These baked blueberry doughnuts have blueberries inside and out, coated with a blueberry glaze but also contain a surprise ingredient!

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Happy National Doughnut Day! I almost waited until Sunday to share this recipe in memory of the Science Sundays posts I used to share but when I found out today was doughnut day I couldn’t resist spilling the beans/blueberries a bit early.

Two months ago I was discussing how to make blueberry doughnuts taste more blueberry-ish with the owner of a local doughnut shop, Rose Dough Donuts, and discovered that the answer is ground coriander! Evidently coriander enhances blueberries and I will try to briefly explain how and why I used it in my baked blueberry doughnuts today.

Terpenes are naturally occurring aromatic compounds produced by many plants for their smell, taste, and color. Linalool is one type of terpene found in both (you guessed it) blueberries and coriander so if you add just a little coriander, preferably freshly ground, it tricks our mind into thinking there is more blueberry flavor in there.

I did also add a bit of lemon zest because citrus is also helpful in boosting those bloobs. I wasn’t taking any chances even though I used very fresh ripe blueberries that I picked up from a Farmers Market the very same day I made these baked blueberry doughnuts. Stumbling upon that market might be the real reason these blueberry doughnuts were born.

While baked doughnuts are never going to hold a candle to fried doughnuts they certainly win points in the cleanup category as I hate dealing with frying food and already have doughnut pans in my arsenal. It is a special day that I willingly deal with a vat of hot oil. Since I bet I am not alone in this sentiment, I present to you my baked blueberry doughnuts! Glazed with even more blueberry puree just incase the coriander and lemon wasn’t already doing enough work. I am not messing around when it comes to my blueberry doughnuts as they are one of my absolute favorites.

You should also try my baked strawberry-ginger glazed doughnuts that I dream about as well.

BAKED BLUEBERRY DOUGHNUTS

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Yield: 18 servings Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 8 Minutes 8 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

DOUGHNUTS

• 3/4 cup blueberries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar, separated
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, room temperature*
• 2 eggs, room temperature*
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted*
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

GLAZE

• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat 3 doughnut pans with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, toss the shopped blueberries with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and set aside to macerate for 10 minutes
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, lemon zest, coriander, and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients until incorporated.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients stir until just combined. Fold in the macerated blueberries until distributed..
5. Spoon or pipe the batter into the prepared pans, filling each mold about 2/3 full.
6. Bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan for about 3 minutes before removing onto a cooling rack.
7. While the doughnuts cool, prepare the icing. Puree the blueberries in a small food processor and passage through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a small bowl**. 
8. In a medium bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the blueberry puree and powdered sugar together. Dip doughnuts into the glaze, and allow to set for about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

*It is very important that the ingredients are room temperature. If they are cold the melted butter will harden when added. **Should yield approximately 1/4 cup. Use a rubber spatula if needed to help dislodge particles to let the puree run through.

Source: Adapted from my Baked Strawberry-Ginger Glazed Doughnuts.

Don’t be fooled, these deviled egg cookies might look like your standard party eggs on the appetizer table but they are meant for the dessert table!

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My original plan was to share these deviled egg cookies on April Fools’ Day because I legit fooled people into thinking they were deviled eggs, but alas I lost track of time and missed it by 2 days. Over the years I’ve not been the best at catching this holiday but I have shared plenty of silly-fun food recipes of the years.

For example: my recent carrot cake crepes, new ways of thinking of deviled eggs in the form of deviled potatoes and deviled strawberries, disaster turned fun holy crap cookies, rice krispie sushi for a nephew’s birthday, buckeye AND chocolate deviled eggs, and my every growing collection of Halloween and Cheetos recipes.

Some might say I have a thing for deviled eggs and deviled egg-like food. Some might be right, because obviously today is yet another silly deviled egg creation. This time instead of testing peoples limits by making a dessert filling for a real hard boiled egg white (it’s not that weird I promise, the egg white is just a mostly bland vehicle anyway) I went for something less scary for those that are not as adventurous – sugar cookies.

