Heather Baird's Blog, page 24

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 - my mother's recipe. The last time I had a large family dinner (remember those?) I made a different black walnut cake from a fancy cookbook, and from the author's confidence and praise of her own cake, I felt so sure it would be just as good as this one. It was not. 
I often spring new recipes on my family, and some are better than others, but this time I was embarrassed. The cake looked beautiful on the outside but it was a huge disappointment flavor-wise and dry.   Sooo dry.  I already had the best black walnut cake recipe from my mom, and I should have just made it instead. Continued, click to read more...

Fluffy Sheep Sugar Cookies

Cute sheep sugar cookies are extra sweet and so easy to decorate. Nonpareils give them a 'wooly' appearance and add sugary crunch.

They say that inspiration has to find you working, and that's how these cookies came about. I was asked to make an array of decorated dog breed cookies for a food styling gig last November, and during that endeavor I found that a simple sprinkle of nonpareils over royal icing made a fluffy, almost curly-looking dog coat. I bookmarked that idea in my brain for a different kind of cookie, and here they are. Cute, wooly sheep cookies for spring!
I've been longing for spring this week because we've had mostly dark, damp, and slushy days. These cookies cheered me right up, and made me look forward to more sunnier times. I noticed that Easter comes early this year, and I think these would look extra cute in an Easter basket.Continued, click to read more...

Artisan Red Wine Soft Caramels

Rich merlot wine adds fruity notes and deep red color to soft butter caramels. One batch makes plenty to share, or gift them for a special occasion. 

I have been working on this red wine candy caramel recipe since last December, and at long last - it's finally ready to share! I had hoped to have the formula finalized and the recipe posted here before Valentine's Day, but it needed a few more small tweaks. It would have been perfect for a sweetheart gift, but it's a good candy to enjoy year-round.
The first thing you'll notice when eating this candy is its brown sugar caramel notes, then immediately following is the flavor of tangy red fruits and grape notes. It's not so much boozy as it is complex. All of the characteristics listed on the wine bottle, such as flavors of blackberry, raspberry, and plum are all brought forward in this candy.Continued, click to read more...

Peanut Butter Cup Hot Cocoa Bombs

Stir up the delicious flavors of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in a mug of hot cocoa. Hot cocoa bombs are spheres of chocolate that hold instant hot cocoa inside. Simply drop one into a large mug and add hot water or milk to enjoy.

At long last, I've joined the hot cocoa bomb craze! I've been wanting to make my own version ever since they became popular last year, but I couldn't settle on a theme or a flavor. I wanted something that was different and fun, and this year inspiration finally struck. 
It's hard to beat the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter together, so I altered my favorite scratch-made instant hot cocoa recipe with the addition of Reese's peanut butter chips.
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Classic Cheese Fondue

Cozy up to a warm bowl of gooey cheese fondue accompanied by plenty of fruit and vegetable dippers. It's easy to make at home for a special night in. 

This is a bit of a departure from the mostly sweet menu here on the blog, but I've always loved a good fondue and this is my all-time favorite cheesy recipe. The melted wine and cheese concoction along with the right other ingredients (dippers!) makes a lovely, intimate meal. It is easily made at home for a fraction of the cost that you'd pay at a fancy fondue restaurant.
If the lack of a fondue pot is keeping you away from this heavenly indulgence, then I'm happy to say you don't really need one to start. A regular saucepot and dinner forks will do just fine. And if you find that you enjoy fondue-ing as much as I do, then that's when you should shop for your own dedicated fondue pot with a burner. I couldn't resist using my most beloved fondue pot for this post, which was given to me as an anniversary gift from my husband years ago.
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Chocolate Dipped Orange Madeleines

Madeleines are buttery French tea cakes with a distinctive scallop shell shape. This version is a riff on the classic sponge, but with bright orange flavor. A dip in chocolate glaze makes them an indulgent tea time treat.

I haven't posted madeleines to this weblog in years, but I make them every so often for an afternoon pick-me-up. I decided to remedy the situation a couple of days ago when my new shell pan arrived. I have the classic madeleine pan with a more elongated shell shape, but the new pan holds a little more batter per cavity. And I'm all for a more robust madeleine!
I've used the same recipe for these cakes for more than 10 years. It's adapted from Epicurious and is likely the most unfussy version of madeleines you'll find. As written, it is classic with zesty lemon flavor, but it's also a fine blank canvas for other zests and flavorings.Continued, click to read more...

Overnight Beignets

Celebrate Mardi Gras from home with this famous New Orleans pastry. The dough rests in the refrigerator overnight for shorter work the next morning. 

One of the things I love most about food is how it can transport you to another place without having to travel there. Beignets, for example. They can be made at home, and although they won't taste exactly like the famous ones at Café du Monde (the recipe is closely guarded), they are pretty incredible from your own fryer. Brew yourself some strong chicory coffee and cut it with hot milk for an accompaniment, and you'll have a near authentic New Orleans beignet-eating experience. 
This was my very first foray into beignet making, and although I am well-practiced with making yeast doughs, I was not prepared for the instructions from King Arthur Baking's recipe. It simply said "Combine all the ingredients and mix them together." Huh?   This seemed a little undisciplined to me, compared to say, a doughnut formula. But I went forward anyway and things went so well, it's a new favorite recipe.Continued, click to read more...

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberry puree gives this no-bake cheesecake its pink blush and ripe berry flavor. Fresh whole strawberries cover the top and a thick drizzle of chocolate makes this dessert worthy of its name. 

I've gotten out of my morning smoothie habit, which has temporarily been replaced by the Baked Oatmeal I'm currently obsessed with. I can't explain it, but those oats are helping me live my best life right now. So, the big bag of frozen strawberries I use for smoothies has been hanging out in my freezer with no purpose, other than getting in my way when I'm looking for something else.
Then I remembered that there's a romantic holiday coming up, and a strawberry dessert would be timely right now for those planning ahead. I decided to thaw and puree those berries for a special Valentine's Day dessert (although you don't need to a special occasion to make it!).
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Brookie Cookies

Can't decide between your two favorite childhood sweets? Now you don't have to. Part brownie, part chocolate chip cookie, these Brookie Cookies hold the best of both worlds.

When done correctly, a dessert mashup is truly a thing of beauty. And these Brookie Cookies are a recent fave. Each element stays true to its original form. The brownie portion is chewy and chocolaty with a soft middle. The chocolate chip cookie half is puffy, chewy, and bakes to golden-edged perfection. The two textures compliment each other because they are so similar - soft baked - and yet they hold together well for a dunk in ice cold milk (which I recommend!). Continued, click to read more...

Bread Slice Sugar Cookies

These little bread slices bring a fun new shape to slice-and-bake sugar cookies. There's no special equipment required to make them, and they are super simple to decorate! 

This week I wanted to make something a little bit lighthearted to amuse myself (and maybe you, too!). These tiny bread slice cookies were just the thing. I had developed a version of these years ago for The Etsy Journal in the form of Fairy Bread Cookies, but there are so many other ways they can be decorated. I decided to whip up a batch just for fun, and I'm so glad I did!Continued, click to read more...