Mardi Gras King Cake

It's that time of year again to celebrate Mardi Gras! When we lived in New Orleans we loved going to the family friendly parades and watching the kids (and adults) gather as many beads and gifts as they possibly could. With the snow packed up higher than our cars here in Minnesota this year, it's hard to imagine that we were somewhere else this time of year enjoying the warmth of a late evening out at the parade.

Danish Yeast Rolls

I think out of any type of bread other than your typical loaf of bread, I'm sure I've made cinnamon rolls the most. There's just nothing quite like a fresh from the oven cinnamon roll covered in sticky frosting. I've tried tons of different recipes and never really been disappointed with any. I certainly have my favorites and I love trying different variations of fillings and flavors.

I'm not quite sure what makes this specific recipe "Danish" but it's essentially a cinnamon roll but the filling is only sugar and coconut. I really like coconut and so I was surprised I had never tried this combination before. When I came across it at Red Star Yeast, I knew it was one I wanted to try.

Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon and Butternut Squash

It's Pi day and what better way to celebrate than with a whole assortment of pies!

I remember every year in high school there was always a Pi day celebration and one of the events was to see who could memorize Pi the farthest. I never participated but I was always amazed at how far some people got.

Are you surprised that I'm posting a savory pie today? I kind of am. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to make and I just couldn't think of a sweet pie that I was really craving. Which is also odd. I have been craving chicken pot pie for awhile now though so it kept coming back to me. I had a recipe that I loved that I made a whole bunch a year or so ago but I haven't been able to find it lately. I gave up on finding it so I went exploring the internet for something new. I found this one on Bon Appetit and I thought it would serve as a good base and I liked how it was a bit different than usual.

Blitz Puff Pastry & Palmiers

Are you enjoying all the baking that's been going on here? I hope so because I've got a whole lot more coming up! What I would really hope though is that you're actually TRYING some of this. If you've baked all your life or if you're just searching for something to give you the courage to try for the first time, these recipes are fun ones to try and of course they taste amazing too.

Blog and Bake Part Two

I'm back home now and already missing the beautiful North East part of the country. Could have had a little nicer weather but we still had a few beautiful days and we were inside most of the time anyway so I really shouldn't complain. I honestly had such an amazing time and met some really cool people.

Photo Courtesy of Terri Rosenstock

Photo Courtesy of Terri Rosenstock

Photo Courtesy of Terri Rosenstock

Photo Courtesy of Terri Rosenstock

I'm not going to share all the things I learned here in this post but I'll share some more pictures, talk about some of the classes that we took and then include more tips and tricks in my upcoming posts.

Caramel Pumpkin Pie

This is the second in my Thanksgiving prep series, providing you some fun new recipes for the upcoming holidays. Today, we're going straight from soup course all the way to dessert. Hey, I never said I was going to go in order.

Pumpkin Pi

I love pumpkin pie, although it usually is best with equal amounts of fresh whipped cream. Most traditional pumpkin pie recipes are made with a mixture of spices and evaporated milk. In this version, sugar and water are cooked together until it becomes a deep amber color and is then mixed with cream to make a smooth creamy caramel. The caramel is then mixed with spices and pumpkin puree and cooked together in the crust of your choice. It's not dramatically different from your traditional pie, but I absolutely love the hints of caramel throughout the pie.

Puff Pastry

I realize that not everyone is like me but when I spend an exorbitant amount of time creating something, it tastes even better to me when it's all done. So if you're anything like me, this next recipe is for you. If it's not for you, feel free to read on anyway. I'm going to walk you step by step through the process of creating a wonderful, flaky Puff Pastry dough that you can use in any number of fantastic pastries like Turnovers, Palmiers and Napoleons.

This puff pastry recipe takes upwards of nine hours to complete and that's not even making anything with it yet. It is such a fun process though and results in the best tasting, light  and flaky pastry that you will ever taste.

Spinach Quiche

Traditional quiche is typically a simple egg and cream mixture baked in a pastry crust but there are numerous additions that can make a fantastic quiche suitable for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This version adds crumbled bacon over the bottom and then spinach, pepper jack and sharp cheddar cheese mixed into the egg and cream mixture. Be creative with your cheese selections and create your own version of this quiche.