Long time, no post!

I know it has been quite some time since I last posted. I did take a mini baking break this spring when the weather starting to perk up, however I do have two new favorite EASY recipes from Anne Thornton. Unfortunately I don't have pictures, but they both were fabulous!

I made the Nutella Banana Brioche Bread Pudding for Mother's Day. My mother of course made way too much food, so I had plenty left over. This is extremely rich, but delicious with fresh whipped cream. I couldn't find a Brioche bread, so I used Challah bread from Panera and that worked out just fine.

My second new favorite recipe is Anne Thornton's Gooey Chocolate Pudding Cake. My mother makes a very similar cake, but I like this one better! It is extremely easy to make, and chances are you already have all the ingredients in the kitchen. It's a great recipe to have when you are invited somewhere last minute or have unexpected guests.

However, I highly recommend using King Arthur's Double Dutch Cocoa. It really makes a huge difference (and the brownie recipe on the package is to die for). The final result is similar to a molten lava cake, but already kind of mushed up.

You can make it ahead of time and then stick it inthe oven for a few minutes to warm it up prior to serving it. Most recently I served it with Ben & Jerry's Peppermint Pattie ice cream and it was the perfect companion!

I also I had my first try at French Macarons, they came out...OK. Not perfect, but not bad for a first try. It was also ridiculously humid the day I tried making them, not a good idea when working with egg whites. I filled them with a homemade lemon curd or strawberry buttercream.

I had plenty of fillings left over. So, why not make cupcakes!! I made a basic vanilla cupcake, but added lemon zest and my new favorite ingredient, Fiori di Sicilia. Then, I filled the cupcakes with the lemon curd and topped them with the remaining strawberry buttercream. YUM!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephaniessweettreats/5870364960/" title="Macarons and Lemon Strawberry Mini Cupcakes 3 by slporter84, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6049/5870364960_956b9f13de.jpg" width="500" height="334" alt="Macarons and Lemon Strawberry Mini Cupcakes 3"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephaniessweettreats/5869805803/" title="Macarons and Lemon Strawberry Mini Cupcakes 5 by slporter84, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/5869805803_31b11f2be6.jpg" width="334" height="500" alt="Macarons and Lemon Strawberry Mini Cupcakes 5"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephaniessweettreats/5870362038/" title="Macarons and Lemon Strawberry Mini Cupcakes 13 by slporter84, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/5870362038_644d990cd4.jpg" width="334" height="500" alt="Macarons and Lemon Strawberry Mini Cupcakes 13"></a>

Cupcakes for Breakfast?

Why not?? I used my grandmother's top secret (sorry Aunt Krissy) banana bread recipe and poured it into cups. Easy. But my favorite part of the cupcake is the frosting. So I looked in the cupboard...basic buttercream...too expected and too sweet. Peanut butter? Maybe. But as I pushed away the Skippy, staring back at me (insert a beam of light and the angel "ahhh" noise here), was the Nutella.

Half a package of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the silky chocolaty heaven that is Nutella, a couple cups of powdered sugar, splash of cream and ta-dah! Cupcakes for breakfast! Mission accomplished.





Sorry but you won't find the recipe for the banana bread here, posted for the world to see. But, if you are really nice to me and buy me a nice Christmas present, maybe, just maybe I will send it to you. Please be prepared to sign a 9 page secrecy contract.

On a side note, I ordered a few things from this adorable website, Bake It Pretty. When I opened the box at work today, I was so suprised. Now, a disclaimer, I am a complete sucker for packaging. Look at how they shipped it! So simple and so cute!



For the sake of my waistline, and Jeff's, I am trying to stay out of the kitchen this week. But, I am donating cupcakes to the OLQM bazaar on 11/13, so expect lots of yummy stuff in a of couple weeks!