Recipe #34: Chocolate Heartland Bundt Cake with Chocolate Honey Glaze

Recipe #34: Chocolate Heartland Bundt Cake with Chocolate Honey Glaze

Posted by Unknown

I chose to make this recipe in celebration of my very first Mother's Day. There are lots of steps to this recipe and since I am not the best cake maker I made sure that my husband was taking care or our son so I didn't mess this thing up.

Here is a little tidbit that might blow your mind - there is a russet potato in this cake! Say what? I have never added a potato to a cake but it is the secret ingredient. The step I almost forget at the end was mixing in the cold water so pay close attention to step #6.

I added the mix to the bundt pan and crossed my fingers.

I baked for 65 minutes, check the cake, and it was absolutely perfect! I patiently waited the 15 minutes recommended to let the cake cool and then flipped it out of the bundt pan (this is always the scariest part). I poured the chocolate glaze over the cake (I placed the cake on a wire rack that had a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper underneath to catch all the extra glaze).

I then had to wait one full hour to set the glaze, it was torture, I think I even left the house so I wouldn't cut into it. The wait was well worth it - I savored every bite. It was moist, full of flavor, and was so good just on it's own. I wouldn't dare pair this with ice cream but I suppose you could for ultimate decadence.

My husband offered to make me breakfast for Mother's Day which was the following day after making this cake but I decided I would just indulge in a big slice - why not?

For full recipe see page 285 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook.

Recipe #33: Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies with Fresh Ginger

Recipe #33: Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies with Fresh Ginger

Posted by Unknown

You will have to refrigerate the dough for 1 hour before baking so plan accordingly. I didn't have a lot of time on the weekend for baking so I picked these for a simple recipe.

The great thing about these is that you are adding freshly grated ginger which I love and an added bonus is the addition of cinnamon. This recipe also calls for a 1/4 cup of molasses which I haven't used much.

When you are ready to bake you form the dough into 3/4 inch balls and then roll around in sugar. The recipe recommends you place the cookies 2 to 3 inches apart after flattening - ofcourse I decided they only need to be about an inch apart which was my mistake as they did bump into each other when baking. Silly me!

The result: a very flavorful delightful little cookie. I felt the molasses was just a tad overpowering so I might add a smidge less next time and up the ginger. I enjoyed these the most for breakfast with my coffee.

For full recipe see page 135 in the Dahlia Bakery cookbook.

Recipe #32: Malted Buttermilk Biscuits

Recipe #32: Malted Buttermilk Biscuits

Posted by Unknown

Ok so I thought that the "serious biscuits" I made a few weeks ago would be perfect for biscuits and gravy however I changed my mind. My personal opinion is that the serious biscuits are a good companion to dinner or just on their own for breakfast or dessert as they are more fluffy and these biscuits are better suited as a breakfast biscuit.

Before you start throwing together the recipe you will freeze the butter for about 15 minutes and then grate the butter into the dry ingredients which makes for an even distribution of butter. The recipe is pretty quick and easy and it was very helpful to have the 2.5 inch round cookie cutter so be sure to pick up one of those. For the grande finale you brush with butter and sprinkle with sea salt.

The result: They turned out perfectly cooked and with beautiful buttery layers.

For full recipe see page 93 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

Recipe #30: Rustic Olive Oil Cake with Honey Syrup

Recipe #30: Rustic Olive Oil Cake with Honey Syrup

Posted by Unknown

I was in the mood for cake but I have had such bad luck with cake I decided to stay away from vanilla or chocolate and do something completely different to see if I could gain my confidence back in the cake department.

The best ingredient in this cake is Grand Marnier - always a treat to cook with a little alcohol. Other interesting ingredients included orange juice, lemon zest, olive oil (hence the title) and whole milk.

As always there are several steps that go into this recipe so get all your ingredients ready and follow each step carefully. The most crucial step is the cooking time. Tom suggests overbaking vs. underbaking which was a relief to me being that my oven typically takes quite a long time to bake things so I just kept it in there until I knew it was completely baked. Surprisingly, it ended up baking pretty much exactly to what the recipe called for.

