Baker's Theory

Maple Pecan Crusted Bacon

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An easy gourmet breakfast

So delightfully crisp and lightly sweet, you will love this maple pecan crusted bacon. Besides how delicious it is, you will also love how easy it is to make! 

Whether you’re looking for an easy, gourmet breakfast upgrade or a fancy salad topper, you have found it here! 

How to make maple pecan crusted bacon

I’m not exactly a recipe person, which is strange for a food blogger, but I just don’t cook with recipes often. I often eyeball however much I think is enough of everything and minimize how many teaspoons I have to wash later. This way of cooking isn’t for everyone, I know, but this maple pecan crusted bacon recipe lends itself to those of us more inclined to improvise our recipes. 

First, preheat the oven to 300F. Then place a cookie cooling rack on top of a rimmed jelly roll pan. Brush the rack with oil and lay the bacon flat on top. Brush the top of the bacon liberally with maple syrup. Sprinkle chopped pecan pieces on top of the bacon and drizzle with a little more maple syrup. Bake for 20 minutes, raise the heat to 400F, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. That’s it. Carefully peel the bacon off the rack and enjoy! 

How to serve Maple Pecan Crusted Bacon

This bacon is seriously fantastic on its own! Serve it at breakfast with scrambled eggs and pancakes! It also makes a very nice addition to salad. As its own dish, I would recommend a reduction sauce that is equal parts balsamic and maple syrup, and I would drizzle it over the bacon! 

However you make it, enjoy it and share it! Tag me on Instagram @bakerstheory if you make this recipe. I love to see how they turn out!

Maple Pecan Crusted Bacon

Alex
Very easy bacon recipe glazed with maple syrup and encrusted with pecans
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 8 slices

Ingredients
  

  • Oil for brushing the rack
  • 8 slices Thick cut bacon
  • 1/4 cup Maple syrup
  • 2/3 cup Chopped pecans

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • Place a cookie cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the rack with oli.
  • Place bacon on the rack and brush liberally with maple syrup.
  • Sprinkle chopped pecans on bacon, gently pressing into the bacon to secure.
  • Bake for 20 minutes at 300°F. Raise the oven temperature to 400°F and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes.
  • Gently pull the bacon off the cooling rack and serve.

Maple Balsamic Glaze (optional)

  • Combine 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pot. Whisk and heat on medium heat until the mixture has reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Drizzle on bacon and serve.
Keyword maple pecan crusted bacon

Brie-L-T Sandwich

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Carrot Pudding Tart

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A beautiful Easter dessert

Carrot cakes abound this time of year, and I love carrot cake as much as the next person, but I also feel too much of a good thing can get boring and predictable. So I thought to myself, I have a beautiful tart pan and a couple of ideas, and thus this carrot pudding tart was baked. 

I’m not really clear on what makes anything “pudding” anymore since I’ve discovered sticky toffee pudding, which is, in fact, a cake, and everyone should have it; so I am brashly taking the liberty of dubbing my carrot pudding tart a carrot pudding tart because it seems like a smart name. 

It also has a swipe of vanilla creme fraiche and candied carrot chips. It’ll be a big crowd pleaser on your Easter menu! 

Aaron's Tart Dough

One of my favorite cookbooks, Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat, by Samin Nosrat lists “Aaron’s Tart Dough” as both versatile and forgiving. I can attest to how easy this dough is to work with. The recipe calls for creme fraiche, but sour cream or plain yogurt would probably work just as well. It draped easily to form the bottom of the tart, and the remaining dough was mine to play with.

To make these braids, I first rolled Aaron’s Tart Dough out flat and then cut it with my pastabike which makes these fun, pinked edges. My pastabike came with my pasta maker at Sur la Table but you can also buy the bike separately. (It’s a better deal to get the pasta maker, though. Really, it’s cheaper.) A pastry cutter probably would have been the right tool, but I don’t have one (yet).

The dough was truly easy to work with and never tore as I braided it. 

 

Carrot pudding filling

What’s a carrot pudding tart without the carrot pudding filling? It comes together similar to making lemon curd (though, carrot curd sounds too dissonant for my taste; I’ll stick with pudding, thank you).Freshly shredded carrot, freshly grated ginger, freshly zested orange and juice, brown sugar, lots of warm spices, butter, of course, and cornstarch and egg yolks for binding. 

It’s the best of carrot cake minus the flour! But who needs it when you have Aaron’s Tart Dough? The spices, similar to carrot cake, are ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and the secret ingredient: cardamom. If you don’t have cardamom, it’s not the end of the world! But you should definitely try it some time! 

The flavors of this tart would be a bit caramelized, spiced (the cinnamon and cardamom really shine), and pleasantly carrot-y. I think walnuts or pistachios would work wonderfully in here, too, but I haven’t tried. Let me know if you do. 

To make the carrot pudding tart filling, melt a stick of butter in a medium pot. Add in freshly shredded carrots, grated, ginger, and orange zest. Definitely shred the carrots yourself, as pre-shredded carrots are very dry. Let it cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Then combine the orange juice, spices, egg yolks, corn starch, and sugar. Spread it all over the carrots and continue cooking until it comes together in a ball. Allow it to cool completely before spreading onto the tart dough. 

Wrap up your Easter meal with this beautiful carrot pudding tart. Maybe even start the following morning with it? It is both unique and unassuming–a humble tart. With Easter upon us, that sounds perfect. 

