These easy to make donuts are baked rather than fried, and there is no yeast, nor rest time to deal with. My husband was kind of taken aback when he tried these donuts because they don’t taste like your typical donuts - overly sweet and heavy. Rather, these donuts are merely muffins in donut form, because, well, most things are more fun in donut form!
Monkey bread is comprised of individual pieces of yeasted bread that are rolled in and coated with a butter-sugar syrup mixture and cinnamon sugar. Therefore, your home will smell amazing as the monkey bread bakes in the oven. You can either cut the bread into slices, or pull apart the pieces individually. This recipe can be made the night before - just look at the baker’s notes at the bottom of the recipe for instructions! And the best part about this recipe is that it can double as a brunch item and a dessert item. ;)
Read MoreIn this season of pies, here’s a super easy to make tart. A Reese’s Tart, to be exact. Personally Reese’s cups are one of my favorite candies, right behind peanut butter M&M’s (see a pattern here...lol). I mean, you can’t go wrong with the classic pairing of peanut butter and chocolate, am I right?? So the fact that this tart tastes just like a Reese’s Cup is a major win in my book. The base is a simple Oreo crust, which is topped with a whipped peanut butter and chocolate ganache layers. This dessert recipe is no-bake, which means that as your oven is full with dinner entrees and side dishes for your holiday gatherings or with all of your holiday baking, this dessert won’t require an oven space…
Read MoreAlright, so CUPCAKES! Surprisingly this is the first time that I have made cupcakes for my blog. Naturally I wanted to something special, so I went with my favorite holiday flavor combo - chocolate and mint. The cupcake is a classic chocolate cupcake. It has a rich and moist consistency, and the flavor is enhanced thanks to my favorite chocolate cake “secret” ingredient - fresh coffee! It is topped with a savory mint chocolate icing. The mint flavoring comes from fresh mint leaves, so it has an authentic taste to it. The savory mint is well balanced by the sweetness of the powdered sugar and creaminess of the butter…
Read MoreThe lemon and blueberry are such a classic flavoring pair, and are so light and refreshing in taste. The cakes are super moist, thanks to the Greek yogurt inside. Despite being made in mini loaf pans, I am calling these cakes because they are much too sweet to be called bread! (Though I wouldn’t mind calling them bread so that I can pass them off as an acceptable breakfast item!). There are two different toppings for these cakes, both used to enhance the citrus lemon flavoring. The first is a lemon syrup that is poured over the top and inside the cake via poked holes. The second is a lemon powdered sugar glaze, which could be poured over or drizzled on in a fun pattern…
Read MoreSo to celebrate the transition into Fall, I made these Orange Chocolate Scones with Toasted Hazelnuts. These scones are rich, satisfying, and packed with flavor. The hint of orange comes from a few teaspoons of orange zest, and it is the perfect amount for balancing the sweetness with citrus without being too overpowering. I doubled the chocolate flavoring by having both cocoa powder and chocolate chips in the batter. After baking, the warm scones are dipped in a powder sugar glaze, drizzled with melted chocolate, then, finally, topped with toasted hazelnuts. The chocolate drizzle and hazelnuts will certainly have you dreaming of nutella…
Read MoreThe truffles are rich (seriously, you only need one to feel satisfied), truly so easy to make, and only have a handful of ingredients. You start by making a ganache (which is just a fancy way of saying melted chocolate and cream). Once the ganache has solidified after refrigeration you will scoop out the truffles. Next, coat the truffles with your desired coating, whether that be cocoa powder or chopped nuts. And that's it! The truffles can become soft at room air, so I like to store them in the freezer to help keep their shape…
Read MoreThese cookies have more chocolate flavor than traditional tiramisu. The cookie base is largely made up of melted chocolate, which leads to a brownie like taste and texture to the cookies. Layered in between is the mascarpone filling. Beaten together with butter, powdered sugar, and a touch of brandy this rich, yet light, mascarpone filling perfectly complements the chocolate-espresso sandwich cookies. For added fanciness, I sprinkled cocoa powder over the mascarpone filling…
Read MoreI would argue that the chocolate chip cookie is THE most classic dessert around. It is beloved by almost all and is everywhere! Whether in ball parks, cafeterias, bakeries, weddings, birthday parties, conferences or meetings the chocolate chip cookie is suitable for all types of occasions. Now there are two camps of people when it comes to determining…
Read MoreWe kicked off the month of December with the spirit of giving. This is my first year participating directly in charities that give Christmas gifts to families who otherwise may not receive them - and I love it! My unit at work has "adopted" a family in the need for the holidays, signing up to purchase specific gifts for the family members, ranging anywhere from household cleaning products to Lego toys. Additionally our small group through church participated in Angel Tree, an organization that helps children with an incarcerated parent feel loved, valued, and not forgotten by their parent far away. One of the ways they do this is ...
