My friend Giselle had a cookbook from Grand Central Bakery that she never used. She thought I might enjoy it, so she gave it to me. The moment I saw the section on tea cookies, I wanted to make them. They are a perfect item to have in your freezer. Continue reading
I have mentioned this recipe to several celiac friends of mine. My mom found the original version in the Bon Appétit cookbook Taste of the World published in 1996—and I found a link to the recipe from a 1995 edition of Bon Appétit.
My mother enjoys trying new recipes, and this certainly was a winner. The original recipe calls for grated lemon peel, but I like to make it with orange zest. Most recently, I made this cake to finish off a Moroccan-themed dinner party. If you’re staying in for dinner instead of going out this evening, this is easy to make and makes a nice, light dessert, which also happens to be gluten-free. Continue reading
A client asked me to make some yummy pecan shortbread cookies for a cocktail party recently, and I knew just the recipe I was going to use as a starting point.
In December 2011, I made the Ginger Oat Cookies from The Grand Central Baking Book for another client and discovered the deliciousness of these shortbread cookies. Continue reading
I am not a pastry chef, but I occasionally make cakes for clients and friends for special occasions. When my friend Jessica–who I’ve known through rowing for the past 10 years–got married this November, that qualified as a special occasion.
Jessica and Simon were getting married in Hawaii, but they planned a reception for their friends and family in the Seattle area. For the party at Tulio, she wanted an elegant cake that served 75.
I suggested that Jessica choose a simple cake flavor (chocolate, vanilla or spice) and then select a more personal filling. Continue reading
Posted in Cooking advice, Desserts
Here is an easy and delicious fruit crostata that is deceptively simple to make. (A lot of the work can be done in the food processor, believe it or not.)
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a potluck at a friend’s house, and though I am not a big fan of potlucks from a culinary standpoint (the dishes rarely complement one another, which is something I spend my work days trying to achieve), I agreed to go because I always enjoy spending time with my friends.
I decided to make this crostata–essentially a free-form pie, or a tart made without a pan–for dessert, in part because I had some apples at home that needed to be used and also because it is a lovely fall dessert that goes with almost everything. Continue reading
My mom found a rice-crispy pop at a store last year and gave it to me to replicate. She, being a great cook and one who also likes to experiment with recipes, thought it looked simple enough to recreate.
They did turn out to be fairly easy. I started off making a basic batch of rice treats (here’s a link to the recipe for the Original Treats from Kellogg’s, to which I’ve made minor adjustments below), and waited for them to set. Once they were cool, I cut them into rectangles and started the fun part. Continue reading
As I promised a few weeks ago, when I posted a recipe for Roasted Zucchini with Ricotta and Mint, here’s another idea for what to do with zucchini. If your garden produced a lot of zucchini this year—or you simply love a moist chocolate cake—here’s a recipe you should bookmark to try soon. Continue reading
Thyme with Sage 