Carrot Pudding Tart

The best flavors of carrot cake transported into a fragrant, beautiful tart.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Bake Time 40 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Carrot Pudding Filling

  • 1/2 cup Butter, salted
  • 1½ cups Freshly shredded carrots, packed about 6-8 carrots, don't use pre-shredded carrots
  • 2 tsp Freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp Orange zest
  • 1/3 cup Fresh orange juice
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp Corn starch
  • 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  • 4 Egg yolks
  • 2/3 cup Brown sugar, packed

Aaron's Tart Dough

  • 1â…” cup Flour
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  • 8 tbsp Butter, unsalted cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 6 tbsp Creme fraiche or sour cream, plus more for serving
  • 2-4 tbsp Ice water
  • 1 Egg Lightly beaten

Instructions
 

Carrot Pudding Filling

  • Melt butter in a heavy, medium-sized sauce pot. Add the carrots, ginger, and orange zest. Cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring occassionally.
  • Combine the orange juice, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, salt, vanilla, cornstarch, and eggs and whisk well.
  • Spoon the brown sugar over the cooking carrots and stir. Then pour the orange juice mixture over it all and stir until it comes together in a stiff dough-like consistency.
  • Cool to room temperature or transfer to the refrigerator and make the dough.

Aaron's Tart Dough

  • In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Drop in the cubes of butter, and either with your hands, a fork, or a pastry cutter, smush the butter into the flour.
  • Scoop in the creme fraich and gently work the flour into it until a shaggy ball forms. Add only as much water as you need to get it to come together. Some shaggy dough is still fine.
  • Place dough in the center of a sheet of plastic wrap and twist it sealed. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.
  • When ready, divide the dough in half. Roll one half into a flat round and drape over an ungreased tart pan. Press dough into the grooves of the pan and trim the excess.
  • Spread the carrot pudding filling evenly into the tart.
  • Roll the second half flat and cut into thin strips with either a knife or pastry cutter. Carefully create a lattice pattern with the strips. You can also create a braid out of the strips to drape around the circumference of the tart pan.
  • Brush with a beaten egg.
  • Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes on the middle rack, then lower the heat to 400°F for another 10 minutes, and 375° for a final 10 minutes. Check on it frequently to ensure the crust does not burn. Cool completely before cutting.
  • With the remaining creme fraiche, add vanilla bean paste or extract and sugar to desired taste. Take a spoonful and drop it on a serving plate. With the spoon facing up, place the bottom of the spoon on the dollop and swipe the creme fraiche along the plate for a little flair. Serve next to a slice of tart.
Keyword carrot pudding tart

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The Perfect Pink Drink For Your Party: Strawberry Shortcake Cream Soda

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A Charming, warm weather beverage

I’m not sure why old fashioned soda shoppes haven’t made a fancy, gourmet comeback yet, but when they do, I’ll be the first to say I told you so. Cream sodas are adorable, Instagram-worthy, and essentially carbonated ice cream. (How did this ever come out of fashion?) This particular fancy, gourmet strawberry shortcake cream soda recipe is a charming delight; it’s what spring and summer dreams are made of. Plus it has edible garnishes.

You can have it classic, sans alcohol, which is absolutely delicious. Or, you can have a very grown up, fancy, gourmet strawberry shortcake cream soda that will have you saying I told you so in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. 

How to make a strawberry shortcake cream soda

Regardless of alcohol, this strawberry shortcake cream soda starts the same way. You slice up some strawberries and tear mint leaves to put in a cocktail strainer. Add sugar, muddle it up, and then pour hot water over them to steep. I like using hot water in cocktails when I want to extract a little more flavor rather than just muddling. 

Depending on which road you take now, the ingredients change a little. But what still stays the same is A) how freaking delightful this cream soda is and B) the fact that it has a large edible garnish. 

Look, we live near and visit Wisconsin often, and good ol’ Wisco is famous for very elaborate Bloody Mary garnishes. I find this inspiring. I don’t see why more drinks can’t have excessive garnishes. I’ll have my drink and eat snacks on it, too, thanks.

So here we have some cranberry orange scones I made chopped into cubes and a juicy, plump strawberry, all stuck through with a drink skewer.

The Classic Strawberry Shortcake Cream Soda (Non alcoholic)

Without alcohol, this is a lovely, simple, and refreshing drink. Equal parts strawberries and simple syrup plus soda water and whipped cream, it is bubbly yet not cloyingly sweet. 

Perfect in a vintage milkshake glass, serve them up for kids, baby showers, bridal showers, or naturally, brunches. 

Strawberry Shortcake Cream Soda (Alcohol free)

Alex
Strawberries and mint muddled together with simple syrup and topped with soda water and whipped cream. Garnished with scones and strawberries
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup Fresh strawberries sliced
  • 10 Mint leaves, torn
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 oz Boiling hot water
  • 2 oz Simple syrup
  • Ice
  • 4 oz Soda water plain or flavored
  • 1/4 cup Heavy cream
  • 1 tsp Sugar for whipped cream
  • 1/4 tsp Strawberry extract optional
  • 1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 Strawberry for garnish
  • 2 pieces/cubes Scone or pound cake

