Happy Birthday "Oh, By The Way" 2025!

Congratulations "Oh, By The Way," you are sixteen years old today!

Sixteen years ago, I had a dream in which I started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” When I woke up that morning, I went to the computer and promptly started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” Seriously--it was the first thing I did that morning, and yes, I often act out in waking life things I have dreamt.

"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/clothing or interior designer/model/singer/actor/gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/photo/film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/band... or, read this book/poem/inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”

Followers and regular readers: thank you so much! I hope you find this blog by turns fascinating, beautiful, interesting, moving, inspiring, informative, enriching, and uplifting. Welcome to the birthday party! This year I am virtually serving Julian Angel's Blueberry Cake with Lemon Curd with a glass of iced rose-matcha from Emily Laurae! Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, "OH, BY THE WAY!"

Happy Birthday "Oh, By The Way" 2024!

Congratulations "Oh, By The Way," you are fifteen years old today!

Fifteen years ago, I had a dream in which I started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” When I woke up that morning, I went to the computer and promptly started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” Seriously--it was the first thing I did that morning, and yes, I often act out in waking life things I have dreamt.

"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/clothing or interior designer/model/singer/actor/gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/photo/film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/band... or, read this book/poem/inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”

Followers and regular readers: thank you so much! I hope you find this blog by turns fascinating, beautiful, interesting, moving, inspiring, informative, enriching, and uplifting. Welcome to the birthday party! This year I am virtually serving a delicious pistachio cake from Jules at Bonni Bakery.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY "OH, BY THE WAY!"

Maple Glazed Pecan Shortbread Cookies

I came across this delicious-looking recipe for Maple Glazed Pecan Shortbread Cookies from recipe developer, food stylist, and photographer Emma Duckworth. I am going to gather my ingredients and make these for our cooler autumn nights here in Northern California...her instructions and notes seem so clear and easy to follow.

INGREDIENTS

Pecan Shortbread Cookies
--Butter- I recommend unsalted butter, as when adding the candied pecans or bacon, the additional salt is enough. Ensure the butter is at room temperature so it can be creamed well.
--Sugar - Granulated or caster sugar is used. The recipe states granulated as its mainstream, but either can be used.
--Flour - Plain (all-purpose) flour creates the perfect structure for the cookies to maintain their shape.
--Pecans - I recommend toasting the pecans before adding them to the shortbread. This isn't a pre-requisite, but I find the toasty, nutty flavour shines through. Note: Chop the pecans finely. Larger pieces will create rough, uneven edges on the cookies. Smaller pieces also distribute throughout the dough.
--Maple syrup - Just enough to add more flavour to the cookies; use proper maple syrup rather than the flavouring. Alternatively, add in vanilla extract.

Maple Glaze
--Powdered icing sugar- Sift well to remove any lumps
--Maple syrup - For the ultimate maple flavour, quite a bit of maple syrup of used to create a thick maple glaze.
--Butter - A small amount of butter added to the glaze creates a lovely gloss and helps the glaze set as the butter solidifies.

STEP 1. Cream together the butter, sugar and maple syrup. Cream until the butter is pale. Add the maple syrup in and give it a quick mix together. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl (Images 1 & 2).
STEP 2. Add in flour and pecans and beat them together. Add the flour and pecans into the creamed butter and, on low speed, mix them all together until they just combine. The dough will look quite raggedy (Images 3 & 4).

STEP 3. Form a dough and roll it out. With your hands, squeeze the cookie dough together, making a ball. Press it into a rough disc. Then on a lightly floured surface, roll it out (Images 5 & 6).

STEP 4. Cut out cookie shapes and chill. Use a floured cookie cutter, I have my leaf-shaped one here, and stamp out as many shapes as you can fit in the dough. Lay shortbread cutouts onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bring together any scraps, re-roll and stamp out more cookies. And then again, if needs be. When you re-form the dough, it pulls flour from the benchtop and may dry out the dough. A couple of drops of water to the dough helps (Images 7 & 8).

STEP 5. Bake. The cookies are baked until they're just turning golden on the edges. I like my shortbread soft and buttery. But if you'd prefer yours on the crisper side, leave them in the oven for a couple of minutes longer.

Maple Glaze

STEP 1. Make the Maple Glaze. Pop all the ingredients into a bowl and stir until smooth and lump-free. It's a thick glaze, but you can pop it in the microwave for ten seconds to loosen it up (Images 13 & 14).
STEP 2. Dip Pecan Shortbread Cookies into the glaze and decorate. Dip the top of each shortbread into the glaze and let any excess glaze drip off. Sprinkle the candied pecans.

For more recipes--and mouth-watering photos of desserts--visit Emma's website!
https://emmaduckworthbakes.com/

Happy Birthday "Oh, By The Way" 2023!

