Time for an installment of Friday Things:
1. You’re a better baker and definitely more organized than I am if you have time for an 18 Layer Red Velvet Cake
Sounds amazing and I’d love a slice. That someone else made.
2. Thanks to The Kitchn for featuring my Cranberry Bliss Bars. If you make one new holiday or seasonal dessert this year, my vote is for the Bliss Bars.
I also made Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies which are a slightly less decadent form of Bliss Bars, in cookie form. Cranberry and white chocolate is a perfect pairing for me.
3. These Be Present Long Versatility Pants, $71 – I am digging the color.
I’ve posted many times over the years about my love for Be Present, especially their pants. I have five pairs of the Mobility Pants, some with Lotus embroidery, some without, and in a variety of colors. I wear one pair every day, and I’m not kidding.
They dry in minutes, they’re light as a feather yet surprisingly rugged, and I travel in them whenever possible.I’ve been known to wash them out in hotel bathrooms and hang them up to dry overnight and be good as new the next day. And drawstrings are a bonus.
4. Want the secret to the best pancake recipe?
Cooks Illustrated made over 1000 pancakes in order to determine the best possible combination of ingredients and both buttermilk and baking soda are instrumental. They concluded that, “Pancakes made without baking soda not only lacked color, they lacked flavor, tasting unacceptably bland. The pancakes leavened with both baking powder and baking soda cooked up deeply golden with rich, nutty flavor.”
I love all the recipe testing and detective work they do which is why The New Best Recipe Cookbook is one of my most-used and trusted cookbooks.
5. Ina Garten doesn’t think of herself as a good cook. Jump to the last line in this article where she also shares baking tips and traditions.
And I would have given my right arm to be one of bloggers who were with her for this event.
6. Speculaas (Molded Ginger) Cookies – Biscoff Cookies, Biscoff Spread, and Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter Spread are all relatives of Speculaas cookies.
“A specialty of the Netherlands and Belgium, these are cousins of gingerbread, only lighter and more delicately spiced. They’re also showstoppers, thanks to the intricately carved wooden molds used to make them, which form the cookies into images of characters and symbols from stories about Saint Nicholas, or Sinter-klaas, whose name day, December 6, kicks off the Christmas season in that part of the world.”
I’m currently in Aruba, a Dutch island, and the local store shelves are overflowing with speculaas cookies. Although they’re available year-round, they’re in abundance right now. At some point, I’d like to try the Saveur recipe and make my own.
7. Or just use this Dutch Cookie Butter
And make Cookie Butter Spread Ginger Molasses Cookies (No Bake, Vegan, with GF option) – No-bake cookie bites that come together in minutes when you can’t be bothered to turn on the oven or are too busy with all the other holiday hub-bub for yet another baking and roll-out project.
8. I want this Brooklyn Epiphanie Backpack Camera Bag, Brooklyn in Mustard $224.99 – Made for a DSLR, 2 to 3 lenses, and a laptop
“Meet Brooklyn – our stylish new backpack/crossbody bag! Brooklyn was designed to accommodate your 15″ laptop, iPad or tablet/eReader, camera + attached lens, 1 long lens, 1 short lens, flash, battery pack and wallet. Extra pockets ideal for storage of keys, cell phone, memory cards, business cards, travel maps and more.”
However, I love-love my Case Logic SLRC-206 SLR Camera and 15.4-Inch Laptop Backpack (Black)
bag, $73.30 – the best deal ever.
The backpack has been with me to Mexico City, San Francisco, Aruba three times, Babados and has logged tens of thousands of miles in overhead bins, dirty airports, and assorted hotel room floors and doesn’t show a lick of wear or tear.
I travel with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II a, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens a Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM lens, and my 17-inch MacBook Pro and it fits perfectly, with some room to spare. Although the bag technically specifies it fits a 15-inch notebook, my 17-inch fits like a glove. Although I feel like a pack mule when the bag is loaded and slung over my back, I couldn’t travel without it.
9. 12-Piece Le Creseut Bakeware Set, $219.95 at Willams-Sonoma, which I think is an absolute steal and available in six colors.
I’d buy the cutting board in this picture if I could, too. I have a thing for old wood boards.
10. This White Chocolate and Peppermint Cookie Brittle sounds so good.
I’d like to eat a white chocolate and peppermint cookie and then wash it down with Peppermint White Hot Chocolate. Clearly I have a thing for that flavor pairing, and for white chocoalte and cranberries, but they’re combos that aren’t exactly popular in July so I’m taking full advantage now.
What are your Friday Things? Doing any holiday baking this weekend? Any favorite cookie, cake, or holiday recipes? Seasonal foods or flavors you’re especially enjoying lately?
Fun items you have your eye on for the holidays from cute pants to pots and pans to bags?
If you’ve made anything, done, seen, or bought anything fabulous recently, feel free to link it up in the comments.
Have a great weekend and stay tuned for two delicious giveaways over the weekend!
that cake is incredible, but it stresses me out to think about making it!!
i’m trying out your nutella brownies with cream cheese frosting for our tree-trimming party tonight. i can’t wait to taste them… i almost died just reading the recipe!!!
I have not heard about Be Present – but you have sold me on their pants…I love pants like that – wish I could wear them to work….weekend plans…work Christmas party tonight…waterpark birthday party for son 5 year old friend during day tomorrow…ornament exchange party with girlfriends Saturday night…Sunday church…then hoping hoping BAKING!
Omg I love love love their pants. They’re like – the best pants ever! All their stuff is but the pants, mmmm, so comfy and they last forever!
