A few words of warning: This cake is not for the weak, the dieters, or the chocolate-peanut butter-”liker.” This cake is for the ultimate chocolate-peanut butter lovers.

I made this cake for my dad for his birthday while I was in Florida, and let me just say, it is easily the best cake I have ever made. It is literally like eating a giant, more delicious version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. The chocolate cake layers are actually dense brownie, and the peanut butter layers are exactly like the inside of a Reese’s. Standing 5 layers tall and weighing in at something like 10-15 pounds when finished, this is a BIG cake. And yet, it was completely devoured in less than 10 minutes by 15-20 excited diners.

We had my dad’s birthday dinner outside at our neighborhood country club with a bunch of family friends. I brought the cake over and the staff was kind enough to slice and serve it. I gave them the last couple pieces to repay them for their efforts :]

One thing I will say, this cake scared me half to death. I was sure it would fail miserably; however, after seeing how mine turned out, I am fully assured that this is an absolute fool-proof cake. You see, when I greased and floured my cake pans, I seem to have forgotten the whole flouring bit. Was this a problem? Well, if you would consider each of the cake layers breaking into approximately 8 pieces a “problem,” then yes, yes it was. I was freaking out as I attempted to fit and squish the layers back together. I was certain that cutting into the cake would be a crumbly nightmare, but you know what? It was perfect. I have no idea how. The layers looked beautiful when sliced (I wish I had better photos of it sliced, but I barely remembered to take any before it was shoveled into my mouth)!

I also had a slight issue with the frosting, as in the amount the recipe produced was not nearly enough, so I had to make an additional batch. I’ve 1.5x the original recipe for you below to ensure you have enough frosting!

Problems aside (or I should say seeming problems), this cake was phenomenal and a huge hit. My dad loved it. His only complaint? The fact that I gave away his last few slices so that he wasn’t able to enjoy it all over again! (By the way, sparklers are the only acceptable candle choice for a cake like this…duh)

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake (Reese’s Cake)

recipe from here

serves 20, easily

ingredients:

cake layers:

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

peanut butter layers:

• 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

chocolate frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp espresso granules

assembly:

• 12-14 mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• dark or semisweet chocolate bar
• gold crystal sugar

cake layers:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together the butter and chocolate. Stir until smooth.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add in the sugar and combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition. Add in the vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt, and combine.
4. Pour the mixture evenly into the three prepared pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

peanut butter layers:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fit with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, peanut butter, and butter (mixture will be crumbly). Add in the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it becomes a consistent workable dough (It shouldn’t stick to your fingers or be crumbly).
2. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Grease a 9-inch cake pan. Press 1 portion of the dough into the greased pan and press evenly. TUrn out onto a cookie sheet and repeat with other portion of dough. Freeze the peanut butter layers until solid.

chocolate frosting:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the cocoa, vanilla, and espresso and beat for 2-3 minutes until combined and creamy.

to assemble:

1. Working on your cake stand, thinly frost a brownie layer and top with a peanut butter layer. Repeat with another brownie layer, another peanut butter layer, and the final brownie layer. Thinly frost the entire cake. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Frost a final layer over the entire cake.
   
2. Pipe 9-11 rosettes along the edge of the cake and one in the center. Top each of the outer rosettes with a Reese’s cup turned on its side. Place 4 in the center rosette.
3. Holding the cake over the sink, throw the sprinkles at the sides of the cake. Sprinkle some over the top.
4. With a microplane, grate a bit of the chocolate bar over the top of the cake. Cake can be stored in fridge with a cake dome; allow to sit out for an hour or two before slicing.

As I write this blog post, I am currently (approximately) 30,000 feet somewhere over the U.S. on my way back to Seattle. Leaving home—my true, original home that is—is always bittersweet. I’m excited to get back to the city to see Mikey and all of my friends, but it’s difficult leaving my family, especially these days when I want so badly to be there for my sister.  Lucky for me, I’ll get to see them all again in August for a wedding :)!

My siblings and myself.

For now though, I’m feeling a bit melancholic. And what do I do when I’m down or stressed? Bake. You can bet that I will be in my kitchen this weekend throwing around some flour and sugar! Hopefully, whatever I come up with will be as sweet as these bars.

