Pretty in Pink Peony Cake

Every year when peonies come into their fragrant glory, a friend brings by an armload full of some of the most beautiful varieties from his farm. Each one has its own personality and color, and all have a sweet and feminine aroma that fills the air. Like a summery floral chintz, they make me happy to just look at them. This year I wanted to thank him and his wife by making a cake. I just happened to be making cupcakes for my neighbors high school graduation party and so I split the recipe, making a small 6 inch cake and 2 dozen mini cupcakes. My graduating neighbor loves chocolate nut toffee crunch (she's very smart...move her to the top of the class!), so I crushed some and mixed it into chocolate ganache and added it to the filling of the cake. The little cupcakes had their chocolate treasure hidden under a slice on top and were crowned with a meringue frosting. As you bite into the lightly sweet cloud of meringue frosting, the cake is tender and moist. And with the chocolate toffee ganache surprise in the center, you'll need a chair to sink into as you lick your spoon clean. The combination works so well together, that after the last taste, you'll be left dreaming for more. Sweet Dreams!For the cake batter, I used Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake recipe poured into a 6x3 inch round pan and the rest into a lined mini cupcake tin. After the cake was baked and cooled, I cut it in half horizontally and put in on a serving plate. I then put a layer of ganache on top of the lower layer and spread it into a generous filling.Then I added the top layer and frosted with the Meringue Frosting. Just like a prom date awaiting her corsage, a pretty pink peony from my friends garden was the only decoration needed.
Chocolate Toffee Crunch Ganache

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 3-4 ounces crushed chocolate toffee/nut candy, such as Heath Bar.
I used Trader Joe's, Dark Chocolate Roasted Pistachio Toffee.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the optional candy until coarsely chopped and remove. Break up the chocolate into the bowl of the food processor and process until fine. Heat the cream until just before the boiling point, and pour into the feed tube while processing. Process until just smooth and creamy, and then add the vanilla and pulse a few times to blend. Pour into a medium bowl and let come to room temperature and then fold in the crushed candy mixture. Refrigerate until it thickens enough to spread. If made ahead of time, let come to room temperature before using.

Makes about 2 cups.

Store at room temperature 1 day, 1 week refrigerated and 3 months frozen.

Written and photographed by Diane.

Hershey's Chocolate Cake recipe (pdf)
Meringue Frosting recipe (pdf)
Chocolate Toffee Crunch Ganache recipe (pdf)

Watermelon Feta Summer Salad With Basil

I bought a seedless watermelon last week that has turned into the gift that keeps on giving. We've eaten slices on the patio on warm afternoons, had chunks of the sweet rosy fruit as snacks and had small bowls of it with breakfast. Today I made a salad of watermelon, feta cheese and thin sliced red onion. Wanting a little more with it, I made a green salad of arugula dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and topped it with the watermelon salad mixture. I went out to my herb garden and snipped some fresh basil leaves to slice and scatter on top. It was light, refreshing and healthy...the perfect summer combination. The saltiness of the feta and sweetness of the watermelon lead the chorus of this delightful combo.

Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil and Red Onion

3 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup feta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 slices red onion, thinly sliced
4 handfuls baby arugula
15 large basil leaves, thinly sliced

For the vinaigrette:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Whisk the balsamic vinegar into the olive oil until emulsified, and set aside.Arrange the arugula onto 4 separate plates. Top with the watermelon, feta cheese, red onion slices and sliced basil. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salads, garnish with basil sprigs and serve.

Serves 4. Written and photographed by Diane.

