I had never heard of hummingbird cake until I saw a post on Annie's Eats a couple of years ago, and I was mainly intrigued by the beautiful pineapple flowers. Apparently, hummingbird cake is a very southern thing, which explains why I had never heard of it or tried it. Think banana nut bread meets coconut and pineapple. Sold yet? Surprisingly, I am. I am not a fan of either coconut or pineapple, but these are pretty dang good. I've made them a few times now, and everyone loves them. They have a great crumb, moisture factor, and texture. 

I like to pair these with a marshmallow cream cheese (amazing!) and when you top them with the pineapple flower, you can't go wrong. They're pretty and tasty. And, you can make them without a mixer. In one bowl. I love recipes like that. The other bonus is that this recipe works perfectly for me at high altitude. No adjustments needed!

Wondering about those pineapple flowers? The tutorial is coming this week! If you don't have the time or desire to make the flowers, these cupcakes are fantastic without them.

Hummingbird Cupcakes Recipe
Makes 24 cupcakes
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For the cupcakes:
12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
2/3 cup shredded coconut

For the frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup melted marshmallows or marshmallow cream
1 pound powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place cupcake liners in your muffin tins.

To make the cupcakes, in a large bowl combine the butter, sugar and vanilla and whisk until combined. Whisk in the eggs. Once incorporated, add in the mashed bananas and whisk in. Mix in the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined. Whisk in the flour. With a rubber spatula, fold in the crushed pineapple, nuts (if using), and coconut. Once combined, fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full (or about 1/4 cup of batter).

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool in the pans for 5-10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add in the melted marshmallows or marshmallow cream until combined. Mix in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. Pipe on top of the cupcakes. Add a pineapple flower on top (if using).

Cupcakes barely adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Frosting fromPaula Deen

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Show of hands...who else feels like there are not enough hours in the day? I know I'm not the only person. In fact, I'm sure there are people out there who think I have it easy. All I know is that I was never this busy when I had the 9-5 (er...7:30-3:30) desk job. But I also wasn't this happy, and that's what really counts. However, being busy equals boring photos because I don't have the time to pull in various props and pretty colors. So hopefully the food can speak for itself.

So today I took the afternoon off. It was 65 degrees and sunny today, and I sat out on my front porch and read a book. It was sublime. I didn't sit inside on the computer (although I had plenty of work to justify that). I sat outside and took a moment to smell the roses. Or the melting snow and the crocus. It was exactly what I needed. Refreshing.

Sidebar...did you guys know that there's a TV show on now that has both Charles in Charge and Hanging with Mr. Cooper? My head exploded when I saw this. I have no idea if it's any good because I spent time reliving Charles, Buddy, Mark Cooper, Vanessa, and my golden years. Back when I thought life was complicated and busy. Ha!

Oh...the muffins. They're incredible. They're juicy and full of blueberries. There's a crunchy topping of cinnamon sugar that somehow pulls everything together and makes it the perfect breakfast, lunch, snack, or dessert. I feel like I say a lot that things are perfect, but at least you guys know that I enjoy eating the recipes that are posted on here.

Blueberry Muffins with a Crunchy Cinnamon Sugar Topping
Makes 15-16
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Note: If you’re making these at high altitude, simply adjust the baking powder to use the * amount.

For the muffins:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons (*1 3/4 teaspoons*) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

For the topping:
Heaping 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and sugar using the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix on low until combined. Mix in half of the flour with the mixer on low, pour in the milk and let it mix, and then add in the rest of the flour. Once combined, stop the mixer and fold in the blueberries by hand. If you're using frozen blueberries, do not thaw them first.

Separate the batter into muffin liners, placing about 1/4 cup batter in each cup. Make the topping by mixing together the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter using a fork until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the muffins.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove from the pan to finish cooling.

Barely adapted from Taste of Home

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I never really thought I was a big fan of cinnamon rolls until I started making different varieties. And then I was hooked. I've done pumpkin cinnamon rolls, apple pie cinnamon rolls, and now these strawberry cinnamon rolls. These are perfect when you want something that's a little more light and refreshing. 

