Browsing Tag

nuts

Breakfast/Brunch, Sweet Snacks

Purple Apricot, Almond and Olive Oil Cake

Have you ever heard of purple apricots? No? Me neither until about a week ago when I found some at a local green grocer. I suspect that they are actually a hybrid between apricots and small purple or black plums. They look unique but taste pretty much like apricots. This recipe works just as easily with regular apricots, so don’t let the unique ingredients throw you for a loop. It’s a dessert cake, a coffee cake or a cake for afternoon tea, take your pick. Would also be nice with a bit of custard, ice cream or whipped cream. The almonds and olive oil give it a great, subtle taste addition. When I have made this cake before (once with plums, once with cherries) the fruit stayed more on top, but this time they sunk in a little much. Not as pretty as I would have liked, but still delicious.

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Cookies, Desserts, Sweet Snacks

Chocolate-dipped Salted Caramel-candied Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies

Cookies that could be as good as Christmas Cookies as they are here in the summer-time: Chocolate-dipped Salted Caramel-candied Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies! Yes, that’s a mouthful to say (and to eat, har har). Hazelnut shortbread, dipped in decadent dark chocolate and then partially coated in a salted caramel hazelnut crunch — sort of like a topping that you put on ice cream or an ice cream cone. Not too sweet, just the right size for two bites. Would be a great “after dinner” dessert cookie.

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Breakfast/Brunch, Sweet Snacks

Maple Pecan and Cranberry Granola

I often make granola for myself, though I don’t post the recipe, because it is mostly the same — swap out the nuts, swap out the dried fruit, but there is usually maple syrup and of course oats and sunflower seeds. This time I made Maple Pecan and Cranberry Granola. not too sweet, a little tart and definitely delicious. I mostly eat my granola with yogurt (blatant product endorsement: Cabot Whole Milk Vanilla Greek Yogurt is excellent), but would also be great with milk for breakfast or ice cream for dessert.
Yum yum.

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Cookies, Desserts, Sweet Snacks

Cherry Almond Oatmeal Crumble Bars

Haven’t been baking as much since Easter, and had company so what I was baking was more old-standbys. It’s remarkably hard to do recipe testing, writing and photography with a houseful of guests. That said, I’m back. With so many crab apple and cherry trees in blossom, I got to thinking … well, about crab apples and cherries, so I made these Cherry Almond Oatmeal Crumble Bars. A little tart, a little sweet, a little nutty and overall delicious.

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Cookies, Sweet Snacks

Emerald Blossoms
(aka Browned Butter Almond Crinkle Blossoms)

Another little St. Patrick’s Day Treat. I am not normally one to use a lot of food coloring, but made an exception today, so here we are — browned butter and almond with a dark chocolate Hersey’s kiss. The recipe makes quite a few cookies but it can he halved in case you don’t need so many. Cheerful, happy little cookies — emerald blossoms next to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. (or something stereotypical like that).

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