Rhubarb, Strawberry, & Blueberry Crisp

When we were up north for Memorial Day I took home with me a bagful of rhubarb to experiment with in the kitchen.  I went back to my tried and true recipe for a Berry Crumble from Half Baked Harvest and used a mix of rhubarb, strawberries, and frozen blueberries as the base.  It was the perfect treat to make on a rainy Saturday afternoon and topped with vanilla ice cream and served warm, it's one of my favorite desserts ever.  Good thing I have more rhubarb in the fridge because this one is going quickly :)

xoxo,

stephanie marie

RIP Queen Anne Top Pot

Last month we got the devastating news that our local Top Pot was closing {luckily just our location, but still so sad}.  This has been my favorite neighborhood staple - the place we go for snow days, birthdays, Valentine dates, and even where I asked the cutest flower girl to be in our wedding.  I've always said this is the best block in Seattle {donuts, ice cream, pizza, and sandwiches all in one building!} and now it's just a little bit worse without my favorite.  While there are still a few locations open around the city, there's something special about being able to walk to your favorite place and grab your favorite treat on a whim - driving across town just isn't the same.  RIP Top Pot - Queen Anne won't be the same without you.

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Ben's Bread

After a fun date night last week {which I'll tell you more about later}, Christian became obsessed with the table bread from Ben's Bread, a local bakery in Phinney that sells yummy baked goods and breakfasts.  Since I had an early appointment on Saturday, C decided to come with me so that we could head to Ben's afterwards and grab some treats to take home.  The line didn't look super long when we got there but seemed to take forever and by the time we got to the front and had been staring at all the pastries, we decided to go home with a bag full of them :)  The table bread is really one of the best loaves around {and they clearly know it at $10+ each} and the Fancy Breakfast Sandwich {served weekends only} was really tasty.  I didn't get a pic of all the pastries we had, but the cinnamon braided bun below was fluffy and had great flavor and was one of our faves.  I can't wait to go back and try the weekday breakfast sandwich and maybe another pastry - I see a date with Erika in my future for that one!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{taco truck friday}

{almost kind of beanie weather}

{brekkie}

{uvillage}

{catching up on a lazy saturday}

{favorite treats}

{more treats}

{the best cornflake pastry}

{lots of coffee and cozy this weekend}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Easy Apple & Pear Crumble

We came back from my parents house a few weekends ago with a giant bag of pears and apples and not a lot of ideas of what to do with them.  I ended up revisiting one of my favorite simple desserts from Half Baked Harvest {which I made this summer with peaches and blackberries - delish!} and decided to slice up some of the apples and pears to make a fall version of this super simple dish.  It was such a hit with Christian that he asked I make it again a few days later {to which I happily obliged} and served warm topped with vanilla ice cream, this really is the most simple and adaptable dessert that is sure to please.

Easy Apple & Pear Crumble

Ingredients

6 cups peeled & sliced apples & pears

1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 Tblsp brown sugar

4 Tblsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 Tblsp bourbon or cognac {optional}

1 Tblsp vanilla extract

Sprinkle of cinnamon

4 Tblsp unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of flaky sea salt

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In 9x5 loaf pan or 10 inch pie plate, combine fruit, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cold butter cubes, bourbon, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Toss well to combine.

3. In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, flour, baking powder, 1 1/2 Tblsp brown sugar, and sea salt.  Crumble over fruit mixture.

4. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until apples become soft and saucy.

5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

adapted from half baked harvest

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Sweet Friday

Happy Friday!  I happily was pulled out of a call the other morning to a smiling Erika with a box of pastries at our doorstep.  Sometimes sweets are just what you need to get you through the rest of the week :)  Hope your weekend is sweet and wonderful!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Raspberry Ricotta Cake

Since we got home from Italy I've been craving a sweet treat {maybe it's croissant withdrawals or just the endless gray skies} so I looked to my newest cookbook from the parents, Alison Roman's Sweet Enough, for something easy and snackable.  I found this recipe for her Raspberry Ricotta Cake {which is apparently quite popular} and last Sunday afternoon I whipped it up in no time.  Note - I made this in what I thought was a 9 inch cake pan, but the batter literally runneth over in the oven {even over the cookie sheet I last minute stuck under the dish} so I'd suggest making this in a deeper pie dish or even larger baking dish.  Regardless, once cleaned up this was an insanely delicious, easy, and not too sweet cake to have on hand to go with afternoon tea or after dinner couch snuggling.  An instant hit!

Raspberry Ricotta Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tblsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cups sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 stick {4oz} unsalted butter, melted

12-16oz raspberries, fresh or frozen

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 9inch round cake pan {or bigger!} and line with a round of parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, 1 cup sugar, citrus zest, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.  Whisk or gently fold into flour mixture until just blended.  Then fold in the melted butter, followed by half the raspberries, crushing them ever so slightly as you fold to get a tie-dye effect.

4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and scatter remaining raspberries and remaining 1/4 cup sugar over top.

5. Bake until golden brown and a knife or toothpick comes out clean from the center, about 65 minutes.  Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

adapted from sweet enough

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Let Them Eat Cake!

For a little Friday fun, here's a look at one of the best parts of wedding planning so far - cake tasting.  I picked up our pre-chosen samples last week which were conveniently baked into cupcakes with frosting and fillings on the side so we could mix and match to find the best combos for the wedding.  Spoiler alert - after going back for more over several nights, I can confirm they were all spectacular.  While we have some faves, I'd really be happy with any of them.  I mean, who doesn't love some delicious cake?!?