I baked these deviled egg cookies in an egg-shaped silicone baking mold a friend gifted to me for the sole purpose of making these (thanks Beth!). We had seen others online baking similar things but I had an idea – what if I dipped the tops in white chocolate to make them look like true egg whites? Sure enough if you dip them in white chocolate and lay them face down on wax paper, once they set and you peel them off they really do look like little egg white cavities ready to be filled with deviled egg filing. All that remained was a little lemon curd frosting for the filling and red sanding sugar for “paprika” to lock it in.

I do have to admit I was a little distressed that the white chocolate coated eggs weren’t perfectly shaped despite my best efforts to remedy the fact that the cookies obviously weren’t perfectly flat. However several people said they are more realistic to the struggles of peeling eggs to make deviled eggs which was hilariously accurate.

So instead of trying to make these again but *prettier* I decided to just go for it and share them in all their imperfect glory. The internet needs a little more reality even if it’s just in the chocolate coating of a cookie to make it look like a deviled egg. Even if deviled egg cookies are a bit of a distortion of reality – whoops!

DEVILED EGG COOKIES

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Yield: Approximately 20 Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

SUGAR COOKIE

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

TOPPING

• 6 oz. white chocolate candy coating
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Tbsp lemon curd
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• Yellow and red food coloring
• Red sanding sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat three 8-cavity egg-shaped silicone baking molds with nonstick spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Blend in the egg and vanilla just until incorporated.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture 1/3 at a time until incorporated.
4. Place a 1-1/2 tablespoon ball of dough into each cavity (I used a medium cookie scoop). Place silicone trays on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until the tops are slightly golden.
5. Remove from oven and immediately press an small indentation (where the egg yolk would have been if it were an egg) using the back of a measuring spoon. Allow to cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the cookies cool, prepare the white chocolate. Line a flat tray with wax paper; set aside.
7. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler (or metal/glass bowl over a pot of lightly simmering water). Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
8. Dip the top (flat side with indent) of the egg cookies into melted chocolate letting excess drip off. Place on wax paper, chocolate side down. Repeat with remaining cookies then refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. 
9. While the chocolate sets, prepare the frosting. In a small bowl, beat together the butter, lemon curd, and powdered sugar until creamy. Add a couple drops of yellow food coloring and the smallest drop possible of red, mixing into the frosting to create a rich yellow color. Add a little milk or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency, but should remind you of deviled egg filling.
10. Spoon or pipe into the indentations of the cooled, white chocolate topped egg cookies. Sprinkle to red sanding sugar to resemble paprika. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Source: Adapted from my Sugar Cookie Spoons.

Nutty pistachio and tangy lemon pair exceptionally well in these soft and pillowy pistachio lemon ricotta cookies, topped with a lemon glaze and even more pistachios.

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On the second day of Spring Sweets Week I gave to you, a batch of pistachio lemon ricotta cookies. They may not be as colorful as the blood orange ricotta cookies recipe from which they were derived, but they certainly pack as much flavor.

The earthy nuttiness of the pistachios pairs just as well with the zesty freshness of lemon as it does with lime (as seen in key lime pistachio cheesecake and lemon-lime pistachio bars). And in case you were unsure what flavor you are dealing with, the yellow lemon glaze on top sprinkled with chopped pistachios should help.

Normally I am not a soft/pillowy cookie fan but these pistachio lemon ricotta cookies have just the right about of chewiness that I am on board. Of course that meant that I had to chop up the pistachios more finely so as to not have large crunchy spots in these otherwise soft textured cookies.

Don’t get me wrong, I love nuts in cookies but my husband often seems off-put by surprise nuts inside so that’s why I chopped them up smaller. Granted I then saved the larger pieces for topping but at least you can see those coming. My logic is flawless, don’t come at me.

