Bunny Butter Cookie
Click to Skip to the Bunny Butter Cookie Recipe Baking a little slice of calm in a very chaotic world—and that’s exactly what inspired today’s recipe: Bunny Butter Cookies.
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Click to Skip to the Bunny Butter Cookie Recipe
Baking a little slice of calm in a very chaotic world—and that’s exactly what inspired today’s recipe: Bunny Butter Cookies.
If the state of the economy/world right now feels like being strapped into a roller coaster blindfolded… same. Whether it’s inflation, tech layoffs, or the ever-rising cost of groceries, a lot of us are feeling a bit wobbly these days. In moments like this, I turn to one of my favorite rituals: baking.
There’s something so grounding about measuring flour, creaming butter and sugar, and watching a batch of homemade cookies come to life in the oven. Baking a little slice of calm in a very chaotic world—and that’s exactly what inspired today’s recipe: Bunny Butter Cookies.
These cookies are bright, buttery, and full of colorful joy—perfect for Easter weekend, but honestly? They’re great anytime you need a dose of cozy comfort and creativity.
✨ Why You’ll Love This Bunny Butter Cookie Recipe
- Simple but stunning: One dough, three colours, and a fun cookie cutter are all you need.
- Therapeutic to make: Great for slowing down, zoning in, and letting yourself play with colour and shapes.
- Totally customizable: Don’t have a bunny cutter? No problem. Use flowers, hearts, stars—whatever you’ve got in your drawer. This dough is your canvas.
- It keeps its shape: This cookie batter doesn’t spread while baking and ruin your design!
Cheers to a good culinary therapy session,
-Frances
Bunny Butter Cookie
YIELD: 24 cookies
ACTIVE TIME: 90 min
TOTAL TIME (active + inactive time): 2 hours
CREDITS: Frances Lam
SUMMARY: These colourful Bunny Butter Cookies are the perfect Easter treat—easy to make, customizable with fun shapes and colours, and ideal for stress-relief baking. Get the full recipe!
INGREDIENTS
- 222 g (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 390 g (3 cups) flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 3 different food colour dyes (I used peach, sky blue, canary yellow)
Tools needed
- Rolling pin
- Various cookie cutters (small and large)
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- food-safe colouring
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until it’s light and fluffy—this should take about 2–3 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Slowly add this to the butter mixture. Start on low speed (so you don’t get a flour explosion!) then increase the speed until the dough JUST comes together.
- The dough should feel like playdough—not too sticky, not crumbly. If needed, add a spoonful of flour or a splash of water to get it just right.
- Take about ⅓ of the dough and split that into 3 portions. Add a different food colouring to each, then knead with your hands until the colour is evenly mixed in.
- Roll all the dough (plain and coloured) to about ⅛-inch (4mm) thick on individual pieces of parchment paper. If it gets too soft or sticky from overworking, pop it in the fridge for a few minutes. (See notes)
- Use small cookie cutters to cut shapes from the coloured dough. Arrange the coloured shapes however you like on the plain dough—this is your moment to shine. Once your pattern is done, lightly flour the surface, place parchment paper/silicone mat on top, and gently roll over everything to press the shapes into the base.
- Use a bunny-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Transfer to a lined baking sheet, chill in the fridge for 10 minutes, and then bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes. Take them out just before they start turning golden—once they brown, they’ve gone too far.
- Let cool on a rack and store in an airtight container. They’ll stay cute and fresh for a few days!
NOTES
- This cookie can also be used as a royal icing cookie base.
- Rolling your dough on top of parchment paper allows you to move it from counter to fridge easily. Slide a large cutting board under it when you need to manoeuvre from surface to surface.
- I encourage you to experiment with different cookie-cutter shapes instead of the bunny shape!
For Pinterest:
Click to Skip to the Almond Dacquoise Cake (with Peaches) Recipe
As the holiday ramps up, I wonder—how did the first world society as a whole become trapped in a never ending cycle of materialism and nihilism? I ponder for a good minute before I shake my head and pop onto the amazon app to add more to cart. Holiday Frances might be stressed and experiencing seasonal depression from the dreary weather, but this Almond Dacquoise Cake with Peaches turns my frown upside down.
What is a dacquoise? Pronounched ”Dä-ˈKwäz’, in the context of this recipe, we are refering to a nut meringue cake base. Like its cousin, the macaron, it involves folding ground nuts into whipped egg whites, but it does not require as much finesse in the handling. A dacquoise can be described as a cross between a bisuit and a sponge cake. It is slightly crisp on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside, although the ground almonds providing a chewier texture than a sponge cake.
