Blackberry panna cotta

This blackberry panna cotta with a crème de cassis infused blackberry coulis was our Easter dessert. La dolce vita.

Lemon honey bee cake

I made this lemon honey bee cake for a garden dinner party 

that I had this summer. It was Bee-licious.

BEE-licious!

This lemon honey bee cake was my sweet offering at our family Easter party. The cake recipe is Ina Garten's, or the Barefoot Contessa's,  Lemon pound cake recipe. I put my own little little twist on it by baking it in a honey beehive pan (doesn't everyone have one?), then adding a judicious drizzle of honey to the final top glaze. It was BEE-licious.

+ + +

You may also like:

Lemon thyme cake

Here is the same Lemon pound cake recipe, 

except I also added in some fresh lemon thyme, 

and garnished with candied lemon slices and lemon balm leaves.

Chocolaty chocolate tart

How have never mentioned this utterly divine and wickedly chocolate glazed chocolate tart before? (The recipe comes from Bon Appetite magazine.) See those three layers? It's a trio of buttery chocolate, topped with whipped chocolate mousse, cloaked with chocolate ganache. That's three kinds of chocolate experiences on one tart! It's rich, and I've made it at least a dozen times and always get rave reviews. I don't change a thing on the BA recipe and like to serve it with slightly sweetened freshly whipped cream and raaaahhhhspbreeess. And if you have some fresh, edible pansies, even better.

INGREDIENTS for crust:
9 (5- by 2 1/4-inch) chocolate graham crackers (not chocolate-covered), finely ground
   (1 cup)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

For filling:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not more than 65% cacao if marked), chopped
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

For glaze:
2 tablespoon heavy cream
1 3/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon warm water

Equipment:
a 9-inch round fluted tart pan (1 inch deep)


PREPARATION
Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Stir together all ingredients and press evenly onto bottom and 3/4 inch up side of tart pan. Bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack 15 to 20 minutes

Make filling:
Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Whisk together eggs, vanilla, and salt in another bowl, then stir into melted chocolate.

Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until filling is set about 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Center will continue to set as tart cools.) Cool completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour.

Make glaze:
Bring cream to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup, then warm water.

Pour glaze onto tart, then tilt and rotate tart so glaze coats top evenly. Let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour... if you can!

NOTE: This tarts keeps well for several days—just make sure to glaze it while it's still warm.

Fresh fruit tart

This is my very favorite fruit tart recipe (originally from Cook's Illustrated magazine.), and also a favorite with my family… I've made it at least a dozen times! It's nice to make for parties because you can make both the buttery tart shell and the vanilla custard (pastry cream) way ahead of time, and then just assemble with the fruit of your choice just before your guests arrive or before you head out to your party. Glazing the fruit of your assembled tart with rum infused jelly makes your tart look trés French-pastry-shop awesome. The recipe is difficult to find on-line so here it is.

Classic Fresh Fruit Tart with Pastry Cream

Pastry Cream:
2 C. half and half
1/2 C. sugar
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks, chalazae removed
3 T. cornstarch
4 T. unsalted butter (cold) cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Tart Pastry
1 large egg yolk
1 T. heavy cream
1/2 t. vanilla
1 1/4 C. flour
2/3 C. confectioner’s sugar
1/4 t. salt
8 T. unsalted butter, very cold, cut into 1/2" cubes

Finishing glaze
3 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 tablespoon dark rum

For the pastry cream, heat half-and-half, 6 T. sugar and salt in saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.

Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in remaining 2 T. sugar and whisk until sugar has began to dissolve and mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in cornstarch until combined and mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

When half-and-half mixture reaches full simmer, gradually whisk into yolk mixture to temper. Return mixture to saucepan, scraping bowl with spatula; return to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on surface and mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer mixture to bowl, press plastic wrap directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 48 hours.

For tart pastry, whisk together yolk, cream, and vanilla in bowl. Pulse to combine flour, sugar and salt in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 15, 1-second pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until dough just comes together, about 25 seconds. Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour up to 48 hours.

Remove dough from refrigerator. Unwrap and roll out between lightly floured large sheets of parchment paper. Transfer dough to tart pan. Set dough-lined tart pan on large plate and freeze 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375. Set tart pan on baking sheet, press 12-in. square of foil inside frozen tart shell and over edges and fill with metal or ceramic pie weights. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating halfway through baking time. Remove from oven and carefully remove foil and weights by gathering edges of foil and pulling up and out. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer.

When tart shell is completely cool, spread cold pastry cream over bottom and top with fresh fruit. Place apricot preserves and rum in a saucepan to heat, then brush the warm glaze over the fruit to give it a shine. Serve within an hour or two.

Who put the ape in apricot?