• Strawberry Swirl Banana Bread by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Sushki by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Baked Carrot Cake Donuts by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Sourdough Cardamom Buns by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Carrot Halwa by Magical Ingredients
• Lavender Creme Brulee by Art of Natural Living
• Chocolate Raspberry Marble Pound Cake by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Easy Lemon Curd by Rave About Food

PISTACHIO LEMON RICOTTA COOKIES

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Yield: 4 dozen Prep Time: 40 MInutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

COOKIES

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pistachios
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest (from ~5 lemons)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

GLAZE

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ~1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from ~5 lemons)
• Yellow food coloring, if desired
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, ricotta cheese, pistachios, zest, and vanilla and mix just until combined.
4. Add half the flour mixture and mix until combined. Repeat with the second half until a soft dough forms. Use a medium cookie scoop to roll into golf ball sized  balls and place on prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.
5. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the pans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Add the rest of the powdered sugar, then start to add the lemon juice a little at a time until you reach desired consistency (I prefer mine a bit less firm). Add a few drops of lemon food coloring, if desired, and mix until blended.
7. Spread glaze over the cooled cookies (or dip tops into the glaze) and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Let set until firm.

Source: Adapted from my Blood Orange Ricotta Cookies.

Turn store bought dough into these stunning baklava cinnamon rolls. If you don’t tell anyone they aren’t completely made from scratch, neither will I.

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Originally when I dreamed up the recipe for these baklava cinnamon rolls they were to be made from scratch. But then I decided to take a shortcut, like my ghost cinnamon rolls, and use premade refrigerated ones instead. With the addition of the baklava filling, it makes this recipe much more approachable.

Once you unroll those perfectly rolled refrigerated cinnamon rolls, you layer thin sheets of phyllo, brush with melted butter, sprinkle finely chopped cinnamon-walnuts on top and repeat three more times. Then you just have to roll them tightly back up, slice into 5 cinnamon rolls, and bake!

After about 25 minutes in the oven, you will have golden flaky beauties. They also will be much larger than the original packaged cinnamon rolls as you essentially doubled their filling, but they are worth the glow up.

While the baklava cinnamon rolls are baking, you take that little cup of icing from the package and add a little honey and lemon zest before drizzling evenly over the top of the hot rolls. Baklava cinnamon roll transformation complete!

It might seem like a shame to go through all that for just five baklava cinnamon rolls, but it was perfect for our house of two. If you have a lager party to entertain, thankfully it’s easy enough to buy a second can of cinnamon rolls and use more of that package of phyllo dough you already have for the first half.

Looking for more brunch ideas? Check on the roundup listed right before the recipe to se what my other foodie friends made today.

More Brunch Recipes:

• Easy Banana Snack Cake from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Lemon Basil Chicken Salad from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• BLT Eggs Benny from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Muffin Tin Omelets from Blogghetti
• Rhubarb Crumble Muffins from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail from A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Crown Royal Blackberry Sangria from Our Crafty Mom
• Easy Mini Cakes from Easy Recipes for One
• Chicken Limone from Art of Natural Living
• Cheese Danish Cups from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

BAKLAVA CINNAMON ROLLS

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Yield: 5 Servings Prep Time: 15 MInutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 4 oz. walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 (17.5 oz.) tube Grands Pillsbury cinnamon rolls*
• 6 thawed phyllo dough sheets (about 4 oz.), cut in half lengthwise*
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest (about 1/2 lemon)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts and cinnamon.
3. On a clean, lightly floured surface, unroll the cinnamon rolls without separating them. Place two sheets of phyllo over the unrolled dough, brush lightly with butter, and sprinkle top with 1/4 of the walnut mixture. Repeat 3 more times with remaining phyllo, butter, and walnuts.
4. Tightly roll dough back up, slice into 5 rolls and arrange in prepared pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the icing from the package with honey and lemon zest. 
7. When cinnamon rolls are done, immediately drizzle icing evenly over the top. Serve immediately. 

Notes

*You will have 12 long and thin sheets that should be about the same size as the unrolled cinnamon roll dough. If you don't use refrigerated dough and make them from scratch, you will need to double the filling and not cut the phyllo sheets in half.

It’s hard to beat fresh, homemade lemonade, especially when it’s basil lemonade. Whether you are prime summer time or end of season, you’ll be ready to pour another.

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Why yes, I am posting a new lemonade recipe in November, thank you for noticing. But as I write this the windows are open at 7:30pm because it is still in the mid 70s outside. So I will continue to enjoy this weather with a glass of this fresh basil lemonade in hand. Along with my nutella pear focaccia sandwich.