I pulled it out of the oven, let it cool, and carefully flipped it over onto a plate and then had to invert it once more - the SCARIEST part! I let it cool and then took a bite.

The result: WOW! This cake is just bursting with flavors. You can taste the grand marnier, the orange juice, and a hint of lemon. And ofcourse you can taste the olive oil which is so fun in a cake. The best thing about this is it lasts for several days and stays very moist. The top if the cake has a hard crust so the difference in textures is a nice touch. I actually preferred the cake without the honey syrup you can make to accompany the recipe.

For full recipe see page 295 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

Recipe #29: Best Bran Muffins

Recipe #29: Best Bran Muffins

Posted by Unknown

Currants seem to be the theme lately in my baking adventures. First step is to plump the currants which is simply simmering them in some water for 10 -15 minutes. What's interesting about this bran muffin recipe is that you add a ripe banana and molasses. Once the recipe is put together you refrigerate it overnight.

I pulled the batter out the next day and it plumped up in size. I rechecked the recipe to see how many muffins the recipe was supposed to yield and it said 12. There was so much batter that I thought there is know way I am going fit all of it in just 12 muffin cups. So... I filled them out as much as I thought would be appropriate and saved some batter and made an additional 4 muffins. However, once they baked they didn't plump up and rise like other muffin recipes so in hindsight I would make sure all the batter is evenly distributed into 12 muffins. I should know by now that Tom Douglas knows what he is doing and to just follow the damn recipe!

The result: They were truly delicious and you only need one. They are moist, dense, full of flavor and a hearty breakfast choice.

For full recipe see page 77 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

Additional note: Baked them again and this time fit all the batter into 12 muffin cups. They turned out beautifully!

Recipe #28: Carrot Muffins with Brown Butter and Currants

Recipe #28: Carrot Muffins with Brown Butter and Currants

Posted by Unknown

It appears my husband's creative eye went out the window with this picture. I think he took a bite out of one of the muffins (but to me it just looks like the batter didn't fill the cup) and then he also chose one of the muffins I tested to see if done.  Anyway...

I loved reading through this recipe and seeing all the fun ingredients - cinnamon, ginger, carrots, and grated orange zest, yum! There are a few steps to this before you can throw it all together (i.e. browning the butter and plumping the currants). And before putting them in the oven you sprinkle them with a pinch of raw sugar.

The recipe says they should cook for 18 minutes (turning halfway through) and then test with a wooden skewer ofcourse. Since my oven is so old the cooking time is never exact. I tested at 18 minutes and there was still too much dough sticking to the skewer. I cooked another 5 -7 minutes and decided to pull them out. After letting them cool I split one open and it was slightly undercooked and later my husband had one and it was severely undercooked. Needless to say these muffins did not get shared with our friends.

The flavors reminded me of Christmas time and there wasn't one particular flavor that overpowered the other; it was the perfect blend of spices, orange zest, and currants. Next time I just need to  cook a little longer and take a better picture. :-)

For full recipe see page 75 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook 

Recipe #27: Parsley Chive Scones

Recipe #27: Parsley Chive Scones

Posted by Unknown

This is by far my favorite scone recipe I have made from this book. Who knew I would like the savory scone over the sweet ones? This also smelled up the house with the most amazing aromas. I decided to make this recipe because I thought it would the perfect treat to bring to a cheese making party. My friends attended a class where they learned how to make blue cheese and fresh mozzarella and we were invited to finish the mozzarella process as well as be the taste testers.

Scone recipes are truly very simple to throw together. I would say the biggest challenge is just cutting them into equal sized wedges. I am getting better at it but it definitely takes practice. These turned out the best out of all the scone recipes in terms of flakiness. There were beautiful layers showcasing the chives and parlsey along with lemon zest and black pepper sprinkled throughout.

The cheese party was a success! It was so fun to finish the mozzarella process and taste the blue cheese they had made. They inspired me to take a class and learn the cheese making process. We then took the cheese and made homemade pizza's which was so fun! Pizza is one of my top five favorite foods; I would eat it everyday if there were no consequences.

Everyone enjoyed the scones, or atleast they told me they did to my face. They make a great pairing to eggs in the morning or with any type of meat at dinner.

