This time last year: July 2012

Whoops, July is almost over and I almost forgot about this flashback post.  Well here it is!  Last July, this lil' old blog was only three months old.  It was full swing into summer break and I have to admit it was hard to get the oven fired up to bake.  But my love for baking couldn't keep me out of the kitchen for long and I made the following treats.

Up first, my Aunt Lili's Flan.

 

My aunt is Cuban and is therefore the her flan recipe is legit.  And oh my goodness is it incredible.  With three different types of milk and a half dozen eggs, I've never had better flan in my life.  The creamy custard takes on a sweet and delicate caramel flavor.  If you've been looking for flan recipes, you can stop here, this is it, this is the one.  I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Next up, No Bake Sweet and Salty Pretzel Bars

Like I said, summer in Ohio gets surprisingly hot.  It's hot like Florida, but without the benefit of being near the ocean for a breeze.  The air is thick, the AC in the apartment doesn't get to our floor, and I couldn't muster turning on the oven.  So I made these bars.  The pretzel crust is the perfect salty contrast to the richness of the peanut butter and the chocolate on top rounds out the flavor perfectly with a touch of sweetness.

And last, my most popular post to date, Cassata Cupakes

I love cassata cake.  There are two varieties out there: 1) white cake with strawberries and ricotta, which is fine, and 2) white cake with strawberries and custard.  CUSTARD! Hello, dolly.  These cupcakes are a lot of work but are 110% worth it.  A soft yellow cake dotted with strawberries filled with homemade pastry cream, and topped with a whipped cream frosting...what's not to love?  These cupcakes scream summer time, check out the recipe.

A little humor for you...we've all felt like doing this at least once

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