Even if you are not lucky enough to be experiencing global warming at its finest, chances are the basil in your garden is ready to be hacked down for the season. Other than making homemade basil pesto, this is the next best thing to use it up.

I first fell in love with herbed lemonade when I added thyme to it because it was overflowing in my garden. Next time I took it a step further with rosemary watermelon lemonade, so it wasn’t difficult to then land here on basil lemonade.

Making homemade basil lemonade is pretty straight forward. You make simple syrup by combining equal parts water and sugar. Once dissolved add the basil and let steep as it cools. Then combine with more water and fresh squeezed lemon juice. That’s it!

BASIL LEMONADE

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Yield: 6 Servings Prep Time: 35 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 6 cups water, divided
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 cups packed fresh basil
• 1-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 6 large lemons)
• Thin lemon slices or basil, for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups of the water and sugar to a boil. Simmer until sugar has dissolved. Add the basil, remove from heat, cover. and let steep for 30 minutes.
2. Strain into a pitcher. Discard basil. Add remaining 4-1/2 cups cold water and lemon juice to a pitcher and stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Pour into a glass filled with ice and garish with slice of lemon and basil.

Source: Adapted from my Rosemary Watermelon Lemonade.

This tangy and sweet blood orange curd tart had a nutty almond crust and is best served with a generous portion of tangy crème fraiche whipped cream on top.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the week’s recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

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It’s the final day of #SpringSweetsWeek 2024 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box! Regardless of whether the weather near you is actually presenting as spring, we are celebrating the official start of spring according to the calendar with plenty of spring sweets and a fun giveaway thanks to our #SpringSweetsWeek sponsors: Melissa’s Produce, Taylor and Colledge, and Selefina Spices.

Find out more about the three amazing prizes HERE before entering using the Rafflecopter at the end of this post.

Not to dissuade you from trying the lavender lemon creme brulee or green tea matcha cookies I shared this week, but I think this blood orange curd tart is the big winner of #SpringSweetsWeek. The recipe is definitely more involved than the other two, but good grief does it pay off. I loved it so much it spawned my basil lime curd tart topped with strawberries.

Between the nutty almond crust, the zesty but sweet blood orange curd, and the tangy crème fraiche whipped cream on top, every component has its place and together this blood orange curd tart is better than the sum of its parts. But if we are being honest here, I served my slice of blood orange curd tart with a much larger helping of crème fraiche whipped cream on top than these photos show. But I didn’t want to hide that beautiful blood orange color from the world!

• Blood Orange and Cardamom Bundt Cake from Blogghetti
• Blood Orange Creamsicle Pie from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Blood Orange Crinkle Cookies from Shockingly Delicious
• Cardamom Bread from Art of Natural Living
• Carrot Cake Cookies from Palatable Pastime
• Dragon Fruit Cheesecake Tart from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Dragon Fruit Lassi from That Recipe
• Dragon’s Turf Smoothie Bowl from For the Love of Food
• Easter Strawberries Recipe from In Our Spare Time
• Fig Crumble Bars from Cheesecurd In Paradise
• Fresh Fruit and Scone Breakfast Board from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Lavender Cardamom Mishti Doi from Magical Ingredients
• Lavender Cupcakes with Almond Glaze from Our Good Life
• Moist Meyer Lemon Loaf from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Tangerine Cheesecake Pretzel Cups from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Tangerine Olive Oil Cake from Jolene’s Recipe Journal

We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.

BLOOD ORANGE CURD TART

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Yield: 10 Servings Prep Time: 4 Hours 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 50 Minutes 50 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

CRUST

• 1/2 cup blanched almond flour/meal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 Tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tsp Taylor & College vanilla bean paste

FILLING

• 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 Tbsp Melissa's Produce blood orange zest 
• 1 cup Melissa's Produce blood orange juice
• 1/4 cup Melissa's Produce Meyer lemon juice
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks

TOPPING

• 1/2 cup crème fraiche
• 1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• Candied blood oranges or more zest, for decoration

