I’m currently in the midst of planning my daughter’s first birthday and that means A LOT of baking. Ziploc containers of mini this and mini that. Making sure the frosting matches the cupcake toppers matches the pennant banners matches the hole in the wall. You get the point. To add another layer of complexity [...]
Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup
by bella bakingI love Fall. The foliage, the weather, the earthy tones splashed all over the gorgeous veggies at the farmer’s markets. It’s beautiful and happy. Then comes winter. Ain’t nuthin’ special about it except two days of snow (that’s all I can handle in one season) and, most importantly, fall veggies. The ones that carry on [...]
Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies (for ice cream sandwiches)
by bella bakingIf you like brownies, you’ll love its first cousin, the chocolate chocolate chip cookie. You feel like you’re eating a sliver of chocolate cake, only denser and chewier. And the best part about these cookies? They are ideal for ice cream sandwiches. This wasn’t what I intended for these cookies. But I made them for [...]
Marbled Pound Cake
by bella bakingEvery time I saw slices of this gorgeous cake at a cafe or pastry shop, it reminded me of how much I wanted to make it but how terrified I was to even try. Would mine ever look as pretty? More importantly, would it taste as good as it looked? I finally decided to take [...]
Chocolate Chip Bacon Banana Nut Muffins
by bella bakingYes. Bacon. Because why not. Whoever invented bacon deserves a lifetime achievement award. Or a Nobel Peace Prize. Because if everyone ate bacon, there would be nothing but happiness and peace in this world. I love bacon. The smell, the taste, the crunch. It makes everything taste…the way it should. And so naturally, why not [...]
Sweet Potato Muffins With Pecans
by bella bakingIf you cringe at the thought of zucchini bread or gag at the sound of carrot muffins, Stop. Reading. Now. This recipe is for the very few of us who still celebrate veggies…in desserts. A dying breed. I’ve been wanting to make something sweet with yams for years. Every Thanksgiving I think “why are sweet [...]
Tres Leches Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting
by bella bakingOriginally from Ecuador, I grew up eating tres leches for every special and not so special occasion throughout my childhood. It truly is one of the best inventions in the culinary world and I have yet to try something as decadent and perfectly [overly] sweet as this traditional Latin American dessert. (In fact, stay tuned [...]
Coconut Flan
by bella bakingFlan. One of those traditional Latin American desserts I grew up with. This one in particular is one of the easiest and yummiest flan recipes I’ve made. It’s also fool proof and consistently good time after [baking] time. The coconut milk and toasted coconut give the ordinary flan an interesting twist without overshadowing any of [...]
Tres Leches (family recipe!)
by bella bakingTres Leches is one of those beautiful things everyone should try at least once in their lifetime (or once a week if you ask my husband). It’s delicate, balanced and flavorful. Every bite of this juicy sponge bursts in your mouth, then melts away leaving rich, buttery flavors of creaminess and sweetness on your palate. [...]
Alfajores (Dulce de Leche Cookie Sandwiches)
by bella bakingThis is another one of those Latin American treats I miss from back home. It’s essentially a shortbread-like sandwich cookie filled with one of my favorite things in the world – Dulce de Leche. It’s practically impossible to go wrong with this baby. In fact, it’s practically impossible to go wrong with ANYTHING you slather [...]
Common Baking Mishaps
by bella bakingWhile you wait for my next baking treat (check the baking countdown on the bottom right!), I thought I’d share some of the most common baking mishaps that can turn your beautiful desserts into sweet messes. I know some of the items on this list sound incredibly basic and a bit ridiculous, but I’ll have [...]
Joe’s Stone Crab Key Lime Pie
by bella bakingJoe’s Stone Crab is one of my favorite places on earth. They are most famously known for their mouth-watering jumbo claws they sell from October 15 – May 15 at their outpost in Miami, Florida, but look outside of their stone crab selection and their menu is full of yummy treats. From their creamy seafood [...]
