desserts recipes

Need a new idea for HALLOWEEN ? Who doesn’t ? Here’s a home-made chilled treat for everyone, young and/or old or just not so young. This year it’s gonna be a  combination mini “reese’s peanut butter cup” and “ice-cream sandwich” all-in-one number because I’m all...

THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT . . . because even though I do not claim to have imagined nor invented this yogurt-version of a traditional well-known dessert, it seemed like an “intervention” was necessary (even when on my vacation) because all the existing versions that were brought to my attention by my friends were wrong ! Why ? Because one...

I was in AIX-EN-PROVENCE where they make the original CALISSONS d’AIX. It’s a candy made of a thick layer of candied melon paste (and some candied citrus) and almond paste, flavored with some orange blossom water and then shaped like an oval eye or almond or a ‘weaving shuttle’ (but it actually represents the...

PULLING APART THE LAYERS & NO SLICING, PLEASE ... that’s all that matters to me when eating this type of sweet aromatic bread, whether rolled, braided or twisted. The mere idea (and this is just my sincere & humble opinion) of taking a knife to a “tsoureki” horrifies me and literally annihilates the...

Sometimes, LOVE requires some work to get past that "shell". What are some of the words attributed to LOVE ? LOVE can be sweet, gentle and tender. LOVE can be bitter, harsh and tough. LOVE can be fragile, complicated and vulnerable. LOVE can be solid, reassuring and comforting. LOVE can be hard, protective and...

A.K.A. the "SPY-PIE". . . but please let me explain ! I'm sure you're all familiar with the 1977 British fictional Bond movie called "THE SPY WHO LOVED ME", right ? But are you familiar with the 2009 French movie and non-fictional spy story called “FAREWELL” or "THE FAREWELL AFFAIR"...

APRICOTS are my SUMMER SYMBOLS, wherever I may be (or dream of being) especially while enjoying glorious summer holiday mornings, if possible, close to the Mediterranean Sea (or at least close enough to feel and smell a salty sea breeze). That freshness, crispness, clarity and transparency in the air as you’re having breakfast, ideally...

PA-XI-MÀ-DIA is just the word that designates the Greek version of BISCUITS or BISCOTTI and this is a ‘staple product’ in my parent’s home (I mean the sweeter version and not the neutral ones resembling rusks). This is my adaptation of my mom’s version that just about everybody that I know and their friends have...

Even though they’re SMOKY-SALTY-TOASTY-CRUNCHY, it breaks my heart to publish a chocolate holiday recipe today. As you may have noticed on the social networks, I’ve spent a few on-and-off working and vacationing weeks experimenting with different bread doughs, simply or in weird combinations. Like I said, the weeks that I’m off...

A home-made version, all CUBIC & COPPERY & DARK, with a cocoa & coffee crunchy puff-pastry dough, a rich chocolate, hazelnut and chestnut creamy filling and very dark chocolate squares to crown it all . . . and it tastes a bit like a "BROWNIE" ! SO WHY FLOCK TO ALL THOSE FANCY CATERERS & PASTRY SHOPS for this...

LAST CHANCE to save those LAST FIGS ! You began by eating them whole and fresh in August, then a few weeks later you probably sliced them in half and added them to salads or to accompany sweet and savory preparations, then you went a step further and baked them in different preparations and maybe you made some jams too at the beginning of...

The days are longer (especially for those furthest away from that imaginary and yet ever so present dividing line called the «equator») and even though cocktails may begin earlier than usual and suppers and dinners inevitably end later than usual too, you probably won’t be having that ESPRESSO at the end of your summer meal . . ....

WHEN YOU NEED A TREAT ... like these little cakes for kids, after a long day at school. Nothing fancy, nor exotic. Two layers of of cake that are soft & dense & sweet and in the middle, one layer of pure creaminess. Just VANILLA flavors. Just SOFTNESS. Just INNOCENCE. A treat for “recess-time” for kids or an afternoon snack...

YELLOW yet CRUNCHIER version TESTING 1-2-3 . . . I had a craving for shortbreads at the same time that I had a craving for cornbread and polenta. I needed to do some math, so as to figure out what makes a shortbread what it is and what happens if you modify this tried-and-tested basic recipe. A basic shortbread is truly basic : 1 part sugar, 2...

“NEIGHBORS, THEY COME AND THEY GO”. . . BYE-BYE & FAREWELL (perhaps) & BEST OF LUCK dearest EVELYNE B. (a.k.a. our quiet, discreet, sophisticated, generous and quite adventurous and  travelling next door neighbor for the past 15 years who just recently moved far away exactly 7 days ago on December 21st, 2017 to return...