Strawberry Cupcakes

Back in April, we had the opportunity to participate in a Little Pink Houses of Hope retreat in Carolina Beach, NC.  Are you familiar with Little Pink?  No?  You should be!  They are a fantastic organization that supports people and their families who have experienced breast cancer.  We spent a week at the beach with other families and a group of wonderful volunteers.  It was a carefree time after going through a marathon of treatments and appointments.  Little Pink thought of everything--from activities, to meals, to beach towels, to pictures.  Weeks later, my son is still talking about the people he met, about playing in the sand, and about how he went on a stand up paddle board with Daddy.  We were able to focus on connecting--as a family and with other people whose lives now share the common thread of breast cancer--instead of on the act of getting through the day.
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Sour Cherry Crisp

Hello!  It has been ages!  I hope that your kitchen has seen a lot of baking action over the past few months.  I’ve been thinking a lot about baking, but I haven’t been able to translate many of those thoughts into action until this weekend, when Aunt Katie and my new cherry pitter arrived.  They didn’t come together (the cherry pitter arrived first, if you must know), but it was serendipitous that they both arrived on the same day, because they are two very important parts of this recipe.  If you don’t have a Katie in your life, then you really should go out there and find one.  I’ll be frank, we are not willing to share our Katie because she really tops the charts.  Who else would look the other way when I ate my kid’s ice cream cone because he wasn’t licking it fast enough (yes, having a toddler is the perfect excuse for eating not one, but two ice cream cones on a hot afternoon!)?  Who else would arrive with a talking puppy that can learn my kid’s name?  Who else would patiently pit all of these cherries?
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Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Hi there!  Happy New Year!  Has it really been over a year since I’ve shared something with you?  Time has flown by!  Our little guy is walking now, and we love every minute with him!  I haven’t really baked many things since he was born aside from some special celebratory cakes, a few random batches of cookies, and these muffins.  I whipped these up the night before his birthday so he had a special treat to share at daycare and so that we had a tasty baked good to put a candle in when we sang to him.  We’ve been making his food since he started solids, but this was the first time he tried my baking, so his first bite was a special moment for me!  These muffins come together really quickly and have a tiny halo of health since they are made with whole wheat and oatmeal flours and bananas.  That being said, I didn’t let him eat too much since we’re really striving for him to have a healthy diet!  If you want a nice muffin that uses up the cache of ripe bananas that is taking over your freezer, give these a try!
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Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Scott and I recently spent a very relaxing week in Maine with some friends.  We were on a small island on Penobscot Bay within walking distance of a little shack that sold lobster and crab rolls, ice cream, and huge slices of wild blueberry pie.  It was such a perfect, peaceful setting that we barely left the island.  Mostly we just sat around reading books and playing board games, went for an occasional walk, and took naps in the afternoons.  After a rough morning of reading, who doesn’t need a nap?  Pin It

Strawberry Sandwich Cookies

How has it been two weeks since I last posted?  I’m slacking off here and I know it.  The past few weeks haven’t resulted in much baking, although I do have a small handful of nice recipes to share with you once I finally get around to writing them up!  These cookies are delicious.  I made them to bring to my cousin’s high school musical, All Shook Up.  Maybe you remember me mentioning seeing him last year when I posted the Chocolate Orange Chunk Cookie recipe?  Anyway, this year he was absolutely phenomenal!  I wish you could have come too because I think you really would have enjoyed it.  I was singing the songs to myself for at least a week afterwards.  I won’t say these cookies are better than the play, because they’re not.  They won’t make you laugh so hard you cry or give you an earworm, but they will make you glad that strawberry season is right around the corner.  Happy baking!
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Buttery Orange Shortbread

All week I’ve been thinking about what I was going to share with you in this post.  Of course, now that I am sitting here, I am drawing a complete blank.  We did a bunch of different things in the past 7 days.  We saw the boys (not once, but twice!), took a quick midweek trip to Pennsylvania to see my Dad get an award (congrats Dad!), went bowling (next time the girls will win every game!), and even went for a hike (yes!).  In between all of that, we squeezed in a few episodes of Battlestar Galactica.   Now, before you think I am crazy for falling into the sci-fi drama trap, I should tell you that we are only watching it because of a skit in Season 2 of Portlandia. 
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Raspberry Almond Thumbprints

I will be quick about this because there are still things I’d like to get done this evening before the next episode of Downton Abbey starts.  Yes, I am planning my evening around a TV show.  I’d bet a batch of these cookies that I’m not alone in my evening plans.  Of the cookies that I made for the holidays, these were my favorite.  I’m a real sucker for almond and raspberry combinations, and these cookies definitely hit the mark.  As an added bonus, they are light, fluffy, and beautiful.  You won’t be disappointed if you make them!  So, now that you have the details on these awesome cookies, I am going to return to my exciting task of cleaning out my closet.  Enjoy (the cookies and Downton Abbey)!
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Apricot-Ginger Slice and Bakes

