Dairy Freed

Ginger Honey Almond Cake with Honey-Glazed Apricots

Do you realize just how much we rely on bees to survive? Not only for our food but for the air we breathe. I think most of us know how vital bees are to agriculture and pollinating crops but I just learned if bees weren't around, most trees wouldn't get pollinated either. Which means, no oxygen. Think about that for a second.

German Chocolate Cake

Rich, dark and insanely chocolaty cake layers are topped with a creamy, crunchy coconut-pecan topping. I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my birthday today.  

Blueberry Peach Cheesecake Tart

Every two years the peach tree in my grandmother's backyard would produce so many peaches, my mother and whoever was around, would spend days peeling and slicing peaches for pies and jam.  By the time the tree was picked clean we'd end up with dozens of pies and I couldn't tell you how many jars of preserves. (What I still can't figure out was why the tree didn't produce peaches every year.  Can someone explain that to me?)

Ever since then peaches have been my favorite fruit, at least in the summer.  In the fall pears give them a run for that title.  Since peaches are just starting to come in season I thought I'd make something a little "fancier" with the first of many peach purchases. And don't worry, pies, jams and other peach dishes coming soon! 

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

 

"Two great tastes, that taste great together!" 

It was true 30+ years ago and it's still true today in cake form.  

 

Cinnamon Spaetzle with Apples and Cranberries

 

I love taking traditional recipes and giving them a little twist. In this case, I've taken a Bavarian spaetzle, typically served as a side dish for dinner, and turned it into a great dessert.  FYI, it also makes a fantastic breakfast heated up the next morning.  

Dairy-Free Tres Leches Cake

According to my sister, when my nephew had his very first bite of Tres Leches cake, "His eyes started to sparkle, a huge smile appeared on his face and pure joy radiated out of him."

This iconic Hispanic dessert is typically made with three types of milk (evaporated, condensed and whole milk).  Making this dairy-free turned out to be easier than I thought and I actually like it better than the original.  By using coconut milk, cream of coconut and almond milk I was able to add a lot more flavor than you typically see in this dessert. 

Although you may be tempted to eat this cake the same day you make it, you really need to let it sit overnight in the refrigerator in order for the three milks to fully absorb into the cake.  If you don't you'll end up with the outside edges of the cake very soggy while the interior is still dry.  Trust me, it's worth the wait. 

Chocolate Sauce So Good You'll Eat It With A Spoon!

Imagine eating something so good your eyes roll back in your head and you can't help but sigh. It happens to me every time I make this sauce. 

Although it's fantastic served warm over dairy-free ice cream or pound cake, the way I eat most of it is by the spoonful straight from the refrigerator.

Salted Pecan Chocolate Chubbsters

About a month ago my niece asked me to help her enter a baking contest in her hometown. How could anyone say no to that? She wanted to make something really chocolaty but also salty. I like this girl's taste.  After trying a couple of different recipes we ended up making these brownie-like cookies that are full of roasted, salted pecans.  I couldn't believe how good they ended up being.  

In the end, she and I were happy getting second place but her mother thought we would have taken first place if the judges would have had some actual baking skills.  

 

Spiced Rum Peach and Raspberry Cobbler

Remember the Sesame Street game "One of these things is not like the other?" In the Williams-Sonoma corporate office, Tre Balchowsky was the one who didn't fit the mold. Her shocking pink hair was like a lighthouse in a sea of designer clothes, manicures and meticulously coiffed hair. I instantly knew this was someone I was going to like...a lot! 

Since that first day, Tre and I have become friends and we've shared work challenges, career changes and, of course, recipes.  

Not long ago she sent me her recipe for cobbler. Now I know Tre likes her cocktails but the amount of booze in this is insane! There is almost a full cup of spiced rum in here. Honestly, I thought the spiced rum was going to overpower the fruit, but it didn't. The flavor of the rum came through but the alcohol didn't.  It is a nice balance of flavors and is something I know I'd make again and again, trying different combinations of fruits.

Cranberry Pistachio Bars

For years my dad has said we should only make two kinds of cookies for Christmas; Chocolate Pinwheels and his favorite, Chocolate Chip. For some reason I just can't wrap my head around chocolate chip cookies for Christmas. I know many will argue with me and say you can use red and green chips (which, in my humble opinion, are AWFUL) or use something like red and green M&Ms.  I could possibly go with the M&Ms if they were dairy-free but I'm still not sold.  

Recipe Redo: Southern Living's Two-Step Pound Cake

FYI, Southerners take pound cake very seriously.  So much so that when I was interviewing for a position in the Southern Living test kitchen, one of the things I was tested and judged on was my ability to make pound cake.

During my time in the test kitchen I made a number of different pound cakes, but the one that really amazed me was the one that took no baking skills and was the easiest to make.  The Two-Step Pound Cake really is just 2 steps and takes minutes to get in the oven.  Simply layer the ingredients in the order given and then turn on the mixer.  Even if you think you can't bake, this cake is for you!