A savory French tomato tart makes use of the best of summer’s bounty! Jump to Recipe With the Young Baker now settled into her new environs at UC Santa Cruz, you may not be seeing too much in the area of sweet treats here. But I do love savory tarts and, with a late crop […]
Baking + Sweets
Almond Herb Biscuits
Filled with layers of texture and flavor, the outside is crunchy, the inside soft and savory. This toothsome biscuit is from The Cornbread Gospels, a cookbook filled with wisdom and downright delicious recipes compiled by the passionate author Crescent Dragonwagon. Schooled in Southern cornbread for 33 years, Ms. Dragonwagon delighted travelers from near and far […]
Hello, Cupcake!
The Young Baker and her BFF decided to make these adorable Owl cupcakes, from the book Hello Cupcake, last week. For an afternoon they measured, stirred, carefully separated dozens of oreos cookies, frosted and painstakenly assembled nearly 50 double chocolate owl cupcakes – all the while joking, cajoling, swearing, and reminiscing. Not only did it […]
Let them eat pie!
Well, that’s NOT what she said! And Marie Antoinette probably wouldn’t have said that because working class folks have been eating pie since the days of the ancient Egyptians, according to the research I’ve read on the origins of pie. Recipes for pie came over on the Mayflower, their ancestors being the English tart (one […]
Strawberry Poppy Seed Muffins
Fresh strawberries, yogurt, and applesauce make these the most delicously healthy muffins ever! Muffins may seem a healthy choice for breakfast but so many muffins are packed with fat, sugar, and salt that I had to try my hand at baking a muffin that I could eat without guilt! The food blogging world has revealed […]
Pimm’s and Tarts
My love for Bon Appétit spans twenty years, and I have the archived issues to prove it! In fact, one of the motivations behind this blog was to make use of my library of special editions by challenging myself to recreate the cover recipes. Salivating through the May 2010 issue, I was gobsmacked 😮 when […]
Chloe’s Cowboy Cookies
In my family, I’m the chief “cooker” and my daughter is the chief baker. I bake cakes or cupcakes only for birthdays and Father’s Day and, occasionally, a fruit pie or pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. That’s it! So my daughter realized at a young age that if she wanted to satisfy her sweet tooth she […]
Beer and Brownies?
Beer pairings, like wine pairings, complement each other and double your flavor experience. To my surprise, a vegan brownie beer pairing was the most eye-opening, unique taste I experienced at the Taste of Huntington Beach this past weekend was the Sierra 30 beer from Sierra Nevada paired with a brownie! Who would have thought! A […]
Zucchini and Sundried Tomato Tart
For my first ever professional photo shoot I prepared two entrees: one was a Mediterranean-inspired Zucchini and Sundried Tomato Tart, the perfect dish for a spring garden party or brunch. With summer nearly here, I decided on Grilled Lamb Kebabs for the second dish. Brochettes or kabobs are a lighter alternative to grilled steak or […]
It’s no blarney – Irish Soda Bread
For St. Patrick’s Day I decided to stray from the usual corned beef and cabbage and bake a rustic bread straight from the Irish countryside. It has a crunchy crust and a heartiness of texture that would have fueled an Irish lad or lass through the day’s toil. Perfect with the Potato Leek soup that […]