Bakery Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins are tender, cakey bakery-style muffins with crackly, sugary crunchy muffin tops. Vanilla and almond extracts, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest make these the best lemon poppy seed muffins on the planet.

If you follow along here on the blog, you know I’ve had lemons on the brain for quite some time now. I just can’t help it. When spring and summer finally arrives, I want all things lemon! Last week it was Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes, and a few weeks before it was Lemon Cream Whipped Cream Filling. This week it’s all about these scrumptious Bakery Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins.

When I bite into one of these tender, delicious muffins, I’m taken back a decade or two to a lovely little muffin shop in Greenville, South Carolina where we used to live. The muffin shop on Augusta Road was called The Muffin Ma’am. Cutest name ever. Best muffins ever. The shop was nestled in an uppity little shopping plaza alongside a children’s toy store, The Elephant’s Trunk.

Nearby was an upscale children’s clothing boutique named The Grey Goose. I remember shopping in that little plaza with my girlfriends. It was mostly window shopping mind you, but in my book that counts. And then we’d stroll to The Muffin Ma’am for a hot cup and a top-notch muffin. It was an experience, and nearly impossible to step inside those magical doors and not break into a full-blown cheery “Do You know the Muffin Man” hum.

This simple recipe comes together easily in one bowl. Combine the dry ingredients and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining wet ingredients and mix by hand until just combined.

Pour into muffin tins. Bake at 325° for 30-35 minutes until muffin crowns are crackly and just turning golden.

When I was experimenting in the kitchen with this recipe, I was aiming for that tender, cakey muffin, with the crackly, rounded tops and sugary crunch I fondly remember at The Muffin Ma’am. These Bakery Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins with vanilla and almond extracts, also fresh lemon juice and lemon zest are just like those muffins…an experience.

The kind you bake easily on a lazy Saturday morning and savor with your favorite catalog and a hot cup. Hope you enjoy these scrumptious muffins!

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Bakery Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins

Tender, bakery-style lemon poppy seed muffins with crunchy, sugary crackly tope. Made with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest and almond extract.

Course muffin

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 1/8 cups sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
• Optional: 2 tablespoons white sparkling sugar

Instructions

• Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in mixing bowl
• Mix well with fork.
• Stir in beaten egg, milk, oil, vanilla extract, almond extract, poppy seeds and lemon zest.
• Do not overmix.
• Distribute batter evenly into muffin tin.
• Optional: sprinkle muffin tops with white sparkling sugar.
• Bake at 325° for 30 - 35 minutes until muffin crowns are just turning golden and tops are crackly.

You may also like: Sweet Almond Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

The post Bakery Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

French-style crepes are easy to make at home! And these Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes are the perfect weekend treat. Make crepes ahead, then fill with fresh strawberries and cream just before serving.

So what is a French-style crepe anyway? By definition it’s a very thin pancake often filled with meat, cheeses, fruits and/or fillings. Crepes are even thinner than Swedish pancakes, and they’re either sweet or savory. Think breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks.

Crepes: the perfect weekend breakfast!

When the weekend comes, it’s nice to gather around the breakfast table and connect over delicious fare. We can get in the same rut around here for weekend breakfasts. Omelets or scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, coffee cake and fresh fruit. It’s a nice menu, but I wanted to try to something special and a bit gourmet to surprise the boys.

Once in a blue moon we do go out for breakfast, but that gets expensive, especially if you have a family of growing boys like ours. And when they start ordering the large juices, well you can just throw in the towel. The battle has already been lost. We spent a grand total of $80.99 plus a $15 tip on a family breakfast out just last weekend… ouch! (It wasn’t even a fancy schmancy breakfast by the sea, either. Basic omelets etc.)

So I’ve always wanted to make homemade crepes. And then some friends recently downsized and gave me a lovely non-stick Le Creuset 7″ skillet. Very exciting. Once I had the right skillet, I knew I’d try my hand at making crepes. I always thought crepes would be hard to make and that they were always served hot. (Why?)

Since we all love fresh seasonal berries, I thought I’d make Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes first. The filling combines easily and if you have sweet strawberries in season, it’s hard to screw this up.

I was very pleasantly surprised at how easy the process is. The crepes were tender and delicious, and the boys and I enjoyed them for lunch today.

The most important thing I learned is that crepe batter is super simple to make and only uses a few ingredients. I also learned that crepes cook very quickly. You can make them ahead and stack/store them in the refrigerator, then fill them just before serving. So next time I serve crepes for weekend brunch, I’ll make the crepes the night before, then stuff them in the morning. Wonderful timesaver!

How to make Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes:

Slice up the strawberries, toss them with sugar and let them macerate. (Macerate = draw out the sweet juice!)

Then whip up the easy crepe batter in the blender. (So far so good.)

Then heat the skillet over high heat and spray some non-stick cooking spray on it. Pour in a scant 1/4 cup of batter, and tilt the skillet to swirl the batter evenly all around. Return to the heat.

