Have you heard about the Tom Cruise cake? It's the Doan's Bakery Bundt cake that Tom Cruise sends all his friends every Christmas. It's a rich coconut-flavored butter cake filled with chunks of white chocolate, covered with cream cheese frosting and shredded coconut. Several of Cruise's famous friends have gleefully admitted to looking forward to … Continue reading White Chocolate Coconut “Tom Cruise” Cake
Desserts
You’ll Never Believe It’s Gluten (and Sugar) Free: Double Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
Upon being put on a restricted diet, one of the things I missed the most was chocolate. So once I could tolerate baked goods once again, I set out to find safe but chocolatey treats. I first turned to my new favorite gluten-free baker, deciding to convert her small batch chocolate cake into cupcakes, so … Continue reading You’ll Never Believe It’s Gluten (and Sugar) Free: Double Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes
Hamantaschen
It's almost Purim for our Jewish friends! Purim celebrates one of my favorite Bible stories: Esther. Her bravery resulted in the Hebrew people being liberated from persecution. Perhaps you were born for such a time as this. (Esther 4:14) To commemorate, the Jewish people often make a filled cookie called Hamantaschen, which translates to "ears … Continue reading Hamantaschen
You’ll Never Believe It’s Gluten-Free: Orange Drizzle Cake
Did I lose you on that term, gluten-free? I don't blame you; it's been horribly abused and vilified. A gross percentage of GF treats are bland, claggy, dry, and generally awful. But what if I told you they didn't have to be? Most of our current baking habits, knowledge, and training are based on our … Continue reading You’ll Never Believe It’s Gluten-Free: Orange Drizzle Cake
Dark Chocolate Tart
I decided to make a homemade birthday treat for my mother-in-law this month, and she happens to love dark chocolate. Not just love, but adore! So when I saw this recipe for a proper - yet relatively easy - dark chocolate tart from one of my favorite online bakers, Christina from Scientifically Sweet, I knew … Continue reading Dark Chocolate Tart
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
Have you discovered Joy the Baker yet? She's fantastic, especially for desserts! In her most recent magazine publication, this recipe jumped out at me. With my husband's boisterous affinity for anything apple cinnamon, I knew we had to try them! These taste like an oatmeal cookie and a snickerdoodle had a baby, loaded up with … Continue reading Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies
Creamy Chocolate Cinnamon Rice Pudding
Restricted diets can be difficult, not to mention a massive bummer. Sometimes you have to eat gluten free. Sometimes sugar free. Sometimes dairy free. Sometimes yeast free. And sometimes, you have to stick to all four of them simultaneously, like I do right now. The hardest part of the day on this diet is after-dinner … Continue reading Creamy Chocolate Cinnamon Rice Pudding
Thanksgiving Turkey Pie Design
Looking for a way to make a basic pumpkin pie more festive for Thanksgiving? Put a turkey on it! TIMESAVER TIP: You don't even have to make anything from scratch! This works great with refrigerated/frozen pie crust and a premade pie from the freezer section/bakery of your local grocery store. Just make sure, before you … Continue reading Thanksgiving Turkey Pie Design
Homemade Marshmallows and Peanut Butter Banana S’mores
Until now, I was intimidated by the idea of making marshmallows from scratch. Candy making can seem so precise and scary. Turns out, it's not that complicated! The heat and mixer do all the work. My two tips: Make sure you have a candy thermometer so you know just when your syrup is ready. Go … Continue reading Homemade Marshmallows and Peanut Butter Banana S’mores
No-Bake Cheesecake Hacks
Are you someone who doesn't bake but would love to impress this holiday season? I've got you covered! In this post, learn how to jazz up a store-bought, no-bake cheesecake in FOUR different ways that will leave your guests begging for seconds! First, buy a no-bake cheesecake. During the fall holidays, I love the Pumpkin … Continue reading No-Bake Cheesecake Hacks
Mainstay Kitchen & Home 