Dessert Archive

  • I've been obsessed with berries this season, mostly eating them straight or maybe drizzled with lemon juice or coated in some vanilla yogurt or perhaps with a swirl of balsamic and a little sugar. But maybe it's time to get baking.

    Food-Blog-A-Round: Is it Summer Yet?

    Posted on 2010.06.01 | 1 Comment
    I've been obsessed with berries this season, mostly eating them straight or maybe drizzled with lemon juice or coated in some vanilla yogurt or perhaps with a swirl of balsamic and a little sugar. But maybe it's time to get baking.

    Continue Reading...

  • Welcome to this week’s foodblog round-up — the “all dessert all the time” edition! Maybe it’s because I’m in the middle of my quest to get in shape, but so many sweet luscious photos caught my eye this week. Irresistible. I’m thinking that if I blog about them, maybe I will be able to resist actually baking and eating them. The Waspy Redhead took votes for her featured post, and since I voted for Strawberry Limeade Granita, it seems fitting to rave about it here. It looks so beautiful and refreshing… perfect for springtime but even more perfect for summer....

    Foodblog-a-round: Week of 2010.04.05

    Posted on 2010.04.12 | 1 Comment
    Welcome to this week’s foodblog round-up — the “all dessert all the time” edition! Maybe it’s because I’m in the middle of my quest to get in shape, but so many sweet luscious photos caught my eye this week. Irresistible. I’m thinking that if I blog about them, maybe I will be able to resist actually baking and eating them. The Waspy Redhead took votes for her featured post, and since I voted for Strawberry Limeade Granita, it seems fitting to rave about it here. It looks so beautiful and refreshing… perfect for springtime but even more perfect for summer....

    Continue Reading...

  • Spring is sprung, and berries are all over the market (at least here in California… maybe where you are too). And as the weather gets warmer a nice refreshing dessert is in order. This is a great fruit salad — easy to make, not even any chopping or slicing since it’s all berries whole. You can make variations of course with strawberries (I’d cut them in half or quarters in that case) or other fruits. Of course, you want to start with great berries. But the element that brings it all together is aged balsamic vinegar. Make sure to choose...

    Very Berry Marinated Salad

    Posted on 2010.04.07 | No Comments
    Spring is sprung, and berries are all over the market (at least here in California… maybe where you are too). And as the weather gets warmer a nice refreshing dessert is in order. This is a great fruit salad — easy to make, not even any chopping or slicing since it’s all berries whole. You can make variations of course with strawberries (I’d cut them in half or quarters in that case) or other fruits. Of course, you want to start with great berries. But the element that brings it all together is aged balsamic vinegar. Make sure to choose...

    Continue Reading...

  • This week I observed that the stock at Ciao Bella Gelateria on Shattuck in Berkeley was getting thinner and thinner and got down to the reason for it yesterday: they were closing. I stopped by yesterday and I’m sad I didn’t pick up one last treat (I would have if I had known it was their last day). Well, now there is just more excuse to make my own gelato. Since the hubby has been out of town I have cooked almost nothing (multiple pots of popcorn probably don’t count). But my mouth is still watering over the blog posts...

    Foodblog-a-round: Week of 2010.03.22

    Posted on 2010.03.29 | No Comments
    This week I observed that the stock at Ciao Bella Gelateria on Shattuck in Berkeley was getting thinner and thinner and got down to the reason for it yesterday: they were closing. I stopped by yesterday and I’m sad I didn’t pick up one last treat (I would have if I had known it was their last day). Well, now there is just more excuse to make my own gelato. Since the hubby has been out of town I have cooked almost nothing (multiple pots of popcorn probably don’t count). But my mouth is still watering over the blog posts...

    Continue Reading...

  • Here’s where I make good on my promise to share not just the good, but also the bad and the ugly with you. Yep, no fooling you. That picture shows a pretty glorious looking apple tart there in the middle, right? And what’s that all over the edge? Could that be horribly charred something-or-other ringing the entire tart? It could be! Ooops! Last week I churned up a batch of Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream to go with this apple tart. That was optimistic because I really didn’t know whether either had any hope of turning out. The ice cream...

