White Chocolate Raspberry Birthday Cake

White Chocolate Raspberry Birthday Cake, Kiku Corner

     Tomiko’s birthday is in early July, and since the whole family was working and busy on the actual day, we put off having the cake until the following weekend. I have made my own birthday cakes since I was 13, and I love making my family’s birthday cakes as well! They don’t seem to […]

Scented Rhubarb Fool

Scented Rhubarb Fool, Kiku Corner

Fools are old-fashioned British desserts made from a sweet fruit puree stirred through custard or whipped cream. This simpler cousin of the trifle was mentioned as far back as the 1500s. Traditionally gooseberries are used, so a similarly sour fruit like rhubarb makes a great variation. Serve the fool in glass bowls if you have them, for […]

Ruby Red Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Ruby Red Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble, Kiku Corner 4

Rhubarb is a sour, pinkish green spring vegetable that cooks down into a delicious pink or red compote. It used to grow in our mother’s garden when we were kids, and we couldn’t resist taking a bite of the puckeringly sour stalks (just stay away from the leaves, which are poisonous). Once June rolls around, we […]

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake with Vanilla Sauce

pineapple-upside-down-cake-kiku-corner 031

A delicious old-fashioned cake perfect for a picnic! I brought this to a Sail Past feast a few years ago, and it was a hit. It’s from Susan Branch’s Sweets to the Sweet: A Keepsake Book from the Heart of the Home, so follow her advice and serve it with a silky smooth sauce. Often […]

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Tomiko and I agreed to bake some treats for our friend’s Earth Day fundraising bake sale, so this was my contribution! I made these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins, adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe. The small amount of cocoa surprisingly makes a big impact in these moist muffins. If you make a batch for […]