Fried Peanut Butter Crescent Bombs

Photo via Pillsbury

Some days are easy; some are hard.

I've found, though, that a a sweet treat can do wonders in terms of turning the latter into the former. Case in point: this fine specimen, called "Fried Peanut Butter Crescent Bombs". Talk about an explosion of om nom nom: these are basically like peanut butter filled croissants, deep fried and coated in sugar. That's a day-maker if I've ever heard of one.

While this recipe very much fits in my world view, I can only wish it was mine: it was part of a roundup Pillsbury sent me a roundup of their "State Fair-inspired" recipes. This isn't the only bit of wonder in that collection: it also includes such classics as churros on a stick to deep-fried candy bars to pizza cones. OMG! 

But I'm sure you're ready to move on to the bombs, so here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Fried Peanut Butter Crescent Bombs

Courtesy of Pillsbury

Makes 16 servings

Prep time: 15 min / Total time: 35 min

• 2 cups peanut butter
• 1 can Pillsbury "Place and bake" refrigerated crescent rounds
• Canola oil for frying
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Procedure

1. A day ahead of serving, line sheet pan with cooking parchment paper. Place 32 individual tablespoons of peanut butter in pan. Freeze overnight.
2. On serving day, heat oil in heavy saucepan to 350°F.
3. Separate dough into rounds. Cut each into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each piece of dough tightly around 1 frozen spoon of peanut butter.
4. Fry each filled dough ball in hot oil until evenly browned on all sides. Cool about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

What's your favorite fried treat?

Desserts You Can Make on the Grill

Desserts on the grill = perfect for Labor Day. And they're all so quick to make that you could make them same-day, which means this post is perfect for procrastinators like you and me. Here's the full post.

Cake Byte: Win CakeSpy Art!

Guess what? You could WIN this original page of black and white line illustrations I did for my second book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts . Find out how on my Facebook page!

Creative Prompts for Artists

Sometimes we could all use a little help, creatively speaking. When you need a little extra energy to keep on creating, I would like to offer up these sweet creative prompts I've come up with. They'll have you looking at the commonplace in a new way, opening a new world of creativity to you! Check out the full article here.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Let your garden be your muse: a sweet art tutorial (no cake involved, but still pretty sweet)

Tree nut star tarts. Yum.

Did you miss the awesome roundup of my recent edible adventures?

These cinnamon rolls in Nebraska have an interesting story.

Learn a bit more about Racine Kringles.

10 awesome pug cakes. Seriously.

A love letter to crullers, both the cake doughnut and the eggy French sort.

"Autumn Blaze Bubble Bread". Don't you love the name?

Make your cakes sparkle--literally. How to use edible glitter on cakes!

Tips for adding emotion to your original artwork. Helpful and sweet!

Marvelous marble swirl cake.

Chocolate covered cake on a stick!

Book of the week: Alpha-Bakery Gold Medal Children's Cookbook. Did you have this cookbook growing up? I did, and I just found it again at a used book store. It has cute illustrations and surprisingly easy and good recipes for every letter of the alphabet. Aside from the nostalgia, I'm just happy to own it again. Bring on the "X-Tra Special Celebration Cake"!

Postcards from the Road: August 2014

Where in the world has CakeSpy been?

Well, let me tell you. In the past two weeks I have been in all of these places:

• Rincon, Puerto Rico
• Belmar, NJ
• Lancaster, OH
• St. Louis, MO
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Santa Fe, NM
• Des Moines, IA
• Dubuque, IA
• Brodhead, WI
• New Glarus, WI
• Madison, WI

I know. It's a record, even for ME. So what the heck have I been doing in all these places? Well, let me tell you a bit more. 

As you know, I was in Puerto Rico for a while with my lovely parents. You can read more about my adventures there, via this post and this post. <3

I departed Puerto Rico and spent a few days with my family in Belmar, NJ. There, I baked this cake, which was a definite highlight...of life.

I also visited Kane Brewing Company with my parents. It is so neat to see my home area develop into such an artistic and cool place. Here's me and my mom.