Instructions
 

  • Place sliced strawberries and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Cover with 1 tsp sugar and muddle.
  • Pour 1 oz hot water over the muddled mixture and cover for 5 minutes.
  • While strawberries are steeping, make the whipped cream by combining heavy cream with 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp strawberry extract and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Whip with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  • Once the strawberries and mint have steeped, add to them the simple syrup and ice. Re-cover and shake for 30 seconds.
  • Strain into a milkshake glass until all the juice has come out. It might be easier to use an actual strainer rather than the cocktail strainer, as the strawberries can block the cocktail strainer holes.
  • Pour 4 oz of soda water over the juice. For a lightly sweet cream soda, use plain soda water. For a sweeter cream soda, use a flavored soda water such as lemon, orange, or strawberry.
  • Spoon the whipped cream on top of the soda. It should be close to the top of the glass. Garnish with a mint leaf and a skewer of scone pieces and strawberry.
Keyword strawberry shortcake cream soda

The Grownup Strawberry Shortcake Cream Soda (with Alcohol)

This drink, she has a dark side, and it’s wonderful to behold. If the classic strawberry shortcake cream soda is Sandra Dee, the grownup strawberry shortcake cream soda is Beauty School Dropout. For myself, I prefer my strawberry shortcake cream soda on the saucy side, and I hope you can try it so we can bond over our love for this sassy libation. 

The spirits used in this recipe are Gran Marnier, which is an orange liqueur; Chambord, which is a raspberry liqueur; and Vodka. I have not tried substituting the soda water with rosé champagne, but I imagine it would be fantastic. 

If you’re throwing a party with a 50’s malt shop theme, your guests are going to love this.

Strawberry Shortcake Cream Soda (with Alcohol)

Alex
A very strong summer drink made with strawberries, mint, simple syrup, vodka, Gran Marnier, Chambord, soda water, and whipped cream.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup Strawberries, sliced
  • 10 Mint leaves, torn save a sprig for garnish
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 oz Boiling hot water
  • 1 oz Simple syrup
  • 1/2 oz Gran Marnier
  • 1 oz Chambord
  • 1½ oz Vodka
  • Ice
  • 4 oz Soda water see note
  • 1/4 cup Heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 tsp Sugar
  • splash Chambord
  • Mint for garnish
  • 1 Strawberry for garnish
  • 2 1" cubed pieces Scone or pound cake for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Muddle strawberries, mint leaves, and sugar in a cocktail shaker. Pour hot water over it and cover for five minutes.
  • While strawberries steep, whip heavy cream with sugar and a splash of Chambord (or vanilla, if you prefer). Whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  • When strawberries are done steeping, pour in simple syrup, Gran Marnier, Chambord, Vodka, and add ice. Re-cover and shake for 30 seconds.
  • Strain into a milkshake glass (it may be easier to strain with a small cocktail strainer as the strawberries might clog the cocktail strainer holes) until all of the juice is in the glass.
  • Pour soda water* over the juice. The soda should be about an inch and a half below the milkshake glass top. Spoon the whipped cream over it. Insert a straw and garnish with a mint leaf and a scone-strawberry skewer.

Notes

This is already quite a strong drink, but if you were looking to fortify it, you could use rose champagne instead of soda water. I have not tried it before, but I imagine it could be nice. 
Keyword alcoholic drinks, strawberry shortcake cream soda

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Creamy Garlic-Chili Crunch Dip with Extra Everything Bagel Chips

by

The tastiest, easiest party dip ever

Looking for an easy party dip that both astounds and doesn’t turn brown after ten minutes? You found it! At its heart, it’s a very fancy ranch dressing dip: cool Greek yogurt thinned with fresh lemon juice drizzled with a fiery garlic and chili oil. 

This easy dip recipe was inspired by one of my favorite cooking writers, Alison Roman, with her Labneh Dip with sizzled scallions and chili. It’s laughably simple to prepare and ready in a snap for those last minute gatherings. Serve it with everything everything bagel chips or your favorite crackers. 

Everything Everything Bagel Chips

Dangerously addictive, and similar to making croutons, these bagel chips will warm your home with the smell of melted, browning butter and bread. If that were a perfume, I’d spritz it all over my head. 

These everything everything bagel chips are so versatile. They’re excellent in salads, with a slice of sharp white cheddar, as a solo afternoon snack, with lox and cream cheese…or of course, with this creamy garlic-chili dip.

What makes them “everything everything” bagel chips? They’re made with everything bagels, and they’re coated with butter and everything bagel seasoning.

How to make Everything Everything Bagel Chips

Step 1: Slice four (4) Everything bagels vertically in 1/4" thick strips. Arrange flat on two parchment lined cookie sheets.
Step 2: Melt 4 tbsp salted butter and combine with 4 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp Everything Bagel seasoning.
Step 3: Brush butter-oil-seasoning onto bagels. Bake at 325 degrees for 26-30 minutes, flipping bagel chips half way through.
Step 4: Check for doneness: should be completely crisp--no soft centers. Cool before serving. Can be stored in a freezer gallon ziplock bag for up to one month.

Creamy Parmesan Garlic-Chili Ranch Dip

This dip is perfection. Its creamy Greek yogurt base gets a lemony pucker and a roundhouse kick of heat from garlic and red pepper flakes. Spooning dollops of it on an everything everything bagel chip and subsequently on everything else is a normal side effect of this dip. Ask your doctor; they’ll tell you avocados cause more cooking injuries than any other food. Skip the guac. This is much easier and ten times more delicious. 

It’s also not that spicy of a dip. I’m admittedly a big wuss with spicy food, and this is heat I can handle and enjoy. Red pepper flakes give off a kind of light burn at the back of the throat, and its firepower is quickly deluged by the coolness of the Greek yogurt.