These are also pretty simple to make after you take care of the dough (which isn't hard to do). Just use a good quality jam for the filling and doctor it up a bit with some cinnamon. Sprinkle on some fresh strawberries, roll it up, slice and bake it, and viola! Perfect breakfast! I'll be adding these to my list of weekend breakfasts, that's for sure! 

Strawberry Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Makes 18 rolls
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For the dough: 
6 1/4 cups all purpose flour (794 g/28 ounces)
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups + 2 tablespoons lukewarm milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

For the filling: 
1 1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups sliced strawberries

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons milk

To make the dough, mix the yeast with the sugar and warm milk and let sit for about 5 minutes. Measure the flour into the bowl of your mixer, add in the yeast mixture and oil, and mix with the paddle until everything is incorporated. Add in the salt, switch to the dough hook, and mix on low speed until a smooth, tacky ball of dough forms. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise until doubled, about 1-2 hours.   

When the dough is almost done rising, stir together the jam and cinnamon. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

To assemble the rolls, divide the dough in half. Roll it out on a floured surface into a long rectangle, about 15x25 inches or so. The dough will be thin. Spread half of the jam mixture onto each rectangle.  Sprinkle the strawberries on top. The berries won't cover the entire rectangle, but you want to make sure they're evenly spaced. Roll the dough up from the long side and then cut it into 2-inch pieces. Place the slices into greased cake pans, cut side down. Let sit for about 15 minutes to rise. Bake for 25-30 minutes until browned on top and cooked through. 

After the rolls have finished baking, make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and almond extract. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the glaze is a pourable consistency. Pour over the cinnamon rolls and serve.  

Dough recipe from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day

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I must confess that I am obsessed with this brown butter cinnamon rum sauce. Even though it's not actual rum...just rum extract. It's warm and homey and amazing, and I want to bathe in it. Or drink it. Or put it in everything...it started with a cake and then it led to these apple pie cinnamon rolls, and now I've put it in and on my pancakes. And I don't regret it one iota.

I took my regular pancake recipe and then while they were cooking, I drizzled this sauce on top of the uncooked side. The sauce is a little thick, which is perfect when you drizzle it onto the pancake batter. If you want to drizzle it over your pancakes before you shovel them into your mouth, you could add a little water to it if you want it to be runnier. It's amazingly perfect either way and the best way to start a weekend morning. 

Brown Butter Cinnamon Rum Pancakes Recipe
Makes about 12 pancakes
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For the pancakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

For the brown butter sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon rum extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Make the pancake batter first. In a large bowl, combine together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk in the egg, milk, and cooled melted butter until just combined. Set it aside and make the sauce.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter. Stir and watch as it gets foamy and then starts to turn brown. When it turns into a dark honey color and smells nutty, quickly stir in the sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually add the water. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the extracts and cinnamon.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Drop 1/4 cups of the batter on the griddle. Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of the sauce on top of the pancakes. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes until bubbles appear on the top of the pancakes and the underside is golden brown. Flip the pancakes and let them cook for 1-2 minutes longer until golden brown.

Serve immediately with the rest of the sauce or let them rest on a wire rack so they remain crisp.

If the sauce is too thick to use as a syrup, whisk in up to 1/4 cup more water to thin it.

Sauce adapted from Taste of Home Fall Baking Cookbook

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I don't know about you all, but I'm ready to start growing food in my garden. I've seen that some of you are lucky enough to do this, but in Colorado we can't plant anything outside until Mother's Day...three months away. Sigh. So until I can do that, I'm pretty excited about frozen fruit. I think it still has great flavor, and it's perfect in baked bars like these.

In fact, these bars are pretty perfect themselves. See that pan in the background? I took these to a Superbowl party last week. Nine adults devoured these during the game, and they were complaining about how they couldn't stay away from them. I don't make these very often because they are insanely addictive. The lovely crumb combined with the sweet but not-too-sweet strawberries along with a bit of almond extract in them just pushes them over the edge. I highly recommend you make these for your sweetie on Thursday. He or she will love you even more...and if you're worried about having a giant pan of these in the house tempting you, the recipe splits nicely in half and you can bake it in a 9x9 pan instead. I pretty much always have to do that modification because these go just a little too quickly at my house!

