easy

Golden Vanilla Pumpkin Bread

September 25, 2018 by Melina Thompson 1 Comment

Holy pumpkin what a game changer: Golden Vanilla Pumpkin Bread. Actually, it is so incredibly moist and fluffy, I should call it a loaf cake rather than a bread (more on that below). You know when cake is so moist that when you squeeze it it makes that moist squishy sound? Yep, exactly that. Now, I am a huge fan of pumpkin spice, don’t get me wrong, and I love me some classic pumpkin bread. But I also love, LOVE vanilla – probably one of my absolute favorite flavors – and this pumpkin bread is made with a whole vanilla bean instead of pumpkin spice. That’s right. NO pumpkin spice here. The flavor of the vanilla bean (and don’t skip the whole bean, vanilla extract won’t do, sorry) is so intense and goes insanely well with the pumpkin….

Sea Salted Chocolate Tahini Cups

September 18, 2018 by Melina Thompson 2 Comments

I have been making these for a couple of months now, filled with either peanut butter, almond butter (my least favorite) or tahini, and I thought I just had to post this not so traditional yet super delish version – Sea Salted Chocolate Tahini Cups! Unlike chocolate cups filled with peanut butter, the tahini stays creamy and runny when stored in the fridge. So when you bite into the chilled, rich chocolate crust and the creamy tahini runs out and everything melts in your mouth, the chocolate and the sea salt flakes… it’s just heaven. …

Old Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler

August 28, 2017 by Melina Thompson Leave a Comment

Well, what a lazy cozy sunday. Hurricane Harvey brought quite some rain to Dallas this weekend so we spend the day at home making this super easy and delicious, old fashioned Blackberry Cobbler. I’ve been making this recipe for years now and I’m glad I finally came around to posting it. It is actually the first and only cobbler recipe I ever made and it was so super easy and delicious, I stuck with it. And before I forget to mention it: serving this with vanilla bean ice cream is a MUST!…

Hibiscus Honey Sorbet

July 31, 2017 by Melina Thompson Leave a Comment

I’ve been wanting to make ice cream for a long time and my daughter has been talking about making popsicles so we met in the middle yesterday and made this Hibiscus Honey Sorbet. Well, I also ran out of sticks for my popsicle mold, so… Anyway, this sorbet was super easy and has only 3 ingredients! Plus, it is sugar free. I know I always post a lot of decadent recipes here full of butter and sugar but I am actually living a pretty healthy lifestyle and eat very well, believe it or not, and I always like finding recipes that are yummy and guilt-free or healthy. Especially for my daughter. This sorbet is made of hibiscus tea with honey and agave syrup. If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, fill it in popsicle molds instead! It actually makes awesome popsicles….

Rhubarb Almond Cake (Gluten-free)

July 5, 2017 by Melina Thompson 4 Comments

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! I snatched some rhubarb at my local grocery store this weekend (I know, rhubarb season is almost over, lucky me!) so I made this Rhubarb Almond Cake for dessert today. I love rhubarb, it is so tart and almost sour, yet sweet once it’s cooked. It goes best with vanilla and almond (see these Vanilla Bean Polenta Cakes with Rhubarb) so I combined it with a very old almond cake recipe that I’ve had for decades. It is a super simple cake recipe using very few ingredients, and it happens to be gluten-free! It is actually a kind of chiffon cake, you beat the egg yolks and sugar and then fold in beaten egg whites and almond flour to achieve a super airy, fluffy and moist cake….

Pear and Poppy Seed Coffee Cake

August 9, 2015 by Melina Thompson 4 Comments

Summer is already halfway over and I have not posted a single recipe! That makes me even more excited to share this super easy Pear and Poppy Seed Coffee Cake. Whether you’re planning a family picnic, BBQ with friends or just craving some cake (who needs an occasion anyway, right?), this coffee cake might be what you’re looking for. Fluffy cake with a pear and poppy seed filling, topped with buttery crumbles. If you can, enjoy it while it’s still warm… maybe with some vanilla ice cream?…