Food Diary

Honey butter is one of the most delicious spreads you can have in your home and it is very easy to whip it up at home with the help of a food processor. Butters with flavorings added are called compound butters and they can be both sweet and savory. This one adds honey and salt to butter, for a spread that is especially good on things like toast, scones and biscuits. You can make honey butter by stirring together softened butter and honey – and there are tons of recipes out there that will tell you how to do it. There are fewer recipes that will show you how to make butter from scratch and then turn it into honey butter! Making butter from scratch is easy and extremely satisfying. It starts with heavy cream and takes just 5-8 minutes in the food processor. The food processor will first whip the cream to stiff peaks (and if you want whipped cream, just stop there!), but as you keep the processor’s motor running, the cream will begin to form small curds and will eventually smooth out i

Remember that phenomenon a few years back when we pressed everything from hash browns to quesadillas and chocolate chip cookies inside of our waffle makers?  We had some success.  We had some failures.  We learned that waffle irons are mostly best for things like, say… Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles.   Can we waffle that ?  Well, lately I feel the same way about caramel.  Name a single ingredients and the first thing that pops in my mind is…. Continue reading Carrot Caramel Ice Cream Sundaes at Joy the Baker.

I like to think of this Blueberry Crisp as a crustless blueberry pie. It has a jammy fruit filling and a delicious streusel topping that would be a great addition to any pie, but lacks a flaky pastry crust. Leaving out the crust allowed me to turn this dessert from a pie into a crisp, a dessert that requires minimal preparation and is still extremely satisfying to eat – even if it has to be served with a spoon instead of sliced. This fruit crisp starts with lots of fresh blueberries. You can use frozen blueberries, but you may want to increase the amount of cornstarch in the filling by a small amount to make up for the fact that frozen berries typically give off more liquid than fresh. Both will taste delicious. I did not add any additional sugar or sweetener to the blueberry filling, as the cooking process really concentrates the flavor of the berries without the need to anything extra. That being said, if your berries aren’t at their peak (give them a taste and see if they are swee

Many holidays are closely associated with colors and Easter is no exception. Unlike other holidays, which just have one or two colors associated with them, Easter has an array of soft-yet-vibrant pastels to choose from. The range of color options is one of the things that makes Easter egg dying so much fun, and you can also incorporate those colors into your holiday baking. Easter may be known for chocolate eggs and bunnies, but those aren’t the only sweets you should be enjoying during your celebrations! My Tie Dye Easter Loaf Cake has vibrant swirls of pink, yellow and orange running through a white buttermilk pound cake batter. The basic batter is flavored with vanilla, but hints of orange and lemon are added to the orange and yellow batters so that those colors aren’t just for looks! The cake is moist and dense, with a tender crumb that almost melts in your mouth. You’ll probably pick up the subtle tang and butteriness of the buttermilk, which goes nicely with the lemon and orang

MEAL PREP SAUCES Thanks to those of you who commented and asked for the sauce ideas. I hear you! Let's make dinner better. In this season of life, our meals are riffs on the same sort of thing, all made special by the rotation of a few sauces. As a girlfriend mentioned to me, "I can chop things for a salad or roast some vegetables, I just need to know how to make the sauces" - so hopefully this is helpful. The vinaigrette works on any sort of green salad, the mexi bowl sauce is what we put on tacos, stuffed peppers or burrito bowls, which happen weekly here. It is also great with scrambled eggs. The citrus tahini miso is the crowd favorite recipe from Bowl + Spoon . We use it over grain or noodle bowls, or any neutral seasoned roasted vegetable. They all are super easy, only one requires a blender, and they make meals come together so quick. Prep them on a Sunday, they store fine in the fridge for the week and use as needed. I also love this Vegan Caesar or this Green

Hi, David here. I’ll get to the recipe soon but first I just wanted to share a little scene from last night. Isac was watching a baking program for kids and as I was tucking him in, he thoroughly explained the whole process of making croissants to me . ”You have so much butter in croissants, dad. Like, a lot. You put it on the dough and fold it over the butter like this. And you hit it with the rolling pin like this, bam bam bam”.  When it comes to numbers and letters, he can be a little clueless, but the fact that our three year-old had memorized all the details in croissant baking from just watching it once on tv, made me all happy and proud. I’m not saying that mastering a croissant is more important than math, but teaching our kids how to cook has been one of the things I’ve really looked forward to as a dad. And he is really into it. The little kids stove has long been his favorite toy both at home and in kindergarten an he often serves imaginary pancakes to all his friends. I’ve