I actually made these bars a few months back as part of a contest entry, which, by the way, I won! They are an adaptation of these Lemon Bars. I didn’t post them right away because they are sweet; I mean really sweet. They walk the line between “sweet” and “too sweet.” But, you know what? Sometimes I want something really freakin’ sweet!

Mikey actually loved these, and didn’t find them to be near as sweet as I did. They only get better and better with age, too. 3-5 days out they are probably at their peak deliciousness!

My favorite part about these bars is the crust. It’s basically a pine-nut rosemary shortbread very similar to these cookies I’ve made in the past. It’s salty-sweet with a clean, herbaceous kick from the rosemary. The filling is almost orange creamsicle-esque. It’s very creamy and luscious. Unlike lemon bars, these don’t have that zippy tartness; however, you could easily add that in by adding a touch of citric acid to the filling mix.

I plan on making these again (this weekend perhaps?) switching the rosemary for tarragon, and the orange for grapefruit.

Pine-Nut Orange Bars

For the crust:

• 1 cup pine nuts
• leaves from 2-3 sprigs rosemary
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 8 oz. butter

For the filling:

• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup orange juice
• zest from two oranges
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• small pinch citric acid (optional)
• confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, and rosemary; process until the mixture is almost a paste.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the pine nut mixture, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the flour and salt and beat until just combined. Spread into a 9x13x2 baking dish. 
4. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes until very lightly browned. Let cool on a rack. Meanwhile, make the filling.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the eggs, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, flour, salt, and citric acid (if using).
6. Pour over the crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until filling is set.
   
7. Allow to cool to room temperature. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and slice!

You may have noticed that I have been absent from my blog, Facebook, and Twitter for the last three months. I’ve been wrestling with how to address the situation, and decided on a very abridged version to share with you. Someday, I would like to share the full story complete with the emotional roller-coaster ride that my family and I were taken on, but I think it’s still a bit too fresh in our minds for that just yet.  It’s understandable if you don’t wish to read any of this, as it has little to do with this blog, or food. The recipe for the cake is at the bottom of this post, so feel free to scroll all the way down :]

Today, April 15 (Tax Day!), is my little sister Rebecca’s birthday. She is 21. This is an extra special birthday this year. No, not because she can legally drink. Why then? Because she is here to celebrate it!

On December 21, while I was home in Florida visiting my family for Christmas, my littlest sister, Rebecca, was struck by a car while crossing the street. Though the car was travelling at less than 20 mph, she suffered a skull fracture and brain hemorrhaging, leading to three different hematomas and cerebral edema, along with falling into a coma. She was flown to the nearest trauma center and moved to the Intensive Care Unit where she was hooked up to life support.

On December 23 (Christmas Eve Eve—Rebecca’s favorite holiday), we were told that the chance of her making it out of this was “1 in a million,” and that “it would take a miracle.” The pressure being exerted onto her brain due to the swelling was so severe, that the doctors thought she was brain dead. All of the scans and technical tests were pointing to grimmer and grimmer news. On Christmas Eve morning, they decided to do one final practical exam—they were going to take her off of all of the sedatives, and see if she was at all responsive to simple commands. To the complete shock and awe of the medical staff, Rebecca was able to wiggle some of her fingers and nod to answer questions. I truly have never felt so much joy in my life. The feeling of going from the lowest low, to the highest high is absolutely indescribable.  It was a true Christmas Miracle. Because she was unable to breathe on her own, and kept falling in and out of a comatose state, she was put back under sedation for a few more days.

After three weeks in the ICU, and three weeks in rehab, she made it back home. She had to relearn to walk, eat, and even breathe, but if you saw her today, aside from the now extremely short hair and a scar where her tracheostomy tube was placed, you would never know that she had such a close brush with death, and now suffers from a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Her memory of the last year or two is gone, and she has fairly severe short-term memory issues now, but she is making amazingly speedy progress in her recovery.