To top off the cheese making party my girlfriend, Angela, surprised me with an early birthday cake from the Dahlia Bakery! Guess which kind? Ofcourse it was the Coconut Cream Pie, DELISH!

For full recipe see page 86 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook 

Recipe #26: Serious Biscuits

Recipe #26: Serious Biscuits

Posted by Unknown

I think these are called serious biscuits because of the serious amount of butter and buttermilk in them. These go straight to your thighs - the scale went up a few lbs after just eating a few of these.

Our family has a tradition every year of eating biscuits and gravy on Christmas morning. Christmas also happens to be my brother's birthday and this is his breakfast request. I am so excited to replace the store bought biscuits my mom "makes" every year with these amazing buttery flaky biscuits.

I was fortunate enough to have homemade raspberry jam on hand from my friend Katie. In college my roommates and I literally lived off homemade jam made by Katie's grandmother. All we ate was toast and jam, it was our staple. Katie has since learned how to make this amazing staple and I am so excited to have it back in my fridge (although it's almost gone already).

After reading through the recipe they seemed very easy to make. I mixed everything together and was very careful to not over mix because I didn't want the biscuits to be tough. However, the dough was very sticky when I was kneading it and I knew that it wasn't right. I continued to add flour until the dough had the right texture to roll out. I can only assume that I did not add the right amount of flour from the get go which is why I had to add almost a cup at the end. (Being that I am easily distracted by my son or husband this was likely the case).

I put the biscuits in the oven and hoped for the best!

The result: They did not rise as much as I had hoped, they ended up turning out a little flat and I know that's because I had to knead the dough quite a bit and add the flour at the end. I am still happy with how they tasted especially when adding the homemade jam.

I am excited to try this recipe again and will report back on how they turn out. 

For full recipe: See page 89 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook 

Recipe #25: Cornmeal Crumble with Lemon Thyme

Recipe #25: Cornmeal Crumble with Lemon Thyme

Posted by Unknown

Basically you just throw the ingredients together in a food processor and then add the butter in small clumps until it turns into a crumble. It shouldn't turn into a dough but you should be able to form little clumps. Mine turned out ok - I think I could have added just a tad more butter to form some bigger clumps.

For full recipe: See page 100 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

Recipe #24: Fresh Corn Cornbread with Cornmeal Crumble

Recipe #24: Fresh Corn Cornbread with Cornmeal Crumble

Posted by Unknown

This recipe has made it into my top five of all the Dahlia Bakery recipes I have made thus far. If I had to pick five today they would be: buttery cupcakes with sour cream frosting, grandma douglas's schnecken, peanut butter sandwich cookies (ofcourse), intense chocolate cake and now this cornbread.

I've never experienced cornbread with fresh corn in it, what a treat!! I prepped most of this recipe the night before so I could make it first thing the following morning. All I had in my house at the time were girl scout cookies and I have to say since starting on this baking journey and eating the most amazing baked treats nothing compares to these recipes. I really don't enjoy store bought cookies anymore and now even girl scout cookies don't taste good to me!! What the heck?

I pulled everything together fairly quickly but there are a few steps in this recipe you need to plan for like blanching the corn and melting the butter and letting it sit just long enough to get to room temperature before mixing in.

Once the batter is done you top with the cornmeal crumble which I will write about in a separate post. The only thing I probably could have done here is add just a tad more butter to make the crumble form bigger clumps. I was able to get some on the batter but it could have used a handful more as most of it I just had to sprinkle on top. Then you want to pat it down with your fingers to make sure it doesn't separate from the batter when baking.

The result: OMG. So good! It is dense, moist, and filling and you only need one slice. We had it as breakfast, a side with dinner, and a dessert. You can taste the sugar in it so it is a nice blend of sweet and savory. 

For full recipe: See page 98 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook

Recipe #23: Toasted Hazelnut Whole Wheat Scones with Maple(less) Glaze

Recipe #23: Toasted Hazelnut Whole Wheat Scones with Maple(less) Glaze

Posted by Unknown

My new favorite thing to bake are scones. They are so easy and fun to mix up and they are just so good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. I was most excited about drizzling the glaze over the scone and savoring every bite when fresh out of the oven.