Next, I hit the road en auto and stopped in Lancaster, OH to visit my friends Ben and Misty. Ben, apparently, has been "really into breakfast" lately. I benefitted from this newfound passion (really, I've never been not into breakfast) by receiving this plate of awesome in the morning. Those pancake-y things? Corn-cakes made using Jiffy cornbread mix (here's a recipe for cookies made with apple Jiffy mix!). Brilliant!

I headed back on the road to visit my friend Lisa in St. Louis. She has this adorable tea shop called Smalls. It's only a limited lease, so check it out now, if you live in the area. Cutest ever, right? 

I wasn't in St. Louis for long, but I did find enough time to take a yoga class at Southtown Yoga (such a stylish and cool studio) and enjoy a slice of gooey butter cake at the Mud House. This was a rather nice specimen of one of my favorite cookie bar/cake hybrids. Also: just an observation, gooey butter cake is a short phrase in which no single word is wrong, yet together they are even more right. Don't you think?

OK. Literally, OK. That was the next stop: Oklahoma City, where I did a little yoga pit stop and then continued on my journey. I stayed in Amarillo, TX overnight, which is also home of Belmar Bakery, which I love because in addition to carrying sweet treats, it also bears the name of my hometown in New Jersey.

I kept on going and ended up in Santa Fe the next day, where I spent the next 18 hours and was reuinited with this guy:

Hooray! Twinsies, right?

Then, not too long after, we got back on the road to go to a wedding in Wisconsin. Back through New Mexico, enjoying this sort of beauty:

Back through Oklahoma I went. I stopped for a photo op in front of a store bearing my name (no relation)...

and this time was treated to this beautiful sunset.

There was a stop at one of the Casey's General Stores on the highway for doughnuts--surprisingly good.

Next up was Lawrence, Kansas, where we stopped for some sweetness at Sylas and Maddy's Ice Cream.

I was so impressed by this place. They had fantastic flavors like "ladybug crunch" (strawberry ice cream with oreos) and a chocolate and rainbow sprinkle-laden birthday cake flavor. But what I got, and what I considered a masterpiece of ice creamery, was the item in the forefront: BANANA PUDDING ICE CREAM. Can we all say "best thing ever" in unison, please? 

Continuing on the road, there was a stop in Des Moines for, well, more yoga (I have a goal to do yoga in all 50 states, so this trip provided me a great chance to add more spots to my list), and then jetted off to Dubuque where more doughnuts were consumed. I'll tell you the truth, they were from Hy-Vee groceries, but they were actually pretty good!

Next up was Brodhead, Wisconsin. I got myself a unicorn there.

After that, we jetted to New Glarus, which is where the wedding will be held. We had a lovely picnic dinner, and the hosts had actually made a recipe from my second book, The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts , for dessert--jumbles!

Um, I should probably tell you that this happened, too, at the New Glarus Hotel. We only ordered the three that are not on the tray. But yes, there were three desserts. The first cake (going clockwise from the top) was a blueberry cake with cream filling; the second was a German chocolate; the third was a lemon custard. The desserts were all satisfying, with my favorite being the custard--like lemon curd in custard form, even better with sweet Wisconsin dairy whipped cream! The filling from the German chocolate cake was something I wouldn't mind eating my weight in, either.

In the A.M., I went to Madison for (you guessed it) another yoga class, at Inner Fire Yoga. I then stopped at Metcalfe's and picked up more doughnuts at Metcalfe's Market. 

(It's OK to laugh at this cruller. I did).

Whew! It's been a whirlwind so far. And I still have the wedding to go! Now, I think I'll explore New Glarus more, including the bakery everyone keeps telling me is great. I'll keep you updated on my sweet adventures, my sweetest ones.

Happy Summer! Love, CakeSpy

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

In case you missed it: brown sugar swirl cake. Brown sugar frosting. #winning

Homemade gluten-free pizza dough: tips and tricks.

Best ice cream I've had in a while: Sylas and Maddy's, in Lawrence, KS.

