Bite-Sized #5: Spring-ish Baking
Plus chocolate mini egg cookies!
Hello!
Has spring sprung where you are? Or, like me, did you get just a whisper of warmth before second winter reared its head?
It’s ok. The weather is what it is; but seasons can be a state of mind. Personally, I’ve stored the snow pants away and am invoking spring through color and lighter flavors and textures in my baking.
On tap for today’s Bite-Sized newsletter: spring-y recipes for your consideration, a few non-baking tidbits, and a new cookie recipe!
Lemon Almond Poppyseed Loaf
Don’t tell my other loaf cakes, but this one might be my favorite. Smooth and velvety with an assertive zesty kick, a lemon almond poppyseed loaf effortlessly bridges us over from winter to spring. A straight-sided pullman pan (no lid needed) is my top choice for an elegant, straight-sided cake; but I also like baking this up in mini loaf pans for sharing.
Bake it: Lemon Almond Poppyseed Loaf Recipe on Cooktildelicious.com
Buttermilk Custard Panna Cotta
If you read my last newsletter, you might remember I have a thing for cultured dairy and custard. This buttermilk custard panna cotta was one of my first recipes in that vein, and probably the easiest: no actual baking needed! Creamy, buttermilk-spiked custard is set with just enough gelatin to gently wobble on your plate. This would pair perfectly with poached or roasted rhubarb, if you’re lucky enough to have some on hand.
(No) Bake it: Buttermilk Custard Panna Cotta on Substack
Strawberry Lemonade Meringue Roulade
Love pavlova but don’t love giving up your oven for a day? Meet the meringue roulade! Whereas a large pavlova can take a couple hours to bake plus another few to cool, a meringue roulade bakes up in half an hour and will be ready to roll (ha) soon afterwards. For this version, I’ve paired a strawberry-flavored meringue with lemon curd and whipped cream; but you can use the technique and your imagination to come up with your own creation!
Bake it: Strawberry Lemonade Meringue Roulade on Substack
Non-baking chat
Figure skating: Now that the Olympics are over, I’ve been filling the winter sport hole in my heart by rewatching classic figure skating routines like so:
I’m also adding this 2026 skate to my playlist of performances to remember. Thankful I tuned in live for this!
I’m not a full figure skating nerd, but did loosely follow the Grand Prix competitions this season to familiarize myself with the different athletes and routines. Perhaps I will follow the sport more closely through the next quad so I can be even more of an emotional wreck during Winter Olympics 2030!
Knitting: Needing to add more analog hobbies to my life, I started knitting over the winter break! I was very much inspired by talented sister-in-law, who knit my kids some precious hats last winter. I JUST finished my first sweater, which was a total thrill! Now, in addition to local flour mills (IYKYK), I will also be visiting local yarn shops whenever I travel; so please let me know your faves if you are a fellow needlecrafter.
OK, back to baking. It’s mini-egg season, and I decided we needed a chocolate version of our house-favorite brown butter M&M/mini egg cookies. We’re split half-and-half as to which we like best, which just means we make both recipes so everyone is happy. Tough work, isn’t it?
Chocolate Mini Egg Cookies
Makes about 12 cookies
Ingredients:
113g unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
50g chopped bittersweet/dark (70%) chocolate
150g all purpose flour
25g Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
90g light brown sugar
70g granulated sugar
1 large egg, cold
1 large egg yolk, cold
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
100g chocolate mini eggs, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
Method:
Make the cookie dough: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. You’re not trying to brown it or drive off any moisture, so don’t let it boil — pull it off when there are still a couple unmelted bits left and let the residual heat finish the job.
While the butter is melting, place the espresso powder (if using) and chopped bittersweet chocolate in a large bowl. Once the butter has melted, pour it over the chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has melted. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
Whisk the sugars into the butter until smooth and combined, followed by the egg and egg yolk. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold together until just combined. When just a few streaks of flour remain, add the 100g chopped mini eggs. Mix just until evenly distributed. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes, until the dough has firmed up but is still easily scoopable.
Preheat oven and prep the pans: While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Portion and bake: Portion the dough into ping-pong sized balls, about 55 grams (3 tbsp) each. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 2½ inches apart.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the edges are set but the centers are still soft and barely set, about 9-12 minutes. Rotate the sheet in the oven halfway through baking.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press the centers down with a spatula, if you like extra fudgy centers. Use a round cutter or spatula to nudge cookies into neat circles and press a few chopped mini egg pieces on top for decoration, if desired. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.