Here’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately – “the cycles of life”. As a kid, we grew up going to birthday parties for our friends, and to the weddings of our parents’ friends and family members. I still … Continue reading
Category Archives: Dessert
Banana Chiffon Cake & Mom’s 70th Birthday
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Mom, happy birthday to you! We’re visiting my parents this weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day AND my mom’s 70th birthday. Her only request for the weekend… a Chiffon cake … Continue reading
Carrot Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
The Easter Bunny is going to LOVE these! One of my favorite dessert bloggers, Bridget Edwards at Bake at 350, posted her recipe for these cookies earlier this week. I couldn’t resist giving them a try and putting my own … Continue reading
Strawberry Sour Cream Bread
Yummy! This strawberry sour cream bread is so simple to make and it tastes delicious. The texture is very similar to banana bread, but you get a little strawberry flavor in every bite – perfect to serve for breakfast or … Continue reading
3.14 Day (It’s Pie Day tomorrow!)
I’m such a N-E-R-D when it comes to numbers. If I look at the clock and it happens to be 11:11, I exclaim, “It’s 11:11 – make a wish!”. When it’s 12:34, I have to point it out. I silently … Continue reading
Ski Weekend Apple Cake
While Joy has been enjoying the warm sunshine on Maui, I have been enjoying a different kind of sunshine… on my annual girls’ weekend ski trip. This year we are at White Pass near Mount Rainier National Park and the … Continue reading
Magic Cookie Bars
Our girls’ ski weekend would not be complete without a big pan of chocolatey something. This year Lisa made one of our favorites, Magic Cookie Bars. Who doesn’t love a rich, buttery bar cookie loaded with coconut, chocolate chips and … Continue reading
Mayan Chocolate Pudding
The winter solstice starts today and marks the end of the 13th baktun, or cycle, of the Mayan calendar. The hubbub about a calamity supposedly occurring on 12/21/12 comes from a Mayan stone carving made in 700 A.D., which predicts a major … Continue reading
Tallahassee Lassies
A couple of years ago, I was trying out cookie recipes in advance of the busy Christmas season because I needed something REALLY special. I’m sure you know what I mean. There are certain events (i.e. cookie exchanges with serious … Continue reading
Peppermint Brownie Bites
It’s December 17th… time to bring on the holiday sweets! Yesterday I got started by mixing up a batch of bite-sized peppermint brownies. These moist, chocolatey brownies are flavored with peppermint and topped with a rich ganache frosting. Chocolate and … Continue reading
Palmiers
Today, I’d like to share with you a lovely blog post by our friend, Margretta. She is a teacher and she has a lovely food blog called miseenplace.us. I was feeling really sad today when I read her latest article … Continue reading
Betty Crocker’s Candy Cane Cookies
I loved reading Joy’s Frozen Frangos post on Saturday! It made me think about what a perfectionist my own dad was when it came to the Christmas tree. He was so particular about having a symmetrical tree that he would … Continue reading
Frozen Frangos
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! So much about this holiday is nostalgia, don’t you think? I was just telling some friends last night that my favorite childhood memories were of the way my family celebrated this holiday … Continue reading
Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake
Have you been searching for a special dessert for Thanksgiving dinner? Something a little bit beyond the ordinary pumpkin pie? This velvety-smooth pumpkin cheesecake flavored with maple and cinnamon and topped with toasted pecans is sure to leave your guests … Continue reading
Pumpkin Pie
My family has been making this classic pumpkin pie recipe for as long as I can remember. It’s creamy and delicious with plenty of spice. It’s incredibly simple to make and a great project for kids, too. I used to … Continue reading
Halloween Pumpkin Cake – so easy it’s scary!
