elmer’s. It was love at first bite, as cliche as that sounds. I had never had anything like it - slightly crisp and puffy on the edges, soft, warm and almost custardy in the middle. And how could a pancake be so light? It was unbelievable to me. What was even more shocking was how the fluffy batter was perfectly paired with a little butter and squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Banana Pudding and Non-Deflatable Homemade Whipped Cream

Banana Pudding and Non-Deflatable Homemade Whipped Cream

Classic Banana Pudding is decadent and ultra comforting. Whether it's made with Nilla wafers or Chessman cookies, real homemade custard, or instant vanilla pudding, it all ends up being absolutely delicious. 

This coming weekend, I'll be attending a wedding where the bride had the cute idea of having a potluck dessert bar. A bunch of wedding guests will be baking up a variety of different individual sized treats and I thought that Bite-Sized Banana Pudding would be such a fun idea. They're easy to grab, simple to make, and taste exactly like the perfect bite of banana pudding. 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

April Fool’s Day is right around the corner, and what better way to fool someone than with an indulgent chocolate bread….that’s filled with zucchini! This double chocolate zucchini bread is rich and stays super moist because of the grated zucchini, which is barely noticeable and a great way to sneak some veggies into your kids’ diets!
I’m not much of a baker, at all. I don’t understand the science of it all and really love free-styling in the kitchen. After playing with a recipe I found online, which resulted in a failed attempt at a rich, fluffy bread, I asked my friend Tracy, an amazing Pastry Chef, for a little help. I loved how her recipe turned out and hope you will try your hand at this too - don’t ever feel discouraged in the kitchen …it’s all about experimenting and learning :) Also, I don’t currently have a stand mixer and this recipe still worked out. So don’t let that stop you! Let’s get baking! :) 

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Simple King's Hawaiian French Toast for Two

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Simple King's Hawaiian French Toast for Two

King’s Hawaiian Rolls make everything better, and the fact that King’s Hawaiian makes a giant round loaf is sheer genius. The sweetness of the Hawaiian bread is perfect for French Toast. In the past I’ve been frustrated by recipes that yield 4-6 servings of French Toast - not everyone is trying to feed a family or have a ton of French Toast sitting around. Sometimes you just want to make a little batch to satisfy your cravings. This recipe is perfect for one or two people to indulge in some delicious breakfast in bed. 

Ridiculously Easy Black & Orange Marbled Cake

Ridiculously Easy Black & Orange Marbled Cake

It’s #OrangeOctober, my favorite month of the year. October brings the start of the fall holidays, colder weather, Halloween, and my birthday as well! Our #SFGiants have made it to the #NLCS and San Francisco is lit up in orange. It’s a beautiful thing. #EvenYear

A few weeks ago I started to rack my brain for fun #Halloween tutorials to do, since it’s one of the funnest DIY holidays of the year. However, I realized that I’m not really into spooky, gross looking treats. I love the creativity of Halloween, and wanted to come up with a fun, simple, and even…elegant dish for this ghouly holiday. 

Gorgeous Ginger Pear Tart

Gorgeous Ginger Pear Tart

When pears are in season, you have to cherish them, and fast. Pears seem to only flourish in their prime for a few days once brought home, scolding you if you hesitate to devour them quickly enough. My dad recently purchased an entire flat of Bartlett pears from Costco, and I instantly racked my brain for delicious recipes. Bright salads, sauces, and pastries danced around my head all day. Finally I decided to attempt baking with puff pastry for the first time. This tart is visually beautiful, wonderful for entertaining and really impressing your guests. Ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar bring out the sweetness of the fresh pears, and they are cradled in a delicate puff pastry. 
This was my first time working puff pastry, and all I could think of was Alton Brown’s old show Good Eats, which focused on the scientific reasons behind cooking and food’s reactions to certain techniques. It was one of my favorite shows while growing up, and I remember him testing out different techniques for cutting puff pastry so as not to damage the layers. The best tool for the job was a pizza cutter! It provided even pressure with quick cuts. For this tart, you don’t need to do much cutting at all, in fact, I didn’t even need to cut my puff pastry sheet because it broke off into the size I needed when it thawed from the freezer.

Homemade Strawberry Blueberry Shortcake

Homemade Strawberry Blueberry Shortcake

For Fourth of July I was torn between cooking up something devastatingly patriotic, or some good old BBQ. The deciding factor was the fact that I have been craving sweets like crazy lately. Summer is here and fresh fruit is perfect for creating beautiful dishes for your family. James and I recently went to Atlanta to visit his family and had the privilege of attending a delicious cookout. The hosts, Chris and Monique, served fresh Strawberry Shortcakes for dessert…and I was in heaven. Decadent without the guilt. They inspired me to make some for the blog! 

Raspberry Cream Cheese Cinnamon Crescents

Raspberry Cream Cheese Cinnamon Crescents

Surprise Mom with these delicious pastries that are completely customizable and easy for little ones to make! No need to mess around with puff pastry - crescent roll dough make these treats super accessible. I thought that the slight tang of raspberry jam would pair nicely with sweetened cream cheese, but you can use anything you wish! Apple pie filling, ripe peaches, strawberry preserves, chocolate, or even go the savory route and pair regular cream cheese with salsa and jalapeños.