Joy Wilson's Blog, page 49

Browned Butter Cappuccino Cookies

Hello friends! 

Popping in on a Saturday hoping you have a stick of butter left out on your kitchen counter – we’ve got cookies to bake!

I’ve been baking my way through a batch of Dad’s Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie dough he left in the freezer for me last month.  Cookies beget cookies. The more I have the more I want. 

I had every intention of making a second backup batch until I stumbled upon an bottle of instant coffee normally reserved for chocolate cake or real and true coffee emergencies.

Continue reading Browned Butter Cappuccino Cookies at Joy the Baker.

Let It Be Sunday, 321!

Hello friends and Happy Mother’s Day. 

Please accept this, my favorite family photo.  My parents, as cool as can be, memorializing this sweet San Francisco family vacation while I scream my fool head off for reasons known only to four year olds.  My dad is holding me back, I’m pushing my mom and neither of them look even the slightest bit ruffled.  I’m thankful for both of my parents but today is an important day to say wow mom, THANK YOU for being so kind and selfless and for the most important things in life: generosity and love and lighthousedness (new word).   

This week was like trying to walk through knee-deep sand.

Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 321! at Joy the Baker.

Sweet Laurel’s Grain-Free Savory Coffee Cake with Roasted Tomatoes

Julia Child correctly identified that “a party without cake is just a meeting.” She’s spot on.  I think these days she would also agree that most meetings could actually just be an email.  Now, if logic follows, should we say that anything without cake might as well be an email? I fully agree.  

If a party without cake is a meeting, what is a cake without sugar?  Bread?  Hm… now we’re treading water into trouble.

Continue reading Sweet Laurel’s Grain-Free Savory Coffee Cake with Roasted Tomatoes at Joy the Baker.

Let It Be Sunday, 320!

Happy Sunday, friends!  

Another week gone by – how did you spend it?

I told you that I would ice dye and I’m a woman of my word. I made this wild pair of pants last weekend and I’ll say, if you’re at all curious, it’s such a fun process!  We’re going to host a virtual Bakehouse workshop about it in June so keep your eyes peeled.  

I’m in Texas this weekend for a bit of time away with Will.  It feels like just now my work year is starting to pick up.

Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 320! at Joy the Baker.

Almond Flour Whipped Ricotta Fresh Strawberry Bars

Hello, friends! 

Let’s make a perfect gluten-free, fresh strawberry, ricotta dessert.  It’s an easy dessert bar, a light and fluffy cheesecake, and a celebration of fresh strawberries all in one sweet bite! 

In Louisiana, we’ve been showing off our spring strawberries for months now.  We’ve got some nerve, but by the time summer rolls through the south we’ll be wiping our brows and missing strawberry season.  As we hustle into May, I hope the beauty of strawberries has reached your neck of the woods. 

Strawberry desserts are some of the most popular on my site (see: Strawberry Pie Bars) but they’re all baked.  I wanted to throw in a fresh strawberry moment – all the bright, juicy strawberry flavor of eating strawberries straight from the basket.  

Is it time?  Let’s bake! 

Here’s what you’ll need to make these gluten-free fresh strawberry bars: 

•  almond flour and butter to create a tender cookie crust for our bars.  You might recognize this crust from our Almond Flour Lemon Raspberry Bars – it’s easy and versatile! 

•  whole milk ricotta cheese that we’ll flavor with a hint of lemon juice and zest for our cheesecake-like filling.  You’re welcome to substitute the lemon flavoring for a dash of balsamic vinaigrette or a grind of black peppercorns if you prefer.  I think both would compliment the strawberries very nicely. 

•  granulated sugar for the crust, whipped ricotta, and strawberries.  We’ll sweeten throughout.  

•  cornstarch to add a crisp to the almond flour crust and to thicken our strawberry filling.  

•  butter, salt, and vanilla extract,  the pillars of every tasty baked good.  

We’ll start by draining some of the water out of the ricotta cheese.  