When the top starts to dry out, flip it over.

And voila! A beautiful, golden crepe. Not bad, eh?

While the crepes cool, whip up the easy filling in the blender or food processor – just a few ingredients!

Spoon creamy filling and fresh strawberries in the center of a crepe, then fold in half and in half again. Garnish with more fresh berries, whipped cream and a fresh herb sprig if desired.

And there you have it folks: scrumptious Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes for all to enjoy! Gourmet and delicious.

Tips for making perfect crepes:

• Skillet should be nice and hot. Heat over high heat initially, but you’ll probably need to turn it down to medium once the skillet is fully heated. (Definitely turn down the heat if the cooking spray starts smoking.)
• I used non-stick cooking spray ‘Pam’ with good success.
• A non-stick skillet is nice if you have one. The 7″ size worked well for me.
• It should take about 1-3 minutes to cook each crepe, depending on how high the heat is.
• Flip your crepe when it starts to look dry on the top.
• If you love making (and eating!) crepes, a crepe pan is a good investment. It’s non-stick and has lower sides for easier access and flipping.
• Use a thin metal spatula to easily loosen edges to remove and/or flip crepes.
• Cool crepes before filling.
• Place filling(s) on top, then roll or fold crepes.

Other crepe recipes you may enjoy: Blueberry Crepes with Honey Whipped Cream, Lemon Cheese Cake Crepes and Paleo Crepes with Strawberries.

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Homemade Strawberry Crepes

Easy recipe to make Homemade Strawberry Crepes.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword crepe, crepe recipe, easy crepe, homemade strawberry crepe, stawberry crepe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 7" crepes

Author Allie

Equipment

• 7" non-stick skillet
• thin metal spatula
• non-stick cooking spray, like Pam

Ingredients

Crepes:

• 2 large fresh eggs room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour all purpose
• 1 tablespoon butter melted
• optional 1-2 tablespoons white granulated sugar (if you prefer a sweeter crepe)

Strawberry Filling:

• 3 cups strawberries, fresh sliced
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pure
• whipped cream for garnish

Instructions

How to make crepes:

• Process milk and eggs together in blender for 30 seconds.
• Keep speed low, and slowly add flour and butter, processing just until blended.
• Heat skillet over high heat until thoroughly heated.
• Lightly grease a 7" skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
• Pour scant 1/4 cup of batter onto heated skillet, picking up pan by the handle and tilting pan so the batter swirls over entire bottom of pan evenly.
• Return pan to the heat.
• Cook until bottom of crepe is turning golden, 1-2 minutes.
• Gently loosen edges from skillet and flip to brown the other side.
• Remove from skillet, and repeat process until you have cooked all crepes.

Strawberry Filling:

• Hull and slice strawberries. Lightly toss with white sugar. Set aside.
• Whip cottage cheese in a blender or food processor on high speed. Process until smooth.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir in smooth cottage cheese, sour cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar.
• Fill crepes with a dollop of cheese mixture and strawberries on top.
• Fold crepe over in half and then in half again.
• Top with more berries and whipped cream.
• Garnish with fresh green lemon balm or mint sprig.

You may also like: Strawberry Cheesecake

The post Homemade Fresh Strawberry Crepes appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

If you’re a blueberry lover like me, then this Blueberry Pound Cake recipe is for you! It’s a moist, dense, buttery cake packed with plump, juicy blueberries. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and you’re set!

Jump to Recipe

Blueberry Season Means Blueberry Pound Cake!

Blueberry picking season is just around the corner here in New England, and I’m so excited. A homemade blueberry pound cake is New England summer at its finest, and delicious cakes like this are served in Maine restaurants all summer long. And my Jon loves all things blueberry. And I remember as kids we used to buy blueberry jelly beans, share the whole bag in one sitting. We’re not eating so many jelly beans these days in our forties … But we do like fresh blueberries best, and we pick pounds of New Hampshire blueberries every July to enjoy fresh or freeze to use throughout the Fall and Winter.

We mostly eat blueberries straight, but we also like putting them in baked oatmeal, blueberry tarts, blueberry shortbread, and even homemade blueberry ice cream. But we especially love eating this delicious Blueberry Pound Cake. And trust me, you will, too!

Cake recipes can be tricky, but this has gotta be one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever baked. There are no special tricks or temperature settings. It always turns out a beautiful golden brown, looks gorgeous with the sparkling white sugar on top. So, grab your fork, and get ready to dig in!

Key Ingredients

You only need few fresh ingredients and some pantry staples to make this delicious and easy blueberry pound cake, including: a pint of fresh or frozen blueberries (washed and drained), all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, unsalted butter (softened to room temperature), eggs (also at room temperature), granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, white sparkling sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling, and fresh whipped cream for serving.

