Nov 24 2014

Hidden Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies

Author: Jenna

It’s almost Christmas cookie season! Obviously I looooooove baking so the frenzy of cookie baking in the month before Christmas is basically my favorite time of the year. I have no idea how many batches of cookies my mom and I make each holiday season; maybe this year I’ll keep track but I’d almost be afraid at the answer. It has to be upwards of 50? So it’s a good thing all my friends love getting Christmas cookies for presents!

Ughhhh the anticipation is killing me. But I can’t justify starting Christmas cookie baking when it isn’t even Thanksgiving yet! I won’t even play holiday music until Friday. So what’s a girl to do when she wants to bake Christmas cookies but morally can’t yet? She turns her Christmas cookies into Thanksgiving cookies!

hidden pumpkin spice kiss cookies

And so we have the birth of Hidden Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies.

Nov 22 2014

Apple Layer Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Author: Jenna

Growing up, apple pie was my favorite dessert. Yeah I’d eat cake or cookies or ice cream, but if you put a slice of apple pie in front of me, you’d be my best friend for life–or at least until someone else gave me a slice of pie. My love even went as far as having an apple pie instead of a birthday cake for my 13th birthday party.

Apple Layer Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I should have made this cake that day, since it is the best of both worlds, a hybrid of apple pie and the best cake I’ve ever tasted. And I make a lot of cakes. If only I had come up with this recipe back then! Alas I wasn’t such a crazy baker back in my tween years so I had to wait a decade to develop the perfect apple pie cake.

Nov 20 2014

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread

Author: Jenna

Scottish shortbread is one of my favorite cookies, which is super bizarre because I am a card-carrying member of the Soft Cookie Club. But for some reason, Scottish shortbread makes me forget all soft cookies in favor of shortbread’s buttery sweetness. Top it with strawberry jam or lemon curd and I may just choose shortbread over scones (shocking, I know, but it’s a distinct possibility).

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread

The ~~problem~~ best part about this British cookie is the tradition behind it. Quick history lesson? Scottish shortbread is believed to have come from the medieval “biscuit bread”. Leftover bread dough was left out in a low oven to be twice-baked and covered in sugar and spices. Eventually the biscuit bread’s yeast was replaced by butter and supposedly Scottish shortbread is born.

Nov 17 2014

Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Author: Jenna

I’m feeling this weird stress and anxiety about Thanksgiving, but not for the reasons anyone would expect. It’s not the idea of a full day of cooking everything from scratch (down to the candied pecans for the salad…yeah I’m that girl) or the trying to reach that perfect balance between new exciting recipes and old classic recipes. It’s not even spending a night with my family (and those of you who know me outside of my blog know what I’m talking about!).

Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

All my stress and anxiety about Thanksgiving…it’s because I have too many amazing recipes I want to share with you that will no longer be socially appropriate after the 27^th. So many recipes, so little time. Hey! It’s a serious problem! And what’s worse is that I just want to keep baking more and more and end up adding four more recipes to my already overflowing queue.

Nov 13 2014

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cheesecake Bread and Muffins

Author: Jenna

I couldn’t help myself. Normally I try to post my recipes in order of when I make/photograph them–as long as they are seasonally appropriate–but today all that is going out the window. I got some awesome personal news this morning so we should all celebrate with cake!…ish desserts. That are seasonally appropriate.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cheesecake Bread

The name is a mouthful, and not just because you are probably saying it through a mouthful of this delicious quick bread. But it combines three amazing dessert components into one super duper amazing package. I mean, pumpkin? Cinnamon chips?! CHEESECAKE?! When will the incredibleness that is this bread end? Exactly. It won’t.

Nov 10 2014

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Author: Jenna

I’m baaaaack! Can I claim that I go so long between posts in order to give you ample time to make one recipe before I spring another one on you? No? Fine *pouting*. But I understand the tragedy at hand. We are in NOVEMBER (oh my lanta) and I have yet to give you a nice fall season or beginning of holiday season recipe. While the rest of the blogosphere is overdosing on pumpkin—which I am also consuming in too high of quantities—I thought I’d bring you a pumpkin free recipe. Let’s bring out some cinnamon instead.

