BLOOD ORANGE ROSEMARY CAKE

 

SO.. i tried to make this blood orange rosemary cake back in early fall, only to find out grocery stores do not carry these oranges year round! shows how much i know about my citrus. but huzzah! it is officially blood orange season, the perfect winter citrus. the colour of these is gorgeous & they are absolutely delicious. i almost ate them all on their own before even getting to my baking! now i guess i will just have to eat all of this cake to myself too. i used a bit of the zest & juice in the actual cake batter better hoping it would give the cake a nice deep rosey tinge. it did not.. at all. however, for flavour purposes it was worth it! i left the rinds on the top slices for asethic purposes, but if you are worried about serving it that way or a touch of bitterness i suggest you peel the oranges. the shape is just so much prettier leaving the peels on! anyways, i will leave this decision up to you. if you want bonus points for asthetics, you know what to do!

ingredients

for the sauce

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 blood orange, thinly sliced

for the cake

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon, orange zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup whole milk or cream
  • 1/4 cup blood orange juice (i used the juice from one orange)

directions

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • sauce: in a sauce pan over medium heat add butter, sugar, salt, rosemary & vanilla. bring to a boil constantly stiring and remove from heat. strain the rosemary. slice oranges thinly. pour caramel sauce in an 8 or 9 inch cake pan & arrange the slices in a circular pattern.
  • cake: in a mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder, orange zest and salt. in the bowl of a stand mixer using the beater attachment cream butter and sugar. add eggs one at a time until light and fluffy. mix in vanilla, juice & milk until combined. slowly add your flour mixture and beat until the batter is smooth. carefully pour batter over the orange slices, making sure you do not alter the design of the fruit. bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake is cooked throughout. let cool completely before flipping & serving.

MAPLE OATMEAL COOKIES

 

cookies are one of my favourite things to bake, BUT one of my least favourite things to photograph. which is why my blog is not flooded with all the delicious cookie recipes i whip up at home. however, i couldn't resist sharing these wintery maple oatmeal cookies. i created a muffin version of these last year which you can find here. my photo skills have oh, just slightly improved, eh. i like to believe both the maple oatmeal muffins & cookies can be eaten as a quick grab & go breakfast because they are made with oats, pure maple syrup + raw sugar. it is healthy(ish) & close enough to oatmeal, right?! oh how i love my canadian maple syrup. happy monday!

ingredients

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

  • in a mixing bowl stir oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking soda & nutmeg.
  • in a separate bowl whisk butter, syrup, egg & vanilla.
  • add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. beat until batter forms into a dough.
  • shape into a ball & refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.
  • once dough has cooled, shape into desired size balls, flatten & bake for 6-8 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

BANANA POMEGRANATE DUTCH BABY PANCAKE

 

it's FINALLY friday! i don't know about you, but this week seemed like it took forever to get through. maybe i am still going through those post christmas blues. now we can dream about sleeping in tomororw & delicious weekend brunches! if you don't want to brave the cold & go out, this dutch baby makes for the perfect breakfast, brunch or even dessert. it is kind of like one giant yorkshire pudding topped with sweet fruit & sugar. i absolutely love watching it puff up high in the oven. i pretty much sit & stare through the oven window until it is done. i tried so hard to get a picture of it straight out of the oven before it began to flatten, but i failed. SO.. i guess you'll just have to make it & see it for yourself. have a good weekend! xo

ingredients

for the dutch baby

  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter

for the banana pomegranate foster

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon rum
  • 1-2 bananas
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

directions

for the dutch baby

  • with the skillet in the oven, preheat to 450 degrees.
  • using an electric mixer or blender, beat eggs until frothy. add in milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon & salt. beat for an additional minute, until the batter is smooth.
  • once oven is preheated, remove pan & add the butter. coat the pan with butter, add the batter & immediately place back in oven.
  • bake for 20 minutes, until the dutch baby puffs up & is golden brown. do not open the oven door until it is done cooking!

for the banana pomegranate foster

  • while the dutch baby is cooking, make the topping.
  • in a skillet over medium heat add butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla & rum.
  • bring to a boil to ensure the sugar has fully dissolved.
  • add the bananas & cook for a minute or two.
  • spread over the dutch baby straight from the oven, top with fresh pomegranates & powdered sugar. serve immediately!