Niqui Bakes

An Italian former Chef/Baker creating and sharing recipes. Italian expat living in California. Former chef who has returned to baking in recent times.

Spurred by friends and family, I recently started offering my cookies and cakes for sale in El Dorado County, California. Eventually, I will be set up with a website and all proper contact links and info. Right now I am "flying the plane while it's being built". Good metaphor, don't you think? Anyway, for a little longer, message me here via Messenger to get in touch. My bakes are mostly from my Italian recipes, some German (I lived there as well a while back), and all baked from scratch using the freshest and best ingredients, as organic as possible. That is how I eat, so that is how I bake!

09/16/2026

New Curated Recipe for the Fall/Winter Festive Season! 🧡

"Festive Maple Pumpkin Bread”
A crowd-pleaser that is tender, moist and rich in flavor. Easy to make, too!

I have been making this pumpkin bread recipe since my restaurant years, and have recently revamped it and made it more festive with the addition of cranberries, pecans and a rum glaze.

$4 - for the downloadable PDF e-book at this link:
https://buymeacoffee.com/fdtb93k6gt/extras

In there you will find:
- exact recipe that is fine tuned and perfected
- recipe-specific tips for optimal results
- overall baking tips for the less experienced
- essential steps images
- steps summary
- live Amazon links to special ingredients & utensils (just in case)

AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND ITALIAN

Happy Baking!
🧡
M

07/30/2026

AUGUST ’26 FREE CALENDAR WALLPAPERS

Have you ever made home-made butter? It is so easy and so good!
Swipe the carousel to find out what you need and the 4 simple steps.

And fresh, home-made butter is featured on the new Calendar Wallpaper for August. And I can’t believe it’s already August, can you? We are already halfway through summer, when I could have summer (though maybe not quite so hot) all year round.

As always the digital wallpaper is available as a free download for all your devices at this page: https://tinyurl.com/4puazy7h

I hope you will enjoy it and have a fantastic August…. and maybe make butter (see quick recipe below).
xoxo
M
What you need to make butter:
1) fresh, heavy whipping cream
2) electric mixer (hand held or stand up)
3) only if desired: sea salt and your favorite fresh herbs for flavoring

Steps:
1) whip the cream till it separates from the buttermilk (about 10 minutes)
2) press together the butter and remove it from the liquid (which you will filter and save for another use), and wash the butter well in iced water (3 times)
3) if desired, season it with salt (go easy on this) and/or herbs
4) make a log and wrap in cling wrap, or place it in a serving bowl, and refrigerate
😋

07/14/2026

🍑 NEW CURATED RECIPE 🍑
Italian Pesche | Filled Cookies in 3 Versions: Classic, Lemon & Tiramisu

Pesche (pronounced paeskae) are an Italian classic that is made in two different ways depending on the baker and the area.
The main difference is in the base “structure” that will hold the filling: this base is either composed by two “pasta frolla” (Italian tender short crust) cookies, or two brioche buns.
But no matter the technique, they are always, always moaning good!

My favorites, and the ones I share in this recipe, start off as cookies, but by the time they are done, they are transformed into tender pastries, or pasticcini, that will disappear fast. Yes, everyone looooves them!

They are called Pesche, or Peaches, because they look like, and often are the size of, peaches.
They are not difficult to make, but they are multi-step, so rather labor intensive, especially if you choose to make them in assorted flavors like I often do.

As always, the downloadable PDF includes:
🍑 exact recipes (in grams) that are fine tuned and perfected
🍑 my own recipe-specific tips
🍑 overall baking tips
🍑 images for essential steps as needed
🍑 summary of prep steps
🍑 live Amazon links to special ingredients and equipment
🍑 Available in English & Italiano

Price is: $5.50
And you can find it in my shop at this link:
English: buymeacoffee.com/fdtb93k6gt/e/554953
Italiano: buymeacoffee.com/fdtb93k6gt/e/554964

Happy Baking!
🍑
M

06/10/2026

New Curated Recipe!

🌸 MELTING MOMENTS Cookies
Just a few ingredients and not a lot of steps to make, these cookies are deceivingly simple, yet also melt-in-your-mouth buttery bites filled with everyone’s favorite hazelnut-chocolate cream.
This recipe contains no eggs.