A recipe from our guest contributor and baker extraordinaire, Mary Jordan. This recipe was passed around my neighborhood some years ago and it is a favorite of mine this time of year. The cake is super easy to make, with … Continue reading
Basic Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream cheese frosting is versatile and easy to make. Use this recipe to frost a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake, or a batch of cupcakes. If you are frosting a double layer cake, double the quantities below. Basic Cream Cheese … Continue reading
Emmer Applesauce Coffee Cake
If you enjoy baking with whole wheat flour, I encourage you to give emmer flour a try. Emmer (also known as farro) is a low-gluten, high protein, ancient grain loaded with nutrients. Emmer flour gives baked goods a sweet, nutty, … Continue reading
And the winner is…
Thank you to everyone who entered our October best bake sale COOKBOOK Giveaway! Once again, we selected a winner randomly from all of the entries. Congratulations to Sara from the food blog threecleversisters.com who voted for the Almost Black They’re So Cocoa … Continue reading
Mom’s Never Fail Pie Crust + Video
For those of you who have been reading A Passionate Plate for a while, you know I have depended on refrigerated pie crusts from Pillsbury for MANY of my recipes. For some reason, I have always been afraid to make … Continue reading
Mom’s Apple Pie
Apple pie is an American classic. If you are looking for a simple, yet absolutely delicious apple pie filling, this recipe is for you! One of the secrets to this apple pie is to cut the apples into small, evenly … Continue reading
Mrs. Huckabee’s Apple Dumplings
On our apple tour last week, Joy and I learned that Stemilt’s Director of Fieldstaff, Jeff, grew up in Brewster, the same small north central Washington town where I went to junior high. Wow, what a small world! In honor … Continue reading
Mary’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
A recipe and post from our good friend and baker extraordinaire, Mary Jordan. I wish I could claim that I am the Mary that these cookies are named after, but I cannot lie. This is in reference to Mary Bartz, … Continue reading
Peanut Butter Honey Cookies
Peanut butter cookies! This classic cookie is one of my all time favorites. If you love peanut butter and honey here is a variation for you! It’s a fun twist on the original Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie recipe. I’ve … Continue reading
CMT Awareness Month and Magic Chocolate Cake
Sometimes, life gives you opportunities to try to make a difference. In this case, it’s also giving me an opportunity to move outside my comfort zone. And, according to this graphic: This is where the magic happens! So, here goes… … Continue reading
Figs Preserved with Lemon & Grand Marnier + Video
Some posts take longer to write than others. I really meant to share this Figs Preserved with Lemon & Grand Marnier recipe last month as part of our “harvest” series, but I couldn’t quite get my mind around how to … Continue reading
Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes
This recipe comes from our good friend and baker extraordinaire, Mary Jordan. After a taste test, we named this recipe “Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes” because they are so easy to make AND they taste like they are made from scratch. … Continue reading
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
This frosting tastes amazing on our Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes! Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting 4.0 from 1 reviews Print Recipe type: Dessert, Frosting Author: A Passionate Plate Guest Contributor, Mary Jordan A wonderful frosting for chocolate cupcakes! Ingredients 4 … Continue reading
Boozy Peaches
Last weekend on our way home from Winthrop, we just had to stop at a fruit stand and buy some gorgeous Washington State peaches. Ripe, sweet, beautiful, locally grown peaches – and just $25 for a 25 lb. box! I … Continue reading
Rainbow Birthday Cake
I need to take a break from our Harvest theme to tell you about Ana’s Rainbow Birthday Cake (but don’t forget to enter our latest giveaway!) My niece, Anastasia, recently turned 6. When I asked her what kind of cake … Continue reading
Blackberry Buckle
After picking blackberries on the beach yesterday, I came home and made an easy Blackberry Buckle – so yummy served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream! What a wonderful way to enjoy the flavor of fresh blackberries. This is … Continue reading
Cherry Dark Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
Joy and I have been on an ice cream dessert kick this week. July and ice cream just seem to go together – even if you live in Seattle and it’s 65 degrees. What I’ve been wondering lately is how … Continue reading
Strawberry Ice Cream Shortcake
Here’s another fun (and super-easy) way to enjoy the best of the summer strawberries. Strawberry Ice Cream Shortcake can be made with homemade ice cream. I made mine with Dreyer’s Slow-Churned Ice Cream. It can be made with homemade pound … Continue reading
“Hawaiian Vacation” Coconut Macadamia Nut Bars
This summer we took our vacation in Hawaii. Our wonderful friends, Herb and Heidi, invited us to join their family for a week of fun on the North shore of Kauaii, in Princeville, just south of Hanalai Bay. I am … Continue reading
Rosemary Whole-Wheat Lemon Bars
I know a bunch of you are struggling with triple digit temperatures right now and I’m guessing you are not in the mood to turn on the oven. I get it, and I’m sorry to be tempting you with these … Continue reading
Pink Lemonade Sugar Cookie Bars
Pink lemonade Sugar Cookie Bars are a fun twist on a traditional lemon bar. The rich shortbread base is topped with a pink-hued, lemony layer and then sprinkled with powdered sugar! Pink Lemonade Sugar Cookie Bars Print Recipe type: … Continue reading
Chocolate Raspberry Mini Brownies
Adding fresh raspberries to brownies made from a mix can transform something ordinary into something blog-worthy! I just had to share this very easy recipe with you. I used my mini-muffin pan to get perfect individual portions and a drizzled on … Continue reading
S’mores Bars
Happy 4th of July! We’re staying home for the holiday and it looks like we might actually get to eat outside tonight – no rain! If you live anywhere else besides the Northwest, I know this must be hard to … Continue reading
N.W. Raspberries – Summer is here!
