English Madeleines: Mini Sponge Cakes bathed in jam and rolled in desiccated coconut | The Novice Housewife

When I posted the picture for these english madeleines on instagram I mentioned that my house smelled of my childhood. And it surely did. In fact when I was washing the cupcake pan, it still smelled of the memories from my younger days, even though the madeleines had been removed and set aside a while back.

My mother used to make them when I was a kid. My brother and I loved them – bite after bite of buttery goodness. Although the original recipe calls for baking the batter in Dariole Moulds, my mom used to make them shaped like a regular cupcake- since she did not own a dariole mould. And then bathed them in jam and desiccated coconut. So I made them the same way in cupcake pans- not because I do not own dariole moulds (I actually don’t) but because that’s they way I remember english madeleines to be.

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Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls | The Novice HousewifeI had been eyeing this recipe for sweet buns on allrecipes.com for a while now. It had great reviews and I am always looking for new bread recipes to try. Plus it seemed easy to put together. And with such great reviews I was sure I will not be disappointed. And I was right, after about two hours of kneading, resting and baking, I had light and fluffy (and absolutely delicious) dinner rolls. I also got an absolutely drool worthy cinnamon swirl bread. And with my love for all things cinnamon I honestly cherished the cinnamon swirl bread more than the rolls. And that actually says a lot about the bread since the rolls were amazing without any additions!

The recipe makes 16 dinner rolls. I used half the dough to make 8 dinner rolls and the other half I used to make the cinnamon swirl bread. I do not have a recipe, but I followed the same instructions I do when I make cinnamon rolls. Rolled out the dough to a rectangle (keeping it 9 inch long, and as wide as I could with a thickness of about 1/4th inch) and spread softened butter on the rolled out dough, followed by a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top. I rolled the dough up and let it rise in my bread pan. To achieve the shape I have in the pictures, I cut the rolled up dough like you do for cinnamon rolls (but slightly thinner in thickness)  and put each cut part side by side in the bread pan. I wish I had pictures because I feel I might not be explaining this too well. If that’s the case, sorry!

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Magnolia Bakery's Blueberry Jamboree | The Novice Housewife

Magnolia Bakery's Blueberry Jamboree | The Novice HousewifeThis dessert was introduced to me by sister-in-law. She was in New York visiting her sister and Magnolia Bakery was her favorite place to hang out. One day she called me to say that I have to find the recipe for Blueberry Jamboree. That it is THE best thing she has ever had.

Fortunately for her and for me, I found a recipe quite easily, and ever since I have been hooked.

Its fairly easy with no complicated steps. It is eggless- so if you are looking for a great dessert to feed someone who does not take eggs- this recipe is the best route to take. Its got a buttery pecan crust, a whipped cream and cream cheese filling in the centre and a blueberry pie filling topping. Believe me, you want to make this dessert and you want to make it now.

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