How To Make Blueberry Pound Cake

1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 325°, and toss the washed, drained blueberries with 1/4 cup flour. Set aside. Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
2. Make the Cake Batter: Separately in mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar together with hand or stand mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, but still being careful not to over-mix. Add vanilla, and beat until fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients by hand into batter until well blended (it’s OK to see streaks of flour). Gently fold in the blueberries, being careful not to burst them.
3. Bake: Pour into greased and floured 10″ tube pan. Sprinkle with the sparkling white sugar, and bake for one hour and 15 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and tests done. (You can stick a toothpick into the center. if it comes out clean, it’s ready.)
4. Cool: Allow the blueberry pound cake to cool cake in tube pan for 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, carefully separate cake from the edges of the pan and around the tube in the middle. Carefully remove the cake from pan, and cool on a baking rack.
5. Serve: Slice the cake, and serve with fresh whipped cream, grated lemon zest, and some mint leaves. Enjoy!

Tip: A fresh slice of Blueberry Pound Cake is delicious served with Triple Easy Homemade Lemonade!

Tips and Variations

• Toss your blueberries in a little flour before folding into the pound cake batter to keep them from sinking to the bottom.
• Measure all the ingredients carefully beforehand, and have them at room temperature — especially the butter and eggs in this case — to prevent lumps and to ensure a smooth cake batter.
• Don’t over-mix the batter. Mix on low speed and until ingredients are just incorporated. It’s OK to still see streaks of flour.
• Bake on your middle oven rack, and start checking at the 55-minute mark. However, if the top isn’t even golden brown, don’t open your oven yet. Repeatedly opening and closing the oven to check a cake before it’s done causes it to fall.
• Switch up the berries in this pound cake recipe! Raspberries, sliced strawberries, blackberries, and even cranberries would be delicious here.
• Double-up the blueberry flavor by serving this homemade pound cake with my favorite blueberry ice cream.
• Or keep it simple by serving warms with a pad of softened butter and a glass of cold milk!

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

• Store cooled, leftover blueberry pound cake in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• Freeze this cake whole or by the slice for up to 3 months. Wrap securely in plastic wrap, then store in a freezer-safe, airtight container or plastic bag.
• Reheat this homemade pound cake by letting it come to room temperature from chilled or frozen, warming in the microwave, or toasting in the oven.

MORE CAKE RECIPES TO TRY

• Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheese Cake
• Brick Street Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Candied Lemon Cheesecake

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Blueberry Pound Cake

A moist, dense, buttery pound cake packed with plump, juicy blueberries.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 1 pint blueberries washed and drained
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar
• optional: serve with whipped cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Toss washed, drained blueberries with 1/4 cup flour, set aside.
• Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt, set aside.
• Separately in mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together with hand or stand mixer.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla and beat until fluffy.
• Fold dry ingredients (by hand) into batter until well blended.
• Gently stir in berries.
• Pour into greased and floured 10" tube pan.
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sparkling white sugar or turbinado sugar.
• Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake is golden brown and tests done.
• Cool cake in tube pan for 10 minutes.
• Use a sharp knife to carefully separate cake from the edges of the pan and around the tube in the middle.
• (If it's a 2-piece tube pan - also use the knife to separate the the cake from the bottom of the pan.)
• Carefully remove the cake from pan and cool on a baking rack.

Notes

If you use frozen blueberries, make sure they are completely thawed and drained.

The post Blueberry Pound Cake appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes are tender, vanilla cupcakes piped with luscious chocolate buttercream. Sprinkles or not, they’re hands down the best birthday cupcakes ever. Hint: they disappear FAST! This is King Arthur’s signature recipe of the year for 2019.

If you’re unfamiliar with King Arthur, they’re pretty much the baking authority in New England, IMHO. Their test kitchens and quality baking supplies and ingredients create the best quality baked goods. That’s why these cupcakes are THE best!

In March my extended family gathered at a restaurant in Massachusetts to celebrate my dad’s #80! Sweet times. I made these cupcakes for the first time and brought them along.

Cupcakes Are Easier to Bake than Cake!

For me, cupcakes are simpler to make than a birthday cake and much easier to travel with. There is no struggle centering names or sentiments in frosting or any intricate decorating to worry about.

With cupcakes, there are no cake layers to level or fillings to prepare. And best of all, no need to cut perfect cake slices!

Cupcakes are the perfect self-contained little party. A big frosting swirl, candles and a few sprinkles make them extra special. Stack them on a tiered stand and now you’ve got drama!

This weekend is my Hudson’s 9th birthday. Every birthday for Hudson is just a little bittersweet. Hudson has Down syndrome and autism and is about two years old developmentally. He’s also non-verbal. His favorite day of the year is definitely his birthday.

It’s not about the cake or presents, he doesn’t care about either. It’s all about the happy birthday song and blowing out his candles. This year I’m making him these special Birthday Cupcakes.

The truth is, he has a lot of sensory issues that include food. So while he may not even taste one, we’ll be more than happy to help him out! Mostly he’ll relish blowing out every last candle on all 28 cupcakes. And we’ll be cheering him on.