Creamy Parm Garlic-Chili Ranch Dip

Alex
Extremely easy party dip, full of zest and big, bold flavors. Greek yogurt based, thinned with fresh lemon juice, seasoned with lemon zest, salt, parsley, and drizzled with homemade garlic-chili oil.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Appetizer
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

For the Greek yogurt base

  • 8 oz Full-fat Greek yogurt
  • Zest of half a lemon About 1/2 tsp
  • Juice of half a lemon About 1-2 tbsp
  • 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp Parsley dried is fine
  • 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

For the garlic-chili oil

  • 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Tomato paste

Instructions
 

For Greek yogurt base

  • Combine Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and Parmesan in a serving bowl. Mix with a silicone spatula until completely mixed. Make garlic-chili oil.

For the garlic-chili oil

  • In a small pot, heat olive oil under medium heat for about a minute.
  • Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, whisking constantly until garlic turns golden, about a minute. Turn off heat and cool for a minute. Whisk in tomato paste.
  • Spoon the oil over the Greek yogurt base. Serve with everything everything bagel chips (see recipe above) or your favorite chips.
Keyword spicy garlic ranch dip

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High Protein High Fiber Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

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Your next breakfast upgrade

Banana chocolate chip Kodiak muffins are your next breakfast game changer. Banana and chocolate chips already are a great muffin act, but the protein and fiber added from the Kodiak mix keeps you feeling full and healthy! If you already love banana chocolate chip muffins, I offer you this wholesome upgrade. 

My brunch obsessions are probably coming off a little strong lately, but this banana chocolate chip Kodiak muffin bouquet just makes such a lovely arrangement for a brunch buffet. I divided the batter between a 24-mini-muffin tin and a regular 12-muffin tin to get the different sizes. 

What is Kodiak Mix?

Kodiak mix–specifically the Kodiak Flapjack & Waffle Mix–is pancake/waffle mix made with whole wheat flour and dairy-based protein powders. It adds extra protein and fiber to anything you want to make with pancake mix, and you can make a lot with pancake mix. All pancake mixes have salt and leavening agents in them like baking soda and baking powder, so you don’t need to add them in when you’re using pancake mix to make muffins. 

Ingredients for Banana chocolate Chip Kodiak Muffins

  • Kodiak flour – I get it in bulk at CostCo. It’s about a 5 lb box, but you can get it at most grocery stores (except Trader Joe’s, though they have their own brand of high-fiber, high-protein flour mix)
  • 3 Ripe bananas – I consider a ripe banana one that is deep golden yellow and has a healthy covering of brown freckles. Anywhere from here to completely brown is perfect.
  •  Butter and vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
  • Sugar and brown sugar
  • Cinnamon and vanilla extract
  • Eggs
  • Mini or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips

How to make banana chocolate chip Kodiak muffins

Make the muffins in this order, and I promise you, you’ll only need one bowl.

Melt butter in a large bowl in the microwave. Add to it the vegetable oil, and then the bananas. Mash the bananas with a fork or potato masher. Add in the sugars, eggs, vanilla, and use a hand mixer to blend them all together. Sprinkle in the chocolate chips, and finally, blend in the flour. Don’t overmix the flour or you’ll have some tough muffins. Fill a regular muffin tin using a 1/4 cup size ice cream scoop and bake. 

By the way, I absolutely despise cupcake liners, so I just non-stick spray the heck out of the muffin tins. This recipe makes a 2 dozen muffins or 48 mini muffins, give or take a few, depending on the size of your bananas. 

The virtues of honey butter

My husband introduced me to putting butter on muffins, (okay, I guess the movie Mean Girls did, too) and it’s an excellent condiment! If you have cute little jars or serving dishes, honey butter looks adorable at a table. It’s very simple to make, all you need is honey and butter. I also add flakey sea salt for crunch and balance. Slathering a warm muffin with honey butter is a little bite of heaven. 

Banana Chocolate Chip Kodiak Muffins with Honey Butter

Alex
Chocolate chip banana muffin recipe made using Kodiak pancake/waffle mix instead of flour, and slathered in honey butter.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

Banana Chocolate Chip Kodiak Muffins

  • 2 cups Kodiak Flapjack & Waffle Mix Buttermilk flavor
  • 3 Bananas very ripe
  • 1/4 cup Butter melted
  • 1/4 cup Vegetable oil Coconut oil works too
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Brown sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Honey Butter

  • 1/2 cup Softened butter
  • 2½ tbsp Honey plus more for drizzling
  • Flakey sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Spray two 12-cup cupcake tins or a 24-mini muffin tin with non-stick spray. There is no need to use cupcake liners.
  • Melt butter in a large mixing bowl in microwave. Add to it the vegetable oil and bananas.
  • Mash bananas with a fork or potato masher.
  • Sprinkle in sugar, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to blend well.
  • Add chocolate chips to the mixture and blend well.
  • Add in the Kodiak mix and blend until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • For regular muffins, drop 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin tin cup. For mini muffins, drop 1 tbsp of batter into each muffin tin cup.
  • Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on the raw batter in the muffin tins.
  • Bake for 28 minutes (one tin at a time--not simultaneously) for regular muffins or 18 minutes for mini muffins. Cool slightly before turning out of the tin.
  • While muffins bake, combine butter and honey in a bowl. Stir vigorously with a spatula until blended. Drizzle a bit of honey on top and sprinkle with flakey sea salt. Spread on warm muffins.
Keyword banana chocolate chip Kodiak muffins honey butter

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Lavender Lime Thyme Gin Sling

by

Brunch Libations

These lavender lime thyme gin slings are such a delightful morning libation, great for any brunch. I made these with lavender infused simple syrup, but plain simple syrup works perfectly well, too, and “lime thyme gin sling” sound just as catchy. Lime and thyme are a great duo, and combined with lavender and botanical gin, you get a fresh, puckering, ever-so-slightly sweet beverage. If you’re looking to brighten a brunch party this spring, (ahem, Easter,) try these lavender lime thyme gin slings!  