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Strawberry Shortcakes, Deconstructed

For our quiet 4th of July this year I decided that since we didn't have a lot of plans during the day I had time to make my own shortcake for dessert {and if it was terrible, at least we'd still have ice cream and strawberries!}.  After looking at several recipes in my cookbooks, I decided on Barefoot Contessa's deconstructed version from her How Easy is That? cookbook.  They were a cinch to put together while I was making the rest of the day's meal, and I think I cut mine a bit small because it made way more than the recipe said it would {not a bad problem to have}.  They were perfect paired with simple strawberries and ice cream {by the end of the day I was too lazy to make homemade whipped cream} and the bite-sized shortcakes made excellent leftovers when stored in an airtight container for a week {I think they would've been really good warmed up with some jam for breakfast}.  If you're looking for a fun new spin on a classic dessert, give this one a try!

Strawberry Shortcakes, Deconstructed

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

12 Tbsp  {1 1/2 sticks} cold, unsalted butter, diced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup cold heavy cream

1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp water {for egg wash - I skipped this part as we were running low on eggs}

Fresh Strawberries

Homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Line baking sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment.  Add butter and mix on low speed until butter is size of peas.  Combine eggs and heavy cream in cup and with mixer still on low, add slowly to flour mixture.  Mix until just combined {dough will be sticky}.

3. Dump dough onto well-floured surface.  Flour a rolling pin and roll dough to about 1/2 inch thick.  You will see lumps of butter still in dough.  Dip 2 inch round cutter {or top of small glass} into flour and cut 16-18 biscuits {you may need to re-roll dough several times}.

4. Place biscuits on sheet pan, brush tops with egg wash {if using} and sprinkle with extra sugar.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until tops are browned and insides fully baked.  Cool on pan.

5. Serve however you would strawberry shortcakes, with a few small shortcakes topped with strawberries and either whipping cream or ice cream!

adapted from barefoot contessa how easy is that

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{friday night burgers}

{avocado toast}

{saturday morning baking}

{brekkie}

{setting up my new office for the next few weeks}

{sunday night dinner}

{checking out the old 'hood}

{filled this guy up twice in one day - why didn't i hire a gardener?!?}

xoxo,

stephanie marie 

Grapefruit Olive Oil Poundcake

A few weeks back I had a craving to bake something, so I sat down with one of my faves, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, to have a look.  I've always been intrigued by her Grapefruit Olive Oil Poundcake and since she said it's perfect during peak citrus season, I knew I had to give it a go.  It was simple to put together on a lazy Sunday afternoon and when it came time to cut into the perfectly cooked cake, I was pleasantly surprised with just how delicious it was.  The cake isn't too sweet, but is the perfect accompaniment to your afternoon tea or breakfast coffee, and I ate it throughout the week while it just got better over time.  If you have some leftover citrus lying around I highly recommend making this one - I can't wait to try it again next year!

Grapefruit Olive Oil Poundcake

Ingredients

Cake

Butter or oil for pan

2 Tblsp freshly grated grapefruit zest

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup raw or turbinado sugar {or granulated if you can't find raw}

1/2 cup olive oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tblsp grapefruit juice

1/3 cup buttermilk or plain Greek yogurt

Syrup

2 Tblsp granulated sugar

1/3 cup grapefruit juice

Glaze

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 Tblsp grapefruit juice

Pinch of table salt

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350.  Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2. In large bowl, rub grapefruit zest into the sugars with your fingertips to bruise it and release the grapefruit essence.  Whisk in oil until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, and whisk until combined.  Scrape down bowl.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in second bowl.  In liquid measuring cup, combine 2 Tblsp grapefruit juice and buttermilk or yogurt.  Add flour and buttermilk mixtures, alternating between the two, to the oil & sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

4. Spread batter in the pan, smooth top, and rap pan on counter to ensure no air bubbles.  Bake 45-60 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean {I did 60 minutes and mine was perfectly cooked}.

5. Meanwhile, to make syrup combine 2 Tblsp sugar with 1/3 cup grapefruit juice in small saucepan and cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved.

6. When cake is finished, let cool 10 minutes in pan until inverting onto rack or tray.  Poke holes in cake with toothpick and spoon or brush syrup over cake.  Let cool completely while it absorbs syrup.

7. To make glaze, combine confectioners sugar, grapefruit juice, and salt in bowl, whisking until smooth.  Pour glaze over top of cooled cake.

adapted from smitten kitchen

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Pumpkin Pie

For Thanksgiving dessert this year I went with the old classic, Pumpkin Pie.  Though some may not like it or think it cliché for the holiday, I love this once a year taste of fall {and the leftovers it brings for the week afterwards}.  I looked no further than the comfort food queen herself, The Pioneer Woman, and whipped this one up Wednesday night from her Holiday cookbook.  It's a super easy recipe to follow with such good flavors and spices, and it makes excellent leftovers {freeze in individual slices for ease}.  Enjoy!

The Pioneer Woman's Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

2 cups canned pumpkin puree

14oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 Tblsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 pie crust {I used Trader Joe's frozen}

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Roll out pie crust and place in pie plate.

2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, vanilla, spices, and brown sugar.  Whisk until perfectly smooth, then pour into pie crust.

3. Cover crust only with pieces of aluminum foil so it doesn't burn.  Bake pie for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake 40-50 minutes more.  Remove foil for last 10-15 minutes to make sure the crust bakes properly.  

4. Remove pie from oven when no longer jiggly, then let cool before serving.

adapted from the pioneer woman holidays

xoxo,

stephanie marie