easy desserts & recipes: no frills seriously delicious carrot cake & passion cake recipe

Whoever thought of adding a vegetable to dessert to somehow ease the guilty pleasure is a genius! After all, a cake is only a cake, but the addition of carrots provides that distinct flavor that gives the otherwise ordinary cake a delicious twist. Carrot cake is also known as “Passion cake” and using carrots is an age old secret to create sweet cakes since the medieval period. Sweeteners were as valuable as gold and usually very expensive but carrots, with their natural sweetness, were a lot cheaper. The origins of carrot cake can be traced back to Norway, and during WWII it became a rationing staple in Britain when a businessman named George C. Page asked bakers to make use of an overabundance of canned carrots. The idea of a carrot cake worked wonders for creating a demand for the excess canned carrots! The Americans caught the carrot cake bug... Read the Rest →

 

easy desserts & recipes: the ombré layered fluffy white cake recipe graduated in pink pastels & rose cake

Layered cakes will make any celebration twice the fun. An ombre cake will do just the trick in adding that special festive mood in every delicious bite. Ombré means shaded in French. There is no clear history of the origins of ombre cake but its popularity is unmistakable. The distinct ombre style is a graduation of colors that are usually layered from dark to light. This unique and gorgeous cake is the perfect way to let out your inner artistic talent by an explosion of colors! There is a rainbow of colors to choose from to create such an effect. But to achieve it, layering is always a necessity. Depending on your mood, let’s say you’re feeling blue or you’re up for something spectacular like orange, the gradients of colors will always make your cake worth ogling or better yet… eating! Here is a collection of tips when making ombre... Read the Rest →

 

easy desserts & recipes: crunchy cookie topped cream puffs & profiterole’s & choux cream puffs

Cream puffs, profiterole, or as it is known in Japan, “choux cream puffs”, are a gift from the gods! There are so many types of pastries but no other can be as delectable as choux cream puffs. We oftentimes fail to think about just how such a delicious creation has come to pass because we are always enthralled with the burst of scrumptiousness whenever we bite into any pastry, most especially a choux puff. Pastries have been made to intoxicate the senses and it especially affects one’s senses of smell, sight, and taste. The choux cream is no exception. Its origin and the name “profiterole” is ambiguous, but many sources have traced it to North Eastern Italy, and this term has graced man’s lips in English and was borrowed from the French as early as the 16th century. At the time, it was a kind of roll that was baked... Read the Rest →

 

holidays & recipes: 4th of july guests for breakfast & the belgium waffle

July 4th. Independence Day. The day when all Americans celebrate their freedom. From one region of the United States to the next traditional foods are prepared with the anticipation of backyard feasting and evening fireworks. Growing up on the East Coast, we often had many out of town guests, some opted for the “Hotel” experience and others dug in their heels (or sneakers) and spent the night at our house. Being the host or hostess can be hectic, I know this all too well.  What a better way to serve your guests with homemade waffles? We finally perfected the waffle batter over the years, this is, hands down, one of our favorite recipes.  You might want to buy another waffle iron depending on how many guests you have, but we usually have three going at once with a party of six or more (guests are hungry from the long trips... Read the Rest →