How to Pipe These Cupcakes:

• Use a pastry bag and coupling with a Wilton 1M star tip

Tips for making King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes:

• This recipe makes 28 cupcakes. Don’t try to make it into 24 like I did the first time. These cupcakes bake flat, and excess batter spills over, rather than rising higher.
• Use a scant quarter cup batter for each cupcake.
• Stagger baking in your oven to bake these evenly. (Bake cupcake pans one at a time , rather than simultaneously on different oven racks.) Or lucky you if you have a double oven.
• Since you’re baking this recipe into 28 cupcakes, you’ll have a baking pan with some empty cupcake holes. For even heating of the pan and even baking, fill empty cupcake pan holes with about an inch of water.
• Definitely use cupcake liners to bake this cupcake. (I prefer foil.)
• To keep cupcake wrappers bright, bake in foil cupcake papers first, then add a pretty cupcake paper liner after baking when cupcakes are cool.
• Find more tips for baking these amazing King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes here.
• Use a pastry bag and coupling with a Wilton 1M star tip

Other cupcake recipes you may enjoy: Funfetti Birthday Cupcakes, Red Velvet Birthday Cupcakes, and Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes.

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King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes

Servings 28 cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free Measure for Measure King Arthur Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 large organic eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 7/8 cup natural cocoa powder sifted
• 1 1/2 cups plus 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar or more
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups butter softened

Instructions

Cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 325°. Baking rack should be in the center of the oven.
• Line cupcake pans with 28 cupcake liners, foil is preferred.
• Spoon flour loosely into measuring cup and level off.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl or electric stand mixer bowl, beat eggs, sugar, vanilla and almond extract.
• Beat batter until thickened and golden in color, for about two minutes at medium high speed with whisk attachment.
• If you don't have a whisk attachment, beat with paddle mixer attachment or electric hand mixer on medium high for about 5 minutes.
• Scrape down bottom and sides of bowl and mix again quickly until all is combined.
• Batter should be thick and yellow and fall in ribbons from the beaters.
• Add dry ingredients to the batter and fold in by hand or on low mixer speed until just combined.
• Scrape down bottom and sides and mix again until just combined. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a simmer.
• Remove milk from heat and gently stir in butter pieces and vegetable oil, until butter is fully melted.
• Slowly stir hot milk mixture into cake batter by hand or using low speed on an electric mixer.
• Scrape down bowl sides and bottom and mix again just to combine.
• Divide the batter equally among 28 cupcake liners. (You will use a scant 1/4 cup batter for each cupcake.)
• Fill any empty cupcake pan holes with 1 " water to facilitate even baking/pan temperature.
• Bake in center rack of preheated 325° oven for 25 - 28 minutes. (Check at 25 minutes.)
• For most even baking, bake one pan at a time.
• Cupcakes will start to brown on the edges when they are ready.
• Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool.
• While still hot, gently loosen cupcakes edges from pan with a sharp knife if needed.
• Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• In large mixing bowl or stand mixer, stir together sifted cocoa powder, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and salt.
• Stir in hot water and vanilla, scraping bowl afterwards.
• Add butter and remaining powdered sugar.
• Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle, beat frosting at medium high speed for 1-2 minutes, stopping halfway through beating to scrape down bottom and sides of bowl.
• If frosting is the right consistency, decorate cupcakes.
• If too thick or stiff, beat in more hot water, a teaspoon at a time.
• If frosting is too thin, beat in more powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time.

You may also like: Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Frosting

The post King Arthur Best Birthday Cupcakes appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

This Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake is my favorite coffee cake of all time. Perfect for weekend brunch or holiday breakfasts. Or just because. Easy to make, I’ll give you step by step instructions.

The taste and texture are out of this world delicious. Tender almond cake, cream cheese filling, raspberry preserves and toasted almond crumb topping.

This is a heavenly coffee cake, so add it to your bucket list to bake for the next special occasion.

This scrumptious recipe has been circulating in my extended family for as long as I can remember. Always a favorite at holidays and family get-togethers.

It’s not rocket science to make, but there are a few steps and I’ll guide you through a quick picture tutorial so this Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake turns out perfectly for you too.

Cut butter into the flour and sugar with a pastry blender or two forks. Stop when pieces of butter are pea-sized.

Very important: reserve 1 cup of crumbs for the topping now.

Mix up the cake batter, then spread over the bottom and up the sides of a greased and floured 9 or 10″ springform pan. Separately, mix the cream cheese filling and pour evenly into the cake batter lined pan.

Spread raspberry preserves over the cream cheese filling.

With a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of the cake batter so it’s even with the filling.

Now the coffee cake is ready for the almond crumb topping.

Sprinkle on the almond crumb topping and it’s ready to bake!

Bake ’til the filling is set and the edges are golden. (The middle of the cake will fall slightly as it cools. That’s normal.)

