Tag: dessert

Amish Apple Fritter Bread

Categories Desserts, Recipes2 Comments on Amish Apple Fritter Bread

Apple bread deserves more recognition. This apple bread tastes like a warm apple donut. I cut the apples into bigger chunks because I like the bite to them, but feel free to cut them into smaller pieces. I used fresh grated ginger; I feel like it gives more of a punch than the ground ginger. I need everyone to make this bread; it is the perfect fall treat for these gray, cold days ahead of us.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger (I grated real ginger, but feel free to use pre-ground)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons milk

Let’s Get Baking

Preheat your oven to 350F. Prepare your loaf pan with nonstick spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix the chopped apples + brown sugar+ cinnamon + ginger together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg + granulated sugar + vegetable oil + sour cream + vanilla extract until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour + baking soda + kosher salt, then add it to the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix in the dry ingredients until almost completely mixed in.

Fold in ¾ of the amount of the apple-cinnamon mixture into the batter, then pour it into the prepared loaf pan.

Top the apple fritter bread with the remaining apple chunks and bake for 50-55 minutes.

While the bread is cooking, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar + vanilla extract + milk until it comes to a smooth consistency.

Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving. Pour the glaze over the fritter bread generously right before serving.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

Categories Desserts, sourdoughLeave a Comment on Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

October is one of my favorite months. The leaves are changing, the weather is cooling off, and it is time to lean into all things cozy. Cozy for me includes slower moments, spices, candlelit rooms, and being wrapped up in a blanket. I think that this sourdough pumpkin bread from This Jess Cooks adds to the experience of fall. It has the perfect balance of spices, pumpkin flavor, chocolate, and my favorite, a little tang from the sourdough discard. This all comes together quickly and is ideal for sharing!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
  • 1-2 teaspoons turbinado sugar for topping (I did not have & used regular sugar instead)

Let’s Get Baking

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour + cinnamon + nutmeg + cloves + ginger + baking soda + salt. Set the bowl aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar + brown sugar + pumpkin purée + sourdough discard + vegetable oil + egg.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.

Fold in the chocolate chunks, keeping at least 2 Tablespoons of chocolate chunks for the topping. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar and the leftover chocolate chunks.

Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cool, slice & enjoy!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Rhubarb & Strawberry Crumble Bars

Categories Desserts, Recipes4 Comments on Rhubarb & Strawberry Crumble Bars

Rhubarb does not get the hype that she deserves. I am still new to the rhubarb world, and I am kicking myself for waiting so long. I made Claire Saffitz’s rhubarb loaf a few years ago, and I am so excited to bake with it again. With Memorial Day coming up, I needed a dessert to share with my family, and I figured you could never go wrong with a dessert bar. I found these rhubarb crumble bars from Molly’s Home Guide, which I changed a bit by adding lemon zest and almond slices! If you like tart over sweet, then these are the desserts for you!

Ingredients

  • 1¼ to 1½ cups rhubarb, cut into small pieces
  • 1¼ to 1½ cups strawberries, hulled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 Lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 12 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1⅔ cups plain flour
  • ¼ cup rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup chopped nuts (optional) – I used almonds

Let’s Get Baking

Preheat the oven to 375F

Line a 8×8 square pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the diced rhubarb + strawberries + cornstarch + lemon zest + lemon juice + cinnamon + vanilla extract + salt + brown sugar. Mix well and set aside.

Using a mixer, cream together the butter + brown sugar + white sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Slowly add in the flour + oats + salt, mixing until incorporated.

Take 2/3 of the dough and place it into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan to create the crust.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fruit mixture into the pressed dough crust. Spread the fruit evenly over the crust.

Mix together the remaining dough mixture with almonds (or nuts of your choice if using). Spring the crumble over the fruit layer, gently pressing it into the fruit mixture.

Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes. The crumble on top should be golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting.

