Tag: Dessert

Kiki’s Hottokeki: Japanese Pancakes from the COOK ANIME Cookbook

Posted September 10, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book Events and Tours / 0 Comments

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I’ve been a Studio Ghibli junkie for over a decade. Though every single Ghibli film is richly told and gorgeously animated, Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of my all-time favorites. There’s just something about that plucky little witch striking out on her own that captured my heart and never let it go. My preschooler loves it too, so much so that on the morning of his birthday, we watched the movie while eating pancakes—just like Kiki!

Just a few months ago, I learned that one of my favorite food-in-fiction bloggers, Diana Ault, was coming out with an anime-themed cookbook called COOK ANIME. I asked Diana if I could make a recipe from her book for my fiction-themed cookbook post series, and guess what: she said yes AND she told me it had a recipe for Kiki’s pancakes! 😀

Father Brown’s Death by Chocolate Cupcakes with Mystery Filling

Posted September 3, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes, Holidays / 2 Comments

I’ve loved the BBC show Father Brown for years, but I only recently got a chance to read the collection of short stories on which it’s based. Like many adaptations, the show diverges from the source material in key ways, but I think it stays true in the ways that matter most.

Arguably the biggest difference is that the literary Father Brown is always traveling. I don’t think you ever actually visit his own parish, which means recurring characters like Mrs. McCarthy, Lady Felicia, and Sid exist solely in the show. But don’t worry—Hercule Flambeau, master thief and Father Brown’s nemesis, is still around to stir up trouble! 😉

When one of my readers requested a Father Brown recipe specifically inspired by the stories, I was intrigued to say the least. To fans of the show, the iconic food is Mrs. McCarthy’s strawberry scones. But no Mrs. McCarthy in the stories means no scones. I was going to have to get creative. And I LOVE getting creative! ^.^

The stories mostly only mention food in passing, but one reference stands out. In “The Flying Stars,” Father Brown has to turn out his pockets, and among a few coins and priestly paraphernalia is a stick of chocolate, heavily implying that he always likes to keep some on hand. After reading that, I knew my recipe was going to be a rich, chocolatey dessert.

Madeline’s Lemon Madeleines and Blueberry Ice Cream

Posted July 2, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments

Hellooooo, summer!

This isn’t usually my favorite season. In Illinois the summer months can get monstrously hot and humid. Plus, I have severe allergies, and I’m a favorite snack of the mosquitoes. Yet this year my allergies have been surprisingly absent, and covid restrictions have made even a homebody like myself appreciate a chance to get out in the fresh air.

When I decided Madeline would be my book of the month for July, my mind immediately went to madeleine cookies because of their similarity to Madeline’s name. I couldn’t pass up a perfect pairing like that, could I? Still, I really wanted something refreshing I could eat while enjoying the sunshine. Like ice cream! So I decided to combine them and do a double recipe. Read More

Thumbelina’s Fairy Wing Thumbprint Cookies with Homemade Raspberry Lavender Jam

Posted April 2, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

Today marks the end of my Hans Christian Andersen recipe series, which started in January. We’ve constructed delicate meringue swans from The Ugly Duckling, chilled mini ice cream cakes from The Snow Queen, and created sea foam marshmallows from The Little Mermaid. You may have noticed a sugary theme here.

Completely by accident, this has been a desserts-only only blog for all of 2020. It just seems like every time I encounter an Andersen story, inspiration draws me in the direction of something sweet. We’ll get back to savories soon, I promise…just not this week! 😉 The dessert I’m sharing today pairs too perfectly with its story to swap for something savory. And maybe there’s a reason for that.

Mirror Shard Mini Ice Cream Cakes from The Snow Queen

Posted February 6, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

I’m back with another Hans Christian Andersen recipe! When I created a poll asking folks what Andersen stories they wanted to see recipes for, “The Ugly Duckling” won by a landslide (you can see my recipe for it here), and there was a three way tie for second place! Today I’m making the first of those three: The Snow Queen. It seemed best to do it now since winter is almost over. It feels strange to write that, since winter here has been so mild that it feels like it just started. It’s almost like God is apologizing for last winter, which was monstrously cold and felt eternal.

The recipe we’re making today is inspired by the magic mirror that causes so much trouble in “The Snow Queen.” Splinters of the broken mirror lodge themselves in the heart and eyes of a little boy named Kai, making him see only the ugliness and evil of the world and none of its beauty. I’ve always found the story’s mirror quite intriguing since it doesn’t actually change anything about the world—only people’s perception of it, which is rather fitting for a mirror—and thereby corrupts them to evil, revealing just how much impact perception can have on our lives.

