Hey guys, long time no see! Guess where I’ve been? On Lanzarote, which is the easternmost of the Canary Island (thanks Wikipedia). Last year, I took my mom to Gran Canaria for a little sunshine, this year, we decided on Lanzarote.
Although the weather was a bit stormy at times and I really, really, really missed my Rocking Rebel and little Lucy, we had a great time! The food was great, the appartment spacious, clean and … well not exactly luxurious, but luxurious enough for the two of us! There were lots of little shops and restaurants and although we decided against riding a camel (they smell bad and can be pretty scary) we did have lots of other adventures (read: we ate a lot of cake).
So now that I’m all rested, here are the recipes I made last March!
1. Brioche with Honey and Saffron
This bread is a great example of how little kitchen-experiments can actually turn out great. After experimenting a bit with my recipe for cinnamon buns, adding an egg and some flavorings to the dough, I ended up with this gorgeous bread. It has a fluffy, challah-like texture, a mild honey and saffron flavor and a sticky honey glaze!
Perfect for Easter. Just saying…
2. Brown Sugar Glazed Apple Bread
This is a great cake. Um… bread. It’s called a bread but let’s be honest here, when there’s that much sugar involved it’s got to be a cake. And this cake is good! It’s stuffed with chunks of apple and chopped pecans and it’s flavored with a generous amount of brown sugar.
Plus, there’s a sticky brown sugar glaze on top! Yum…
3. Raspberry Buttercream Cake
I made this delicious cake to celebrate my blog’s 1st birthday! Wait, what? Come to think of it, my little blog turned two about a week ago. When I was on vacation. Whoops! Better go organize a belated birthday party…
Anyway, this cake is delicious. It’s a big cake and there are a lot of elements, but the steps are easy and the truth of the matter is that you really don’t want to miss out on this delicious fruity cake!
4. Kind-of-Healthy Candy Bars with Almond and Coconut
These candy bars are delicious. And kind of healthy too. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a ton of sugar (non-refined but nevertheless sugar) in there, and combined with the almond butter that adds up to a decent calorie count. However, they are better for you than ordinary candy bars, because they’re made with ingredients that are supposedly good for you!
But the most important thing: these things are delicious. The perfect pre- or post-workout snack!
5. Peanut Butter Cookies with a Dark Chocolate Drizzle
If you like peanut butter, peanuts and chocolate, these cookies are for you! They’re not too sweet, and instead have a peanutty savouriness to them. They also have a slightly chewy center and are deliciously crumbly around the edges. Oh, and they’re stuffed with salted peanuts! Which is always a good thing, right?
Best thing: no need to chill the dough!
6. Best Blueberry Muffins Ever
These are seriously the best blueberry muffins you’ll ever taste! They’re big and fluffy, with juicy blueberries in every bite and a delicious blueberry jam swirl on top. To take these babies over the top, I’ve added a hint of cinnamon and a touch of vanilla extract. And can I just tell you about the glaze? It’s the best! It’s a simple glaze made with sour cream, powdered sugar and a little vanilla, and it just knocks these amazing muffins out of the park!
Just trust me on this one. I know what I’m talking about. It took me a long time to perfect this recipe…
7. Caramelized White Chocolate
So last year, I got into caramelizing white chocolate, which is totally awesome and delicious. My method probably isn’t the best method out there, but for those of us who don’t own a vacuum sealer machine and don’t like spending $25 on a slab of chocolate – aka: your average home cook – this recipe is a great starting point!
8. Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almond Butter
Looking back on March 2014, I guess you can say that I didn’t just have a thing for caramelized white chocolate, I was also into almond butter. Which is great, because almond butter is delicious. These cookies are made with almond butter, an egg, some sugar, a little baking powder to give them some lift and a LOT of chocolate chips!
They’re gluten-free too! At least, I think they are… Just make sure to use gluten-free baking powder to be sure!
9. Mango and Orange Smoothies
I like to call these ‘Sunshine Smoothies’ because they taste just like summer. They make those last days of winter, or those few wintry days of spring, just a bit more bearable.
Oh, and if you’re not a big fan of banana, you’re in luck: there’s no banana in these! Just mango, oranges, grapefruit and a touch of lime.
10. Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache
Like I said, I was into caramelizing white chocolate. Which resulted in this scrumptious ganache. I personally loved it over strawberry swirl vanilla ice cream, but it’s also really good paired with plain vanilla. It would also make some killer truffles!
* adding idea to my to-make list… *
11. Caramelized White Chocolate Ice Cream
Tired of caramelized white chocolate yet? Well, try this ice cream. It’s probably the best way to use caramelized white chocolate. It’s creamy and rich, with an intense caramelized white chocolate flavor. Super sweet and really complex… I prefer it served in an ice cream cone, because ice cream always tastes better when you can lick it, right? Or is that just me?
Moving on…
12. Caramelized White Hot Chocolate
I made this caramelized white hot chocolate on a whim, because I had caramelized white chocolate on hand, and wasn’t disappointed! It truly is one of the best warm drinks to have on a cold day. And yeah, spring is upon us, so you’d better caramelize some chocolate, STAT!
There you have it, guys: last year’s recipes. But before I go, I just wanted to bring your attention to another one of last year’s recipes which might be just what you’re looking for this time of year…
This is a delicious Easter cake: two thick layers of fluffy vanilla sponge, filled with homemade lemon curd, whipped cream and raspberries and finished with a sprinkle of lemon zest. It’s a very messy cake (like most whipped cream cakes, it doesn’t cut very pretty) but it’s damn good!
New favorite food quote:
