Today I have a few exciting announcements! Announcement #1: If you haven’t checked out Lazaro’s blog at Lazaro Cooks! be sure to do so! He is one of the most genuine people I know, and he is incredibly talented and passionate about what he does. Looking through his blog you’ll notice that everything he makes is a masterpiece (really, his food is that impressive). He’s starting a new series today called Foodie Friend Deconstruction Saturday and I am honored to say that he’s reinventing a couple of my dishes…I’m so excited to see what he makes! Thank you so much, Lazaro! Update: I’ve seen Lazaro’s […]...
Dark Chocolate Custard
Toppings, From Left to Right: Almonds, Raspberry Preserves, Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, and Fresh Mint When it comes to lusciously decadent desserts, chocolate custard takes the cake. Its velvety smooth texture and deep chocolate flavor are unparalleled, not to mention that it requires minimal ingredients and effort to make. Stick with small servings though, as this is very rich. I like to serve mine with various toppings, such as nuts, fruit preserves, shredded coconut, fresh mint, or chocolate chips. Chocolate Custard (Inspired by Food & Wine) (Yield: About 6 servings) 1 c half and half 1/3 c sugar 3 large egg yolks 3 1/2 oz good […]...
Giveaway Winner & Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes
I want to thank all of you who participated in my recent CSN giveaway! (They have some fabulous stuff, don’t they?) And the winner is… A huge congrats to Natalya S.! Natalya please email me and I will have your prize sent out. Ok, so I have a little confession to make. Remember back, before the chill of autumn’s crisp coolness took hold and required a warm blanket, a crackling fire, or a bowl of warm soup to cozy up with in the evening. Go back even longer than that, before the warmth of summer drove us to take refuge in cool breezes, swimming pools, […]...
Syrian Ice Cream (Éma’a)
At the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan comes a three-day holiday called Eid al-Fitr, which means “The Festival of Fast-Breaking”. People greet each other by saying Eid Mubarak (“Blessed Festival”), and during this time charity is given to needy families, gifts are given to children, and people get dressed up and visit family and friends. As you can imagine, food of every kind (but especially sweets) is abundant....
Spumone Pudding Cake {With Avocado}
Despite our hot and humid weather, I recently found myself in the mood to bake. I had about a quarter of a bag of cherries in the fridge and I knew I wanted to incorporate them into some kind of cake. I was thinking about making something with cherries and cream cheese, like cherry cheesecake cupcakes or cherry and cheese Danishes. Fate had other plans for me though. My visions of cherries and cheese were quickly altered when I opened the fridge to take out the cherries. There in the back of the fridge was a lonely (and kind-of sorry-looking) avocado. Now, there are plenty of things […]...
Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Lavender Shortbread Cookies are crisp and buttery, and subtly perfumed of lavender. Shortbread is an unleavened Scottish cookie that’s made primarily of flour, butter, and sugar. It has a crispy, crumbly texture and buttery flavor, and can be additionally flavored with just about anything sweet or savory, such as vanilla, coffee, or caraway seeds. I decided to flavor mine with lavender, since I was recently at a local organic store when I found some beautiful dried lavender that I couldn’t resist buying (I’m oddly drawn to uncommon ingredients ;) ). These cookies were fragrant and absolutely beautiful to look at. They made perfect party favors for […]...
Cherry Custard Tart
I wait all year long for cherry season and then when it comes around I buy them buy the bagful. (Ok, it might just be an addiction.) This recipe is a great way to use up some of the (millions of bagfuls of) cherries I’ve been buying. You probably look at this picture and see a bag of cherries. I look at it and see breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ok, I’m not that bad…but my cherry pitter is pretty much my new best friend. :) I absolutely love the sugar-cookie-like crust on this tart, but for me the sweet cherries really are the highlight of the […]...
Giveaway Winner & Recipe for Baklava
I want to thank all of you who participated in my Good Earth giveaway! And the winner is… Coco of Balance, Joy and Delicias! Coco, please email me your address so I can have your prize pack sent out. Now onto the baklava! The secret to a great baklava is the syrup, which serves two purposes: it makes the baklava sweet (the sweetness of the dish comes entirely from the syrup since there’s no sugar between the layers) and it moistens the baklava. Too much syrup and the baklava is soggy, too little and it’s dry. This might not sound like a big deal, but the texture […]...
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Independence Day (July 4th) is almost upon us, and along with it comes a host of outdoor picnics and parties. My family celebrates this day with a casual feast – fresh, local fruits and veggies, potato and pasta salads, and grilled meats. And always strawberry shortcake for dessert. I’m not a huge fan of strawberry shortcake in general (shocking, I know :) ), mostly because I don’t like how soggy the shortcake gets once the strawberries are scooped on top. These cute little cupcakes completely eliminate the soggy shortcake problem. And better yet, they can be made in advance. I’ve noticed that buttercream is a […]...
Happy Mother’s Day, Recipe for Strawberries & Cream Cake, & Giveaway Winner
I usually like to save the best for last, but since today is Mother’s Day I wanted to share the crowning jewel of my Mother’s Day Menu…dessert! Strawberries and cream are a classic summer combination; I wanted to do a new twist on an old classic and so this cake was born. I based this recipe on my double-crusted cheesecake (which was featured here on Delish…yay!). This cake is light and fresh and very summery with the strawberries; it’s the perfect ending to a beautiful Mother’s Day (or any summertime) meal. Happy Mother’s Day! Strawberries & Cream Cake (Yield: 1 cheesecake) Oatmeal-Almond Crust: 2/3 c […]...