For the recipe, I wanted something frozen of course, which led me to the idea of an ice cream cake. I liked the idea of mini cakes better, since larger, more elaborate ice cream recipes can get tricky if they take so long the ice cream starts to melt. These easy cupcake-sized cakes feature a crushed almond and shortbread crumb crust, amaretto ice cream filling, whipped cream, and mirror “shards” made from melted Jolly Ranchers.

Meringue Swans from “The Ugly Duckling”

Posted January 9, 2020 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 4 Comments

Happy 2020, folks! I hope the new decade is treating you well so far. I submitted the first draft of my cookbook last week (which felt awesome), but I’ve had two very sick kids at home since then (not so awesome). Hopefully these ups and downs aren’t indicative of how the rest of the year will go!

In December I posted a poll announcing my plan to make a few Hans Christian Andersen recipes this year and asking you to vote on which of his fairytales you’d like me to do. “The Ugly Duckling” won by a landslide…followed by a three way tie for second place! So I guess I’m making four Andersen recipes this year instead of three! XD

I won’t reveal the other winning stories just yet; I’ll do it one at a time as the posts go up. I think it’ll be more fun that way. ^.^ What I WILL tell you is that all the recipes will be desserts, since that’s where my inspiration took me for each one. I had my fingers crossed that “The Ugly Duckling” would make the final cut because I knew exactly what recipe I wanted to make for it: meringue swans!

Using the meringue recipe I developed for my upcoming cookbook (and my tried and true buttercream recipe), I made these fun swans on Monday while my sick kids took a much needed nap. It took a little bit of experimenting to get the shape right, but it was SO worth it in the end.

NOTE: The meringues need to rest in the oven for at least 3 hours (overnight is even better), so I recommend making these a day before you need them.

Polar Express Hot Chocolate with Gingerbread Marshmallows

Posted December 5, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes, Holidays / 0 Comments

In just a few short weeks, we’ll come to the end of not just another year, but a whole decade. It’s crazy to think how much things change in that amount of time. A decade ago I was 21, halfway through college, and working 3 jobs to pay tuition. I was SUPER busy. Now I’m married with 2 kids, a mortgage, and a food blog. Last year I achieved one of my life goals: getting a book published by the time I turned 30 (though I’ll admit when I first set that goal, I thought I’d be writing fiction instead of cookbooks!). And I’ve got another book coming out next September, so…still super busy. I guess things don’t change THAT much. 😆

These blessings have definitely enriched my life, but they’ve brought a lot of chaos too, which is why I want to close out 2019 with a cozy, soul-nurturing recipe–something to prepare me for Christmas and fortify me for a new decade. This got me thinking about “The Polar Express,” which I’ve wanted to feature on the blog for ages. The kids in the book drink hot chocolate on the train on their way to the North Pole, and NOTHING says “cozy and soul-nuturing” like hot chocolate! ^.^

For my inspiration, I used a hot chocolate I once drank a fancy brunch buffet at Drury Lane Theater in Oak Brook Terrace. Folks, it was downright CHUGGABLE. It was sweet but not too sweet, and even though the chocolate flavor was rich, it was more reminiscent of milk chocolate instead of the dark, intense chocolate flavor I usually shoot for with homemade hot chocolate. It was kid-friendly without compromising quality, and that hit all the right notes for me.

Since the book specifically mentions hot chocolate and not hot cocoa, I used chopped up chocolate bars to make it authentic (I recently learned that “hot chocolate” has actual melted chocolate in it while “hot cocoa” uses cocoa powder. The more you know!). I also dialed back the darkness of the chocolate. Most homemade versions call for 70% dark chocolate or darker, but I kept it at 60% to achieve the mellow, approachable quality I wanted. I kept my flavors simple too: just sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. I didn’t use any coffee or cayenne to intensify the chocolate flavor since we’re keeping this kid-friendly, but you can certainly experiment with them if you’re making this for adults (I’d use coffee or cayenne but not both).

The book doesn’t mention marshmallows, but I just finished a marshmallow recipe for my new cookbook and wanted to experiment with unique flavorings. I threw in some gingerbread spices and voilà–the perfect pairing!

NOTE: The marshmallows need to set overnight.

