Food Diary

A festive occasion calls for festive cupcakes – and it doesn’t get much more festive than these Prosecco Cupcakes! The tender cupcakes have a hint of vanilla and are made with a generous splash of prosecco, perfect for getting the party started. In fact, you can use the remaining prosecco to treat yourself to a glass while you bake! Prosecco has a lighter and often slightly fruitier flavor than champagne, even when it is dry (meaning that the prosecco itself is not sweet). Champagne will often have notes of toast, bread dough and yeast, since part of the “methode champenoise” of creating bubbles is by adding yeast and a small amount of sugar to feed it. Prosecco, by contrast, typically undergoes secondary fermentation in pressurized tanks, which tends to result in sparkling wine without those yeasty flavors (or with much less of them). All this is just a bit of background to help distinguish the two wines – and it is a long way of saying that the fruit lightness of prosecco is a nice

Hello friends! I would argue that it’s the most glorious week of the year, this space between holidays, and I can feel myself grasping at it with my fingertips trying to hold on to every minute. These are reflective days, don’t you think? I hope you’ve had good holidays and, while some years that’s easier than others, I hope at least you’re staying steady and asking for what you need. I’m trying to take rest and trying to chill the part of my brain that wants to stack up goals and tasks for the year ahead because, rest first PLEASE. Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 203! at Joy the Baker.

Eggnog lattes are one of those drinks that really fit in with the Christmas season. Unlike Peppermint Mochas and even gingerbread spiced drinks, they’re not really something that you can drink year-round because the key ingredient – eggnog – is not widely available in the spring and summer. So, I say splurge while you can and, if you’re an eggnog latte fan, don’t hesitate to enjoy a few around Christmas or New Year’s. And with this recipe for a Homemade Eggnog Latte, you don’t have to run out to the nearest coffee shop to enjoy one, because you can make one easily yourself! An eggnog latte starts with eggnog. I recommend starting with a store bought eggnog for this type of drink, as they tend to be a little more consistent when you’re heating them up. You’ll have your choice of full fat, low fat and a variety of nondairy ‘nogs . While I use a classic dairy eggnog in the recipe below, you can also use nondairy options for this drink. Don’t pick a ‘nog that comes with alcohol added to

Walnuts and pecans are the two types of nuts that are usually found in chocolate chip cookies. Both nuts go well with just about any type of chocolate, which makes them as versatile as they are delicious. White chocolate tends to be used in cookies where a milder nut is mixed in to the batter, such as macadamia nuts, where the creaminess of the chocolate will help to showcase the flavor of the nut. In these White Chocolate, Hazelnut and Cherry Cookies, milky white chocolate is paired with toasted hazelnuts and sweet-tart dried cherries for a cookie that shows off all of its mix-ins perfectly. I love these cookies as an unexpected alternative to a classic chocolate chip cookie, or even to a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Hazelnuts have a more subtle flavor than some other types of nuts, but they have a great crunch when they are toasted. The combination of hazelnuts and white chocolate in a cookie isn’t all that common – and that makes these even more satisfying to eat! As alwa

Hello my dears! We’re in the home stretch. Literally – I’m currently stretching my way across the country to go home to Los Angeles for a few days. With hope that you’re home and cozy, I bring you a Christmas morning breakfast hybrid: tender buttery biscuits in the style of cinnamon rolls. Continue reading Overnight Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls at Joy the Baker.

Just putting this up here before we are checking out for some Christmas celebrations with Luise’s family. This is a  our gingerbread bundt cake that we have been making a couple times in December leading up to Christmas. It’s a gluten free, spice heavy, bundt cake with a touch of sweet banana bread. Very soft and moist and very, very good. We add tangy nordic lingonberries to the cake and the glaze to give it a pop in flavor and color but you can leave them out if you like. Or replace them with other berries like cranberries or raspberries. The glaze is rather untraditional, made on dates, plant milk, coconut oil and berries. It doesn’t shine as the ones made on sugar but super delicious nevertheless. Perfect if you are trying to keep the sugar down. You could of course add any glaze of choice to it. Try this for Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve with a little glaze on top and some extra on the side. Happy holidays everyone! Gingerbread and Lingonberry Bundt Cake Dry ingredients

Hello dear friends and Happy Holidays! Have you made it through the madness to a moment of rest? Last week was a swirl of tasks to complete before, as it would seem, EVERYONE takes a brake for the new year. I hope you’re included in that rest. This week my friends and I pulled off the holiday dinner I’d been dreaming of for the past month – a Reveillon Dinner. We held it at my friend Sara’s floral studio. Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 202! at Joy the Baker.

