This bun in the oven is keeping me from baking

In an ironic twist of events, having a bun in the oven is keeping me from baking and cooking as much as I used to.

I've been told to avoid sugar (horrors!) and keep my feet up when I get home from work. This means the amount of time I usually devote to baking has been drastically reduced. However, I will continue to post blogs drawing on a bank of recipes I have used but not yet blogged on - so please don't be put off by my idleness.

I've got some good things I've been saving up, including a delicious cinnamon roll-type cake, tangy lemon coffee cake, moist blueberry cake, and even some cupcake designs you haven't yet seen.

So check back and don't be shy to drop me a line. I love hearing from my readers, be it in the comments section or via email.

Flourless chocolate truffle torte

It struck me that ever since I started this blog, I'd neglected chocolate desserts as I'd lost my taste for chocolate since becoming pregnant.

It's not that I won't eat chocolate, it's not my first choice, nor will I ask for it. This from the girl who used to have to eat at least a bite of chocolate every single day.

But my family and friends shouldn't suffer, right?
So I decided to try my hand at a recipe for flourless chocolate truffle torte as I had all the ingredients in my pantry.

The result was a pretty cake which would be a stunning accompaniment at any brunch or dessert table.
I can't say the dessert was a resounding success, and perhaps part of the problem lies in my taste buds as I didn't even finish my own piece.

As expected, the cake was dense, but I found it too dense, almost like biting into a big piece of chocolate.

My substitutions:I must admit that I used two different types of chocolate as didn't have enough of either kind for the recipe. I also likely didn't have the eggs out on the counter long enough that they were room temperature when I used them. I served it with whipped cream, which is a must for this dense, decadent dessert, and raspberries, which helped to cut the rich taste with their sweet acidity.

Would I make this again?I might. However, I may put another twist on it by using orange liqueur and orange zest rather than dark rum. I may also make a greater effort to keep the eggs out to bring them to room temperature. Unlike other recipes, the batter for this one was lightened by whipped cream rather than whipped egg whites, and I think the egg whites would have helped to make this a lighter cake.

Grade:
Two-and-a-half stars out of five. Yes, it was tasty and pretty but nothing extraordinary. It was easy - maybe too easy. I will need to experiment with this recipe before giving it my wholehearted endorsement.

Lemon yogurt cake with blueberry sauce

Lemon-scented desserts remind me of breezy summer nights on the Amalfi coast, where every dessert menu features at least one, if not more, lemon-infused delights and trees hang low with the weight of the luscious fruit.

Lemon-based sweets are just tart enough to awaken the senses but sweet enough to soothe them too. No one can turn down a slice of lemon meringue pie, or lemon poppy seed loaf. Lemon is just subtle enough to win over dieters but also to satisfy anyone with a serious sweet tooth.

This year for Mother's Day, I asked my mother what kind of dessert her taste buds desired, and she asked for a lemon cake.

Welcome Baby Boy Cupcakes

I made these for the arrival of a friend's bouncing baby boy. These aren't quite as pretty as my pretty in pink cupcakes, or as whimsical as my Easter egg nest and Star of Bethlehem cupcakes. But they are perfect gifts for new parents of baby boy, or even to make for a baby shower.

And I am definitely getting more adventurous since my days making simple cappuccino cupcakes with chocolate frosting and dragees, and a bit more skilled at using my piping tips since I made my spiced apple walnut cupcakes with brown sugar butter cream and red and green piped hearts.

Strawberry cheesecake

Everyone loves cheesecake. I challenge you to find someone who doesn't. Some may politely take a bite out of my sticky toffee pudding and push it aside, explaining it is too sweet, too heavy; or protest through a mouthful of Bahama Mama rum cake that they can only have one bite; or observe the bowl of cherry chocolate trifle from afar; but any time I make cheesecake, the platter is wiped clean.

Maybe it is the smooth creamy vanilla texture that melts on your tongue. Or maybe the ripe fruits glistening atop the cake are too much to resist.

For me, the buttery graham cookie crust is irresistible. In any case, I have tried dozens of cheesecake recipes over the year. In fact, cheesecake was one of my standbys as a child (yes, when I was under 13).

But it was only until I followed the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for raspberry cheesecake that I was able to avoid the unfortunate cracking on top of the cheesecake when you haven't cooled it properly.

I'll be honest: This recipe will take you hours. But it's worth it. And it's not like you're peering into the oven the whole time. So pop in a movie, turn on your timer, and be patient.

Substitutions:
Raspberries weren't in season so I substituted strawberries instead.

Would I make this again?
Without a doubt. In fact, this is not my first time making this cheesecake but perhaps next time I will try the raspberries. If you can, pay close attention to the temperature in your oven with a thermometer, otherwise the graham cookie crust will burn, and the cheesecake will harden too quickly. You're aiming for a smooth creamy texture rather than a dry crust on top.

Grade:
Five stars out of five. As you may know from following my blog, I often dock marks depending on how easy the recipe is. It's not to say this recipe is difficult, but it will require great attention and patience to get the temperatures of the ingredients and the oven correct.