Kentucky Bourbon Puddings with Candied Pecans

Let's face it. Sometimes baking is tied to emotion. Oftentimes, for me. The weather has been strangely muggy and overcast, which has kept me hermit-like and sleepy. And the cake I've been dreaming of can only seem to materialize as a sketch in my recipe journal. Those frosting ruffles I penned are too effervescent for days like this.

Conversely, these cozy bourbon puddings appeared in front of me in the span of about 20 minutes. After pouring a few jars-full, I ate the remainder directly from the saucepan (it was still warm - swoon!).  To make this comforting treat even more sweetly southern, I candied pecans for a topping.

I'm sure some of you are wondering what bourbon pudding tastes like. It's not overly boozy or tongue-tingling - it's more like the best butterscotch pudding you'll ever make.  In fact, if you swapped out the Kentucky bourbon whiskey (made of 51% corn/grain mix)  for Scotch whisky (made of malted barley), you'd have authentic butterscotch pudding.

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Peanut-Honey Pupcakes

It's Churro's birthday!

Well, sort of.

We don't really know when his birthday is.  And we don't know exactly how old he is either, but we still like to celebrate the day we welcomed him into our family. Churro is a rescue -yes, a pound puppy.  His history is somewhat of a mystery to us, but we were told that he came from a pretty bad situation. You'd never know that from his demeanor. He's the sweetest real-life teddy bear you'll ever meet! And he instantly fit right in with Biscuit-the-pug and our three kitty-cats. Words cannot express how gentle and loving he is.  It breaks my heart that there are so many animals of similar docility that get taken to the shelter.  I don't like to think about that too much, but I felt that I must mention it.

Maybe someone out there looking for a furbaby will remember Churro's happy ending and decide to rescue.

Both pups went absolutely NUTS over these Peanut-Honey Pupcakes.   I've never seen them so excited!  And I have to admit- they smelled pretty darn good fresh from the oven.  I used natural peanut butter (no sugar, low sodium) and some good quality local honey.  To make absolutely sure no one mistook these for people food, I added a peanut butter dog biscuit to the tops before baking.

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Deep Dish Berry Pie Tart

Is it a pie,  is it a tart?  Yes.  And yes!

I first saw this odd pie-tart hybrid while browsing a pastry table at a local market.  I was intrigued for a fleeting moment, then able to pass by with a "eh..."

Mr. Baird was intrigued for longer. His silent reaction was to sneak it into the shopping cart while I browsed the tea aisle. I gave him a sideways glance as the cashier scanned it and put it in a bag. He maintained his poker face.

I'll admit, I was a little irritated.  I like trying new things, but we had a surplus of sweets at home.When I reluctantly decided to try a bite I recognized the cream cheese tart crust immediately- though it lacked the loving touch of a little salt. Like most grocery-bought bakery items, it was just okay.

A while later, something happened. It was a daydream I think, or the deepest thought this dessertophile could muster. In my mind's eye I saw tart dough, baked into tall fortress walls,which held a kingdom of every type of berry. There was a lattice top, too.

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It's Here! The SprinkleBakes Book and a KitchenAid Giveaway!

Today's the day! 

It's the official publication day for the SprinkleBakes book! I'm so excited and more than a little nervous! Every other post on my blog will feature a recipe, but today I wanted to tell you a little bit about what I've been pouring so much love and work into over the past year.  I really hope it lives up to everything you'd expect - your encouragement from the very start of this blog has meant so much to me and has made this day possible.

Hopefully this will answer your burning questions: inside you'll find 77 recipes. Of those, 36 are basics that every baker and dessert enthusiast will want in their recipe arsenal.This section is called "Blank Canvases" because these recipes can be endlessly varied with flavor, color and shape. I return to these simple and approachable basics again and again. Use them to create a confectionery work of art, or just to satisfy a craving!

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Hibiscus Tea and Poppy Seed Shortbread

Last week I bought a tin of hibiscus tea, and the moment I looked into my first freshly brewed cup, I knew it was destined to be a star ingredient in something sweet!

I recently read that infusing loose tea with butter creates a strong flavor for use in baked goods. So, my first order of business - make hibiscus tea butter. It was so easy and turned out beautifully! It's hard to explain, but there was something very special about preparing the tea butter. I immediately wanted to use as much of it as possible. My first thought - shortbread.

As I mixed the magenta-hued butter into sugar and flour, I witnessed a magical color transformation from bright pink-red to purple. This kind of surprise is the best kind of surprise.

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Peanuts in My Coke: Coca-Cola Cupcakes with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

“I remember when no one was looking
I was puttin' peanuts in my Coke.”
             - "I was country when country wasn't cool."

We all have food traditions that are specific to our geographical location.  I am a citizen of the Southeastern United States, and my residence is just outside the Great Smoky Mountains. I could tell you about a number of traditional and odd-sounding foodstuffs that I grew up on; eggs scrambled with crumbled cornbread, cushaw pie, chocolate gravy...  but this post is dedicated to a simple southern snack that I remember fondly: peanuts in Coca-Cola.

When I was a kid I would ride to the gas station with my dad in his old beat-up work truck.  While he filled the tank, I’d go inside the mini mart with a few dollars he’d given me and get a couple of Coca-Colas (in glass bottles) and two bags of salted peanuts. The cashier would remove the bottle caps with the opener mounted on the wall behind the counter.

Once back in the truck, the ritual began. A couple of swigs were taken to make room for the peanuts, then the entire 2 oz. bag emptied into the mouth of the bottle. And finally, the all-important last step - an extra tap-tap-tap on the end of the upright turned peanut bag to make sure all the salt made it into the soda.

I still find this snack oddly delicious, and there's something about the saltiness of the peanuts that makes the cola taste even sweeter.

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No Bake Strawberry Milk Cheesecake

Make a wish... 

My love of strawberry milk is well documented in the pages of this blog, and no matter how hard I try, sprinkles are never optional when it comes to using this nostalgic flavor in my baking.  With its graham-sprinkle crust, this cheesecake looks like a party and I wouldn't hesitate to make it in place of the usual birthday cake for a special celebration.

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