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Winc Wine Club Review

Winc Wine Club Review

If you know us at all, you know here at LDB we love our wine. Thats not to say we are wine snobs by any means, nor do we fully understand all the nuances and complexities each wine offers, but we love drinking wine. And 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies (+ giveaway!)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies (+ giveaway!)

Now before anyone gets scared of this recipe title and runs away because “omg she said lactation” let me tell you: these cookies are delicious and not just for breastfeeding mamas. They are essentially an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie…just with a few extra ingredients to 

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes

Happy Mardi Gras! It’s that time of year again, when the streets of New Orleans are covered in green, purple and gold beads. Well…actually they’re always like that. But after this weekend there are even more than usual!

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes! | longdistancebaking.comThe traditional dessert of Mardi Gras in general is a King Cake, a ring shaped doughy cake filled with cream cheese and cinnamon, covered in icing and doused in colorful sprinkles or sugar. And let me tell you…once you’ve had one? You’ll never survive another Carnival season without one. Unfortunately I’ve never seen a King Cake in Idaho, so unless I want to order one online (…I thought about it…) I have to make one for myself.

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes! | longdistancebaking.comI made a traditional King Cake last year, and you can read more about the history of Mardi Gras on that post, but this year I wanted something a little bit easier. Cupcakes! The recipes I saw online though weren’t really King Cakes though, they were just vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and purple sprinkles. A King Cake has a texture more like a cinnamon roll, not a cake, so I knew these wouldn’t solve my cravings.

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes! | longdistancebaking.comInstead, I simply made a smaller batch of a traditional cake recipe and divided it into muffin tins. It took a few tries to get the ratio right, but I finally created 12 cute little King Cake cupcakes! This is a much more reasonable amount of cake, too. Then again…they don’t call it Fat Tuesday for nothing!

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes! | longdistancebaking.comThe recipe is still a little long and I know yeast can be daunting to some, but your life really isn’t complete until you try a King Cake! So turn on some jazz, watch some videos for inspiration, and spend the afternoon pretending you’re in a second line marching down St Charles Avenue. And then make this Gumbo Poutine by Joy the Baker, because it looks like the best twist on a classic NOLA recipe that has ever been made.

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes! | longdistancebaking.com

Laissez les bon temps rouler! (Let the good times roll)

~Stephanie

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes! | longdistancebaking.com

Mardi Gras King Cake Cupcakes (adapted from Mardi Gras King Cake)

*note: you will see some ingredients listed multiple times (such as sugar). I tried to separate them out by amounts needed at a certain time to prevent confusion. Make sure you read through the entire recipe before starting

For sugar topping

  • 1 1/2 c sugar
  • purple, green and yellow food coloring

For cake

  • 4 ounces plain yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp warm water
  • 1 tsp yeast (about 1/2 packet of instant yeast)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 c bread flour

For filling

  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • zest of half an orange
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

For Icing

  • 3/4 c powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp milk, more if needed

For sugar:

  1. Divide sugar into 3 small bowls. Add a few drops of each color food coloring to each bowl and mash with a fork to mix. Keep adding food coloring until desired color is reached. Set aside to dry.

For cake:

  1. Combine the yogurt, baking soda, 3 tbsp of sugar, 1 tbsp butter and salt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts. Set aside to cool.
  2. Place the warm water into the bowl of an electric mixer then dissolve the yeast and 1 tsp sugar into the water. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  3. Pour the yogurt mixture, egg and 1 cup of the bread flour into the mixing bowl and using dough hook beat until blended. Continue adding 1/2 cup of bread flour at a time. Continue mixing for 5 minutes. The dough should be a slightly tacky ball and pulled away from the sides of the bowl. If it is still too sticky, add a little more bread flour.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth, about another 5 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

For filling:

  1. While dough is rising, beat the 3 tbsp sugar, cream cheese, vanilla and orange zest until combined. Set aside.

Assembly:

