Bewitching Kitchen

But it ain’t bad, because.. it’s cookies! For a change of pace, these are all my own design, no tutorial, no online class. I just played with my favorite blue, Wedgwood (also ok to spell it Wedgewood, in case you are wondering). Used marbling and air-brushing, finalized some with fondant roses. My starting point was to make a round cookie with a little circle impression created with a smaller…

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, but wonderful for any other celebration, this is a real adorable design and not too complicated to make. However, it helps to have a smooth frosting to start with, and that can make a baker hyperventilate a bit. Don’t ask me how I know…. PINK VELVET LAYER CAKE(slightly modified from I’ll Bring the Cake) ¾ cup buttermilk ⅔ cup sour cream ⅓ cup vegetable oil 4 egg…

Another cookie project that warmed my heart and made me walk around smiling because they turned out so totally adorable, wouldn’t you agree? I would classify this project in the “intermediate level” of decorating, because piping the flowers require more confidence around Royal icing than that of a beginner level. Other than that, some need for fine line piping, but nothing too dramatic. I loved…

Huge thank you to my dear friend Margie, who recommended this recipe. In fact, she often sends me recipes she loves, and they are always winners. This one I found particularly unusual because apart from the use of dill, which is a traditional match with salmon, corn and green beans seemed unexpected to me. And you know what? They work like a charm! Margie is a fantastic cook, world-traveler and…

Have you heard of Your Baking Bestie? Definitely pay a visit to Ericka’s site if you are into cookie baking and decorating (click here). Her website is a huge source of recipes and decorating ideas, plus she also hosts a closed Facebook group with almost 40k members, who share their cookies and ask questions. Very supportive virtual spot. Recently I bought her online class on Poppies and had a…

Maybe you know Haniela from her amazing cookie decorating skills, but she goes way beyond that: she is an accomplished baker on all sorts of areas. One of her husband’s favorite desserts is the Australian classic, Lamington. Hani has used this recipe for a long, long time and her blog post about it makes this potentially intimidating concoction pretty straightforward to make. Check her detailed…

This is one of the techniques I struggled with for a long time. It is a little tricky to get the consistency of the icing just right, so that it spreads smoothly without getting under the stencil and messing the design. Once you “get” it, decorating with stencil will quickly become a favorite method because it is quick, efficient and oh so cool… In this post, I show a few different ways to…

This recipe has Ottolenghi written all over, as it should because he created it. Available online clicking here. It was my first time using black lime powder, an ingredient I recently showcased in In My Kitchen. SESAME-CRUSTED FETA WITH BLACK LIME HONEY SYRUP(slightly modified from Ottolenghi) serves 2 for the cheese:1 block of Greek feta (360g), cut into 4 triangles 35g rice flour 1 large…

I am totally in love with this set of cookies, designed by Amber Spiegel. Full tutorial, including templates for Royal icing transfers available in her cookie club (click here to join and gain access to this and countless other tutorials). These cookies rely on Royal icing transfers that must be make in advance, anywhere from one day to one year before decorating them. Yes, Royal icing transfer…

I’ve baked quite a few 4th of July inspired goodies in the past couple of weeks, but the only new recipe is the one I share today. Quite excited about this sourdough, not for the design, which is quite simple and easy, but for the formula: 2 egg yolks were added to the dough right at the beginning stage. I follow the bulk fermentation by removing a small amount of dough to a glass vial, and was…

Soon we celebrate a very special holiday for those living in the USA. Once again, I share a few designs joining red, white and blue with a festive vibe… The most involved design of this set is the round cookie with the central star. The video below demonstrates the technique I used to make the red and white stripes. The original design was inspired by Amber, but she chose a different method to…

In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from  Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see what everybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October. If you are a food blogger, consider taking part of this fun event. It is a chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the…

For this super simple sourdough formula, I wanted the outside to give a hint of what’s inside, so I dusted the dough with red yeast powder before scoring it with a combination of razor blade and scissors. I really like the look, and it tasted wonderful! PAPRIKA SOURDOUGH(from The Bewitching Kitchen) 375g white bread flour25g spelt flour70g sourdough starter at 80% hydration (you can use 100% if…

Not too long ago, I shared with you cookies made following Tunde’s guidance, in which only two colors were used to make butterflies. At that time I mentioned she was going to propose a new challenge, using only one color, in flooding and piping consistency. These are my babies. They seem to have two colors, but it was due to operator error. I had to make more icing midway through, and…

One cookie dough, two outcomes. Rolled out and cut in circles, or baked in a silicone mold, then covered with chocolate. This approach is similar to a strawberry version I made not too long ago (check it out here). LAVENDER-LEMON SUGAR COOKIE(inspired by 100 Cookies, by Sarah Kieffer) 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon culinary lavenderzest of 1 lemon1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature…

I have played with this concept in the past (check it out here and here), but could not resist going back to the issue and making some more designs. Cuteness level is high, wouldn’t you agree? This is a beginner-friendly set for sure. Maybe the only slightly intimidating step is piping the seeds, but you can use a food safe pen and call it a day. The cutters used were popsicle, dress, cupcake,…

When we lived in Paris, having a “croque madame” or a “croque monsieur” was pretty much a weekly event. Thick, crusty bread, with cheese, ham, bechamel sauce, a tomato or fried egg on top. This is a much lighter version and quite fun to make, as rice paper does the job of bread, and I omitted the bechamel sauce. Once I became interested in this method, the Algorithm Gods started flooding me with…