By: Valerie September 28, 2020December 3, 2020 Pies and Tartsfruits, pieLeave a Comment

Cooked Fruit Pie

What a weird time to be alive. In any case, baking keeps me sane and always makes me happy, so better keep calm and keep baking. As is known fact by now, I am not by any stretch of the imagination an expert at making pies. Regardless, at some point I would have to make this recipe anyways, so I finally decided to jump in and try to make this cooked fruit pie recipe. I don’t think I’ve ever made a pie where the fruit is cooked prior to baking, so I did not really know what to expect. I tried to use up what I had in my fridge and freezer, so I used a mixture of peaches, raspberries and blackberries.

By: Valerie May 23, 2020December 3, 2020 Cookies, Bars and Biscottichocolate, cookies, orange2 Comments

Chocolate-Dipped Orange Madeleine Cookies

As the weeks of quarantine are prolonged, my supply of flour is decreasing at an alarming rate. I have only a few more recipes’ worth of flour as there is a nation-wide shortage and I have been unable to get my hands on some, so I have to choose my last few bakes carefully. Of course I was looking for a little cookie or hand-held dessert to eat with tea in the evenings. And so came these chocolate-dipped madeleine cookies.

By: Valerie May 2, 2020December 3, 2020 Cakes and Cupcakescoconut, cupcake, spicesLeave a Comment

Spiced Coconut Cupcakes

I had been craving cupcakes since the beginning of the quarantine and had yet to bake some. Normally I would go for moist comforting chocolate cupcakes, but yesterday I decided to try something new and made these spiced coconut cupcakes. The spice blend for this recipe seemed interesting and I was quite curious about the black pepper. I don’t think I’ve ever used black pepper in a dessert recipe before! Turns out that it works very well indeed.

By: Valerie May 3, 2014December 4, 2020 Cookies, Bars and Biscottibrownies, chocolate, dairy-free, gluten-free6 Comments

Chewy Brownies

Some people are not as fortunate as others and are gluten-intolerant or even allergic. What made me grasp how much gluten is present is that whenever I bring baked goods to work, which is pretty often, a friend of mine who is gluten-intolerant can never eat anything I make. I told her I would make her a dessert that she could actually enjoy one day, so these chewy gluten-free brownies are for her.

By: Valerie June 17, 2013December 5, 2020 Cakes and Cupcakescake, carrot, cream cheese3 Comments

Autumn Carrot Wedding Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Father’s Day is coming up this weekend. That can only mean one thing: it’s time to make a cake! It felt good to get back into baking after taking a small break (I was moving and everything was packed!). My dad uncharacteristically and specifically mentioned that he would very much like for me to make him a carrot cake for the occasion. Who am I to refuse?

About Me

I am Valerie and I am a food lover at heart. Baking is my passion and I have always been interested in it. I remember using my Easy Bake oven when I was a young girl and making little cakes for my family.

Recipes

The collection of recipes from “Back to Baking”, from cookies to cakes to tarts and everything in between.

Flavours

Recipes categorized by their predominant flavours.

Flourless Chocolate Torte

By: Valerie February 11, 2024February 11, 2024

Cakes and Cupcakes, Pies and Tartschocolate, flourless, torteLeave a Comment

This chocolate torte is one of the best desserts I’ve ever made, certainly one of the top three of this cookbook to date. It is truly decadent.

Fluffy Frosted Carrot Cake

By: Valerie December 19, 2023December 19, 2023

Cakes and Cupcakescake, carrot, maple syrup, meringueLeave a Comment

This fluffy frosted carrot cake is a joy to make, is indeed fluffy and tastes delicious. Comforting and not too sweet!

Tiramisu Torte

By: Valerie November 16, 2023

Cakes and Cupcakeschocolate, coffee, tiramisu, vanilla1 Comment

This tiramisu torte is intricate to make and requires several hours, but it is delicious and sure to make an impression.

Chocolate Shavings

By: Valerie November 5, 2023November 6, 2023

Frosting, sauces and garnisheschocolate, garnish1 Comment

Simple but effective garnish for various desserts such as cakes, tarts or cupcakes.

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

By: Valerie August 5, 2023

Cakes and Cupcakescream cheese, cupcake, shortcake, strawberry, vanillaLeave a Comment

These strawberry shortcake cupcakes are perfect for a summer treat. Apart from being lovely, they are fresh, fluffy, not too sweet and taste exactly like a shortcake.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

By: Valerie July 22, 2023August 4, 2023

Cakes and Cupcakescake, cream cheese, pecans, strawberry1 Comment

This strawberry cream cheese coffee cake is more intricate to make due to its multiple layers. However, the flavours of the sweet strawberries marry very well with the cream cheese layer, and combined with the different textures present in this cake, makes for a lovely dessert.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

By: Valerie July 7, 2023July 9, 2023

Cakes and Cupcakescake, chiffon, chocolate, dairy-freeLeave a Comment

This chocolate chiffon cake is fabulous. Not too sweet with a nice chocolate flavour enhanced by a coffee undertone. It feels airy and light to eat, which is different than your typical cake and very enjoyable.

Chantilly Cream

By: Valerie July 1, 2023July 1, 2023

Frosting, sauces and garnishesChantilly, cream, sauce1 Comment

This Chantilly cream is light and airy, and not overly sweet – perfect to accompany subtly desserts or sit atop a nice hot chocolate.

Demerara Shortbread Wedges

By: Valerie June 19, 2023June 21, 2023

Cookies, Bars and BiscottishortbreadLeave a Comment

This recipe for demerara shortbread cookies was simple to make which is always a bonus and a good way to get back into it. I’m not sure I’ve ever used demerara sugar in baking so I wasn’t sure how the texture of this coarser sugar would be, especially in a shortbread, but I was curious.

Caramel Soufflés

By: Valerie February 28, 2023March 5, 2023

Custards, Puddings and Souffléscaramel, gluten-free, soufflé4 Comments

This caramel soufflé tastes as I imagine a soufflé should taste: airy and light, with a subtle caramel flavour. It’s so airy it feels healthy. I think that should be the soufflé’s motto. The caramel aroma was lovely while eating this dessert.