  1. Once dough has doubled in size, punch it down on a floured surface. Roll  dough into a rectangle, about 20 inches long and 12 inches wide (approximately).
  2. Brush the remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter over the top of the dough, stopping 1 inch from the long edges. Mix the remaining 1/4 c of sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the butter layer.
  3. Spread the cream cheese filling in a thick layer over the top (don’t go past your 1 inch mark!)
  4. Starting on the long edge, begin rolling your dough making sure the cream cheese is tucked into the first roll. Continue rolling into a log with even thickness throughout. Using a dough scraper (or knife) cut roll in half. Cut each of those rolls in half. Now cut each of those into 3 rolls, resulting in 12 similar sized rolls. Place each roll “pinwheel” side up in a greased muffin tin.
  5. Cover the entire tin and let rest for 20 more minutes. Preheat oven to 375.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the outside is golden brown.

For filling:

  1. While cake is baking, make the icing glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice, vanilla and 1 tbsp milk. If the consistency is too thick, add more milk 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.
  2. Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool slightly on wire rack (if they are too hot the icing will slide right off). Drizzle the icing over each cupcake.
  3. Mash colored sugars with fork again to soften, then sprinkle in alternating colored bands over icing.

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Freeport, Bahamas 

Freeport, Bahamas 

About a month after the wedding, we spent a week in the Bahamas for our honeymoon. Which means yes, I’m almost two years behind writing this. I was just going to forget about it completely until I started looking back at the pictures and had 

Walnut Pie

Walnut Pie

As part of my bridal shower, we had guests give me recipes with their cards. I’m embarrassed to say it’s been two years, and this is the first of those recipes I’ve made! Sorry everyone. We call this one “Poor Man’s Pecan Pie”. Because while 

Sweet & Savory Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties

Sweet & Savory Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties

Harry Potter and pumpkins…could there be any two things I love more?! Well besides dogs. And Christmas. And the ocean. And wine. Ok so maybe I love a lot of things. But I really love Harry Potter (as evidenced by my bachelorette party). I also really love pumpkins, which is why I signed up to be a part of the third annual Virtual Pumpkin Party!

Sweet & Savory Harry Potter Themed Pumpkin Pasties for #VirtualPumpkinParty | longdistancebaking.comI never knew how many ways you can use pumpkin until I started reading through these Pumpkin Party recipes. Our previous creations were Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream and Pumpkin Pancakes. If you head over to the Virtual Pumpkin Party page, you can see ALL the submissions and get some great ideas. I’m still dying to try Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts from last year’s event…I can only imagine what the other bloggers will come up with this year!

If you’re not familiar with Harry Potter, while riding the Hogwarts Express a trolley goes around the train selling food like these pumpkin pasties! They are essentially a hand pie, a pastry dough filled with a creamy pumpkin filling. The internet seems at odds of whether the filling should be sweet, like an American pumpkin pie, or savory, like an English Cornish pasty, so I decided to make both!

While homemade pie dough is super easy and would probable make these even more delicious, I cheated and took the short cut of pre-made pie dough. No judgment here, do whatever you need to do! The sweet version is filled with pumpkin and warm fall spices, like a mini pumpkin pie, while the savory is paired with a sharp cheddar cheese, garlic and sage. I was most excited to try the savory and it did not disappoint. The sweet is great too, but I am just really into the savory pumpkin flavors this year!

Whether you are having a Harry Potter themed party (because let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want one of those?) or need a festive fall dish for a potluck or Thanksgiving, these pumpkin pasties will be a hit with wizards and muggles alike!

~Stephanie


Sweet & Savory Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties (recipe adapted from Bijoux & Bits)

Sweet Version (makes about 10)

  • 1 package refrigerator pie dough
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves)
  • 1 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 egg (can be used for both batches)

Savory Version (makes about 10)

  • 1 package refrigerator pie dough
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 clove minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
  • 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/8 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 egg (can be used for both batches)
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Let pie dough thaw at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  3. While dough is thawing, combine all the “sweet” ingredients (except the egg) in a small mixing bowl and all the “savory” ingredients in a another bowl (minus the egg again). Set aside.
  4. On a floured surface, roll each sheet of dough to 1/8″ thickness. Using a biscuit or pastry cutter, cut 4″ circles out of dough. Re-roll scraps and cut more circles, continuing until dough is gone.
  5. Spoon about 1/2-1 tsp of filling into the middle of each circle, then fold over and crimp edges to form a half moon shape. Make sure edges are crimped tightly, or you will lose your filling!
  6.  Cut a few small slits for air vents in the top of the pasties. I did two different shapes to distinguish sweet versus savory.
  7. Place pasties onto parchment lined baking sheets. Whisk egg in small bowl and gently brush the egg wash over the pasties.
  8. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until they have turned golden brown. Let cool on wire rack and store in air tight container.

