Heather Baird's Blog, page 27
December 11, 2020
Blue Holly Gingerbread Cake
Celebrate Christmas this year with a pretty cake in hues of pink and blue! Layers of fluffy gingerbread cake are covered with silky Swiss meringue buttercream and crowned with a wreath of edible blue holly leaves.
My favorite Christmas décor tends to be nontraditional holiday colors. Red and green are nice (and I will always love red tartan!) but when December rolls around I festoon the workshop with white pine garlands, big pink globe ornaments, glittery turquoise pinecones, and magenta bows. It's a happy place to be.
I was inspired to make this cake while I was shopping for Christmas china in those nontraditional colors. I happened upon a retired pattern, vintage, and completely sold out. Powder blue holly floated around the rims of the plates. It was so beautiful that I decided right then to bring blue holly to life in one of my confections.Continued, click to read more...
December 10, 2020
Dreidel Sugar Cookies and a Tablescape for Hanukkah
No Hanukkah celebration would be complete without the four-sided spinning top game known as dreidel! This sugar cookie version pays homage to the tradition, and becomes part of a beautiful tablescape dressed in blue hues, gold, and silver.
Happy Hanukkah to all my friends and readers who celebrate! This post features the second of three holiday tablescapes I created for HGTV.com (see the first right here). This one is dedicated to the Festival of Lights, and each place setting has an edible dreidel favor in the form of a frosted sugar cookie.
I absolutely loved putting this table together - pulling items from my own collection, curating a few new dishes, and crafting some table decors, too!
Continued, click to read more...
December 9, 2020
Instant Malted Hot Cocoa Mix
This instant hot cocoa mix is rich and creamy with a heaping helping of malted milk powder. Chopped malted milk balls melt as you stir this hand-warming drink, which adds even more malt flavor! Just add hot water for instant gratification.
This has been my favorite warm beverage for the past two months. I've made instant hot cocoa before, but this malted milk version is my favorite of them all. It's made with both dry nonfat milk powder and malted milk powder, which, with all its other awesome ingredients, stirs up with just hot water and makes a very creamy cup of cocoa.
It's too good not to share, so dig out your mason jars or upcycled jam jars! This recipe makes plenty to pass around.
Continued, click to read more...December 8, 2020
Sugar Plum Fairy Cupcakes
Fluffy almond cupcakes are filled with delicious plum preserves and topped with a tall swirl of purple buttercream. Lavender sanding sugar makes them sparkle and gives them a crunchy bite.
It's not hard to guess what inspired these cupcakes! I can practically hear Dance of The Sugar Plum Fairies from the Nutcracker Suite when I look at them. When I was a teenager, my mom would take me to see the live ballet in December, and I'd marvel at the athleticism - effortless leaps and twirls that seemed to go on and on! It was pure magic.
When I found a package of old-school ballerina toppers hidden in my stash of cake decors, I knew I wanted to capture a little of that magic in cupcake form.
Continued, click to read more...December 7, 2020
Vintage Snowman Cookie Pops
These cookie pops have vintage appeal all while tasting terrific! Their extra-cute rosy cheeks and top hats were inspired by mid-century spun cotton snowmen ornaments.
My collection of vintage Christmas decor is getting a little out of hand, so rather than add more to my stockpile, I decided to let them inspire some of my sweets! I spotted some seriously cute spun head snowmen decorations on Instagram by purveyor of excellent vintage wares, Magpie Ethel. Their shape already reminded me of a lollipop, so I had a good place to start!Continued, click to read more...
December 6, 2020
Honey Buns Bread Pudding Recipe from the Holy Sweet Cookbook
Food blogger extraordinaire Peabody Johanson shares her love of dessert with her new cookbook Holy Sweet! 60 Indulgent Recipes for Bigger, Better Desserts which includes this ultra-decadent Honey Buns Bread Pudding.
I'm so excited to share this brand new cookbook with you today, authored by my pal Peabody, veteran blogger of Sweet ReciPEAs (and by veteran I mean a 15 year tenure of blogging!). I've always admired the recipes on her blog and felt a kinship for her love of nostalgic treats. She uses them to inspire other, bigger, better desserts, just like the book cover says!
When I saw the Honey Buns Bread Pudding recipe on page 22, well. Pure nostalgia. Aptly from the "Inner Child" chapter in the book, it brought back a host of childhood memories, all of them warm and happy.Continued, click to read more...
December 5, 2020
Make A White Birch Yule Log Cake for Christmas
A centerpiece that doubles as dessert, this birch log looks fresh from the forest but it's actually a delicious cake!
Christmas wouldn't be the same without my yearly endeavor of making a Bûche de Noel! You may remember some of my yule log cakes from Christmases past, such as this Black Forest version, or even this Mulled Wine Stump Cake. However, this one with tiled pieces of white candy birch 'bark' might be my favorite of them all!
Earlier this season a friend at HGTV asked if I'd be interested in styling a few tablescapes with matching edible centerpieces for the website. I was so honored and excited to be asked - yes! Anyone who knows me knows I love a beautifully set table and couldn't wait to get started. I really loved creating this cake, and I feel the corresponding tablescape matches its woodsy-cozy appeal.
Continued, click to read more...
December 4, 2020
Winter Key Lime Cheesecake
If you're missing warm weather during cold months, this cheesecake will transport you to a holiday at the beach! Key lime cheesecake is tangy and rich with a topping of pomegranate syrup and ruby red pomegranate arils.
Who says key lime is just for summer months? Not me! And especially not when it is enhanced by one of winter's best offerings. I'm talking about tart and tangy, antioxidant-rich pomegranate . In this recipe, pomegranate juice is reduced to a syrup over the stove top, and served alongside slices of cheesecake topped with freshly whipped cream and jewel-like pomegranate arils.Continued, click to read more...
December 3, 2020
Red Velvet Smith Island Cake
Smith Island Cake gets a holiday makeover with layers of red velvet, swirled white chocolate frosting, and festive candy ornament toppers.
I've had Smith Island Cake on my baking bucket list for perhaps five years or more. That's a long time! I've just never found the right moment or the right inspiration, until now. A ready-made red velvet version caught my eye on the Smith Island Baking Company's website. My southern heart was instantly smitten. I wanted to make my own version because it was so beautiful, and because I want to celebrate Christmas 2020 in a BIG way. We've all had quite a year and I think we deserve some happiness a dozen layers high!
This is a Maryland tradition, usually made with 8 to12 yellow cake layers and chocolate frosting. In my search for a recipe, I happened upon the Maryland Office of Tourism site, which offered an authentic yellow and chocolate Smith Island Cake recipe. I used what good sense I gleaned from my red velvet-making days, and altered the recipe to a ruby hue with tangy buttermilk flavor.
Continued, click to read more...December 2, 2020
Kourabiedes Greek Christmas Cookies
Now is the time when I'm making my cookie list, and checking it twice! I have a whole roster of recipes that I'm ready to dive into, and these are right near the top! Kourabiedes are made from shortdough, usually studded with almonds and flavored with orange blossom water or rose water. I love their wintry air, and I can just imagine how beautiful they'll look tied up in a cellophane bag for gifting.Continued, click to read more...
