Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Gingerbread Acorns



In celebration of 

National Bundt Cake Day

I'm joining





~ Acorn Cakelets ~

Majestic and long lived, 

many varieties of oak trees grow in Texas.




And with oak trees

come an abundance of acorns!




Squirrels scurry about to

gather their store for the winter months,

but I, too, like to gather a few of these

icons of autumn for a festive natural touch.




Autumn is when I like to use one of my

favorite teapots with its acorn finial.




And white linen napkins embroidered

with acorns and rusty brown oak leaves.




The current arctic blast pushing

cold temps as far down as the southern states

has us enjoying a cozy fire in the living room.





And these little gingerbread acorn bites

are the perfect addition for afternoon tea.




I've set out two cups

with the hope that you will join me.




Care for a bit

of sugar with your tea?




This little hand carved box

is one of the treasures I found

on my recent trip to Paris.




I don't use sugar in my tea, but couldn't

leave these petite sugar packages behind.

They make the perfect tea time souvenir

from favorite Paris Tea Salons,

especially when served in the antique French box.




A recipe for spice cake made into

three-dimensional treats filled with a

cream cheese icing came with the cakelet pan.




More yummy and delicious 

bite sized treats!




~ Acorn Cakelets ~

Printable Recipe




If you are looking for a savory treat,

the cakelet pan is also perfect for 

mini cornbread bites to serve for Thanksgiving.




You can use a packaged mix

or mix up your favorite cornbread recipe.





Old Fashioned Gingerbread

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1tsp ground ginger
1 cup dark molasses
1 tsp soda
1 cup boiling water

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs, flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and molasses.  Mix throughly.  dissolve soda in boiling water and add to batter.  Mix well.  Pour into greased 9"x11" pan and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.  When cool, dust with powdered sugar.  ( This is a cake like gingerbread.)


The recipe calls fora  9"x11" pan to bake the gingerbread and serve it as a piece of cake.  To adapt the recipe to bake in the acorn cakelet pan, I fill each cakelet half full, about 1 tbs. of batter, and bake till a toothpick comes out clean.  About 10-15 minutes.  Let cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan.  Using a toothpick helps lift out the acorns.




I purchased my pan at William Sonoma several years ago, but these versatile pans are still available from a variety of sources on line.   Click the link above for Nordic Ware site.

National Bundt Cake Day
November 15, 2014

Joining




Sarah
Sarah

The summer we married, my husband was in graduate school, and I was employed as a teacher. We took a portion of our savings that summer and purchased a sailboat. We christened our Catalina 22, “Hyacinths For The Soul” after Saadi’s poem. Our "Hyacinths" provided years of pleasure.

59 comments:

  1. Sarah, your little acorn treats are adorable. The dessert table setting looks so cozy...don't know about where you are, but here in east/central Kansas it is downright cold!
    Have a wonderful week.

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  2. What an inviting, cozy living room, Sarah! I'd love to join your for tea and an adorable acorn gingerbread treat. I love mini sizes of desserts and these are just perfect. Your idea for cornbread is a good one, too. I'm loving your acorn topped teapot and your pretty teacups. I do like sweetener in my tea and would be happy to take some from your trip to France.

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  3. I love these little acorn treats..you always have the neatest things.

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  4. So sweet, Sarah! I love the sugar box from Paris....how lovely! The acorn cakes are just right for the season.....

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  5. What a beautiful post, my friend! Your home is so warm and inviting!

    xo

    Andie

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  6. Your living room looks cozy and inviting and tea time sounds just about perfect right now!! Love those little acorn treats!

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  7. What a delightful setting and dessert! Did you say a nice 'addition' or 'addiction' to afternoon tea, lol?! Love your box yoo , Sarah. Thanks for sharing.
    Rita

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  8. Sara, I have to agree with everyone else that your living room looks so cozy and warm with the fire in the fireplace. The acorn cakelets are precious and the recipe sounds marvelous.

    The cold weather has moved into Ohio with a windy vengeance. It would be wonderful to snuggle up to a cozy fire and share some of those cakelets right now.

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  9. Gingerbread is one of my most favorites, and I can think of no better place to enjoy it than in front of a roaring fire. That would feel especially good tonight.

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  10. Bonjour,

    Une belle invitation !... Je viendrais volontiers savourer une tasse de thé et déguster un de ces gâteaux en forme de gland (je crois que je ne m'arrêterais pas à un seul !)... et en ce qui concerne le sucre, tout comme vous, je ne sucre jamais mon thé.

    Vos photos sont superbes.

    Gros bisous ☼

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  11. What a neat little pan! The "acorns" look might tempting, and I would not be able to eat just one. (Kind of like those infamous potato chips.)

    I love your fireplace!

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  12. I love those little acorn cakelettes.

    I wish I had known that it was bundt cake day because it would have given me an excuse to make a cake.