Read MoreThis past weekend was the perfect sneak peak into summer. The majority of my time was spent outside in our hammock, reading Harry Potter numero 5 while enjoying the warm breeze. We went to one of our favorite Thai restaurants (though I still have yet to find a Thai restaurant that even comes close to my favorite Thai food truck in Portland), and walked to the local Asian market for some authentic curry paste to use later in the week. We endured the overcrowded Lake Calhoun and kayaked around the Chain of Lakes. While on the water a mosquito landed on me and I was the most dramatic about it. If there are two things I hate about Midwest summers it is...
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When life hands you lemons, you make yummy treats. That's how the saying goes right? ;) So this spring thing has continued to amaze and rejuvenate me. The warmer days have brought reading in the courtyard, running in shorts and a tank top (see ya later wool socks!), BBQ meals (bring me all da grilled veggies), open windows letting in the breezy air, small buds growing from the tree branches, and endless tulips in the stores. This past weekend, we celebrated Easter - suburban Minnesota style, and it was truly wonderful. My gracious coworker invited Alex and me to her home to celebrate Easter with her family. I single-handedly almost finished off the supply of Robin Eggs in their giant Easter candy basket, because somehow no one in their family likes that candy. But hey, I wasn't complaining! We played four-square in the backyard - yes, the game from elementary school you would play in the schoolyard. And we were introduced to some Minnesotan classic holiday dishes - my favorite being cheesy potatoes with baked corn flakes. When surrounded by folks who grew up in Minnesota, I can't help but think of Marshall from How I Met Your Mother. Someone on the writing staff must have grown up in Minnesota - because some of the things are just too accurate!
I wanted to reflect this sense of rejuvenation and freshness in a recipe - and the best way I know how is with lemons. I paired the refreshing citrus tang and the bright yellow coloration with a hint of lavender, all coated in white chocolate. Because everything is better with chocolate, right? This recipe is easy to make and the perfect little treat. After making these in standard muffin pans, I HIGHLY recommend making yours in mini muffin pans. These larger ones got a little messy, so if you want a simple treat you can pop in your mouth, go with the mini muffin pans.
Prep time: 25 minutes
Wait time: 1 hour
Assembly time: 5-10 minutes
1. Infuse together for 20 minutes:
1 teaspoon lavender
1/3 cup hot water
2. Pour through a mesh strainer to remove the lavender.
3. Transfer the lavender infused water to a medium saucepan and mix in:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 lemon, zest
2 egg yolks
Dash of salt
4. Over medium heat, whisk constantly until the mixture begins to simmer and thickens. Cook for 30 more seconds, then remove from heat.
5. Pour through a mesh strainer into a small bowl. (This will remove any cooked egg if present). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing down so the plastic wrap is directly touching the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for at least an hour to continue thickening.
Assembly:
6. Line a mini muffin pan with paper liners.
7. Melt:
15 oz white chocolate
8. Spread 1 Tablespoon of the melted chocolate into the bottom of the paper liners, bringing the chocolate up the sides as well. Smack the muffin pan on the counter to smooth out the chocolate. Freeze for a couple minutes to harden the chocolate.
9. Place a dollop of lemon lavender curd in the cups, and smooth over the chocolate. Cover the curd with the melted chocolate, spreading evenly. Freeze for 5 minutes to set, then store in the refrigerator. (There are no binding agents in the chocolate, so storing at room temperature will lead to melting).
Monkey bread, an item that has been a family tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. It was the breakfast item that my friends and I from elementary school to high school would quickly dig into after a sleepover. It was the dessert after a team dinner with my high school tennis team. It was the breakfast that my entire family would enjoy while opening presents on Christmas morning. And it was the breakfast that my mother would make for me when I came home during school breaks. While I love...
Read MoreOne of my favorite things about bananas, besides the delicious texture they add to smoothies, is that unlike most foods, when bananas start to go bad all hope is not lost. Rather, you can revitalize those “these are so soft they are gross”, brown bananas into delicious...
Read MoreI don’t know about you but I love eating ice cream, no matter the time of year, and I live in Minne-snow-ta, so that should tell you something about my deep affinity towards the cold dessert. However it wasn’t until my years in Portland and my first experience with Salt & Straw ice cream that I realized that ice cream was no longer reserved for the classic flavors, but rather was an avenue for creativity and imagination. It was with that spirit that I purchased our first Cuisinart ice cream maker. Thankfully my...
Read MoreAutumn is hands-down my favorite season, which is why I was so excited to experience my first REAL autumn here in Minnesota. I could spend hours just sitting outside, staring at the beautiful changing leaves as the cool breeze blew across my face. I read a quote once that said, "Fall is the beautiful moment between sweating and hypothermia." I couldn't agree more! The summers here...
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Hi! My name is Tori, and welcome to To Salt & See, where we indulge in simple, elegant, and cozy recipes. To learn more about me click here!