The recipe was easy to follow and the dough came along easily enough. Popped them into the oven and ended up baking about 5 minutes passed the max cooking time specified. I waited patiently and let them cool and worked on the glaze.

The glaze is not for the calorie conscious. It consists of butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream and pure maple syrup. OMG. I made the glaze and then had to taste it so consumed a pretty generous spoonful of the stuff. Yummy. I spooned the glaze over the scone and it dripped over the sides onto the parchment paper and then I enjoyed every single morsel.

And then this happened... I started cleaning up the kitchen and there sitting on the counter was the measured out maple syrup. I FORGOT TO ADD IT! But it was too late to mix up a new batch since I had already completed the scones so lesson learned. I can't even imagine what the glaze will taste like next time because they were still so darn good.

For full recipe see page 83 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook.

Recipe #21: Cherry Almond Scones

Recipe #21: Cherry Almond Scones

Posted by Unknown

For some reason I always thought scones were hard to make but not so much. This recipe was really straight forward and although they list a bench knife as optional equipment I think it should be required. It really is helpful when you roll the dough out into a disc and then you cut into 8 wedges. The bench knife makes a really nice clean cut and if it has inch measurements on it then all the better - that way you can make sure the disc is 9 inches wide and approx. 1 inch high.

I cooked the scones almost 10 minutes longer then the recipe called for. I expected to see some sort of browning happen but it never did and I didn't want to take the chance of them drying out. In the end I would have kept them in just a tad longer.

They turned out beautiful. I love how you can see the layers of dough, almonds, and cherries AND they were not dry at all. I am so used to scones at coffee shops that are super dry which is why my husband typically never eats scones until he tried these. The recipe yields 8 scones and within 24 hours we only have 3 left so.... since my 9 month old can't eat them yet that means we have been eating these at record pace.

The best way to serve these in my opinion is breaking off a piece and spreading a nice layer of jam over them. The added sweetness along with the texture of the jam is such a good compliment. Beware though: you won't stop at just one bite.

Dog pictured: Coco or Coco Chanel as I like to call her. All rights reserved to KK and Iniko Basilio.

For full recipe see page 81 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook 

Recipe #20: Banana Chocolate Chunk Walnut Loaf

Recipe #20: Banana Chocolate Chunk Walnut Loaf

Posted by Unknown

One of my husband's favorite desserts is banana bread and unfortunately since moving in our new house with our small oven my last few attempts have not gone so well. What ends up happening is the ends turnout fully cooked but the middle turns out mushy and undercooked and typically I am going well over the cooking time as usual.

So while banana bread is typically a pretty easy quick bread I had concerns that my oven would fail me once again. The recipe called for a few bananas and once you mix them for a bit with the paddle attachment you measure to one cup. Fortunately for me three ripe bananas equaled one cup exactly (that's all I had).

Then you bake for over an hour (and for best results you don't open the oven the entire time). Out of all recipes I have baked thus far from the Dahlia Bakery cookbook this one smelled up the entire house - I would guess even the neighbors could smell it.

I checked the bread 60 minutes in and it looked perfectly baked. I inserted a wood skewer and there was still batter sticking to it so I set the timer in five minute increments until done. Because I was nervous it would be undercooked in the middle I ended up baking it just a few minutes too long. It still turned out amazing however the outside was just a smidge too hard. Once I warmed it up in the microwave and spread with just a touch of butter it was divine.

For full recipe see page 95 in the Dahlia Bakery Cookbook 

Recipe #18: Russian Tea Cakes

Recipe #18: Russian Tea Cakes

Posted by Unknown

I whipped these up one morning when I had run out of sweets in the house. I was thankful to have just enough pecans. 

I may have rushed through a little too fast on this one because when I went to form the dough balls the batter wouldn't stick together so I ended up making them about twice the size that was recommended in the book. If this happens to you I suggest just eating one with your cup of tea (the perfect pairing). I ate two last night before bed and regretted it. It just ended up being too much sugar for me (which is weird).

When they are baked make sure to give them a few solid minutes to cool off before rolling them around in the mountain of powdered sugar. I was patient when I did the first batch but when the second batch came out I ran into a time crunch. I put them in the powdered sugar and what ended up happening is the dough came off a bit. If you wait the sugar sticks nicely to the dough and then you just let them cool completely in the sugar and then store or serve.