I am a big fan of eggnog. Not only do I make my own a few times a season, but I also incorporate it into a variety of desserts and baked goods that I share during the holidays. Eggnog has the distinct flavors of dairy, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg and, while it is traditionally made with regular milk, it can also be made with non-dairy milk. This Almond Milk Eggnog is a twist on traditional eggnog that is made without dairy, though it delivers the other familiar flavors of this holiday favorite. This eggnog is made in a very traditional way: with uncooked eggs. I find that eggnogs made with uncooked eggs have a lighter consistency and a slightly less eggy flavor than cooked eggnogs, which can sometimes be thick enough to feel like a pudding more than a drink (even though they are also delicious). I always recommend using pasteurised eggs in drinks like this. You can buy pasteurized eggs, make them yourself or simply use eggs that come from a carton (which are always pasteurized) and mea

Thumbprint cookies resemble tiny tarts, with a pocket of filling surrounded by tender cookie. They can be made in a wide variety of flavor combinations, some with fillings that are baked in and others with fillings that are added after the cookies have cooled. These Salted Caramel Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are made with a chocolate cookie dough and filled with pools of sticky salted caramel. The salted caramel is added in after the cookies have baked, which makes these very easy to assemble and ensures that the caramel is perfectly smooth when you sink your teeth into it. The recipe starts with a buttery chocolate shortbread cookie dough. This dough has plenty of cocoa powder in it to give it a dark chocolate flavor. It also doesn’t contain any leavening, so the cookies are dense, but tender enough to melt in your mouth when you take a bite. The dough is easy to shape and spreads only slightly during baking into attractive dome shapes, perfect for squishing into the classic thumbp

Mincemeat is a mixture of chopped dried fruits and spices that has recently found its way into my regular holiday baking. While some countries have a rich tradition of mincemeat desserts – some of which include other ingredients, like ground nuts or liqueur – I didn’t grow up eating it. But as I enjoy all kinds of dried fruits, the jam-like mincemeat was an instant hit with me. These Bite Size Mincemeat Pies are an excellent way to enjoy this unique treat. Whether you’re already a fan of mincemeat or are trying it for the first time, the sweet and spicy tarts are sure to be a holiday hit. The crust is very easy to make, as it is a cookie-like dough. It mixes up in one bowl and is pressed into buttered and floured muffin cups. I found it easy to use a small cookie scoop (approx. 1/2-inch balls) to portion the dough into each muffin cup, but you can feel free to eyeball it. Next, flour your fingertips and press the dough about halfway up the sides of each muffin cup. Don’t try to push

The tree is already covered with tons decorations and small hand drawn paper Santas, light strands are hanging in the windows, the presents are wrapped and Sinatra is playing from the kitchen speakers. It’s five days left to Christmas Eve and I don’t think we have ever prepared ahead for the holidays like this before. We have even cooked all the Christmas food. Twice! Well, three times actually. One was for our early celebration with David’s family. The other was to shoot these photos. And the third time because David is manic about testing recipes three times. We’ve got this. Sharing Christmas recipe roundups seems almost obligatory when you work with food. This year we asked what type of recipes you were looking for and many mentioned more vegan dishes for your holiday feasts, so that is what we have done here. I am not going to pretend that we are good at organizing big dinner parties, we are truly not. But we do have one method that we live by: Focus on having a good base of di

There are a handful of glossy Christmas traditions that I’ve only daydreamed about as an adult trying to make the holidays my very own.  A few years ago I got my own Christmas tree which means that now I’m the proud owner of a collection of Christmas tree ornaments.  I’ve toyed with the idea of a Gingerbread House for a few years now and while I really want to make one, I have yet to muster the energy to build an edible mansion.   This year I did tick off a daydream:  the holiday cookie tin – a collection of classed-up homemade cookies, nostalgic and delicious.  I made cookie tins this year and sold them at my Bakehouse Holiday Market.  Life goal, done!   These shortbread cookies, an iteration of them at least, were part of this year’s cookie tins. Continue reading Confetti Holiday Shortbread at Joy the Baker.

Snowball cookies are a great cookie to make during the winter because their look really fits the season, even if you don’t live somewhere where it snows. Snowball cookies are always covered in a layer of confectioners’ sugar that makes them resemble snowballs – hence the name – but they can come in a wide variety of flavors and colors . These Peppermint Mocha Snowball Cookies are inspired by one of the most popular holiday drinks out there and they’re a fitting tribute that also happens to pair extremely well with a liquid peppermint mocha. The snowballs start with a buttery shortbread cookie base. Cocoa powder, vanilla extract and peppermint extract are all added to build the mint chocolate flavor. I added instant espresso powder, as well, so that you could taste a bit of coffee in each bite. I prefer instant espresso power to regular instant coffee because it has a more intense flavor and stands out a bit more. If you don’t have it, instant coffee can be used. I do recommend Starbu