Directions

1. Move the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
2. Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor* add the flours with the tapioca starch, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the top and drizzle with vanilla. Pulse until the dough clumps and the butter is fully incorporated, 20-30 seconds**. Add drops of cold water if needed to help it come together.
3. Coat a 4 x 14-inch tart pan with a removable bottom*** with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer dough into the pan and press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
4. Place tart pan directly on oven rack and bake until the top edges of the crust are just barely starting to turn golden, 15-20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack. Lower the oven temperature to 325ºF.
5. Make the filling: Place the butter and blood orange zest in a heatproof bowl, then set a mesh strainer over the bowl; set aside.
6. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, salt, eggs, and egg yolks. While continuing to whisk, gradually pour in the blood orange juice and lemon juice until combined. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches 160-165ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 5-10 minutes. Immediately pour the curd through the prepared mesh strainer and into the bowl of butter. Whisk to combine then pour into the cooled crust.
7. Bake the tart at 325ºF until the the center wobbles like firm gelatin when gently shaken, 20-30 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature on a wire rack for about an hour, then chill until firm, 3-4 hours or overnight.
8. Make the topping: When ready to serve, in a medium bowl, whip together the crème fraiche and heavy cream until it form soft peaks. Add the sugar and whip further until it forms firm peaks. Serve with whipped crème fraiche on top.

Notes

*Can also use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. **If using a stand mixer, run on medium-low until the dough comes together, 3–5 minutes. ***You can also use a 9-inch round tart pan.

Source: Adapted from The Bojon Gourmet and Bakes by Brown Sugar.

Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Selefina Spices, Melissa’s Produce, and Taylor and Colledge for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.   All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Three (3) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.

Turn a classic dessert into a springtime treat with lavender lemon creme brulee. A fancy looking dessert that can be made ahead of time!

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the week’s recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

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It’s time for #SpringSweetsWeek 2024 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box! Spring may not officially start until tomorrow, March 19th, but the sun has been shining and we are celebrating with plenty of spring sweets and a fun giveaway!

This year 17 food bloggers from around the country are sharing over 50 sweet recipes that are perfect for spring. So get ready to enjoy amazing spring treats like cupcakes, ice cream, pies, cakes, and more!

A huge thanks to our #SpringSweetsWeek sponsors that are helping us give away some great prizes. Thank you to Melissa’s Produce, Taylor and Colledge, and Selefina Spices for your generosity and support. We have an incredible giveaway this year with three amazing prizes which you can read about HERE before entering using the Rafflecopter at the end of this post.

The first thing that I made for this week was lavender lemon creme brulee, made with not just any lemons, but Melissa’s Produce Meyer lemons! And then instead of vanilla I used lavender extract paste from Taylor & Colledge.

While you use the zest from two lemons, you only need the juice from one. Therefore, I decided to slice up the second one and place it on top before torching the sugar. Why be wasteful?

Normally, my husband hates floral flavors in food but lavender is thankfully one he can enjoy. But it’s not overpowering in this lavender lemon creme brulee in case you are apprehensive about it.

I particularly love lavender and lemon together as evident by my list of recipes featuring that combo such as shortbread cookies, whoopie pies, chess pie, madeleines, and even lavender vodka lemonade.

• Banana Dragon Fruit Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Berry Triple Layer Cake from In Our Spare Time
• Blood Orange Crepe Suzette from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Blood Orange Crumb Muffins from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Blood Orange Posset from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Holiday Fruit Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake from Art of Natural Living
• Lemon Mousse Filled Crepe Cups with Berries from Blogghetti
• Lemon Raspberry Crepe Cake from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Meyer Lemon Almond Pound Cake from Cheesecurd In Paradise
• Meyer Lemon Upside Down Cake from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Split Seconds Cookies from Shockingly Delicious
• Springtime Chocolate Terrarium Dessert from For the Love of Food
• Sweet Crepes with Luscious Fruits from Our Good Life
• Tangerine Upside Down Cake from Magical Ingredients
• Tangerine Vanilla Fig Preserves from That Recipe

We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.

