I am a book club lady. I am in two, and each has been meeting for well over 20 years. Members who had young kids when we first got together have included us in the childrens’ weddings. And we’ve travelled together. One sweet fried invited us all to her family home in Montana a few summers ago and it was an amazing trip. We waded in the river, soaked in a hot spring, visited … [Read more...] about Montana Jam and Oat Bars
Sweets
Margarita Ice Box Cake
In the heat of late summer, I am all about the ice box pie. No ovens, no stoves, minimal work. This margarita version is a riff on a Mexican Carlota cake, using sweetened condensed milk for sweetness and body, and a nice dose of tequila to rev things up. This really couldn’t be easier and the payoff if fantastic. I usually serve it just with a sprinkling of lime zest and maybe … [Read more...] about Margarita Ice Box Cake
Blueberry Almond Tosca Cake
Tosca Cake is something I used to find a French bakery here and have seen it in other places around the world. In its simplest form is an almond cake with a crispy, syrupy sliced almond topping. I always rather thought it was a secret type of super complicated recipe that only trained pastry chefs could execute so never really had it on my home cooking radar. It always looked … [Read more...] about Blueberry Almond Tosca Cake
Chocolate Blackberry Cake with Red Wine
In summer, I tend to gravitate toward desserts that are fruit forward and maybe a little lighter. I am not going to try and claim Peach Bourbon Pound Cake or Blueberry Buttermilk Bread Pudding are diet food, they are just less intense. But I go all out here with a deep, decadent chocolate cake tinged with dusky blackberries and rich red wine. The I top it off with a thick, … [Read more...] about Chocolate Blackberry Cake with Red Wine
Buttermilk Pudding with Blueberry Mint Compote
What a perfect summer sweet! This pudding and compote combination has everything I love in a summer dessert. It uses the best local produce, is cool and very easy to put together without heating up the whole house with the oven. It can be rustic and casual served in little mason jars or an eclectic mix of small glasses and containers, or made elegant and sophisticated in … [Read more...] about Buttermilk Pudding with Blueberry Mint Compote
