My Madison Bistro

Cupcakes are a favorite sweet treat of mine, but I’ve often shied away from making them because all of my recipes yield at least a dozen little cakes, if not more. I’d find myself purchasing the bakery cupcakes from the grocery store and cringing when I looked at the ingredient list (partially hydrogenated shortening, anyone?). I also developed an unhealthy obsession with the frosting; when I started buying these cakes just to lick the frosting off and discard the cake, I knew I had a problem.

Convinced the frosting was loaded with crack, I went cold turkey and started playing around with my own recipes until I found the combination that yielded a light, fluffy, and moist cake, with a smooth buttery icing.

Continue reading “small batch cupcakes”

Tags: cupcakes

This is another “old” picture taken from about a year ago (I’m still in the midst of my Sons of Anarchy Obsession). These cranberries are a fun little treat, and since you can only buy fresh cranberries for a short time each year, I figured now was the time to post about them.

I love the interplay between the sweet sugar and the tart cranberry, and the pop of the berry when you bite into it. What can I say? These are fun to eat.

Continue reading “Sugared Cranberries”

Tags: cranberries

Does dessert get any better than caramel and puff pastry?

I made this dessert almost a year ago after watching an episode of The F Word (Gordon Ramsay’s show). This was pre-DSLR and natural lighting (there’s not a whole lot of natural light to be had around here in the middle of winter), so the pictures won’t be the prettiest, but you get the idea.

Continue reading “Pear Tatin”

Tags: caramel, Gordon Ramsay, puff pastry

Here’s a recipe from the archives. By my estimates, most of you weren’t yet reading when I first posted this recipe, but it’s so decadent and rich, that I just had to share it, what with the holidays coming up and all.

When I say these are rich, I’m not exaggerating. You’ll probably want to cut them into small, even bite-size squares. They would be fantastic for a party, so you don’t have to worry about them calling your name from the kitchen.

This grown-up version of my childhood favorite comes from the Baked cookbook. I did want a thicker crispy layer, so you may want to consider doubling the first layer – I know I will next time.

Continue reading “Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

Tags: Baked, chocolate, comfort food, peanut butter