Cast Iron Peach Clafoutis
A soft vanilla scented batter, buttery crisp around the edges and loaded with sweet summer peaches.
Sweet
Cherry Amaretto Sidecar Cocktail
Almost sidecar, almost amaretto sour, this cocktail beautifully balances the cherries’ sweetness with the subtle nutty notes of amaretto and the citrus tang of fresh lemon. This drink isn’t boozy, it is- as it should be- mostly about the cherries. When the first cherries arrive they seem so grand, so dark and decadent, a reminder […]
Cast Iron Crumb Cake
Cast Iron Crumb Cake with lemon and cardamom Baked in a well seasoned cast iron skillet this crumb cake is bright with lemon zest and cardamom and comes together in about 45 minutes including cooking time. This past week, as I edited photos for an outside project, I was watching Girls, which made the outside […]
boozy orange caramel hot chocolate
Deliciously boozy and buttery homemade orange caramel sauce takes hot chocolate to the dizzyingly sumptuous sip and sigh territory, the treat I’m willing to wade through winter for. And while I’m busy pushing the resolutions aside why not add whipped cream (spiked, of course, with even more caramel sauce)? So this is Christmas Eve and […]
fresh orange and banana crepes: inspired by balinese banana pancakes
Last night I dreamt that I was at the airport with a wad of money in pocket and passport in hand eager to go anywhere, anywhere away. That was how I used to do it, pick a destination and go. And all these years later I still remember the heavy tropical air, the shadows cast […]
Chocolate Spice Cake-vegan and oil/fat free
Sometimes things don’t turn out as expected. Sometimes that is a good thing. Exhibit A-this cake. Far more complex than I imagined in my head- on the first day the spice is more pronounced, by the third day it has mellowed. And on that third day, if you’ve been busy or patient, you will discover […]
Brown Butter Flourless Chocolate Cake
One bowl, one pan: one amazing dense and rich dark chocolate cake. This baby was flourless before gluten free was cool. The brown butter and the deep berry notes of the unsweetened chocolate make this marvelously chocolately and not too sweet. Delicious on its own sprinkled with a bit of confectioners sugar or serve with […]
Individual Blueberry Pies w/ vanilla shortbread crust
A blend of cooked blueberries and fresh nestled in a crisp vanilla shortbread crust that you can make ahead. Very little prep but oh so much reward. You can bet that anytime I’m on dessert duty this summer this is what you’ll get (unless you ask for chocolate). Guess what I had for breakfast? I […]
Easy and Refreshing Ginger Peach Granita
A deliciously easy peachy frozen treat that comes together in minutes but can last in the freezer for weeks. The perfect fruity ending to a summer barbecue or a wonderfully cooling mid day treat. Are you drowning in superlatives yet? ‘Cause I’m sorta hot and cranky and so it’s hard for me to get […]
Fresh Cherry Cheesecake Tart
This mix up of all my favorite desserts- cherry pie, cheese cake, any and all tarts is the perfect showcase for gloriously sweet fresh summertime cherries. Fresh Cherry Cheesecake Tart Because I know what pan I baked this in I’m insisting on calling it a tart even though everyone at dinner last night kept complementing […]
Strawberry Rose Popsicle Type Treats (Fruit Pops)
Strawberry Rose Popsicle Type Treats (Fruit Pops) Yesterday was the day of the great wallow. Hiding in a dark basement on a sunny day looking through old photos and reveling in sad. Most days I know I’ve got it pretty good, most days I am thankful, thankful for so many things including being blessed with […]
Strawberry Honey Skillet Cornbread
Tender moist cornbread swirled with fresh strawberries and honey. The strawberries, in addition to adding a whole new level of yum to the scent of baking cornbread are also the perfect foil for a tangy vinegar barbecue sauce. Delicious slathered with butter and topped with some of the remaining strawberry sauce. Sub this out for […]
Chocolate Sorbet- no dairy, no ice cream maker
Chocolate Sorbet- no dairy, no ice cream maker, no problem. The best vegan or dairy free desserts are the ones I make in spite of that. Fresh fruit is obvious but chocolate? Ice cream? But somehow I fell down an internet rabbit hole and landed in the land of aquafaba, which is fancy talk for […]
sourdough waffles: a tribute
Sourdough Waffles: A tribute The kitchen of my childhood was not ours. We moved around a lot, never more than a few years anywhere, so even though I could give you more details about the kitchens of those houses and apartments (and even for a summer, an Airstream) than any other room; it […]
Almost an Angel: Sponge cake made easy w/ strawberries & rose whipped cream
A simple and light sponge cake, made with either duck eggs or chicken eggs, the perfect complement to fresh spring strawberries and whipped cream. Call this what you will: Chiffon cake without oil or a sponge cake, this recipe, if you have a stand mixer, is so easy and such the perfect foil for tart […]
Banana Cardamom Fritters
What to do when the last few bananas go past the eating stage? Start dreaming of banana cream pie. What to do when someone who has a different idea of too ripe eats one of those bananas ? Start dreaming of fritters. Bite sized, heavy on the vanilla and banana with just a hint of […]
Extra Stout Ice Cream Float w/ maple bourbon caramel sauce
Ice cream floats for grown ups. Smoked Maple Bourbon Caramel sauce drizzled over your choice of Milk Chocolate Extra Stout or Double Vanilla Ice Cream and Extra Stout Beer. Yesterday we had an ice cream social, the house full of family, friends, and stout (root beer for the kids). I guess you could also call […]
kiwi key lime pie with a gluten-free graham cracker crust
Celebrate Pi day with Pie. Melty meringue spiced with just a hint of Garam Masala baked over a creamy kiwi lime filling that is tart and sweet and perfectly complemented by a gluten-free graham cracker crust. I’ve had pie on the brain perhaps because 3.1415 was about as far as I ever took to memorize […]
Gluten-Free Honey Graham Crackers
Not too sweet and spiced how you want them these simple to make gluten free graham style crackers are delicious on their own and amazing in pie crusts.
Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes
I own a lot of cookbooks but there is only one that is tattered and torn, with bookmarks made from scraps of paper scrawled with recipes shoved between the pages of almost every section, that is the Joy of Cooking. Almost all the staples, the pancakes, the cornbread, started there, those recipes are how I […]
Blood Orange Chocolate Soufflés
Light and airy with ribbons of dark chocolate swirled in citrus. A soufflé baked in an orange, perfect if you don’t happen to have ramekins lying around the house. Perfect even if you don’t know what a ramekin is because these aren’t hard to make, the most difficult part is getting the orange out of […]
a big blueberry biscuit heart
Be still my blueberry heart Biscuit dough subtly scented with vanilla wrapped around blueberry cardamom filling, baked until bubbling. A heart shaped box filled with fruity blueberry love and cardamom. We had this for breakfast but each bite reminded me of shortcake and summer, eating dinner while the sun is still golden on the tips […]
meyer lemon scones with an earl grey sugar glaze
With just enough meyer lemon to brighten your day these scones don’t need glaze to be delicious. But why not add a bit of sweet tea? Another layer of citrus flavor? All I had to do to make these scones on a week day was get out of bed a half hour earlier than usual. […]
Ginger Grapefruit Cream Sandwich Cookies
Bold and spicy ginger cookies, slightly less sweet than their ginger snap cousins. With a creamy filling chock full of ruby-red grapefruit citrus summer in a cup flavor and color this is an English tea cookie that will warm your toes and sooth your soul.
Cardamom Sugar Cookies with Apple Caramel
Tender sugar cookies that melt on the tip of your tongue: the scent of cardamom with an apple caramel chaser. Each half, now together, and greater than the sum of its parts.
Spiced Apple Caramel Sauce
My love affair with spiced apple cider continues. And I finally made a caramel sauce I’m completely happy with. Not grainy, with a subtle apple back-note. The secret, it turns out, is only paying some attention. A sort of half-assed state of Zen where I am at the stove but not at the stove; in […]
Spiced Apple French Toast Waffles
Fresh apples given depth with a splash of spiced cider and the familiar comfort of French toast: served baked or grilled in the waffle iron. Make your breakfast deliciously easy or a wee bit fancy.
Primal Spice Cupcakes w/ Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Primal Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Perfect to make ahead and serve at a holiday party: these paleo friendly cupcakes just happen to be gluten and starch free. They are also made without refined sugars, which turns the sweet down a few notches. Your guests will love them and then you can tell them […]
Satsuma Orange Rooibos Muffins
Satsuma mandarin oranges blended whole with rooibos tea for orangetastic, simple, tender muffins flecked with poppy seeds and topped with an optional orange glaze. Let’s be honest. Okay, I’ll be honest. My ingredient lists are largely dictated by what I have lying around. Rooibos tea. Satsuma oranges. Let’s be really honest. I am not […]
Cranberry Relish Oatmeal with rum butter sauce: thanksgiving leftovers never ate so good.
Remember that bread pudding with the rum butter sauce that was actually made from the glaze for a pound cake that unless you live here you do not remember? Okay, well then do you remember the fresh cranberry relish? The one I spread on bagels? The one that made a wicked grilled cheese sandwich? I’m […]
Poached Apple Pie Pockets: plus the secret ingredient for your flakiest pie crust ever
poached apple pie pockets served with spiced apple cider reduction Okay maybe this ingredient isn’t so secret and flakiest isn’t the exact word to describe the difference. Don’t get me wrong this crust is flaky, and easy to work with, and puffs up more than any crust I’ve ever made—but it also seems more refined, more […]
Cranberry Relish- think beyond the bird
Let’s continue with cranberries. I can’t resist. I love this time of year when bags of fresh cranberries are prominently displayed at my favorite market. I’m not even making Thanksgiving dinner this year but that won’t stop me. This most simple version of fresh cranberry relish is wonderful with cream cheese on a toasted […]
Quick Cardamom Pretzel Coffee Cake
Lying in bed predawn with only the glow of my smart phone to give color to the gloom. Did I suffer from insomnia before the internet? How ever did I fill those hours? What story remains unwritten because I just checked Facebook? What classic remains unread because of Words with Friends? Enough! Out of bed […]
Bourbon Black Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
I’ve been there, in the freezer aisle of the supermarket, eyeing the frozen cheesecakes but fighting the urge to buy one because I know when I get home I’ll eat the whole thing, still frozen, barely torn from the box. I know because I’ve done it. More than once. I was younger then […]
Cardamom Vanilla Pudding Cupcake Popsicles with Coffee and Chocolate
This began with a late night craving for vanilla pudding and, after a shaggy dog series of steps, evolved into some mighty fine layered popsicles.
