In the first few months of dating my current boyfriend, I got to experience his signature fruit salad. It sounds a bit underwhelming, but read on for proof of the glory of this collage of summer hues. One afternoon, he casually tossed together this incredible mixture: light with berries, apples, pomegranate seeds, kiwis, and crowned with a delicate syrup of honey, the juice of a lemon, lime, and orange, mint, and orange blossom water. Needless to say, this is still one of the staples for guests, for a healthier dessert to share over Netflix, or to round out a satisfying weekend lunch. This cake is the first of what I’m…
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Pistachio Swiss Roll with Raspberry Rose Cream
Ladurée is hands down the best shop for macarons in Paris. The rose flavor is undoubtedly the best (if you like floral dessert flavors), and is the perfect pairing of deeply satisfying chew, light almond cap, and ephemeral rose flavor. Since trying my first rose macaron from Ladurée, I’ve wanted to create something even remotely similar to at least the flavor of that delicately-pink treasure. The rose gold financiers come close, but this pistachio Swiss roll with raspberry rose cream is the closest I’ve come so far. Pistachio and rose is a classic pairing in Persian sweets, and the two create a sublime harmony of earthy green nut and lighter-than-air…
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Chocolate Coffee Swiss Roll with Fudge Sauce
Case of the Mondays? We’ve got you covered. Mondays sometimes need a kick, and a strong one, to get the creative juices flowing or get through that dreadful traffic. This cake is is the answer to all of you problems and all the problems that are undoubtedly going to get thrown your way today because that’s just how Mondays are. To help you tune out all of that beginning of the week haze, we invite you to take a slice of this coffee and chocolate-laden roll of decadence. A light, fluffy swirl of chocolate, filled with the creamiest coffee whipped cream, and all enrobed in rich coffee + chocolate fudge…
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Pumpkin Chocolate Snacking Cake
And, after a short break, we’re back with the scheduled programming of pumpkin, pumpkin, and more pumpkin this October. For those of you outside of the US, the pumpkin craze may seem a bit strange. If you do have access to a fresh squash or canned pumpkin, though, give it a try and see if it doesn’t grow on you. This pumpkin chocolate chunk snacking cake is one of the easiest pumpkin desserts out there, and I wouldn’t even count it as a full dessert! It’s only a touch sweet, heavy with pumpkin (a vegetable), and a scattering of chocolate chunks, making it the perfect snack for after lunch, after…
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Gluten Free Rose Gold Financiers
In Paris, and apparently in shops in London and LA as well now, you can enjoy the epitome of floral delicacies in the shape of small, perfect French macarons. Ladurée is my go-to source for these bite-sized almond-flour clouds, and the rose flavor is by far my favorite. Whoever thought of putting the intoxicating perfume of roses into baked goods was struck by genius – who would have thought that a flower could translate so well into an other-worldly flavor sensation in addition to being one of the better fragrances known to humankind. Thanks to that first person who decided rosewater or petals or syrup was destined for a cake…
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Pumpkin Swiss Roll
Tis the season for all things orange! And get ready for the onslaught of pumpkin recipes (which have undoubtedly already inundated your Instagram feeds, we’re a bit late on our side). Pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies or cakes or muffins have an enduring comfort to them that other baked goods may fall short on. The warmth of the color, quite simply, lends itself to cozy evenings and afternoons or time curled up on the couch next to a fire after a brisk walk down the street to crunch leaves and admire the brilliantly-hued trees. What I would love after such a walk, is to come inside and be met with a…
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Pumpkin Saffron and Cardamon Crumb Cake
After trying a few modifications on Kendra’s pumpkin coffee cake recipe (which will be up here soon!), I ended up with a cake that was infinitely denser, a layer of crumb that could serve as a paperweight, and an eggy, almost pie-like center. At first slice, I deemed it a failure – but lo and behold, the texture and hint of sweetness was a resounding hit at the office! So, armed with a personal recommendation from my CMO for a few key ingredients to add, I returned to the modified recipe a few weeks later and concocted this ethereally spiced, hazy-sweet ode to so many spectacular Persian and Indian treats.…
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Raspberry Drops with Chocolate Caps
It’s October, and in October, all sorts of clever, colorful Halloween-themed treats abound. These were entirely a mistake – made because I discovered that if I blitzed up freeze dried berries, I got something akin to berry powder that could easily be subbed in for a bit of flour and which lends brilliant color to anything oven-bound. The chocolate caps on these tiny raspberry drops just happen to look a bit like the Harry Potter sorting hat or other seasonal costumes, so I’m dubbing them a fine entry into the spooky sweets category. They’re a bit of an oddball: deep dark chocolate ganache (or something akin to ganache) with a…
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Gluten Free Vanilla Almond Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream
Food could sincerely be an entirely new love language. Aside from the other ways people express their affection, making food for that special someone, or someones, is truly one of the greatest pleasures in life. At least for me. It’s a love that was instilled in me and my sister at a very young age by our mother, who takes her southern roots to heart whenever anyone new walks in the door or someone expresses the tiniest hint of hunger. Food is where the home is and where the heart can share its deepest and most inexpressible fondness for others. This gluten free carrot cake is one of those simple,…
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Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake
Heavenly would not be an overstatement for describing this gluten free tres leches cake. Thank you to centuries of globalization for the dissemination and ultimate perfection of this milk and cream soaked cake. Apparently, after a grand total of five minutes of digital research, I’ve discovered that soaked cakes were popular in Europe in Medieval times (more likely soaked in alcoholic liquids), and that recipes for such cakes were then seen in Mexico starting around the 19th century (though with such an easy cake to begin with, undoubtedly soaked cakes were made by people throughout the Americas after the mid-1400s and recipes were passed down orally). More interesting still, the…
