Together again, a full ensemble at play, igniting a memory of childhood - no, I'm not British, but I have many fond memories of my time abroad - freshly fried fish and chips, lamb kabobs, and the highly celebrated English tea. It was a time that I was introduced to, as an American, to sample a scone or three paired with marmalade or jam, and always a clotted cream. The items were usually plated for me, due to the age, but warm and delicious they always were. Whether it was baked fresh or bought from a local vendor, everyone knew just what to do, and I wanted to recreate it as I know how to do.

I was introduced to Clotted Cream during my youth, accompanying the warm scones and jams I ate during snack time. It was my "non-butter" - it would melt similarly, if not more quickly, was a bit creamier in texture, and contained a mild sweetness. If it was a mini-container of cream, I would warm the pack between my palms and allow my body heat to bring it to room temperature. In imagining my own adult version of a snack time (including scones and jam), clotted cream surely needed to make its way on the menu. This recipe is an adaptation of how it is made in factories and uncovered through a series of online reading. The basic principle: thin layer of heavy cream + heat source + time, and a clotted cream one will make.

'Food-astrophes' happen all the time in the kitchen, how can they not? The kitchen is a creative forum for a different kind of artist to explore various food thoughts, theories, recipes, and ingredients. Over-whipping whipped cream, for example, minutes before serving isn't unheard of; this do-it-at-home trick can validate those times the whipped cream was over-whipped ("Oh...I meant to make butter..."). Needing buttermilk? That can be done at home too. With a little research of recipe alternatives over the years, these tricks become less tricky and bolster the taste of most given dishes. As it can be guessed, this isn't a recipe as much as it is a shortcut to fulfill a few items absent the grocery list.

I grew up enjoying the simple sweet breads: zucchini, pumpkin, and banana - either my grandmother was always baking or she froze a few loaves in anticipation of the arrival of her grandkids. Banana bread was one of the staples that felt a bit 'more' than a bread - a legitimate splurge that took the cake, so to speak. To hint back at my childhood and make a rendition of a dessert standard in my family, I made this double-layer Banana Cake iced with an Almond Cream Cheese Frosting. The use of brown and white sugar with the natural sweetness of the banana actually created a lightness pairing well with the richness of the frosting. This cake was claimed by and distributed to friends and their tummies within 24 hours!

Baking was one of the childhood activities that, luckily, my parents promoted - and the result was a mix of delicious treats and baking disasters. I have learned a few lessons...but I still dabble, stir, whip, and frost and hope for the best. Lately, my gauge of quality are the friends that light up when I have the newest treat readied for consumption. This dessert is a very light rendition of the cupcake genre coupled with an even lighter 'frosting'. It was easy to eat in 1 to 3 bites, and a shame that I ran out so quickly!

Admittedly, I can never seem to make a boxed cake; said to be easy and heard to be true, yet for some reason I just can't seem to make it work in the kitchen. In my attempt to make a homemade version of a childhood favorite I came to this: a simple yellow cake. In the recipe I utilized the Rich Chocolate Ganache from a previous post whipped with a little cream to fluff. Yes, I was tempted to add in a little extra and did to some degree, but simply put, the cake served its memory; baked and layered, chilled and served, the cake yielded reactions of "Yummy!" "Sooooo goooood" "I want more cake!" I'm glad it's not still sitting in my kitchen, or I'd have some difficulty keeping away!

"Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate..." One of those 'single' words that can perk up the ears around and bring a smile to quite a number of people's faces. To be honest, chocolate isn't my natural go-to but to make an impressive side to present to some of my closest chocolate lovers - this one takes the cake. I made this particular ganache chocolate heavy to increase density and I added butter to weave in some gloss. The chocolate chosen can vary by taste, but for simplicity I used a common baking item: milk chocolate chips. The result is quite the decadent little treat.