I'm going to New Glarus, Wisconsin. Naturally I will hit up this bakery.

My birthday is on Tuesday. If I have any leftover cake, I promise to make birthday cake French toast.

Or I suppose I could use the leftover cake in one of these clever and tasty ways.

But with a cake like this, there probably will not be leftovers. 

Dear heavens: oreo banana pudding. Make me a vat!

Just about the best frosting ever, if you ask me.

Homemade ho-hos. Wait, what did you call me?

For fun: reminisce with me about how I killed a bunch of Little Debbie Snack cakes that one time.

A free doughnut e-guide. All things doughnut: recipes, decorating tips, etc! 

How to test cream of tartar for freshness.

Book of the week: My book! The Secret Lives of Baked Goods: Sweet Stories & Recipes for America's Favorite Desserts! Because it's my birthday this week and this book includes the story behind, plus a recipe for, birthday cake. Awesometown!

A Guide to BBQ Pairings and Desserts

Photo via CraftsyFor me, the best part about a BBQ is the sides. From collard greens to cornbread, this is the stuff I like to make a meal of. And for dessert--the pies! Puddings! Cobblers!

Assuming it's possible you love the sides as much as I do, I've put together a guide to barbecue pairings for your delicious reference: check it out here. 

Brown Sugar Swirl Birthday Cake With Brown Sugar Frosting

Last week, even though it was a bit early for my August 26th birthday, I made a cake.

You see, I was in New Jersey for a few days with my parents, and I would be leaving before the big day, so I decided we should all have a little party. Any excuse for more cake, right?

I was writing a post for Craftsy about brown sugar buttercream, and I decided to make a cake to go with it (although, for the record, I have nothing against eating it by the spoonful). I hit up my mom's old cookbook collection and found an old treasure: silver white cake, AKA my birthday cake growing up. I doctored it up a bit, making it richer by including the entire eggs and by adding a swirl of brown sugar. The "swirl" came out more like little lumps of brown sugar here and there...but DELICIOUS lumps. Oh, and I also doubled the salt. Because if I've learned anything in my baking years, it is that brown sugar loves salt.

This cake came out tremendously, if I do say so myself. Everyone took seconds, which is always a good sign. Maybe it can add some joy to your non-birthday day, too!

Brown Sugar Swirl Birthday Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

For the cake

Makes one 2 layer 8-inch cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated (white) sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans. Set to the side.
2. Beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla in a stand mixer on low speed, scraping the bowl occasionally, for 2 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, and increase the speed to high, scraping the bowl occasionally, for 2 more minutes, or until the mixture is pretty much smooth and lump free. 
4. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and melted butter. It should be pretty thick yet smooth. Fold into the cake mixture, trying to incorporate little bits of the mixture throughout the batter.
5. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden on top and a cake tester comes out mostly clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and immediately run a sharp knife around the perimeter of the pans to loosen the cakes. After a few minutes, invert them on to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the cakes cool, make the frosting. When ready to assemble, start by generously frosting the top of one of the cakes; layer the second on top of that, and then frost the whole thing all over. I found this cake did not require a crumb coat.

Brown sugar buttercream

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4-6 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup of half and half, plus more if needed

Note: This recipe yields a perfect amount of buttercream to ice a two-layer 9-inch cake or a 9x13-inch oblong cake. This recipe can be doubled.

1. Cream the butter until fluffy. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon; beat until it has become smooth in texture yet whipped.
2. Add three cups of the confectioners' sugar, and mix on low speed so that you don't have a snowstorm. Stir in the vanilla extract, salt, and cream. Stir until incorporated.
3. Add the remaining confectioners sugar to your taste. If it becomes too stiff, add a bit more cream. Store unused portions of the buttercream in the refrigerator for up to a week.

What kind of cake will you have for your birthday this year?

How to Know When An Illustration is Done

This is a subject I can get pretty philosophical about: when do you know a piece of art is done? 

