all things food
Sometimes you just need a comforting bake which is super easy to make from scratch and uses basic ingredients you probably already have. This moist, easy chocolate cake is just that – you mix the batter by hand and as it’s an oil-based batt…
Sometimes you just need a comforting bake which is super easy to make from scratch and uses basic ingredients you probably already have. This moist, easy chocolate cake is just that – you mix the batter by hand and as it’s an oil-based batter, you don’t even have to wait for any butter to soften! …
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The post Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe appeared first on Izy Hossack - Top With Cinnamon.
Almond lovers, this one’s for you! With a tender, almond-scented cake and a sultry amaretto-infused ganache glaze, this almond bundt cake is stunning inside and out. Bundt cakes are always a fan favorite, both easy and impressive and no finicky layers or frosting to deal with. This almond-flavored masterpiece is finished with a simple dark […]
The post Almond Bundt Cake with Amaretto Ganache first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.
Almond lovers, this one’s for you! With a tender, almond-scented cake and a sultry amaretto-infused ganache glaze, this almond bundt cake is stunning inside and out.
Bundt cakes are always a fan favorite, both easy and impressive and no finicky layers or frosting to deal with. This almond-flavored masterpiece is finished with a simple dark chocolate ganache spiked with amaretto (because almond and chocolate are a delectable combination).
Cakes are some of the hardest recipes to develop, in my opinion. It’s usually a battle (that I don’t always win… there are more cake recipes in my ‘scrap’ pile than I care to admit).
The texture of a cake, moreso than flavor, is really hard to get right. Especially with yellow cakes like this one (for whatever reason chocolate cakes don’t have this same problem). While oil-based cakes may have a better texture, there’s no denying butter-based cakes win on flavor. And without any chocolate in there, flavor is everything.
The thing is, this cake tastes amazing. If you’re a fan of anything almond you’ll love this cake. The sweet notes of almond are enhanced by fragrant amaretto, and complemented by a bit of citrus zest (I used Meyer lemon, but orange would be lovely here too). The dark chocolate glaze provides a rich and slightly bitter contrast that makes for a beautifully well-rounded flavor.
Wouldn’t you know, my always popular soft amaretti cookies work surprisingly well in thumbprint form, filled with amaretto-spiked jam or chocolate ganache. Amaretti cookies are a reader favorite for a reason: these soft and chewy almond cookies are incredibly easy and ever-so versatile, not to mention naturally gluten free! This fun thumbprint version can be […]
The post Amaretto Amaretti Thumbprint Cookies first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.
Wouldn’t you know, my always popular soft amaretti cookies work surprisingly well in thumbprint form, filled with amaretto-spiked jam or chocolate ganache.
Amaretti cookies are a reader favorite for a reason: these soft and chewy almond cookies are incredibly easy and ever-so versatile, not to mention naturally gluten free! This fun thumbprint version can be filled with just about anything, and makes for a perfect addition to your holiday cookie plate.
You all can’t get enough of my amaretti morbidi, or soft amaretti cookies. I mean, I wouldn’t have 11 variations in the archives if you didn’t.
I mean, talk about a versatile recipe… so far we’ve tried all sorts of flavors from chocolate to ube, swapped the almond flour for pistachio and hazelnut, mixed in sprinkles, vegan-ified them, and even stuffed them.
But the question today is… will they thumbprint?
I was optimistic they would, considering they usually hold their shape quite well when baking.
The only potential issue I could foresee was the cracking, which I usually encourage in the regular versions (the cracks being what make these cookies so stunning to begin with!) But I worried the cracks would be too big and the filling would ooze out.
I was, however, pleasantly surprised at just how well they transformed into thumbprints (not all cookie recipes can claim such versatility you know).
The cracking is still a concern, but is manageable with a slightly different technique than you may be used to for other thumbprint cookie recipes. Basically, you just need to be very gentle when you’re shaping the thumbprints not to let the cracks get too big, especially if you opt for a looser filling.
The thumbprint version bakes more quickly than the original cookies (give them a few more minutes if you want a bit of crunch on the bottoms), and I still recommend using two stacked cookie sheets to keep the bottoms from browning too quickly.
Gosh, it seems so long ago when food blogging started. But once word got out, others started jumping in. Not only were there new and even more diverse voices from around the world to be heard, but the next geners were better with their cameras than the rest of us were, setting the standards for the future. (For me, it was quite a learning curve….
