Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This cinnamon coffee cake recipe is moist, buttery, and full of cinnamon flavor.

This weekend I made cinnamon coffee cake because my brother requested it. He is a huge cinnamon fan, and so am I. 🙂 I was very pleased with how it turned out and I hope that you will try it. Its perfect for breakfast and it goes very well with a cup of coffee or tea.

This cake is pretty complicated and requires a LOT of butter and sugar. However, the ingredients are pretty simple and I didn’t have to go to the store to get anything.

The first step is to make the cake. It is just a very simple yellow cake and doesn’t require many ingredients. After everything is combined, put it aside.

Orange Sherbet

This orange sherbet is super easy and delicious!

My family and I have been using this recipe for a very long time. When I was little, my mom set the task for my brother and I to make this orange sherbet. It took us a very long time because you have to juice and zest the oranges. I remember my arms hurting from zesting so much orange! However, this time around, it only took me about 20 minutes to prep. This recipe is definitely something to try, it is a lot different than a regular orange ice cream; the zest and the lemon adds a lot of flavor.

There are very little ingredients in this sherbet. The only thing that I had to go to the store to buy was the oranges. Fortunately, they were on sale at Sprouts! 🙂 The problem with this recipe is that you do have to have an ice cream maker to make it. I happened to have one.

The first step is to juice and zest the oranges. My oranges were very large so I only needed two. For the lemon juice, I used about half of a lemon. After prepping the oranges and lemons, you combine everything accept for the milk in a food processor. After everything is processed, pour it into a large bowl and mix in the milk. Then, you put the mix in the fridge and cool for at least an hour. It is important that the mixture is very cold before you put it into the ice cream maker.

Lemon Bars

Okay, I’m just being honest, these lemon bars weren’t the best…

This weekend I really wanted to make something simple and quick because it was a busy weekend. My plan did not really work out. In the end, these lemon bars tasted okay, but overall, I don’t think that they were worth the effort.

The ingredients however, were pretty simple. The only thing that I had to go to the store for were the lemons. Everything else, I already had.

The first step in making these lemon bars is to make the crust. In my opinion, the crust was the best part of the lemon bars. It is a very simple, 3 ingredient shortbread. The directions said to use my hands to mix it, but I found it easier to use a fork. When I tried using my hands, it was just a mess. After everything resembles crumbs, bake it for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Chocolate Chunk Muffins

This crispy and delicious chocolate chunk muffin is the best way to start your morning!

I know that just last week I made banana muffins but I really wanted to make these muffins. When I was little, my mom and dad would convince me to go to the grocery store with them every week, and in return, I would get to pick something out from the bakery. My choice would always be chocolate chip muffins! These bakery style muffins are so delicious and I hope that one day, you’ll try them out.

Breaking off the tall, crispy muffin top and eating it was always the best part of eating a bakery style muffin. This recipe’s ingredients make the muffin top just like the bakery’s. It has just enough leavening agents to create the fluffy dome when it’s baking, but not too much that you can taste it. It also has enough fats that it makes them rich and moist.

The first step in making these muffins is to mix all of the dry ingredients. I was kind of confused by why you add the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients because you usually add them last, but it worked out in the end. 🙂

Mini Banana Muffins

This is the best banana bread recipe ever!

I learned how to bake from the red and white Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and this recipe is a staple in my household. This recipe specifically, I have been making for a very long time. This time, I wanted to do something a bit differently and make the recipe into mini muffins. I love this recipe and I hope that you will to!

The ingredients are very simple. This is optional, but when I make banana bread, I like the bananas to very over ripe and brown. I think that it makes the bread sweeter without adding any more sugar. Honestly though, the best part about the recipe is that when your bananas go bad, you don’t have to throw them away! Instead, you can just make a delicious treat.

The first step is making the dry mixture. All that you have to do is mix all of this together and then create a well in the middle of it. I usually use a cup to make a perfect well for the wet ingredients. After that is to combine the wet ingredients in a stand mixer. The recipe says to pre-mush the bananas, but just for convenience, I just put the whole banana into the mixer and it works.

Tiramisu

This classic tiramisu recipe is fantastic.

This rich and creamy tiramisu is so easy and doesn’t require any baking. I have only had one tiramisu in my life and I was immediately hooked on its light and fluffy texture, as well as it’s distinct coffee flavor. This recipe will definitely impress your family and friends!

The only downside to this recipe is that there are quite a few ingredients and some can be hard to find. As shown in the picture below, it shows that I used Scottish shortbread. When I went to the store, they didn’t have any ladyfinger cookies and I figured that they were just shortbread cookies and that the Scottish ones would work. (They didn’t) I tried using them but they just weren’t soft enough. So, I went to a different store and found lady finger cookies. Another hard ingredient to find was the mascarpone cheese.

