Fresh Raspberry Crumb Bars

Fresh fruit bars in the middle of winter? You betcha ! You can always find fresh berries in your local grocery store. Opt for organic if you can. This recipe will work with blueberries, blackberries, even strawberries. Just use the same fruit flavored jam along with whatever fruit you choose. I went with raspberries because I had both the jam and some fresh berries on hand.

You can also switch up the batter itself. Why not try chops almonds instead of walnuts and add 1/4 tsp of pure almond extract to the batter? Or chopped pecans and a teaspoon of ground cinnamon...so many ideas !

Raspberry Friands

What are Friands? EXCELLENT! How's that for an answer? In fact, one of the most fantastic baked treats I have ever eaten in fact.

Plus, I am no longer a Friand OR silicone bakeware virgin any longer. I feel liberated. I feel free. I feel like making another batch !

First, about the bakeware. This is my first experience using silicone bakeware. I purchased my silicone muffin cups solely for the purpose of making Friands. Having read about Friands for awhile now I simply couldn't resist making them any longer. So out I went last night in search of some silicone pans as you need this type of flexible bakeware to ensure the easy removable of these delicate cakes. I couldn't find any snazzy molds other than muffin pans but they worked out incredibly well regardless.

Now, on to the Friands. Friands are small, moist (and I mean MOIST) cakes made with almond meal, lots of egg whites and some flour. While delicate and delicious on its own, the Friand can also be flavored with fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, lemon or orange. I like to use fresh fruit in all my baking but you can substitute frozen as well but don't thaw first.

After my first bite I was hooked. In fact, I said to hubby, "This is a prime example of why I bake. It is like tasting nirvana." And it is. Sheer bliss.

I had one, then two. Then another with a glorious cup of dark roast coffee. I intend to have another later this evening to finish off the week with a big smile on my face.

If you want to experience nirvana too then let's get baking!

RECIPE:
*source recipe: Almond, Vanilla and Raspberry Friands, Little Cafe Cakes

WHAT YOU NEED

175g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup (100g) ground almonds
6 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (210g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (70g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup fresh raspberries

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375F
SPRAY 2 silicone muffin pans with cooking spray (1o muffin cups are enough)
PLACE muffin pans on cookie sheet(s)
IN LARGE BOWL, fold all ingredients together until combined
WITH ICE CREAM SCOOP, fill each muffin cup 1/2 full with batter
BAKE 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
LET COOL in pans 5 minutes
TO REMOVE, with your thumb press up the bottom of each muffin cup to raise up the Friands
PLACE Friands on cooling rack to cool completely

LOVELY eaten as-is or with a dollop of freshed whipped cream.

ENJOY!

Also seen here:

Victoria Sponge with Berries & Whipped Cream

Last week I celebrated my big 4-0 birthday! And in doing so, I also learned that I have somehow converted into a foodie (baker) snob to a great degree over the past year. When asked about my preferred birthday dessert I had to say nothing store bought. It must be homemade! Nothing else will suffice. No family member wanted to take on the baking challenge so I gladly stepped in.

I wasn't in the mood for your typical birthday cake topped with buttercream and candles. Instead I was craving fluffy whipped cream and fresh fruit layered throughout a light, golden cake. The perfect answer: a Victoria Sponge filled with seedless jam, raspberries, sweetened whipped cream and topped with shaved dark chocolate.

I have a recipe already on Lemon Drop for Victoria Sponge though that one has a frosting in the center. I did stick to the sponge cake recipe in that post but , as you can see, dramatically changed the filling and finishing touches. It was the best birthday cake I have ever eaten!

LET'S GET STARTED

RECIPE:

WHAT YOU NEED

1 cup fine white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons of milk (2% works fine)

JAM, FRUIT and WHIPPED CREAM FILLING:

6-12 oz. good quality, seedless raspberry jam (I used half a 12 oz jar but feel free to slather the whole thing on there if you want !!)
1 pint of fresh raspberries
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fine granulated sugar
1/4 cup shaved dark chocolate

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F.
BUTTER two 8-inch round cake pans
LINE both pans with parchment paper

MIX all cake ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Batter should be smooth.
DIVIDE batter between the two pans and smooth the surface with a spatula.

BAKE for 20 minutes; do the finger test - touch the center and if it springs back it is done. If not give it another minute or two and try again.

COOL cakes on baking racks.
REMOVE cakes from pans once cooled.

PLACE one of the cooled cakes on a cake platter
SPREAD with jam
LAYER 3/4 of the raspberries over the jam, reserving rest of raspberries for topping

MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM
In large bowl, and with your electric mixer, whip together 2 cups of whipping cream (35% fat) with 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of fine granulated sugar. If you want to keep the cake longer than 1 hr at room temperature then add one small packet of Whip It! stabilizer to the cream mix. Whip until soft peaks form.

DIVIDE the whipped cream topping in 1/2 and smooth one 1/2 over the first layer of cake
PLACE second layer of cake on top
SMOOTH remaining whipped cream topping over top of cake
DECORATE with remaining raspberries and shaved chocolate.

ENJOY !!!

