Nectarine Clafoutis ~ A Guest Post with Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves

Today I am really thrilled to have Becky from Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves guest posting. Becky and I have developed a friendship over the last few months of blogging together in the Love Bloghop and Food Bloggers Network. Becky writes a great blog featuring, as Ted Allen would say, "the food you want to eat." From Lemon Lime Poppy Seed Muffins to an amazing Baked Artichoke Chicken Becky has you covered from breakfast to dinner and today - all the way to dessert with her gorgeous Nectarine Clafoutis!

 

Hello, I'm Becky from Baking and Cooking, A Tale of two Loves.  Today, I am a guest blogger for Jessica, while she takes time away from her blog. Jessica was a guest blogger for me, when my Dad was ill, so now I am returning the favor  Jessica likes to cook and bake with wonderful dishes, like BLT Pasta, Farmers Market Pizza, Blueberry Lemon Teacake, and Berry Angel Food Baskets. Savory or sweet?  I decided to make a  sweet treat laden with summer fruit, Nectarine Clafoutis  I just can't stop eating all the delicious fresh fruit, available this time of year.

Frozen Pumpkin Chocolate Chili Terrine ~ Fire on Ice

As part of the Fire on Ice challenge* this Frozen Pumpkin Chocolate Chili Terrine is the hottest frozen treat you'll ever taste. Although chilies are used in traditional dishes in Asian, Africa and South America I instantly think of Mexico when someone mentions chilies. Classic Mexican cuisine is both deeply spiced and richly nuanced in flavor. Case in point: mole sauce. That luscious dark sauce, slow cooked from recipes handed down over generations is the stuff of which my foodie dreams are made.

A terrine is classically a French country forcemeat or the container in which the forcemeat is made. For this recipe I used a basic loaf pan but you can layer the dessert into any long, narrow mold or baking pan. Line the pan with plastic wrap to ensure you can easily lift out the molded terrine once it is frozen. I had a lot of fun by myself in the kitchen playing these New World flavors (chocolate, pumpkin, chili) off of an Old World method.

Blueberry Lemon Teacake

When you live in a two room apartment encased in brick there aren't many reasons to have your oven compete with the AC in summer. This blueberry lemon teacake, however, is definitely one of the better reasons to initiate an appliance show-down. The lemon flavor is light, fresh, and bright. The blueberries retain their juiciness; bursting with each push of the fork and staining the dense crumb with purple flecks. It's a perfect cake to serve with a dollop of sweet whipped cream at the end of a summer meal on the patio.

Triple Berry Oatmeal Cookie Pie

What's black and blue and red all over?

My triple berry oatmeal cookie pie, that's what!

If you're looking for a thoroughly tested, tried and true recipe, well - this isn't it! Nope, this is a pie thrown together from ingredients on hand that I knew would taste good together.  Sometimes... baking isn't a science (but only sometimes).

Lavender Mandarin Rice Pudding Brûlée with Almonds ~ Integrale Risotto Challenge

This lavender mandarin rice pudding hits all the high notes for a dessert: creamy, sweet, and yes, even a touch of crunchy. I am thrilled to have passed the first round of the Marx Foods Risotto Gauntlet* and made it into the second round: dessert!

Rice pudding is a quintessential comfort food reminiscent of home and childhood. An important part of my childhood is my Mom's garden, including her stunningly fragrant lavender plants. The combination of mandarin and lavender results in an ethereal fragrance that is complimented by the creamy, custard topped rice and rich almonds.

Rêve de Crêpes ~ Coconut Crepes with Kiwi & Strawberries

I vividly remember my first real-live-authentic-made-in-Paris-by-a-professional crêpe. I was twenty-one years old, visiting my best friend Gabriel during her study abroad program in Paris. To prevent jet lag from taking me to a more somnolent state Gaby walked me around the neighborhood where her host family lived. Alongside the beautiful architecture, lovely spring flowers bursting bright and cheerful colors, and of course the chic pedestrians, was a tiny roadside crêperie stand. Gaby helped me to order a savory chicken and guyere lunch crêpe and assured me I was in for a treat.

I was in for a trance.