Enjoy warm or keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Almond Croissant Cookies

Categories Recipes3 Comments on Almond Croissant Cookies

It’s the holidays. For me the holidays are different this year, with the loss of Cooper we are embracing new traditions and being flexible with old ones. What I love about the holidays is how much food plays an important role in gathering people together. I was testing out some new cookies that I would like to bake for the holidays as cooking/baking continues to be a relaxation during this grief. I found these almond croissant cookies and OMG are they delicious! They are chewy and have this wonderful delicious almond flavor that goes perfectly with my morning coffee. They are definitely cooper-approved!

Ingredients

  • 250g Butter, melted
  • 150g Light Brown Sugar
  • 170g Sugar
  • 1 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 TSP Baking Powder
  • 1/4 TSP Salt
  • 100g Almond Flour
  • 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 TBSP Vanilla Paste [I used liquid vanilla and it worked perfectly]
  • 100g flaked almonds
  • Powdered Sugar to decorate

Let’s Get Baking

Melt your butter and allow it to cool slightly

In a mixing bowl combine 150g of light brown sugar + 170g sugar + melted butter and mix until well combined. Add in the egg + egg yolk + vanilla paste and combine.

Make your self-rising flour: In a small bowl combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 TSP Baking Powder + 1/4 TSP Salt

Gradually add in the self-rising flour + 100g almond flour + 1 1/2 Cups All purpose flour to the butter mixture until a dough forms.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the almond flakes into a separate bowl.

Portion the dough out to your preferred cookie size, roll the ball in the almond flakes and place it on the prepared baking sheet.

Freeze the dough balls for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the cookies for about 15-25 minutes [depending on how big you made them], or until the edges are slightly golden.

Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled dust with powdered sugar.

Made with Love,
Hannah

Raspberry & Orange Scones

Categories Desserts4 Comments on Raspberry & Orange Scones

Sometimes when I am having a bad day some simple baking can help get me in a better headspace. I like to use what I have laying around the house and I have a few oranges that need to use up so I figured, why not make some scones! The key to making scones is to knead as less as possible, you’re going to think that the scones aren’t going to come together, but trust me, they will! I got some inspo from Sally’s Baking Addiction, especially grating the frozen butter!

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 1/2 TSP Baking Powder
  • 1/2 TSP Salt
  • 2 1/2 TSP Orange Zest
  • 2 TSP Fresh Orange Juice
  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, frozen & grated
  • 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Fresh Raspberries [can do frozen]

Orange Glaze

  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 3 TBSP Fresh Orange Juice

Let’s Get Baking

Combine the flour + sugar + baking powder + salt + orange zest in a large bowl. Add in the grated butter and combine until the mixture comes together, looking like small crumbs. Place it back in the fridge.

In another bowl whisk together heavy cream + egg + vanilla + orange juice. Grab the flour mixture and drizzle the liquid over. Add in the raspberries and mix together until there is no dry flour.

Pour onto the counter and with floured hands, work the dough into a ball, and be very gentle. Press into an 8-in disc and cut into 8 wedges. Brush with extra heavy cream. Place back into the fridge for 15 min.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Combine the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the scones.

Enjoy!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Categories DessertsLeave a Comment on Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Recently, one of my coworkers asked when I would be bringing in dessert again. I love bringing in my baking creations to share with my teammates and so since it was requested I thought it would be prime time to make something that screams “AUTUMN”. What stood out to me the most from this recipe from Eating Well was the gingersnap crust. I love gingersnaps and I was so excited to try it out rather than the boring and bland graham cracker crust. I have to say this is going to now be my go-to crust, and maybe even my new Thanksgiving pie!

Ingredients

  • 8oz Gingersnap Cookies
  • 1/4 TSP Salt, divided
  • 3 TBSP Melted Butter
  • 3 8oz Packages Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 15 oz Unseasoned Pumpkin Puree
  • 1 TBSP Vanilla Extract
  • 2 TSP Pumpkin Pie Spice (Nutmeg, Ginger, Cinnamon)

Let’s Get Bakin’

Preheat the oven to 325F

Coat a 9in springform pan with butter. Tightly wrap the outside of the pan with foil, making sure to cover the bottom and sides.

Grab a small sauce pan and fill with water, bring to a boil.

