Lavender Lemon Bars for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off

This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off, hosted by Heather at Girlichef and sponsored by Hyperion, who provided participants with a complimentary copy of the book. 

It's week 3 in the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight, the week I've been waiting for: Blogger's Choice. For the past two weeks, my fellow participants in the cook off and I have been baking a selection of recipes from the Joy the Baker Cookbook (just released!) chosen by our hostess, Heather at Girlichef.

You may recall that I've tried my hand at the chocolate fudge brownies, flax seed crackers, and mini chamomile cakes. They've all been a smashing success, but I have been itching to pick whatever I want from the book. And the choice was a no-brainer: these lavender lemon bars. Surprised I didn't choose one of the book's savory dishes when I had the chance? Well, I'm tricky like that.

Mini Beetroot Crepes Stuffed with Arugula, Goat Cheese & Ground Pistachio for the February 5 Star Makeover

The subject of this month's Five Star Makeover  - hosted as ever by the talented duo of Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! - is beets, an ingredient with endless possibilities if ever there was one. In fact, so many ideas popped into my head for this month's challenge I had a tough time choosing which dish to make.

Chamomile Mini Cakes with Honey Frosting for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight & Cook Off

This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off, hosted by Heather at Girlichef and sponsored by Hyperion, who provided participants with a complimentary copy of the book. 

Look at me - my second sweets post in as many weeks! Will wonders never cease? There is, of course, a perfectly good reason for my foray into the sweet side of life: For week two's recipe from the forthcoming  Joy the Baker Cookbook, our Cook Off hostess, Heather at Girlichef, chose these cute little chamomile mini cakes. Technically, I suppose you could call them cupcakes, but I'd rather think of them as elegant tea cakes. 

Flax Seed & Cracked Black Pepper Crackers for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight

This post is part of the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off, hosted by Heather at Girlichef and sponsored by Hyperion, who provided participants with a complimentary copy of the book. 

This week, Heather at Girlichef chose one sweet and ond one savory dish for those of us participating in the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight and Cook Off: chocolate fudge brownies with chocolate buttercream frosting, which I posted here, and these flaxseed and cracked pepper crackers. And while sweets are something I don't normally bake, I am back on terra firma with these crackers.

Chocolate Fudge Brownies with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting for the Joy the Baker Cookbook Spotlight & Cook Off

No, you don't need new glasses. That is a sweet treat you see on your computer screen, and not only that - it just so happens to be brownies.

Brownies on Tasty Trix. Heavens! But before you start gathering your canned goods and running to your backyard fallout shelter, let me explain. I have decided to play against type, for a very good reason.

New Orleans New Guard: Tweaking the Classics and Mixing it Up for an Almost Wordless Wednesday

In my last New Orleans post, I spoke about some classic and essential NOLA restaurants and dishes. And now, as promised, I'm going to share some newer spots and innovative  nibbles, some of which are destined to become New Orleans classics in their own right. That dish above - Oysters Delacroix, a succulent plate of plump Gulf oysters, bacon, Napa cabbage, and bread in a buttery broth -  is from one of my new favorite places, Green Goddess.