A few weeks ago, Trader Joe's promised it'd be rolling out a gluten-free Mochi Cake Mix as part of its new Spring and Summer products. It's in stores now for $3.99 and we tried it.
What Trader Joe's didn't say in the initial announcement was that it would be "Hawaiian inspired," flavored with coconut milk powder. A…
Review Copy Provided by the Publisher
Odette Williams' Simple Cake Lives Up to its Moniker Deliciously
Inspired by childhood memories and a classic Aussie cookbook, SIMPLE CAKE by Odette Williams delivers 10 cakes, 15 toppings and 30 cakeworthy moments. It's a delightful book that will appeal to home cooks of all capabilities. I'll be honest,…
In the avalanche of holiday treats Trader Joe's rolled out over the last month, one new one caught my eye: Trader Joe's Bourbon Cake mix ($3.49 per box). I've generally liked Trader Joe's boxed mixes and used their lemon cake as the base for my Lemon Elderflower Cake for the Royal Wedding. Bourbon is the…
This month, @RainyDayBites' Instagram-based cookbook baked from Sweet by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh. There have been some pretty impressive bakes and a whole lotta butter spread across several feeds. The two challenges for the month were Blackberry and Star Anise Friands (p. 103) and Take Home Chocolate Cake (p. 152).
I don't consider myself an…
We're just a few weeks from the Royal Wedding. You've undoubtedly heard that Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding cake will be a lemon elderflower cake baked by Violet Bakery's Claire Ptak. It's not a flavor profile that most of us in the States are all that familiar with, but it's a well loved harbinger of…
There are about a zillion recipes for Guinness brownies out there. Some use store bought brownie mix, some go from scratch. This year I put all that aside when I saw the Guinness chocolate cakes with Irish Cream filling in SWEET by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh. Without the recommended mini loaf pans, I turned…
During the holidays, Trader Joe's is a minefield of treats, from Peppermint Joe Joe's to chocolate advent calendars to Jingle Jangle candy-pretzel mix. You almost have to put on blinders to avoid filling your basket. In the frozen section, I stumbled on Nantucket Cranberry Pie, which looked a bit like upside down cake (theirs had…
I'm on a bit of a zucchini kick.
For a vegetable that doesn't offer a whole heck of a lot of flavor on it's own, it's turning up on our table a lot these days. There was that simple zucchini salad last week, zucchini green chile fritters for dinner last night, and then this zucchini cake. NYTFood posted a…
I bought a 4.5-lb. bag of Toll House chocolate chips at Costco. Joke all you want about whether or not anyone needs 12 rolls of paper towels or 6 packages of toilet paper at one time, but come the holidays, it’s the place to go. Need a 10 lb. bag of sugar for about the same cost as 5 lbs. at the grocery store? Costco. You’re doing spiced nut mix for an office party? Costco. You need to restock your bar? Costco.
So when I bought that bag of chocolate chips, it was without a lick of regret. I even felt like I was being somewhat restrained, since there was a 10 lb. bag of another brand. The thing is, I made this chocolate chip banana oat loaf with the regular chips but it didn’t produce the “chocolate in every bite” effect I was looking for. For that, you need the minis. Good thing I have no problem with keeping a well-stocked chocolate chip pantry.
I love the idea of a snack cake. It’s simple, no dog-and-pony show like a layer cake, just a perfect little square of sweetness alongside tea or coffee. No frosting required, this is two or three bites of afternoon pick-me-up cake dotted with pecans or sprinkled with powdered sugar.
