dessert

just when you think it can’t get any better.

cinnamon creme brulee

cinnamon creme brulee

Merry Christmas.
I hope you and your family and friends are happy and healthy, full of merriment and grace.
This is little dessert gift, from me to you. I adore the subtle flavor of cinnamon permeating this exquisite, always-welcome pot of cream. And I love that it is easy to make.
I use a little culinary blow torch to ‘brulee’ mine, but truth be told: I am hankering for a… [more]

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    whiskey bread pudding

    whiskey bread pudding

    This Thanksgiving I made 3 desserts. It seems like a lot, but then again long, lovely meals are about lingering at the table. And the more desserts you have to try—the longer you will sit and enjoy. I firmly believe if ‘Thanksgiving’ and ‘desserts’ are in the same sentence: all bets are off. You can open your plate for business, pile it high, guffaw at nearby dieters. You can hit… [more]

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      DaVinci Wine Cookbook: page 9 [of 10] DOLCI

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      Dolci.… [more] Dessert in Tuscany is often a simple cake, a fruit tart or cookies. Chocolate shows up too, but my experience with dessert is beverage-forward: Grappa or Vin Santo (sweet white wine) and always espresso. Once you have the drink down and are wholly satiated on the aforementioned multi-course meal, dessert is more of an excuse to stretch time and good conversation than showcasing multi-tiered dessert cakes or layers of

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        arborio rice pudding

        arborio rice pudding

        Though I have seen rice pudding with long-grain and basmati rice, I am committed to this arborio version. Just try it… you will know why.
        I have to say, after dipping my spoon a few-too-many-times into this dreamy pudding, the nostalgia hit me. My grandmother (who incidentally also loved canning, gardens, hummingbirds and apparently dreamy pudding) used to make a creamy rice for Sunday dinners. It wasn’t made with arborio—I… [more]

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          Spotlight: Rhubarb.

          Spotlight: Rhubarb.

          Did you like rhubarb growing up? I didn’t. Though I find that to be true of quite a laundry list of foods: tomatoes, bell peppers, avocados, eggplant… now I love them all.
          I bought rhubarb the other day through my CSA; I opened the box and my eyes went straight to these long, deep-red stalks. Rhubarb is stunning—probably the envy of celery. Celery gets used more, to be sure. But… [more]

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            Flourless Chocolate Cake.

            Flourless Chocolate Cake.

            We make this often at the cooking school, and serve it up with rum-whipped cream or just-made caramel—or even slowly simmered poached berries. A chocolate cake—a really good one—becomes a starting point for flavor plays, a brilliant stepping off point for mixing in the fruit of the season or contrasting flavors like vanilla cream anglaise or rum sauce.
            Besides: who doesn’t need a good chocolate cake recipe? Then it’s just … [more]

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              Upside down… pear and caramel cake

              Upside down... pear and caramel cake

              I am cooking like a mad-woman. And baking too! Now that I teach cooking classes (some at a nearby school, some private—in your home or mine!), I feel the need to ‘practice.’ What do I mean? I guess it means this teacher is always, always a student. Some love of learning thing…
              If there is one thing I learned at culinary school, it is just like any niche profession, graduate… [more]

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                a trio of Christmas confections

                a trio of Christmas confections

                I have my favorites. I decided not to make a dozen different kinds of cookies this year, but rather to hand-select a few of my favorites to bake for my best of friends and under-appreciated teachers. In fact, I narrowed it down to a small selection of yumminess. The chosen few—I knew—were sure to please. I would be giddy happy if someone handed me a tiny little, twine-wrapped box of … [more]

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                  Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust.

                  Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust.

                  You can make a whole cheesecake, individual tarts or bite-size tartlettes. I had a similar dessert years and years ago—and never forgot it. I searched and found this recipe—one that is equally memorable—and am so relieved it isn’t just a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There were a number of online options, but I chose this particular recipe… [more] from the Food Network.
                  Okay, yes: I made them with using a mini

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                    German Pancakes

                    German Pancakes

                    This is a cross between an omelet, souffle and thick crepe. Because I was in a hurry, I inadvertently inserted some serious short-cuts into the process… crossed my fingers and then soon thereafter: patted myself on the back. I usually pay quite close attention to instructions, but timing is everything: I had just cooked with my friend, and while chatting and cooking she shared some ‘kitchen flops’ that turned out… [more]

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