For full recipe see page 146 in the Dahlia Bakery cookbook.

Recipe #16: Cornbread Bacon Muffins

Recipe #16: Cornbread Bacon Muffins

Posted by Unknown

I try to make a dish for dinner once a week that will provide enough leftovers to where I get a night off from cooking. Growing up I can recall my dad making three really good dishes – spaghetti sauce, omelets, and chili. So I called my dad to get his chili recipe. I actually can’t believe I haven’t asked for this before being that I have made chili quite a few times in my life yet it has never turned out as good as my dad makes it. Ofcourse when I asked for the recipe he just said “well it’s all in my head”. That’s pretty much what I expected to hear but what I really wanted to know is what the seasonings were. Turns out he buys a chili seasoning kit that comes in a little brown box and it’s amazing! I looked through the book to see what might pair with the chili and there it was… cornbread bacon muffins.

I took a double take when reading the recipe – you not only add bacon to muffins (which is AWESOME) but you also add in the bacon grease. I have never come across a recipe that calls for bacon grease (except when leaving some in the pan to sauté up vegetables for a soup or something).

This recipe was quite fun and simple to get through and it was nice to have a few simple steps to follow and bust these out while alternating between making the chili. 

One of the most fun parts is after cooking the bacon and collecting the grease you put the bacon back in the pan and add some maple syrup until it reduces to a beautiful glaze.

After all the rest of the ingredients are mixed accordingly you make a well in the dry ingredient, add the wet ingredients, and then fold together with a whisk until just combined.

The result: They are pretty dense and the flavor is just amazing with the sweetness from the maple glazed bacon. You only need one to fill you up.  These went along perfectly with the spiciness of the chili. This post is dedicated to my dad - thank you for sharing with me; I won't be trying a new chili recipe anytime soon.

For full recipe see page 72 in the Dahlia Bakery cookbook

Recipe #12: Grandma Douglas's Schnecken

Recipe #12: Grandma Douglas's Schnecken

Posted by Unknown

Every time I visit my grandparents they have something similar to this sticky bun out for breakfast. My grandma always kept a backup dish of them in the freezer to thaw out at a moment's notice. Whenever I would devour these at my grandma's house I always thought they must be very challenging to make - time consuming, etc. At Thanksgiving a couple years ago my grandma asked if I wanted to learn how to make them - and I thought OMG(!) she is going to share the magical recipe!! Turns out not so much magic was involved as she purchased ready made dough and just mixed up the topping in a saucepan, easy peasy.

I was a little intimated by this recipe at first glance as I haven't made sticky dough before  however I was pleasantly surprised how easy everything came together.  This recipe was so fun to make - especially the dough and something I can't wait to make with my son. If you have kids they would have a blast getting their hands all sticky from kneading the dough. I ended up adding 3 cups of dry ingredients (the recipe called for 3 to 3 1/2 cups). I kneaded the dough for exactly 5 minutes and it was nice and smooth. I wanted to keep going but I knew over-kneading would lead to tough dough so I stopped myself.

While the dough was resting I made the pecan brownies (see my previous post) and prepped the sugar-pecan topping. I took the dough out after about 2 1/2 hours in the fridge. I punched it down and rolled it out. I knew it would be important to have the measurements right once rolled out (15in x12in) and thank god I double checked as I was over a few inches. I brushed the butter on the dough and sprinkled the sugar and cinnamon; I did stray from the recipe a bit here and added a tad more cinnamon because I love it. I then rolled the dough up and cut the buns. A tip that I wish I had at this point was a recommendation on the best knife to cut the buns. My chef knife is not sharp right now and so I went with a steak night which ended up working fine.