While ultimately it's a very personal decision, I do have some definite thoughts on some ways to know, and tricks to help figure out where doneness lies in your process. Check out the full post with ideas here.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Baby elephant ears. Delicious babies.

Why didn't I ever have a class trip like this when I was young? 

OMG, you guys. My mom wrote an amazing post for Craftsy about preparing an illustration for publication. She's a famous illustrator in case you didn't know!

This thing. It's what I wish I was eating right now.

Strawberry cream cake: doesn't it look so summery and just...happy?

Cookie stuffed crescent rolls: I am so, so very down with this.

Barbecues are all about sides and desserts. Here's the tasty guide I made to all these things on the side.

This guide to the food of Lisbon includes a lot of valuable info on sweet specialties. Maybe I should go there next?

Stir-fried desserts? Why not?

101 amazing doughnut shops from around the USA.

When is it time to declare an illustration finished? Here's how to know.

Though it's just a picture, I'm linking because it made me so happy to know it existed: Danger Mouse Cake!

Do we still care about bacon in desserts? If so: Chocolate bacon ice cream. 

Book of the week: Craft-a-Doodle: 75 Creative Exercises from 18 Artists. This is really a wonderful book for anyone who loves to create--the creative prompts get your mind working in a way that is productive for any type of art, from baking to writing to, of course, drawing. I'll admit this is a slightly self-serving suggestion: I'm one of the contributors who came up with prompts for the book!

Marshmallow-Mango Biscuit Sandwiches

I'm not sure if you think about biscuits as much as me. In my life, thoughts about biscuits are about as common as thoughts about what time it is or if I have a new email--that is to say, like, all the freaking time.

But even I had never thought about this particular concoction, although I'm so glad it's now in my life: marshmallow-mango biscuit sandwiches. Like, OMG.

It was a bit of kismet, actually: I was in Puerto Rico working on upcoming Craftsy posts which involved, respectively, homemade biscuits and homemade marshmallow fluff. We also happened to have a beautiful fresh mango in the kitchen--I just kind of looked at all the bounty, and a new classic was born.

Fluffy homemade marshmallow goo adds the perfect amount of "manufactured" sweetness to the natural, mellow sweetness of ripe mango. Sandwiching it between rich, buttery biscuit halves adds just the richness and saltiness it needs to really be a nice and satisfying treat. It's got everything going on: fluffy, buttery, mallow-y, sweet, salty...and of course, with the mango involved, it's officially health food. Score!

The biscuits were an adaptation of these three-ingredient buttermilk biscuits, and the marshmallow fluff was an adaptation of this homemade version. I suppose if you wanted to you could use another fruit, but this combo was pretty killer.

As an added bonus, they kind of look like savory breakfast sandwiches from a distance. So they're like a guerilla dessert, and a sweet surprise!

Marshmallow-Mango Biscuit Sandwiches

Makes 4

• 4 heaping spoonfuls of marshmallow fluff (here's a homemade recipe)
• 2-3 thick slices of fresh mango per biscuit
• 4 buttermilk biscuits (approx 2-inch diameter), split in two
• butter and salt

Procedure

1. Split the biscuits in half. Toast them in a toaster oven or heat them in the microwave until they are warm. 
2. Butter and salt the halves to taste.
3. Place a big ol' mound of marshmallow fluff on top of one of the halves; place the mango on top of that. The gooey marshmallow should poke through a bit so that when you put the top half back on top, it should stick.
4. Eat warm. Enjoy. 

Have you ever tried marshmallow and mango together?

Postcards from Puerto Rico, Volume 2

Hi, sweeties! I thought it was about time to share a bit more about my Puerto Rican getaway with you. Ready?

Well. My mom arrived to hang out for a week in lovely, sunny, beachy Rincon. First thing we did? Went to get frappés, naturally.

In Rincon, you'll see signs for frappés everywhere. On the side of the road, at specific frappé shops, at ice cream vendors. So what's a frappé? 

