professional tips to make your baking fabulous
I am in Maine for a visit and it’s August – that means blueberries! This wild Maine blueberry cake is a simple to make, delicious snack cake that will disappear quickly! In the oven in 15 minutes and out in half an hour, this wonderful cake gets you out of the kitchen and outside for the remaining days of summer quickly!
English muffins are so much more delicious when they are homemade! Yes, they take a little bit of work but they are worth the effort. Split them and freeze them and you will always have delicious, homemade English muffins on hand!
As much as I love light, fruity desserts during the hot summer months sometimes I just want something homey that reminds me of being a kid! This banana bread is dense and moist with delicious banana flavor. Double the recipe because this will not last (and it tastes even better the next day!)
Of all the delicious treats I served in my bakery over the years, these cappuccino brownies were definitely one of the most popular items. These brownies no longer have coffee in them, ( I found I liked the brownies better without it but you can certainly add it if you like — check out the alternatives section of this post) but they still have white “froth” on the top to mimic the fabulous pick me up!
These fruit tea cakes are a delicious way to take advantage of all the wonderful fruit, particularly stone fruit, that is in markets everywhere at this time of year. Get some deliciously ripe peaches or cherries and these light, tender cakes are sure to please!
I have the good fortune this week to be a guest chocolatier at a fabulous chocolate shop here in Manhattan, Tache Chocolate. Owned by Aditi Malhotra, Tache Chocolate offers online orders of their fabulous creations as well as chocolate making classes. In my classes this week, students made mendiants, a traditional chocolate disk with different toppings. Simple and delicious, they are a great introduction to working with tempered chocolate.
German chocolate cake is one of my mother’s favorite desserts. The rich coconut pecan icing paired with moist Devil’s food cake is an unbeatable combination! To make this cake more polished, I put the icing on the inside and cover the cake with creamy, bittersweet chocolate ganache.
We’ve been doing a bit of entertaining this week and, since the weather has been beautiful, we’ve been on the roof with drinks and snacks. These homemade crackers always make it onto the tray! They are simple to make and pair perfectly with cheeses, charcuterie, olives, and dips and spreads.
Bread pudding is a traditional British dessert and one of my very favorite “comfort food” endings for a meal. Many, many variations abound and I love them all! Let’s start, however, with the classic at it’s simple best.
This simple, delicious bourbon sauce is very quick to make and can be made ahead because it keeps very well. It is delicious with bread pudding, over ice cream, or drizzled on fresh fruit ( particularly peaches!) Whip up this quick topping for a delightful addition to your desserts.
