Toasted Coconut with Lime Ice Cream

I'm back! I've been traveling a great deal these past few weeks and I'm finally settled in back at home. It was a busy summer.  There were five states to visit, fly fishing to observe, bison to avoid, family to feed, geysers to smell and plenty of driving--probably a little too much for the kids. I also had the pleasure of cooking for a gathering of family while at a rented lodge in Montana.

I've realized that cooking for large groups is something best done out of one's own kitchen. As no matter how well stocked the brochure claims the kitchen is ("It has absolutely everything you will need for any meal you have planned!"), or how well you prepare, something you need will always be missing. Which results in things like… my trying to make individual lemon tarts topped with torched italian meringue without tart rings, a mixer or a candy thermometer.  Attempting Italian meringue with microwaved syrup and some dodgy hand beaters actually worked.

I didn't plan on making tarts there, it just sort of happened. Still, I think I deserve some sort of medal of recognition.

Anyway, I'm back home and I am working on my plan of attack for this week's baking. For today though, we have some yummy ice cream. Which I will admit is my fall back during busy months as it can be prepared relatively quickly and always looks lovely.

Today's ice cream is a combination of toasted coconut and lime. Yes, that's me holding onto the last scraps of summer with something decidedly tropical in flavor. Though regardless of the time of year, one has to admit it is hard to go wrong with such a combination. Harry Nilsson is nodding his head in agreement--his being alive or not is a technicality we're going to overlook.

Midnight Sin Chocolate Cake

Happy Monday, everyone! 

We're baking cake today. In my blistering hot kitchen, which doesn't lend itself to working with chocolate mousse but whatever! I'm on a mission. A cake mission. 

So today we have a rich, moist chocolate cake. A simple, reliable chocolate cake recipe for folks who love their cakes uber-moist-a-licious. I've eaten this midnight-hued cake plain and unadorned many times, but today I could not resist filling it with bitter-sweet chocolate mousse and glazing it with ganache. 

Manson Almond Kringle

Now that everyone is tired of the marshmallows, let's move on to the Kringle! A little back story first, however. This summer of mine is peppered with road trips to spend time with family.  I just got back from touring the eastern portion of my home state. Visiting the Dry Falls, nibbling on macarons from a french bakery in Spokane and eating corn dogs at road side diners. (What, a girl can't love corn dogs and macarons?)

Next up in my road-trip dance card is Montana and then Oregon. My poor little children... The Eastern Washington trip is an annual outing. Once every year I am firmly instructed by my mother to make my way across the Cascades to "relax" with her by the lake. For those unfamiliar, Eastern Washington is not at all like Seattle. It is often hot, dry and home to several species of bugs the size of squirrels. Insects that seem to congregate wherever I AM. Particularly when half naked on a beach, sticky with SPF 6000.

While I may not enjoy the abundance of Ms. Humble obsessed bugs, I always like food and there are plenty of Eastern Washington farmers markets. Flush with farm fresh produce, honey, crafts and baked treats.

It was at one of these farmers market's in Manson that we came across a 10 year old selling something she called an almond kringle.  A slab of iced pastry scattered with almonds.