Congratulations "Oh, By The Way," you are fourteen years old today!

Fourteen years ago, I had a dream in which I started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” When I woke up that morning, I went to the computer and promptly started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” Seriously--it was the first thing I did that morning, and yes, I often act out in waking life things I have dreamt.

"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/clothing or interior designer/model/singer/actor/gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/photo/film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/band... or, read this book/poem/inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”

Followers and regular readers: thank you so much! I hope you find this blog fascinating, beautiful, interesting, moving, inspiring, informative, and uplifting. Welcome to the birthday party. This year I am virtually serving a gorgeous cake topped with incredibly realistic buttercream flowers from Atelier Soo in South Korea. Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OBTW!

Prosecco Popsicles

I am definitely going to serve these at a summer dinner party this year...drop fruit popsicles into prosecco and serve with a cheese plate! Couldn't be easier!

The Christmas Pudding

Follow these instructions from the 1861 book MRS. BEETON'S BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT, digitized at the University of Leeds Library, to make your own authentic English Christmas Pudding!

Happy Birthday "Oh, By The Way" 2022!

Congratulations "Oh, By The Way," you are thirteen years old today!

Thirteen years ago, I had a dream in which I started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” When I woke up that morning, I went to the computer and promptly started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” Seriously--it was the first thing I did that morning, and yes, I often act out in waking life things I have dreamt.

"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/clothing or interior designer/model/singer/actor/gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/photo/film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/band... or, read this book/poem/inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”

Followers and regular readers: thank you so much! I hope you find this blog fascinating, beautiful, interesting, moving, inspiring, informative, and uplifting. Welcome to the birthday party. This year I am virtually serving a gorgeous cake from Sigita at the fantastic Fern Cakery In Ireland...it's a pistachio sponge with homemade passion fruit curd and white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream frosting. Help yourself to a slice...with or without extra crushed pistachios for topping!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OBTW!

Honey Lemon Chiffon Pie With Bees

I love clever food and this pie looks very clever. Little bees are made from chocolate covered raisins and almond slices, and the honeycomb pattern is made from bubble wrap!

INGREDIENTS
1 (3.5 ounce) box chocolate-covered raisins
1/3 cup white chocolate melting wafers
Yellow food coloring
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 9″ blind-baked pie crust
1/4 cup cold water
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) unflavored powdered gelatin
1 cup clover honey, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh lemon juice, strained, divided
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
4 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream, divided
5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bubble wrap, to set
Lemon wheels, to garnish, optional
Flowers to garnish, optional

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Line the chocolate covered raisins in rows.
2. Place the white chocolate melting wafers and a few drops of food coloring in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave to melt according to package directions. Mix until smooth and yellow.
3. Dip a fork into the melted chocolate and then quickly wave the fork over the chocolate-covered raisins, back and forth, drizzling over the melted yellow chocolate to create stripes. Dip the ends of the almond slices into the remaining melted chocolate and press the almond slices onto the sides of the chocolate-covered raisins to create wings. Allow the chocolate to set before moving the bees.
4. Meanwhile, make an ice bath ready by partially filling a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water.
5. Pour 1/4 cup cold water into a saucepan and sprinkle all over with gelatin. Let the mixture sit until the gelatin absorbs all of the water, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup of the honey, and then whisk in the salt, 3/4 cup of the lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg yolks. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened slightly. Don’t let the mixture come to a full boil. It will continue to thicken much, much more as it cools.
6. Immediately transfer the saucepan to the ice bath to let cool until the lemon mixture is cold to the touch. Whisk occasionally to make sure the mixture is cooling evenly.
7. Beat 1 1/2 cups of the cream with 1/4 cup of the confectioner’s sugar until soft peaks form. Mix in the vanilla extract and beat again until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream, a bit at a time, into the cooled lemon mixture. Keep folding until smooth and well-combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Firmly press the bubble wrap, bubble-side down, onto the surface of the pie. Make sure that the filling has filled in all of the crevices in between the bubbles to get the neatest indentations. Transfer the pie to the freezer for at least 4 hours, to set. Once you can peel the bubble wrap off without disturbing the filling, it’s ready to glaze.
8. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the remaining honey and lemon juice and microwave for 30 seconds, or until softened. Mix well and brush over the top of the frozen pie. Refrigerate the pie for an hour to thaw.
9. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining cream and confectioner’s sugar until stiff peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream on top of the pie and decorate with the honey bees, lemon wheels, and flowers. Serve.

 

This delightful recipe comes from Morgan at Host The Toast.
https://hostthetoast.com/honey-lemon-chiffon-pie/

Terrazzo Chocolate and Black Sesame Cake

Regular readers may recall that one of my careers is as an interior designer and I am always sourcing flooring material for remodeling projects. A very old style of floor that was popular, fell out of favor, then came back only to fall out of favor again, and now seems to be back for another round is a flooring material called terrazzo.

