Category Archives: Bake

Rhubarb Sorbet with Pistachios and Dark Chocolate

Rhubarb Sorbet with Dark Chocolate and Pistachios

This past Sunday I was determined… incredibly determined to make some concoction with rhubarb. I’m always usually pretty persistent with my recipes, but this Sunday was just a little different. Basically, this urge to bake with rhubarb resulted from a visit I had a few weeks ago to Ox in Portland where I had one of the most tasty sweet concoctions of my life: Rhubarb Vanilla Sorbet, Bittersweet Chocolate Magic Shell, Crushed Pistachio.

As a result, I’ve been thinking about rhubarb ever since that visit so I knew I had to fulfill my craving for it.

But, among all of the various options to bake with rhubarb, I decided that instead of a rhubarb crisp or rhubarb pie, I wanted to make something “cooler” (temperature-wise), so I choose to attempt to replicate the Rhubarb Sorbet I had at Ox. However, after two botched tries of locating rhubarb (the first store did not have rhubarb and the second store had unripe rhubarb), my final attempt resulted in just enough (I almost took all of the slim supply at the store) to make this dessert!

Despite the madness of visiting three stores, this recipe was definitely worth the trouble and the wait. Just look at the pictures above and below and you’ll understand!

Step 1: Chop Rhubarb

Rhubarb for Rhubarb Sorbet

Step 2: Dissolve Sugar in Water Over Low Heat

Dissolving Sugar for Rhubarb Sorbet

Step 3: Add Lemon Juice and Rhubarb Pieces

Rhubarb Mixture for Rhubarb Sorbet

Step 4: Put Rhubarb Mixture into a Food Processor

Puree-ing Rhubarb for Rhubarb Sorbet

Step 5: Place Rhubarb Mixture into Ice Cream Machine

Rhubarb Sorbet in the Ice Cream Machine

Step 6: Scoop, Drizzle Chocolate and
Pistachios; Eat!

Rhubarb Sorbet with Dark Chocolate and Pistachios


Even though I didn’t make the “magic shell” like Ox did, I still thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Basically, this recipe encompasses three distinct flavors: tart, sweet and salty. Usually I only like two of those distinct flavor types, but this time all three converged together quite nicely without overwhelming each other in the process!

Thank you to Ox for offering such a delicious recipe!

Cheers!

Rhubarb Sorbet with Dark  Chocolate and Pistachios

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine's Day Cookies
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Last night I spent time with a few girlfriends and I decided to make these. Although I put as little effort possible (store bought Valentine’s Day heart-shaped cookies from Trader Joe’s and store bought icing), I still enjoyed assembling these together to resemble a gigantic version of the classic Necco sweethearts.

I also just had to do the infamous “old-school” FAX ME sweetheart cookie as well as the updated “new-school” #LOVE sweetheart cookie. Even though Valentine’s Day can get a bit silly, I still do enjoy the spirit of it and it’s always a nice reminder to tell your family and friends how much you love them.

Thank you lovely readers for continuing to support this blog and for all of your wonderful comments. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Cheers!

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Super Bowl Cupcakes

Super Bowl Cupcakes

Did you watch the Super Bowl?

Even though my city’s team wasn’t in the Super Bowl, I still had fun watching the game, all of the commercials and, of course, the FOOD!

I saw this Super Bowl dessert recipe for Pull Apart Touchdown Cupcakes and just had to make it/them! This recipe was a lot of fun – I definitely reached out to some of my boyfriend’s friends to help me with a play-by-play option to set-up all of the players (Sour Patch Kids) on the field (cupcake valley). After all, I wanted it to be as “authentic” as a Super Bowl dessert has the potential to be!

What recipes did you make or do you make for watching sports?

Cheers!

 

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Green Sprinkle Chocolate Dipped Christmas Pretzels

Christmas Pretzels

Last night I was definitely in the mood to create something Christmas related. But, at the same time, I was completely wiped from all of the other Christmas festivities, all while trying to balance work and other activities too.

