Best Desserts of 2012
With New Year’s Eve drawing near, I started flipping through photos from 2012 to smile at the year’s fun memories. As I scrolled through the albums, I laughed… All of my pictures were of food! (Well okay, except for the summer vacation to Kauai. And the father-daughter trip to Arizona.)
So I can’t exactly share very many memories, seeing as I barely remember lots of them, but I can relive a few of my favorite recipes instead! Continue reading for recipes.
Sprinkle A Little Cheer
I dragged my mom out to Ross in the afternoon on Black Friday, well after the early-morning shoppers had collapsed into their beds for a long nap. As we strode past the perfumes and workout gear, a Christmas display called out my name.
Not one to resist a little holiday cheer, I doubled back to gaze at the goods. As I turned away from the stockings and candles, a muffin pan swayed on the hanging rack as another customer walked past.
This wasn’t just any old muffin pan. No, this was a bright green silicon muffin pan with cups shaped like gingerbread men, stockings, and Christmas trees. Continue reading for recipe.
Baked Just for You!
I know, I know… I’ve been baking a lot, and my uncontrollable sweet (and chocolate) tooth has overpowered the past month’s recipes. First brownies, then ice cream, followed by muffins, cupcakes, and more cupcakes… After this dessert, I promise I’ll post something savory!
When I bought my last cookbook, I admired each full-page photograph and showed my guy my favorites. While I flipped from one section to another, he stuck out his hand to stop at a page I hadn’t bookmarked. (It didn’t have chocolate, so why would I bother?…) Continue reading for recipe.
Prepare Your Forks…
I know I sound like a broken record, but the guys in my family love lemon treats. That’s a capital L-O-V-E love. When birthday season rolls around and they hear my electric beaters whirring and see me juicing lemons, they turn into Pavlov’s dogs. Complete with the perked up ears and salivating mouth.
To start the doggies (er, men) drooling a little early this year, I decided to work on perfecting modifying their favorite lemon bundt cake. With such gorgeous juicy strawberries in season, I doubted they’d mind if I added a few to the batter. Or to the glaze. Continue reading for recipe.
Fruity Feelings
Every year, my grandma must buy out the entire candied fruit section of her local grocery store. She spends day after day in the kitchen, baking her famous fruitcakes. By the time Christmas rolls around, she has made enough to build an entire two-story house! Well, not really, but all of her family, friends, neighbors, and exercise ladies receive a loaf or two. Continue reading for recipe.
The Snowman in My House
On the day after Christmas, everybody and their brother rushes out to Walmart and Target to snatch up the leftover gift wrap, twinkly lights, and patterned stockings. They gobble up the 90% off ornaments and wreaths like candy. Not a fan of crowds, I waited to brose through any of the remains for 6 whole days until a nasty cold forced me to drive to Rite Aid for a box of tissues (‘tis the season, after all). Continue reading for recipe.
Merry Christmas!
This year, my parents waited until everyone drove into town to decorate the house for Christmas. Two days before, we tangled the tree in three strands of colored lights and haphazardly scattered a small shoebox of ornaments around its branches. We hung the handmade stockings a few hours before Santa’s arrival and dug around the kitchen cabinets to pull out the dusty holiday Spode dishware. But we neglected to carry the Christmas wreath down from the attic to decorate the front door. Continue reading for recipe.
Stale But Salvaged
I meant well. Really, I did. I baked a batch of chocolate-chocolate cupcakes as a thank you for the friend who picked me up from the airport after my trip. In my brilliant plan, I would bake them one evening, let them cool overnight, and frost and deliver them the next day. But when do things ever go according to plan? Continue reading for recipe.
When Tradition Becomes Entrenched
The guys in my family—well, the ones on my dad’s side—all share the same first name. It’s a tradition to pass the name down from father to son, but a second tradition is for them not to go by that name. Many have gone by their middle names, and some by nicknames.
A third tradition is for the men to ask for lemon-lemon cakes for their birthdays. Somehow, a love for lemons must get passed on along with their namesake. Why else would I get requests year after year after year for a lemon bundt cake with lemon icing from multiple male family members? (In case you were wondering, chocolate cake is the tradition for the girls. We’re just predictable like that.) Continue reading for recipe.
Sweet Celebrations
This past weekend was full of celebrations. Three, to be exact.
My birthday.
Don’t bother asking how old I am—a lady never reveals her age, after all!—but a huge thank you to everyone who forced me to change out of my pj’s and actually celebrate. I had the most wonderful time eating dinner, watching baseball, and hanging out with some truly sweet and special people.
Being vegan.
I originally challenged myself to try it for a month. For those of you paying close attention, that month actually ended over a week ago! But since it really hasn’t been all that hard and I enjoyed learning how to prepare new foods, I decided to continue being vegan for a little bit longer. Which gives me even more opportunities to surprise friends with tasty vegan treats!
My first fondant fiasco.
I wanted a birthday cake. But being vegan, I couldn’t go to the store like a normal person and buy one. And seeing as a large fraction of my friends and family avoid the kitchen like the plague, I wasn’t about to depend on any of them to make me one. Coupled with the fact that I’m absolutely in love with baking, I decided to spend a good chunk of my birthday weekend making myself a cake.
But not just any cake. A four layer, fruit-filled, fondant-covered cake. The first two parts were easy. Bake two cake rounds and cut them in half, dice some fruit, mix up a bowl of frosting, and throw it all together. Then came the fondant. Continue reading for recipe.
Foods for the Soul 