#baked from scratch

[the-bread-faerie]

Baked off fresh pretzel buns and sausage braids! Such a delight 😊

The sausage is local from our butcher and the rolls are filled with sharp cheddar!

[annsbites]

Roasted Strawberry Mini Cake

This cake is going to become your new summer obsession. The cake is light and fluffy, with a strong strawberry flavor. It's topped with ultra silky cream cheese frosting and even more strawberry goodness. It is everything a cake should be.

Ingredients: For the strawberry puree -

10-12 large strawberries, tops cut off

4 tsps brown sugar (more if the strawberries aren't very sweet)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

cornstarch slurry (2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water)

For the cake -

1 1/4 cups AP flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch pf salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

3 large egg whites

1/4 cup of the strawberry puree

1/8 tsp pink or red food coloring (optional)

For the frosting -

1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

strawberry puree

1. For the strawberry puree - Preheat your oven to 350*. Line a loaf pan or a small roasting pan with foil and add the strawberries, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to the pan. Toss everything together so the strawberries are coated. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. The strawberries will be very fragrant and there will be a lot of juice in the pan. Remove the pan from the oven (leave the oven on at 350*) and pour everything into a large blender. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth. Measure out 1/4 cup of the mixture and set it aside. Pour the rest of the puree into a small sauce pan and place over medium heat. Add the cornstarch slurry to the pan and whisk together well. Allow the mixture to lightly simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened, whisking often. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2. For the cake - Lightly grease an 8x8 or 9x9 square baking pan. You can line it with parchment paper as well if desired. Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites, and 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree. Whisk until everything is combined well. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and then add the granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is super light and fluffy.

4. Turn the mixer down to low speed and alternate between adding the wet and dry ingredients to the butter mixture, starting with the dry and ending with the wet. Mix until the batter is smooth, but don't over mix. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and If using the food coloring, add it to the batter and use a rubber spatula to gently mix it in.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it all the way to the edges, in one even layer. Place in the oven and bake 28-30 minutes. Until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely.

6. For the frosting - Once the cake is completely cool, begin to make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium high speed for 1 minute. You want it to be super fluffy and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix until combined. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once it is mostly combined (and won't fly everywhere) turn the mixer until medium high and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beat for another 2 minutes. This will help the frosting be super light and creamy.

7. Once the cake is totally cool, its time to frost. Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting all over the top of the cake. I did not frost the sides, but you can if you want. Add spoonfuls of the thickened strawberry puree on top of the frosting and use a toothpick or knife to swirl it all around in whatever pattern you would like.

8. Cut the cake into your desired shape and size. Enjoy with a big glass of milk!

[cafemanderley]

today i made some banana bread using some of the over-ripe bananas we had laying around (´･ᴗ･`) it was really moist and delicious, and sweet even though i didn’t add that much sugar this time.

[thecrochetedcupcake]

Vegan Lemon Blueberry Scones

Recipe by Nora Cooks

[askscarletrose]

Scarlet Rose on Twitter

“Ladies and Gentlemen... I bring you my #chocolatechipcookies~”

I baked these delicious morsels from scratch and I’m rather proud of myself with how they turned out. Below is my recipe for these beauties.

Merry Christmas and have a Fabulous New Year~

Scarlet’s Chocolate Chunks

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup unsalted European Style butter

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

half a bar of 60% Dark Chocolate (approx. 1.6 ounces)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and prepare your cookie sheets. Either grease them with butter or (my preferred method) line with parchment paper.

Measure out your dry ingredients and then sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside and get a big mixing bowl.

In a big bowl, mix in the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Break the bar into smaller pieces and stir those pieces and the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

[annsbites]

Funfetti Donuts

Easiest way to put a smile on your face is eating a baked funfetti donut.

Ingredients:

For the donut - 1 cup AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt 

1/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup full fat sour cream

1 egg

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/3 cup sprinkles (do not use nonpareils, they will bleed in the dough)

For the icing -  3-4 tbsp heavy cream

2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract 

pinch of salt

extra sprinkles 

1. Preheat your oven to 350*. Generously spray a donut pan with non stick spray. This recipe makes 8 donuts, so if you have two pans spray both. Set aside. Place a large wire rack on top of a large piece of wax paper. This will be for cooling and glazing the donuts. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the milk, sour cream, and egg. Mix until the mixture is completely smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the melted butter and vanilla and mix well.

3. Pour the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to mix until just combined. You do not want to over mix the batter. It will be a very thick batter. Add in the sprinkles and mix gently.

4. Carefully spoon the batter into the prepared donut pan. Fill each about 2/3 of the way full. They will rise when baking. Place in the oven and bake for 9 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 1 more minute. The edges will be slightly golden brown and the donut will be springy to the touch. 

5. Remove the donuts from the pan and allow them to cool completely on the prepared wire rack. This will not take very long. Once the donuts cool, in a large bowl combine 3 tbsp of the heavy cream, the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth. If you want the icing to be thinner you can add another tbsp of heavy cream.

6. Take a donut, dip one side in the icing (you can move it around a few times to make sure it is super coated), place back on the wire rack and decorate with some extra sprinkles. Allow the icing to fully set before digging in. Enjoy!

[annsbites]

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

I recently discovered that I love the taste of peanut butter, but I hate the texture of it straight. So these super soft peanut butter cookies are perfect.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups AP flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cups creamy peanut (such as skippy or jif. I know natural PB is better, but it won't work for this recipe.)

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350*. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a hand held mixer on high. Cream for about 2 minutes, until super creamy, fluffy, and light in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla extract and beat on medium high for 1 minute, until everything is fully combined. Scrape down the sides.

4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and use a rubber spatula to gently mix everything together. You don't want any flour streaks. Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough, then roll it into a ball in your hands. Place on the prepared baking sheet, a few inches apart.

5. Once all the dough is rolled and on the sheet, use a fork to make to make the criss cross pattern on the top. Gently press the fork into the dough one way, gently remove it, and then repeat in the opposite direction. Repeat with all cookies.

6. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then rotate the pan 180* and bake for 1 more minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then remove from the pan and place directly on the wire rack. Best served slightly warm with a big glass of milk. Enjoy!

[the-bread-faerie]

A lovely little sourdough loaf to serve with dinner 🥘