LAVENDER LEMON CREME BRULEE

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Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 4 Hours 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 Melissa's Produce meyer lemons
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp
• 1 tsp Taylor and Colledge lavender extract paste
• 4 Tbsp sugar

Directions

1. Zest the two lemons; zest aside. Juice one of the lemons; set aside. Slice the remaining lemon; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line the bottom of a large baking pan with a damp kitchen cloth.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
4. While water is boiling, combine cream, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 Tbsp lemon zest, and salt in saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally 4 -5 minutes, until steam rises.
5. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and lavender extract until smooth. Slowly drizzle hot cream into yolks, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until all the cream is incorporated. Pour mixture into four 6 oz ramekins.
6. Place ramekins on towel in baking dish, and place dish on oven rack. Pour boiling water into dish to halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover whole pan loosely with foil.
7. Bake 40-45 minutes, until centers are barely set. Chill ramekins in refrigerator 4-6 hours.
8. Before serving, place a lemon slice on top of each, sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over each. Use a kitchen torch* (or broiler placed 3 inches away) to brown top, 2-3 minutes.

Notes

*If you don't have a kitchen torch, you don't NEED one but they are definitely fun to play with. I found mine a few years ago in the hardware section at Walmart.

Source: Adapted from my Creme Brulee and The Spruce Eats.

It doesn’t get much prettier than this dragon fruit lemonade – made with fresh dragon fruit, lemon juice, and sweetened with real honey.

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I’ve never had the Starbuck’s dragon fruit lemonade, but I’ve seen a friend drink it fairly regularly and I’ve always wondered what it was like. So naturally when I found myself with a plethora of red dragon fruit, I seized the carp.

Obviously I made this recipe based on my own assumptions of what this beverage would taste like, using my rosemary watermelon lemonade recipe as a baseline. I actually considered adding an herb to this lemonade as well, but decided the dragon fruit was exotic enough.

However, instead of an herb I used real honey instead of sugar. I have a feeling the aforementioned coffee shop is not using fresh lemon juice, fresh dragon fruit puree, and real honey to make their dragon fruit lemonade. Maybe I’m wrong, in which case I applaud them. Either way, this homemade version is as delicious as it is gorgeous. Next time I want try a dragon fruit smoothie!

Serve it up for a fun festive Valentine’s day beverage, spike it on a hot summer day, or drink it on a Tuesday – whatever suits your fancy.

DRAGON FRUIT LEMONADE WITH HONEY

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Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 35 MInutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 cups water, divided
• 1-1/2 cups honey
• 3 cups pureed fresh red dragon fruit flesh
• 1-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 6 large lemons)
• Thin lemon slices or peels, for garnish

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1-1/2 cups of the water and honey to a boil. Simmer until honey has dissolved. Cover and let cool for 30 minutes.
2. Add remaining 1-1/2 cups cold water, dragon fruit puree, and lemon juice to a pitcher and stir. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Pour into a glass filled with ice and garish with slice of lemon.

Source: Adapted from my Rosemary Watermelon Lemonade.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake Muffins are a sweet edible memory. Fluffy lemon poppy seed muffins stuffed with cream cheese and covered in a crumble topping.

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When I think of lemon poppy seed muffins, those tiny bagged ones I used to sometimes have in my school lunches come to mind. They were deliciously sweet and tart morsels of childhood joy.

Fast forward to college and my next memory of lemon poppy seed is a sliced loaf with a cream cheese layer in the middle from one of the cafes on campus. Although I later discovered it was orange and lemon, the combination of lemon, poppy seed, and cream cheese stuck in my brain.

Since then, I have made several variations of the two memories: glazed lemon poppy seed cookies and also lemon poppy seed cheesecake thumbprints, lemon poppy seed madeleines perfect for serving with tea, glazed lemon poppy seed bread (like loaves of the mini muffins), and a slightly different Meyer lemon poppy seed pound cake,

Since I clearly can’t get enough, I finally combined the recipe for glazed lemon poppy seed bread with cream cheese. And to make it ever more special, I added a crumble topping. Which resulted in these fluffy lemon poppy seed muffins filled with sweet cream cheese finished with a sweet crumbly topping. They are like little bites of dreamy food memories.