Then, it came to me.

Chocolate dipped pretzels.

Yes, these are extremely easy. Yes, I could have just bought chocolate dipped pretzels. Yes, these aren’t that original.

But, I all I needed were some red and green sprinkles and… viola! Christmas Pretzels! Well, almost… but, the process was still super simple:

1. Buy jumbo pretzels, milk chocolate chips and red and/or green sprinkles

2. Melt milk chocolate chips in a double-boiler

3. Dip jumbo pretzels into melted milk chocolate and then dip into red and/or green sprinkles

4. Let cool/harden and then eat!

As I shared these on Instagram, one friend commented that these green sprinkled concoctions were “Grinch Pretzels”.

I entirely loved her comment. Therefore, I’ll let you decide – Christmas or Grinch Pretzels?

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

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Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes


When I was younger, I was also incredibly busy and felt like I was never at home. Now that I’m older, I really enjoy the times that I am able to come home and see my family. This past Thanksgiving was no different. I usually participate in baking or cooking festivities for Thanksgiving; however, this Thanksgiving I completely ran out of time and my family and friends handled everything. It was actually quite relaxing and I’m quite thankful for for that!

Like many other Americans, one of our traditions during the Thanksgiving holiday is to watch all of the intense rivalry football games.  I decided to make Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes from Cooking Light for a nice treat during the games. The actual recipe is not difficult, but the time needed between steps was a bit lengthy. Therefore, it was a perfect baking adventure to do between quarters of football this past Saturday!

Step 1: Crush Vanilla Wafers for Crust

Step 2: Place Crust in Cupcake Tin; Bake

Step 3: Mix Filling Ingredients Together;
Place in Cooled Cupcake Tin

Step 4: Bake and Let Cool

Step 5: Create Caramel and
Place on Top; Sprinkle Salt Flakes; Eat

Again, I’ve totally been overdoing it on the “mini” trend lately. But, when I saw this recipe, I just couldn’t resist! The crust uses vanilla wafers which provides a different burst of crumbly texture and sweet flavors, especially when combined with the salted caramel. I’m a total fan of using salted caramel because it helps dilute some of the overly sweet flavors of desserts and makes it a bit more enjoyable.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving or if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Cheers!

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Mini Pumpkin Pies

Sundays are a perfect day for a long prepared dinner and dessert, and especially pie. I have been wanting to make a traditional pumpkin pie for a few weeks now and have been attempting to resist the urge to do so until Thanksgiving. However, this past weekend, I completely caved at the thought of making mini pumpkin pies. In my opinion, mini desserts are just more fun and they save those in consumption a few calories (as long as only one mini pie is eaten and not three!). This recipe for Pumpkin Pie is very flavorful with its touch of many spices and basks perfectly in a super-flaky crust that is to die for. Watch out, it is hard to just stop at one mini pie!

Step 1: Make Dough and Roll Out With
Rolling 
Pin; Shape for Mini Pie Tins

Step 2: Mix Ingredients for Filling Together

Step 3: Bake Individual Pie Crusts
(I used muffin tins) and
Let Cool; Pour in Filling and Bake; Eat!

These are a perfect treat to take to a family or friend’s house for Thanksgiving. Plus, the other perk of these is that no extra silverware is required. No forks or plates required, just a strong appetite and sweet tooth!

Cheers!

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Seriously Lemon Tart


No, but really – the title of this pie definitely does not lie. I might even rename it to be “Seriously, Seriously, Seriously Lemon Tart”.

Nonetheless, even though it does provide quite the pucker, this Seriously Lemon Tart from Cooking Light is definitely a keeper. This is a great alternative to the traditional lemon dessert basically due to the sheer amount of lemon juice and lemon bits required. Plus, the layering effect of the lemon slices on top makes it to be a “pretty” dessert too (now I totally realize that “prettiness” is a dessert isn’t everything, but it can definitely add a nice extra touch!).

If you have the time, make sure to check out this recipe from the latest edition of Cooking Light as well as a few others including the Gumbo!