You may also like these recipes featuring raspberries! Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Squares, Lemon Curd Raspberry Tartlets and Chocolate Raspberry Tart.

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Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Almond cake, cream cheese filling, raspberry preserves and toasted almond crumb topping. Divine!

Course Coffee Cake

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Filling

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Crumb Topping:

• reserved 1 cup crumb mixture
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Grease and flour 9 or 10" springform pan.
• In large bowl, combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar.
• Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• IMPORTANT! Set aside 1 cup crumb mixture for topping.
• To remaining crumb mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, sour cream, almond extract and one egg.
• Blend well.
• Spread batter on the bottom and up the sides of greased and floured springform pan, about 1/4" thick on the sides.

Filling:

• In small bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. (With no lumps.)
• Beat in sugar and one egg until well blended.
• Pour filling mixture into batter lined pan.
• Spoon raspberry preserves evenly on top of cream cheese filling.
• With a spatula, push down batter on sides of pan, until batter is even with filling.

Crumb Topping:

• Combine 1 cup reserved crumb mixture and sliced almonds.
• Sprinkle evenly over unbaked coffee cake.

Bake:

• Bake for 45-55 minutes at 350°, or until filling sets and crust is a deep golden brown
• Cool 15 minutes, then remove sides of pan.
• Cut into wedges and serve warm or cool.
• Refrigerate leftovers.

You may also like: Raspberry Peach Almond Shortbread

The post Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting: tender, carrot cake cupcakes with delicate, light texture. Luscious cream cheese icing with vanilla bean flecks. Out of this world good combo! Your favorite, moist and delicious carrot cake in cupcake form! Nice for Easter or any special occasion.

Well I’ve mentioned the weather a good bit here lately because it’s been so crazy. A few years ago we got all excited when the calendar announced spring, then we waited and waited for Mother Nature to concur. Then on April Fool’s Day, she had one more funny up her sleeve and we woke up to a foot of heavy snow.

It wasn’t all bad. The weekend storm afforded me a peaceful day indoors to bake and photograph these delicious Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting for Jon’s upcoming birthday. I have a dear friend who makes this recipe as a 9 X 13 cake and it’s requested everywhere she goes.

So I thought I’d try my hand tweaking it into cupcakes this time. The nice thing about cupcakes is they bake so quickly – these took just 18-20 minutes. Cupcakes also pack great in lunches, and who doesn’t like their own self-contained little bakery treat?

So even though it snowed all through the night that Friday and Saturday too, Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny. The temps were in the mid-50’s. After church and a leisurely lunch, we flew the coop to the coast. If I could choose, I’d be at the water 24-7.

We meandered along the wooden boardwalk by the ocean in Newburyport, MA, dodging the occasional snow clump. Then we walked the brick-cobbled streets, exploring beautiful New England architecture, big old homes overlooking the water, some with widow’s walks. Had a dog at the famous Richland’s, where hotdogs have been 25¢ for decades.

The wind was still whistling a bit, so we tailgated for the cupcakes. Even then we had trouble keeping the candles lit.

It was a quiet, peaceful and cozy 47th birthday celebration for Jon, especially since we were in the process of moving to a new home in just a few weeks. Nice to get a break from packing boxes.

The key to the texture of these cupcakes is the very finely grated carrots. While the grated carrots give wonderful flavor and moisture, it’s not like you’re chomping on carrot chunks. In fact, the texture is light and delicate, and you might not even guess the carrots are in there.

I hope you love these scrumptious Carrot Cake Cupcakes as much as we do. While the cupcakes are temptingly delicious, it’s the vanilla bean specked cream cheese frosting that’s the icing on the cake. (Pun intended.)

It’s best to start with room temperature cream cheese and butter. With an electric hand mixer, whip together both the cream cheese and butter until it’s light and fluffy and there are no lumps.

Then slowly incorporate the powdered sugar in. Finally, stir in the vanilla bean paste. Frost with a butter knife or spreader. Or use a pastry bag and pipe the cream cheese frosting on like I did. (I used jumbo Wilton star tip size 1 M, FYI.) Enjoy!

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

Course Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 heaping teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups finely grated carrot
• 1 cup liquid coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting:

• softened 8 oz. package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for sprinkling on cupcakes

Instructions

Cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• In medium mixing bowl, stir together cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• Add in carrot, oil and eggs.
• Mix by hand until moistened,
• Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed for exactly two minutes.
• Line muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
• Fill muffin cups almost 2/3 full. (This recipe makes 2 1/2 dozen (30) cupcakes.)
• Place muffin pans on middle oven rack(s) and bake for 18-20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool completely, then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Beat softened cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.
• Slowly beat in 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar until smooth.
• Stir in vanilla bean paste.
• Frost cupcakes, then garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

Notes

Substitute two teaspoons pure vanilla extract if you don't have vanilla bean paste.
Substitute 2 cups of all purpose flour instead of 2 1/4 cups cake flour if you don't have cake flour.
I used a pastry bag and jumbo Wilton star tip 1M to frost these cupcakes.