Caramel Corn Flakes Truffles (family recipe)
by bella bakingMy first disclaimer about this recipe is that the name in the headline is completely made up. This fun treat is a family recipe that one of my older sisters concocted when I was very young and still living in Ecuador. It was our favorite and most requested treat at home. In Spanish, these are called [...]
Chocolate Walnut Banana Bread
by bella bakingI was originally going to make a basic Banana Walnut Bread that I love, but then my cravings kicked in and chocolate chips started sounding like THE best idea ever. Having no control over my hunger these days, I had to give in and make a slight tweak to this recipe to satisfy my pregnancy needs. [...]
Bella’s Picks: Best Desserts in NYC (Part I)
by bella bakingWhen I’m in the mood for dessert, I want something that is worth every single calorie. There is nothing more satisfying than taking a bite out of an indulgent sweet that transports you to straight to dessert heaven. In my attempt to share some of my most memorable experiences with you, I started to compile [...]
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (family recipe)
by bella bakingThis is a family recipe I uncovered while digging through some of my favorite recipes and reminiscing about my childhood treats. I was on the phone with one of my sisters talking about the different desserts we baked and ate while growing up, and she reminded me of this amazing pineapple upside-down cake one of [...]
Message from your Pregnant Baker
by bella bakingI’ve been getting quite a few comments from readers about how ‘challenged’ they feel when it comes to baking. That got me thinking about one very important message I wanted to share with all of you: if I’m able to bake with my incredibly scattered pregnant brain, then you most certainly can too! All you [...]
Meyer Lemon-Lavender Pound Cake
by bella bakingI was perusing through one of my favorite baking blogs – Desserts for Breakfast – and I came across this beautiful dessert.
I had no intention of adding new items to my baking agenda, but I just couldn’t resist. Anything with Lavender will immediately climb to the top of my list.
Doughnut Duo!
by bella bakingNo better day than a Saturday afternoon to make one of the world’s best fried foods – DOUGHNUTS! It’s my first time baking these puppies so I enlisted one of my good friends (who’s also a baker & pregnant) for some back-up reinforcement. Not exactly the most efficient way to bake – what with two [...]
Pink Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
by bella bakingI was recently asked for a good pink velvet cupcake recipe for three baby girls’ birthdays and I immediately thought of the Joy of Cooking. It’s the perfect book to turn to when you’re looking for baking tips or just basic recipes to adapt to your own needs. Their red velvet recipe (which is an [...]
Julia Child Blueberry Muffins
by bella bakingBaking cupcakes earlier this week inspired me to bake their [breakfast] cousins – the muffins. I was craving something light and fluffy that could get me through the rest of the week with a big muffin top smile. Nothing too sweet, but more of a ‘melt in your mouth’ biscuit-type muffin. Having been recently introduced [...]
Apple Cake Tatin
by bella bakingI’ve been so distracted discovering and baking new concoctions that I’d forgotten to make some of my all time favorite recipes that I had promised to share when Bella Baking first got underway. Today I’m back with one of my go to apple desserts known as the Apple Cake Tatin. Not only does it sound [...]
Fleur de Sel Caramels
by bella bakingThis weekend was a busy one with my sisters in town to host my baby shower (yikes, it’s getting close!) Between the food, the decorations, the party favors, the guests and the endless list of items to take care of – we were running around like three frantic ladies in heels. Oh wait, we WERE [...]
Giant Rugelach
by bella bakingOne of the first things I lay my eyes on when I walk into a NY deli are Rugelach – particularly the raspberry kind. I’m not even sure when I first became so obsessed with these Jewish pastries, but something tells me I was sold the first time I sunk my teeth into one. There [...]
Double-Filled Devil’s Food Cupcakes
by bella bakingI have a confession to make…I think you’ll be shocked…here goes…I don’t like chocolate. I know, it’s lame. I’m .01% of the population that fits into this category and I have been ever since I was a little girl. Snickers? No thanks, I’ll take the vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce. Chocolate cake? No thank [...]
Cheddar Dill Biscuits
by bella bakingNormally, my husband takes over the kitchen for his ceremonial weekend cooking and I have no say whatsoever on what he whips up. This weekend, however, I proposed we join forces to make something different. He agreed and we began planning our menu. My recommendation was…wait for it…a chicken biscuit. Random I know. But I [...]