Wow, that 18 layer cake is quite the feat. I congratulate the person who dedicated the time to make it. I personally stick to two, maybe three layers if I’m feeling adventurous. I remember a time in the distant past when I had a starbuck’s cranberry bliss bar, but yours look infinitely better, and why have just one when you can have a whole batch! I do think these will be on my Xmas baking list.
I’m with you on the cake layers! And if you make the Bliss Bars, LMK! they are soooo worth it! Not even hard, but oh so good!
You’re in Aruba right now? I’m so jealous! I bet the weather is still amazing there :) and I’m so making a spin-off of your cranberry bliss bars this weekend, AND your honey yeast rolls. I’m SO excited! Have a great weekend, Averie!
Yep! We’re here all month! All the recipes brought to you courtesy of my 88F degree kitchen, condensation and all :) And wooot on the recipes you’re planning to make! LMK how it goes!
I have to say those pants look hot…I may have to get my wife a pair so she can walk around the house in them and I can check her out ;)
Now that’s impressive that you think the pants are hot! And you totally need to get your wife some then! They are so soft and comfy and the whole line – I love it. I’ve had some for like 6-7 years, literally washed 1000s of times, and they are still ticking!
Avery, you made me want to make that cake! I just need to find someone to share it with, or three of us would have to change our wardrobe soon… :) Husband already requested less baking, not that he doesn’t like it. Just when it’s there it’s really hard to resist. But cake does look fantastic and worth trying…
I love that yellow camera bag, yellow is one of my statement colors.
I hear you, I want that cutting board too, and not just that one. I think an old piece of wood has something enigmatic in it…
Old wood – tells such stories. And I could collect old dough boards if my budget would allow. LOVE them!
Speaking of old wood, about couple of weeks ago I bought an old oak coffee table. It was all dusty, covered in cobweb, and lady asked me about four times if I really want to buy it (she was selling it for… don’t hate me… 10 bucks!). I assured her that I want it, but she was all apologetic and somewhat uncomfortable. I told her that I am not bringing it back, and it give her some peace. She kindly advised me to sand it and paint it, but I told her that cleaning will do it. She gave me that look, but I said that it’s exactly what I need. Then she said: “It’s old”, trying to convince me. I felt as we were talking different languages, she didn’t understand why I needed that old table and didn’t want to paint it! Poor soul… :) I didn’t go explaining to her what you just said: that table tells a story… And I love it!
That tower of red velvet cake looks irresistible, but it’s definitely not happening in my little toaster oven!! The cranberry bliss bars are happening this afternoon though! I have a cute little fluted tart pan to bake the base in. My husband cut his thumb on a table saw (here at home) at the end of September and just returned to full police duty today….so these will be his “welcome back” treat tonight. He’s lucky to have all of his thumb intact and it has healed nicely. Congratulations on having your recipe featured–I know we’re going to love them!
Oh Paula, that is dedication making them in a toaster oven and a little tart pan, great idea! Heat-safe and small enough! I bet a glass pie plate would work too but the tart pan sounds even better. And what a nice treat for your hubs and glad he’s okay, but finger cuts are the absolute worst! Please LMK how you like the bars, toaster oven and all. You amaze me!
That cake is awesome but I don’t think I have the patience to make it either:-) And I am loving those awesome camera bags too!!!
Oh my, that red velvet cake looks to die for! And I love the snippet you added about the baking soda in pancakes. I love learning all about the chemistry behind baking and how all of the ingredients do their thing. :)
That camera bag kiiiiilleth my soul.
I know – I want it too, big time!
Check out this awesome looking cookie dough dip – right up your alley.
https://pinterest.com/pin/60798663691276672/
I already had it pinned – it’s Jenny’s!
Neither my credit card nor my waistline are safe around your blog today! want everything!! But especially the Le Creuset set and the red velvet cake.
It’s a good thing I’m traveling or I’d be buying that LeCreuset right now – but no where safe to ship it til the end of the month. Probably better!
Oh mah gosh, that cake! I’m with you…I’ll take a slice as long as someone else makes it for me. :) Speaking of making it for me…how about making me some of those cranberry bliss bars!!! :-D WOW! And YUM!
The photo with Ina Garten…how lucky!!
The bars are do-able in under a half hour – I hope you try them!
Congrats on the bliss bar feature, so cool! They look delicious and I’m definitely making them the second I can get my hands on some cranberries, they’re a bit difficult to find in Italy. Thanks for linking to the pancake article as well, fascinating and I can’t wait to read it. I’m not planning on doing any proper holiday baking this weekend, but I am planning on making myself a big ol’ gingerbread latte for my Sunday morning brunch. One of my favorite holiday treats!
Thanks for reading all the way from Italy! If you are able to get dried cranberries, I hope you can try them! Other dried fruit, like dried blueberries could work – but cranberries are just so unique and perfect in the bars! LMK if you make them!
I also am very fond of white chocolate and cranberry combo as well as white chocolate mint combo. In fact, I was looking for recipes with white chocolate and mint this morning and found that same bark recipe! I agree that the price for 12-piece Le Creseut set is a steal! (The cutting boards in the picture are fabulous!) Have a great weekend Averie.
Oops, brittle not bark!
And thanks so much for trying the bread recipe and doctoring it up :)
And white choc + mint, always a hit for me!
I’ll take a closer look of those bliss-bars! Never heard of them. That backpack is too perfect to exist, if I only needed one!! My boyfriend is speculoos’addicted.. These friday posts you make I find very inspiring. But then again i really like your site generally! My absolute favourite is my fireplace. Whitout it we would be freezing :) it’s snowing like crazy here in Geneva!
Hi all the way from Geneva! Another reader said hi from Italy today – what a global village we all live in. Glad you like the Friday posts and inspiration and my site in general – you’re so sweet! And if you’ve ever made speculoos and have a fave recipe, LMK!