Completely Delicious

Baking Essentials: The Creaming Method

Annalise — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:47:40 +0000

Wouldn’t it be neat to look at a list of ingredients and know exactly what to do with them, without having to read the rest of the recipe? By understanding the basic methods of baking, you can do just that!

We’re going to start with the most basic, the creaming method. You’ve likely used it countless times to make cookies, cakes, muffins, and more and knowing how (and why) it works will give you consistent successful results every time.(...)
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Watermelon Lime Soda

Annalise — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:43:57 +0000

Summer temperatures are here and with them, my aversion to turning on the oven. I still do plenty of baking in the summer, just not as much, and usually only in the morning. So when I had a hankering for something sweet and refreshing on one particularly hot afternoon earlier this week, I turned to one of my new favorite things— club soda flavored with the perfect summer flavor combo, watermelon and lime.

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Blueberry Brie Scones

Annalise — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:50:42 +0000

While I feel like I had a pretty realistic idea of what motherhood would be like last year when my son was born, I honestly had no idea how much fun it would be. I knew it was going to be hard. I knew it would be never ending. And I knew that I was going to fall head over heels in love with him.

I had no idea how much fun weekends would be as a family of three. On Saturday morning I get John from his crib and bring him to bed with us to play while my husband and I wipe the sleep from our eyes and the dog does his best to cover us all in “doggie kisses”.

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Chocolate Covered Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Annalise — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:53:00 +0000

Anyone in my family should immediately recognize these cookies, as they were a favorite in our house. Soft chocolate cookies topped with marshmallows during the last few minutes of baking until soft and covered in melted chocolate. Simple, fun, and pretty darn tasty.

I think this is the first time I’ve baked them since I’ve left home, which is such a shame. I browse cookbooks, magazines, and the internet looking for great recipes while this one sat right under my nose. Of course, I already knew this recipe was great, I just needed a little reminding.

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Sourdough Pancakes

Annalise — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:42:57 +0000

This post is sponsored by Red Star Yeast. All opinions remain my own.

One of my favorite memories from culinary school was the week we learned about sourdough bread and each made our own starter. I was fascinated by the processes. I proudly brought mine to class and baked the prettiest and tastiest loaf of sourdough bread, and vowed I’d be making sourdough bread from that starter for years to come.

But I didn’t. I neglected it and eventually had to throw my starter away. When I saw this Red Star Yeast recipe for sourdough pancakes, it reignited that initial excitement. Me and sourdough, we were going to start afresh.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Meringue Tartlets

Annalise — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:00:36 +0000

Another spring, another rhubarb recipe. Every March I see the little red shoots poking through the dead leaves and I get a bit excited knowing that winter is finally on its way out. It’s a sign of hope, and a promise of all the other fresh produce that’s to come.

I’ve celebrated with many great rhubarb recipes over the years— everything from coffee cake to crisps— but this year I went back to my favorite strawberry rhubarb pie, with a twist. I swapped out one pie dish for four little tart pans and ditched the top crust in favor of a pillow of toasted meringue.

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Vanilla Layer Cake with Easy Fudge Frosting (+ a First Birthday Party!)

Annalise — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:00:00 +0000

This weekend my darling baby boy turned one year old. It’s a big milestone for any mom and I was no exception. I had been planning the celebration in the back of my mind since John was a newborn and when it came time to put it into motion, I got a little emotional. How could he be a year old already?

The party was simple, just a backyard barbecue with family. And of course, there was cake. No birthday party would be complete without one. I kept it traditional, a yellow vanilla layer cake iced with an easy fudge buttercream frosting.

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Vanilla Bean Olive Oil Ice Cream

Annalise — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:00:27 +0000

Today was one of those days where you feel how close summer is. Sure, it’s only April, but here in Utah there’s a very fine line (and short amount of time) between chilly jacket weather and hot tank top weather. One week the furnace is going, and the next the AC. Today we needed neither, it was ideal middle ground. All the windows were wide open, the birds were singing, and lawn mowers hummed in the background.

Today was perfect.

Today also got me very excited for homemade ice cream season, and I’m happy that I had jumped the gun earlier in the week when I made a batch of vanilla bean olive oil ice cream.

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Coconut Meringue Macaroons

Annalise — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 03:07:08 +0000

What happens when you cross a light and airy meringue with an intensely sweet coconut macaroon? You get these little snowballs.

It begins with a beautiful Italian meringue— hot sugar poured over whipped egg whites and beaten until thick and glossy. Add to that an insane amount of shredded coconut and you’re on your way. All that’s left is to scoop and bake them just until they’ve turned golden brown.

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Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Annalise — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:00:47 +0000

I mentioned in a post last week that I’m doing a bit of a diet regimen in order to lose the last bit of baby weight that’s clinging on for dear life. I’ve cut back on a lot of things and it’s been a little tough, but I’m finally seeing results. Which is both exciting and very motivating. Swimsuit season, here I come!

All that being said, while I’m avoiding sweets for the most part, I haven’t cut them out completely. In my opinion, life is just better with a little butter and sugar. And so I indulge every now and again in something homemade and worthwhile, and I feel really good about it. This last weekend I made a batch of these whole wheat chocolate chip cookie bars and loved every single bite.

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