Basically, it's like a frappuccino, but with any sort of flavoring, from soursop to cherry; from oreo to horchata; from queso to coconut. We went to Kahuna Frappé, which is in the Plaza Bonet. I chose the pistachio; mom got the pineapple. They topped them, I will guiltily admit, with cool-whip. They were just as amazing as they look: taste-wise, falling somewhere between a milkshake and a smoothie. Creamy and sweet and milky; mashed with ice, but not icy. A real delight. 

We also hit up a place called Cowboys, where they have horse rides (alas, not on the day of our visit as it was raining) and savory food. This also happened there, I thought I should tell you.

I did some sweet art on another rainy day.

We went to an outdoor flea market and checked out some of the candy. It's very sweet and tends to be coconut-heavy.

I also realized I must be more famous than I thought, if they have murals of me at ice cream shops in Puerto Rico.

On Sunday, we attended the farmer's market, where we got our fill of tasty foods. One vegan baker was selling sweets of all sorts; we picked up a vegan brownie and a ginger-lemonade. The brownie surprised me. It was more cakey, which I typically don't go for, but the lightness worked in this case: it was like eating brownie bread. Brownie bread, I have decided, is a superior type of bread to zucchini. Just in case you've ever wondered.

The baker in question was a very cool dudette who had actually gone to FIT; since I went to Pratt, we had a New York connection in common. There are actually a surprising amount of Northeasterners here, for various reasons. Some are surfers; some like the cheaper lifestyle; others come to live off the grid. It makes for great people watching and some interesting conversations. 

I also picked up a baggie of toasted coconut. I've been hitting this lady up every week--it's so simple but so good. 

We went to a fruit vendor and picked up what he called "guava pears" which he had grown on his property. A google search of guava pear resulted only in that guavas are related to pears, so maybe I just had a small guava? It looked different from guava I have seen before but apparently this is a regular kind.  Anyone have any info to offer on this? 

We went back to Dulcis Vita, which was a fantastic moment because I got more cheesecake. Yay!

On this visit I also observed that they have amazing tables that can read minds. Whoa!

So. Much. Mango.

A few days into my mom's visit, I was able to "get" another yoga pose that has been eluding me. Seriously: look at this! Thanks to Centro La Paz for keeping me in yoga shape.

We had a wonderful mofongo (a mashed plantain specialty here) feast at The Red Flamboyen, which has flamboyen trees all around.

On a rainy day, I took a little while to practice drawing flamboyen flowers. They're so strange yet beautiful!

We went out for ice cream at Tip-Top Ice Cream in downtown Rincon, and I got the corn ice cream. If I had to describe it, I'd say it tasted like what creamed corn aspires to be in a dessert world. It was quite addictive, actually--if you ever see corn gelato or ice cream, GET IT.

I made biscuits. I'll share the recipe really soon.

I got a new bracelet with my name on it.

I also learned how to make marshmallow fluff from marshmallows. I'll share that post on Craftsy in the next few weeks, so lucky you.

I also met a new friend.

We didn't forget to treat ourselves; so yes, another tropical cocktail was maybe consumed.

And of course, I did some more sea glass paintings! Here's one in reverse.

Sadly I'm leaving Puerto Rico in a couple of days but I've had such a joyous time.

Happy summer! Love, CakeSpy 

Cinnamon Roll Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Recently, Pillsbury sent me a roundup of their "State Fair-inspired" recipes. When I opened the email, I almost clicked my heels in delight: therein was a fantastic collection of recipes ranging from churros on a stick to deep-fried candy bars to pizza cones. OMG! 

But this one, I simply HAD to share. Cinnamon roll waffle ice cream sandwiches! I mean, seriously. There's no wrong in that recipe, only right. And lots of right. 

Here's the recipe; for the others mentioned, click on the respective links above. Here are some process shots they sent me, so I don't have to disrupt the flow of the recipe to share them with you.