I think the Cowardly Lion is the only one who 

knows that answer to that question, but I do 

know that this apricot tart was delicious! 

Life-changing bread

This delicious flourless bread recipe is a keeper. It's filled with fiber and reminds me of those dense German rye breads. What's unusual about this bread is that psyllium husk and water act as the binders, and there's also coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey or agave nectar), rolled oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, millet, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and hazelnuts. (The millet and pumpkin seeds were my addition) A slice of this bread is incredible toasted! Get the original recipe here from My New Roots, where nutritionist Sarah Britton calls this "the life-changing loaf of bread." She has gorgeous and amazing photos on her blog too.

Once you have the recipe down you can start experimenting. I made a version of this bread using orange infused cranberries, orange zest, pumpkin seeds and and walnuts. What a great combination of flavors! I sliced the bread, kept it in the freezer, and toast them when I want a blast of fiber. Makes a great on-the-go breakfast.

Pauli's pizzelles

My mom has been making these Italian pizzelle cookies at Christmastime for over fifty years now. Angelina, her Italian mother-in-law, taught her how to make them when she first married her husband Rudy, and I don't think she's missed a year since. Pauli learned to make pizzelles the hard way, on an ancient pizzelle iron that she bravely held over an open flame, so I know she's glad to use the easy, electric kind of pizzelle maker now. A few weeks ago we made a triple batch of the cookies together,  but better yet, we made a day of memories.

Pauli's pizzelles
ingredients
6 eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon anise seeds
1/4 tsp. anise oil

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and melted butter and mix until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, anise seeds, anise oil, and mix well. Cut dough into 4-5 sections. Dough should be firm enough to roll into long snakes. Then cut the snakes into 1 inch length sections. Roll each section into a ball and place onto the pizzelle iron for 50-60 seconds. Lift off the pizzelles with a fork and set them flat on a cookie rack to dry and firm up.

Thanks mom!

Momofuku's Crack pie

I've been wanting to make crack pie for years and I finally baked one for Thanksgiving. I first heard of it when I saw Anderson Cooper rave about it in a TV interview (I'm sure he was on a sugar high at the time), and besides that, the name is intriguing and fun. Don't worry, the pie's name is supposedly based on its addictive quality, not any ingredients used to make it. The recipe comes from Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC, and they sell a whole pie for $44. dollars (yikes!). Luckily the recipe was published in Bon Appetit mag. as well as several websites, and the ingredients to make it only add up to a mere $5 dollars.

So what does crack pie taste like? One of my favorite sweet treats is that part of making chocolate chip cookies when you blend the brown sugar and butter together. Two ingredients, nirvana. Well that's what this pie tastes like. Be warned though, that although there are healthy oats in the pie, it also has two whole sticks of butter. Making the pie is an interesting two-step process where you bake a mix of brown sugar, oats and butter in a big sheet pan like a giant oat cookie, then crumble that up to make the pie crust. Then more brown sugar, butter and eggs are mixed for the filling. Bake and the pie comes out all oozy, gooey and ridiculously good.

Alsatian onion tart

Once upon a time—before we had a house—we used to take amazing long trips to Europe. One such trip was in 1996 when we took a three-week tour of France, Germany and Austria. We still travel of course, but usually limit the time to two weeks, which I can't complain about! In those days of exploration and discovery we traveled simply, enjoyed the little things, and anything was possible. A picnic of local bread, cheese and fruits and wine on the grounds of a French chateau? Priceless. We made many precious memories driving our rented car from Paris to the Loire Valley and Alsace, then to Germany in the Mosel region and along the Rhine river, then over the German Alps to the Austrian Alps to Salzsburg and Vienna. We explored vineyards, chateaus, castles and of course, fabulous food and wine.

We first tasted an onion tart in on a warm autumn day in Colmar in the Alsace region of France, at a restaurant with tables right on the edge of a canal. Flowing heaps of colorful geraniums spilled over windowsills of enchanting homes and reflected on the river water as we drank our Riesling wine in cute green wine glasses. In those languid days, the air was always buttered with sunshine and anticipation, as it was on this particular day, when the waiter brought a warm onion tart for me and a charcuterie plate for Dan. Both were delectably memorable. When I got home from the trip I searched for an Alsatian onion tart recipe to make and I came across the one shown here. It's perfect with a salad made with apples because the tart and sweet flavor profiles balance perfectly with the rich tart. I dress the salad with my favorite autumn apple cider vinaigrette. I make this Alsatian onion tart just once a year, always in the autumn, and preferably on a warm day where we can sit outside in the sunshine and enjoy it—and reminisce about that warm autumn day in Alsace.

The canal in Colmar, France

Slowly brown the onions.

I put fresh thyme into the pie crust 

and blind-baked it before filling.

