desserts recipes
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...
HO-HO-HO & NO-NO-NO . . . it’s not too late ! It’s actually just the right time (and time is something I seem to running out of because I haven’t quite decided exactly what I still want to or don’t want to make for this weekend’s holiday meal), but there’s a good reason for that. Instead of packing our...
“WHAT’S MISSING ?” . . . like that feeling you get when you eat/taste something and even when it’s good, you know deep-deep down inside that it needs something EXTRA to make it just RIGHT ! This is why I made this . . . As usual, I was invited to fancy & tasty work-related lunch meetings and I had a piece of pear...
A certain Mr. Jack DIRE (or terrible Jack) wrote this article a few years ago : “Dear People Who Like Neapolitan Ice Cream. You like horrible things. Neapolitan is for people who don’t know what the hell they are doing with their lives. It’s the psychology major of desserts. Something told you it would...
A VERY SHORT & SWEET STORY : "One fine day, coming home after work (and on this same very fine day), when Angel was working from home and had time to do all the cooking, I discovered these wonderful little tartlets . . ." SHORTCRUST PASTRY DOUGH + CARAMEL + CHOCOLATE = Angel’s versions which were simpler but equally...
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...
No, you’re not mistaken, this recipe takes 7 DAYS, and they’re officially called “MARRONS GLACES” . . . even though “mine” resemble small stones and seashells of different sizes found somewhere out there in nature (and not like the amber-colored and glittering ones we can buy) . . . BUT, (and please...
. . . and it really is just like a "FROZEN COCKTAIL" ! (for the gentle & harmless drinking adults that we are). So, Olena (my upstairs neighbor and friend) showed up with a large bowl of cherry plums. Her and her future husband Ivan had picked some small red cherry plums (officially called myrobalan plums) in the French...
This year, there will be alot of juicy succulent NECTARINES so we’ll start with the easiest recipe which is an adaptation of a simple cake with fresh fruits often called a “buckle” cake when topped with a "crumble", but I don’t like that “crumbly” stuff (like a streusel topping). I...
“ I TOLD YOU SO ! ” . . . but who listens to me ? About 6 months ago, if you remember well, I told you all to freeze some berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants, etc.) because summer is still far away but spring is here with its share of holidays and preparations. Okay, don’t worry, this...
“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...
WHY 5 ?! Because this experimental recipe is also a precise mathematical equation. It requires 5 times the amount (or weight) of thinly sliced round apple slices (cored and peeled) as compared to the rest of the 5 other main ingredients which are precisely equal amounts of butter, sugar, eggs, milk and flour (with small additions of...
My dearest Angelito, I wish you a HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY (that’s 3) BIRTHDAY ! You loved this cake last year when I quietly and secretly whipped it up (yeah I’m sneaky) while you were hanging out with your mama dearest from Spain who was visiting Paris (which is why I only took one picture of the finalized cake with a picture of...
A MID-SPRING DESSERT CLASSIC made easy (or easier) . . . with simplified steps : 1. No slicing up of strawberries (which is why I use very large whole strawberries that have been softened just enough with lemon/lime juice and sugar and have released part of their juices). 2. Using the released juices to create the syrup glaze for the...
BLANCHED ALMONDS - GROUND ALMONDS - ALMOND POWDER - FLAKED or SLIVERED ALMONDS . . . ? You can do this all yourself you know, starting off with plain regular almonds but anyways, it’s just a thought ! I’ve never made these before, but these babies are one of my favorite greek pastry and bakery items....