You may also like: Brick Street Chocolate Cupcakes

The post Carrot Cake Cupcakes w/Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

If you’re a shortbread lover, then this easy Scotch Shortbread Fingers recipe is for you! Crunchy and golden, this buttery shortbread has just three ingredients: butter, flour, and sugar. It’s the perfect sweet little something alongside a cup of tea.

Jump to Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Not too long ago, I was happily tasked with preparing these delicious and easy Scotch shortbread finger cookies for a dear friend’s daughter’s wedding reception. It was the perfect slightly sweet bite to have alongside the other rich food and the decadent wedding cake. Plus, they’re a cinch to make! 

These were a hit at the wedding, so I knew I had to share them with all of you here!

Even better, you only need three ingredients to make this homemade shortbread recipe — butter, flour, and sugar. That’s it!

Ingredients

It’s true. You only need 3 ingredients to make this homemade shortbread recipe! Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cups of butter (aka two sticks, softened to room temperature)
• 1 cup of white granulated sugar
• 4 cups of all-purpose flour

Additionally, you can garnish these Scotch shortbread fingers with coarse sugar before baking, but that’s totally optional.

How To Make These Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 375°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Beat the softened butter until creamy with an electric stand mixer.
3. Gradually add in the cup of sugar.
4. Then, add the flour gently, and mix until mixture is well-combined. The dough will be somewhat crumbly.
5. Press dough into parchment lined 11″ X 17″ jelly roll pan (with sides). Sprinkle with the sparkly, coarse white sugar (if using), and gently press into the dough.
6. Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until just turning golden brown. Cut into uniform shortbread “fingers” immediately after removing from the oven.
7. Enjoy with a cup of tea, some coffee, or a cold glass of milk!

Storage Instructions

Store cooled Scotch shortbread fingers in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the dough to make later. I like to freeze it in the shape of the baking pan for easier transfer later and to just bak from frozen.

Tips for Success

• Use your stand mixer to cream the butter. Then gradually add the sugar, and finally the flour. That’s it for making the dough! So easy.
• Press the dough into a parchment-lined cookie sheet with sides and sprinkle with coarse, sparkly white sugar. Lightly press the coarse sugar into the dough. Then, bake for 18-20 minutes or until it’s just turning golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately slice into long shortbread “fingers.”
• I was able to get nearly 60, 4″ long shortbread fingers per pan. Both panfuls were baked and cooling on the rack in under an hour!

MORE EASY COOKIE RECIPES

• Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• King Arthur Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolatey Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
• Lime Sugared Chewy Ginger Cookies

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Easy Scotch Shortbread Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 28 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons coarse sparkling white sugar (for sprinkling on top)
• You can use regular white sugar if you can't find the coarse, sparkling white sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• With electric stand mixer, beat butter until creamy.
• Gradually add in 1 cup of sugar.
• Add in flour and mix until mixture is well combined (Will be somewhat crumbly.)
• Press dough into parchment lined 11" X 17" jelly roll pan (with sides).
• Sprinkle with the sparkly, coarse white sugar and gently press into the dough.
• Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until just turning golden brown.
• (You can also use a 10" X 14" jelly roll pan, and that will take just a little longer to bake, closer to 25 minutes.)
• The key is to watch shortbread closely and when it is just turning golden brown, remove from the oven.
• Cut into uniform shortbread "fingers" immediately after removing from the oven.
• (Shortbread is somewhat crumbly when cool, and so it cuts much better when it's hot from the oven.)
• A trick I use to cut the shortbread evenly, is to get out my ruler.
• I cut the whole pan in half lengthwise and widthwise.
• Then I cut each quadrant in half, and then cut uniform "fingers" from that.

Notes

I wore disposable gloves when pressing the dough into the parchment-lined pan and for pressing the coarse sugar into the dough. That way the dough doesn't stick to my hands.

You may also like: Raspberry Peach Almond Shortbread Bars

or Pecan Crumble Blueberry Shortbread

The post Easy Scotch Shortbread Fingers (3 Ingredients!) appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are a great snack to pack in lunch boxes and picnic hampers for a sweet treat with the goodness of oatmeal. Studded with plump, juicy raisins, they’re delicious and addictive, just like grandma’s.

We’ve had a busy new year so far and I’m guessing you have too. We’ve had some good storms, a few school delays and cancellations, and the snow gave way to rain today. I can’t think of anything more delightful on a cold, rainy day than baking a batch of these homemade cookies.

Several summers ago we ventured up to Castle In the Clouds, the historic Lucknow Estate in Moultonborough, NH. It’s just a little over an hour north of us.

If you’ve never visited, it’s the 6,300 acre estate with the Lucknow stone “castle” at the mountain’s peak.  Such fantastic and scenic views of Lake Winnipesaukee.