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Rebecca (and my dad, whose birthday is only 4 days away!), have always had a special fondness for carrot cake, so when I knew that I was going to be flying back down here to celebrate her birthday with her, I needed to find an extra-spectacular recipe. My good-friend, Helen, recommended this one to me, and boy am I glad she did :]. It was also her brilliant idea to use candied carrot strips for decoration! They look super fancy, but are actually fairly simple to prepare.

This tropical spin on carrot cake was a perfect choice for a Florida Birthday Cookout to celebrate life and many, many more years to come for my little sister. It was a huge hit with all of the guests, and the rainbow candied carrots really wowed everyone. The frosting is absolutely addictive, and the cake disappeared in practically no time. I particularly liked the way the macadamia nuts, coconut, and ginger get incorporated into the flour to give the cake amazing overall flavor. The best part? Rebecca loved it.

Tropical Carrot Cake with Candied Rainbow Carrots

cake recipe slightly adapted from here

candied carrot recipe from here

For the cake:

• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup dry-roasted macadamia nuts
• ¾ cup chopped crystalized ginger
• 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 2 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple, well-drained with cheesecloth

For the frosting:

• 3 8-ounce packages Neufchatel (1/3 less fat) cream cheese, at room temperature
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ¾ cup canned sweetened cream of coconut
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp coconut extract

For the candied carrot garnish:

• 12-16 ounces rainbow carrots, peeled and thinly sliced with a mandoline
• 7 cups sugar
• 3 cups water

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 9-inch cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a large food processor, combine the flour, coconut, macadamia nuts, and ginger. Process until the texture resembles coarse sand. Stir in the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar and oil. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine. Add in the vanilla and beat to combine. Add in half of the flour/nut mixture and beat to combine, then add in the second half and combine. Add in the carrots and pineapple and stir to combine.
4. Divide the batter among the three pans. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 1 hour before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar, followed by the cream of coconut and both extracts. Chill for 30 minutes.

For the candied carrot garnish:

1. In a large pot, combine 4 cups of sugar with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Add in the carrot strips and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the carrots are translucent, about 25-30 minutes.
3. In a smaller pot, combine the remaining sugar with the remaining water and bring to a boil over high heat. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat.
4. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the cooked carrots from the old sugar mixture into the new one. Discard the old syrup. Let cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. (To crisp up the garnish, allow to set on wax paper overnight, at room temperature.)

To assemble:

1. Place 1 layer of the cake flat side up on a cake stand. Spread ¾ cup frosting over the top. Top with the next layer, flat side up and spread with another ¾ cup of frosting. Top with the last layer, flat side up. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Chill cake and remaining frosting for at least 30 minutes.
2. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Decorate the sides of the cake with the candied carrot strips.
3. Chill cake for at least 1 hour prior to serving (without the garnish), and up to 1 day.

There is a really tasty New York-style deli restaurant in my hometown of Florida that I used to frequent with my friends and family growing up (TooJay’s for any of you Floridians!). That place is where my love for black and white cookies began. They had the most delicious, miniature, fluffy shortbread cookies spread with the quintessential half chocolatey-black, half tangy-sweet-white icings. The cookies were always a perfect end to a tasty meal, and on more than one occasion I had to talk myself through not coming out with a bag full of them (they were sold by the pound).

I had never tried my hand at making any myself, but when I randomly came across a recipe that seemed to be pretty true to the classic, I gave it a go.

Though the cookies might not be eye-catchingly beautiful, or anywhere near perfect circles with delicately spread frosting, the are a home run in terms of flavor.

The cookie itself is chewy, slightly fluffy, and perfectly sweet. The vanilla icing has a slight zest to it from a splash of lemon juice, and the chocolate is rich and silky. I had a tough time not eating all of the icing by the fingerful, and an even tougher time trying to wait for it to dry on the cookies before I ate them! But, though it may be difficult to wait, you simply must allow the icings to form that slightly hard layer on top.

I received a totally awesome sealer for my birthday from Mikey’s parents, but had yet to use it, so I sealed up a bunch of the cookies in packs of two, and handed them out to friends; they were a hit!

Mini Black and White Cookies

recipe from here

makes 2-3 dozen

ingredients:

for the cookies:

•  1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg

for the icings:

• 2 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 4-6 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone mats; set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add in the flour and buttermilk, alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.
4. Scoop the dough out onto your prepared sheets in 2 tsp-sized rounds an inch or two apart.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through, until edges are golden and tops are puffed and spring back when touched.

