Basil Buttercream Frosting

On June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, refrigeratedLeave a comment

My favorite childhood birthday cake was angel food, partly because it was always so light and airy and partly because it didn’t call for frosting. I was never a fan of the frostings that topped typical children’s cakes, which tasted supersweet and set up almost as stiff as pavlova. It wasn’t until I learned to make buttercream that I truly embraced frosted desserts.

As I explain this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, a good buttercream frosting is both rich and airy. It practically melts on your tongue, without leaving it feeling coated in sugar crystals. It accepts almost any flavor, from classic chocolate or vanilla bean to the unexpected in both color and taste, like the leafy green hue and hints of spiciness and anise imparted by basil.
Learn to make Basil Buttercream Frosting

Blackberry-Orange-Basil Sorbet

On June 12, 2025June 12, 2025 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, frozenLeave a comment

We’ve had such warm weather lately that it was a joy to mix up a batch of berry sorbet in celebration of family birthdays—and 9 years of writing this blog. If you’ve been following along from the beginning, you’ve witnessed how my little personal food project expanded to include a pickling cookbook, the Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, and articles and recipes for many other websites. I’m still having such fun playing with all sorts of food, especially slipping botanicals into unexpected recipes like sorbet.

Blackberries aren’t yet in season in the mountain and northwest regions, so I made this sorbet recipe from frozen fruit foraged last year and it tasted just as delicious as if the berries were fresh. Basil is just starting to produce enough leaves to sneak a few from the hoop house plants, although I also considered mint or thyme. The berries give this sorbet such an intense flavor that the herbal notes remain subtle, so experiment with whatever is at hand.
Learn to make Blackberry-Orange-Basil Sorbet

Garden-Fresh Basil Pesto and Homemade Pasta

On June 23, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, sauces4 Comments

When I started this blog 6 years ago, one of the first recipes I shared was Basil Pesto Base, which I make in large batches in my food processor every time our basil plants threaten to flower and then freeze to use all winter. But recently, I had the chance to test mortars and pestles for The Spruce Eats and became hooked on the creamy texture of freshly pounded basil pesto. My reviews haven’t gone live yet on that website, but I couldn’t resist sharing the recipe and technique I developed during testing in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon.

Once I had several batches of freshly pounded pesto, I also couldn’t resist trying my hand at scratch-made pasta. With some tips and tricks—and a hand-cranked, countertop pasta maker—homemade pasta turned out to be far less messy and far less difficult than I had anticipated, with tasty results that paired perfectly with creamy, mortar-pounded pesto.
Learn to make Garden-Fresh Basil Pesto and Homemade Pasta