How did this happen?  I let December 1st pass without mentioning the fact that it was the 2nd year anniversary of Anush Lini.  Luckily, it is never too late to celebrate, and today has a most auspicious date of 12-12-12.  First things first.  Thank you!  I love sharing with you, and I’m so honored that you spend a few minutes of your day reading my baking ramblings!  The butter count for the past year was a rotund 45.75 sticks.  Ok, ok, I know I shouldn’t be using that many significant figures, but there it is.  I’m going there.  That is just shy of 23 cups.  Good thing all of that butter wasn’t eaten all at once!
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Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Because sometimes you just need to make (and eat!) a classic....
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Cranberry Orange Pistachio Thumbprints

Whoot!  I am super excited to share these cookies with you!  They are amazing!  If you had walked past the front of our house this afternoon and looked in the window when I tried one, you might have thought I was a touch crazy.  That's because with my first bite, I had to let out my inner dance.  [Full disclosure:  I was listening to the Mariachi El Bronx (II) album, and how can you not dance when it is on?]  Even though I took my share of modern and ballroom dance classes in college (admittedly, this was a while ago now...), my inner dance still scares the crap out of Scott.  I'd like to believe that is because my dancing is so amazing that it intimidates him, but honestly, it's because I look like a crazy person.  Generally, I try to keep my inner dance harnessed until the curtains are drawn to minimize his embarrassment (and mine), but with all rules, there are exceptions, like this afternoon when I ate my first cranberry orange pistachio thumbprint.

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Caramel Apple Sour Cream Crumble

A few weeks ago, we bought some beautiful apples on our way home from my parents' house.  At the time, I was certain the apples were destined for a perfectly cooked pie.  I had told a friend that we would bring a dessert over the following weekend for a get together, and I hoped that my apple pie, paired with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, would make everyone swoon.  All week long, I thought about making the pie.  Its crust would be flaky and golden brown, and the apples, mounded impossibly high, would retain their structure so the filling wouldn't collapse into apple-cinnamon mush. 
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Vanilla Concord Grape Popsicles

Is there anything that says summer like a nice grapey popsicle eaten on the back step in the shade?  A few weeks ago, that is exactly what my parents, nephews, and I were doing.  We wrapped the boys up in clean kitchen towels so they wouldn't stain their clothes and had these popsicles for dessert after lunch.  The boys really enjoyed them and their chorus of "Mmmmmm, Aunt Julie. These are really good!" made my heart melt.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Squares

Lemon and poppy seeds are so perfect together.  These bars are easy to make and are buttery and refreshing.  I think you’ll like them.  Enjoy your holiday weekend!

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Raisin Squares (With a Hint of Orange)

My third nephew was born just a few days ago (!!!!!) and I decided to channel my excitement into a new tasty treat to bring to the hospital.  First, I have to tell you that my nephew is incredibly adorable and sweet!  Now that all of the important baby details are out of the way, we can move on to the cookies.  I know that there are two types of people in the world: raisin enjoyers and raisin detesters.
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Triple Citrus Cookies

Hi there!  I've been meaning to write, but I keep getting sucked into other things, like ripping out the vines that keep threatening to consume our fence and trying to find curtains that don't look like they belong in Arsenic and Old Lace.  Yes, things have been very, very exciting lately! 
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Toasted Oat, Plum, and Pecan Cookies

I made a variation of these cookies for an awesome wedding that we recently went to.  I had a special request for a diabetic-friendly cookie, and my mom sent me a few potential recipes to try out.  I'm going to share something with you now that I never thought I would:  I actually like dried plums.  I imagine that some of the food purists out there are saying, rightly so, "Did she just call a prune a dried plum?"  Yes, I am completely guilty of trying to make one of the ingredients in these cookies sound more appealing. 
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Roasted Chocolate Banana Cake

There's not too much to say about this cake except that if you like bananas and you like chocolate then you should try this out.  I had never thought much about roasting bananas beyond a campfire banana boat (i.e., bananas slit open stuffed with chocolate chips and marshmallows, wrapped up in foil, and dropped in a campfire) until Scott mentioned how America's Test Kitchen had a recent episode about banana pudding made with roasted bananas.  I've been making this cake for a number of years, and it seemed like the perfect candidate for a roasted banana intervention.  It only took one try, and I'm completely hooked...
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Sour Cherry Bars

Thank you!  On December 1, Anush Lini had its first birthday, and I’m incredibly thankful (and excited!) that you are still reading!  I’ve really enjoyed blogging this past year and am looking forward to sharing even more recipes in the future.  And now for the most important part - the butter count (drum roll please) is 58.7 sticks!  I am definitely sure that I have used much more butter than that though, once I take into account baking errors, un-posted items, and buttered toast.  Wait, is using lots of butter something I’m supposed to be embarrassed about? 
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Blueberry Squares

I made these twice last week.  The first time was on Thursday.  I hadn't baked anything since the browned butter bites I made in late September, and I was feeling a bit rusty. 
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Almond Apricot Bars

These cookies are tart and tangy, and to put it simply, I love them.  The apricot filling is nice and thick, and the crust gives just the right amount of resistance when you bite into it.  I was pretty excited when I first got the cookbook I adapted this recipe from at a used book store outside of Albany. 
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