I finally had a free day to myself this Sunday with zero commitments, so my friend and I decided to try our hands at the French macaron. The macaron is probably one of the most intimidating baking challenges out there. If you mess up a ratio, forget to pop a few bubbles, or simply open the oven too soon, all can be lost. That said, we were determined to tease out the tricks of the pesky macaron. We made a number of different batches and tried a few different techniques to get the very best version – which, I won’t lie, took a good amount of time. After a few mishaps and broken macaron cookies (poor babies), we finally started to get the hang of it!…
all baking
Fig, Caramelized Onion + Goat Cheese Tart
Whenever I hit up my local farmer’s market, I’m always so tempted to snag myself some figs and just head for the hills to devour them whole. The biggest turn-off about a fig? The price tag. I don’t know about you, but I can’t justify spending $8 a basket on 6 or 7 beauties, no matter how perfectly ripe and tasty they happen to be. Luckily for me, I made a discovery last month that I have been waiting patiently to come to fruition (hah, get it): My neighbor’s fig tree….
Strawberry Thyme Galette
When it comes to fruit, I am pretty darn addicted to strawberries. I will buy a flat off the side of the road on the way home and by the time I walk in the door, there is nothing but little green tops left. …
Spanish Flan
The first time I attempted to make flan was Thanksgiving of this past year and I still have the scars to prove it. Hint for those who, like me, weren’t aware: melted sugar is HOT. The second time around I tried a different tactic with decidedly better results and significantly fewer sugar burns. It also tasted great, so that was a big plus.
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Mango Flower Custard Tart
I may not be the biggest sweets person on the planet, but man do I like making pretty desserts. It’s so fun to just zone out and only focus on getting the lattice on your blackberry pie juuuust right or getting the perfect char on your crème brûlée….
Mulberry Scones
Spring is here! For those of you out there who, like me, associate the change in weather with what fruits and veggies are in season, spring is a wonderful time for all things green and delicate.
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Cheesecake with Guava Sauce [GF]
Ah, the beloved cheesecake. As far as I’m concerned the cheesecake is about as American as an apple pie and a hefty scoop of super creamy vanilla ice cream. Which is why for the Opening Ceremony tonight, I’m having a few friends over to celebrate all things America over some snacks and this cream cheesy goodness.
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Spiced Pear Upside Down Cake
‘Tis the season for party planning, and Christmas desserts are a must in my book. My friend enlisted me with the task of baking the desserts for the Christmas White Elephant party she was having last night so I rose to the occasion and tried to think of the most festive, yet non-traditional desserts I could think of. With a little help from Bon Appetit, the spiced pear upside down cake was a huge hit. Plus it’s pretty impressive looking, which never hurts in the dessert world.
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Holiday Persimmon Cake
Anyone who knows me knows that putting together a Thanksgiving menu is my idea of a solid Friday night. I mean yes, there is usually a glass of wine involved to really get in that holiday spirit, but besides that it’s pretty much just me and my growing mountain of cookbooks. I know, I lead a very exciting life. This year I wanted to try a few different things in addition to the standard fare that the Thanksgiving feast is known for, starting with this persimmon cake.
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Mama T’s Sorbet Birthday Cake
Whenever it was one of our birthdays growing up, we would beg my Mom to make this cake. It’s basically the easiest thing in the world to make and doesn’t involve any baking! For kids born in the hot summer months, this was a major blessing for my Mom in the form of not having to turn on the oven….