It has been a few months since the folks at Good Cook challenged their bloggers to create a unique and original recipe using their products. With spring here and Easter right around the corner, they sent out their Spring Bark Mold and asked us to create a baked, chilled or frozen treat using the mold. As soon as I saw this silicone mold and the cute impressions of bunnies, butterflies, umbrellas, zig zags, flowers, etc., I couldn't wait to receive and start baking.
I thought that doing a chilled or frozen treat would be easy, so I decided to bake something in the mold instead. But what? If I had made a chilled treat, I think I would have gone the route of chocolate dipped rice krispie treats, or a white and dark chocolate bark recipe with Easter malted egg candies. All would have been tasty, but really not a challenge. Usually when I get a product like the Spring Bark Mold, I like to think outside the box and really put the product to the test. The packaging said that you could bake the silicone bark mold up to 500 degrees in the oven. So, I knew I wouldn't have a problem baking something.
In the end, I ended up making lavender tea cakes with a honey cream cheese filling. Yum! And, to get the impressions to show from the mold, I first baked the tea cakes, removed them to cool on a wire rack and then melted dark chocolate in the microwave and poured into the pours. Before the chocolate set, I returned the cooled tea cakes to the molds and then chilled them in the refrigerator. When all was said and done, here is what my chocolate dipped lavender tea cakes with honey cream cheese filling looked like.
I was surprised to find that this silicone mold was deep, as I wasn't expecting the tea cakes to be this big. In my mind, I was thinking they would be like a cookie with my cream cheese filling in the center, so that you could pick up and take a bite. While not a problem per everyone's praise, you had to serve in a plate and use a fork to enjoy my sweet treat. :-)
Are you in charge of Easter dinner dessert this year? Or, want to get creative this spring when it comes to baking sweet treats for your family to enjoy? Then, why not give my easy chocolate dipped lavender tea cakes with honey cream cheese filling a try. Not a fan of chocolate dipped foods? You can skip this step and just bake the tea cakes, sandwich them together with the filling or even frost the tops and serve warm. However you choose to serve up this delicious tea cakes, just be ready for the compliments to roll in and family and friends to ask for the recipe. :-) I will definitely be making these
again.
Chocolate Dipped Lavender Tea Cakes with Honey Cream Cheese Filling
Serves: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35-40 minutes for silicone mold or 55-60 minutes for prepared 9x9 pan
Ingredients:
For Honey Cream Cheese Filling:
1/2 cup honey
1 cup of confectioners sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 TBSP. unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For Lavender Tea Cakes:
1 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 lg. egg
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
2 TBSP. lavender, finely chopped
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
*optional zest of 1 lemon or orange
For Chocolate Dip (optional)
1/2 bag of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
Instructions:
Honey Cream Cheese Filling:
Cream honey, cream cheese and butter together in medium size bowl. Once combined, add in vanilla extract followed by slowly adding in confectioners sugar. Scrape down bowl in between adding more confectioners sugar to make sure mixture is combined well. Once confectioners sugar is incorporated, cover bowl with plastic wrap and place bowl in refrigerator until ready to use. Prior to using, let sit on counter to be brought to room temperature, so that it is easier to spread.
Lavender Tea Cakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together -- flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt,
With a hand mixer set at med./high speed, cream together butter and sugar. Once combined, slowly add in one lg. egg. Once combined, add the egg white, followed by the vanilla extract and then milk. Make sure to scrape down sides of bowl when mixing and combining ingredients. Then, slowly add in dry ingredients, again stopping in between to scrape down sides. Once combined, stir in finely chopped lavender and optional zest of lemon or orange.
Pour batter into silicone mold or 9x9 pan, which has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for silicone mold and 55-60 minutes for prepared loaf pan. Tea cakes are done when you can insert a toothpick into center and comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes in mold or loaf pan to cool, before transferring to wire rack to continue to cool.
Once cooled, add cream cheese filling between two tea cakes, or simply spread on top. Or, if you plan to dip in chocolate, do this before adding filling into center.
Chocolate Dip for Tea Cakes:
Put chocolate chips into glass measuring cup and in intervals of 30 seconds each, microwave on high. In between, stop and stir to combine. Once fully melted, pour into mold, or simply dip the tops of tea cakes into the chocolate. Place on baking sheet lined with wax paper and put in refrigerator to chill. If using a silicone mold, add chocolate and then put cooled tea cakes on top. Then, place mold in refrigerator for 1 hr. to set.
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And, in celebration of spring, the folks at Good Cook are offering Inspired by Savannah readers 25% off of their total order of items purchased from their Good Cook Sweet Creations line, which includes the Spring Bark Mold and these fun Sweet Creations spring cookware tools that will make baking even more fun...
To take advantage of the 25% off savings, make sure you use coupon code "SpringFling" at checkout when shopping at goodcook.com. Act fast as this coupon code is only valid for a limited time.
Disclosure: I was sent a sample from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.
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