I don’t need much convincing when it comes to carrot cake.  I’ll have it any which way you’re making it.  Is it more coconut than carrot?  Chocked full of walnuts and dried cranberries and pineapple and raisins?  I’m here for it. Mostly, I’m here for the cream cheese frosting so…. whatever is underneath gets a hearty thumbs up from me.   If you have my first cookbook , there’s a Carrot Bundt Cake, kitchen-sink-style, in that in has every dang thing in it. Continue reading Browned Butter Carrot Loaf Cake at Joy the Baker.

These flavorful mini bundt cakes are easy to make and deliver a lot more flavor than you might expect for the size of the package they come in. The Orange Ginger Mini Bundt Cakes have fresh orange zest, ground ginger and a bit of turmeric in the mix, creating a unique and delicious cake that is an outstanding choice for winter and spring baking. Ginger and orange are a lovely flavor combination in these cakes, as well as in other baked goods. Ginger has an earthy spiciness to it that contrasts well with the sweetness of the orange. I used orange zest, not orange juice, in this cake because so much flavor comes from the zest of the orange that it is all you really need. Be sure to use a fresh, ripe orange for best results! In addition to those two primary flavorings, the cakes also include vanilla and turmeric. Turmeric, another earthy spice, goes well with the ginger and imparts a beautiful yellow-orange color to the batter that you can really see in the baked cakes. It’s fun that th

Hello sweet friends!  Are you well?  I hope you’re well.   I’ve spent the weekend quietly in Austin Texas at a small blog conference keeping to myself.  My Dad asked me if I was here to network and I answered him with silence because I was eating my second plate of tacos on my airbnb bed…. aka networking very hard.   I’m teaching myself how to make video content for my site. Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 164! at Joy the Baker.

Colorful marshmallow Peeps are an Easter staple, and while they are available throughout the year, those bunnies and chicks never taste better than they do in the spring. Peeps are delicious when they are eaten fresh from the package, but that isn’t the only use for them. Peeps can be transformed into a variety of desserts , including this unusual – and delicious – Peeps Ice Cream. This easy to make ice cream is flavored with Peeps marshmallows. The Peeps add color, sweetness and their signature marshmallow flavor to the ice cream base. The marshmallow flavor is relatively subtle, but you’ll find it in Oreos and other crossover treats, so it’s fun to be able to use it in a homemade dessert! You can make this recipe even if you don’t have an ice cream maker at home because it is a no-churn recipe, which uses whipped cream to aerate the ice cream base in the way that an ice cream maker usually would. The ice cream starts by dissolving Peeps into whole milk. I added a little bit of ex

Colorful, sugar-coated marshmallow Peeps have been one of my favorite Easter candies since I was a kid – and I know that I’m not the only one out there who enjoys the bright bunnies and chicks this time of year. Last year, Oreo released a limited edition version of their cookies that were inspired by Peeps and they rolled out a similar version of Peeps Oreos this spring, to the delight of fans of both the marshmallows and the sandwich cookies. The Peeps-inspired cookies that Oreo rolled out previously featured a pink marshmallow-flavored filling sandwiched between two vanilla wafer cookies. This was a good combination, as the mild vanilla flavor let the marshmallow come through clearly. That being said, they could get a bit sweet if you ate more than one or two at a time (and this can be the case with original Peeps, too), so this year Oreo rolled out cookies with a purple marshmallow creme filling between two classic chocolate wafer cookies. When you eat the creme alone – especi

Light, buttery biscuits can be a delicious addition to any meal, from breakfast to dinner. When you think of a light biscuit , you probably picture relatively pale baked good with a golden brown top that is made with all purpose or self rising flour . But it is possible to make a good biscuit with whole wheat flour and over on the Craftsy blog (it’s free!), I’ll walk you through the process of Making Biscuits With Whole Wheat Flour step by step. If you’ve worked with whole wheat flour before, you know that it doesn’t perform just the same way that white flour does. One of the differences is that whole wheat flour can absorb more moisture than white flours do. As a result, you will find that you need to add more liquid to these biscuits than you might need to with some other recipes. If you want to get started but are hesitant to use all whole wheat dough, try using half all purpose flour and half whole wheat for your first batch, then go from there! The post Baking Bites for Crafts