Welcome to #BrunchWeek! This event has been around for over 7 years. It’s a fun way to share our love for all things brunch related to help celebrate Mother’s Day! We have 11 bloggers sharing over 30 recipes this year!! That’s 30 plus delicious recipes to help celebrate mothers, family, and friends. If you’re putting together a brunch, then you’ll appreciate all the variety this event offers! From cocktails to baked goods and even sandwiches, there’s something for everyone.

Here are today’s #BrunchWeek recipes:

• Caramel Simple Syrup from Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Chipotle Tacos de Papa from Magical Ingredients
• Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing from For the Love of Food
• Guava and Cream Cheese Pastelitos from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Hibiscus Lemonade from Art of Natural Living
• Key Lime Curd Mousse from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Orange Cream Scones from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Peanut butter, Bacon and Banana Stuffed Waffles from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Spreadable Whipped Cream Cheese (for bagels) from Palatable Pastime

LEMON POPPY SEED CHEESECAKE MUFFINS

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Yield: 1 dozen Prep Time: 35 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

FILLING

• 8 oz. cream cheese-room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

TOPPING

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

MUFFINS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup milk, room temperature
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 cavity cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the dry topping ingredients. Add melted butter and mix with a fork until coarse crumbs form; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, blend together the filling ingredients until smooth; set aside.
4. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl mix oil and sugar for about 2 minutes at high speed. Add eggs and beat until just incorporated. Then mix in the milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon extract for 2 more minutes. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients, and then fold in the poppy seeds until evenly distributed.
6. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of muffin mixture in each cup. Drop 1 heaping teaspoon of cream cheese mixture in the center of each muffin. Cover cream cheese filling with muffin mixture, filling each cup about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
7. Generously top each muffin with streusel crumbs.
8. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the center has set.
9. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from my Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread and OMG Chocolate Desserts.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

These carrot cake biscotti are dressed up for spring with a drizzle of lemon glaze and dried lemon peel on top. Perfect served with a cup of tea or enjoy alone!

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

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Somehow, in over 12 years these Carrot Cake Biscotti are only the third biscotti recipe to ever grace the pages of The Spiffy Cookie – the other two being Nutella Stuffed Biscotti and Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Biscotti (I like stuffed things, evidently).

But they are the ninth carrot cake-inspired recipe, joining the ranks of: Carrot Cake Banana Bread, Carrot Cake Batter Dip, Carrot Cake Cookies and even Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies, Carrot Cake Oatmeal, Carrot Cake Pecan Pie, Carrot Cake Waffles, and of course Carrot Cake.

I don’t know about you, but carrot cake is one of the first cake flavors I think during the season of spring.

To freshen up the flavor of carrot cake for spring even further, once they are double baked, these carrot cake biscotti are drizzled with lemon glaze and sprinkled with with dried lemon peel on top. You can thank the generous sponsors of #SpringSweetsWeek for that flavor inspiration.

Speaking of, make sure to check out the other delicious treats listed before the recipe card. Then after the recipe card you can learn more about these fabulous sponsors of ours and enter to win some sweet swag!

We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.

CARROT CAKE BISCOTTI

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Yield: 14 Biscotti Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 45 Minutes 45 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BISCOTTI

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot (about 1 medium)
• 1/2 cup shopped walnuts or pecans

TOPPING

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Dried lemon peel, optional for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time and extracts until just blended. Add the flour mixture on low speed of your mixer, stirring until smooth. Fold in the carrots and walnuts until evenly distributed.
4. Scoop the dough onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Roll out into a 10×6-inch rectangle. Carefully lift and transfer to a cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow it to cool on the pan for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F
6. Remove from the parchment and use a serrated knife to cut into 3/4-inch slices. Place back on the parchment-lined cookie sheet, cut-side-down, and bake 10 minutes. Flip and bake another 10 minutes or until golden.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. While the cookies cool, in a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar. Drizzle over cooled biscotti, sprinkles with dried lemon peel and allow to set before serving.

Source: Adapted from my Nutella Stuffed Biscotti and Lemon Olive Oil Sugar Cookies.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Selefina Spices, Anolon, Melissa’s Produce, and Taylor and Colledge for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The #SpringSweetsWeek giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.   All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Four (4) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.