I don't know if it was the overnight plane travel, the bright spring sunshine, or the joy of a simple repast well-prepared, but I was wrapped in a wafer-thin pancake reverie punctuated by mellow, gooey gruyere. As I stumbled along beside her, Gaby smiled knowingly and confided, "wait til you taste a nutella one!"

Chai Almond Cake with Toasted Coconut Buttercream

The deep color and flavor of this chai layer cake is balanced by the delicate middle layer of almond sponge cake and the sweet coconut buttercream. I have been thinking about making a chai cake for a long time and am thrilled with the way this layer cake turned out. Chai is such a luxurious drink; The sweetly aromatic flavors in the tea are heightened by the creamy milk in which it is steeped, leading me to think a chai cake paired with a buttercream frosting would combine to form a similar, deeply flavorful and creamy result. Adding a rum syrup in between the layers provided additional moisture and flavor ensuring this cake will have a lasting place among the pages of my family's favorite recipes.

Quite frankly, I'm immodestly pleased with myself over this cake. Allow me to pose this little question: whose got two thumbs and knows how to make a damn tasty cake?

This gal.

Berrylove ~ Flower Berry Angel Food Baskets

I found this darling shortcake basket pan on sale recently at a local shop and I couldn't pass it up. First off, I absolutely love Nordic Ware designs (I use this petit fours pan for bridal showers); second, I absolutely love that their products are made in the USA when so many industries have moved overseas and I will always buy as local as possible; and third, as soon as I saw it the idea for this recipe sprang into my head. I had to have it!

If you don't have an adorable basket weave mini cake pan you can use mini angel food molds or you can double the recipe and make a full size angel food cake.

Chocolate Stout & Baileys Buttercream Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies: portable cake-like snack dessert beloved all over New England (and spreading like wildfire across the US thanks to food bloggers and dessert mavens).

Chocolate stout whoopie pies made with Young's Double Chocolate Stout and filled with a Baileys buttercream: so damn good I want to shove five in my face right now heaven on a plate.

Whether you make these for St. Patrick's Day or just because they are awesome, you won't be disappointed.

American Beauty Cupcakes - Chocolate & Roses for Valentine's Day

There is something about a chocolate cupcake, particularly topped with fluffy pink frosting, that just makes me all happy, bubbly, and excited. Years ago, whenever I was having a bad day at work or just wanted a treat, I would drive over to Russos during my lunch break and pick up a half-dozen (don't judge - they came in packages of six!) of their homemade chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting. I would share some with my favorite co-worker, Claudia, and bring some home. But usually I ate two, er... one, at my desk and felt immediately that all was right with the world once again. (Note to self - next birthday make yourself a chocolate layer cake with pink frosting).

Boozy Brownie Truffles ~ Homemade Valentine's Day Candy

Just in time for Valentine's Day these brownie truffles are the perfect confection for the one you love. Never was homemade candy so easy... or so addictive and delicious. These decadent little bites are perfect for gifting or for a sweet, liqueur-soaked after dinner treat. If you don't drink alcohol or are making these with kids omit the liqueur and use my faithful favorite of d'Arbo syrup instead.

Chocolatelove: Molten Chocolate Cake ~ with Raspberry Lava!

Molten chocolate lava cake. Its very name conjures up decadent rivers of rich, dark chocolate encased in tender, fragrant cake just waiting for my fork to pierce the side and erupt into a creamy pool of deliciousness.

Excuse me, just have to wipe up this drool...

To me the only thing better than a molten chocolate lava cake is a molten chocolate lava cake with a raspberry center. This classic and elegant presentation will up the "wow" factor a notch. Not a fan of raspberries? Just omit them and follow the rest of the recipe or get creative with the suggestions at the end.

Candied Orange Peel - Fresh Citrus Candy

I was first exposed to the process of candying citrus peel when I worked at a French restaurant that offered the sweet, tart, chewy sugared strips along with candied nuts and house made chocolates to guests at the end of their visit. I was amazed at the transformation the discarded peels, which elsewhere would be considered fit for the compost heap, went through to become a trésor for fine dining.

The best part? It's some of the easiest candy you'll ever make. It's a bit time consuming, but not difficult. So the next time you're making a recipe that calls for citrus juice or segments, save the peels and make some delicious homemade candy.

