Almond Tart

Almond tarts are also called Bakewell Tarts in England.  They’re a variation of the Bakewell Pudding which was first made by accident in 1820.  The cook at the White Horse Inn in Bakewell misunderstood the landlady’s instructions and a new dessert was born.  There are Italian and Swedish versions of the almond tart but I haven’t been able to determine if the British version came first. 

Daring Bakers Challenge: Dutch Crunch Rolls

Sara and Erica of Baking JDs were our March 2012 Daring Baker Hostesses!  Sara and Erica challenged us to make Dutch Crunch bread, a delicious sandwich bread with a unique, crunchy topping.  Sara and Erica also challenged us to create a one of a kind sandwich with our bread!

Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I never realized that Dutch Crunch bread was a local phenomenon.  The recipe originates in the Netherlands, where it’s called “Tiger” Bread, but no one is quite sure how or when it came to the Bay Area.

Polenta Onion Pizza

I bookmarked this recipe from Heidi Swanson’s blog 101 Cookbooks some time ago but I never got around to making it.  She called it Cornmeal Crunch but I think it’s more like an polenta onion pizza.  I really like this recipe because it’s gluten free and delicious, even without all the cheese.

Start Your Tomatoes

After I wrote that heading I realized that it sounded like “Start Your Engines” which is what they say at the beginning of a car race.  Can you tell that Mr RK is a race fan?  I guess I’ve been influenced by the sounds of cars racing around a track as background noise more than I thought.  It does apply to gardening though.  Growing a garden is somewhat of a race, with nature.  You have to start your seeds at the right time, and strategize about when to plant them in the ground in order to take full advantage of the summer weather.  it’s a race to grow as much as you can before the cold weather starts again.

Daring Bakers' Challenge: Quick Bread

The Daring Bakers’ February 2012 host was - Lis!  Lisa stepped in last minute and challenged us to create a quick bread we could call our own.  She supplied us with a base recipe and shared some recipes she loves from various websites and encouraged us to build upon them and create new flavor profiles.

Spring is in the air in my part of the world so I wanted to choose flavors that complimented the season and would be appropriate for an Easter Brunch.  I chose to make a pineapple coconut quick bread.  I love this combination of flavors because they always remind me of summers on some tropical beach.

Ice Cream Brownie Tarts

Mr. RK loves chocolate.  His favorite dessert is something chocolate with some chocolate on top, covered in chocolate.  When it came to making a special Valentines Day treat, I wanted to make a dessert with all of his favorite ingredients.  I started with some chocolate brownies, which I covered with chocolate ice cream and topped with chocolate chips, chopped almonds and raspberries.  Then, just to be sure I had enough chocolate, I drizzled the top with fudge sauce.  I think I got it all in there. 

First Signs of Spring

The first signs of spring come in February in Northern California.  It starts with the asparagus. They begin to pop their tender little heads out of the ground, teasing you with the promise of grilled garlic spears.  I also keep an eye on the blueberry plants, watching for the first blooms.