Recipes in Review for July- December
Back again, is Recipes in Review page continued. It seems I got through so many recipes in the first six months- more than I imagined- that it made sense to start a second page fresh. We ended with Hot Fudge Sunday cupcakes in June and are continuing on in July with an oldie but a goodie and a never before tried recipe (One bowl Lemon Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Icing and NEW! Cherry and chocolate cookies).
Let's start with the new recipe:
Cherry-Chocolate Chunk cookies, from Farmer's Market Desserts, pg. 181: This recipe came from my new favourite cookbook/dessert recipe book titled "Farmer's Market Desserts", where I also tried the Chocolate cherry cupcake recipe from. Yes, there is a theme going on lately but can you blame me for being so interested in such an amazing combination. I'll probably try these recipes again and be equally amazed each time at how awesome it tasted and how easy it was to throw together. After all, that is what I like most about this recipe book is how absolutely simple and delicious they are.
How simple you ask?
Well in the time it took Mom to go for a run I had the cookies in the oven and was already starting on cleaning up my dishes. That quick. Now most likely my previous experiences did help but even with that I've tried recipes that haven't been so simple and still questioned the instructions. With this one it was no problem, I could follow each step clearly and get to the end result. It is always the best kind of baking when there's less confusion and little steps involved.
My only notes is that in order to get the 32, that the recipe called for each scoop would have been needed to be consistently measured... my only setback. Other than that they were delicious and well received. Therefore I would definitely make these again! YUM! YUM!
Final thoughts: This is a great and easy cookie recipe to do, especially if you- like me-are becoming a huge chocolate and cherries fan. I liked that it took little dishes, was easy enough and quick enough to do on my own yet came out tasting with an amazing flavours that made me wish I had made a second batch for myself. You can't go wrong with that natural cocoa taste and the tartness of cherries.
Total spoon rating: 5/5! Definitely making this cookies again!
Reviewing the One bowl Lemon Cake- adding in a few addition notes: So with this recipe being a success back in February for Family Day and another simple recipe (so it seemed) although back then I really was just starting to understand the difference between simple to follow and simple but lacking in directions this one had seemed easy except for the fact it could have been slightly clearly in it's directions. One thing is that both times it did come out delicious with some slight experimenting in the recipe. For instance this time I found myself having to pop it back in and out of the oven in order
to ensure it had baked through- which could have been in the way I mixed it versus last time. Secondly, it is important to do the knife test with this one (and with other recipes) I learned why it's important- which is generally the bake times in recipes have a tendency to be under estimated by giving you a lower number there's a better chance to be sure it's won't burn. Which I figured out in this attempt, and took 55 minutes instead of the suggested time of 45.
Lesson two: depending on how you mix the batter these times will vary and it may not turn out the same all the time. Which I hadn't experienced with this recipe before. We did however end up halfing the icing recipe- which helped use it up, and was just enough to cover the cake but even that didn't come out the same as last time. Therefore baking does seem to take some experimenting with to figure out. In the end it was just as delicious and enjoyed!
Also NEW Recipe: Apple Crisp II
To me there is no better way to ensure a good selection of recipes than the ones passed down from friends. Of course, it could be for much of my baking experiences I've tried new recipes from online and in books out of curiosity and testing my limits but sometimes tried and true does the trick. We don't always need complicated, new or never before tried for a recipe to be delicious as in this case. A friend of mine as part of a birthday gift gave me two recipes she most often used and I am pleased to say this Apple Crisp was one of them. Apple Crisps are a pretty easy recipe to do especially if you are looking to use up left over apples in anything. In an "apple core" so to speak- it comes down to simple, basic ingredients and even simpler steps. *Note: There are often many variations on this but for me it comes back to the original recipe with the tasty tartness of the apples and caramelized sugar and oats topping.* Regardless, this new Apple Crisp recipe did not let me down- friends are the best, especially when they provide you with new baking inspiration.
