BUTTERY JAFFA DRIZZLE CAKE @ SECRET RECIPE CLUB

A cake that's so buttery and pound like with lods of vanilla topped with orangey goodness and if that aint enough there is a nice orange vanilla buttery drizzle atop the little loafs before u top them with melted chocolate.

Some home made orange candied peel and sprinkles and u have a cute little Jaffa cake at hand to snack on or wolf down :-)

Besides all u need to do is dump all the ingredients @ stand mixer and whisk away till nice , smooth ,light and fluffy ( did a bit differently but for convenience more than anything else).

 Kimberly's blog made me feel even more romantic than i already am , i dont know if it was about her wedding or the mexican wedding cookies , but make me feel the love some more she sure did and once again i was so happy with my pairing @ Secret Recipe Club.

Kimberly aint just into but crafts too and i love she day dreams about moving to a beach , specially since i live in a land of beaches , with a beach less than 5mins away from home.

Walks in the evening never got better.

Though i so wanted to bake the wedding cookies , i promised someone to bake this cake for them today and i sure did.

A CUTE COOKIE INSIDE A CUT'R COOKIE @ SECRET RECIPE CLUB

Yeah , this is the very same recipe that's backed the world over and has been baked in and out since 1856 , the Toll house CCC recipe.

This cookie that has little children want to drink milk or hot chocolate or what have u....
And the cookie that makes us say
"" chocolate ,chocolate , chocolate , oh how i love thee in a cookie....""

But with a little difference , these cookies are stuffed with some other cookies and chocolate too.

Having read reviews and raves and loves and different combis of this recipe , it's the secret  recipe club and Foodies@work that finally got me down to baking this very best CCC for the very first time.

The SRC was started and is organized by Amanda  and every member is assigned a blog to discover ,  explore cook/bake and enjoy.
Now we all would realize the fun and fiesta in this and i wouldnt need to get into the details , instead if u arent already a member , hop by and sign in and sooonn.

Foodies @ work is a blog by 2 foodies from 2 different cities but with one big appetite.
The reviews are fresh and very interesting , if i have to travel to Boston , NYC or beyond , this is one blog i would want to read about some more.

MY DUKAN DIET + RECIPES- VANILLA COFFEE PUDDING

If the word diet puts u off , well it does to me too (ignore the word in the tittle though), and for me its more of a lifestyle , eating a bit of everything.

But for someone who needs to shake off some pounds build up on eating (read binge'n)way too muc than normal amounts in the name of being a foodie , this is te way to go.

Now i have been working out for around 3 months and lost  weight (i loose faster than i put on bdw), totally into weight training to build that all that muscle which will continue too burn all my calories even while i sleep and absolutely enjoy it coz i love high energy and always have lods of it left even after a 2 hour workout ..
(sounds like music to the ears doesn't that ?? )

BUTTERY CINNAMONY VANILLA HUNGARIAN COFFEE CAKE/MONKEY BREAD @ CAKE SLICE

DO NOT  read this post and recipe unless you plan to bake right away

Gives you craving to have something cinnamony with a hint of vanilla and maybe chocolate . -ok add butter scotch to that . .

Yup thats what I microwaved , all of the above in chips with a few caramels and curly wurly all sprinkled with cinnamon sugar atop. . Now I was at peace to go back to the recipe and post . . .
Ps- if you want to try the dukan diet make sure your pantry doesn't boast of a good collection of chocolate chips of all kinds. 

There is no saying how creative You can get with them.

Important note/WARNING

Rightly said that this cake will surely test your self control ,i needed a few caramel bars dipped in cinnamon sugar even as I begun baking these ;-)

And if like me your making this coffee cake or monkey bread cake for the very first time as I was you'd be just as excited.

All the steps ,tossing the vanilla sugar with cinnamon in a zipper bag (or a large bowl as i did) , and tossing scoopfulls of the prepared dough to coat them all with the cinnamon vanilla sugar, placing them in the prepared pans and sprinkling with nuts and raisins    pecans as I go . . . 

And all those scents wafting around while baking.

 And while that bakes so waiting to have a peek a boo of how these bake , what they would look like after they bake and how deliciously the cinnamon vanilla combi would take these to a new height.

I went back and forth a many times over trying to decide on a large cake or a couple of minis, and a couple of minis in my small pan it was.

Oh all that caramelly goodness coating the crunchy pecans.....

The dough comes together pretty easily , mix the dry ingredients , cut in some very very chilled cubed butter , and let some nice vanilla buttermilk or whisked yogurt bring it all together.

Then scoop balls with whatever size of scoop u want , and toss them in some Vanilla Cinnamon Sugar (ahh already getttn so good) ,  get them a bit round again if they seem to have gone outa shape and this step is soo good , all that cinnamon vanilla sugar clinging to ur warmish hands as it goes.....

MAIDA'S BIG APPLE PIE WITH CRUMBLE @ MODERN BAKERS

 Here's my first post to the Modern Bakers group and From Modern Baker By Nick Malgieri an Apple pie , not just an Apple pie , but Maida's Big Apple Pie with Crumble topping ....