Built by Thomas Plant in 1914, it’s a “gentleman’s estate”. Features a sixteen room mansion, stable, two gatehouses (what exactly is a gatehouse anyway?), a one hundred foot long greenhouse, farm buildings, an 18-hole golf course, tennis court, lake and 45 miles of carriage trails. This is a nature lover’s paradise.

Thomas Plant’s story is quite a fascinating one of rags to riches to rags again and it all came of shoes. I’ll tell you more about that in another post.

We toured the castle, visited the gift shop and carriage house and hand fed the large trout that jump up out of the water for fish food at Shannon Pond. There were as many ducks as fish clamoring for the food!

We toted along a picnic lunch with sandwiches, fresh fruit salad, chips, salsa, lemonade and these delicious Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies for dessert. Such a beautiful shady spot we had to enjoy our picnic lunch at Castle in the Clouds.

These cookies have all the goodies: butter, sugar, eggs, oatmeal and pure vanilla to name a few. But in my opinion, it’s the cinnamon that ties this cookie together so nicely.

I used a heaping tablespoon of dough to make larger 3″ cookies. You can make them smaller if you like.

They spread a good bit, so you’ll want to leave plenty of space in between. This recipe makes four dozen scrumptious 3″ oatmeal raisin cookies. Enjoy!

Print

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar firmly packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

Instructions

• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars .
• Stir in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
• Stir in remaining ingredients, adding raisins last.
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheets, leaving space in between for spreading.
• I like my cookies flatter, so I pressed the dough down with a small drinking glass.
• Bake at 350° for 10 - 12 minutes until lightly golden brown.
• Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
• Store in an airtight container.

You may also like: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

The post Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Festive Sugared Cranberries. Bursting w/flavor that pops in your mouth. Sweet & tart. Tangy & addictive. Perfect cheesecake garnish, snack, stocking stuffer or gift. Pretty and delicious on the cheese tray.

Hope all’s well and you’re experiencing the joys and festivities of the season. At our house we are through all the Christmas recitals, class parties and holiday baking, though I am making another big batch of these yummy sugared cranberries this afternoon.

Just finished up the last of the online Christmas shopping too, phew, but grateful so much is done! The Christmas tree is up and the house decorated. Wahoo!!!

The new furnace is also installed, as of minutes ago. Merry Christmas to me, right? Not kidding! Our furnace died last week and it’s been very chilly around here… I’m glad we’ll have heat on Christmas and I’m sure our Christmas day guests will agree!

We often enjoy seeing  A Christmas Carol live on-stage at our little historic theater in downtown Manchester. It’s such a beautiful venue for the production that is always excellent. There’s something nostalgic about an old-fashioned Christmas complete with traditional carols and swirling snow that really gets me in the Christmas spirit.

Sugared fruits and candied nuts are old-fashioned holiday treats that also remind me of Christmases past. Today I’m sharing a quick recipe for Festive Sugared Cranberries. Sugared cranberries are a delicious treat bursting with sweet and tangy flavor that actually pops in your mouth.

Fresh cranberries are steeped in hot sugary syrup, then rolled in superfine sugar. They beautifully garnish a cheese tray, drink, ice cream or cheesecake. They’re also the perfect little last minute stocking stuffer or hostess gift. Sweet and tart. Tangy and addictive.

Sugared Cranberries are all that rolled into one red sparkling jewel of a sugared cranberry. Bet you can’t eat just one.

Steep cranberries in hot simple syrup, then marinate in the refrigerator for eight hours.

Roll cranberries in granulated sugar or superfine sugar. Sugared Cranberries are a sweet treat to hoard or give, your decision! Store in a semi-airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Tips to make Festive Sugared Cranberries:

• Don’t heat the simple syrup too high. It should be barely simmering.
• Test to see if it’s too hot by dropping a few test cranberries in. If it’s too hot, the cranberry skin will pop. You don’t want the skin to pop, you want the juice to stay sealed up in the cranberry.
• Use white granulated sugar to roll the cranberries in, or make super fine sugar by pulsing white granulated sugar in your food processor for a few seconds.
• Sugared cranberries can get soggy as the cranberry naturally “sweats”.  So store in a semi-airtight container. Like a tupperware container with the lid cracked open a bit for airflow.

Print

Festive Sugared Cranberries

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups washed and sorted fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar

Instructions

Cranberries in Simple Syrup

• In a small sauce pot, mix sugar and water together.
• Stir over low heat on the stove top, until barely simmering.
• Remove from heat.
• Test by dropping in a cranberry or two. (If it pops, it's too hot.)
• Add remaining cranberries and stir.
• Transfer to a covered plastic container and refrigerate about eight hours.
• Drain cranberries in a colander, reserving simple syrup for another use.

Superfine Granulated Sugar

• Make superfine granulated sugar by placing sugar in blender or food processor and pulsing several times.
• Place superfine sugar on baking sheet or shallow baking pan.

