Heather Baird's Blog, page 23

Chocolate Chunk Malted Milk Brownies

Fudgy brownies are soft and chewy with loads of chocolate chunks inside. Crushed chocolate malted milk eggs make these perfect for an Easter treat! Spring is finally here, which feels like a huge sigh of…

Chocolate Chunk Malted Milk Brownies

Fudgy brownies are soft and chewy with loads of chocolate chunks inside. Crushed chocolate malted milk eggs make these perfect for an Easter treat!

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Spring is finally here, which feels like a huge sigh of relief! The camellia tree in my yard is filled with pink blooms. Things are generally 100% more colorful - not only the landscape but also the things I'm baking.
Even a pan of brownies can look springy with the right touch! These malted brownies are super fudgy and I could not resist loading them up with crushed malted milk eggs. No Easter basket is complete without those speckled treats. They make a pretty, colorful topping and add some crunch. Continued, click to read more...

Irish Cream Chocolate Tarts

These Irish cream mini tarts are a fantastic way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Chocolate short dough crusts are filled with Bailey’s Irish Cream mousse and they’re topped with domes of ganache-covered whipped cream.  I’ve…

Irish Cream Chocolate Tarts

These Irish cream mini tarts are a fantastic way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Chocolate short dough crusts are filled with Bailey's Irish Cream mousse and they're topped with domes of ganache-covered whipped cream. 

I've been putting my bottle of Bailey's to good use lately. These tarts are just one of the results (here's another!). St. Patrick's Day is just a couple of days away, so I made something special that I hope you'll enjoy.

Pate sucree is my favorite tart crust. It's a French short dough easily made in a food processor. I added some dark cocoa powder to my base recipe with excellent results. It's the perfect foundation to hold lots of creamy toppings.

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Ube White Chocolate Ganache Tart

Purple sweet potato gives this ganache tart delicious flavor and a naturally purple hue. Classic French shortcrust pastry is the perfect foil for the rich filling. Spring is yet to come, but flower-shaped tarts are…

Ube White Chocolate Ganache Tart

Purple sweet potato gives this ganache tart delicious flavor and a naturally purple hue. Classic French shortcrust pastry is the perfect foil for the rich filling.

Spring is yet to come, but flower-shaped tarts are already blooming in my kitchen! I've been gathering a few new baking tools lately and donating old ones, which feels good on the precipice of the new season. You may recall that I recently purchased a new madeleine pan (see here) and using it inspired me and gave my baking a boost! Around the same time I purchased this blossom tart pan, and I've just been waiting for the right inspiration to use it.

This year I'm making an effort to explore ingredients that give foods a naturally vibrant hue. Purple yam, known as ube (pronounced ooh-bae), is one of those ingredients that imparts bold purple color naturally - and it doesn't just look good! It tastes good too, with beautiful sweet potato flavor.

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Hot Cross Buns

These lightly sweet yeasted buns are delicately spiced and studded with plump currants. Synonymous with the Easter holiday, a cross is marked on top of each bun and they are traditionally eaten in reverence on…

Hot Cross Buns

These lightly sweet yeasted buns are delicately spiced and studded with plump currants. Synonymous with the Easter holiday, a cross is marked on top of each bun and they are traditionally eaten in reverence on Good Friday.

I'm making my keyboard a bit of a disaster as I type this blog post with jam on my fingers. These buns are to blame with their fluffy cotton-soft interiors. Just after baking I coated the batch with a fine sheen of melted apricot jam. This makes them lightly sweet, a little sticky, and so irresistible.  

Most of you probably already know this bread has rich history with ties to the Easter holiday. Historically, they are eaten by people in Christian countries on Good Friday, and the cross on top symbolizes the crucifixion. In some countries they are offered year-round, but to me they'll always be a harbinger of spring. 

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Irish Cream Coffee Milk Punch

Toast St. Patrick's Day with this rich and decadent Irish Cream Coffee Milk Punch. It's an easy fix that tastes like a grown-up version of your favorite sweet iced coffee drink. 

Next week ushers in a whole new month, and along with it, a couple of occasions worth celebrating. St. Patrick's Day will be here before you know it, and the spring equinox follows just three days later. I'm excited to plan an Irish meal with all the fixin's, and the promise of some sunshine? Count me in!
This milk punch is a delicious way to celebrate St. Paddy's, but it would also be welcome long after the holiday when warm weather truly sets in. It's a real treat for any iced coffee lover.Continued, click to read more...

Mom’s Tennessee Banana Black Walnut Cake

This homestyle cake is a family recipe made of two soft banana layers loaded with black walnuts. Old fashioned caramel frosting makes it a true southern favorite.  Here it is, my favorite homestyle cake –…