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  13. Your gingerbread cakelets sound wonderful Sarah and like the perfect bite size treat! I picked up that pan on sale at WS at the end of the season a couple of years ago and am embarrassed to say I haven't used it yet. I love the idea of baking cornbread in it! What a wonderful Paris souvenir your handcarved box is and what fun to stash your wonderful sachets de sucre in it. Your roaring fire setting looks like a cozy & delicious setting too :)

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  14. Gingerbread acorns! Very cute! Swooning over the caddy and the sugar packets.

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  15. I'm ready to come on over with a good book, ready to cozy up for reading and conversation. Oh yes, and let's not forget a cup of tea and an acorn bite! Such a beautiful post.

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  16. Love your presentation Sarah! Those acorn cakelets are so cute and offer a nice size dessert. Beautiful fireplace and so cozy looking with the cakes and tea!

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  17. Your gingerbread recipe sounds great Sarah, I've saved it! Love the idea of little cornbread acorns too:@)

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  18. Sarah dear, I'll take cake acorns over the real thing - especially as there are a zillion of the real ones piling up in the back garden and they are so hard to rake up…….and very heavy to haul away!

    Everything looks so warm and inviting, as always, in your beautiful home.

    Have a great weekend - we're expecting the big chill to hit this area tomorrow so will prepare the hearth for our first fire of the season, lovely!!!!

    Hugs, Mary

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  19. Good morning Sarah. Those little acorn cakes are adorable! I would love to have a cup of tea with you and sit by your fire. No sugar for me, just a spot of milk. Hugs, Rhondi

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  20. What an unusual pan Sarah! Your little acorns make the perfect sweet bite, and what a great idea for cornbread too! I would love to sit by your cozy fire for a cup of tea with your French souvenirs!
    Jenna

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  21. Lovely acorns all around!
    LOVE your tea accoutrements.. sugars..etc:)

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  22. Sarah this is just the perfect little bite isn't it!! Love the acorn pan and your creations. I do take sugar in my tea and would love a packet from Paris out of your amazing antique box. Oh my, wish I could just fly over a a pot of tea, bits of acorn goodies and a good chat with you!
    hugs,
    Linda

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  23. Sarah, such a lovely vignette. Your acorn cakelets are darling. I do have those too! Looks like you are ready for Thanksgiving. Your home and decor looks so warm and cozy.

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  24. Sarah, I love this little acorn pan. What a great idea to make a batch of acorn cakelets and leaving the cakes for another time. The perfect size to serve with coffee or tea. I love all your autumn vignettes around the house too. What a cozy room with the gorgeous leather chairs and tartan pillows. Love seeing some of your favorites pieces displayed on the shelves, this photo looks like it came from a magazine, beautiful! I have a Laura Ashley tea pot shaped like yours and a blue and while platter, Furnival I think, with the same pattern on your tea service. Still finding so many similar taste we share. Love the treasure you brought back from Paris!

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  25. I've never seen this view of your living room...so cozy and warm! Tea and sweets sound like a lovely treat for these cold days we are having! I don't use sugar but what a lovely presentation the sugars in your new box is.

    Thanks for the recipe. It sounds delish!

    Jane x

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  26. What a cozy, inviting invitation to tea! Your little acorns look delicious, they are such fun! I was going to try to make shortbread cookies in them, but haven't gotten to it. I made so many Bundt cakes, my freezer is stuffed!
    Thanks for taking the challenge. I know a sad anniversary is coming up, thinking of you!

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  27. Sarah, your living room is very inviting and the fireplace is great. What is it made out of? I'll trade you some pistachio cake for some of your acorn cakelets. I adore anything gingerbread, including flavored coffee. I think Starbucks is where I had it last year.

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  28. Dearest Sarah,
    Love your Paris treasure of that French oak box with oak leaves carved on its lid! Also your tray with the wooden trivet looks so beautiful.
    Yes, we get some real arctic cold here in the South! That is pure tea and coffee time; cozy indoors.
    Sending you warm hugs,
    Mariette

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  29. That is such an adorable pan for acorns, makes me want one immediately! That French oak box is lovely, what a treasure. Your home is lovely,warm, cozy and inviting. You met Kathleen's challenge beautifully! I'm sorry for the anniversary that is coming?
    My thoughts are with you sweet friend.
    FABBY

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  30. Those two chairs by the fire - what a lovely setting! I would love to have tea and acorn cakelets there :) They look delicious but it's everything else you've done that is just perfect.

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  31. Those acorn treats are so cute, Sarah! They look so good too that my mouth is watering right now....Christine

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  32. Sara, I've never seen a baking pan like this, but those acorns are adorable! Love the French sugar packets too! :)

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  33. Sarah, I keep looking at your cozy fire and thinking how perfect. Your acorn cakelets are darling, and I love your carved wooden box with the acorns. It's freezing here, too. Stay warm.

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  34. Quantas inspirações, Sara.