In a food processor or blender, pulse the gingersnap cookies and 1/8 TSP of salt. Once finely ground, drizzle in the butter and scrape down the sides as needed. Make sure all the crumbs are all softened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and about 1/2in up the sides. Place in the freezer.

Clean the food processor/blender and then combine the cream cheese + sugar + eggs + 1/8 TSP Salt and blend well until smooth. Remove 1/4 cup of the batter and reserve. Add in the pumpkin + vanilla + pie spices to the remaining mixture and process until smooth.

Pour the pumpkin batter into the chilled crust. Drizzle the reserved batter over the top and run a knife through the batters to swirl together.

Place the pan in a roasting pan [I used a baking sheet]. Pour in the boiling water to come up about 1in up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cheesebake until set around the edges but the center is slightly wiggly, about 1hr 30 min.

Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the wter bath for about 1hr.

Remove from the water bath and remove the foil, refridgerate for atleast 3 hours before serving.

Serve with whip cream if you desire & enjoy!

Made with Love,

Hannah

Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

Categories Desserts, Recipes3 Comments on Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

I feel that apple cider unfairly takes spot #2 when it comes to fall flavors. Pumpkin always reigns supreme but I respectfully disagree. This doughnut cake from Princess Pinky Girl truly showcases that apple and cinnamon should be the real stars of fall flavors. My mom made this cake for a dinner with friends and I had to get the recipe from her to share because it may be one of my new favorite fall desserts.

Ingredients

  • 1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
  • 1 Cup Apple Cider
  • 1/4 TSP Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Cup Cinnamon Apple Sauce
  • 3 Large Eggs, room temp
  • 1 TBSP Brown Sugar
  • 1 TSP Vanilla
  • 1/4 TSP + 2 TBSP Cinnamon
  • 1/4 Cup Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted

Apple Cider Glaze

  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Apple Cider

Let’s Get Bakin’

Preheat the oven to 350F

In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix + apple cider + apple sauce + water + eggs, and mix until well combined. Add in 1/4 TSP cinnamon + brown sugar + vanilla and mix well.

Lightly butter a bundt pan and flour it as well. Pour the cake mixture into the bundt pan and cook for 45 minutes. Once done, remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan once cooled.

To make the glaze: combine the powdered sugar + apple cider in a small bowl. Whisk until desired consistency.

In a separate bowl mix together the cinnamon + sugar. Once the cake has cooled, brush the surface with the melted butter. Coat the cake with cinnamon sugar.

Serve the cake with the glaze drizzled over the slices.

Made with Love,

Hannah

Julia Child’s Apple Tart

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Julia Child is the end all be all. I received her both volumes of her cookbook Mastering The Art of French Cooking for Christmas one year and they are both something I would grab if my house was on fire. This recipe is all homemade, from the tart shell to the apple filling. This will 100% impress your friends and family when you present this. Be ready to set some time aside, but it is totally worth it.

Ingredients

Pastry Shell:

  • 2 Cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 TSP Salt
  • 2 Pinches of Sugar [her words not mine]
  • 1/4 lb Chilled Butter cut into 1/2 in cubes [again this is where a kitchen scale really comes in handy]
  • 3 TBSP Chilled Vegetable Shortening
  • 5 TBSP Cold Water

Apple Tart

  • 4 lbs Crisp Cooking apples, I used half granny smith and half honeycrisp hybrid
  • 1 TSP Lemon
  • 2 TBSP Sugar + 2/3 Cup
  • 1/3 Cup Apricot Preserves, forced through a sieve
  • 1/4 Cup Calvados, Rum, or Cognac [can substitute for a TBSP of Vanilla extract]
  • 3 TBSP Butter
  • 1/2 TSP Cinnamon & grated rind of 1 lemon/orange

Let’s Get Baking

I love Julia Child, but jeez her recipes can be unnecessarily complicated so I am going to do my best to make this simple.

We are going to start with the pastry shell. You are going to add together the flour + salt + sugar + butter + vegetable shortening into a large bowl. Using the tips of your fingers, rub together the fat until it has broken into small pieces. Don’t worry about them getting incredibly small they will blend more later.