The Chicken Biscuit
by bella bakingAs promised, here’s an update on our weekend feast. Crunchy fried chicken served on a flaky cheddar dill biscuit drizzled with tangy hot sauce and sweet honey butter…’nough said!
Prosciutto and Blue Cheese Scones
by bella bakingFew things are better than a blue cheese – prosciutto combo. Slap those two ingredients on practically anything and they will automatically transform any dull dish into a flavorful meal. Salty, sharp, and just a tad bit creamy – it’s the perfect balance of flavors and smells. When I first heard of a prosciutto and [...]
Blueberry Ricotta Scones
by bella bakingSince I’m slightly obsessed with scones these days, I decided to bake a sweet version of these flaky delights. Different from the rich and dense Prosciutto Blue Cheese scones I made earlier this week, the Blueberry Ricotta scones are light and fluffy. They’re sweet, but not too sweet, and the ricotta gives them a great [...]
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
by bella bakingA friend of mine was celebrating his birthday yesterday and asked that I make a Dulce de Leche Cheesecake for his party. Cheesecake?! Ugh. I had been dreading making this since he asked for it earlier in the week. Cheesecake is one of my least favorite sweets to bake. Getting it just right is a [...]
Panna Cotta w/ Blueberry Sauce
by bella bakingI feel compelled to start with an apology for my lack of baking activity this past week. I’ve been meaning to get back into the kitchen, but I really needed to recover from my Dulce de Leche Cheesecake bake-a-thon two Saturdays ago. Cheesecakes are THAT draining (ok not really, but for purposes of dramatization let’s [...]
Chewy Chocolate Chunk Salted Caramel Cookies
by bella bakingI’m guessing this was a busy weekend for many of you. From Easter egg hunts to Seder dinners, I bet a good chunk of you (no pun intended) were running around trying to get a nice meal on the table and entertaining guests. I thought about posting this recipe on Friday as an option for [...]
Chocolate Chip Toffee Walnut Brownies
by bella bakingHere we go again. Another chocolate recipe from the non-chocolate lover herself. Don’t worry, I have the best taste tester at home in my chocoholic husband, so when I say these are tried and tested, I mean it. I don’t know what it is that has me baking with chocolate so often these days, but [...]
Mocha Chocolate Chip Brownie Cake w/ Chocolate Ganache
by bella bakingHave any of you tried Julia Child’s Mocha Brownie Cake? Well, neither have I, but I came across the recipe in my ‘Baking with Julia’ manual and I decided to give it a go for my hubby’s birthday yesterday. He’s a self-reported chocoholic, so I wanted to make something that was luxurious and indulgent and [...]
Bella Cupcakes (Choco Chip with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting)
by bella bakingWondered where I’ve been for the past two weeks? As it turns out, our little bundle of joy decided to make her grand entrance into this world one week early, so I’ve been getting acquainted with my little princess and practicing my new role as a mommy! Needless to say though, between feedings, burpings and [...]
Very Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
by bella bakingIt was Spring the last time I posted an entry. It is now the end of Summer. Yowzahs. I need to get my act together. Right, so moving on, today’s entry is one of my all-time favorite type of cookies – oatmeal raisin – the incredibly chewy kind. Forget the small, crispy, brittle types – not [...]
Carrot Cake Muffins with Pepitas
by bella bakingDusting off my baking utensils on Sunday rekindled my love of baking, so I decided to ride the wave and make a second treat for this week. Introducing Carrot Cake Muffins with Pepitas (a.k.a. pumpkin seeds). No real pointers needed for this one – just follow the recipe and you’ll be good to go. Pretty [...]
Olive Oil Zucchini Bread
by bella bakingGrandma decided to give my little girl an olive oil hair mask today. I figured objecting wouldn’t do much to help my daughter’s cause, so I watched as she got ‘pampered’ by Grandma’s ancient beauty traditions. My little one seemed to love it, which makes me worry about the spa bills she’ll be racking up [...]
