sweets Archives | The Vanilla Bean Blog

cherries and cream slab pie (some notes on how I make pie)

Saturday, May 25, 2019

It took me a long time to feel confident making pies. I never actually made one until my late twenties, as they had seemed so daunting and time consuming; so much work for something that had such a high percentage of not turning out right. My first attempt actually was incredible: I made a perfect apple pie. The crust was flaky and golden brown, the filling perfectly cooked,…

baking• cake

Walnut Snack Cake with Raspberry Buttercream

Saturday, May 18, 2019

This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are my own. I’ve teamed up with California Walnuts to bring you some recipes over the following year (such as this chocolate walnut cake and these chocolate donuts). Over 99 percent of walnuts grown in the U.S. come from California’s walnut orchards, many of which are on family owned and operated farms that have been around for generations. Walnuts are nutritious…

baking

kolaches

Thursday, April 4, 2019

I’m addicted to kolaches. Any and all kinds, but especially these pictured here. Kolaches were brought to Texas by Czech immigrants and now have a cult-like following, for good reason. Almost a Danish pastry, they are made with a brioche-like bread dough instead of laminated layers; their centers filled with creamy sweet cheese and the slightest hint of lemon. When I first came across them in Bread Illustrated…

baking

Strawberry Poppy Seed Buns

Friday, March 22, 2019

I’m back with more swirl buns! When I stumbled upon the recipe for Strawberry Poppy Seed Buns from the new Bake From Scratch cookbook, I decided to drop everything (which was really just taking a break from recipe testing for my next book) and make them. The dough came together beautifully and was a dream to work with, and my family and neighbors devoured them immediately then raved…

baking• cake

Lovely Lemon Yogurt Cake

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

This week I was sent an advance copy of Odette William’s new book, Simple Cake. It is a beautiful book filled with all kinds of (wait for it) simple cakes, and after flipping through the pages I was immediately inspired to head to the kitchen and bake. I decided on this Lovely Lemon Cake with Nana’s Simple Glaze; we have been buried in piles and piles of snow…

baking

Raised Donuts with Chocolate Glaze and Candied Walnuts

Thursday, February 14, 2019

This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are my own. February has roared in like a lion, at least, here in Minnesota it sure feels that way. Piles of snow and subzero temperatures have started out this month of love, and my kids have spent more time home then in school. They have been reveling in the snow days (more than I ever had…

baking

Raised Mini Donuts

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Mini Donuts! With all the options for fancy, over-the-top donuts, I often forget the simple pleasure of a tiny donut coated in sugar. In the past these small circles were enjoyed at some kind of amusement park or fair; a bag purchased on the way out after a long day of walking for miles and spending way too much money on food already. Now I can make them…

baking• cake• Uncategorized

Walnut White Chocolate Bundt Cake

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

This post is sponsored by California Walnuts. As always, all opinions are my own. I have another cake for you; this one is in Bundt form, studded with white chocolate and topped with candied walnuts (which, you may remember, is my new favorite treat). I love Bundt cakes because they fall in the dessert category of ‘simple but classy’, and can be eaten any time of the…

baking

blood orange donuts

Sunday, January 20, 2019

Yossy Arefi’s (from Apt 2B Baking Co.) new cookbook is out today, and I’d just like to begin by saying it’s so gorgeous. I’ve been a fan of Yossy’s work for quite some time and have been eagerly awaiting this release. The book focuses on all things fruit, and is filled with stunning photographs, unique flavor combinations, and recipes that work. ‘The recipes in this book range from…

baking

Cinnamon Rolls

Sunday, January 13, 2019

I’m posting the cinnamon roll recipe from my book here today, as many of you have been looking for it after the Pancake Princess declared it winner of her Cinnamon Roll Bake Off (yay!). I had the rolls in a different form here, but since the recipe was on several other sites and I had so many questions about where to find it and how to make them,…

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