Lavender infused simple syrup

Okay, I admit lavender syrup is very bougie, but Trader Joe’s had dried lavender this week and I could not resist. Can you use simple syrup? Absolutely. Is the lavender syrup better? Definitely. The herbal lavender and thyme components of the drink lovingly compliment the botanicals in gin. My lavender syrup recipe makes 1.5 cups of syrup, so you’ll definitely have leftover. It goes really well in Earl Grey tea, which also has lavender in it! Or you can use it as a cake soaking syrup. (Ooh, lavender lemon cakes?!) Endless possibilities when it comes to lavender syrup!

Lavender Syrup Recipe

  • 1/4 cup dried lavender buds, pulled from thee stem
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
    Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized sauce pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring so the sugar dissolves. Once it reaches a simmer, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let the lavender buds steep in the syrup for an hour. Then strain into a glass container and store in the refrigerator. Can use up to three months.

Lavender Lime Thyme Gin Sling

Ingredients

  • Fresh Lime Juice and lime slices for garnish
  • Lavender Syrup (or Simple Syrup)
  • Gin (Hendrick’s is great)
  • Fresh thyme leaves, pulled off the stem
  • Hot water
  • Lemon-flavored sparkling water
  • Ice

These lavender lime thyme gin slings are really great for entertaining because they’re not overly heavy. You can still get a charming buzz without getting wild. And you only need one! I think they also cleanse the palette, which works well if you’ve got a buffet going and want to try everything! 

How to make lavender lime thyme gin slings

Drop about 2 tbsp of thyme leaves (slid off the stems) into a cocktail shaker. Pour over the leaves 1/4 cup of boiling water and cover the cocktail shaker. Steep the thyme in the water for five minutes. Meanwhile, juice the limes (about two and a half limes) up to 1/4 cup in a liquid measuring cup. Slice the other half of the remaining lime into thin slices for garnish. Add 1/4 cup of lavender syrup and 4 oz of gin to the lime juice. Pour it all over the thyme and water in the cocktail shaker. Cover and shake, shake, shake! Drop a large (old fashioned) ice cube in three low ball glasses. Pour the drink into each glass, about 3/4 full. Top off with sparkling water. Garnish with lime slice, a sprig of thyme, and a fun straw. 

Lavender Lime Thyme Gin Sling

Alex
Floral, herbal, and bright gin cocktail
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 3 low balls

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp Fresh thyme leaves stem removed, plus three sprigs for garnish
  • 1/4 cup Boiling hot water
  • 1/4 cup Lavender syrup Simple syrup works, too
  • 1/4 cup Fresh lime juice about 2.5 limes
  • 3 slices Fresh lime for garnish
  • 4 oz Gin Hendrick's or Bombay
  • 3 Old fashioned ice cubes
  • 1 can Lemon flavored sparkling water Use sugar-flavored sparkling water such as San Pellegrino

Instructions
 

  • Dump fresh thyme leaves in a cocktail shaker. Pour boiling hot water over them and cover the cocktail shaker. Steep for five minutes.
  • Combine fresh lime juice, lavender syrup, and gin in a liquid measuring cup. Pour into thyme water once steeping is done.
  • Cover cocktail shaker again and shake, about 20 seconds.
  • Drop an old fashioned ice cube into each low ball glass. Strain cocktail shaker contents evently between the glasses, about 3/4 full. Top each glass off with sparkling water. Garnish with lime slice and a sprig of thyme.
Keyword lavender lime thyme gin sling

Cucumber Mint Splash

May 1, 2021 No Comments

Cucumber Mint Splash! It actually has lime, too, is garnished with blueberries, and is topped with lemon-flavored San Pellegrino soda water. I have been craving

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Coco Chanel Martini

May 1, 2021 1 Comment

Happy Saturday! Time for another libation creation! Jim and I went to Barnes and Noble earlier this week so I could get Malcolm Gladwell’s new

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Black Thai Affair

April 25, 2021 No Comments

Black Thai Affair… I heard the Oscars are on today. I won’t pretend to care about the Oscars, but I won’t pass any reason to

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Cake Decorating Chocolate Ruffles

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Chocolate ruffles make excellent cake toppers. They’re elegant, sophisticated, and you don’t have to decorate the top of the cake! It’s a chocolate embodiment of the Elizabethan collar! They add drama and flair, and next time you’re cake decorating, you should consider these chocolate ruffles to impress the birthday party crowd. 

What are chocolate ruffles?

Chocolate ruffles are thin sheets of modeling chocolate that are lightly pleated to create lovely ruffles. Modeling chocolate is made by melting chocolate and adding to it light corn syrup. It quickly forms a soft dough, and after chilling and kneading, becomes easily moldable. Running it through a pasta machine creates thin sheets that are ready for pleating. They harden slightly and can be placed on a frosted cake. 

