green tea + chocolate glazed donuts

 

who loves a silky chocolate glaze as much as i do? i just can't resist a shiny dipped donut! instead of topping these green tea + chocolate glazed donuts with sprinkles, i topped them with dried rose petals. i know, i have been kind of obsessed with using dried rose petals this month, but it is february & they are too pretty not to sprinkle over every dessert!

the rich dark chocolate glaze pairs so well with the green tea based donut batter, made with aiya matcha's cooking grade matcha powder. be sure to use a quality dark chocolate for the glaze, as it is important for achieving a rich tasting base. because the donuts are baked, you do need a special donut pan to make these (which you can find fairly cheap on amazon). that being said, it is so much easier to make these, then make a yeast based deep fried donut. give a batch of these to your valentine or serve them at a galentine's party this upcoming long weekend! everyone will go nuts for this unexpected flavour combination. it is not often you come across a green tea donut!

i have one more special valentine's recipe to share with you this week & i will do a final valentine's round up too. oh, i just love february baking!

xo

ingredients

for the green tea donuts

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon aiya's cooking grade matcha powder, sifted
  • 1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

for the chocolate glaze

  • 4 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

directions

for the green tea donuts

  • preheat oven to 350 degrees. lightly grease two donut pans.
  • in a large mixing bowl whisk together the butter & brown sugar until combined. add the egg, milk, vanilla & matcha powder. mix until well blended.
  • sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. beat until a smooth batter is formed, about 60 seconds.
  • transfer filling to a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip. carefully pipe filling in prepared donut pans, filling them just over halfway.
  • bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the tops bounce back to touch.
  • let cool completely before removing & glazing.

for the chocolate glaze

  • in a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate, butter & whipping cream. microwave in 15 second increments until the chocolate is fully melted.
  • whisk in the vanilla & powdered sugar until silky smooth.
  • immediately dunk each donut top in the glaze. the chocolate will begin to harden, so glaze those donuts quickly!
  • garnish with rose petals & let stand 15 minutes to allow the glaze to cool. enjoy!

valentine's cherry chip cake

 

with valentine's day just around the corner, i can't think of a better occasion to bake up a pretty in pink cake. the colour of this cake is so vibrant & fun! this frosted layer cake is perfect to serve at any valentine's or galentine's party. i really wanted to create a valentine's themed dessert that didn't revolve around chocolate (don't worry, i'll be sharing a chocolate based dessert soon too), like many other valentine's recipes. while it is inspired by the classic boxed cherry chip cake, this homemade version does not compare. it is flavourful, moist & full of cherry goodness!

to get the ultimate cherry chip flavour, the cake features both maraschino cherries & lorann oil's cherry bakery emulsion. i used maraschino cherries as i prefer the distinctive flavour & vibrant red colour they bring to the filling, but feel free to try this recipe with fresh cherries too. the cherry flavoured bakery emulsion gives the cake a luscious taste of fresh-picked cherries. the buttercream is flavoured with a splash of it too, so each layer is full of cherry goodness! for those who are not familiar with using emulsions instead of extracts, emulsions are water based instead of alcohol based which makes it much stronger then an extract once baked. lastly, my advice for obtaining a yellow cake with the maraschino cherry filling is to give the cherries a quick rinse before you chop them up! it removes any excess syrup that could cause a pink hue to the whole cake. i think the contrast the frosting brings to the white cake is not only prettier, but more traditional to the original cherry chip cake we all love.

ingredients

for the cake

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lorann oil's cherry bakery emulsion
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup half & half
  • 1 cup maraschino cherries, rinsed & diced

for the frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3-4 cups confectioners sugar, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lorann oil's cherry bakery emulsion
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream
  • pink food colouring, optional
  • maraschino cherries, to garnish

directions

for the cake

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees. grease & line three 6-inch round cake pans. set aside until ready to use.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter & sugar. add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
  • add the vanilla extract, cherry emulsion & vegetable oil. beat until incorporated.
  • in a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder & salt.
  • alterante between adding the flour mixture & cream to the stand mixer bowl. beat until batter is smooth, about 2 minutes.
  • evenly divide mixture amongst the prepared cake pans. bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top bounces back to touch.
  • allow cakes to cool completely before flipping & frosting. if desired, trim dome off the top to produce a flat cake.

for the frosting

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the butter & sugar. cream until light & fluffy, about 10 minutes.
  • add the vanilla, cherry eumlsion, whipping cream & food colouring. beat until the whipping cream is fully incorporated.
  • frost cake as desired & top with maraschino cherries.

lover's leap panna cotta + lemon shortbread crumble

 

happy february!!! we made it through the month of january, which felt like forever. we are one month closer to spring & exactly two months until bake the seasons is released! over the last few weeks, i have been working on a lot of fun valentine's inspired recipes & i can't wait to share them all with you. i love creating holiday themed desserts & valentine's is no exception!

this lover's leap panna cotta might be one of the simplest & prettiest desserts to date. it is so decadent & beautiful! the dried pink rose petals really add a romantic valentine's vibe to the final panna cotta. i can't believe it, but this is the first panna cotta recipe i have shared since i started blogging. what! it is such an elegant & easy dessert to make. it is perfect for a romantic valentine's date night as it can be prepared the day before.

this panna cotta feature's steven smith teamaker's limited addition lover's leap tea blend. the tea is a delicate & fragrant marriage of high grown ceylon tea from lover's leap tea estate, blended with pink rose petals, chamomile petals & citrus. it works so well in this dessert as the flavours come through strong, but don't be afraid to experiment with other flavours once lover's leap is out of season.

ingredients

for the panna cotta

  • 1 1/2 cups half & half
  • 3 teaspoons powdered gelatin
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 steven smith teamaker's lovers leap tea bags
  • 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
  • lemon shortbread crumble, to garnish (see recipe below)
  • vanilla or maple syrup, to garnish
  • dried rose petals, to garnish

for the lemon shortbread crumble

  • 1/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

directions

for the panna cotta

  • lightly grease six 6 oz ramekins & set aside.
  • add half & half to a medium sauce pan. sprinkle an even layer of gelatin powder over the top. allow stand for 5 minutes, until the gelatin begins to soften.
  • place sauce pan over low heat and whisk in gelatin. add the tea and sugar. continue to stir until the sugar dissolves. no NOT bring mixture to a boil.
  • once the gelatin and sugar are fully dissolved, remove from heat add the vanilla, salt & heavy cream. allow mixture to stand for 10 minutes before removing the tea. note: if using sachets, squeeze out any excess liquid from tea bags.
  • evenly divide mixture into prepared ramekins.
  • place ramekins in fridge and let chill for at least 4 hours.
  • before serving top with shortbread crumble, a splash of maple syrup and dried rose petals.

for the shortbread crumble

  • while the panna cotta chills, prepare the shortbread crumble. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • in a bowl, add the brown sugar, flour, salt and butter. using your hands, work in the butter until a pea sized crumb mixture is formed.
  • mix in the vanilla extract & lemon zest. turn out onto prepared baking sheet & let chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  • bake for 8-10 minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown.
  • allow mixture to cool completely before topping panna cotta.