Final thoughts: This is a great crowd pleasing dessert that can be whipped up in no time and is equally delicious heated up the second time round. Served best with a good vanilla ice-cream. I would definitely make this one again. *Extra note: Noticed that for a smaller portion (as the original recipe has it serving a big crowd) it's okay to cut down on the ingredients and especially the sugar.* Other than that another easy success!
Total spoon rating: 5/5! I love basic Apple Crisp recipes, and this is for sure that and delicious!
NEW Recipe!: Blondies, from One Bowl Baking, by Yvonne Ruperti
This was an exciting recipe to try for a few reasons. The first is that it came from another new cookbook/recipe book (as mentioned above) One Bowl Baking by Yvonne Ruperti and still learning as a baker but always eager to try new recipes particularly ones claiming to be easy with little mess to clean-up ,because who doesn't want less dishes in the skin, I curious about just how simple this new recipe would be. The second reason is that well after revisiting previously done recipes and ones mostly containing chocolate I thought it would be a great opportunity to mix things up a bit and fool my family who I'm sure has gotten used to chocolate baking by now. With that in mind I set out to
test the new recipe book and recipe. Which it was simple- you add everything into one bowl gradually following the steps and hand mix it (that I suppose is the extra catch in that there's no use of electric hand mixers or stand mixers here, back to the simpler more labour intense ways of baking). On the plus side, it does create a good upper arm and shoulder work for your arms if interested in the fitness benefits of mixing by hand. The batter was simple enough to just spoon into the pan, pop in the oven and PRESTO! there's that nights dessert.
*Butter was an interesting measure, 13 tablespoons, to make it easier I used the gram weight which was 185 grams, approximately one brick of butter with extra to grease the pan for easy serving.
Final Thoughts: All the efforts seemed to be worthwhile and my family has thoroughly enjoyed another homemade dessert from me. Which is good, this means I can be creative in the kitchen with the recipes I chose and perhaps make more bars like I did this one.
Total Spoon Rating: 4/5 taking into factor the efforts to hand mix, which I didn't mind and the odd butter measurements. That said I would indeed make this recipe again.
NEW Recipe Type: Super Moist Applesauce Quick Bread, from One Bowl Baking, pg. 148, by: Yvonne Ruperti)
In the spirit of quick and easy recipes I decided to try this one in a pinch and once more looking for something quick, easy and fun to whip up in no time. Plus as I found out a bonus with having the recipe so simple meant that I was able to do a lot of the mixing on my own fuss and help free. In making it, took no more than 10 minutes max to mix and stick in the oven which meant more time to clean-up before it finished baking. For me, there were a few bonuses to choosing this recipe: one was that I had pretty much all of the ingredients already in house; the only thing to buy was
of course the Apple Sauce, a second is now that I'm getting better at throwing most recipes together, and my confidence grows in the kitchen I'm a much calmer and happy baker if I can find recipes that I can confidently do on my own with little or no help- which this was one of them-. And finally is the criteria that it has little prep or clean which this had as well. All in all, it's a great recipe and was an easy introduction to making dessert breads/loafs that I'm sure to try again in the future when the need or inspiration comes again.
Final thoughts: This is a good introduction into making dessert breads and an easy in a pinch kind of recipe to throw together last minute. It smelt delicious baking as well... think fresh Apple pie only in a loaf. With that said, it was a great crowd pleaser! It seems that do-it-yourself easy preparation recipes are becoming my new favourite and so far are the most successful.
Total Spoon Rating: 5/5 for do-it-yourselfability, yumminess, convenience and over all success of the recipe!
New Recipe #2: Mix-in-the-Pan Coconut "Magic"Bars, pg. 86 in One Bowl Baking by: Yvonne Ruperti)
These delicious and gooey bars were my own way of getting back into baking and celebrating the launch of my new other blog "Life on the Spectrum" (there also was some knitting and chilling going on earlier). Anyways, this recipe definitely has made my top five of Easiest Recipes to do in a pinch- which gives me another idea for this blog. Anyways, if you are beginning to bake this may be an easy one to start with, as the only real mixing required was in making the graham cracker crust and mixing the condensed milk with vanilla extract. The rest of ingredients only required you to evenly sprinkle them in layers on top of your graham cracker crust.