🌸 This 9-page downloadable PDF recipe:
- exact recipe that has been fine tuned and perfected
- recipe-specific tips
- overall baking tips
- step-by-step images as needed
- live Amazon links to special ingredients & utensils (just in case)

🌸 Available in English and Italiano

Price is $3.50
You can find the link to purchase at this link:
https://buymeacoffee.com/fdtb93k6gt/extras

Happy Baking!
🩷
M

06/03/2026

🍋 THE ULTIMATE LEMON CAKES | 1 RECIPE FOR 4 VERSIONS 🍋
+ a bonus recipe!

These are the most satisfying set of lemon cakes for lemon lovers.
They are all tender and light, yet moist and rich in flavor.
I have collected them into a beautifully designed downloadable PDF

🍋 Recipes included are:
- Classic Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze
- Upside-Down Lemon Loaf Cake
- Upside-Down 8-inch Round Lemon Cake (in photo)
- 9-inch Round Lemon Curd Swirl Cake
- Bonus Recipe: my Lemon Curd

🍋 You will also get:
- exact recipes that are fine tuned and perfected
- separate recipes for each version
- recipe-specific tips for each variation
- overall baking tips
- step-by-step images as needed
- live Amazon links to special ingredients & utensils (just in case)
- summary table of ingredients

🍋 Available in ENGLISH & ITALIANO

Price is $6.50
🩷 Link to purchase: https://buymeacoffee.com/fdtb93k6gt/extras/286716

HAPPY BAKING!
xoxo
M

05/22/2026

After several delays (for reasons most of you already know), I am finally excited to announce my Curated Recipes project!

These are recipes which I have developed and perfected over the years: mostly new ones (to you), some revamped from my restaurant years, and a few already published on my website and also revamped.

I am offering them as separate recipes (available in both English and Italian) so you can purchase just the ones you want. They come in downloadable PDF format so you will be able to save them on your devices and have them with you wherever you go.

To keep things simple, I have set up shop on a secure external platform called Buy Me A Coffee. Purchasing is easy and affordable, as prices start at $3.50 (USD).
I currently have 4 recipes already available for purchase with more to come by and by.

What you will find in each beautifully designed PDF:
- Exact recipes (in grams) that are fine tuned and perfected
- Recipe-specific tips for optimal results
- Overall baking tips
- Process images as needed
- Extra version(s) when available
- Live Amazon links to special ingredients and utensils

You can find out more and purchase from this page on my website: https://lifeoutofbounds.com/downloadable-recipes-sweet-things/

If you are a baker, I trust you will enjoy this new project of mine. If you are not a baker, maybe you know someone who is and it would be wonderful if you were to share this post with them. You could also purchase a recipe as a gift and then ask them to bake it for you!

And fear not, there are still plenty of recipes available for free on the blog.

Happy Baking!
xoxo
Monica

05/15/2026

Because, sometimes, the ultimate comfort food (other than Sunday Brunch) is afternoon tea in the garden.
These wonderful treats are from Patisserie Angelica in Sebastopol (Sonoma County, California) - which I definitely recommend.

I actually have a full and photo rich post about them on the blog if you like, right here:
https://lifeoutofbounds.com/.../patisserie-angelica.../

Wishing you a wonderful weekend of ease and comfort.
xoxo
M

04/22/2026

I had forgotten how easy and good Pie Pops are till I made some for a friend’s birthday tea party over this past weekend.

I made extra and put them in the freezer. They defrost quickly and are perfect for when a small sweet treat is “desperately” needed. 😄
Or you can make a bunch ahead for a party, too! Use your favorite pastry, or get mine, which is a classic Italian “pasta frolla”. Use your favorite fillings... or mine.

You can find the recipe right here:
https://lifeoutofbounds.com/2015/06/20/assorted-pie-pops-recipe/

Have fun baking!
xoxo
M

04/08/2026

Where to Eat in Italy | Varese town and surrounding area | Lombardia, Northern Italy

During my most recent six-months-long stay in Italy I wasn’t able to explore much. However, in the few moments of escape with friends, I have had the opportunity to discover some really good restaurants in my own area, which I am very happy to recommend.

Some I have known for a while, some are new to me. So I decided to gather them into a new blog post - which will be kept updated by and by.
That way, if you are planning to travel to Italy and explore the area of the many, many lakes, you can have a reference for where to eat well.

Here is the link to the post: https://tinyurl.com/yf4dh3zx

Happy trails and Buon Appetito!
xoxo
M

Address

Cameron Park, CA

Website

https://lifeoutofbounds.com/

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