And voilà—Alsatian onion tart! 

The last slice

This was the last slice of sweet pear tart made with our homegrown pears. See all those different layers inside? It's basically the same as the French pear tart I made a few weeks back—with the pâte brisée crust, a layer of almond butter (freshly ground from Whole Foods that day!) and sliced almonds. But under those layers, right on the crust, I also added a layer of almond paste, which is much like marzipan but with more almonds. Good to the last flakey bite.

Poire française tarte

What do do with all those pears? Bake a poire française tarte, oui? I made this French pear tart for my aunt Margie's 90th birthday party on Sunday. Officially that makes her my oldest relative, and certainly the oldest person I know!

To make this tart I made Martha Stewart's pâte brisée pie crust, then the rest is sort of a creation of my own. I rolled out the dough and put it into tart shell—this one just happened to be a long rectangular one. Then I spread about 1/3 cup of almond butter on the bottom of the tart shell (I sometimes use almond paste). I roasted around 1/3 of a cup of slivered almonds and sprinkled a layer of them on the almond butter. In a bowl, I mixed 1 tbsp, flour, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. I peeled the pears,  (around 5 small ones or 3 large ones) then sliced them (you can also just half or quarter them) then I coated the pears in the flour and sugar mixture. Next, I arranged the pears in a herringbone pattern but arrange your pears however you wish. I sprinkled more almonds down the center, then dabbed with about 2 tbsp butter, and baked for 40-45 minutes in a 350° oven. When I removed the tart, I brushed with a glaze of apricot preserves and dark rum. I like to serve the tart with a delectable swirl of caramel sauce. 

Midsummer's daydream cheesecake

Daydreaming in the raspberry patch inspired this summer cheesecake, garnished with a tumble of blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, figs and ruby red currants. A crowning halo of wild blackberry brambles and wildflowers encircle the sweet mélange.

Fiddlehead fern tart

This fiddlehead fern tart was a taste of springtime! On a buttery square of puff pastry I spread a mix of grated Gruyere cheese, a beaten egg, a good splash of cream, salt and pepper. Then I toppled the blanched fiddleheads on top, and baked the tart in a 400° oven until it looked done—about 15 minutes. This would work well with asparagus too, as fiddleheads taste like a combo of asparagus and artichokes.

You may also like:

Fiddlehead fern and goat cheese salad

Fiddlehead fern farfalle

Violet cupcakes

Violets grow wherever they please on our yard and our pea gravel driveway. I used to always yank them out, but lately I've softened up to them, since they are such tough little ladies. I put their blossoms to use here on these darling mini cupcakes.

Cherry bombe!

Cherry blossoms look lovely on a tree or in a vase, but how about on a cake? The blush pink petals were the inspiration for this cherry-flavored cake (or, since this has a token layer of ice cream, a 'bombe'). I have an ancient bottle of cherry flavored kirsch that I only use about once a year when I make a cheese fondue, so I was happy to find another use for it ... in this sweet cherry bombe! I infused both the frosting and the cherry ice cream layer in the middle with the kirsch. It's da bomb!

Animal crackers in my soup

These cheese animal crackers were perfect

 with a bowl of chicken and rice soup.

Gâteau aux carottes

This is the Gâteau aux carottes (carrot cake!)

that I baked for my family Easter party this year. The cake was yummy,
and the vanilla candied carrot decorations were really good too. 

Les scourtins aux olives

French scourtrin cookies are a strange dichotomy—sweet, yet savory, salty, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Those aren't chocolate chips you're seeing, they're dry cured olives. Okay, buttery shortbread cookies with salty olives might not be for everyone, but I urge you to try them once. They are so easy to make, freeze well, and are trés bon with cocktails.

Greek Vasilopita bread

Happy New year to all! 

When I was growing up, our Russian neighbor Manishka (who was married to a very Greek man) used to deliver a Greek vasilopita bread to our family on New Year's day. It was round, plain, unadorned, and it was neither sweet nor savory. It was somewhere in the middle. It was slightsly citrusy, with a dash of anise-like spice, and definitely buttery. Ring-shaped cakes and breads symbolize wholeness and the completion of a full year'’s cycle. I searched the internet and most vasilopita breads that I found were all gussied up with any combination of sliced almonds, powdered sugar, dried fruits, or even the new year etched into the cake. Manya's bread was just very plain. But to us kids, it was both tasty and entertaining. According to Greek tradition, Manya would hide a coin in the batter before baking it. On New Year's day my father would etch an X on the bottom of the bread with a knife (to represent the cross) and slice the bread into as many pieces as there were family members around the table. Whoever was fortunate enough to get that coin in their piece of bread was blessed with good luck and prosperity throughout the year!