I love the combination of blueberries and maple. I know it may be a little incongruous, sweet summer berries and a flavor more associated with fall, but it is a fabulously deep and sweet combination. I tinkered around with various ideas for a loaf of quick bread or cake combining the two, and with this recipe absolutely hit the jackpot. Dense maple-y cake with pops of berry in … [Read more...] about Maple Blueberry Loaf
brunch
Pimento Cheese and Country Ham Corn Muffins
Easter and country ham go hand in hand to me. Whether it’s a large piece of ham for slicing, or sandwiched into biscuits or added to stuffed eggs. I pretty much always include it on the buffet. And of course, I pimento cheese anything. So these fun little muffin sliders are a delicious way to combine my favorite things. Moist cornmeal muffins flavored with … [Read more...] about Pimento Cheese and Country Ham Corn Muffins
Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding with Cherries
I’ve focused this month on recipes for the slow cooker, which is such a perfect way to prepare comforting winter dishes. My use of the slow cooker is generally for main dishes, soups or stews, or jam making occasionally, but over the years I have branched out. This recipe is the evolution of a very basic, simple slow cooker bread pudding that I made once for a special meal for … [Read more...] about Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding with Cherries
Tarragon Mustard Velvet
Spring has always been a season of brunch for me. Easter, graduations, wedding showers. It’s a great way to entertain elegantly and with a little planning, pretty easy to do ahead. Center the affair around a ham with biscuits or rolls, a perfect platter of stuffed eggs, add some vegetables, a casserole (maybe this hash brown version) and a few indulgent treats and you … [Read more...] about Tarragon Mustard Velvet
Nectarine and Almond Coffee Cake with Whipped Honey Yogurt
I’ll be honest, the first time I set out to make this cake, my idea was to use purple plums, which I had seen at the farmers market the previous week. At that Saturdays market though, there were no plums, but I had promised to make a fruity coffee cake for a girls’ brunch the next day. Fortunately, I found some lovely, rosy nectarines and knew they would work just as well and … [Read more...] about Nectarine and Almond Coffee Cake with Whipped Honey Yogurt