Howdy! Remember when I was all “Oh, you guys, I’ll post every week twice a week” and then I disappeared? Whoops. Sorry about that, you guys, truly. (Though, I have been posting recipes over on the Spache the Spatula Facebook for a couple sandwiches and wraps, so you should check those out!) I’m back with a pretty darn tasty recipe :].

I’m a total cornbread lover, and I love trying new and unique spins on the classic. This cornbread allows you to revel in the crumbly, moist, sweet goodness of typical types, while also packing in your veggies! Even though there is over a half a pound of zucchini in the loaf, and two green onions, their flavors are not at all overwhelming, and even a bit difficult to pick out. This actually may be my favorite cornbread, ever!

Just look at that crumbly goodness:

I made it to go with my White Chicken Chili, and it was incredible dunked in the broth. I also like to pop a couple pieces in the toaster and spread them with butter. But sometimes, I don’t just stop there. I pour warm honey all over the toasty, buttery cornbread for a super easy, super delicious dessert!

Zucchini Cornbread

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

•  1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 buttermilk
• 10 ounces zucchini (1 large or a couple small)
• 2 green onions, sliced finely
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup medium-grind cornmeal
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5x3″ loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, brown the butter over median-high heat, (The butter should sizzle, foam, and then the foam and sizzle should subside. It should smell fragrantly nutty). Allow to cool.
3. Trim the ends from the zucchini. Slice 5-7 super thin discs off, and set aside. Coarsely grate the remaining zucchini.
4. In a bowl, stir together the flours, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the browned butter, the eggs, and buttermilk; mix to combine. Add in the zucchini and green onion, and mix to combine. Add in the flour mixture, and mix on low until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Place the reserved zucchini discs along the center of the batter the garnish. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until golden and a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing and slicing.

Welp, I’ve done it. I’ve created the most addictive granola, ever. I thought I had done so with the Pine Nut and Black Pepper Granola, but I was sorely mistaken. But, really? Did you expect anything less from something with “pumpkin” in the name, from me? As you may have guessed from my ravings about the Pumpkin-Chai Latte I posted on Facebook, this year, chai has joined the ranks of pumpkin in my Fall obsessions category, and, especially the two combined! The warm spices of chai tea are reminiscent of the typical pumpkin pie spices, but… spicier?

There are so many things that I love about this granola: the crunchy clusters (one wouldn’t think that 1/2 a cup of pure pumpkin could yield such a crunchy granola, but, alas! This is by far the crunchiest and most cluster-y granola I have ever made), the maple undertones, the pairing of pecans and pumpkin, the chai tea flavoring… basically, there is not a single thing that I don’t like (okay, maybe I’m not thrilled about how quickly it finds its way into my mouth).

This granola is great with milk, or as a topper to yogurt and ice cream. I’m also thinking of baking it into some cookies or a quick bread (if someone tries this, please let me know the outcome!). Basically, you just need this granola around this Fall season!

Pumpkin-Chai Granola

recipe generously adapted from here

ingredients:

• 2 tbsp + 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1/4 cup golden brown sugar
• 1 tsp bourbon
• 1 Chai tea bag
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and stir to combine. Add in the oats and stir to coat, cooking for a few minutes. Pour the spiced oats into a bowl and set aside.
3. In the same pot, add in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, and bourbon. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat. Add the tea bag into the mixture and make sure it is fully submerged. Place a lid on the pot and allow the tea to steep for 10 minutes.
4. Remove the tea bag from the mixture and discard. Pour the spiced oats and pecans into the wet mixture and stir to combine. Pour the wet granola out onto the lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes until dark golden. Allow to fully cool on baking sheet. The granola will get crunchier as it cools. Store in an airtight container.

Remember how in my last post I said I was going to share a recipe using the frosting from the cupcakes that prompted my food blog? Well, here it is, and man is it a good one! It may actually be one of my favorite recipes that I have ever created!