Cheers!

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Apple Pie

Fall is absolutely one of my favorite seasons. I love when the leaves morph into stunning shades of orange, yellow, red and sometimes even pink. I love wearing boots and sloshing through puddles (as long as I don’t get too wet!). I love sipping on warm drinks and the crisp sharp air. And, lastly, I love the flavors of Fall – sweet potato, squash, pumpkin and of course apple!

This Sunday I decided to make an Apple Pie. In my opinion,  Apple Pie is a classic dessert and a perfect accompaniment to celebrate Fall and relish the day of Sunday before the work week starts again. I was especially excited to make this Apple Pie because I had been wanting to put shapes onto a pie for a long time and recently became inspired by the Apple Pie that was featured on the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere. Shapes on the top of the pie just make it more fun and festive. I almost spelled out “Happy Halloween” and I was also extremely tempted to put pumpkin shapes onto this pie too. But, in the end, I stuck with the leaf shape. The more adventurous shapes will have to wait for next time!

You know what is a bit humorous? I put three slits into this pie; however, during the baking process, a fourth slit ripped open in the pie. Now it almost looks like I wanted this pie to resemble a Jack-O-Lantern. Do you spot what I’m talking about? I guess this pie is just even more Fall and Halloween-themed now!

Cheers!

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I totally cracked a smile and a slight giggle upon hearing the name of this pie-cake concoction the first time (and, yes, I might have been acting immature). However, apparently the history and naming of the Whoopie Pie is a hotly contested topic. Depending on where you live, you may or may not have heard of this esteemed dessert. But, I do guarantee that you have eaten it at some point in your life or had something very similar.

In my opinion, the Whoopie Pie is less of a “pie” and more of a cake-like sandwich with the frosting diverted to the center instead of on-top. But, the key to making these different is the filling and the type of which you decide to make.

Amongst the many different varieties of Whoopie Pie (chocolate, red velvet, vanilla, etc.), I decided to make Pumpkin Whoopie Pies to spin some festivity into a normal Sunday.

Step 1:  Mix Dry Ingredients

Step 2: Combine With Wet Ingredients

Step 3: Form Rounded Patties and Bake

Step 4: Cream Butter and Cream Cheese

Step 5: Add Bourbon, Vanilla and
Powdered Sugar; Chill

Step 6: Assemble and Eat!

The filling used in this recipe is surprisingly lighter in nature and left us all wanting more (as I was told I needed to be more generous in my dousing of filling for these next time!). I’d like to make these again just for the fact that they are incredibly easy, delicious and make a great treat that is just a bit different than an average piece of cake.

Can I get a “whoop whoop” for Whoopie Pies?

Cheers!

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Pie Lollipops


All right, all right… so I’m totally aware that I posted a few weeks ago about how I was semi-bored with pies and wanted to try something different for dessert. And, in all fairness, I was totally in the mood to try something unique, outrageous or something that required a trip to some specialty shops to acquire ingredients. But, this idea became quickly obsolete once I stumbled upon the idea of Cherry Hand Pies.

These Cherry Hand Pies looked absolutely delicious; however, I wanted to make this dessert in a smaller format so I figured that something like pie lollipops would be ideal. Again, even though I’ve made too many pies in the past year, I figured that a new and different format would make it totally worth it!

Step 1: Make Dough


Step 2: Prepare Pie Filling


Step 3: Cut Out Pie Shapes


Step 4: Brush Edges With Egg Wash;
Spoon Filling Onto Dough; Crimp and Press
Other Side Together; Put Stick into Dough

Step 5: Bake and Enjoy!


These pie lollipops remind of the current trend of cake pops. But, in my opinion, these are easier to make and a little bit more rewarding for the sheer fact that they actually resemble a mini pie in appearance. These are a perfect treat that can be taken to barbecues, dinner parties or exactly whatever you are feeling like at the time. Plus, there isn’t that much of a learning curve since they aren’t that different from a normal pie!

Cheers!

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