Place ricotta in a fine mesh strainer lined with a few paper towels.  Gently press a few paper towels on top and let it sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.  A bit of moisture will drain from the cheese into the bowl or soak into the paper towel.  Don’t stress if moisture just soaks the paper towel and doesn’t drip into the bowl.

Continue reading Almond Flour Whipped Ricotta Fresh Strawberry Bars at Joy the Baker.

Let It Be Sunday, 319!

Hello, happy Sunday! 

I hope you don’t mind that today’s Sunday intro is a personal announcement.  I’ve been working the fine folks of my favorite kitchenware store Williams Sonoma for over a year now.  The result of all of our work together is six (6!!) baking and brunch mixes! I wanted to make mixes that keep all of the Joy the Baker fun and creativity in your kitchens without any of the guess work or dirty measuring cups.  I think of these mixes as baking – light.  A little bit of technique (we’re still creaming butter and sugar), a lot of ease, and a major amount of cake rewards.

Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 319! at Joy the Baker.

Baklava Granola

Last week I asked a serious question on Instagram. “How are you?”…. like, really.  

My friend Anastasia answered that she had just crumbled her mom’s homemade baklava over here breakfast granola so she was FINE, INDEED. 

This got me thinking…. baklava is honey, citrus, walnuts, spice, heart, and phyllo dough.  I feel like most of those ingredients, besides the phyllo dough make a GREAT granola.  Swap the phyllo for oats, add extra nuts and apricots.  Well now this mash-up is sounding like breakfast perfection.  

I took to the kitchen.  I took to my phone to text Anastasia about walnuts versus pistachios.  She promptly sent me her mom’s baklava recipe (I’ve tucked that away for my future self) and a picture of the honey syrup her family keeps stocked in the pantry.  I decided I was worthy of both walnuts AND pistachios, and added macadamia nuts because I was feeling spendy.  Also on the grocery list: a tub of Greek yogurt and a fresh pomegranate. 

The combination is heavenly and has me setting aside the dollars that I’m not spending on macadamia nuts to save for a trip to Greece with Anastasia later this fall.  Honestly, what wonders come from a simple questions: granola and plans for international travel – OK let’s get it! 

Here’s what you need to make Baklava Granola: 

•  old-fashioned oats.  Look out for a gluten-free version if that’s important to you.  

•  very coarsely chopped walnuts.  I think walnuts make this granola baklava-y.

Continue reading Baklava Granola at Joy the Baker.

Joy the Baker’s New Orleans Favorites, Spring 2021

I’ve written several little guides to New Orleans over the past few years.  The cutest things to do in spring in the city. My favorite things to enjoy during fall after the crush of summer heat has passed. But here we are in the year of our Lord 2021 having just barely limped through a global panini and well… New Orleans isn’t exactly the same city it was before the panorama.

Continue reading Joy the Baker’s New Orleans Favorites, Spring 2021 at Joy the Baker.

Let It Be Sunday, 318!

Hello friends! Happy Sunday!  

My parents, my lovely parents were visiting me in New Orleans all week and it was just the best! Well, it was actually the rainiest week possible in the city but we didn’t mind the few times we got soaked.  Dad made a batch of cookies a day, Mom and I crafted, we binged watched The Jinx as a family, and we visited with friends – the highlight being a trip to Antigua Floral to see Trevor and Sara.  I’m just so thankful for the tiiiiiiime, and look at how happy they are! 

How have you been this week?

Continue reading Let It Be Sunday, 318! at Joy the Baker.

Dad’s Very Best Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Emergency Saturday dispatch, friends! We have an update! 

My parent’s are visiting New Orleans this week which means I’ve convinced my dad to make my favorite cookies (twice now and once more before he goes) – his Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

I’ve made hundreds of dozens of cookies in my day but none better than these.  Two things make these cookies so special: 1) browned butter, and 2) dad making them for me.  Now… when I make them for myself they’re still absolutely delicious.

Continue reading Dad’s Very Best Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies at Joy the Baker.