Necessary equipment for making chocolate ruffles

  • Pasta Maker – I know it’s a very specific appliance, but unfortunately there is no substitute. I use a hand crank pasta maker from Sur la Table, but the KitchenAid pasta maker attachment has always intrigued me! I’m sure it would work just as well.
  • Chopstick – this is what creates the ruffles by sliding it under the sheet and pinching the dough with your fingers. The chopstick makes a very tight ruffle, but you can use a larger diameter tool for a wider ruffle. The handle of a cocktail muddler would work, too. 
  • Bench scraper – for cutting the dough. A kitchen knife works fine as well.
  • Silicone pastry mat (optional) – this helps in case the ruffles stick to the working surface. You can also dust your counter with a bit of cocoa powder if you don’t have a pastry mat. 

Ingredients for making chocolate ruffles

You only need two ingredients: chocolate and corn syrup. It is essential you have the right amount of corn syrup. If it’s under-measured, the dough will be completely unworkable, so spray the liquid measuring cup with non-stick spray and add an extra teaspoon of corn syrup to make sure! 
 
  • 10 oz chocolate 
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tsp light corn syrup
  • Nonstick cooking spray for measuring cup and spoon
  • Cocoa powder for dusting

This cake with chocolate ruffles was a simple chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on the outside and rainbow frosting on the inside. There was so much going on on the inside of the cake that I wanted the outside to be simple and elegant. To hide the crimped ends of the ruffles, I piped some of the rainbow frosting in the center, though I’ve also seen chocolate ruffles coming out the top in other cakes. This was for a kid’s birthday cake, though, so a little color goes a long way! This reminded me of the movie Up. 

Print

Cake Decorating Chocolate Ruffles

Modeling chocolate molded into lovely ruffles to decorate cakes
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time1 hour
Resting Time1 day
Total Time1 day 1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Modeling chocolate ruffles cake decorating
Yield: 12 5" long ruffles

Equipment

  • 1 Pasta maker Hand crank or electric
  • 1 Chopstick
  • 1 Bench scraper

Materials

  • 10 oz Chocolate semi-sweet
  • 1/3 cup Light corn syrup plus 1 tsp
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • Cocoa powder

Instructions

Day 1: Make the modeling chocolate

  • Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in 30-second increments at half power until completely melted.
  • Spray the measuring cup and teaspoon with nonstick spray. Spray a silicon spatula, too. Measure 1/3 cup and 1 teaspoon of corn syrup. Pour corn syrup into chocolate, ensuring all the corn syrup is transferred to the chocolate using the spatula. Stir with the spatula until a soft ball forms.
  • The chocolate modeling dough will be very soft but still workable. Knead the dough, folding it on itself for 3-4 minutes. Form into a rough square, 1" tall. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: Make the chocolate ruffles

  • Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes to soften.
  • Roll dough into a log, about 2" in diameter. Use the bench scraper to cut off an inch off the log and flatten it with your hands. Sprinkle it with cocoa powder and run it through the widest setting on the pasta maker.
  • Continue running the dough through the pasta maker, decreasing the thickness each time until you've reached the desired thickness, about 1/8"-3/16" and the dough has become a sheet of chocolate.
  • Lay the sheet flat on the pastry mat and run the chopstick under the chocolate sheet. Pinch the chocolate above the chopstick to form a ruffle. Pull the chopstick out and run it under the chocolate sheet again, next to the first ruffle. Repeat this process until the entire sheet has been ruffled.
  • Repeat cutting dough off the log until all the dough is used. The chocolate ruffles will keep and harden on the counter as you continue working with the remaining dough. When all the dough has been used and all the ruffles have been formed, allow the ruffles to sit on the counter to harden for about 30 minutes before using for cake decorating.
  • To apply ruffles to the cake, apply a bit of frosting at the underside of the ruffle or at the unexposed end and place on the cake. It will be easy to cut through the ruffles when you're ready to cut the cake if you let the cake sit out for an hour before cutting.

Baker's Theory is selling cakes!

By the way, I am selling my cakes now! Check out the Order page to see my selection. This was a chocolate rainbow cake with chocolate ruffles for a birthday party. 

Blueberry Muffin Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze

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Blueberry muffin scones with vanilla bean glaze! Let me be clear, these are definitely scones. But with the cinnamon and vanilla flavors and dried blueberries, they are scones that taste like blueberry muffins. 

Along the same Easter brunch line as the Mediterranean Vegetable Egg White Quiche, I love serving scones at a brunch. Gotta have gluten somewhere in the menu, right? With berries starting to come into season, these are a great choice for serving at Easter brunch (or any brunch, really)! 

I love plating scones and other pastries on an elevated cake plate at brunch parties. It gives the table spread a vertical dimension. These are blueberry scones with vanilla glaze that my mother-in-law made for the very first brunch club. 

Scones come in all sizes. You can have a scone the size of a pizza slice or the petite vanilla bean scones from Starbucks. When I’m serving a spread, I prefer scones on the petite size. I think the guests prefer it, too, because they can have more than one!

Despite cutting them into little 1.5″ wedges, scones always rise enormously in the oven because of the healthy amount of baking powder in them, so even one petite scone can be quite large!