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Oct 02 2014

Peach Crumble Bars

Author: Jenna

It’s October! Or at least I think it is. You don’t always believe the calendar when you live in California because, let’s face it, it’s frequently hotter in Fall than it is in Summer. Don’t believe me? It was 102°F today! Fall is supposed to be the season of sweaters and pumpkin spice everything (yes I am a full charter member of the Pumpkin Spice Obsession Club so be prepared), not short shorts and tropical fruits. But, that’s California for you! So let’s indulge in a couple more summery desserts before we give in to all things pumpkin and cream cheese covered.

Yes, everything with pumpkin requires cream cheese frosting.

Peach Crumble Bars

Sep 15 2014

Mango Coconut Macadamia Nut Scones

Author: Jenna

Remember my promise to post more regularly now that the roommate thing was over? Uh…oops. Just when you think your life is about to slow down, it speeds up even more. Murphy’s Law and all that, right? (Curse that darn Murphy! Who is Murphy anyway? If I give him scones will he cut me some slack?)

I definitely don’t want to bring acting up in this blog regularly, but I promise this isn’t really about acting. Acting just gave me the setting for The Great Mango Catastrophe of September 2014. The other weekend, I did this 5 manager showcase–short story even shorter you do a scene/monologue for 5 talent managers, they answer your questions, hopefully they like you and you like them, and we all celebrate with cake–after an audition in a completely different part of town. To kill the hours in between, I took a trip to Whole Foods for a little treat: MANGO.

Mango Coconut Macadamia Nut Scones

In case you didn’t know, mango is my absolute favorite fruit, and when Whole Foods has good mango, they have good mango! I was sooooooo excited to eat it after my showcase. But while I was there, disaster struck! THE CONTAINER OPENED UP IN MY BAG AND ALL THE MANGO SPILLED INTO MY PURSE!!!!

Aug 27 2014

Black and White Chocolate Chip Scones

Author: Jenna

Once upon a time (okay, a little over a year ago) I worked in a tea cafe. I had been a semi-regular customer there for years when I finally got the chance to be a server there, and I have to say it was one of my favorite restaurant jobs I ever had. And not just because at the end of our shifts, we got to take home one free scone. Yeah, I was spoiled.

black and white chocolate chip scones

What was interesting about the free scone situation was that when I was a customer before I worked there, all I ever ordered was the chocolate chip scone. I loved it! Then when I started my job, I suddenly switched and my favorite became the white chocolate chip scone. No idea what made me switch my allegiance. Now that I don’t waitress anymore and I make my own scones regularly, it felt like the right time to progress into a new favorite chocolate scone.

So stage three: The Black and White Chocolate Chip Scone.

Aug 19 2014

Peach Blackberry Scones

Author: Jenna

Wow it’s been a long time since I posted, but I promise you I have multiple valid excuses. As you may know, baking and blogging is just a side passion of mine. My actual career/job is acting. And this past month, my career has been taking off in so many directions that I’ve barely had time to do my laundry much less keep the blog current. We’re talking 20 auditions and 4 short film lead roles and multiple business meetings and acting classes! There have also been some living situation changes that have required a lot of additional attention, but with all that settled I can come back to Once Upon An Afternoon Tea and continue pursuing acting. So more scones for you

But scones aren’t the only thing on our teablog menus coming up! There’s a fun scone-based dessert, some cake, and our first real tea sandwich recipe in the queue. And a lot of delicious bars/tray bakes if I ever get around to photographing them…

Peach Blackberry Scones

Once Upon an Afternoon Tea

The Art of Afternoon Tea from Los Angeles and Beyond

Hidden Pumpkin Spice Kiss Cookies

Apple Layer Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Spice Shortbread

Sweet Potato Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cheesecake Bread and Muffins

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Peach Crumble Bars

Mango Coconut Macadamia Nut Scones

Black and White Chocolate Chip Scones

Peach Blackberry Scones