As if you needed excuses – French toast donuts

Posted on February 3, 2014 by petitedecadence

So maybe you’re one of those people that frowns upon having cake for breakfast. (Although I doubt it, since you’re browsing a blog with food pictures with something about decadence in the title) If that is the case, don’t leave yet! I have the perfect excuse to have donuts for breakfast. That’s right, you can now indulge in those tiny glazed treats before 9 am, because how could you not? They’re french toast flavored. And since french toast is a universally approved breakfast food, I think my argument is won.
And if you’re not convinced I can just tell you how incredibly well these go with a quick espresso. Which is basically taking a to-go breakfast from you coffee house chain (*cough*starbucks*cough*) to the homemade goodness level. Because we’re talking baked donuts, (not fried!) maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and a double glaze. With a tad of cream, in case you were missing that from your complete breakfast. Fluffy and morning like, they’re also the perfect treat to bring to your office in case you’re incredibly late. Because you were glazing donuts, maybe. But no one will get angry if you offer them one of these. Right? Read more for the recipe.

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Your cup of tea – Pear-cinnamon muffins

Posted on August 28, 2013 by petitedecadence

It’s rainy season (or hurricane season if you count the last three days) around here. Which means it’s tea time with a book season. Which in turn means it’s muffin, pound cake, cookies, crumpets and any other pastry you like to have with your tea season. (I’m actually lying. Cookie season is year round) And when you add to the weather tons of gifts of fruit because your friends who own fruit trees have way too much of it, you end up with muffins everyday. Assorted, too. Apple, banana, figs, or in this case, pears. This recipe will give you a simple, homey, spice-y and full of pear little cake. Made all the better by a creamy vanilla glaze, which has become my favorite when glazing fluffy baked goods. (like here) So, if you’re feeling like a quick treat to accompany you rainy afternoon, go and read more for the recipe!

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It’s worth the marinating – Tamarind and orange glazed steak

Posted on April 27, 2013 by petitedecadence

tamarindorangebeef

You know when you’ve been wanting to cook something for a while and then when you finally do it turns out great because you’ve been thinking so much about it? That’s what happened to me with this recipe. I’d had my mind on it for about a week, and then when I saw a few photogenic oranges lying around in the kitchen I decided it had to be done. So I went and got all of the ingredients missing only to come home and find that someone had turned the oranges into juice. And so it stayed on my mind for even longer until I came across some good-looking oranges again. And I’m glad it did! Because the combination of sweet orange juice, with the tartness of the tamarind pulp, and the bitterness of the orange peels could not have turned out better. Seriously, this might be my new favorite glaze-y sauce. And I’m sure it goes great with chicken too, in case you don’t eat beef. And to top it off, if you serve it over a bowl of white rice, you can eat it with chopsticks, because there’s nothing to reassure you of the deliciousness of something as holding the bowl in one hand and then picking every single last grain of rice with your chopsticks, right? Read more for the recipe. Continue reading →

Things I’ve kept – Best ever lemon pound cake

Posted on January 1, 2013 by petitedecadence

So I know that almost the entire blogosphere is talking about the New Year, and their resolutions, and what they learned in 2012, etc. And I know that those who aren’t talking about it are either writing about how everyone is talking about the same thing (like me) or just plain fed up. I know. But I’m still going to go ahead and get my newyearism off my chest. But don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with deep reflexions and the importance of life and the answer to everything! Instead I’m going to give you the best ever lemon pound cake recipe. Yup, best ever. I’ve been sitting on this recipe since Christmas Eve, when I made it for my mom as her present…yes, my mom is one of those people impossible to give gifts to, the only think that makes her truly happy is pound cake. She’s absolutely crazy for it, and she’s always begging me to bake her a couple. Because one just isn’t enough. But lemon pound cake holds a particularly special place in her heart, because eons (seriously, like 20 years) ago she baked one for my birthday party and it was the best cake she had ever made. Everyone complimented her, it was gone within seconds, the texture was perfect, the flavor unsurpassable…you name it. In her mind, the cake was something only angels ate, and she had been blessed with the recipe. Which she of course proceeded to lose. Because that’s what she does. She keeps things so well, they get lost. And I think there’s a little bit of that in all of us… as humans, we tend to keep things, emotions, experiences and feelings so well we end up forgetting where we put them. Be it that spare cash for emergencies you hid god knows where in your house to the memory of that horrible recurrent nightmare you had when you were five, tucked neatly away in your unconscious, the things we keep make us who we are. Just like that lost recipe holds for my mom that part of herself where she used to bake for her kids. So here’s to long lost recipes, memories, things and emotions. Here’s to finding them, organizing them, and eventually forgetting all over again where they were. Here’s to having a year full of new things to keep, and lose. And to looking back into the year gone by, to recognize what we’re made of, even if we’re made of recipes, lost or found.
On a side note: this recipe comes from Dozen Flours, it’s Julia’s recipe for a better than starbucks poundcake, and trust me, it’s waaaaay better. Even if it’s not food from heaven. All you’ve got to do is ask my mom.