Bakers Royale

Raspberry Crumb Bars ~ A fruit filled breakfast bar that is fast and easy, and won’t leave you feeling guilty (okay, too guilty) as you enjoy this breakfast dessert.

Since the last post we established I’m not very good at listening; now it seems I should mention I’m not too good at sticking to agreements either.

The summer heat is killing us here, so baking turns our small place into sweat box quickly. Given that, Matt asked that I refrain from baking until the heat passes.

Sure why not, right? There are plenty of no bake recipes. Well I should have thought better than to commit to that. What was I thinking? Asking me to keep my baking hands to a minimum is like asking our dog Jack, not to jump in excitement when we come home. » Read the rest of this entry «

Heath Bar Coffee Cake ~ A low prep, no fuss coffee cake kicked up with crushed Heath candy bar bits.

Heath Bar Coffee Cake

Why Heath candy bar? Well my dessert-loving comrades, it is the ingredient that provides a much needed balance in an often unbalanced cake where the streusel not only takes top billing but it can also dominate the cake in flavor and in texture.

Given that, I wanted a recipe that would provide harmony between the cake crumb, the streusel and the nuts.

I started out with giving the cake crumb a more nutty flavor by using whole wheat flour instead of regular flour. From there, I skipped the traditional streusel topping for a streusel layer in the cake that included crushed Heath bar. The Heath bar allowed me to lower the brown sugar portion without sacrificing any sweetness. I added toasted nuts because nuts can pretty much make any baked good better, but of course feel free to skip this part. Lastly, I drizzled the top with some white chocolate and finished with a simple dusting of granulated sugar. The latter two items add more to aesthetics than taste—you know my inclinations for all things pretty. » Read the rest of this entry «

S’more Petit Fours ~  Smores treats from the campfire to your oven. Your childhood camping treat gets stylie with a petit four makeover.

S'mores Petit Fours

Summertime is here and with that comes my family’s annual trek to Northern Calilfornia. This year we’ve booked a place at Yosemite. By that I mean a real campground. We are trading in the hotel for a tent.

Like a proper foodaholic, my main concern is what the heck are we going to eat. If I was griller, I would welcome this excursion, but I’m not. This is where I solicit you all for some help with outdoor meal making. Ideas anyone?

Luckily, I have dessert under control. I figure if the dinners don’t work out, everyone can still go to bed smiling after a sweet treat. With that, I thought I would get the family ready for some planning (everyones least favorite thing to do in my house) by setting the mood with some of my S’mores Petite Fours.

Now, I was going to make Ms. Martha Stewart’s Smore’s cupcakes but I love all things mini when it comes to dessert, so petit fours first. » Read the rest of this entry «