Which is why I found it a perfect one to try after yesterday's eventful day and has given me another successful recipe to post on.
Final thoughts: Definitely worth trying, and enjoying! Although, the recipe did mention you could combine everything in the pan I did use a separate bowl to make the crust and a measuring cup for the condensed milk and vanilla. *Note: It's best to let this one sit out quite a bit before serving in order for the crust to settle more.
Total Spoon Rating: 5/5, by far the easiest, yummyest and quickest recipe to follow and make. It will also be a great one to impress dinner guests with!
Let's start with the new recipe:
Cherry-Chocolate Chunk cookies, from Farmer's Market Desserts, pg. 181: This recipe came from my new favourite cookbook/dessert recipe book titled "Farmer's Market Desserts", where I also tried the Chocolate cherry cupcake recipe from. Yes, there is a theme going on lately but can you blame me for being so interested in such an amazing combination. I'll probably try these recipes again and be equally amazed each time at how awesome it tasted and how easy it was to throw together. After all, that is what I like most about this recipe book is how absolutely simple and delicious they are.How simple you ask?
Well in the time it took Mom to go for a run I had the cookies in the oven and was already starting on cleaning up my dishes. That quick. Now most likely my previous experiences did help but even with that I've tried recipes that haven't been so simple and still questioned the instructions. With this one it was no problem, I could follow each step clearly and get to the end result. It is always the best kind of baking when there's less confusion and little steps involved.
My only notes is that in order to get the 32, that the recipe called for each scoop would have been needed to be consistently measured... my only setback. Other than that they were delicious and well received. Therefore I would definitely make these again! YUM! YUM!
Final thoughts: This is a great and easy cookie recipe to do, especially if you- like me-are becoming a huge chocolate and cherries fan. I liked that it took little dishes, was easy enough and quick enough to do on my own yet came out tasting with an amazing flavours that made me wish I had made a second batch for myself. You can't go wrong with that natural cocoa taste and the tartness of cherries.
Total spoon rating: 5/5! Definitely making this cookies again!
Reviewing the One bowl Lemon Cake- adding in a few addition notes: So with this recipe being a success back in February for Family Day and another simple recipe (so it seemed) although back then I really was just starting to understand the difference between simple to follow and simple but lacking in directions this one had seemed easy except for the fact it could have been slightly clearly in it's directions. One thing is that both times it did come out delicious with some slight experimenting in the recipe. For instance this time I found myself having to pop it back in and out of the oven in order
Lesson two: depending on how you mix the batter these times will vary and it may not turn out the same all the time. Which I hadn't experienced with this recipe before. We did however end up halfing the icing recipe- which helped use it up, and was just enough to cover the cake but even that didn't come out the same as last time. Therefore baking does seem to take some experimenting with to figure out. In the end it was just as delicious and enjoyed!
Also NEW Recipe: Apple Crisp II
To me there is no better way to ensure a good selection of recipes than the ones passed down from friends. Of course, it could be for much of my baking experiences I've tried new recipes from online and in books out of curiosity and testing my limits but sometimes tried and true does the trick. We don't always need complicated, new or never before tried for a recipe to be delicious as in this case. A friend of mine as part of a birthday gift gave me two recipes she most often used and I am pleased to say this Apple Crisp was one of them. Apple Crisps are a pretty easy recipe to do especially if you are looking to use up left over apples in anything. In an "apple core" so to speak- it comes down to simple, basic ingredients and even simpler steps. *Note: There are often many variations on this but for me it comes back to the original recipe with the tasty tartness of the apples and caramelized sugar and oats topping.* Regardless, this new Apple Crisp recipe did not let me down- friends are the best, especially when they provide you with new baking inspiration.Final thoughts: This is a great crowd pleasing dessert that can be whipped up in no time and is equally delicious heated up the second time round. Served best with a good vanilla ice-cream. I would definitely make this one again. *Extra note: Noticed that for a smaller portion (as the original recipe has it serving a big crowd) it's okay to cut down on the ingredients and especially the sugar.* Other than that another easy success!