I have used variations of this recipe many times. My favorites include chocolate chip and cranberry-orange. All you have to do is swap out the blueberries and cinnamon with whatever flavors you like. You can even make savory scones, which are essentially biscuits. (I’ve always wanted to try cheddar chive scones…)

You likely have many of the ingredients for making scones, such as flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla, milk and/or sour cream, and butter. 

The fillings can get a bit exotic if you like. I prefer dried blueberries over fresh ones since baking fresh blueberries can make the scones a big soggy. I also use vanilla bean paste in the icing because the vanilla flavor is more intense, plus I get a huge kick out of seeing the little black specks of vanilla bean. It’s a pretty little detail.

Adding cinnamon to the recipe is what gives it the blueberry muffin vibe and my heart skips a beat with the fist bite of a crackly icing. It’s so classically breakfast. 

Blueberry Muffin Scones with Vanilla Bean Icing

Alex
Sweet blueberry scones with a delightful hint of blueberry muffin, topped with a delicious ,crackly vanilla bean glaze.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 Petit Scones

Ingredients
  

Blueberry Muffin Scones

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  • 2½ tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter cut in 1/4" cubes
  • 1/4 cup Sour cream
  • 1/4 cup Milk Any fat level is fine
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cup Dried blueberries
  • 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp Heavy cream
  • Demerara sugar for sprinkling

Vanilla Bean Glaze

  • 1 cup Powdered sugar
  • 4 tbsp Heavy cream
  • 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste
  • pinch salt

Instructions
 

Blueberry Muffin Scones

  • Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a liquid measuring cup, combine the sour cream, milk, egg, and vanilla. Whisk until well blended. (Hack: If you don't want to measure out the sour cream in a measuring cup, instead drop a healthy dollop of it in the measuring cup and then fill the measuring cup up to 1/2 cup mark with the milk.)
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the cubes of butter.
  • Using your hands (disposable gloves help), squish the butter into the flour mixture, coating the butter in flour. If you prefer, a pastry cutter works to do this well.
  • When the butter is small, crumbly, and pea-size, add the sour cream and milk mixture to the flour and butter mixture. Dump in the dried blueberries and cinnamon.
  • Continue to mix gently with your hands until a rough ball forms. You can add a bit more milk if the dough is dry.
  • Divide dough into four equal balls. Take one ball and flatten it on a clean counter dusted with flour until the dough is about 3/4" tall. Using a bench scraper or knife, cut the disc into six equal wedges. Arrange the wedges on the first half of one of the parchment-lined pans. Repeat for the remaining three balls of dough.
  • Brush the tops of the wedges with heavy cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. (Sugar in the Raw works fine, too.) Place pans in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F. When oven is ready, bake scones one pan at a time for 13 minutes, turning half way. Allow to cool slightly before glazing. While scones bake, make the glaze.

Vanilla Bean Glaze

  • In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, cream, vanilla bean extract, and salt. It will be thick but fluid.
  • When scones have cooled slightly (about 20 minutes), you can either spoon the glaze directly on them, or put the glaze in a piping or Ziplock bag and pipe it on the scones.

Notes

These freeze really well, glaze on and all. It's just the two of us at home, and we can't possibly eat 24 scones in a week, so I put half the batch of scones in a gallon freezer Ziplock bag and take them out of the freezer as needed. They thaw in about a 15-20 minutes, but I usually can't wait that long! They seriously can keep for months in the freezer. Perfect for an unexpected brunch or a quick on-the-go breakfast. 
Keyword Blueberry muffin scones

Crustless Mediterranean Egg White Quiche

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Thinking up recipes for Easter brunch? Look no further! Here’s a crustless, protein-packed Mediterranean veggie egg white quiche! It’s a delicious brunch item you can feel good about dishing up. Both easy and healthy, this comes together in a single, cast iron pan and is packed with good, nutritious ingredients! 

I have been really digging on this recipe for the last few weeks and have some version of it for breakfast with a buttery slice of toast. You can change up the vegetables depending on the season. It’s a great recipe to feed the family on Easter or any other day of the year! 

One stop shop @ Trader Joe's!

I am a huge fan of Trader Joe’s. You could say I’m that person who shows up with recyclable grocery bags every week and clothes-lines the organic produce, but honestly, isn’t that every Trader Joe’s shopper? 

Anyway, everything you need for this recipe can be found at Trader Joe’s, and since I consider them very niche, you will very likely find these items at any grocery store. Here’s your shopping list:

  • 6 oz Spinach
  • 14 oz can Whole Artichoke Hearts
  • 16 oz Liquid Egg Whites
  • Jar of Roasted Red Peppers
  • 8 oz of Small Curd Cottage Cheese
  • At least 3 oz of Mediterranean Herbed Feta Cheese Crumbles
  • A bag of Shredded Swiss Cheese
  • Seasoning of your choice – I like Green Goddess or salt

 

 

The process is so simple! Lightly sautee your vegetables in a tablespoon of olive oil in a seasoned cast iron skilled. (I use a 10″ Lodge cast iron skillet.) Spread the cottage cheese over the veggies, pour the entire liquid egg white carton over it, and sprinkle with the cheeses and seasonings. Bake it at 350F for 50 minutes. That’s it. If you can spend ten minutes sauteeing, you’re 90% there. The oven does the rest.

I usually cut this into six triangles and that’s my breakfast Monday through Saturday. But this looks so pretty and golden with its domed top, you should serve it up for brunch!