Gosh, it seems so long ago when food blogging started. But once word got out, others started jumping in. Not only were there new and even more diverse voices from around the world to be heard, but the next geners were better with their cameras than the rest of us were, setting the standards for the future. (For me, it was quite a learning curve. All I used to know how to do was bake cookies and cakes!) One who really stood out was Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille. Her photographs were stunning, she was also from the Basque region, from a family of pastry chefs, so her recipes were solid too.
As people like Pim of Chez Pim went on to open a series of amazing Thai restaurants and earning a Michelin star, Clotilde became a personal coach, Adam of Amateur Gourmet moved to LA to be a screenwriter, Graham of Noodle Pie became an editor and writing coach, Elise, who moved back home with her parents and learned how to cook, sold her massively successful blog, and Matt of MattBites became a much sought-after food photographer, and Aran opened her own photography studio and wrote three cookbooks, including her newest Canelle et Vanille Bakes Simple. Whew!…has time flown by or what?
Continue Reading Chocolate, Tahini and Buckwheat Marble Cake with Chocolate Glaze...
After my summer break, I came back to the blog and found out that it still thought it was on vacation…and wasn’t accepting any photos at this time. I was proud of myself for finally tackling a recipe that I’ve had on my radar for a while and spent a day baking it, taking pictures, and writing up the post. The recipe was quite a…
After my summer break, I came back to the blog and found out that it still thought it was on vacation…and wasn’t accepting any photos at this time. I was proud of myself for finally tackling a recipe that I’ve had on my radar for a while and spent a day baking it, taking pictures, and writing up the post. The recipe was quite a doozy, but with a name like Smoky Caramel Almond Pie, how could I not make it? It was a bit of a project but I persevered (in the name of smoky caramel and almonds…) but when I came to upload the photos, my blog wasn’t having any of it and said non.
Continue Reading Caramel Almond Pie...
Perfection is these soft and chewy sugar cookies stuffed with a dark chocolate ganache and topped with a burst of freeze-dried strawberries. Love is in the air… love for the timeless combination of chocolate and strawberry, that is! Also, my love of stuffed cookies is seemingly endless (am I the only one that finds a […]
The post Chocolate Stuffed Strawberry Sugar Cookies first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.
Perfection is these soft and chewy sugar cookies stuffed with a dark chocolate ganache and topped with a burst of freeze-dried strawberries.
Love is in the air… love for the timeless combination of chocolate and strawberry, that is! Also, my love of stuffed cookies is seemingly endless (am I the only one that finds a plain, not-stuffed cookie so incredibly boring now?)
Yes I realize I made the perfect Valentine’s day cookies in the middle of summer but, you know what? My love of chocolate and strawberry lasts all year round.
My first test run of these cookies resulted in two versions, one with the ground up freeze-dried strawberries mixed into the dough, and the other with plain dough and a coating of crushed berry powder before baking.
While the strawberry flavor was lovely on both versions, the strawberry-in-the-dough batch turned a not-so-enticing mauve color when baked. Nothing like the pretty pastel pink I envisioned. But such is life when you’re using natural colorings.
There are few things as perfect as a simple chocolate dipped strawberry, and these impressive little entremet cakes transform that classic pairing into a chocolate covered dome of delight, with a luscious strawberry mousse and rich chocolate brownie core. Featuring a cloud-like strawberry mousse and a square of fudgy chocolate brownie, all covered with a […]
The post Chocolate Covered Strawberry Mousse Cakes first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.
There are few things as perfect as a simple chocolate dipped strawberry, and these impressive little entremet cakes transform that classic pairing into a chocolate covered dome of delight, with a luscious strawberry mousse and rich chocolate brownie core.
Featuring a cloud-like strawberry mousse and a square of fudgy chocolate brownie, all covered with a glossy chocolate ganache glaze, these little mousse cakes are as stunning as they are delicious. While entremet-style desserts do require a bit of effort and planning, the work is easily manageable when split over a few days.
My blueberry mousse cake recipe is surprisingly popular given its complexity; and I’m giddy with delight every time I’m tagged in a photo by someone who’s made them.
This recipe is a similar entremet-style dessert, but with different components: a rich chocolate brownie instead of the almond sponge, a light strawberry Bavarian mousse (distinctive in its use of egg yolks in the base), and then a chocolate ganache coating instead of the mirror glaze.