Before we dig into this showpiece of a sweet bowl, I wanted to share a little feature that I started on my instagram this month. I simply call it March Favorites . It’s  a curated list of seasonal favorites that I will share each month. Things that I wear or use and ingredients that we cook with. And since it’s a new thing, I included it here as well. As a sort of inspiration. /Luise M A R C H   F A V O R I T E S • Golden milk & raw honey . To warm me up in this cold weather.  Here is a recipe . • Ginger root . We grate ginger over everything at the moment to keep our immune system strong and because almost all food and drinks just taste better with lots of ginger. • Beet & red cabbage kraut . This little bubbly friend is soon ready! Fermented food is your superfood number one! The recipe is from our book Green Kitchen at Home but another one is here . • Socks . Stockholm has been too cold this month so I’m walking around in these super  soft Alpaca wool socks that Dav

A towering layer cake or a platter full of frosting-topped cupcakes are classic birthday dessert options, but as much as I enjoy those, I admit that I don’t always opt for traditional cakes when it comes to celebrating birthdays. There are some dessert-lovers who prefer something smaller, something less sweet or simply something different and these Birthday Cake Madeleines are a less-than-traditional option that anyone celebrating a birthday would love to receive. Madeleines are sometimes described as cookies, but they’re really little tea cakes that are made with a sponge cake batter. They’re baked in shell-shaped molds and end up with a crisp, golden outer edge that not only tastes delicious, but contrasts well with the fluffy center of the cakes. These tea cakes are surprisingly easy to make. They start by whipping together eggs and sugar, then folding in the rest of the dry ingredients. Butter is added last, tenderizing the batter after it has some structure. This mixing techniqu

I’ve needed a heavy dose of chocolate from my kitchen the past few days.  No negotiations.   There are all sorts of ways to get chocolate into my system, the most recent being this mushroom hot chocolate I’ve enjoyed every night for a week.  We drink mushroom now.  Did you know?  I think it’s been all the rage for awhile but, well… I’m tardy but I’m here for it.  Of course one of the finest homemade chocolate iterations is that magical space between a brownie and a cookie.  Fudgy and chewy, crispy around the edges and crusted across the top.  This version is pleasingly chewy (even a few days after baking!) and covered in lightly crunchy chocolate jimmies. Continue reading Chocolate Sprinkle Crinkle Cookies at Joy the Baker.

Hello dearhearts!  I hope today you can do one strong thing that gives you peace.  Keep it small.  I want to moisturize and get to a yoga class.  Let’s just keep today’s goals simple.   Be well today.  Feel rested. Have a dang bagel.  Hang out here to read my offering of links for reading:  •  Isn’t it incredible we shared the world with this human?  Stephen Hawking; his mind roamed the cosmos  (The New York Times) •   STAY VOTING.  See:  Conor Lamb . Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 163! at Joy the Baker.

There are times when you want a light, fluffy cake and there are times when you want a dessert that is hearty and satisfying. This Old Fashioned Oatmeal Pecan Cake is the latter style of cake. It’s moist, dense and loaded with the flavors of oatmeal, cinnamon and vanilla. It’s not quite as hearty as a big bowl full of cooked oatmeal, but it is an excellent cake that captures the same flavors and can be served either for breakfast or dessert. The cake can be made in a single saucepan and actually starts out with partially cooked oatmeal. The reason for cooking the oatmeal is to tenderize and hydrate the oats. Oatmeal absorbs a lot of liquid and can actually cause some baked goods to dry out (imagine the difference between a stale cookie and a fresh one) through absorption. By partially cooking the oats, they are full hydrated when going into the cake batter, which yields a much moister cake. Once the oatmeal has been cooked and cooled slightly, the rest of the ingredients can be adde

If I were to offer you any unsolicited advice worth taking it would be:  live in a city with a sandwich.   Now if you’re smart… you’ll live in a city with multiple sandwiches.  Top of mind that means that the most successful living takes place in both New Orleans (for its po’boys and bless-ed muffulettas) and Philadelphia (for its cheesesteaks, truly important roast pork sandwiches, and for the way people in Philly pronounce hoagie more than a hoagie itself… ya feel me?). Continue reading Spicy Fried Shrimp Po’Boys at Joy the Baker.

