Follow along as I document my adventures in baking. I hope it inspires you to try something new.
Thanks for visiting,
Sarah
The crisp, buttery crust has a lemony ricotta filling topped with roasted zucchini and grape tomatoes that have been seasoned with oregano and basil, then it all gets a sprinkling of parmesan. You didn’t really think there would be no cheese did you?
I recently had brunch with a couple of girlfriends who kindly shared some saffron and home grown oranges with me. I thought it would be fun to make something using both. Well, that same weekend I received “Sweet” by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh as a birthday gift and wouldn’t ya know, there was a recipe for Saffron, Orange, and Honey Madeleines. Destiny. Out of the oven, they get brushed with honey and dipped in pistachios. Pretty fabulous.
Soft, savory buns filled with a mix of tahini, sesame seeds, lots of chopped scallions and a touch of honey to balance it all out. I could see a plate piled high with them on Easter Sunday, dipped into a skillet of shakshukah like I did last night, and of course, on its own with a drizzle of chili crisp as the recipe developer, King Arthur Baking, suggests. Either way, serve them warm, fresh from the oven. Delicious.
Cream puffs with a chocolate cookie topping and filled with a decadent Nutella pastry cream. A friend sent this customized recipe – made just for me! – by one of my favorite cookbook authors Erin McDowell for Christmas. And they are beyond amazing. Crispy, creamy, chocolatey... all the best things.
Pâte sucrée is one of my favorite pastries to make, there’s something therapeutic about rolling out the dough and satisfying when the the tarts come out of the oven proudly holding their shape. Plus, it’s delicious since it's essentially a buttery shortbread with an egg mixed in to hold it together... and made even better when filled with creamy dark chocolate.
For when you want to go a little extra with your morning muffin but have just rolled out of bed…When I’m making a treat for breakfast while still convincing my eyes to stay open I want the process to be pretty basic. Enter this super simple recipe from King Arthur Baking. Just beat together the wet ingredients, stir in the dry, scoop into the pan and bake. Not too sweet and absolutely delicious.
This beauty is an easy poppy seed almond cake with a light, brushed-on, citrus glaze. Just beat together the wet ingredients, beat in the dry ingredients and pour it in the pan. It came out light, moist (sorry), flavorful and delicious. I'll definitely make this one again. And really, any activity that ends in fabulous cake is a good activity, yes?
Delicate, buttery cornstarch cookies filled with dulce de leche, Alfajores are popular in many Latin American countries. They are absolutely delicious and addictive, I love the hints of lemon and salt in the cookie and the way both flavors balance the dulce de leche.
If there’s a cheese bread recipe out there I will find it and make it. The recipe for this beauty is essentially the Three Cheese Semolina Bread on King Arthur Banking and I absolutely recommend giving it a try. I made mostly as written, but substituted for ½ cup sundried tomatoes for one of the cheeses (the provolone) and added a little extra Asiago. It was easy to make and absolutely delicious with a crisp exterior and soft interior. I love the tang from the strong cheeses and tomatoes.
Tahini Thumbprint Cookies How is it possible that I’ve never made anything with dulce de leche before? It’s RIDICULOUS! So good. Soooo good. (That needed to be said twice.) And balanced beautifully by the sesame flavored cookie. I made them as part of my 2021 Christmas cookie collection and they didn't last long.
This year my husband and I moved out of our Los Angeles apartment and into a house on a cul-de-sac in Temecula, CA. We've met most of our neighbors and have been lucky to find them universally warm and welcoming. Christmas cookie delivery seemed like a good way to meet those we hadn't yet and show appreciation for those we had. I made Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, Citrus Shortbread Cookies, Christmas Tree Blondies, Pecan Shortbread Bars, and Thumbprint Cookies.
This peanut butter pie is piled high with an incredibly decadent peanut butter cheesecake filling in a chocolatey crust and topped with ALL the Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, peanut butter chips, and drizzled with dark chocolate and melted peanut butter. It’s the pie that peanut butter dreams are made of.
All the best flavors of fall go into this wholesome whole wheat, slightly sweet focaccia. Juicy in-season pears, rosemary infused olive oil, earthy walnuts, a touch of cinnamon. Enjoy it on its own or as part of a rustic cheese platter.
I'm a fan of pretty much any pumpkin spiced baked good (you can keep your pumpkin lattes), so when I spotted the Harvest Pumpkin Scones recipe on King Arthur Baking it was a given that these beauties would be on my fall baking list.
These tequila and Grand Marnier infused bars are a creamy, salty, boozy, citrusy treat that you keep in the freezer until you're ready to dig in. They're obviously an ideal spring/summer indulgence, but I'm sure would be appreciated on any bright, sunny day. I mean, is there ever a bad time for a Margarita?
There's something deeply satisfying about sinking your teeth into chewy mochi and these bars are no exception. Tropical coconut mixed with juicy, sweet blueberries make for an explosion of flavors and textures.
This berry-almond combo is a personal favorite, and this year I'm riffing on it again with raspberries, lemon, and coconut for a slightly tropical twist. I love the blend of nut flavors and brightness that the lemon brings. This is an easy stir-together recipe that you can make from start to finish in about an hour!
Soft, savory, buttery pull-apart rolls, swirled with cheddar and caramelized yellow onions. Perfect for brunch alongside some fried or poached eggs (try dipping them in the runny yolk), or as part of a light lunch with a green salad or tomato soup, or maybe even some chili.
Dark chocolate, White chocolate, Pistachios, Unsweetened shredded coconut, Poppyseeds, Old fashioned oats, Rye and all purpose flour, Light brown sugar. Look at the gorgeous texture all of those ingredients create! They're large, bakery style cookies, crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle. The chocolate, coconut, and pistachios balance the intenseness of the rye and poppyseeds. The coconut, brown sugar and oats create the chew. I also may try them again without the poppyseeds and more pistachios one day. (I'm a devoted pistachio fan.) Bake them all at once or freeze the portioned out dough for whenever a cookie craving strikes.
