SMiLes by Meg

Tag: rum

Mint Chocolate Pistachio Fridge Cake

The best-tasting treats are not necessarily the prettiest things I make, even if that rainbow cake was pretty delicious. No, they’re the dump-everything-into-a-bowl-and-hold-it-together-with-chocolate recipes. They’re quick to make, clean out your pantry, and give you just the right amount a sweet and crunchy. Take this Mint Chocolate Pistachio Fridge Cake. Maybe you have chili chocolate, or salted chocolate in your kitchen. That’s fine – use that instead! Or maybe pistachios aren’t your thing, but you’ve got pecans and walnuts. Perfect! And maybe you’re someone that just doesn’t like rum-soaked raisins (I can’t imagine why). Try whiskey-soaked dried cherries. This recipe …

Hazelnut Crumble Cake

This weekend, I’ve reached the end of my funemployment traveling and am spending some much-needed time with my college roommate, Cate, her partner, Jonathan, and their corgi puppy, Giles. Cate was a baker before I ever thought to start this blog, and last time I was visiting her I gave her the cookbook Sweet by Ottolenghi, which we baked out of together. At that point in time, we were hosting a brunch and wanted to make a Rum Raisin Cake. I asked Cate if she had everything we needed to make it, and she assured me that she did.

Individual Tiramisu

So I know I said I would be making sourdough starter, and I will, but it would be really mean of me not to pass along this recipe to you all first. On Friday night, which was our last night staying with Barb and Randy, Erik and I cooked dinner. Or, more accurately, Erik cooked dinner (Bucatini all’Amatriciana) and I put together an easy, but impressive looking, dessert. Because we were going to be serving a pasta dish, I wanted a lighter, but still Italian, dessert. And, surprisingly, I had never made just a regular tiramisu for the blog. 

Speculaas Biscuits

Finals is for procrastibaking. In the last 24 hours, I’ve made 3 different Ottolenghi recipes: banana bread, cauliflower cake, and these cookies. It’s important to take some (read: most) time to destress when you’ve got your last final exams ever coming up. I also am determined to get on Ottolenghi’s Instagram account, where he occasionally posts things people have made of his, but I haven’t had any luck so far. My only chance is to keep baking my way through Sweet!

Rum and Raisin Cake

Finally out of the Christmas cookie posts! And this week, I’ve got a great one, out of Ottolenghi’s new cookbook: Sweet. I have many of his cookbooks, and really have never gone wrong with his recipes. But I never would have known about him if not for my college roommate Cate, who spent the past couple of years in England. When I went out to visit her, she brought me to one of his restaurants, and later got me a cookbook.

Blueberry Rum Pie

If I could have any kitchen appliance added to my collection, it would be a food processor. I talk a big game about wanting the Breville ice cream maker, but in terms of versatility, it’s no match for a Cuisinart food processor. I could make pie dough. And lots of other stuff that I can’t think of right now that always tells me I need a food processor.

Banana Rum Raisin Rice Pudding

For some reason, whenever I’m baking for fellow teacher friends (and the dessert is not going to school), I always turn to my Boozy Baker cookbook. You’ve seen a recipe from it before in my Nightcap Tart. Maybe it’s because it was Friday.  Maybe it’s because I have a pretty well-stocked bar despite not drinking hard liquor.  But I found myself reaching for it again this week after inviting some of those teachers over for a working Friday night.