Romantic Raspberry Danish: an Entenmann's Copycat Recipe

It was my parents' anniversary this past week. 20 YEARS!!! That's a really long time!

I wanted to do something nice for them for their anniversary. I decided to make them breakfast, so that they could get up and have a nice meal without having to worry about putting it together themselves (for once!). However, this posed a problem because I actually have to leave for school at 7:00 in the morning, meaning that even if I did find time to make a meal, my parents probably wouldn't be up to eat it!

So I looked for something that I could make ahead and that would still be nice and fresh and tasty in the morning, and that would be special for my parents--that is, though I have several delicious breakfasts in my arsenal, I wanted to surprise them with something new.

Does anyone remember these Entenmann's pastries?

Entenmann's Raspberry Danish

Probably not--but they used to be a breakfast staple in my household when I was little. My dad would pick them up from the grocery store to have as a special treat. Then Entenmann's discontinued them. My family was discussing them wistfully the other day. Lightbulb!

I ended up finding this recipe from Rate. Bake. Create. that looked pretty much exactly like what I was looking for: a pastry dough topped with icing and raspberry jam. I need to give tons of thanks for this recipe because it was the only one I found that had everything I was looking for--it was easy, basic, no cheese impinging upon my raspberry jam, and it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

Plus, it was pretty fun to photograph because of how curious this piece of pastry looked.

Look, it's Santa's sleigh!

An edible sundial!

And here it just looks really really yummy.

Here's the recipe and pictures!

Starbucks Frosted Lemon Cake (without flavedo!)

The other day I was besieged by a raging craving for dense, moist, sugar-gilded lemon cake.

As I saw it, I had two options.

The first was transporting my hungry self to the closest Starbucks (I still can't get over the perks of driving myself!) and passing some money to the person across the table for a pre-cut slice of their own lemon-flavored breakfast cake.

Starbucks' lemon cake

Hm, tempting. I mean, the convenience of the option. Compared to the alternative, which is making it myself...and as a first-semester senior facing the considerable challenge of summarizing my life in an immaculately structured 600-word essay, I barely have time to produce cookies for the nourishment of my poor ailing family, much less indulge every junk food hankering that interrupts my English homework. 

I mean, iced lemon cake is iced lemon cake, right? 

That yellow highlighting means that I don't know what Starbucks is talking about. Therefore that scares me. (Also, I'm sort of concerned that they feel the need to call lemon zest "lemon flavedo" )

Ok, maybe if I bake really fast, making lemon cake won't take that much longer than detouring to Starbucks...

(Besides, we all know that all baked goods are not created equal, right? That's why I have a blog ;) )

THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS EVER

I've been neglecting my blog lately. It's really inexcusable. I've been so busy studying calculus that I've forgotten that practical applications are the lifeblood of any academic subject.

Finally, calculus I can use!!!

These are THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS EVER.

Chocolate Chip Muffins worthy of the most important meal of the day

Sometimes you need to function at 6:00 in the morning. Sometimes, you need chocolate to get you through it. Your answer :)

What's high tea without scones?

And what better occasion for high tea than the SEASON 4 PREMIER OF DOWNTON ABBEY TONIGHT?!?!

I am a pretty big Downton Abbey fan. A few main reasons: it is one of the few shows I can watch live, the costumes are awesome, I appreciate everyone's diction, it's not completely stupid like most TV, and I think I am Lady Mary :/ To be sure (and I'm pretty sure, because I've watched the available footage an embarrassing number of times), I haven't ever seen an actual scone on the show.

See, Granny's frowning at my Photoshopping. Photo from DowntonAbbeyCooks.com.

But we're Americans! Apparently we don't let tradition or order deter us! And besides, if we all followed the dietary examples of our virtual British counterparts, we would all probably be eating more silver polish than actual nutrients. So in honor (in spite?) of today's long-awaited television event, I give you: arguably the best English food you will ever taste.

My mom has been making these scones for years. There's usually a batch baking around my house about Christmastime, but I'd say they're fair game any time of year. Also, they can take about whatever type of zest and dried fruit you have sitting around the house (Actually, I haven't tried scones with lime zest...would that be disgusting?).

This is the first time I've made them, and they're actually really easy...so easy Sybil could probably make them!

The only catch seems to be to steer clear of over-kneading/mixing, which can easily be avoided if you do it by hand.

I dare you to whip up a batch before (while?) you watch the riveting* and breathtaking* new episode of Downton Abbey. Maybe I'll take a shot at those lime ones!

*This is what Anelise hopes at least...but a car crash, really? I can only hope Season 4 lives up to my awesome scones ;) 

Thanksgiving!...and more importantly, pumpkin bread

You know what that means...an excuse to put aside homework to spend all day baking inedible amounts of dessert!

My grandma was handling the main meal, which means my household was responsible for providing dessert. Which is just how I like it :D

Between us, my mom and I managed two pumpkin pies, a pecan pie, four loaves of pumpkin bread (with and without chocolate chips--more on that later), chocolate chunk and macadamia nut cookies, and a plate of pucharata (is that spelled right?)--essentially Croatian doughnut holes. They're good.

(That's how you know.)

I did the pumpkin bread and the pies along with the crusts (storebought pie crust? please), which explains why my mom thought Thanksgiving was so relaxing this year.

I started with the pumpkin bread. The chocolate chips were at the request of my uncle, who vehemently exhorted of me (and a week ahead of time, too!) that I make pumpkin bread WITH chocolate chips and-don't-forget-the-chocolate-chips! So I ended up making four loaves of pumpkin bread--two with chocolate chips for my uncle, and two regular for my family. I was kind of skeptical about the chocolate and the pumpkin, but all too willing to try it because remind me what doesn't taste good with chocolate? Unfortunately, the chocolate ended up overwhelming all taste of the spices, so in defense of the delicate spice-based appeal of traditional pumpkin bread, I advocate for leaving out the addition. (Don't think this means I'm not in favor of chocolate in breakfast food: that will be forthcoming.)

Besides, the normal version looked prettier ;)

I've made this recipe once before, and both times it has come out wonderfully. If you're not in the mood for bread, I recommend upping the sugar content and making muffins/ cupcakes, which you top with fresh whipped cream. Delicious.