Hot nights are here. And we’re afraid to turn on the air conditioner in our beautiful new home. (It may not work, you see. It's new to us.)
This is just one of the reasons we’re turning to one of my family’s favorite summer dessert recipes for Memorial Day weekend. It’s so easy I’m almost embarrassed to share it with you! But, it’s a sure winner for barbecues, picnics, and family dinners when it’s blazing hot … make this Lemonade Ice Cream Pie, stat.
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Cooking has been on the back burner this winter. After buying a new house on a whim, we put our current home on the market. And that meant keeping a sparkling kitchen day-in and day-out as long as the open houses and impromptu visits persisted.
We are blessed to have our house under contract now though (fingers-crossed) so out tumbled the flour this weekend, to make these light carrot cupcakes for my daughter and her toddler classroom.
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Christmas is all about family, and thus my creation for the Great Blogger Cookie Swap 2012, is inspired by an old Westerman tale.
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If you keep up with culinary trends, then you know all about America’s latest sweet obsession: French macarons. These beautiful, delicate cookies have been a tradition in France and Europe for centuries, but have been making waves here in the U.S. as of late.
Enthusiasts are heading to Macaron Café in New York City for an entire storefront dedicated to this sweet, which are comprised of two meringue-based cookies, sandwiched with ganache, buttercream or jam. And, when I researched recipes for this article, I found 11 cookbooks entirely dedicated to macarons published in this year alone.
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In Germany, preparations are now in full force. Restaurants are readying beer and brats, stores are selling beautiful dirndls, and hotels are bracing for the five million revelers that descend on Munich for Oktoberfest. It’s the world’s largest fair and this year’s 16-day celebration is slated for September 22 through October 7.
Almost all of my family geneology originates from Germany ... in fact our relatives over there own this brewery, which we visited a few years ago.
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Vanilla doesn’t do it for me. But offer me Bangkok peanut ice cream fused with coconut milk, honey, peanut butter and cayenne pepper and you’ll have my attention. Do I have yours?
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The final result could be imperfect – but if it’s made with Mom in mind, she’ll absolutely love it. Homemade Mother’s Day gifts are the sweetest gesture. That’s why I encourage you to forgo store-bought confections and whip-up my Mom’s fresh strawberry pie.
My Mom (and yours) will love this, even if the crust is crooked like mine.
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Christmas is the one time of year I break out butter, sugar, flour and bake lots of cookies to give away to family and friends. Here’s what’s cooking in my kitchen this holiday season:
Brown Butter and Bourbon Biscotti
Monica Glass, the new pastry chef at Fish, offers this recipe in the December issue of Philly Mag. There’s brown butter and lots of bourbon in the batter, but once baked this is a mild, crispy biscotti studded with dark chocolate, bourbon-infused cherries and pecans.
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My good friend, who is from France, knows how to entertain with ease and elegance, especially when it comes to desserts. Like the beautiful fruit tarts that concluded a dinner party or the croquembouche, a spectacular tower of cream puffs, in celebration of a milestone birthday.
Strawberry Bakery, led by Chef/Owner Jean-Pierre Bournazel, is her secret. Located in Malvern on Route 30, this is one place not to miss, whether you’re craving an authentic pain au chocolat or in need of a unique special occasion cake. I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with Chef Bournazel recently.
The special croquembouche Chef Jean-Pierre created for my sister-in-law's recent baby shower.
Continue reading "Sweet Talk with Chef Jean-Pierre Bournazel" »
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Americans have been crazy about pie forever. But, according to the food trends, this year we said goodbye to the cupcake craze and welcomed a pie phenomenon. Even as I’m writing this article, I spied this article from Parade about the history of pie. Or, read what the L.A. Times and New York Times has to say.
We may not have a pie truck or a dedicated pie shop opening up on the Main Line – yet – but there are plenty of slices worth trying:
The new Paramour in Wayne offers a delicious play on the classic Austrian torte – a raspberry fig linzer tart with a toasted sesame almond crust and orange marmalade ice cream.
For selection, stop by the Ultimate Bake Shoppe in the Lancaster County Farmer’s Market and Ardmore Farmer’s Market. There’s a special assortment of pies: pecan, key lime, lemon meringue, blueberry crumb, apple crumb, coconut custard, and pumpkin cheesecake with caramel topping. Need I go on?
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