Strawberry Vanilla Bliss

...just had a superb cupcake from The Chocolate Dessert Cafe today.

It's a strawberry vanilla special and I think it's only available today and/or tomorrow at the Orem location. (I think it's a staple at WJ.)
Read my thoughts about it on Utah Loves Cupcakes .

Tuesdays with Dorie: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies

Chocolate, cinnamon and currant make up these soft and chewy Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies. I made them for Tuesdays with Dorie and loved them. You can snag the recipe from Spike's blog,  Spike Bakes. Make sure to check out the LYL post to see how the other TWD bakers liked these cookies.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Date-Nut Loaf

Brown sugar, dates and pecans in loaf form? Sign me up! This loaf cake is chock-full of ingredients I love. Out of character, yet out of necessity...and probably a bit of laziness I subbed two items this week. I exchanged Greek yogurt for cream cheese and pecans for walnuts. 

This date-nut loaf was full of beautiful subtly flavors. The hint of pure almond extract paired perfectly with the nuttiness of the pecans. This cake was super moist and those things we call dates transformed into soft bites of brown sugar deliciousness.

 

For the recipe, purchase Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or check out Mary's blog, Popsicles and Sandy Feet.  Be sure to browse the TWD Blogroll!

Tuesdays with Dorie: Perfection Pound Cake {Catch-up}

I know what you're thinking. It's Thursday, not Tuesday. So why, Becky? Why are you posting a Tuesdays with Dorie post on Thursday? Well...I'm playing catchup. I joined the TWD group 8 months after they started and am behind on like 70 recipes. So...I'm attempting to catchup. Here's the first of many TWD catchup posts.

Pound Cake. Pound Cake. Pound Cake.
This recipe is Dorie's basic pound cake. The group made it on January 22, 2008. Gosh that was a long time ago. It's simple and delicious and perfect on a summer evening with your entire family with a bit of homemade lemon curd, fresh berries and sweetened whipped cream.

I actually made two loaves. So between the cakes and the homemade lemon curd I went through 20 eggs. Wowza.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Biscotti

I made biscotti for the very first time. It was of the chocolate variety, loaded with blanched almonds, dried cherries and semi-sweet chocolate chunks. The dough was incredibly addictive and the double-baked finished product was delicious.

You can get the recipe on Jacque's blog, Daisy Lane Cakes. Also, see how the other Tuesday with Dorie blogger liked the recipe.

Currently inspired

....by these lovely strawberries I got from my local CSA.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake

If you're looking for a nice breakfast cake, look no further. I've got a winner for you this morning. The recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie today is Blueberry-Brown Sugar Plain Cake chosen by Cindy of Everyday Insanity.

I was a bit surprised that this was not topped with a streusal or icing...I know, I know...the name of the cake has the word "plain" in it. But still. Who does a breakfast cake with out some sort of topping? Well I'll tell you who. Dorie does. And she does it well.

 

I loved this cake and so did all my taste testers. It is a light and fresh cake. It sorta melts in your mouth and is very moist. It had a really prominent blueberry flavor and definite brown sugar taste.

 

Be sure to see how the other Tuesday with Dorie bloggers liked it, here. Get the recipe on Cindy's blog.

Next week: Chocolate Biscotti (My first attempt at biscotti!)

Happy Caramel (Cupcake) Friday!

It must be a caramel week for me. On Tuesday, I posted about the Caramel Pots de Creme and then last night on Facebbok, I saw Trista, the owner of Cupcake Chic, post her June flavor of the month. Yes, Salted Caramel.

So what do I do? I seriously stop what I'm doing and drive over to get one. I'm such a hard sell, right?

Isn't it pretty? The caramel flavor is really quite nice. The buttercream on top of the dark chocolate cupcake is made with a from-scratch caramel. Yum. The salt wasn't as prominent as I expected. I'm looking for more of a sprinkle of real fleur de sel on top and highly increased amount of salt in a caramel, but maybe that's just me. I'd describe this particular cupcake as more of a Dark Chocolate Caramel cupcake.

I love Cupcake Chic and am always so excited to try their new flavors. My absolute favorite flavor is Neapolitan and it's my number one recommendation for Cupcake Chic cupcakes. They only bake it on Thursdays, so plan accordingly. Now that it is summertime they have s'mores (dark chocolate with a really cool marshmallow frosting and s'moresy stuff) and strawberry lemonade.

If you're ever in Orem visit my local cupcakery, Cupcake Chic and thank me later! Right now they are actually offering a free mini cupcake if you check in to Cupcake Chic on Facbook. Pretty cool.


Cupcake Chic
cupcakechicutah.com
facebook.com/cupcakechicutah
@CupcakeChic

727 East 1000 South (near the university mall right by pirate's island)
Orem, Utah
801-607-2968


Hope you all have a bright, cheery and caramely weekend.

Here are some other posts about the greatness that is caramel:
Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake
Burnt Sugar Ice Cream
Dulce de Leche Duo Cookies
Caramel Cake with Caramelized Frosting (in cupcake form)
The cake I'm dying to make (Sweet n' Salty Cake by Baked NYC)



*This is not a paid or pitched review, I simply love Cupcake Chic cupcakes and have little self control when I see a flavor I want to try. I purchased this cupcake myself.

Feeling inspired

The weather is finally starting to warm up in Utah. Between moving, remodeling, busy work schedule and travel, all with the blase weather...I think I've had a lack of inspiration for my blogs. This is obviously apparent in my lack of posts. I'm keeping up with my Tuesdays with Dorie posts, but otherwise pretty much unmotivated to post and share my cooking, baking and domestic endevors. I'm cooking and loving life in my new kitchen, which I have yet to post about... But still, it takes that extra umph to get me to take pretty pictures, write and post about them.

Then the sun came up...literally. I planted my herbs. I see gardens around. Local veggies are being sold around town. Farmers markets start popping up and wham...I'm inspired. I start remembering the taste of that first garden tomato, the feel of dirt in my hands, the sound of fresh chives against my wonderful chef's knife and I'm smiling...I'm ready to go! I'm inspired by the coming summer season!

Here's some photos from last summer and harvest season. (Chances are this is the first time on this blog.)

 

Peppers with garlic and olive oil about to go on the grill.

 

Tomatillo seeds right before we planted them.

 

Salsa Verde from our garden tomatillos.

 

Peach and basil salad. Peaches from my in-law's trees.

 

Fresh garden currants and gooseberries before my in-laws made chutney, jams and syrups with them. 

Don't you love these containers? 

They put the finished product in them and gave them as Christmas gifts.

We've sized down our family garden this year to seven simple herb pots, but I'll still be enjoying my local CSA and in-law's huge garden and fruit trees. I have already used my herbs in a dozen meals and it's only the beginning of June.

What inspires you?