I just finished eating a bowl of raspberry sorbet topped with big, fat, juicy raspberries from our neighbors’ garden. Snowe and Nancy, THANK YOU! We can’t always grow the best tomatoes or peppers here in the Northwest, but raspberries… well, … Continue reading
Joy’s Birthday Cake (Happy Birthday, Joy!)
Today is Joy’s birthday. Happy Birthday, JOY! Joy and I have been friends since 1986. Wow, 26 years! How did that happen? Time flies. I feel very fortunate to have such a close friend living nearby. A sister, really, more … Continue reading
Mini Apple Pies with Crumb Topping
The 4th of July is just a few weeks away. It’s one of my favorite holidays – not so much for the fireworks, but because I know that it will stop raining on July 5th. Ah, summer in Seattle. In … Continue reading
Whiskey Rainier Cherries
Look what else is in-season right now! Rainier Cherries. Beautiful, creamy-yellow and blush-red cherries. They are sweet and delicious. It was actually a Washington State University scientist (Go Cougs!), Harold Fogle, who created these cherries when he was experimenting with … Continue reading
Grandma Dorothy’s Icebox Strawberry Pie
I aspire to be able to bake as well as my Grandma Dorothy did! There wasn’t a recipe she hadn’t perfected, and quite honestly, she didn’t seem to believe in “recipes”. What I mean is, after an afternoon at Bridge … Continue reading
Homemade Hostess Cupcakes
(11/17/12 – NOTE: When I made these cupcakes five months ago, I had no idea that Hostess would be closing all of their bakeries, including their Seattle location on South Lake Union. Now that my dad’s favorite childhood treat will … Continue reading
Lemon Lavender Scones
Lemon Lavender Scones. I’ve made these for many years, but never with lemon yogurt… until this morning. Yum! Last week Tillamook sent Joy and me some of their new, naturally sweetened light yogurt to test out. Turns out, this is a great yogurt … Continue reading
Helen’s Pumpkin Bran Bars
Leave it to my mom to make a dessert from Fiber One cereal. Seriously. My mom travels everywhere with a small ziplock bag of Fiber One in her purse… because you just never know when you might need a bowl of bran. Once, on a … Continue reading
Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp
It’s rhubarb season! Yea! Time to make a Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp. I love making crisps because… #1) NO PIE CRUST NEEDED. #2) NO RECIPE NEEDED. #3) THEY ARE SO EASY! I know it’s not fair to post a picture of something … Continue reading
Coconut Lime Cupcakes with Lime Curd
(Contributed by our guest contributor and expert baker – Mary Jordan!) As I was mulling over what to bring to a Cinco de Mayo party, my friend Laura (who is a fantastic baker) suggested Coconut Lime Cupcakes and referred me … Continue reading
Cream Cheese Frosting with Lime
This frosting recipe makes a big batch – perfect for generously frosting 24 Coconut Lime Cupcakes. Cream Cheese Frosting with Lime Print Recipe type: Dessert, Frosting Ingredients 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, … Continue reading
Lime Curd
Homemade fruit curd is a real treat and actually very simple to make. One of our readers, Cathy, sent us this recipe after seeing our recipe for Limoncello Ice Cream Sundaes. The sundae recipe calls for a jar of store-bought … Continue reading
Caramel Corn Chocolate Chip Cookies
“Sometimes me think ‘what is a friend?’ and then me think… friend is what last chocolate cookie is for.” You know the voice – it’s Cookie Monster, one of my favorite Sesame Street characters. “Me want cookie! Me eat cookie! … Continue reading
Limoncello Ice Cream Sundae
I have a confession to make. I just ate this for lunch. OMG. I’m making sales calls today (about 40 of them) and I needed a break. Yes, I could have gone outside in the beautiful sunshine for a brisk … Continue reading
Lemon Lavender Sugar Cookies
The first time I baked with lavender was back in the early 1990′s. At that time, I was writing a weekly herbal cooking column for a local newspaper. Lavender was a very trendy ingredient in 1993… and I was ready … Continue reading
Easy Easter Bunny Cake
I had so much fun yesterday making this Easter Bunny cake with Collin! I bet a bunch of you remember making this cute classic when you were little. It is absolutely the easiest bunny cake to make and a perfect … Continue reading
Simple Strawberry Cake