Assembly

• Roll cranberries in sugar to coat.
• Let dry on a baking sheet at room temperature for about an hour.
• Store in a semi-airtight container in a cool place for up to a week.

Notes

If you store in a completely airtight container (as I made the mistake of doing once) the cranberries can "sweat", causing the sugar to become moist and slide off.

3.5.3208

You may also like: Sugared Pecans

Peppermint Bark

Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

The post Festive Sugared Cranberries appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

A generous slice of Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake is the perfect wintry treat with a steaming cup o’ tea. Scratch-made, buttery almond pound cake is studded with sugared cranberries for a sweet cake that’s beautifully festive and irresistible on the dessert table.

While my last name isn’t Murphy, I’m well acquainted with Murphy’s Law. More than I’d like to be unfortunately. Several years ago on a Saturday morning I hosted a Christmas Coffee here at the house for girlfriends and neighbors. (If you’re needing a simple way to connect with friends over the holidays and don’t have time to make a five course meal, a coffee works! Host a drop-in for a few hours.)

I served fresh fruit, biscotti and coffee. Then added a few extras to the menu: sugared pecans and sugared cranberries. It was a great spread!

Murphy’s Law didn’t come into play with the menu that morning, thankfully. It was something else.

Half-way through the coffee, a concerned guest pulled me aside. She wondered if the dripping wax from the lantern on the coffee table was part of the winter snow scene… GULP.

Just before jumping in the shower that morning, all in a rush, I’d lit the brand new pillar candles inside my wooden Pottery Barn lantern. In my hurry, I’d forgotten to trim the wicks. Mistake #1.

(If a stitch in time saves nine, a trimmed wick could save a hundred I’m thinkin’.)

The candles with the big flames and long wicks had melted down quickly, and there was two inches of melted wax inside and up the sides of the lantern. The bottom layers had started to harden, sealing the lantern door shut (as in wax seal!) and we couldn’t get to the candles to blow them out.

There we were, tea party MacGyvers all of us, armed with butter knives, wax paper and toothpicks. Desperately trying to pry open a molten wax-filled lantern.

Then a clever soul quietly whispered, “How many smart women does it take to blow out three candles”??? Ha ha. SO FUNNY. Maybe you had to be there.

Finally we pried the door open with minimal spillage and no burnt fingers. Success! And just one sturdy puff later, the candles were extinguished. Phew. A word to the wise…trim your candle wicks this holiday season. (The voice of experience….)

So that was my big mishap of the week. And this delicious Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake was my big success. I took my favorite pound cake recipe, swapped in almond extract for vanilla and added the sugared cranberries.

Steep fresh cranberries in a hot simple syrup for several hours, then roll in sugar.

One of the boys asked me why pound cake is called pound cake, and it’s because traditionally pound cake was made with a pound each of butter, flour, eggs and sugar.

How to Make Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake:

This cake is easy to make. Cream the butter and sugar together, then incorporate the eggs in one at a time.

Stir in the dry ingredients and gently fold in the sugared cranberries. Sprinkle with coarse, sparkling white sugar just before baking if desired. (I did.)

Scratch-made pound cakes are surprisingly easy to make and I don’t know a soul who wouldn’t love a thick slice of this one. The sweet tart cranberries are a nice contrast with the velvety smooth cake. This Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake is a pretty, festive cake and sure to be a favorite on your holiday dessert table.

Print

Sugared Cranberry Pound Cake

Ingredients

Sugared Cranberries

• 2 cups cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

Pound Cake

• 2 cups sugared cranberries recipe above
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Optional: 2 tablespoons of coarse sparkling white sugar

Instructions

Sugared Cranberries

• In small saucepan, stir together 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water.
• Heat over medium heat until mixture is just simmering.
• Remove from heat.
• Drop in a test cranberry. If it pops, mixture is too hot.
• If not, add in the rest of the cranberries and marinate in the simple syrup for several hours.
• Drain and set aside simple syrup for another use.

Pound Cake

• Grease and flour a 10" tube pan. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Toss drained, marinated cranberries in 1/4 cup of the flour. Set aside.
• In a small mixing bowl, stir remaining 2 3/4 cups flour with salt and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
• Add in eggs one at at time, beating well after each addition.
• Add in almond extract and beat until fluffy.
• Fold dry ingredients into batter until well- blended.
• Gently stir in floured cranberries.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan.
• Optional: sprinkle with coarse, sparkling white sugar
• Bake for 60-75 minutes at 325° until cake is golden and cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool for 30 minutes, then loosen all edges of cake from tube pan with a sharp knife before turning out onto a cake platter.

Notes

I didn't roll my steeped cranberries in extra sugar for this recipe because there is plenty of sugar in the pound cake itself. If you roll your cranberries in sugar, I would omit the step of tossing the cranberries in 1/4 cup flour before folding them into the cake batter. (I also recommend using the full 3 cups of flour in this recipe.)

You may also like: Famous Brick Street Chocolate Cake

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