Total spoon rating: 5/5! I love basic Apple Crisp recipes, and this is for sure that and delicious!
NEW Recipe!: Blondies, from One Bowl Baking, by Yvonne Ruperti
This was an exciting recipe to try for a few reasons. The first is that it came from another new cookbook/recipe book (as mentioned above) One Bowl Baking by Yvonne Ruperti and still learning as a baker but always eager to try new recipes particularly ones claiming to be easy with little mess to clean-up ,because who doesn't want less dishes in the skin, I curious about just how simple this new recipe would be. The second reason is that well after revisiting previously done recipes and ones mostly containing chocolate I thought it would be a great opportunity to mix things up a bit and fool my family who I'm sure has gotten used to chocolate baking by now. With that in mind I set out to
*Butter was an interesting measure, 13 tablespoons, to make it easier I used the gram weight which was 185 grams, approximately one brick of butter with extra to grease the pan for easy serving.
Final Thoughts: All the efforts seemed to be worthwhile and my family has thoroughly enjoyed another homemade dessert from me. Which is good, this means I can be creative in the kitchen with the recipes I chose and perhaps make more bars like I did this one.
Total Spoon Rating: 4/5 taking into factor the efforts to hand mix, which I didn't mind and the odd butter measurements. That said I would indeed make this recipe again.
NEW Recipe Type: Super Moist Applesauce Quick Bread, from One Bowl Baking, pg. 148, by: Yvonne Ruperti)
In the spirit of quick and easy recipes I decided to try this one in a pinch and once more looking for something quick, easy and fun to whip up in no time. Plus as I found out a bonus with having the recipe so simple meant that I was able to do a lot of the mixing on my own fuss and help free. In making it, took no more than 10 minutes max to mix and stick in the oven which meant more time to clean-up before it finished baking. For me, there were a few bonuses to choosing this recipe: one was that I had pretty much all of the ingredients already in house; the only thing to buy was
Final thoughts: This is a good introduction into making dessert breads and an easy in a pinch kind of recipe to throw together last minute. It smelt delicious baking as well... think fresh Apple pie only in a loaf. With that said, it was a great crowd pleaser! It seems that do-it-yourself easy preparation recipes are becoming my new favourite and so far are the most successful.
Total Spoon Rating: 5/5 for do-it-yourselfability, yumminess, convenience and over all success of the recipe!
New Recipe #2: Mix-in-the-Pan Coconut "Magic"Bars, pg. 86 in One Bowl Baking by: Yvonne Ruperti)
These delicious and gooey bars were my own way of getting back into baking and celebrating the launch of my new other blog "Life on the Spectrum" (there also was some knitting and chilling going on earlier). Anyways, this recipe definitely has made my top five of Easiest Recipes to do in a pinch- which gives me another idea for this blog. Anyways, if you are beginning to bake this may be an easy one to start with, as the only real mixing required was in making the graham cracker crust and mixing the condensed milk with vanilla extract. The rest of ingredients only required you to evenly sprinkle them in layers on top of your graham cracker crust.
Which is why I found it a perfect one to try after yesterday's eventful day and has given me another successful recipe to post on.
Final thoughts: Definitely worth trying, and enjoying! Although, the recipe did mention you could combine everything in the pan I did use a separate bowl to make the crust and a measuring cup for the condensed milk and vanilla. *Note: It's best to let this one sit out quite a bit before serving in order for the crust to settle more.
Total Spoon Rating: 5/5, by far the easiest, yummyest and quickest recipe to follow and make. It will also be a great one to impress dinner guests with!
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