Cinnamon roll waffle ice cream sandwiches

15 minutes active, 30 minutes total; makes 5

• Vegetable oil
• 1 can Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Flaky Supreme refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing (5 rolls)
• 2 1/2 cups ice cream, any variety, softened slightly
• Powdered sugar
• Assorted candy sprinkles, if desired

Procedure

1. Heat Belgian-style waffle maker. Grease generously with oil. Separate dough into 5 rolls; spoon icing into small resealable food-storage plastic bag, and set aside.
2. With serrated knife, cut each cinnamon roll in half lengthwise; grease both sides of dough with oil, and place 1 or 2 at a time (depending how many fit without touching) on waffle maker. Close waffle maker.
3. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until cooked and golden brown. Using wooden kitchen utensil, carefully remove to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining cinnamon roll dough, greasing waffle maker and dough each time. Cool waffles completely.
4. To make sandwiches, with ice cream scoop, add about 1/2 cup ice cream to center of 1 waffle for bottom, and top with another waffle. Cut corner of icing bag, and pipe icing on top of each waffle sandwich; sprinkle with powdered sugar and candy sprinkles. Serve immediately, or place in freezer until ready to serve.

How to Fix Common Watercolor Calamities

If you've ever painted in watercolor, you know that it's a minefield of potential calamity: colors becoming muddy by mixing when you don't want them to, accidentally dropping your brush, so on, so on. These things don't mean you need to toss out the entire painting, though. Here's a guide to how to fix common watercolor mistakes.

How to Make Buttercream Even Better

Buttercream. There's no part of it that is wrong. I mean, a word that consists of the two parts "butter" and "cream"...what's not to love? But even as perfect a foodstuff it is, there are some ways to make it even better. I've put together a nice roundup of simple ways to elevate and flavor your buttercream for extremely delicious results. Read the full article here.

Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!

Reading cookbooks as history. Unlock the past, deliciously!

If I ever have kids, I hope they are like these kids who launched a "Candy Unicorn Mini-Mart".

Would you eat an ice cream sundae in a can?

I think it's time to add to my United States of Ice cream compilation. What's your favorite place to get ice cream? Either comment on this post, the post linked to, or send me an email. 

In case you missed it: a dessert you never ever have to share.

Would-be robbers don't get money, but do get some doughnuts.

Ombré ice cream pops. Don't you want one right now?

An interesting little background on the story of one of the most important food volumes there is.

Sausage and apple pie. Dinner, or dessert? Depends on if it's a la mode, I suppose.

I would like someone to throw me this exact Hello Kitty themed party, but for my 33rd birthday instead of my first.

Mistakes happen. However, if your mistakes are in watercolor, I can help you fix them.

You all know how devastated I was to hear of the closing of Angel Food Bakery in Chicago. BUT the story is not over: the owner is now offering classes in how to make her bestselling treats!

Speaking of Angel food, the cake, not the bakery, here's an interesting insight into its history.

Book of the week: Fix It In Foil. This book is all about foods that you can grill (or bake) nestled in foil. Because if you enjoyed my cakes grilled in orange shells, the dessert chapter in this book has awesome ideas along the same lines...s'mores burritos? Banana boats? Apple crisp? Yes, yes, yes. 

Postcards from Puerto Rico, Volume 1

Greetings from sunny Puerto Rico, my sweet readers! I don't know if I have ever told you this, but my parents have a house here, in the lovely beachside town of Rincón. I realize that this might make us seem wealthy or something, but it's really not like that. My dad, who has been a surfer since his teens, scrimped and saved and was able to make this house happen. Isn't that cool?

While that is inspiring, that is not the point of this post--it's just to explain why I am here. It's a nice and quiet place to spend time, write, and do artwork. 

I have been doing a ton of work on my potential memoir (as referenced in this post), and have been really pleased with the result so far. 

But that's not all I've done, so I thought I would share a few snapshots of the tasty times I'm having. Consider it a virtual series of postcards, from me to you!

I mastered a yoga pose I've been trying to get for weeks, just in time for my dad to capture a beach shot. Woot! A huge thanks goes to my teacher Leia Hays for helping me master this one.

 

I did a series of "dessert confession" illustrations with all of my dessert-y quirks.