The form of terrazzo used today derives partly from the 18th century pavimento alla Veneziana (Venetian pavement), and then from the 1920s to the 1940s, it was used in the Art Deco and Steamline Moderne styles of architecture and design. It came back briefly in the 70s, and now it is seeing a resurgence in popularity once again. Terrazzo consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, and stone set into some sort of binder like cement which is ground smooth and polished. The fun part of terrazzo is the possible colors and shapes--using different colored stones and different sized chunks of marble allow for a great variety of presentation.

And Katrina Cho created a clever cake that pays homage to the construction of this traditional flooring. She uses a chocolate cake base, but I suppose you could use any base, really. She uses a buttercream frosting infused with a paste of black sesame to mimic the cement base. And then chips of white chocolate infused with food coloring make the terrazzo pattern.

 

Cake:

150g (1 1/2 cup) granulated sugar
220g (1 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
100g (1 cup) cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
240g (1 cup) full fat coconut milk or buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
100g (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
170g (3/4 cup) boiling water

Black Sesame Buttercream:

3 sticks butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp black sesame paste (store-bought or recipe below)

White Chocolate Terrazzo Chips:

10 oz white chocolate chips
food coloring of choice

Black sesame paste:

1/2 cup toasted black sesame seeds
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tbsp sugar

In a small food processor, combine sesame seeds, canola oil, and sugar. Blend until smooth and somewhat loose. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Make the cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.

Whisk to combine sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk to combine eggs, coconut milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a few clumps of flour remain. Stir in boiling water and mix until smooth.

Pour the batter into the cake pans and smooth out the surface with an offset spatula. Bake until a tooth pick comes out of the center clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Set the cake over a wire rack and allow to fully cool.

Make the buttercream:

In the bowl of a standmixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine softened butter, powdered sugar, salt, and black sesame paste. Mix on bowl until most of the powdered sugar has incorporated. Increase speed to medium and continue to mix until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrap down the sides when needed.

Make the terrazzo chips:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler until smooth. Divide the chocolate into 3 microwave safe bowls. Add desired food coloring to each bowl and mix until you’re happy with the colors.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chocolate into a thin later with an offset spatula. Allow the chocolate to firm up on the counter or in the fridge.

Once set, cut the chocolate into small and larger shards.

Assemble the cake:

Spread the buttercream over the cake into an even layer.

Arrange the terrazzo chips over the buttercream and gently press down to set.

Cut and serve.

You can find the original recipe here at Cho's site:

https://eatchofood.com/blog/2021/1/30/terrazzo-sheet-cake

And here are some actual terrazzo floors for your inspiration!

Happy Birthday "Oh, By The Way" 2021!

Congratulations "Oh, By The Way," you are twelve years old today!

Twelve years ago, I had a dream in which I started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” When I woke up that morning, I went to the computer and promptly started a blog called “Oh, By The Way.” Seriously--it was the first thing I did that morning, and yes, I often act out in waking life things I have dreamt.

"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/clothing or interior designer/model/singer/actor/gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/photo/film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/band... or, read this book/poem/inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”

Followers and regular readers: thank you so much! I hope you find this blog fascinating, beautiful, interesting, moving, inspiring, informative, and uplifting. Welcome to the birthday party. This year I am virtually serving a delicious Rosewater Cheesecake. Help yourself to a slice...with or without strawberry-rose petal topping.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OBTW!

Holiday Cookies by Nectar and Stone

Located in Melbourne, Australia, Nectar and Stone is a fantastic bakery/confectioner run by Caroline Khoo. I am loving her "abstract" holiday cookies... look at that incredible icing, looking like modern art or agate...

http://nectarandstonemelbourne.com/

Le Bûche de Noël

The Bûche de Noël is a delightful, traditional French holiday dessert.

The name of this dessert means "Yule Log" and refers to the ancient tradition of burning a log decorated with holly, ivy, and pine cones at or around the Solstice, to mark the end of the winter season and the days getting longer. The fire to burn the log was always started with a remnant of the previous years' log, the keeping of which insured good luck throughout the year. When fireplaces became an increasing rarity in homes after 1900, the Bûche de Noël was born. Basically a sweet roulade, this holiday treat is made from genoise or sponge cake rolled with buttercream filling, and frosted/textured on the outside to resemble the bark of a tree branch. When cut, the spiral rolls of alternating cake and filling look cleverly like tree rings. The cake is then decorated with realistic-looking marzipan berries, mushrooms, pine cones, and holly leaves, and the entire dessert often receives a final dusting of powdered sugar to simulate a light snow fall. There are many on-line recipes to make your own Bûche de Noël at home, or check local bakeries for this seasonal treat. Joyeux Noël!

Craving