orange glazed cranberry bread

hi frands! how was break? how'd the first week of school go? i don't know about you guys, but i am ready to hit the ground running. it's been awhile since we posted. although m and i did get together over break, we didn't get to bake. instead, we did "educational" things, like go to a museum. & while we were there, we found this quaint little room meant to mimic the inside of a French cathedral and thought how nice it would be to have all our r8 meetings here.

look at how much space we would have compared to the tiny little room in the BSC! it ain't got anything on these sweet stained glass windows. (btw, m is totally going to kill me for uploading the picture with her yawning in it, but the other pics didn't come out right. sorry m, i'll do the dishes tonight.)

but anyway. you're not here for my ramblings about room aesthetics. you're here for pictures about food. oh yes.

though there is no r8 meeting this week, it didn't stop us from baking. we made a version of orange glazed cranberry bread (adapted from sally's baking addiction) but instead of fresh cranberries, we opted for some craisins and topped it all off with a streusel. so well, if you want a share, you'd better hop on a weekend bus and mosey over. #theroomiesareeatingitall

(note: unfortunately, i took these pictures in RAW on mike's camera & i currently don't have editing software. so these pictures are really ... green or... red. but rest assured, our taste buds are singing the chorus to handel's messiah with each bite.)

well, we hope you guys are staying safe and warm! & we can't wait to see all your faces next week. best of luck to your semester from r8 bakes!

love,
m&a

(yay grainy blown-up pictures! PC: mikeeee)

nian gao

happy monday from m&i! the end of the semester is near! hang tight!

after all the turkey and pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving, m and i are now turning towards a completely different treat for the week! r8 goes oriental. dun dun dun.

this week, in the baking sphere, we have nian gao--a chinese dessert of sticky sweetness and happiness. manna from heaven. it's typically made with glutinous rice flour and red bean paste. m did all the baking today because i have a chem exam i am supposed to be studying for and i basically watched her put everything together while devouring my pizza slice (aka dinner.)

the red bean paste looks awful on this picture because i don't have time to edit. but i assure you, it tastes delicious

the first half of the flour mixture is baked for 20ish minutes (don't quote me on this, because i wasn't really paying attention.) then the red bean paste is added and then topped with the 2nd half of the batter. if you're feeling extra fancy, you can also top it with additional toppings such as sesame seeds, raisins nuts, etc. we went with craisins and almond slivers this time around.

& here is the final product in all it's beauty! mmmm. next week, r8 bakes/makes mochi?!?! i mean, what else are we going to do with all the leftover glutinous rice flour? ;) oh dear, i better ask m first before i promise anything though. heh.

well, on fb, i told everyone that there was a hidden message amongst the toppings. it was amusing to see the comments. even more amusing to see mike's face when he asked and realized we had trolled you guys. sorry not sorry! #r8trolls (okay, seriously, i need to stop now.)

my favorite comment was from julie who said, "all i see is a bunch of raisins and almond silvers." good job girl, you were on the right track. [runs away from angry mob]

thanksgiving dinner

oh hi there! do you see that bird? yeup. that's right. in today's post, r8 bakes a turkey! what are you about to see is a flood of pictures because it's late and really i don't have to explain. it's thanksgiving. there's food. there's people. there's fellowship. but most importantly, there's food. jk. be grateful guys. for everything. okay lessgo.

flatbread pizzas

in the baking sphere this past week, r8 bakes diverged a little from its regular schedule & tested new waters by making.... [drum rolls please]... PIZZA! a big shoutout & thanks to the lins for hosting twenty something ravenous college students. no easy feat! we love you guys!

LOOK AT THIS SPREAD. we had basil, spinach, meat (two types of chicken, beef, & pepperoni), peppers, olives, mozzarella, broccoli, mushrooms, pineapples, assorted condiments and kale salad (not pictured). THANKS COSTCO. #pleasesponsorus #butactuallytho

also another shoutout to JLee for taking these photos! she had to get all the details of the pizza, so they're kinda jalapeño face.

[pumpkin] coffee cake

in the baking sphere this week, m & i made a scrumptious coffee cake!

the autumnal trio strikes again. finally after four weeks, we have finished this can of pumpkin puree. farewell pumpkin puree, you have served our bellies well.

i would write more but after whining about my practical all day, i have run out of words to say. halfway through typing this post, i turned to m and asked if she wanted to take over. the answer was no. so sorry guys, you're stuck with me. so pics. here. you know that's what you came for anyway.

pumpkin swirl brownies

tis the season for all things pumpkin, so over here at R8 bakes, m and i have basically been on a pumpkin kick the past two weeks.

last week, it was a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, which were happily received and devoured by most. (except for one person. yes, i'm calling you out william even though i doubt you shall ever see this).

this week, we have pumpkin swirl brownies. the brownies, of course, came from the box because ain't nobody got time for scratch. good ol' pillsbury never fails. the pumpkin puree was mixed with a dab of cream cheese as one would use to make cheesecake brownies. we so fancy.

image courtesy of m's phone

hello

welcome to r8 bakes! we'll be posting about our baked omnoms on here every once in a while!

you can find out more about r8 bakes HERE. ciao.