And even though per my "confessions" I am often underwhelmed by panaderia offerings, there is a treat in Puerto Rico that is always an exception...we get ours at La Rincoeña...

The treat I speak of is cupcake-sized macaroons known as "Besitos de coco". They are made by a local wholesaler and are available at many of the bakeries. They're rich as all get-out. I love them.

After my dad left, I decided to bake a cake, a sort of adaptation of basbousa, but made with olive oil for a mediterranean feel. It came out quite well, and I shared some with my neighbors.

On a rainy afternoon, I did a series of teeny tiny paintings on seaglass. 

While going to the aforementioned panaderia, we had noticed a new bakery in town, called Dulcis Vita. They do more American-style cupcakes and cakes. I went back a few days later, and I got an Oreo cupcake and some chocolate cheesecake.

Living up to my "dessert confession" I put salt on the cheesecake before devouring. Was it ever good. I was impressed by both the cheesecake and cupcake. Very good, better-than-mom-made type of stuff.

I checked out the art walk downtown, which was very sweet. One of my favorite sights was a truck that pulled up to sell lanterns. It looked like a truck full of rainbows, and it made me smile.

I did a series of "sweets and yoga poses" illustrations, just for fun.

And, OK, yes, there was maybe a tropical cocktail involved somewhere in all this.

So, you're getting the idea behind my tasty adventure in pretty Puerto Rico. If you'll excuse me, I need to go to the store to pick up some supplies to make my own besitos de coco...stay tuned for the recipe next week!

Happy summer!

How to Make Ombré Ice Cream Pops

Make your popsicles, well, pop--with a fantastic gradient of color. This lovely specimen is made with layers of vanilla, French vanilla, coffee, and chocolate ice cream, and tastes sort of like the best parts of a mocha frappuccino in lickable form. Here's how to make them.

Single Serving Dessert: Microwaveable Chocolate Cake in a Bowl

To some, the idea of a "single serving dessert" seems sad. Like, poor you, you don't have anyone to share dessert with.

I don't find single serving desserts sad at all. I see it as a definite reason not to have to share. It only makes one! So you can see, it's a decision that you can make to treat yourself and no one else. The recipe which follows is for a quirky little single-serving chocolate cake which you can make in the microwave. I stuffed mine with hershey's kisses so it would be a little gooey inside, but you can do whatever you want, from topping it with ice cream or fruit (if you're into health food) or even some buttercream frosting. 

If you started to feel panicky there, don't: you won't be sharing the toppings either.

If this all sounds quite terrible of me, so be it, but I wasn't planning on sharing dessert with you anyway.

I'm going to try something a touch different today and put all of the photos before the recipe, so that if you want to follow the recipe, you can easily follow it without picture breaks. Which way do you prefer? 

All right, here we go.

Next time you're feeling greedy and want something all for you that nobody else can have, here's how you do it. 

First, you'll mix up a couple of wet ingredients.

Then you'll add some dry ones and mix til it's smooth.

If you want, add a generous handful of (unwrapped!) chocolate candies such as Hershey's Kisses.

Then you'll put the bowl you mixed it in right in the microwave for a few minutes. It will puff up and pull away form the sides of the bowl. Actually, it will kind of look ugly. But...

Go for it. Don't share. What do you think?

Single Serving Chocolate Cake in a Bowl

Makes one

• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tablespoons milk
• a handful of chocolate candies

Procedure

1. Mix together the sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla in a bowl. And by "a bowl" I mean the one you indend on microwaving. Use one with decently high walls, so that the cake has room to rise.
2. Add the flour and cocoa. Mix until incorporated. Add the milk and mix until smooth. You can use a fork, spoon, or mini spatula for this.
3. Fold in the chocolate candy.
4. Put the bowl in the microwave and heat on high for 3 minutes (if you know your microwave is a lower powered model, go four minutes. It will puff up, and then deflate once removed from microwave.
5. What are you waiting for? Top it, if you want to, and eat.

What's your favorite dessert to not share?