Yesterday we woke up to snow! That’s unusual for our neighborhood this time of year, but it was a fun surprise. Then the sun came out and my little Tête-á-Tête daffodils watched as the last of the white stuff melted … Continue reading
Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake
This month we’ve been posting recipes that mean LOVE to us in one way or another. I could not let February pass by without making this special cake. It’s one of those favorite foods from my childhood and I actually … Continue reading
Chocolate Cream Pie
I was on a MISSION! Rob’s birthday was coming up, but we wanted to surprise him so I couldn’t just come right out and ask him what kind of dessert he’d like for his birthday. So, over beers at The … Continue reading
White Chocolate Soup with Frozen Berries
“I could easily drink a gallon of this!” and “Do you have any more of that soup?” Yep-yep! These are the comments I heard last night as we indulged in this simple Valentine’s Day dessert. It’s not too heavy, … Continue reading
Individual Apple Fritter Bread Puddings
Okay, here is the first recipe in our month of cooking LOVE! This recipe could also be called cooking GUILT! – because combining apple fritters and bread pudding made me just a little guilty. But, after writing about the Winchell’s … Continue reading
Sweet Potato Espresso Brownies
You’ll have to trust me on this one… these brownies are amazing. Really. And the lucky people you serve them to will never know they are eating unsweetened cocoa, whole wheat flour and sweet potato puree. I promise. It will be our … Continue reading
Peppermint Ice Cream Candy Cane Lane Cake
My husband, Toby, suggested we take our turn hosting his family for Christmas Eve dinner this year. He has five brothers and sisters with spouses, children, their spouses and grandchildren, so we will be hosting dinner for 30 people … Continue reading
Chocolate Strawberry Rugelach
I love this time of year when I can bake to my heart’s content – and give it all away. Who doesn’t love a beautiful box of homemade treats? This year, I took on a new challenge and WOW! I’m … Continue reading
Betty Crocker’s Sugar Cookies
Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book includes two recipes for sugar cookies. The one I am sharing here is called Ethel’s Sugar Cookies and it’s the recipe my mom always followed. When I saw shortening on this list of ingredients, I immediately pictured … Continue reading
Royal Icing
Royal Icing is the key to beautifully decorated sugar cookies. Unlike buttercream frosting, royal icing hardens to a glossy finish when it dries – so cookies can be stacked, shipped, and shared without worries. Royal icing is easy to make and … Continue reading
Betty Crocker’s Scotch Shortbread
Annika and I made Scotch Shortbread on Friday night – a project that earned me the status of best babysitter ever! It’s always good to show up with cookie dough. Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book, this recipe is as delicious … Continue reading
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
One of our favorite West Seattle restaurants, Shadowland, used to serve an olive oil cake that Marvin and I loved. It was such a great dessert… simple, moist and delicious, with just a hint of olive oil flavor shining through. Even though … Continue reading
Pecan Chocolate Chip Pie
I started adding chocolate chips to my pecan pies years ago when I catered a lot of big holiday parties. We’d make miniature versions in 2″ pie shells and serve thousands of these delicious treats. The chocolate makes this pie even … Continue reading
Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes
Joy mailed me this recipe last week. The subject line: OMG! After tasting these I would have to agree. Basically, it’s pumpkin pie filling baked in a muffin liner – way easier than making a pie and more rewarding than … Continue reading
Zucchini Praline Cake
Let me just start by saying that this recipe has a lot of sugar… so don’t bother reading this post if sugar is not your thing. If, however, you love a moist, dense cake with a hint of cinnamon, covered in … Continue reading
Buttermilk Apple Cake
I had a request for another buttermilk recipe. This delicious cake has all of the flavors of Fall – with spicy cloves and juicy apples. It takes only about 10 minutes to assemble and it tastes great fresh out … Continue reading
