THREE ROYAL YEARS WITH A PRINCE!

Posted in 1 by sallybr

Today we celebrate 3 years since we brought Prince Freckles of Tatarrax to his forever home! The joy he brought us and still brings us every single day is impossible to describe…

We look forward to many many more years with this amazing pup!

27Aug2025

SUMMER IN CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

My favorite season is almost over, no way to deny it, even if the temperatures outside still give me plenty of reasons to smile. Before Autumn vibes arrive in full force, I share a couple of cupcakes that embrace and celebrate the warmth of the Summer.

ORANGE-VANILLA CUPCAKES
(adapted from several sources)

for the buttercream use this recipe (scaled down to 150g butter)

120g all-purpose flour
150g granulated sugar + zest of 1 orange
40g butter, unsalted, removed from the fridge for 30 minutes
1 large egg
120mL milk
1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1/2 tsp orange emulsion (I use LorAnn)
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with paper baking cups. Recipe makes 9 to 10 cupcakes.

Rub the sugar with the orange zest and let it sit for a few minutes.

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar/orange, salt and butter cut in small pieces in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low until the butter is in very small pieces, almost like sand.

Whisk the egg with the milk, vanilla, and orange emulsion, add slowly to the mixer running in low-speed. Once it is almost smooth, increase the speed to high for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl once.

Stop the mixer and make sure the batter is fully smooth, mixing by hand with a spatula. Add batter to the 9 cupcakes, filling half-way full only. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Leave cool completely before decorating.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

For the beach cupcakes, I used buttercream in three shades of blue, but sadly not different enough to give a nice contrast. There is always next time… The decorations were made with fondant and a silicone mold, plus a final spray with PME pearl luster.

For the butterfly-decorated cupcakes, I used two colors of buttercream, orange and yellow. The chocolate discs were made with transfer sheets and a cookie cutter.

I hope you enjoyed this little duet of cupcakes, and maybe bake a batch or two…

ONE YEAR AGO: Puff Pastry Twists with Cinnamon and Cardamon

TWO YEARS AGO: Three Delicious Bakes

THREE YEARS AGO: Banana Bread from the Experts

FOUR YEARS AGO: Shrimp Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Cashews

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pickled-Roasted Chickpeas with Cashew Cream

SIX YEARS AGO: Twice-Baked Goat Cheese Souffle

SEVEN YEARS AGO: A Star from England in the Bewitching Kitchen

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Hommage to the Sun

NINE YEARS AGO:The Fabulous Three
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TEN YEARS AGO: Turkey-Chorizo Burger with Green Chile Dressing
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ELEVEN YEARS AGO:Taco Salad
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TWELVE YEARS AGO: Semolina Sourdough Boule
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THIRTEEN YEARS AGO:Forgive me, for I have sinned
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FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Cracked Wheat Sandwich Bread
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FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Au Revoir, my Bewitching Kitchen
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SIXTEEN YEARS AGO:French Bread

22Aug2025

GLUTEN-FREE RED LENTIL BAGELS

Posted in Breads, Breakfast & Brunch, Small Dishes by sallybr

And now for something completely different… Do I need to avoid gluten? No. Do I like experimenting with recipes that cater to that need? Big yes. Haniela is my guru cookie decorator, as you might know if you follow my baby blog (can you call a blog a baby when it is 4 years old?). But she is also a fantastic cook and her blog covers a whole range of recipes, from cakes to breads and savory stuff. Check it out by clicking here. She bakes these bagels often, and I had them on my list of things to try for quite some time. Here I am to share her recipe and urge you to make them. Simple and very delicious! They freeze well too…

GLUTEN-FREE RED LENTIL BAGELS
(from Haniela’s blog)

2/3 cup dry red lentils (150 grams)
1 ¼ cup boiling water to soak lentils (300 ml)
1 tbsp lemon juice
scant ¼ cup psyllium husk (20 grams)
2 tbsp olive oil (20 grams)
1 tbsp lemon juice (15 ml)
¼ cup almond meal (30 grams)
1/3 to 1/2 cup water for the dough (120mL)
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup mixed seeds ( pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)

Pour 1¼ cup( 300 ml) boiling water over red lentils, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, stir it and soak for 12 hours. Rinse soaked red lentils well under running water.

Into the food processor add rinsed, soaked red lentils, about 1/3 cup of water for the dough (reserve the rest of the water in case the dough is too stiff). Blend for about a minute or two, until lentils are broken up into a somewhat runny paste.

Into the blended red lentils add psyllium husk, almond flour, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons (20 grams) olive oil and 1 teaspoon table salt. Blend until well combined and thick, somewhat sticky dough forms.
If the dough is too dry add a little more water. Lastly add 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, give it about 5-10 pulses.

Invert the slightly sticky dough onto the work on a plate. Lightly wet your hands and shape the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly. Cut it into 4 equal parts. Shape each piece into a ball, flatten slightly, dip both sides into the seeds and place buns onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat for other balls of dough. Make a hole in the middle of each bun. Use a back of a wooden spoon. Make the hole bigger than you think it should be, dough will spread a little in the oven. Bake red lentil bagels at 375F for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The only thing to remember is to soak the lentils the day before you want to make the bagels, other than that it is a very fast and straightforward recipe. They are hearty without being overly heavy, and perfect with toppings such as smoked turkey, or ham and a little mustard. Smoked salmon with cream cheese would be great too, or a simple spread of avocado, drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice. Salt. Definitely salt.