Watermelon Feta Salad with Basil and Red Onion recipe (pdf)

Cherry Oat Scones With Almond Glaze

When Pam (the other stew), came last month with her daughter to look at some Boston colleges, I tried to make their quick visit comfortable. The weather was unseasonably warm, well actually hot, so we had the luxury of having breakfast on the patio. Not bad for April in Boston. I thought I'd take Pam's Maple Oat Scone recipe and change it somewhat by using honey instead of maple syrup and adding dried cherries. Since almonds and cherries seem to be a match made in cherry heaven, I made an almond glaze to go on top. They were really very good, but as I've made them a few times again, I realized how small changes affect the overall taste. The next time I made them, I made the circle of dough 9 inches instead of 7. That made them too dry. The wetness of the dough also seems to be fickle. Maybe one egg is a little bigger than another or maybe the air is really damp...or maybe the moon must be in your seventh house and Jupiter aligned with Mars...I don't know. I do know that too much flour added and overworking the dough will make the scones heavier. I also toasted the oats a little too much one time and didn't like the flavor. Don't be scared away though...these are tips to the process of getting it just right. A lighter scone is achieved with a stickier dough and getting the perfect balance comes with adding more or less flour, as you go. I make them totally in the food processor, so they really are a snap to make and "nothin' says lovin' like somethin' from the oven!"

Cherry Oat Scones

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/3-1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup oat bran flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup dried and pitted tart Montmorency cherries

*you may substitute all purpose flour, if you can't find oat bran flour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread oats on a sheet pan and toast in the oven until fragrant and lightly colored, about 5-8 minutes. Make sure they don't brown.Set aside to cool. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the toasted oats.

Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk the milk, honey and egg together until well blended and set aside. Place the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Add the butter to the bowl and pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Add the milk, honey and egg mixture and pulse to blend. Add the toasted oats (leaving out reserved 3 tablespoons), and pulse until just mixed. At this point, add just a little flour at a time if the dough is too sticky to handle, or more milk if too dry. Add the cherries and pulse 1-2 times just to mix in.

Dust a work surface with the reserved oats and flour. Turn the dough out onto the surface and pat dough into a 7 inch round disc. Using a bench scraper, cut the dough into 8 wedges. Transfer them to the parchment lined baking sheet and separate slightly. Bake until golden, but not brown, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack and then drizzle on the Almond Glaze. Serve warm.

Serves 8.

These are best eaten the day they are made. If storing, place in an airtight container or freeze.

Almond Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1-2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Add almond extract to the powdered sugar. Add milk a little at a time until a the glaze becomes thin enough to spoon, but not runny. Add almonds and drizzle onto scones.


Served warm from the oven, they are a cheery cherry way to start your morning!
Written and photographed by Diane.

Cherry Oat Scone with Almond Glaze recipe (pdf)

Purple Asparagus With Lemon Chive Vinaigrette

Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don't seem the same
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
scuse me while I kiss the sky...

by Jimi Hendrix

Is it me or are a lot of vegetables purple that never used to be? When I was at the market the other day, I must've had purple haze all in my brain. I had just bought some petunias in various shades of purple and then saw purple asparagus in the produce section. If that isn't serendipitous, then I don't know what is! I had never tasted them, and was curious. They are actually milder and with a 20% higher sugar content, are sweeter than green asparagus. Now is the end of the April-May season for the purple asparagus and the ones I bought came from Canada. I thought they would go well with a lemon viniagrette and some chives from my herb garden. The chives are just starting to stretch and bloom with purple flower heads. Decision made!

Just like my petunias, these asparagus would also be good mixed with white and green varieties. Serve as a tricolor asparagus salad.

Purple Asparagus

1 pound purple asparagus
1 tablespoon lemon juice*

Trim the bottoms of the asparagus and using a vegetable peeler, peel the tough lower skin. To blanch them you'll need a 10-12 inch stainless steel skillet filled with 1 inch of water. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the water. This helps maintain the purple color. Boil the water, add the asparagus and cook for about 4 minutes or until tender crisp. The thickness of the asparagus will determine cooking time. When done, drain them and run cold water over them to stop the cooking.

Serve at room temperature with Lemon Chive Vinaigrette spooned over them. Garnish with flowering chives, if available and lemon slices. *to maintain the purple color you must add the lemon juice to the cooking water.