Strawberry Crumb Bars Recipe
Makes a 9x13 pan
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3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen), cut in half

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 1 cup of the sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add in the shortening and mix with a pastry cutter, fork, or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the eggs and almond extract. Press 2/3 of the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.

Note: If you're using frozen berries, don't thaw first.

In another bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Stir together. Add in the strawberries and gently stir until coated. Spoon these over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the strawberries. 

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.

Barely adapted from Taste of Home

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I'm not going to lie, I've never been to a mardi gras party. Ever. However, last April I went to New Orleans for a neurology meeting, and I fell in love. I've learned that New Orleans is a place you either love or hate. Either you will think it's dirty and smelly and gross or you will be captivated with the people and liveliness of the city. I am in the latter category. I love the random live music throughout the city, the art, the food, the architecture. I love it all, and I can't wait to go back as soon as possible.

So did you know that Fat Tuesday is next week on the 12th? I'm going to have myself a little King Cake and celebrate at home by playing some fun jazz music and having a drink or two. Maybe I'll get some beads from my husband!

If you've never had a King Cake, watch out. Did you know it's basically a giant cinnamon roll? With frosting and sprinkles and gooey cinnamon filling? It's so good! And it's really easy to make, which is another bonus. Be careful when you roll the dough out because if it's too thin, it could blow out one of the sides. If that happens, just cut the "blown out" part off after baking (it makes a great snack!). The glaze and sugar will hide it. I highly recommend to the full filling recipe (I only did half as you can see in the picture below and wished I did more) but know that it may leak out because it's a lot (but so good!). If you're worried about that happening, you can halve the filling recipe. Be sure to hide a plastic baby (after baking) or a bean (before baking) in the cake; whoever gets that piece will have good luck in the upcoming year. Just make sure to warn people that it's in there so someone doesn't choke! Choking=bad luck. For reelz.

King Cake Recipe
Makes one cake (about 18 servings)
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Note: If you like a lot of gooey cinnamon filling, leave the filling recipe as is. If you want less of the goo, it works great to halve the filling recipe, too.

For the dough:
8 ounces sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg
3-3 1/4 cups bread flour 

For the filling:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cream
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon butter
2-4 tablespoons milk

Gold (or yellow), purple, and green sugars

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the first four ingredients (sour cream, sugar, butter, and salt) and stir until the butter has melted. Set aside and cool the mixture to 100-110 degrees.

In the bowl of your mixer, stir together the yeast, warm water, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. When the sour cream mixture has cooled, add it into the mixing bowl with the egg and mix using the paddle attachment until incorporated. Slowly start adding in the flour while mixing on low until a soft dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and mix on low until smooth and tacky.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in it. Cover and let rise for about one hour or until doubled.

While the dough is rising, make the filling by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the brown sugar and whisk, bringing it up to a boil. Let it boil for about one minute, remove from heat, and whisk in the cream. Add the baking soda and cinnamon and whisk until combined. Set aside.

When the dough has risen, place it on a well-floured counter. Roll it out into a 22x12 inch rectangle and spread the filling on it, leaving about a one-inch border. Roll it up from the long side, jelly-roll style, and pinch the seam together. Place it seam side down on a greased cookie sheet and bring the ends of the roll together to form a ring. Secure the ends together by pinching them and moistening them with water. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes.

While it's rising again, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned on top and baked through. While the cake is baking, make the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time until it's just thin enough to spread.

When the cake is finished baking, let it cool for 10 minutes and then brush the glaze on top. Sprinkle with the colored sugars, alternating the colors, in bands. Let cool completely. Cut out a small piece of the bottom and hide a plastic baby in it.

Adapted from myrecipes.com.  

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The first time I was fortunate enough to try palmiers was when I took a pastry class. Oh. my. goodness. Hello buttery flaky pastry with cinnamon sugar. I love all things cinnamon sugar. A lot. And then you mix that with oodles of butter? I am so in. Big time.

My apologies to those of you who are on diets. Save this for when you are off of it. Please.

When I made these in my pastry class, we used homemade puff pastry. While I love the homemade kind, it takes some time to make it. Eventually I'll get to that and share it on here because it's not hard, just a touch time consuming.

Funny thing is that when I watch cooking shows, they pull out the store-bough puff pastry sheets, so it can't be that bad (although the homemade definitely tastes better).

