It’s a labor of love making one of these Panettone, the delightful gorgeous looking Christmas season bread from Milan. A few years ago I made one based on my knowledge and experience in baking and treated it like a regular sourdough bread. It was ok, not what I had envisioned though and not a proper…… Continue reading Panettone – a Proper One
Category: Pastry
Desserts, Cakes and Confections
Ted Lasso’s Shortbread Biscuits
Ted Lasso season 3 will be available this week. It seems only appropriate to post about those wonderful biscuits (Ted would call them cookies of course) that he brings to his boss Rebecca’s office every morning. In case you do not know what I am talking about, Ted Lasso is a TV show about an…… Continue reading Ted Lasso’s Shortbread Biscuits
Crepes
Always in demand in my household and really easy to make savory or sweet (eliminate sugar and vanilla from the savory versions) if you pay attention to a few details. We make these very frequently, mostly for dessert or breakfast. The few rules of note that I think make for great crepes are: Mix only…… Continue reading Crepes
Milk Bar’s Birthday (or Mother’s Day or Any Day) Cake
Christina Tosi from Milk Bar loves classic, sweet, indulgent and at times industrial (oh no!) desserts. At least that is what she claims. I really have my doubts about that. You know, about her actually enjoying the shitty cake that comes out of a mix box tasting of chemicals and sugar. I digress, regardless of…… Continue reading Milk Bar’s Birthday (or Mother’s Day or Any Day) Cake
Panforte di Siena with Chocolate and Rum Raisins
As I type this I am still munching on more of this goodness that i baked about two weeks ago now. This Holiday pastry is a “bread” in as much as “short bread” is bread. It’s a delicious, nutty, spicy and chewy candy almost more reminiscent of Spanish turron than a bread or cookie. Whatever…… Continue reading Panforte di Siena with Chocolate and Rum Raisins
Plum Tart with an Almond Crumble
Summer is winding down supposedly, even though it is still close to 100 F out there. I do not much like summer in Houston. It’s too hot, too humid too…sunny. Autumn is by far my favorite season and I look forward to its -hopefully- lower temperatures and cooking. Summer does have some things going for…… Continue reading Plum Tart with an Almond Crumble
Pierre Herme’s Awesome Rich Chocolate Cake
Pierre Hermè makes desserts with flavors that really pop. If it is a fruit dessert then it sure tastes like that fruit. If it’s a rose litchi macaron then it is the essence of the flower and the tropical fruit. His book on chocolate desserts with Dorie Greenspan is a classic and I’ve been cooking…… Continue reading Pierre Herme’s Awesome Rich Chocolate Cake
The French Laundry: Pear Strudel with Chestnut Cream and Pear Chips
Back to that endless well of inspiration and technique, The French Laundry Cookbook. It’s like a small mini cooking course for every…course. I refine, learn and always end up with an awesome dish or two. This dessert was from a couple months back when pears were at their most abundant. I had some of the…… Continue reading The French Laundry: Pear Strudel with Chestnut Cream and Pear Chips
Oven Dried Tomatoes 