Pippi Longstocking’s Pepparkakor Heart Cookies

Posted September 5, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

I finally got around to listening to the Pippi Longstocking audiobook a few months ago, and, guys, I just gotta say…it’s a total gem! I looove Pippi. She reminds me of Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes. I remember the artist (Bill Watterson) saying that kids and adults like Calvin for almost opposite reasons, and I totally see Pippi the same way. Kids love her grownup qualities (Independent! Confident! Super strong!), and adults love her childlike qualities (Imaginative! Spirited! Fearless!). I definitely want to read this one to my kids when they’re old enough. For now though, I’ll just have to settle for making them goodies from the book. ^.^

I thought there wouldn’t be much food in it since it’s so short, but it’s actually PACKED with all kinds of yummy goodness: pancakes, ham, cold roast, cream cake, cookies, and more. The food that stood out to me most was the cookies. They show up in multiple scenes, but my favorite is the one where Pippi is cutting out heart shapes from dough rolled out on the floor. They’re specifically called “pepparkakor” (a traditional Swedish ginger cookie). Since I’ve never made them before, I tracked down a recipe from Daune at Cottage in the Oaks. I added a little cream cheese frosting because I want it on all my spiced desserts from now until forever. I’ll admit the frosting is not strictly authentic, but it IS strictly delicious, which is all that really matters, right?

These were so fun and easy to make: the perfect weekend baking activity with little kiddos! 🙂

Miracle Max Resurrection Truffles: A Princess Bride Recipe

Posted August 1, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 0 Comments

I have a confession to make: before this year, I’d never ready The Princess Bride. The years up til now were a distracted chorus of “I’ll get to it” and “It’s somewhere in my TBR.” I’ve seen the movie, so I guess I just didn’t feel a ton of urgency. It wasn’t until someone requested it as my blog’s next Book of the Month that I actually sat down to read it for the first time.

AND OH MY GOSH YOU GUYS IT IS THE GREATEST. Such a complete and utter joy. I can’t remember the last time I had so much pure fun while reading. It’s clever, heart-warming, and fiendishly funny. As soon as I finished it, I was more than ready to get in the kitchen, and I knew exactly what I was going to make: Miracle Max’s resurrection pills.

In the book, Miracle Max prepares a resurrection pill for the “sort of dead” Man in Black. Inigo is skeptical of its appearance, but Max’s wife Valerie assures him that it looks a lot better with a chocolate coating. This reminded me of chocolate truffles, but I knew I wouldn’t have time to make the filling from scratch. After all, I’ve got a 2-year-old, 6-month-old, and Mysterious Suuuper Seeecret Project (which I PROMISE I’ll announce soon–hopefully next week!) to worry about. To resolve the issue of time, I turned to my trusty Oreo truffle recipe. It’s quick, easy, and dependably delicious—just what the doctor ordered. Then I snuck in a Werther’s soft caramel center for the perfect surprise.

You don’t have to slave away for ages to make these addictive little morsels (but they’re so delicious that everyone will think you did). So whip up a batch—they’re even worth coming back from the dead for!

Gurgi’s Magical Wallet: Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

Posted May 2, 2019 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments

In The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, Gurgi receives a magical wallet as a reward for his faithfulness to his companions. The little leather coin purse may look unassuming, but it provides its owner with unlimited food for as long as there is enchantment in the land of Prydain! Pretty darn awesome. I’ve had several readers request a recipe from the Prydain books, so I decided to make cookies inspired by Gurgi’s wallet. After all, a coin purse with the power of unlimited snacks is SO my thing. 😉

Let’s talk inspiration. Have you ever seen on Pinterest or Instagram those cookies with the hidden pocket inside filled with candy, sprinkles, sugary cereal, etc.? I’ve heard them called surprise cookies, pocket cookies, and confetti cookies, but whatever you call them, I think they look SO COOL. Since wallets are for holding things, now seemed like a great time to make my own surprise cookie recipe. So I got to work!

I used a chocolate version of the sugar cookie recipe from my cookbook, A Literary Tea Party. Chocolate cookies made the most sense, since a leather bag would be brown. But I also wanted detailed decorations inspired by medieval leather tooling, so I broke out my favorite royal icing recipe (developed by Julie M. Usher), which would allow me to make more delicate shapes than buttercream would. As for the filling, I went with Reese’s Pieces to get that unbeatable chocolate peanut butter combo.

I was more than pleased with the results. The wallets looked so darling with their tidy little icing swirls and yellow Reese’s piece clasps. I can’t tell you how fun it was to give them a little shake and hear the candy rattling around inside. Now hurry up and go make your own! 😀

P.S. If it’s your first time using royal icing, I recommend Julia Usher’s how-to Youtube video. She has a lot of good tips to make it easier.
P.P.S. I’m taking reader requests for blog recipes, so email me here if there’s a classic book you’d like to see featured on the blog!