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Chocolate Oreo Milkshake

Chocolate Oreo Milkshake

To say I’m a milkshake fan would be an understatement. A HUGE understatement. Growing up, some of my favorite memories of my grandparents include grabbing milkshakes and burgers at Smokey’s. They had the best chocolate milkshakes- you know the kind that come with the metal 

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

This post is sponsored by Imperial Sugar. I have received sample products for writing this post.  All content and opinions are mine. While I love to garden and have a small container garden on my patio, I think I love coworkers with gardens even more. The best 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Sauce Brownies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Sauce Brownies

I’m baaaaack! Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe on LDB so I’ll just give a quick update on where I’ve been before I get to these delicious treats!

If you follow us on social media, you might have noticed that this past March I entered a business competition in Sacramento called Calling All Dreamers. It’s hosted by the Downtown Partnership and encourages the entrepreneurial spirit of the city. I’ve had dreams of owning a milkshake shop called Milk House Shakes where all the milkshakes are named after US Presidents. This is a way to combine my love of milkshakes with US History.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Sauce Brownies for #Choctoberfest | longdistancebaking.com

Well, I won the competition and it has been full speed ever since!

There’s this cute little space in Old Sacramento where I’m hoping to open shop early next year. Hopefully on Presidents’ Day 🙂 You can follow the progress of the shop on InstagramFacebook and Twitter. If you live in the Sacramento area, or are looking for an excuse to check out California’s Cap City, I hope you’ll be by to check it out when it opens!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Sauce Brownies for #Choctoberfest | longdistancebaking.com

But back to these brownies. This week is #Choctoberfest so it’s all things chocolate! Be sure to check out our last post here because you can enter to win an AMAZING prize pack that includes a gift to Williams and Sonoma or Sur la Table, Imperial Sugar, and more! You can also check out some awesome blogs and hopefully try some delicious new chocolate recipes. Like these brownies 😉 All of the other recipes posted today will be linked here below the recipe.

Because it’s been a while since I’ve baked for the blog, I wanted something that was quick, tasty and I challenged myself to use what I had on hand. So these brownies, almost more of a cross between a brownie and a cake, were made with ingredients that I keep handy at all times. (Well I used to never have a giant tub of chocolate sauce handy but that’s my new normal with milkshake tasting and all!)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Sauce Brownies for #Choctoberfest | longdistancebaking.com

These are so easy to make and smell so good!! I typically go for the chocolate/pb combo when I want something sweet and these do not disappoint. This is perfect with no extra fluff and a cup of coffee but they would also be great topped with a chocolate buttercream or dusted with powdered sugar if that’s your thing. Hope you enjoy!

-Kelly

Ingredients

  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup chocolate sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In small bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Mix and set aside.
  3. In another small bowl, combine together peanut butter and chocolate sauce until well mixed.
  4. In a saucepan, over low heat, combine butter and sugar until butter is melted. Be sure to stir continuously so as not to burn the butter.
  5. Remove from heat and mix in peanut butter/chocolate spread.
  6. Add two eggs and whisk until combined. Whisk in flour mixture.
  7. Grease a 9″ springform pan. Pour in mixture and bake for 15-17 minutes.
  8. Let cool and enjoy!

 


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#Choctoberfest 2017

#Choctoberfest 2017

Hello! Do you know what today is? It is the official start of #Choctoberfest! This is the third annual food blogger celebration of all things chocolate, made possible thanks to our gold sponsor Imperial Sugar and the other sponsors listed below. There are over 70