I have a new favorite fall sweet treat, ya’ll: Sweet Potato Sticky Buns with Pecan, Dates, and Bourbon Glaze. Good Lord, they are tasty.
Blueberry Pie with Basil Whipped Cream
This pie is a summer’s best, made with Maine blueberries, basil infused whipped cream, and a slight variation of Cook’s Illustrated Foolproof Pie Crust. I used lard instead of shortening because I’m an Eastern North Carolinian. If you don’t have lard on hand, butter or shortening will do. This recipe makes enough for 2 crusts (a top and bottom)
Maple Cardamom Corn Cake
This delightful corn cake creates its own rich, maple custard as it bakes. The infused cream you pour over the top will bake into the batter. Some settles in pockets towards the bottom of the cake while the entire underside is covered with the thinnest layer of custard. The cake is moist with a contrasting texture from the cornmeal. Sweet maple and cardamom’s spicy flair make this recipe perfect for an autumn outing. There’s no refined sugar, only syrup and spice.
Rosé Cupcakes with Rosé Buttercream
These cupcakes are really easy to make. All you need is a box of white cake mix, eggs, oil, rosé wine, and a drop of red food coloring. Frosted with a rosé buttercream, these elegant, blush-colored cupcakes are perfect for Valentine’s Day, a baby shower, bridal shower, or just because.
Chocolate-Toffee Banana Cake with Toffee Glaze
In celebration of my blog’s 3rd birthday, I made a birthday cake (kind of). Fittingly, this recipe is a variation of Heidi Swanson’s Lemony Olive Oil Banana Bread because her blog (and this recipe) inspired it all. For my version, I subbed the dark chocolate for dark chocolate toffee, nixed the lemon, and topped the cake with a toffee-molasses glaze. I really love this for its simplicity, its not-too-sweetness, and its shape shifting abilities to act as a breakfast bread or dessert.
Homemade Banana Pudding with Maple Granola Shortbread
A hybrid between a shortbread and oatmeal cookie is a perfect base for sweet, rich banana pudding. The cookie itself is not too sweet and stands up to the pudding without getting too soggy. I made homemade pudding here because it’s not that much more laborious than the heat-and-serve kind you get in the grocery store, and I had control of the amount of sugar. The boxed variety could easily be substituted.