Cranberries and apples a wonderful combination. Sweet crisp apples contrast well with much tarter cranberries in all kinds of recipes, from pies to sauces . This Gluten Free Oatmeal Pecan Apple Cranberry Crisp is a simple dessert that showcases the two fruits in a delicious way, with a nutty oatmeal and pecan topping that provides a perfect contrast for the tender fruit below. This crisp is homey and perfect for serving up on a cold fall or winter evening. The filling is sweet-tart and has a lovely pink hue, as the apple slices soak up a bit of the juices from the berries as the crisp bakes. The topping is crisp, crumbly and nutty, a delicious contrast for the tender fruit beneath it. The fruit is, of course, a combination of apples and cranberries. Apple should be peeled and sliced into 12-16 pieces before being added to the filling mixture to ensure that they are not too large to cook evenly while the dessert is baking. I like sweet-tart apples, not extremely tart Granny Smiths, i

Hello my friends! Thank you for all of the kind words last week.  Surgery recover is a wild ride and I’m still learning lessons of ease and asking for help.   We’re barreling towards the holidays and this time of year (and maybe my slower pace) has me feeling reflective of the past year. Bearing witness to the different ways that ambition took shape, to the exciting and unexpected moments of the year, to the growth, and the places where I might still feel a little stuck.  In all the reflection, I’m trying to be easy.  Trying.   I teach my first big-time yoga class this morning.  I’m nervous but the good news is, I can be nervous about a thing and still do it at the same time. Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 201! at Joy the Baker.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is one of the most popular holiday coffee drinks around and is enjoyed by both coffee-lovers and pumpkin spice-fans throughout the fall. I’ve made many desserts that were inspired by this coffee drink, including the Pumpkin Spice Latte Pie and Pumpkin Spice Latte Madeleines . As much as I enjoy the pumpkin spice and coffee flavor combination, as we move from fall to winter, I usually switch to a new drink: the gingerbread latte. A gingerbread latte is similar to a pumpkin spice one, but it has notes of molasses and more spice than its autumn counterpart. This Gingerbread Latte Cake is inspired by that coffee drink! The cake is a soft and moist molasses cake that is generously spiced with classic gingerbread flavors, like ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Two kinds of coffee are also in the cake, instant coffee and brewed coffee. Even with strongly brewed coffee – and I tend to use a darker brew because I want the flavor to come through as much as possible against

Our list of best Christmas cookie recipes has something for everyone, from soft gingerbread cookies to buckeyes with a healthy spin! Are you looking for the best Christmas cookie recipes for your cookie tray? If you know Alex and me, you know we’re into healthy cookie recipes…or really, healthier cookies! Here are our top 5 best Christmas cookie recipes that we think would be perfect for your Christmas cookie tray! They all have a healthier spin…but you’d never know it! Related:  Eat these cookies with our Gingerbread hot chocolate ! What’s a healthy cookie? Or…healthier cookie So what’s a healthy cookie? Honestly, we wish there were a better word than healthy. Because cookies in themselves are not healthy! Alex and I like to use a few strategies for making healthy– that is, healthier cookie recipes! Here’s our approach: Use nutrient dense real food ingredients . We love incorporating nutrient dense ingredients to counteract the typical loads of butter, white flour and refined s

My parents make specific requests of my sister and me for our time home together over the Christmas holiday.  My sister, now that she is Seattle’s Queen of Ice Cream (a title I’ve given her solely because she’s earned it) is tasked with bringing at least a dozen pints of ice cream on the plane with her from Seattle to Los Angeles.  It seems like an arduous task that involves dry ice and for that we are all so so grateful.  I show my deep appreciation by hiding a pint of her Lemon Bar Ice Cream in the back of the freezer in hopes that no one will dig it out for themselves.   I’ll be tasked with making a dessert – an old family classic like Texas Sheet Cake or my dad’s pie crusts.  Much easier, it all requiring far less dry ice.  This year I’m coming in strong with the doughnut game.  Fresh fried, after church, Christmas morning doughnuts.  (My mom is reading this and she’s into it – I already know.)   The only right thing to do will be to combine my sister’s ice cream with fresh fri

There is nothing like pulling homemade pastries out of the oven, but most of us don’t have time to whip up homemade croissants on a daily basis not matter how easy the recipe is. Trader Joe’s has impressed me with some of their ready-to-bake pastries over the years and, since my mouth began to water as soon as I saw the Chocolate En Croute in the freezer case, I knew that I needed to give it a try. Trader Joe’s Chocolate En Croute is a frozen puff pastry treat that is filled with almond cream and chocolate, then topped with sliced almonds. The pastry comes unbaked and only needs a few minutes of time to defrost before baking in a 350F oven for about 45 minutes, or until deep golden brown. The almond cream is very much like almond paste and is a dense, flavorful layer beneath the dark chocolate, which melts beautifully in the oven. The pastry is beautiful to look after baking, with glistening chocolate peeking out from beneath a golden, flaky pastry that is topped with crisp, toasted

