We heralded the brilliance (and tartness) of cranberries in last week’s post (cranberry clafoutis) so we’ll refrain from repeating ourselves here. Instead we’ll just rave about the moistness (sorry) of this yogurt cranberry bread, which, yes, also contains bright crimson pops of color and fall crispness, but which also is a comfort food of the season and deserves to be your next baking adventure. If you’re celebrating turkeys and pies and all the drowsy effects of tryptophan in two weeks, this is another recipe to add to the Thanksgiving dessert table. Quick breads have a sort of humble elegance to them: rustic and simple, but with often more heightened flavors…
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“Oregon” Swiss Roll with Hazelnuts, Marionberry, and Dark Chocolate
If you’ve read our “About Us” section, you’ll know that we’re Oregonians, born and raised. We both were born in Ashland, Oregon, a small town nestled in the folds of the Siskiyous and celebrated for its theater (Oregon Shakespeare Festival is a must if you haven’t seen one of the dozen shows they put on a year), beautiful parks, extensive hiking trails that you can hop on anywhere in town, and a tiny but growing culinary and wine scene. If you’re ever driving up I5 (for international folks, this is the interstate freeway that connects everything from the Mexico-California border up to Canada) and need a rest in an idyllic…
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Cranberry Clafoutis
Cranberries are the deceivingly beautiful but unfortunately tart fruit of fall. I grew up on Costco bags of dried Ocean Spray cranberries, grabbed by the handfuls for after school snacks or tossed together with almonds or cashews for a between-class snack. I remember the revelation that took hold of my sister and I the first time we witnessed the marvel of a cranberry harvest on PBS: millions of marvelously smooth rubies floating in washes of flooded fields. It was practically the red sea, waters parted by wader-clad farmers in checkered flannels and baseball caps. As a proud Pacific Northwesterner, it was another shining example of the quiet gloriousness of the…
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Strawberry and Orange Blossom Water Swiss Roll
In the first few months of dating my current boyfriend, I got to experience his signature fruit salad. It sounds a bit underwhelming, but read on for proof of the glory of this collage of summer hues. One afternoon, he casually tossed together this incredible mixture: light with berries, apples, pomegranate seeds, kiwis, and crowned with a delicate syrup of honey, the juice of a lemon, lime, and orange, mint, and orange blossom water. Needless to say, this is still one of the staples for guests, for a healthier dessert to share over Netflix, or to round out a satisfying weekend lunch. This cake is the first of what I’m…
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Classic Pecan Pie Bars
Sometimes a baked good just exudes coziness. Oozes curled up evenings under the covers with a good book (or four) or with the projector on and a Harry Potter movie playing out on the canvas of your apartment wall. These pecan pie bars do just that, with a kick of wickedly sweet corn syrup custard and the nutty fall crunch of caramelized pecans held together by the flakiest of shortbread crusts. If this sounds like the perfect Saturday evening, then by all means, read on. And, if you toss them in the oven before dinner, they’ll be done just in time for that movie night, or start them on the…
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Pistachio Swiss Roll with Raspberry Rose Cream
Ladurée is hands down the best shop for macarons in Paris. The rose flavor is undoubtedly the best (if you like floral dessert flavors), and is the perfect pairing of deeply satisfying chew, light almond cap, and ephemeral rose flavor. Since trying my first rose macaron from Ladurée, I’ve wanted to create something even remotely similar to at least the flavor of that delicately-pink treasure. The rose gold financiers come close, but this pistachio Swiss roll with raspberry rose cream is the closest I’ve come so far. Pistachio and rose is a classic pairing in Persian sweets, and the two create a sublime harmony of earthy green nut and lighter-than-air…
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Chocolate Coffee Swiss Roll with Fudge Sauce
Case of the Mondays? We’ve got you covered. Mondays sometimes need a kick, and a strong one, to get the creative juices flowing or get through that dreadful traffic. This cake is is the answer to all of you problems and all the problems that are undoubtedly going to get thrown your way today because that’s just how Mondays are. To help you tune out all of that beginning of the week haze, we invite you to take a slice of this coffee and chocolate-laden roll of decadence. A light, fluffy swirl of chocolate, filled with the creamiest coffee whipped cream, and all enrobed in rich coffee + chocolate fudge…
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Pumpkin Molasses Whoopie Pies
These little clam-like cookie sandwiches are apparently called whoopie pies – and what a delightful name. Upon investigation of the name origin, it seems the Amish were very fond of using up leftover cookie batter (I’ve personally never heard of having leftover anything when baking cookies – it all gets used) and Amish bakers turn the leftover dollops into these cream-filled drops of happiness. The story gets even better, though, because the name Whoopie Pie is said to come from the exclamation of joy each child makes if one of these treats is found in said child’s lunch box. Thanks to the Amish for these things and for Amish children…
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Pumpkin Chocolate Snacking Cake
And, after a short break, we’re back with the scheduled programming of pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkin this October. For those of you outside of the US, the pumpkin craze may seem a bit strange. If you do have access to a fresh squash or canned pumpkin, though, give it a try and see if it doesn’t grow on you. This pumpkin chocolate chunk snacking cake is one of the easiest pumpkin desserts out there, and I wouldn’t even count it as a full dessert! It’s only a touch sweet, heavy with pumpkin (a vegetable), and a scattering of chocolate chunks, making it the perfect snack for after lunch, after…
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Gluten Free Rose Gold Financiers
In Paris, and apparently in shops in London and LA as well now, you can enjoy the epitome of floral delicacies in the shape of small, perfect French macarons. Ladurée is my go-to source for these bite-sized almond-flour clouds, and the rose flavor is by far my favorite. Whoever thought of putting the intoxicating perfume of roses into baked goods was struck by genius – who would have thought that a flower could translate so well into an other-worldly flavor sensation in addition to being one of the better fragrances known to humankind. Thanks to that first person who decided rosewater or petals or syrup was destined for a cake…