    Sunday Dinner: Crispy Apple Tart

    Posted on 2010.03.14 | No Comments
    Here’s where I make good on my promise to share not just the good, but also the bad and the ugly with you. Yep, no fooling you. That picture shows a pretty glorious looking apple tart there in the middle, right? And what’s that all over the edge? Could that be horribly charred something-or-other ringing the entire tart? It could be! Ooops! Last week I churned up a batch of Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream to go with this apple tart. That was optimistic because I really didn’t know whether either had any hope of turning out. The ice cream...

    Continue Reading...

  • I think I’m in love. Yes, in love with an ice cream. It’s rich and creamy and just a touch bitter… and maybe a little too sweet. And when I eat a spoonful, I think, ooh, that’s enough, it’s too rich and too sweet, that’s all I need. Until I find myself dipping my spoon back into the container for another spoonful. And another. And it’s almost gone. I might have to make another batch soon. Or another one of David Lebovitz’s awesome recipes. Because this one is just a teaser for all the others. Or is it the culmination?...

    David Lebovitz’s Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

    Posted on 2010.03.08 | 2 Comments
    I think I’m in love. Yes, in love with an ice cream. It’s rich and creamy and just a touch bitter… and maybe a little too sweet. And when I eat a spoonful, I think, ooh, that’s enough, it’s too rich and too sweet, that’s all I need. Until I find myself dipping my spoon back into the container for another spoonful. And another. And it’s almost gone. I might have to make another batch soon. Or another one of David Lebovitz’s awesome recipes. Because this one is just a teaser for all the others. Or is it the culmination?...

    Continue Reading...

  • "Creme Brulee" @ Absinthe

    Posted on 2010.02.13 | No Comments

    Continue Reading...

  • Sheeps Milk Ricotta Tart @ One Market

    Posted on 2010.02.12 | No Comments

    Continue Reading...

  • They may not look very attractive, but they smell AWESOME. Recipe adapted using Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio cookbook. Slightly less butter because I wanted less spread. 1 1/2 sticks of butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 large egg I didn’t have any vanilla left or ordinarily I would have added it. Next time. all mixed up, and then folding in 1 1/2 cups of flour Pinch of salt 1 tsp of baking powder and then folded in 1 cup of Recchuiti’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Pearls. I wanted to make smaller cookies so I went with heaping teaspoonfuls...

    Mini-Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Pearl Cookies

    Posted on 2009.12.16 | No Comments
    They may not look very attractive, but they smell AWESOME. Recipe adapted using Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio cookbook. Slightly less butter because I wanted less spread. 1 1/2 sticks of butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 large egg I didn’t have any vanilla left or ordinarily I would have added it. Next time. all mixed up, and then folding in 1 1/2 cups of flour Pinch of salt 1 tsp of baking powder and then folded in 1 cup of Recchuiti’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Pearls. I wanted to make smaller cookies so I went with heaping teaspoonfuls...

    Continue Reading...

  • I haven’t made pie very many times in my life. But today we had some of Gus’s students over for a mini-holiday party — putting up the Xmas tree — so I thought I’d go out on a limb and whip up a pie. I was intrigued by the Brown Butter Pecan Pie from “I Made That” because I love pecan pie — and I love brown butter even more. It was my first attempt at following Ruhlman’s Ratio: 3-2-1 flour-fat-liquid crust recipe. It was easy to follow, and the dough came out well, even if it doesn’t look that...

    Holiday Eating: Brown Butter Pecan Pie

    Posted on 2009.12.06 | No Comments
    I haven’t made pie very many times in my life. But today we had some of Gus’s students over for a mini-holiday party — putting up the Xmas tree — so I thought I’d go out on a limb and whip up a pie. I was intrigued by the Brown Butter Pecan Pie from “I Made That” because I love pecan pie — and I love brown butter even more. It was my first attempt at following Ruhlman’s Ratio: 3-2-1 flour-fat-liquid crust recipe. It was easy to follow, and the dough came out well, even if it doesn’t look that...

    Continue Reading...