Low Calorie, High Protein

I love this recipe because I don’t feel guilty eating a healthy slice of quiche every morning. I enjoy analyzing nutritional macros and calories, so here’s a breakdown of this recipe’s per serving:

  • Carbohydrates: 10.3 g
  • Fats: 6 g
  • Proteins: 18.5 g
  • Calories: 180 kcal
  • Fiber: 2 g

Crustless Mediterranean Egg White Quiche

Alex
Quick and healthy vegetable quiche with wonderfully aromatic Mediterranean flair!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Baking Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people
Calories 180 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 6 oz Baby spinach, raw About 4 cups
  • 14 oz Can of Artichoke Hearts drained (about 8.5 oz) and chopped
  • 10 oz Jar of Roasted Red Bell Peppers drained (about 8 oz) and chopped
  • 1/3 cup Crumbled Feta Mediterranean herbed
  • 1 cup Low-fat Small-curd Cottage Cheese
  • 16 oz Carton of Liquid Egg Whites
  • 1/4 cup Shredded swiss cheese
  • 1/2 tsp Green Goddess Seasoning or salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and place a rack in the center.
  • Heat olive oil in a 10-14" seasoned cast iron skillet. When oil is hot and shimmery, add spinach, chopped artichokes, and chopped bell peppers. Sauté the vegetables for 3-5 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat. Spoon cottage cheese over the vegetables in the skillet, spreading it to cover them. Sprinkle feta crumbles on top.
  • Pour the liquid egg whites over the vegetables and cheeses. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese and Green Goddess (or other) seasoning.
  • (Carefully!) place the skillet in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Allow it to cool for about 5-10 minutes before cutting.
  • To reheat from the refrigerator, place a slice on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 1 minute on full power.

Notes

Feel free to add meat to this recipe! Sometimes I'll fry some prosciutto or bacon in the skillet prior to sautéing the vegetables. 
Other great vegetables to try in this recipe are roasted tomatoes, roasted potatoes, green or caramelized onions, leeks, mushrooms, and broccoli!
Keyword crustless quiche, egg white quiche, gluten free, Mediterranean quiche, vegetable quiche

Puppies & Cakes

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A few months ago, Jim and I became puppy parents! It has been a wild ride, but little Miss Sophie has been such a joy. We have watched her grow so much and it makes us cry! All the time!

Supervising her and training her has been our constant job, and we have had little time for much else. So my at-home, Sophie-watching activity has been cake decorating. It can be done in many phases so I can step away from it for a few hours to watch her. This is a chocolate orange cake that Sophie had a particular interest in!

Sophie is a breed of dog called a Brittany. Brittanys used to be called Brittany Spaniels, but the spaniel part was dropped in recent years. Spaniels typically flush, which means running through brush to get birds to fly so hunters can shoot at them. Brittanys do not flush; instead, they point, meaning they point at the birds so hunters know where to aim. Thus Brittanys fall under the pointing class instead of the flushing/spaniel class. 

Anyway! We aren’t hunters! We chose this breed because Brittanys are very smart and easy to train dogs. And we love her look! Sophie is a bit unconventional for a Brittany because she does not have a full mask; she only has one eye covered in the classic Brittany orange. We think she looks great!

Sophie has a lot of personality and is extremely smart. We follow the dog trainer YouTube channel by Zak George, and he’s given a lot of really good training tips. So far we have trained Sophie to sit, stay, come, lay down, roll over, stand, spin, and leave it. Our latest training has focused on walking on leash!

Between training sessions and exercising Sophie (she needs A LOT of exercise) I have been learning about and making a lot of layered cakes. This is a 6″ chocolate cake with caramel buttercream and a caramel drip. 

Something I learned about chocolate cakes is that they require a crumb layer of frosting. Chocolate cake kicks up more crumbs than yellow cake when touched, so it needs a light coat of frosting that the crumbs will adhere to. You chill it so the frosting hardens around the crumbs and now you can do the “real” / outer layer of frosting. 

Some handy cake decorating hacks I learned from making this triple chocolate cake were: 
1. To make a drip cake: make chocolate ganache (chocolate to heavy cream ratio is 2:1) and pour into a piping bag. Snip the tip to “draw” scallops around the circumference of the top of the cake. The curved part of the scallop will go on the top of the cake and the ends of the scallops become the drips. Then you can cover the rest of the top of the cake with ganache to cover up your scallops.

2. To create a sprinkles border on your cake: after frosting the cake, place parchment or wax paper around the cake so it sticks. Then cup sprinkles in one hand and gently press them into the exposed part of the cake.

More pictures of puppy life… When we first got Sophie, we were amazed at her super high energy and subsequent (and immediate) ability to pass out. She sleeps about 12 hours every day!

Anyway, back to these fun cakes. Above is a plain 6″ chocolate layer cake with a pretty sea foam green buttercream that I drew in roses and stars and sprayed with edible gold glitter. I like 6″ cakes better than 8 or 9″ because they’re easier to frost and more manageable for a small family to tackle over a few days. A bigger cake tends to stick around past its due date around here! 

Creating a rose with frosting is actually the easiest / beginner skill to master when learning to frost cakes. These cupcakes were made with a big star tip in a simple swirl from inside to the outside. 

The s’mores cake was a treat for my husband’s birthday and I found the recipe on Life, Love, and Sugar’s blog! I highly recommend it!!! The toasted graham cracker layers added SO MUCH oomph. 

What cake decorating troubleshooting questions do you have?!