There was a time when molten lava cake was all the rage. Fancy restaurants served it – it wasn’t really something people made at home. Then recipes were published and it became a standard dinner party dessert. Like many things culinary though, it fell out of fashion, and though everyone still loved it, it was a little embarrassing to serve it. Those pioneering restaurants took … [Read more...] about Chocolate Peppermint Molten Cakes
Sweets
Homemade Halloween
When I was a kid, I had chicken pox on Halloween one year. I was ensconced on the foldout couch in front of the TV covered in calamine lotion and unable to wear a costume or go trick-or-treating. That stunk. But I remember that Halloween more than all the others, not because I was itchy and alone, but because my older brother shared his candy with me, which at that point in our … [Read more...] about Homemade Halloween
Lemon Speculoos Icebox Cake
I did not grow up on icebox cakes. And I will be perfectly honest, my first experience with the concept was the Famous Wafers and canned whipped cream version, which I must have first encountered in college, but was known to make in my early apartment days. In fact, I thought that was officially Icebox Cake. It never occurred to me that there were versions. Then I was served a … [Read more...] about Lemon Speculoos Icebox Cake
Fig, Brown Butter and Hazelnut Tart
I await fig season each summer with such eager anticipation. I get to the farmers market first thing on Saturday morning, making a beeline to my favorite fig vendor to snap up as many as there are available. My first task is making Fig, Bourbon and Vanilla Bean Jam, a favorite of my friends and family. I hold a few back to slice and eat drizzled with honey or wrapped in … [Read more...] about Fig, Brown Butter and Hazelnut Tart
Blueberry Lavender Pound Cake
Last year, I went on a little tear baking with fruit and herbs. It started when a favorite vendor at the farmers market had a proliferation of lemon balm, and it was so fragrant I couldn’t resist. That led to my Nectarine and Lemon Balm Cake. The same trip to the market resulted in a plethora of blueberries, so I turned them into this dense, rich pound cake, and with my … [Read more...] about Blueberry Lavender Pound Cake
