Cranberry Orange Scones

I always have thought of scones as a not-so-savory biscuit. They should be light and flaky with plentiful layers just like a biscuit but also have a touch of sweetness. Going to afternoon tea and getting scones with jam and clotted cream, delish!

For that person you know who doesn't have the biggest sweet tooth and isn't the biggest dessert person, scones are an excellent treat for them because they only have a hint of sweetness. These make a great homemade gift, with an extra personal touch

Any type of fruit, nut, candy or chocolate can be thrown in to make a unique scone recipe of your own and the person you are gifting with these delicious little pastries will be ever so thankful.

Reptar Bars!

If you grew up in the 90s, it was pretty much a given that you watched Nickelodeon and every show from All That to Rockos Modern Life. I pretty much lived for all of those shows as a child and the Rugrats were one of my favorites [ I always wanted to be a nicer & sweeter version of Angelica].

I was watching Rugrat repeats recently on "the 90s are all that" & then I stumbled upon this blog, and found the most awesome thing ever..REPTAR BARS! Of course I had to make them, but a little more refined. I swapped out the jarred marshmallow fluff for a scratch-made Italian meringue, a homemade salted caramel sauce, & I even tempered the chocolate, for some practice. You could of course always use store bought caramel,  fluff and non-temper [Nestles] chocolate to make your life easier, but that's just not me.

They definitely do turn your tongue green.

Holiday Goodies

I know the holidays are over and I'm a little late with this post but I feel so accomplished because I fulfilled my list of quintessential holiday treats to create and I just thought I'd share. Think of it as ideas for next year :)

My gingerbread cottage in the woods, with handmade templates & walls
Recipe [x 3 for two houses + lots of extra for cookies]

Buche de noel [Yule log cake] with coffee swiss buttercream, chocolate ganache, & meringue cookie trees & mushrooms
Recipe

Festive gingerbread cookies, inspired by Bakerella
Recipe [left over from the house]

Happy New Year :) Enjoy!

Parker House Rolls

The best way to top off an amazing dinner party, other than a decadent dessert would be with some homemade bread. That wow factor can be acheived with homemade rolls, which gives any good dinner party an extra special touch. Making bread is a labor of love, but trust me its completely worth it and once you start, you will instantly fall in love and always want to make your own bread.

Classic's are always supposed to be phenomenal, because how else would they have become so classic? This bread epitomizes the classic dinner roll, with its soft, buttery, fluffy texture. Its easy to make and shape the dough, and even better it freezes beautifully so you can bake from frozen and always look like a superstar when hosting a dinner party.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is one of those things I never grew up eating because its such a southern staple- I live in LA, and I'm Jewish I grew up eating noodle kugel, and more boring pies like apple. I honestly think the first time I tasted it was when I made it a few weeks ago. I came across these bars a while ago, and I absolutely love them and they reminded me what a pecan pie would be like in bar form.

Also, because I love chocolate, it couldn't hurt to add some the pie, and it didn't. The chocolate just adds an even richer quality to the already insanely gooey and delicious filling of this pie. Its suc h a simple recipe, basically everything goes in one bowl. You can always substitute the crust with a store-bought one, but if you are going to take the time to make the pie, you might as well just make the crust too- its always well worth that little extra step. I pretty much followed this recipe straight-forward, since being a novice I didn't want to change anything. I'd say this one is definitely a winner.

Pumpkin Roulade

I've always wanted to make a roulade cake. The idea of rolling up a cake with a delicious filling is just fun. Its so oh so pretty once you slice into it and reveal the pinwheel shape, everyone will think you've worked so hard while all along its such a simple cake.

You can make this cake with any flavor combination but since its the holidays and pumpkin is so widely available, it just seemed fitting. I filled mine with a spiced swiss buttercream that enhances the spiciness in the cake; fresh ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest. These flavors merry so well together.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Biscotti are such lovely little crunchy cookies that can easily be turned into an elegant homemade gift. For the person who enjoys  'not so sweet' desserts, these are be the perfect treat for them. Biscotti can be left plain, but are most commonly found chock full of dried fruits or nuts.

 
Cranberries & pistachios are the perfect green and red representation for the holiday season in a dessert. To dress these cookies up even more, you can dip them in white and dark chocolate and coat them in red & green sanding sugar.