Sugar Cookie and Gingerbread Snowflakes - The Foodie Days of Christmas

Like most kids I loved cutting out sugar cookies at Christmas time and decorating them with brightly colored sprinkles. As my love for cooking and baking grew I branched out into various flavorings, such as orange and almond, and started using melted chocolate as an accent. I always made the same recipe which was passed from one Mom in our neighborhood to another and finally on to my Mom. Each year I made dozens upon dozens of cookies; no matter how many we gave away as presents there was always a heaping tray of decorated sugar cookies on Christmas Day. Eventually we had all had too much of a good thing and I stopped making sugar cookies. This year however, inspired by some beautiful snowflake cookie cutters I purchased, I decided to make roll out cookies once more.

Chocolate-Pumpkin Trifle with Spiced Cream

Easy yet elegant, this combination of two of my favorite cakes - chocolate and pumpkin - is a perfect pairing of two classic flavors which combine to develop a sophisticated and nuanced holiday dessert. Those who have never had chocolate and pumpkin together are often delightfully surprised at how delicious the two are combined. Accented with a sprinkling of Grand Marnier and layered with ginger and cinnamon spiced cream this is not only a beautiful dessert, but a very popular one perfect for the crowd at your next holiday party.

Pumpkin Cake with Cranberry Gelee

This dense pumpkin cake combines the best of regular cake and pumpkin pie to create a moist, creamy consistency with a texture reminiscent of cheesecake or fudge. The cranberry gelée adds both a tart edge and a glossy, vibrant color to the cake. The optional toasted chopped pecans send this cake over the top with a rich, buttery flavor and a crunchy texture. This showstopper is deceptively simple to prepare and guaranteed to disappear quickly around your holiday table.

Halloween Tricks & Treats - a Chocolate-Orange Cake Story

It must be Halloween because I began my morning being tricked. In my sleepy stupor I could have sworn I heard my husband walking through water. Snuggling myself further under the glorious down comforter to fight off consciousness, much the way I protected myself from the monsters in the shadows as a child I couldn't help but think, "please. For the love of all that is good and right in the world... please... please... don't let the storage room be flooded."

What Would Julia Do? A Plum Tart Story

Autumn tends to mean the end of most stone fruits, but it's when Italian plums are at their best. Also known as prune plums, Italian plums are less juicy than the black plums we see in the markets over the summer. They have a rather tart flavor that develops into a pleasing sweetness when cooked. Although I have a few favorite recipes using Italian plums I wanted something different from my usual, but with a couple of girlfriends coming over for tea I knew I wanted it to be elegant and appealing to the crowd. Enter Julia.

Think Pink! Marshmallows for Liz

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. From fundraising walks to pink ribbons on cars to TV movies you will see pink everywhere this month in honor of promoting education, early intervention, and treatment of this disease that will afflict 1 in 8 women in the US over the course of their lifetime. One in eight. Think about how many women you know. Now think about how many will be affected by this disease - as well as the ripple effect of the impact of this disease on their friends and families. We can all name at least one woman who has faced and fought breast cancer. I can name seven such courageous women, but today I'd like to tell you about just one - my dear friend Liz. Liz has graciously agreed to share her story here on Oh Cake in the hopes that you will be encouraged to take action, get yourself checked, or encourage your wife, sister, daughter, and friends to get checked.

Orange-Fig Teacake with Caramel Glaze

This post could easily be titled the evolution of a recipe...

As evidenced by this post I love tea time. Whether it's a simple tea and toast towards the end of the workday or a full-on afternoon tea with finger sandwiches and elegant cakes in my favorite A-line frock, I love tea. My favorite is probably a Devonshire tea (also known as a cream tea) which features scones with jam and clotted cream. While searching through my current collection of jams I came across an old favorite: Dalmatia Orange Fig spread. I have no idea how many jars of this I've gone through over the years. I used to use this jam so often in savory dishes that one of my friends started remarking, "ah yes, the famous orange-fig combo!" Although I love it, I started focusing on other flavors. But seeing the distinctive jar got me thinking; with fig season in the Northeast drawing to a close and orange season just getting started, I decided to create a teacake based on these two fantastic fruits.