If you know me, you know I tend to get a bit pumpkin-crazy as soon as fall begins, and it becomes basically all I want to cook/bake with! Hopefully, you follow Spache the Spatula on Facebook, so you saw that AWESOME recipe for a Pumpkin-Chai Latte I posted there yesterday ;). And aside from this recipe and the latte, I have many more pumpkin recipes a’comin’!

So, let’s discuss these gorgeous cookie/whoopie pie-like dreams. The cookie portions are soft, but not as soft as a traditional whoopie pie, and much more cookie-like. They are dense pumpkiny-chai-flavored mounds littered with tons and tons of little toffee pieces. The salted caramel in the frosting really compliments and amplifies the toffee flavor. I used my go-to Salted Vanilla Bean Caramel recipe, but store-bought would work in a pinch.

Tasting the tangy, salty, sweet, unctuous frosting completely brought me back to those Salted Caramel Cupcakes. Once you taste the frosting, (which by the way, the recipe makes more than you will need for these cookie sandwiches….you’re welcome) I think you will understand why it is start-a-blog worthy!

These are perfect with a mug of coffee or Chai tea (and especially the Pumpkin-Chai Latte I posted on Facebook!) for ultimate Fall relaxation. Mikey brought the cookies to work and they were extremely well-received! They elicited many Mmmm’s!

Pumpkin-Toffee Cookies with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

recipe inspired by this

makes about 2 dozen cookies (1 dozen cookie sandwiches)

ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2-1 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup tightly packed golden-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp bourbon
• 8 oz. bag Heath toffee bits
• Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below)

1. Line a couple baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and spices; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars for a couple minutes. Add in the egg and bourbon and mix on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes. Add in the pumpkin puree and mix for another 3-5 minutes. On low speed, add in the flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in the toffee.
4. Using a medium-size cookie scoop, scoop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets. Place no more than 8 cookies on each sheet—a row of 3, a row of 2, and another row of 3. (To save space, you can place all of the cookies on one sheet, and move them to separate sheets when ready to bake.) Place the cookies in the fridge for at least an hour.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cookies for 20 minutes, until golden and set. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. With a small cookie scoop, scoop 1-2 tablespoons of frosting onto the bottom of a cookie. Press another cookie against it. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 8 ounces (1 packages) Neufchâtel cream cheese (the 1/3 less fat variety), at room temperature
• 4-6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup Salted Vanilla Bean Caramel

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Add in the caramel and beat until combined. Add in 2-4 more cups of confectioner’s sugar, in 1 cup increments, until you reach the desired sweetness and consistency.
2. Refrigerate until ready to use.

We’re in, what I like to call, Summer Crunch Time. There’s only a couple weeks left of Summer, which means lounging in your bathing suit for a few more days, trying to soak up as many rays as you can, trekking up a mountain with a picnic lunch because, gosh-darnit, this will be impossible once the snow comes, and force-feeding yourself as much produce as you can handle because you’re scared of what life will be like in the next few dark months without juicy berries and sweet corn.

As much as I am going to miss Summer, I have to admit that I am a teensy-weensy bit excited for sweater weather :]. I’m ready to break out my scarves, bundle up by the fire with a mug of Hot Chocolate, and chow down of foods involving pumpkin (the undisputed best Fall food). I also mayyyyy have tweeted just a bit earlier about listening to certain holiday tunes :X

In the meantime, this is a recipe that will aid you in your quest (if you are any bit as crazy as I am when it comes to Summer produce) to eat the living heck out of the last of Summer fruit. This is a relatively plain shortcake recipe, but I find its taste and texture to be the best I have ever tried. PLUS, it’s actually a Cooking Light recipe, which means it’s not so bad for you!

The top of this shortcake has a crusty, sugary crust, studded with almond slivers, while the inside is tender, crumbly, and perfect for soaking up the juices of whatever fruit you chose to pair it with! I chose some Vanilla-Poached Apricots. I followed this recipe, and was sure to pour the leftover, syrupy juices all over the slices of shortcake.

I also served my shortcake with a homemade Honey-Lavender Ice Cream, but I wasn’t wild about the end texture, so I’m going to try some other variations before I share a recipe with you guys!

Simple Almond Shortcake

recipe slightly adapted from here

ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 9 ounces (roughly 2 1/4 cups) cake flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small chunks
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 tbsp whole milk
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch round baking tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the butter and beat until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with chunks of butter still visible. With the mixer on the lowest setting, add in the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
3. Pour the dough into the greased baking tin. Using a pastry bush, brush the top with the milk. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and slivered almonds.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pan and slicing.

I’ve been soaking up the rays here in Florida (actually, a little too much… I got extremely sunburned the other day at the beach)! It’s been nice to be able to relax in the heat and visit with my family :]. Of course, while I’m on vacation, it doesn’t mean I get a break from cooking! My parents practically require it of me, haha! Here’s just a few things that I have made while home:

My Fig and Mascarpone Bruschetta:

Avocado Pasta with Diced Tomatoes and Chicken:

Tomato, Basil, and Buratta Salad with Homemade Croutons:

I have to say, though, I really did not enjoy the avocado pasta, at all! The bruschetta was amazing, as always, and the salad was a perfect summer dish.

But, let’s talk about these cookies. If you’ve checked out the cookie section in my recipe index, then you’ve noticed that a large chunk of it is taken up with shortbread recipes. I loooove me some shortbread! I love its crunch, I love its buttery taste, and I love how easy it is to add mix-ins to. These particular shortbread cookies are unique in that they are not overly sweet… in a good way! The have the familiar buttery taste of other shortbread, with a bit of a zip from the orange zest, and a deliciously nutty crunch from the pistachios. To me, they are the perfect cookie to have with tea :].

Pistachio-Orange Shortbread Cookies

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 11o grams unsalted butter
• 20 grams confectioners’ sugar
• zest of 1 orange
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 140 grams all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 30 grams roasted and salted pistachios, chopped
• turbinado sugar

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes on high, until light and fluffy. Add in the zest and juice and mix to combine. Add in the flour, salt, and pistachios, and mix until combined.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a log that is about 2 inches in diameter. Roll the log in turbinado sugar to cover the outside. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
4. Cut the dough into disks about 1/4″-1/2″ thick and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.

This past weekend in Seattle, it was positively sweltering! It hit 93 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, setting records for the region. I managed to get myself a pretty god sunburn on my shoulders and back after spending much of Saturday at Seafair- an annual Summer festival that showcases hydroplane races, the Boeing Air Show, parades, and of course, the famous U.S. Navy Blue Angels! The Blue Angels put on a spectacular show, as always, but man, it was just Too. Dang. Hot!

I suppose Seattle was trying to prepare me for the searing, muggy heat I will be experiencing for the next two weeks while visiting home. Tomorrow, I leave for the sunny, Gulf-coast of Florida! I’m insanely excited to be able to see my family, especially Max :3

My family, I think, is more looking forward to my cooking, than me! My mother, father, and little brother have all asked what I will be cooking/baking for them while I’m home, haha. Perhaps, if they’re lucky, they’ll get some of this incredibly tasty bread topped with the best-ever, homemade lemon curd ;)

The bread is nutty, tender, and a bit floral. The curd is tart, sweet, and oh-so-creamy. Together, they make magic! Though, both are incredibly delicious on their own (in fact, I highly suggest you try the lemon curd on these Lemon Blueberry Scones).

Strawberry-Lavender Buckwheat Bread

recipe adapted from here

makes 2 9-inch loaves

ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp lavender buds
• 2 lbs strawberries, quartered
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch loaf pans and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and lavender.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil and eggs. Add in the vanilla and buttermilk and whisk to combine.
4. With the mixer on the lowest setting, add in the wet mixture, and then the strawberries. Mix until just combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two greased pans. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Allow the cakes to fully cool in the pans before running a knife along the edges and gently tipping out onto a cutting board. Serve with Lemon Curd (recipe below).

Lemon Curd

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 100 grams granulated sugar
• 200 grams freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• zest of 2 small lemons
• 20 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, juice, and zest together. Cook this mixture over a double boiler until it thickens, stirring frequently.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl set over an ice bath and stir until the mixture has slightly cooled.
3. Add in the butter and mix with a hand blender until the mixture is emulsified and lighter in color. Refrigerate until ready to use.