The recipe makes only four, but it can be doubled, so keep that in mind.
Check Hani’s blog for variations, I will try them soon.

ONE YEAR AGO: Sourdough Bubble Bread

TWO YEARS AGO: Watermelon Salad

THREE YEARS AGO: Kashmiri Chicken Thighs

FOUR YEARS AGO: A Vegan Trilogy

FIVE YEARS AGO: The Mystifying Hurricane Roll

SIX YEARS AGO: Pop-Tarts with Strawberry Balsamic Jam

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Ptichye Moloko, a Russian Dessert

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Cheesy Low-Carb Zucchini Tarts

NINE YEARS AGO: Blogging Hiatus

TEN YEARS AGO: Apricots, Three Ways

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Up Close and Personal with Kale

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Black Berry Cherry Sorbet

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Asparagus Pesto

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Chocolate and Chestnut Terrine

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Under the spell of lemongrass

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Greens + Grapefruit + Shrimp = Great Salad!

16Aug2025

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Posted in Cookies by sallybr

Super easy. Food processor does most of the work. Then the dough rests in the fridge, you can too, although I advise you not to be inside the fridge for that. Slice and bake. Gilding the lily with some white chocolate is optional.

PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES
(slightly modified from Leite’s Culinaria)

113 g butter, very cold, cut in pieces (1 stick)
1 cup flour (about 125g)
1/4 cup sugar (50g)
1/2 cup roasted, salted pistachios
1/2 tsp vanilla paste
white chocolate for decoration (optional)

Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, pistachios, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor until the pistachios are finely ground. Scatter the butter pieces in the food processor and pulse several times to cut the butter into the flour. Stop pulsing when the ingredients just start to come together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a log about 2 inches in diameter and 10 inches long. Place the log on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Tightly roll the wrap around the log and twist the ends to seal them securely. Refrigerate for 2 hours or a few days.

Heat the oven to 325ºF. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut the chilled cookie dough into 1/2-inch-thick coins and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly brush the top of each shortbread cookie with water and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden brown on both top and bottom. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Optional step: drizzle tempered white chocolate or melted compound white chocolate over the cookie.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I cut the dough in two pieces and made two individual small logs, each being enough for 10 cookies. The first one got dusted with demerara sugar, but it kind of disappeared during baking. I decided to decorate that batch with white chocolate to give it a little more pizzazz. The second batch I dusted with coarse sanding sugar, and left it alone after baking. The cookies are delicious, melt in the mouth, with perfect pistachio flavor.

ONE YEAR AGO: Shiroi Koibito Biscuits
TWO YEARS AGO: Mini-Cakes, Two Ways
THREE YEARS AGO: Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
FOUR YEARS AGO: Summertime Macaron Duet
FIVE YEARS AGO: Pain de Mie Dressed up for Party
SIXYEARS AGO: Five-Stranded Bread
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Green Olive Salad
EIGHT YEARS AGO: Coffee Macarons Dressed up to Party
NINE YEARS AGO: Blogging Hiatus
TEN YEARS AGO: Tomato Tatin
ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Headed to Colorado!
TWELVE YEARS AGO: Farofa Brasileira
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Thai-Inspired Pork Tenderloin
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Summer’s Tomatoes
SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Leaving on a jet plane…

12Aug2025

PAPPARDELLE WITH SCALLOPS AND ROASTED ARTICHOKES

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Seafood by sallybr

Since I’ve found out you can get a jar of artichokes hearts, drain it and roast the pieces until brown at the edges, I cannot stop using them. As topping for pizza, addition to pasta, even salads. In this recipe, it joins lemons and scallops. A wonderful dinner for a Saturday night…

PAPPARDELLE WITH SCALLOPS AND ROASTED ARTICHOKES
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

1 or 2 bottles of artichoke hearts, in brine, oil or water, drained
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound pappardelle
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
¼ cup torn basil leaves
12 large scallops seasoned to taste with salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently pat the artichoke hearts with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. If they were packed in oil, simply roast them as they are. If they were in brine or water, drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil all over the pieces and proceed to roasting for 20 minutes in a single layer. Flip the pieces and roast for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until edges are turning golden. Reserve. You can do this step in advance.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, in a serving dish large enough to accommodate it, add the lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, whisk to combine.

Cook the scallops. Dry them very well, season with salt and pepper. Add the tablespoon of oil and butter to a skillet, once very hot, cook the scallops, 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Reserve.

Once the pasta is cooked, remove 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl with lemon, seasonings and olive oil. Toss well, adjust consistency with the reserved pasta water, add fresh basil and serve with the scallops and the roasted artichokes.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Pappardelle is pretty substantial, so this is by no means a light pasta dish. But everything worked well together. I am pretty addicted to roasting artichoke hearts. If they are packed in brine, the roasted artichokes get almost like a little hint of capers and olives, which of course is just the brine speaking. I love it. But you can also use frozen artichoke hearts and add herbs of your liking.