 Ok ok , i had this crumble ready just for this pie in the freezer , and well while baking i took multi tasking a bit too far , and it remained sitting right there , so that for another pie ..

I have baked a pie from Nicks recipe , so this is officially my second pie, that one being an English pie with blackberries, mango and guava.

Whether u wanna slice it thru , or have it whole , love it u sure will....

The rich pie dough is one of the best dough's ever and since there is no sugar in the crust u can work beautifully around the fillings.

Plus sprinkling some home made Vanilla or cinnamon sugar before u pop these in the oven , atop the crust is always fun ....

 Since i love hearts being there a plenty in my world , this was so expected of me , wasnt it ?

 The filling is absolutely delicious , though i did cut down on the sugar and up the butter a bit.

The brown & vanilla sugar ,along with an extra vanilla bean , 2 types of cinnamon (pics below), and butter make it absolutely delicious.

 Moving right back to this pie , an apple pie , i did try some stuff around the recipe , and though not perfectly pretty , it made me happy , deliciously happy.

VANILLA COCONUT LAVENDER CREME BRULEE with VANILLA FLUER DE SAL

I know , a long name as ever but thats what it is (lots of) VANILLA COCONUT LAVENDER CREME BRULEE with a sprinkle of VANILLA SEA SALT on some and dotted with SALTED BUTTER on some.....

Like that Creme Brulee is a French word for what the English refer to as burnt cream..

Simple ingredients Milk , cream , eggs ,sugar and Vanilla come together to make this delicious dessert.

Never too much Vanilla.....

For this months recipe choice for Baking with Dorie GrapeFruit picked the Creme BRulee and aint we all glad she did.

We bake together once a month and would love u to join along too , come here  and lets bake all the wonderful goodies together , so much fun....

LAVENDER VANILLA APRICOT BARS with A PECAN CRUMBLE @BAKED

 Its Fathers Day today and somebody asked me the question , what is the best thing ur Dad taught u , without battling an eyelid or thinking , i replied "" Love , to love . And he taught me that by loving me immensely , unconditionally , always .....till i was brimming ...and im till date..."".

Love sure makes the world go round and fills me with a positive energy like nothing else can , its lends a bounce to my step and makes me give my best ...always...

When i think of him today , my heart swells and my eyes fill ...i love when someone see's a lot of him in me .....

I havent seen him in a long time , a very v longgg time and it feels like a longer time.....but i have the hope of seeing him someday soon, in heaven, when we meet again.

I wonder how he would be today , i would have so loved to bake and cook and go for long drives with him today , with me behind the wheel...

Miss u dad, lods n love ya forever...with all my being...

Not jus today , but 365 days , coz dats the real meaning of love the thought behind these special days.

Moving on to these bars , these have nothing to do with dad , infact i never baked these for him , i dont know if u would have loved them ,for besides the fact that i baked them.

I wish i had .....

Never  miss to spread the love by wishing ur pals and family who are dads , a fantastic Fathers day * 365...

They are the most special people for the children for whom they make rocking dads!!

 I want to go thru building these bars step by step ,not to make it seem lengthy or difficult which they are surely not but coz each layer is pure joy to make as much as fast and easy to put together.

I used Lavender instead of Rosemary coz its not everyday that we find rosemary here and i LOVE lavender with VANILLA...
Add a little zest and u have all my fav flavours in one bar....

ORANGE ALMOND CRUNCH CARAMEL CAKE @ CAKE SLICE

When there are good times , there got to be cake ...and real good cake ...
Two months into our new move and its been so beautiful , oh yeah there were hiccups and a sad incident but now its beautiful , very....

Moving has u looking forward to a new life and this has been one , in every way and so abundantly good too.
If there is so much of good news coming thru in ur personal life and family as well , u have nothing but to be excited and jump with glee...
Its got busier but with a schedule i'm in love with, beautiful early morns , a little nap that works wonders on the skin sometimes at noon and more...

And then u bake along , specially a cake like this , it gets yummy luscious...

RICOTTA POLENTA FIG CAKE with WINE HONEY FIG COMPOTE

Polenta has been on my mind, actually a longing on my heart ever since this Cherry cake.

If u have never baked with Polenta , u will love to discover the crunch and jus the right bite it adds to cakes and bakes.

 I dont know if its about the recipes or the Polenta , but whatever have baked with polenta to date has been moist and has had a bite full which i love.

Going straight to this cake , lemme tell u , its one of the very wonderful cakes i have baked and is just what u need with a pot of ur fav brewed coffee.

This is a dessert on its own , and i love it originates from a French magazine.

The addition of Ricotta , makes it even more special and endearing and the honey makes for a wonderful cake that ages beautifully.

Halving the recipe gave me 5 little tart cakes (yeah i cant keep away from all things heart too long ).

The differently textured compote is the perfect accompaniment to this cake, with or without a scoop of vanilla cream or icecream.