The term dacquoise can also be used to refer to a ‘dessert cake made with layers of almond and hazelnut meringue and whipped cream or buttercream on a buttery biscuit base.’-Wikipedia.
This recipe was born of a need to use up a batch of ‘soon to expire’ almond meal, the knowledge from baking school that I could turn it into a cake base, and some frozen fruits at my disposal. It was a rather happy accident that it also is gluten free, which makes it more inclusive for various crowds!
The almond dacquoise base shared in this recipe is very versatile and can be paired with my types of fruits such as frozen peaches, blueberries, strawberries etc. I have only use frozen fruits with this recipe, however if you are using fresh fruits, know that they hold more water content so this might puddle or soak into the cake. (And if you try them, please do share your results with me!)
Cheers to a good culinary therapy session,
-Frances
Almond Dacquoise Cake with Peaches
YIELD: 2 x 6-inch cakes
ACTIVE TIME: 25 min
TOTAL TIME (active + inactive time): 1.5 hours
CREDITS: Frances Lam
SUMMARY: This Almond Dacquoise Cake (with Peaches) is not too sweet and contains a rich nutty flavour! It makes for an absolutely delicious gluten free dessert! The peaches can be replaced by other fruit such as blueberries, strawberries etc.
INGREDIENTS
Almond Dacquoise Cake
- 200 g egg whites (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp)
- 0.5 tspn cream of tartar (optional, helps with egg white structure)
- 70 g White sugar (1/3 cup)
- 100 g icing sugar (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp)
- 180 g almond meal (1.75 cups + 2 tbsp)
- 1 tspn cinnamon
- 1-2 Peaches (sliced) or 14-16 frozen peach slices
- Butter or oil spray (for cake pan prep)
- Cornstarch (for cake pan prep)
Glaze + Serving
- 2-3 tsp apricot jam
- 1 tbsp water
- Extra Icing sugar (for decoration)
Tools needed
- Mixer with whisk attachment, or whisk
- Spatula
- 2×6-inch cake pan
- Piping Bag + Tip
- Brush (for glaze)
INSTRUCTIONS
Peach Almond Dacquoise Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350 F). Prepare your cake pans by greasing/spraying with oil/butter and covering with cornstarch.
- Whisk the almond meal, cinnamon, and icing sugar together.
- Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed. Once the egg whites are mostly frothy and white, slowly add the white sugar while continuing to beat. You will know the meringue is ready when it forms stiff peaks (see notes).
- Fold the meringue into the dry mixture until just evenly combined, do not overmix otherwise it will deflate!
- Pipe one layer of the almond meringue into a greased 6-in cake pan (I pipe the outter circle and move inwards still piping in a circular shape). This layer should be roughly 1 cm tall. Spread the peaches onto the piped mixture in whatever decorative pattern you want to use and add another ring of the meringue along the inside edge of the cake pan. Repeat with the second cake pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes and turn the heat down to 325 F, continue to bake for another 35-45 minutes or until the edge has pulled away from the pan and the cake is firm and golden brown. Depending on how thick your piping is, it may take more or less time to reach this stage.
- To make the glaze, mix the apricot jam with 2 tsp of water, if it is not mixing well, heat the mixture in the microwave, stopping every 5 seconds to stir.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding it and brushing the apricot mixture onto the entire surface. This will help seal the moisture in.
To Serve or Store
- To serve: Sift icing sugar on top to decorate. Cut and serve. Goes well with whipped cream!
- For storage: This cake can also be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days in an airtight container. If freezing, wrap well with plastic wrap and eat within 4 weeks. Defrost in refridgerator before eating.
NOTES
- Cornstarch is wheat free, hence it is okay to use it for cake pan prep for a gluten free dessert.
- A stiff meringue peak can be checked by dipping your whisk into the meringue and pulling it out. If the meringue stands straight up, it is at a stiff peak. However it if curves over, it is a soft peak.
- ‘Folding’ is a technique used to gently integrate a light, airy component with a heavier mixture with the air bubbles in the light mixture intact, such as whipped egg whites with a batter. A spatula is often used to cut through the centre of the mixture, and then the mixture is scooped up from the bottom and folded over the top.