The first step is to make the custard. With this part, you have to be very quick because if you aren’t fast enough, the egg yolks could cook, which you don’t want. It didn’t say it in the instructions, but after my custard was done, I put it through a strainer to make sure it was as smooth as it could be. Then, you put the custard in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.

Raspberry Lemon Scones

I will definitely be making these scones again!

These scones may not look the most attractive but believe me, these are the best scones I’ve ever eaten. They are packed with tart berry and tangy lemon flavor. They’re perfect for breakfast or as just a snack. I can admit to having eaten 3 scones in one sitting because they are so good. They are pretty small though :). These are probably the easiest and quickest dessert I have ever made. I HIGHLY suggest that you make these scones.

There are actually not that many ingredients involved in making scones. The only thing that I would change about this recipe is instead of using frozen raspberries, use fresh raspberries. I’m not sure how to make that change, but if you find a way, please tell me in the comments. I think that fresh raspberries would make these scones taste even better.

When the recipe says cold butter, it means REALLY cold. Before combing the dry ingredients, the recipe tells you to cut the butter into quarter inch pieces and put it back in the fridge until you finish mixing the dry ingredients. After that, you mix the cold butter into the dry mix. Once you have combined everything, you make it into the shape of a square on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then, you make them into the shape of scones and bake them for about 12 minutes at 425 degrees.

Gluten-Free Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies have everything I want in a chocolate chip cookie.

I have been baking so many treats lately but I never make something that gluten free people can eat. Even though gluten free doesn’t necessarily mean healthy, I think that my family and I feel a little bit better eating these cookies instead. When I was trying to decide what to make this week, I got many requests for cookies so that I could take them to school, so here you go. 🙂

I was a bit worried about making something gluten free because there is usually something off about them, like their texture or taste, but these cookies don’t have anything bad like that at all! You really can’t even tell that they are gluten free. However, the ingredients are kind of exotic and expensive. The recipe calls for a gluten free flour blend, which contains brown rice flour, tapioca starch, white rice flour, sorghum flour, potato starch, arrowroot starch, guar gum, sweet rice flour, and rice bran. Along with all of that, you have to separately buy xanthan gum which can range from 10 to 20 dollars. For the gluten free flour blend, I suggest Bob’s Red Mill.

Besides the complex flour blend, everything else in the recipe is like making normal chocolate chip cookies. You combine the dry ingredients, the wet ingredients, and then mix it all together. However, after making the dough, you do have to refrigerate it for about 4 hours or overnight. By the way, the only disappointing thing about these cookies is the dough. Whenever I make chocolate chip cookies, the best part is eating the raw cookie dough. With these gluten-free cookies, I actually don’t think that the dough tastes very good. I think that it has something to do with the flour blend or xanthan gum.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These red velvet cupcakes have a gorgeous red color. They’re moist, fluffy, and topped off with a delicious cream cheese frosting.

This week is my friend Ashley’s birthday! I asked her what her favorite cupcake was and she said red velvet, which also happens to be my favorite. I found this recipe and I was automatically drawn to their beautiful color. If you are looking for a super moist red velvet cupcake recipe, this is it!

Upon looking at the recipe I was going to use, I was confused about why the cakes needed sour cream. I looked it up and some sources say that it combats the sweetness of the cake, along with making it rich and moist. You will also need a whole bottle of red food dye! I know, it’s a lot, but trust me, the color is gorgeous. As for the other ingredients, they are pretty straight forward.

Combine the dry ingredients, and then the wet ingredients together. After mixing completely, I scooped the batter into the wrappers using a batter scoop. I think that I have said this in a previous blog, but you should definitely buy one of these scoops! They are very helpful because they make all the cupcakes the same size. For each cupcake, I use 2 scoops. You should be able to make about 30 cupcakes. Note: I made a half batch, so I only have 15. 🙂

Mini Cheesecakes with a Blueberry Lemon Compote

These mini cheesecakes are the perfect thing for parties or as just a fun treat!

About a week ago, I went to Kauai. It was beautiful there. We hiked, swam, surfed, and ate great food. One morning we went to a place called Java Kai. I got an acai bowl because it was the morning, but what I really wanted was their mini blueberry cheesecakes. They looked so good, but I didn’t get one, so I decided to make them. This is what my inspiration was:

Below are the ingredients you’ll need. When I was at the store shopping for them, I was surprised by how much cream cheese you need, 24 ounces! I know that it’s a cheese cake but its just so much!

The first step in making these cheesecakes is to make the crust. All you need is graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. I was feeling pretty lazy when I made them, so I bought pre-crumbled graham crackers. If you don’t want to do this (because it is a bit more expensive), you can buy regular graham crackers and blend them in a food processor.