Also seen here:

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

Looking for a fresh-tasting, "hints of spring", muffin? Give these a try.

This story began on a rainy Sunday morning. Perfect for a ray of baking sunshine! I had fresh raspberries and a few lemons in the fridge and was contemplating my next move. I love the combined taste these 2 ingredients lend to any baked goods. It being early in the morning with no idea what to make for breakfast, muffins just made sense.

This recipe comes from Leila Lindholm’s cookbook A Piece Of Cake.


It calls for frozen raspberries but I used 2-3 fresh ones per muffin instead. I also like muffins with crunchy tops so I sprinkled each muffin with turbinado sugar before they were baked.
Turned out perfectly ! Lastly, if you don't have vanilla sugar, simply add
1 teaspoon granulated sugar and either 1 teaspoon pure vanilla or
the scraping of 1 vanilla bean to the batter. I prefer the latter.

NOTE: most of the recipe ingredients are measured in grams
so haul out your kitchen scale and get baking!

LET'S GET STARTED!

RECIPE:

This recipe made exactly 12 glorious, golden muffins.

WHAT YOU NEED

100g unsalted butter, melted
200ml milk ( I used 2%)
zest of 1 lemon
2 organic eggs at room temperature
150g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla sugar
240g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
36 fresh, cleaned raspberries

MAKE IT

LINE muffin tin with 12 liners
PRHEAT to 350F
IN MEDIUM BOWL, combine melted butter, milk and lemon zest.
IN SEPARATE LARGE BOWL, with electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla 2-3 minutes MED speed
BLEND butter mixture into egg mixture.
SIFT together remaining dry ingredients and fold into batter with a spatula. DO NOT OVER-MIX
STIR the butter mixture into the egg mix. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt and carefully fold into the mixture.
ADD 1/2 batter to each muffin cup.
TOP with 3 raspberries
COVER with batter so muffins nearly reach the top of the liner.
BAKE 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
COOL on wire rack for 20 minutes.

ENJOY !

Flavours of Prince Edward Island

Yesterday my hubby brought this cookbook home for me and I am thrilled ! This book, for lack of a better word, is BEAUTIFUL. Let's first start by saying I adore Prince Edward Island. Always have and always will. In fact, my long term goal (or maybe even short term if I play my cards right!) is to relocate there permanently. The island is a dream; filled with green rolling hills, bordered by gorgeous red dunes that meet the sea. And the people? The nicest I have ever met!

Now back to the cookbook.

Flavours of Prince Edward Island - a culinary journey
~ Jeff McCourt, Allan Williams & Austin Clement

The photos alone reeled me in immediately and then I saw the recipes. Wow ! There is just so much here aching to be tested out in my kitchen (and digested by my tummy) . I cannot wait to get started. As my blog is baking specific, I won't be sharing my results of the gorgeous pot roast recipe that greets you early on in this book but you can bet your bottom dollar my family will be enjoying it for Sunday dinner !

There are several sweet desserts in this book such as Warm Blueberry Brown Butter Cakes
(which makes me want to lick the page) and a Cranberry and Coconut Tart that leaves one daydreaming of eating a slice with a dollop of whipped cream.

After much thought, I decided to start off with a chocolate cake. Boring choice? I think NOT! This one has a special Island ingredient- one of PEI's most famous in fact and no, it has nothing to do with Anne of Green Gables!.

Later this week, I will be sharing with you tales of my baking adventure and a review when I make Chocolate Potato Cake with Red Raspberry Puddles, page 195.

The book describes it as follows: "... the potatoes made the cake super-moist and really dense." "This cake is delicious with raspberry sauce" which the authors refer to as raspberry mud puddles. Personally, the photo speaks for itself. It looks delicious. I can barely wait to sink my teeth into a slice of this !

So to summarize, so far, I love this book and without a doubt, I love PEI. Add baking and PEI together and you have my version of heaven.

My other great love that tops my list: My family = my two beautiful girls, my handsome boy and of course, my dear sweet man. But truth be told, I think I love my man a little bit more now because he bought me this book :)

STAY TUNED for the Potato Chocolate Cake Recipe Review

PW's Raspberry Cobbler

I made an incredibly easy and tasty raspberry cobbler this evening. The entire family devoured it ! Thanks goes to The Pioneer Woman for a lovely recipe from her cookbook "The Pioneer Woman Cooks". I purchased this book yesterday and couldn't wait to get started !

This recipe can be found on her website and I will simply direct you to her link versus re-posting.

I do have some pictures to share of my cobbler baking experience though and I do hope you enjoy them. If they inspire you to cook this gorgeous dessert then all is truly well in the world.

ONE OF THE EASIEST COBBLERS I HAVE EVER MADE

A simple blend of butter, self-rising flour, milk and sugar creates the base.
Then feel free to choose your fruit - I opted for raspberries.


It emerged from the oven golden, crispy-edged and glittering with sugar


And it didn't last long. I served it with vanilla ice cream.
Whipped cream on this would be great too! As you can see, we dug in !

Don't wait another moment: The Pioneer Woman's Cobbler recipe