Serves 6, as a side dish.

Lemon Chive Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Zest of 1/2 lemon

Whisk the lemon juice into the olive oil until emulsified. Continue whisking and add the Dijon mustard, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chives.
After spooning on the vinaigrette, top with lemon zest.

Makes about 1/3 cup.

Written and photographed by Diane

Purple Asparagus and Lemon Chive Vinaigrette recipe(pdf)

Through Rose Colored Glasses

It's the parade of roses today at The Darling Baker's, and it is a theme I can't seem to get enough of. My roses haven't bloomed yet, and I'm gearing up for the moment. I found some lovely roses at the market though, to inspire me for the rose festivities. A Rosé wine spritzer with rose petal ice cubes, seemed to be the perfect way to start the warm, late spring rose celebration. Pasta Roses were next on the menu, made earlier in the day and baked without any last minute fuss. Served with a simple green salad, warm crusty bread and butter roses....it lead into the simplest of desserts. Raspberry sorbet with Rose Chantilly Cream and a hidden raspberry treasure at the bottom, was the grand finale. It was a rosy day indeed.

Rose Chantilly Cream

Per serving you'll need:

1/4 cup heavy cream
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon rose water

Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add in the powdered sugar and whip until just blended. Fold in the vanilla and rose water. More or less rose water may be used according to taste.

Makes 1/2 cup.

Written and photographed by Diane.

Rose Chantilly Cream recipe (pdf)

The Fresh Scent of Pasta Roses

As many of you know, I love roses....I'll make a rose out of anything. I love when life imitates art or nature. So twenty years ago when I saw a recipe by Marcella Hazan for Pasta Roses, I had no choice but to try it. Throughout the years, I've lightened it and adapted it to my taste. According to Marcella Hazan, the recipe originated in Romagna, Italy and is a stunning presentation of rolled pasta with a rosy cream sauce. It originated in a time and place where the gentle and yet robust art of cooking was more of a family affair. Engage a family member or friend while rolling your roses and you'll enjoy a meal made with love. Or you may make it yourself and dazzle them with your creation. This dish is an art and not a science. You may use long curly edged lasagna noodles, shorter and wider lasagna pasta or even fresh pasta. I used 3 x 7 inch flat lasagna pasta and cut it in half lengthwise after boiling. I even used any broken pieces to make "rosebuds". Just follow the basics and enjoy the fresh scent of Pasta Roses wafting from your kitchen.

Pasta Roses

1/2 pound lasagna pasta*, boiled "al dente" with 1 tablespoon oil
olive oil for coating pasta
1/2 pound ham, very thinly sliced
1/3 pound fontina cheese
1 1/2 cups red pasta sauce (use your favorite sauce)
1/2 cup cream or half and half
pinch of nutmeg
1/3 cup (about) grated Parmesan cheese

*use flat or curly edged lasagna pasta

You'll need a 7 x 11 inch baking dish.

Coat the boiled lasagna with olive oil so it doesn't stick together, and let cool. While the pasta cools, very thinly slice the fontina cheese in 1 inch strips. Mix the red pasta sauce, cream, and a pinch of nutmeg together. Coat the bottom of the baking dish with this sauce.

When the pasta is cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise. Lay a pasta length on a board and then add a thin 1 inch layer of ham and the cheese. It is not necessary to cover the whole piece, it should be somewhat sparsely placed. Then lightly roll the pasta, from the shorter side. Add the pasta rolls to the dish, with the open side of the roll at the top and bottom of the dish. Arrange the pasta so it is evenly spaced in the dish and loosen any rolls if needed. After adding all of the rolled pasta "roses" to the baking dish, top with the remaining sauce and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. You may refrigerate it to bake later at this point. If you are baking right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. If you are baking it from the refrigerator, let it come to room temperature before baking.

Serves 4-6.

Written and photographed by Diane.

Download Pasta Roses recipe (pdf)