Popping in to add something to the pantry staple arsenal. Malk? Mylk? I can't. It's just milk made from nuts and seeds and has made no sense to my parents how one "milks" a nut so I hope I can clear some things up for them, if perhaps visually, here. See the nipples on that cashew, Dad? ;) It's been chilly lately, so my coffee and tea consumption has been a pretty steady stream through the day until happy hour. I typically use an unsweetened coconut milk creamer from the market but have more recently fallen in love with homemade cashew milk in there instead (after the coffee has cooled down quite a bit, the milk just separates and falls to the bottom of a super hot cup). We also have a family wide adoration of peanut butter Puffins cereal that floats beautifully in the almond milk.  I am including a few recipes for nut and seed milk (for those with nut allergies) below. You do need a nut milk bag or small sieve (cheesecloth optional) to strain the almond milk.

Hello my dears,   I’m often surprised at how often I have to redefine what balance looks like to me.  This week was no different. Sometimes balance requires more yoga, sometimes less… way less.  Sometimes balance involves more Oreo cookies, less time with the computer, and more walks along the river. Speaking of the river, our great Mississippi: It’s been high this week – reminding us, as though we’ve forgotten, that she’s in charge. Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 162! at Joy the Baker.

One of my favorite nightcaps is an Irish Coffee . This classic cocktail is made by spiking hot, freshly brewed coffee with Irish whiskey, then topping things off with thick whipped cream. It’s a delicious combination and is a perfect way to take off the chill on a cold night when you need a little pick-me-up. And if you don’t want too much pick-me-up, you can make it with decaf. These Irish Coffee Cheesecake Bars are an easy dessert option inspired by a traditional Irish coffee. The cheesecake filling is flavored with coffee and Irish whisky, creating a creamy bar that will probably remind you of tiramisu, a dessert that also involves alcohol and coffee. I used instant coffee dissolved in a little bit of hot water to flavor the cheesecake without compromising the texture. I actually like Starbucks Via in this recipe, if you happen to have it instead of traditional instant coffee, because it delivers a little more coffee flavor. I used Jameson as my whisky, though Bushmills or Redbre

Oversize bakery cookies are satisfying when you’re looking for a chewy cookie that can stand in for a meal, but there are times when you want something smaller to snack on. These Tiny Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies are mini-sized – just about an inch in diameter when they are baked – and they’re so good that you’re going to want to eat them by the handful. And thanks to their small size, you’ll be able to! This recipe is inspired by the Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies from Trader Joe’s, which are a favorite of mine. They come in a tub and are perfectly snackable. The cookie dough is a very straightforward one, made with white sugar and plenty of vanilla extract. White sugar helps to ensure that the cookies are nice and crisp after baking. The dough is relatively soft, which allows the cookies to spread nicely as they bake. I used mini chocolate chips and highly recommend that you do the same. Mini chocolate chips are so small that they will be very evenly distributed in

Oooh oooh, all the ways we’ve come to enjoy cake.   We can stack it high and chocolate frost it.  We can top it with candles and light it on fire.  We can slice it large and eat it greedily.  Heck… we can bake it in a paper cups and still call it a cake.  Bundt it?  That’s as fine an idea as any.  What’s so deeply glorious about cake is that it signifies an occasion, grand or otherwise. Continue reading Peanut Butter and Jelly Petit Fours at Joy the Baker.

The food processor is one of my favorite kitchen appliances. My full size processor is a Magimix and it is fantastic – but it is also quite large, and while it does come with smaller bowls for making smaller recipes, there are times when I want something even easier to use. I recently picked up a KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Mini Food Processor, a pint-sized (ok – 1 3/4 pints-sized!) processor that takes up much less real estate on my countertop and is ideal for small processing jobs. The mini food processor stands just under 9-inches high and is about 7-inches in diameter. It weighs less than 3 pounds and it comes in 15 colors, from brushed silver to bright green so you should be able to find something to go with every single kitchen design. It has a stainless steel blade, a pour spout in the top (just like many full sized machines) and a dishwasher safe bowl. Unlike a larger machine, it only has two settings – chop and puree – but those are likely the settings that you’ll use for most food