If you never had rice pudding for breakfast, then you are missing out.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole milk
1 cup of heavy cream, split 3/4 + 1/4
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons apricot jam

DIRECTIONS

Place the milk, 3/4 cup cream, sugar, rice, and King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 to 40 minutes, until thickened. This is very similar to cooking risotto.

Test the rice to ensure it’s done. You want a firm bite, but no crunchy center to the kernel.

Remove the pudding from the heat, and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cream and the Vanilla Bean Crush or Pure Vanilla Plus, along with a pinch of salt. Top with a 1/2 teaspoon of apricot jam

Serve warm; or refrigerate, well covered, and serve chilled. Sprinkle with a touch of ground cinnamon, if desired.

I got the recipe here. 

It’s the simple things that always scratch that itch.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp espresso powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 cup plus 2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces chopped chocolate)

DIRECTIONS

Set oven to 325F

Spray a standard 9×5 loaf pan and line it with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving the ends to hang long. This way you can lift the frosted cake out for cleaner cutting.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and espresso powder. Whisk together the sour cream and milk. Sift together the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl alternately with the wet, beginning and ending with dry. Blend only until mixed, don’t over beat.

Turn the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly. Bake for about 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. Set aside to cool. Remove from pan after 20 minutes.

To make the ganache topping, heat the cream to a simmer and remove from heat. Add the chocolate and let sit for a minute, then stir until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake and then let the ganache firm up in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

I worked with this recipe.

Bread and chocolate served with the apricot jam I made yesterday.

INGREDIENTS
6 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
3 cups water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup chocolate chips or equivalent of chopped chocolate

DIRECTIONS

Start to prepare the dough around 6pm in the evening before you make the bread. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, and water. Mix until flour is moistened and then combine salt.  Dough will not be smooth, it will look kinda shaggy.  Cover it and let it sit for a few hours.  Before you go to bed, lightly flour counter top and flatten dough.  starting from one end, add a line of chocolate and then roll dough one turn to incorporate the chocolate, continue this until you have a rolled loaf to make a spiral effect. Cove and let sit overnight on cookie sheet or in a greased bowl.

In the morning, Preheat oven to 450 degrees with Dutch oven inside to also heat up. Plop dough into preheated Dutch oven. Let cook with lid on for 25 minutes. Uncover and let cook for about 15 minutes more until browned on top. I made some apricot jam yesterday.

A honey and cream cheese frosted vanilla cake filled with whipped cream and strawberries.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Strawberry Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
4 medium strawberries, hulled
3 raspberries*
1 tsp lemon juice
fresh strawberries, as needed to top cake

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour a 5-inch cake pan (at least 3 inches tall). Line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together milk, egg whites, and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and mix until combined. Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed while adding 1/2 of the liquid ingredients. Add another 1/3 of dry, follow with remaining liquid ingredients and end with dry ingredients.  Mix until batter is evenly combined.

Spoon batter into prepared cake pan. Level off the top. Bake for 60 minutes, rotating pan midway through baking. If top of cake is browning too much, cover with foil tent. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cake batter will rise slightly over the 3-inch cake pan.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before unmolding. Allow to cool to room temperature on wire rack.

Once cake is cool, use a serrated knife to slice off excess muffin top.  Divide cake into three even layers.

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, honey and sea salt.  Mix until smooth.

Strawberry Glaze: Puree strawberries and raspberries with lemon juice. Strain and measure out 2 Tbsp of juice. Combine powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp strawberry juice.  Stir until smooth. If glaze is too thick, continue to add strawberry juice, 1 tsp at a time until desired thickness is achieved.

I worked with this recipe.

One of many perfect desserts for today.

INGREDIENTS

Filling
5 peaches sliced into thin wedges
1 cup raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Biscuit Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

PREPARATION

Peaches and Raspberries. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Toss peaches and raspberries with sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a glass pie dish and bake for 10 minutes.

While fruit is baking, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.

Remove fruit from oven and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Bake in middle of oven until topping is golden, about 25 minutes.

Who doesn’t want to wake up to freshly baked scones?

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter , cold
1/2 cup golden raisins
⅔ c milk
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk (to glaze)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter. Rub the mixture together with your fingers to break up the butter, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the raisins, then add the milk and mix with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together and no lumps remain. Dust the dough with flour and place it on a lightly floured counter top. Press the dough into a round that is roughly 1 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into 2 inch circles. Place the rounds onto a greased and floured baking sheet.
Let the scones rest on the baking sheet for 15 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 425 F. Just before putting the scones into the oven, brush them with the egg yolk and milk mixture. Bake the scones for 12-15 minutes, until golden and firm. Remove the baked scones from the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes.

I worked with this recipe.

One bite and they instantly melt in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS

Lemon Curd

3 lemons
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound butter at room temperature
4 large eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)

Marshmallow Creme

1/3 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup honey
3 egg whites at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Shortbread

1 cup butter at room temperature
Zest of one lemon, finely chopped
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 cups flour

DIRECTIONS

Lemon Curd
Using a peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, avoiding the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

Marshmallow Creme
In a medium-sized saucepan combine the water, sugar and honey. Stir gently to combine. Heat over medium-high flame using candy thermometer until it gets to 240°F. Do not stir the sugar water or it will form crystals.

When the thermometer reads about 225°F to 230°F, place the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer and beat the whites to soft peaks. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.

By the time the whites are whipped, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove from the heat and with the mixer running, carefully pour the syrup in a thin, steady stream into the whites.

Continue to whip the fluffy spread for 7 to 8 minutes, or until very thick and glossy. Add the vanilla and whip for another minute.

Scoop the spread into an airtight container. Will last up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

Lemon Shortbread
In a large bowl cream together the soft butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light inf fluffy. Add in the flour and mix until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a counter dusted with powdered sugar and gently roll the dough into a long two by two inch log. Wrap the log of cookie dough in plastic wrap and allow to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350o F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Once the dough is firm slice the cookies into ¾ inch thick rounds. Place each round on your baking trey and bake for 16-18 minutes or until just golden.

Assemble cookies as needed. Once cookies are cooled, place a dollop of chilled lemon curd and then pipe on marshmallow creme.  Toast using kitchen torch.

Angie wanted more brownies.

INGREDIENTS
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ¹⁄₂ cups flour
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk chocolate chips
³⁄₄ cup raspberry jam

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, melt together butter and chocolate in a microwave; With a wire whisk, beat in sugar, eggs, and vanilla – Let cool slightly; Gradually stir in flour and baking powder just to combine; Fold in almonds and chocolate chips.

Spread about 3/4 of the batter evenly in a 13″ x 9″ x 2″ pan that has been coated with a non stick spray; Carefully spread raspberry preserves on top of the batter; Drizzle remaining batter evenly over preserves swirling top lightly with a spoon; Gently smooth top.

Bake for about 20 – 25 minutes at 350° or until the top is slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting and enjoying.

I got the recipe here.