Coconut Grapefruit Cupcakes

Winter can be a dead time for fruit desserts. No juicy pies or sweet cobblers. And while I've been getting pie with pears and apples and even cranberries, sometimes you just crave something lighter, and sweeter and more delicate. Which is why the second I saw this recipe for Coconut Grapefruit Cupcakes, I knew I would be making it soon, despite the remarks from friends and family..."coconut what?" 

Two Delicious Years (plus the winner!)

So my second anniversary as a baker and mistaker has officially passed. On to another year of mixing, rolling, pressing, cutting, chilling, frying and baking. What's that? You just came to see who won the cookbook? Well before that I want to share my absolute favorite recipes from the past year. These are all desserts that you will be asked to make again and again, that will inspire great professions of love and that will make you the queen of baked goods. 


Here they are, in no particular order:


1. Chocolate Babke

2. Nectarine Raspberry Pie

3. Peanut Butter Swirled Brownies

4. Chewy Lime Sugar Cookies

5. Coconut Toffee Chew Bars

6. Classic Linzer Torte

7. Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

8. Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

9. Chocolate-Covered Honeycomb Candy

10. Cinnamon Buns

And now, what was I supposed to tell you? Oh right, the winner of the cookbook.
Getting their very own copy of the America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book is.... Kelly! I'll be e-mailing you shortly about how to get the book.
Thanks everyone for entering - I hope to do more giveaways soon!

P.S. In case you have a higher than average interest in my readership - here's what it looks like!

Cinnamon Buns

I would be an irresponsible baking blogger if I waited any longer to share this recipe with you. One more day, without you being able to bake these irresistible bites of heaven. Tastier than anything you can buy at a certain chain restaurant, better than what you can find in a blue and white square box, these cinnamon buns are about to me the best thing about your Sunday brunch. 

 

Cookbook Giveaway!

Hello fellow dessert lovers! This Saturday, January 22, is a momentous day. An important occasion. A day that will go down in history. 

That's right, this weekend marks the SECOND anniversary (bloggiversary) of Baking and Mistaking. I survived two years, 223 posts, over 60,000 visits and more baking flops than I care to remember. 
The celebration will continue later this week with a roundup of my recipes past that you must. make. now.  - but right now I'm offering you a chance to win a copy of my absolute FAVORITE cookbook in honor of the occasion. 

The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book is great for so many reasons - not the least of which is its being chock-full of recipes for complete amateurs as well as more experienced bakers. I've already whipped up Nectarine Raspberry Pie, Lemon Squares and Oatmeal Fudge Sandwich Cookies, and a whole bunch of others - and I'm just getting started. Plus I love how the 3-ring binder design allows it to sit flat on the counter while I run around the kitchen looking for ingredients. Genius!


This contest is only open to residents of the United States.

Here's how to enter: (You can do one of these, two, or all three.)

1. Leave a comment on this post telling me what city/town/village/hamlet you're visiting from. 
2. Follow me on Twitter, then come back and leave a separate comment with your username. If you already follow me, just let me know that. 
3. "Like" me on Facebook, then come back and leave a separate comment telling me that. 


You can do one of these, or all three - but leave a separate comment for each. Please do not comment under "Anonymous"! I can't send a book to somebody I can't identify. 


The contest is open until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 23. The winner will be announced on Monday. Tell your friends to enter! Or don't, because then they might win and you'll be mad.



Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by me. America's Test Kitchen does not know who I am. I wish.

Classic Linzer Torte

This picture makes me happy. Is this not an incredibly photogenic dessert? Perhaps that is not what you all look for in baked goods, but it surely makes my day. Lucky for you, this happens to be one of my favorite desserts I've made in months. One of. And it's really quite simple. 

Pear Cake

I'm often guilty of over complicating things. Does that sandwich cookie need an extra glaze? Should I drizzle white chocolate over the semi-sweet chocolate ganache on top of the cheesecake? But often, it's the simplest, unadorned baked goods that offer the sweetest, most unadulterated flavors. Such is the case with this classic, elegant pear cake. 

Chocolate-Centered Flower Cookies

I didn't set out to recreate one of the most iconic cookies from my childhood - it just happened. When I made cookies for my friend Laura's birthday last month, I thought about the fun dual-colors you can get with cookie-press cookies. Then I chickened out at using two different doughs, and decided to fill the centers up with chocolate instead. Then I realized I had created the classic swiss fudge cookie from Stella D'oro. It was an accident - I swear. 

Cranberry Curd Bars

I'm a big fan of lemon curd. It's sweet, it's tangy, it's yellow - I can't really think of any downside. So when my little eye spied a recipe out in the world wide web for cranberry curd bars, I was hesitant. Fact is, I don't even really like cranberries too much. They're too...tart. But in curd form, I thought, they just might work.