Slowly add the water and blend the mixture with the other hand. The goal is to gather the dough into a large mass. Sprinkle up to another TBSP more of water over any parts that have not added to the main ball of dough. Press the dough into a firmly shaped ball, it should hold together but not be sticky.

Lightly flour a cutting board and with the heel of one hand, rapidly press the dough down onto the board. I did this a couple times to fully incorporate the butter. Scrape together all the dough and knead it slightly into a smooth ball. Cover with wax paper and place into the fridge for an hour, or freeze up to 3 days.

When it’s time to bake the shell, preheat the oven to 375F. Carefully roll out the shell into a 10inch circle. Gently place the shell into a tart pan and press down until the pastry fills the tin. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Then remove the shell, prick the bottom of the shell with a fork and bake for about 8-10 minutes more. The shell will remove slightly from the mold and will brown.

Now onto the apple tart. You are going to quarter, core, and peel all of the apples. Cut the apples into about 1/8 inch slices, enough for about 3 cups. I recommend using a mandolin. Once you have 3 cups, add in the lemon juice and 2 TBSP of sugar, mix together and reserve for the top.

The rest of the apples will be cut into rough slice, about 8 cups. Add the apples into a pan and cook covered on low heat for about 20 minutes. Stir here and there until tender. Beat the remaining ingredients into the pan, including the remaining 2/3 cups of sugar. Increase the heat until it bowls and is thick enough to hold a mass on the spoon.

Preheat the oven to 375. & spread the apple sauce on the precooked pastry shell.

Cover the applesauce with the left over apples in concentric circles. Top off with some of the apricot glaze and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove and place on a cooling rack, service warm or cold.

I say warm with vanilla ice cream is always the way to go.

Always Hungry,

Hannah

Macaroons

Categories Recipes7 Comments on Macaroons

I have been wanting to make macaroons for a long time. However, people have mentioned to me how difficult they can be to make, so I strayed away. My pinterest feed recently has betrayed me, bringing up all sorts of different macaroon recipes. I decided to finally cave, despite the warnings people gave me, and attempt to make my own macaroons. I went with another internet recipe from Delish. I am so happy with the way they came out. With the success of these and my croissants last Sunday, I think I might just quit my job and open a bakery.

Ingredients

  • Parchment paper
  • 1 3/4 Powdered Sugar, spooned
  • 1 cup Super-fine Almond Flour, spooned
  • 3 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar
  • Pinch of Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Superfine Sugar
  • 8 Drops Pink Food Coloring

Butter Cream

  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temp
  • 3/4 Cup Powder Sugar, spooned
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Let’s Get Cooking

Set a sieve over a bowl and sift powder sugar + almond flour. Press through until only solids remain.

Separate egg white and add into a mixing bowl. Add cream of tartar + salt to the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until frothy (it starts forming bubbles). Increase the speed to medium high & add the sugar. Beat until egg whites are stiff & glossy about 2-3 minutes.

Beat in the food coloring to make whatever color you desire. I went with pink like the recipe called for because I think they look so cute!

Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the whipped egg whites. Fill a pastry bag with the mixture.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pipe the batter into about 1 inch circles. Mine were not all exactly 1 inch circles so don’t stress about the measurements, I mean really who has time for that.

Tap the baking sheet on the counter a few times to release air bubbles, let sit for 45 minutes.

When your 45 minutes has passed, preheat the oven to 300F. Bake for 13 minutes, and turn the pan halfway through.

While you are waiting for your cookies to cool, make the buttercream!

When I made the buttercream I added a bit more vanilla and powdered sugar to the recipe, so you might have to adjust to your personal taste.

Place butter + powdered sugar + vanilla in a mixing bowl and whip until fluffy.

Spread icing on the cookie + top with remaining half.

Once you’re done don’t forget to share your cute & colorful little french cookies with the world. You will feel like a real baking pro after completing this, trust me!

Made with Love,

Hannah

P.S it’s all about how you whip the egg whites