Anyway, this recipe is just three ingredients. That's it. These French beauties will have you swooning. They're fancy enough for the best dinner party or brunch but they're perfect for a football game or a lazy Sunday in your PJs. So go, buy some puff pastry. You will thank me.

Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers Recipe
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1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle about half of it on a clean counter. Unfold the puff pastry sheet on top of it. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top of the pastry sheet and rub it in. Flip it over and make sure that the cinnamon sugar is rubbed into the whole pastry. Sprinkle any additional cinnamon sugar on the top.

Roll the left and right sides (long sides) in toward the middle, jelly roll style, until they meet (should look like the picture above but unbaked). Slice the rolled pastry into 1/2 inch slices and lay flat on the pan, leaving about 2 inches between the pieces.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are browned and middles are cooked. Let cool slightly before serving.

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Merry Christmas! These cookies are quintessential holiday cookies, and no Christmas would be complete without them. At least in my house. Every year when I plan my holiday baking, these always make the list. I've been making them since I was a kid, and I fondly remember eating a lot of almond-flavored green dough and red hots. And I still do the same thing as an adult.

You have to have a cookie press to make these, but you can get one for pretty cheap. I seem to buy a new one every couple of years because they don't last too long. This year I got mine at a craft store, and it's the Wilton brand. It works great so far. I've also had problems finding red hot candies the last few years, but I've seen boxes of them at Walmart and Walgreens. Do you have any must-make cookies this time of year? Or am I the only one who has these traditions? 

Christmas Tree Cookies
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1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
Green food coloring
Red hot candies

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the shortening and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the almond extract, baking powder, and salt, and mix until incorporated. Stir in the flour until combined. Stir in the food coloring until it's as dark as you like.

Stuff portions of the dough into the cookie press and use according to the manufacturer's instructions. Press a red hot or two into the pressed dough. Bake for 10 minutes or until set. Let cool on a flat surface.

Cinnamon. Roll. Cookies. Yes, that's right. You're welcome. These cookies are like crack...or how I'd expect crack to be since I've never done crack. Do people "do" crack? Annnnyyyyyway....I can eat a handful of these bad boys easy. They're soft, cinnamon-y, and the frosting is awesome. If you're a sucker for cinnamon rolls, you will overindulge in these. I promise.

These are a slice and bake cookie, which can be good and bad. Good because you can stock them in your fridge for when the craving hits. Bad because they take a little longer to make. But they're not too hard. You make the dough; roll it out; spread the filling; roll it up; chill the dough; and then slice, bake, frost and pop. Pop into your mouth that is. Just try to resist!

Cinnamon Roll Cookies Recipe
Makes about 2 dozen
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For the dough:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

For the filling:
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the frosting:
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Make the dough by creaming the butter and powdered sugar together. Mix in the salt and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour until incorporated. Chill for 10-15 minutes.

Roll the dough into a 9x12 rectangle.

Make the filling by mixing the egg white and water until foamy. Spread over the dough. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the dough. Roll the dough up from the long end like a cinnamon roll. Seal the edges. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until firm.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 1/2 inch slices. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a flat surface or a cookie rack to cool.

To make the frosting, combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Add the vanilla and cream and mix until smooth. Transfer to a ziptop or piping bag and snip the end off of it. Pipe the frosting into a spiral and let harden before stacking.

Source: Recipe Girl

So gingersnaps don't have to snap, right? Because these certainly don't. Since I'm not a fan of crispy and crunchy cookies, I went on a search years ago to find a great soft gingersnap recipe. These scream holiday cookie, have great flavor, and are soft and chewy. They're quite perfect in my opinion.

Usually when a recipe calls for you to chill the dough, I don't. What can I say...I'm impatient. However, I actually follow the instructions on these ones. Since you roll the dough balls in sugar, they really do need to be cold. So plan on adding in a couple of chilling hours for these. Trust me...they're worth the wait!

Soft Gingersnaps Recipe
Makes about 36
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1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar for rolling the dough in

In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar and melted butter together until combined. Add in the egg and molasses. Mix in the ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Add in the flour and mix on low until incorporated. Cover the dough and chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place two inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until set and let cool on the cookie sheet for one minute. Transfer to a flat surface to cool completely.

Source: Taste of Home