    Tudo tão lindo!

    beijinhos, tenha um ótimo final de semana,

    Lígia e =^.^=

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  35. Your acorn cakelets look so pretty and I bet they are delicious too! I love the box you got from Paris. Oh how nice it must have been to visit there! I would love to go!

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  36. Hi Sarah, Your acorn cakelets are so cute!! They are almost too cute to eat, but the recipe sounds delicious!

    Your fire looks so cozy on a cold day like today. We'll be using our fireplace soon too, I'm sure. Love your plaid throw cushions, your velvet pumpkins, and your hand-carved box from Paris. This is such a fun time of year for sprucing up our nests. :)

    Visiting from Home Sweet Home party -- hope you have a great weekend!

    Hugs,

    Denise at Forest Manor

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  37. Sarah, I love your pillows! I like the color of them, too because it really highlights the beautiful blue porcelain on the shelves in the background. Looks great with the leather of the chairs, too! Great choice! Those darling acorn cakelet are adorable! And since they are each so small, that probably means they have no calories so we can eat with abandon! :)

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  38. Love your little acorn cake lets.

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  39. These little acorn cakelets are too adorable for words. I bet they taste wonderful too! Thanks for sharing... saw you over at the Say G'Day party. Have a great weekend.
    Blessings,
    Nici

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  40. Hi Sarah, thanks for your visit and sweet comments. I enjoyed seeing the fireplace, etc. in your beautiful house! Very interesting items on the book shelves! The acorn cakelets look delicious and I love gingerbread! Good idea to make mini cornbread in the pans too! Sure wish I could join you for tea, especially the tea from Paris!

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Katherine

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  41. Sarah,
    As always your vignettes make me swoon. I love that cozy room with the fire lit, and your acorn china is gorgeous. I love the idea of bite size gingerbread with tea. You always make everything look so delicious. I love the way you set a mood and a gorgeous table.

    Karen

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  42. I could not pass up the acorn pan when I spotted it at Williams-Sonoma years ago. I love it. xo

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  43. Oh I love it all dear Sarah! We have 14 oak trees on our property! So lots of acorns and leaves. Sweet Guy is on raking duty and manages to gather about 6 large bags a week. :)

    Have a beautiful day!

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  44. The title brought me to your site! What lovely little treats! And they sound like they would be yummy. Now. I just have to find the pan in my price range!...

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  45. I own the same cakelet pan, Sarah. It is nice to make pumpkin muffins in it during the autumn season--good portion control is one could only eat one, which I can never seem to do! ;) I do love Nordic Ware and own way too many of their pretty pans!

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  46. Sarah your acorn treats look so yummy!
    Love your living room...so pretty!!

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  47. How cute and I know those little acorns must be so delicous! Thanks for sharing your recipe. We had our first snow today and are staying close to the fireplace. Your room looks lovely with the fire burning..stay warm.

    Miss Bloomers

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  48. Hi Sarah! Oh, your acorn treats look so good and cute too! You always put together such a pretty post. Love the snap of your pretty living room!
    Hope you're doing well.
    Be a sweetie
    Shelia ;)

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  49. What a warm and cozy home and I love your acorn treats!! Happy Monday!

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  50. Hi Sarah,

    LOL I've just finished researching for a Christmas bundt cake to make for my Sunday School class Christmas party! (I guess I celebrate Bundt Cake a bit late!)

    I love those sweet acorns; what a joy it would be to sit down with you.

    I see some blue, and I love it! Thanks for playing today.

    Happy Blue Monday!

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  51. These little cakelets are just darling Sarah! I love anything with an acorn theme. Who knew acorns could be so tasty? lol! Love your pretty tea set also. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  52. Hi Sarah! Such a fun filled post, cozy fire (sigh), we too, are in the deep freeze, but all the fun food festivities side, I was drawn to your turkey. Oh how I love Thanksgiving and yet I can not find a suitable fellow to grace my table! Always a pleasure visiting, although it has been a while. Thank you for sharing. Enjoy your week and please stay warm! Hugs, Anne

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  53. Sarah,
    It all looks so cozy there by the fire! Love that acorn pan!
    Sherry

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  54. Such a cozy spot! Love your recipe and in the shape of nuts...super cute!
    Thanks so much for sharing at AMAZE ME MONDAY...
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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  55. This is such a pretty post, Sarah. I wish I was sitting in one of those pretty leather chairs by your lovely fireplace right now. And I sure wouldn't mind having a cup of tea from your beautiful tea setting. I'd love to take home one of the mini tea packets, but I might try to take home the beautiful wooden box too! Those acorn cakes are so cute, and they are making my mouth water. laurie

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  56. Hi Sarah, just hopping back to let you know that I will be featuring you with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  57. I love that little box from Paris and the cozy look of your room. It makes me want to cuddle by the fire. Thanks for the invitation to tea.

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  58. Sarah, The acorn treats are really cute and now I have to buy the pan. Your room looks so cozy and beautiful.
    Hugs,
    Sherry

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