These Chocolate Chip Blondies are rich, chewy, and come together in just a few minutes. You will definitely want to make these over and over again! INTRO WHAT IS A BLONDIE? Before we get into this recipe, let’s talk about blondies. Blondies are bar desserts, just like brownies. But instead of being flavored with chocolate, …
The post Chocolate Chip Blondies appeared first on My Baking Addiction.
These Chocolate Chip Blondies are rich, chewy, and come together in just a few minutes. You will definitely want to make these over and over again!
INTRO
(more…)The post Chocolate Chip Blondies appeared first on My Baking Addiction.
Boston Cream Pie is one of my favorite desserts of all time. It was one of the options in the cafeteria line at my elementary school and the one I always grabbed and put on my tray, next to my codfish sticks, boiled potatoes with parsley, and butter sandwiches on dense Pepperidge Farm-style white bread, which they served in half-portions, each rectangle slipped into a…
Boston Cream Pie is one of my favorite desserts of all time. It was one of the options in the cafeteria line at my elementary school and the one I always grabbed and put on my tray, next to my codfish sticks, boiled potatoes with parsley, and butter sandwiches on dense Pepperidge Farm-style white bread, which they served in half-portions, each rectangle slipped into a brown waxed bag. (The other option was peanut butter.)
I still remember finishing lunch and diving in with my fork to that wedge of golden sponge cake filled with rich, vanilla custard. In a world that seems hopelessly in favor of milk chocolate (which I’ve come to appreciate), there was a deep-dark chocolate glaze on top, which may have been my first taste of bittersweet chocolate. And one I never forgot.
Continue Reading Boston Cream Pie...
Chocolate and peanut butter lovers: delight! This one’s for you, with a rich milk chocolate brownie topped with layers of creamy peanut butter frosting and a luxurious chocolate ganache. Given the choice between chocolate cake or brownies, I’ll choose the brownie every time, especially when it’s loaded and layered with more chocolate and sweet and […]
The post Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Ganache Brownies first appeared on Love and Olive Oil.
Chocolate and peanut butter lovers: delight! This one’s for you, with a rich milk chocolate brownie topped with layers of creamy peanut butter frosting and a luxurious chocolate ganache.
Given the choice between chocolate cake or brownies, I’ll choose the brownie every time, especially when it’s loaded and layered with more chocolate and sweet and salty peanut butter like this one.
I recently had the urge to re-make, re-test, and re-shoot my old Cream Egg brownie recipe from way back in 2012. It’s a great recipe that always sees a little bit of a boost this time of year, but the photos don’t really do it justice. They’re not horrible (I had almost 5 years of experience at that point, if you can believe it… man I’ve been doing this blogging thing for way longer than I realized), but they are definitely not quite the same caliber of images I’m able to capture now. I also wanted to play with the ratios of brownie-filling-topping, and explore swapping the milk chocolate topping with a silky smooth milk chocolate ganache (basically, I can’t leave well enough alone).
A combination of factors, including crummy light and less-than-clean cuts (as a result of my impatience to get it done undoubtedly) failed to please my perfectionist self, and I didn’t end up reshooting the recipe after all. But that’s not to say we didn’t enjoy the spoils of the endeavor nonetheless. As Taylor was shoving the results of my test batch into his mouth, he remarked that his idea of a perfect brownie would be that same fudgy brownie base, a layer of sweet and salty peanut butter in place of the fondant, and a rich ganache topping.
So I made it happen.
The peanut butter layer turned out a bit more buttercream-y than I envisioned (I was shooting for something Reese’s like), but we both decided that it was quite lovely, light and fluffy and perfectly peanut buttery. The hint of salt, in both the brownie layer and the peanut butter layer, cuts the richness of the chocolate beautifully and also amplifies the flavors.
The brownie itself is dense and fudgy (just how I like them), even more so if you let it chill overnight (as hard as that may be, trust me when I say you’ll get much cleaner looking cuts if you wait until the next day).
I used a mix of chocolates, both dark and milk chocolate in both the brownie and the ganache, since, while I love me an ultra-dark chocolate brownie, I couldn’t ignore the fact that milk chocolate pairs so well with peanut butter. I wanted the best of both worlds.