Iced Lemon Poppy seed Pound Cake

 I feel like I'm living in a summer that never ends. It is already past mid-August and yet the temperature refuses to drop, my air conditioner is on overdrive, and baking anything with chocolate in it has lost all appeal to me.

So, instead, I've been on a lemon kick recently. I've been wanting to get more "seasonally appropriate" recipes under my belt, and since fall seems forever away, citrus was the clear answer.

This pound cake is adapted from a recipe by Sally's Baking Addiction. I love trying her recipes, she does great step-by-step guides, and her blog allowed me to really flex my baking muscles. 

After shamelessly slicing up the cake for a quick photo shoot, I wrapped it up and brought it to a friend's house as a goodbye treat for another friend who is moving away. Maybe it was the vodka, or maybe it was just our jovial nature, but everyone who had a slice absolutely adored this cake!

Want to make this easy, no-fuss pound cake for yourself? Grab the recipe after the jump!

Oreo Cheesecake Bars

There are very few people I have ever met who don't like cheesecake. Generally, it pops up on most peoples list of acceptable, if not favorite, desserts. So when I was going to visit my friend in Philadelphia for her birthday and I asked her what she wanted me to make, she immediately replied "Oreo Cheesecake!" Not a problem!

One bar, cut and ready for consumption!

Her only request was that I use HFCS-free "Oreos" which are easily available for purchase from Whole Foods or a similar grocery store. The flavor of the cookies is exactly the same, so if you have similar concerns, the cookie can easily be swapped out without any taste difference.

Once you crush up "Oreos" they all look the same

My only concern with this recipe is that the cheesecake batter is quite tangy compared to what I normally make. I think the addition of the Oreo cookies really helps sweeten it out a bit, but for me, the tang was still a bit too much. However, everyone else who tried a piece quite enjoyed it and I got no complaints from anyone else that the cheesecake wasn't quite right. I may go back and switch out the batter recipe in the future with a different one, but for now, this should suffice.

This recipe can be made in a brownie pan, cooled, and cut into bars which make for a much easier and uniform serving size. I was able to wrap them individually in sandwich bags, tie them off with ribbon, and throw them all in my lunchbox with some freezer packs. They not only survived a 5-hour trip across the state but also the rest of the night out and about downtown Philadelphia!

Thinking of making a cheesecake for your next event? Check out the recipe below!

Coconut Macaroons

I thought I would break into this blog with a tried and true favorite recipe: Coconut Macaroons.

Hey there good looking

Note that this variety of Macaroon has two o's, not to be confused with its French cousin, the French Macaron. This is the easy-to-make, mix, drop, and bake variety of cookie. And it's sure to be a crowd pleaser at whatever event you bring it to!

I made these cookies as part of a goodie bag I brought to a friends birthday get together out in Philadelphia. The age of our group ranged from low 20's to low 30's, male and female. Everyone agreed- the cookies were soft, slightly chewy, and ridiculously addicting. The best part? It's only 5 ingredients!

All 5 ingredients laid out on my table

The other great thing about this version of the recipe is that it requires no extra sugar or egg whites. I've always found traditional coconut macaroons to be super sweet and sometimes grainy, but not here. The sugar in the coconut flakes combined with the sweetened milk and the vanilla is just enough to satisfy a sweet tooth without the need to run to the dentist after. 

So what makes these cookies so easy to make?

Mix dry ingredients together with a spoon (no fancy tools here!)

Add in your wet ingredients and mix again


 Drop them onto your baking sheet to bake

Et Voila! A plate full of macaroons!

Want to make these for your next event? Check out the full recipe after the jump!