I carefully placed the buns in the baking dish and let them sit 40 minutes and then into the oven they went.  Pulled them out and got impatient and flipped the baking dish onto the cookie sheet just a few minutes early. What happened when I did this is the topping oozed on over the edges of the buns so I quickly flipped them back into the baking dish and let them sit for another 5 minutes. Note to self: patience. Next time I make these (which will be very soon, possibly as soon as this weekend because they are so good!) I will let them sit in the baking dish at least 10 minutes before flipping. I will also chop up the pecans a bit more and sprinkle more generously in the center of the dish versus the edges. And finally when rolling up the dough I will roll it tighter - the sugar/cinnamon mixture was falling out when I transferred the buns from the table to the baking dish. To make sure the flavor was still there I just took that mix and sprinkled it on the buns once placed in the dish.

The result: AMAZEBALLS! This has been my favorite recipe to make and eat thus far. I know when something is good when my husband eats them for breakfast because he never eats breakfast nor does he really have a sweet tooth. They melted in my mouth and the ratio of dough to the rest of the ingredients was perfect. You will definitely want to eat these warm so the next day just toss one in the microwave for about 25 seconds and enjoy.

For full recipe: See page 103 in the Dahlia Bakery cookbook.

Recipe #10: Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Recipe #10: Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Posted by Unknown

First off - I don't love the picture above. I couldn't get decent lighting so it turned out a bit blurry.

I took a little time off from baking just to enjoy family and decompress after our holiday madness. The sad part of taking a break from baking is that I didn't have homemade treats in the house however I managed to get by with some pretty amazing brownies from the Metropolitan Market up the street.

Before the Christmas break a friend of mine sent me an amazing deal from Gilt (http://www.gilt.com/home) that had KitchenAid mixers on sale for $250. I quickly ordered my new silver KitchenAid and it was supposed to arrive by Christmas Eve - just in time for Christmas! I was home all day and waited patiently for the UPS driver however it never showed up. I checked the tracking # and it said it would be arriving on 12/26. I was traveling that day to Iowa and I had a friend come by to pick up the KitchenAid for me. To my utter disappointment someone had stolen it right off my front porch. This happened once before about a month prior with another package. I was so bummed!! And ofcourse when I called Gilt that deal had expired and they had no mixers left in stock but they did refund the money which was nice. I will continue to be on the hunt for another good deal or eventually I will just give in to buying it at full price. 

It's now time to get back to it. I thumbed through the Dahlia Bakery cookbook and landed on the coffee cake. This just sounds heavenly. This week I just happen to have some free time as our nanny started watching my son as I officially go back next week to work. The great thing is my office is just a short walk up the stairs.

Anyway... I decided to go with raspberries as the fruit to add in this recipe. The recipe is pretty straightforward and it took about 30 minutes to get everything measured out and prepped (this probably could have gone more quickly had I not been prepping dinner at the same time).

The total baking time was 50 minutes and I was pleased that my oven actually cooked something that matched with what the recipe stated.

The result: By far the best coffee cake I have ever tasted. My father-in-law has a pretty darn good recipe for coffee cake but I have to say this one is better. I made sure to take a bite when it was still warm right out of the oven. The first word that comes to mind when tasting this coffee cake was butter. It was moist, full of flavor, and I loved the tartness the berries added.

The only thing I will do next time is try a mix of blueberries and raspberries. I made sure to give some of this away as it would have been way to dangerous to keep in the house. That is the only downfall of working from home - I will still be so close to all the calories that tempt me.

For full recipe: See page 106 in the Dahlia Bakery cookbook.

Recipe #5: Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Recipe #5: Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Posted by Unknown

Well this recipe was just what I needed. After the amount of work that went into the peanut butter sandwich cookies it was refreshing to make something easy and straightforward. I whipped these up after dinner one night and they made an excellent dessert. I have to say I don’t typically ever order muffins from a bakery. I will usually go for a scone, cookie, or a donut. These turned out light and fluffy and full of flavor and I loved the raw sugar on top.

What was most helpful for this recipe was the scoop. It was so easy to scoop the batter into the cups and have the 12 muffins all look relatively the same. AND don’t forget to reserve some of the flour mixture to coat the blueberries. I almost forgot to do that and would have had to start from scratch as my intent is to always follow the recipe exactly. 

The only outstanding question I was left wondering was the best way to store the muffins  I let them cool and then stored them in Tupperware and I was disappointed to find that they were a little soggy on the top the next morning. They were definitely the best when right out of the oven.


For full recipe: See page 79 in the Dahlia Bakery cookbook