Ginger is a spice that I love to include in my baking during the winter. It’s a warming spice in any recipe that it is used in, not just traditional gingerbreads. Ginger is not always the featured spice in spice-laden cakes, but it is the featured spice in this Double Ginger Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. The ginger in this cake comes in two forms, ground ginger and crystallized ginger, both helping to deliver lots of ginger in a cake that is also flavored with molasses and laced with a touch of cinnamon. I like working with ground ginger for a couple of reasons, not least of which is that I always have it on hand in my spice cabinet. Ground ginger has a softer, warmer flavor to it than fresh ginger does. I tend to associate this flavor with gingerbread and with the holidays, which is why I opted to use it instead of adding sharper freshly grated ginger root into the cake batter. For best results, make sure that your ground ginger is relatively fresh (purchased within the past year

Hello my dears!   Bless up! We’ve made it to another fine Sunday.  Can you believe this marks our 200th edition of Let It Be Sunday!?   It’s the most visited post on my site each week and it fills my heart that we hold this space together.  I’ve been a bit quiet and still this week, a result of a little bit of a laparoscopic surgery I had early in the week.  I say ‘little bit’ because that’s how I had it situated in my mind, but I’ll tell you what… surgery is surgery and it’s a big deal – if not to my mind then certainly to my body.  The good news is, I’m fine!  This body is doing an amazing job of healing itself.  The other good news is that this week was full of lessons about slowing down and asking for help that my stubborn self is still processing.  This week I am truly thankful for a boyfriend that carried me out of bed and friends who came with flowers and groceries and offerings to just sit with me and make me some oatmeal.  I feel very fortunate even though I’m still running

Caesar salad is the dessert of salads.  Hear me out.  It’s creamy, it’s indulgent, there’s cheese, there’s buttery toasted bread… and sure, there’s lettuce but it’s the friendly kind- crisp and green and watery.  And it’s SALAD.  Except, like just about everything, I can’t leave well enough alone and we’re turning our dessert salad into a pasta dish.  It just feels like a really good idea!  Listen, life comes at us fast and I want to be sure I have a belly full of comforting gnocchi when it does.  Here’s what you’ll need:  •  a package of store-bought gnocchi.  I used DeLallo because I’ve made a disaster of my kitchen and my emotional well-being trying to make my own homemade gnocchi.   •  Italian sausage though, if that’s not your thing you could totally leave out the meat or add a roasted broccoli for extra veggie.  •  cubed bread, olive oil, salt, and pepper to toast up some croutons. Continue reading Caesar Salad Gnocchi at Joy the Baker.

When the holiday season rolls around, I stock up on candy canes and other peppermint candies. I love all holiday flavors, from eggnog to gingerbread, but I’ve always had a soft spot for candy canes and find that a little bit of peppermint can also put me right in the holiday spirit. These Coconut Peppermint Cookies feature a flavor combination that is a bit unexpected, but that works extremely well. The creamy sweetness of the shredded coconut softens the bright flavor of the peppermint, resulting in a cookie that you’ll want to keep in your cookie jar all season long. The cookie dough gets a generous splash of vanilla extract and a hint of peppermint extract added as you mix it up. Peppermint extract can have a very strong flavor, so I like to use a little bit of restraint when adding it to a recipe. Here, you want the cookies to have a hint of peppermint, but not to overwhelm the coconut in the cookie dough. There is a very generous amount of shredded coconut in the dough, however,

We went out last night to pick up a tree. The kids were bundled and the packing blanket was in the back to protect the roof. This is the first year both of the kids are super jazzed about the... Please visit Sprouted Kitchen to view this Recipe.

Last week we biked over to our friends Anna & Rasmus. They run two super cozy and popular cafes in Stockholm called Pom & Flora . Together we made a Christmas inspired breakfast with Saffron Buns, Lingonberry Smoothie Bowls, Gingerbread Truffles, Xmas Tree Smoothie and their signature Christmas Saffron Porridge. Our Elsa and their son Henry helped out with the food and they also gave the cafe a Christmas decoration touch-up . We recorded this little video from that morning. You can find all the recipes from the video below. We will be back soon with a savory Christmas recipe roundup. xo Lucia Saffron Buns “Lussebullar” Makes around 24 large buns For a vegan version simply replace butter with coconut oil + almond butter and quark with a vegan soft cheese alternative or yogurt. 50 g fresh active yeast or 1 tbsp dry active yeast 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 g (2 sachets) saffron powder 120 g organic butter (or 100 g coconut oil + 20 g almond butter) 2 cups milk of choice (oat m