Behind the Scenes:
From the photo, you can probably tell that I did not have much space to work with on this shoot, as the other parts of my home were being used that day.
Recently I’ve boldly stepped into continuous lighting territory as my work into video has increased. Instead of using a softbox (which would take up too much room) I used the ringlight and propped a reflector across from it with the subject in the middle.
There are different ways to handle harsh lighting to make it look more natural and using a reflector is one of them.
Playing with the distance between the light and the subject is another one of them, the farther you are, the less intense the light, and usually the softer the shadows will be.
For Pinterest:
This easy Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee recipe will transform your fall parties forever. It’s both impressive and easy to make!
We live in this world of PSL that sneaks up on us in the fall and has us in its grasp until sometime after winter starts. And then it happens all over again the next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.
Once upon a time I spurned the pumpkin spice thrall that Starbucks had over society but I’ve come to accept and rejoice it (If you’re wondering when this switch happened, it was after my third PSL). This affection of pumpkin spice eventually led me to thinking about the various ways I could PSL my current recipes.
This Pumpkin Spice Crême Brûlée recipe has a 1:1 ratio of pumpkin and cream, so if a silky dense creme brulee with only a slight pumpkin flavour is what you’re looking for, this isn’t it.
I’ve tried this recipe with whole eggs and less cream and it just wasn’t the same as using egg yolks and a 1:1 cream to pumpkin ratio. Egg yolks made it richer, which is neccesary becasue the pumpkin puree has a lot of liquid in it to begin with.
Cheers to a good culinary therapy session,
-Frances
Pumpkin Spice Crême Brûlée
YIELD: 4-6 servings (ramekins)
ACTIVE TIME: 10 min
TOTAL TIME (active + inactive time): 1 hr 50 mins
CREDITS: Frances Lam
SUMMARY: Looking for a 🦃Thanksgiving party dessert that is both impressive and easy to make? This Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee recipe will transform your Fall parties forever! Make ahead to impress your date or for a house party!
INGREDIENTS
Pumpkin Creme Brulee
- 1 cup (250 g) Heavy Cream
- 1/3 cup (70 g) White Sugar
- 4 – 5 (75 g) Egg Yolks
- 1 cup (250 g) Canned Pumpkin Puree
- 1.5 tspn (1.5 g) Pumpkin Spice
- 1/8 tspn (1 g) salt
- 3 tbsp (40g) White Sugar (For sprinkling + torching)
Pumpkin Spice Mix
- 1.5 tspn Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tspn Ground Ginger
- 1/4 tspn Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 tspn Ground Cloves
- 1/8 tspn Ground Allspice
Tools needed
- Measuring cup and teaspoons OR a scale
- Medium Mixing bowl
- Small Saucepan
- Whisk (or a spatula to mix with)
- Oven Safe ramekins
- Large shallow oven safe pan (for the waterbath)
- Torch
INSTRUCTIONS
Pumpkin Creme Brulee Recipe
- In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and pumpkin spice on medium high heat, bring to a simmer and take off the heat.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the sugar and egg yolks, mix until smooth with a spatula or whisk, then mix in the pumpkin puree. If you’re using a whisk try to incorporate a little air as possible.
- Pour the heated cream slowly into the pumpkin and eggs, mixing constantly until completely smooth. Divide the mixture into the ramekins and bake in a waterbath (see notes) at 150 C (300 F) until set (about 30 – 50 minutes). The center should still jiggly when you shake the waterbath gently.
- Refrigerate the ramekins with plastic wrap covering. Rest for at least 1 hour or up to two days in the refrigerator if you are preparing ahead of time.
Torching
- To serve, add some white sugar into the ramekins and tilt the ramekin to spread it in an even layer. Torch the top evenly, taking care not to burn yourself, until the sugar forms a crispy carmelized layer. Serve immediately.
NOTES
- The thicker the layer of sugar that is torched, the louder the ‘crack’ sound is when you break through it!
- I used E.D.SMITH Pure Pumpkin which comes in a can. It’s available at most grocery stores including walmart, metro, foodbasic etc.
- The easiest way I’ve found to get a waterbath going is to place a towel at the bottom of the pan, add the ramekins on top, and place the entire pan in the oven before pouring the water into the pan. The water should reach at least halfway if not 3/4 of the height of the ramekins.
- I recommend a torch like this, available on amazon, which is an interchangeable head that you can lock onto any butane can: Sondiko Kitchen Culinary Torch
