Dessert | 1 family. friendly. food.

Dessert



Almond cake with blueberry compote Almond cake with blueberry compote

Oh My Goodness! The last time I posted a cake recipe was in April!!!!
I love baking and I have to bake a cake for the weekend—no, no one is putting a gun to my head–or else I go bananas. Or nuts.
I might have missed 2, or 3, or 4 Friday baking sessions in the past [...]

Sweet Blintzes Sweet Blintzes

Blintzes… I’ve been making them since high school. That’s… never mind how many years ago.
I’ll be 40 in a few months! I hear the preparations for the celebrations are underway. (No pressure, Suburban cowboy.)
Back in high school, I used to make a batch of these crepe-like yummies and take them with me to my room [...]

Jam crostata; She’s a gem! Jam crostata

Why, why, oh why have I waited so long to make this?
Goodness.
First, basically, I gotta tell you, this is so unbelievably easy to make which is just like totally unbelievable. Like. Totally.
Second, I love it! It’s like you basically make a dough, and like, em, smear jam on it, and sprinkle almonds which have totally [...]

My fluffy Pavlova Vanilla Pavlova

A cloud of baked marshmallow-like egg whites with a lemon hint
A fluffy pillow of whipped cream
Juicy fruit, fresh mint
I’m living in a dream
Need I say more?

Ok, I’ll say more.
First, it’s the first time I’ve written a little poem for food, so that says something.
Second, I promise you we did not coordinate the clothes to match the [...]

My first macarons, very forgiving My first macarons, very forgiving

It was Friday evening, during dinner, when I baked my first macarons. Only two days before all I knew about macarons was that they were tricky to make with many ways that I could fail, and that was enough to keep me from even trying. I never even read a macaron recipe before so I [...]

Easy maple nuts’ cake and challenging friends Easy maple nuts’ cake and challenging friends

I have a friend whom I love dearly. There were times when I wondered how we became friends, and stayed friends, because we are just so… different.
I’m a planner, she’s spontaneous.
I’m formal, she’s casual.
I’m kinda strict, she’s more laid-back.
I remember details, she doesn’t care much about that stuff.
I love to bake, she doesn’t.
When I teach [...]

Every home needs a cookie jar Dried cranberries and almond jumbles

I have said so many times before, I’m a cake person, not a cookie lday, and certainly not a pie woman. Or, at least I thought so… I’m sure there is a deep meaning to all of this. I never really put much thought into this matter but it feels like there’s a profound philosophical [...]

My first time Madeleine cookies, virtually baked Madeleine cookies

Have you ever virtually baked with anyone?

Maple pecan cookies & Share Our Strength Maple pecan cookies

This is an easy, no mixer needed, mix by hand, kind of recipe, that I made in the speed of lighting with my 6 years old one evening for his dad’s birthday. We got home late and were in a big rush to bake some cookies in time before dad got home so we can [...]

Figaro bars Figaro bars

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?! I haven’t posted anything for more than a week… I missed you guys and I missed blogging. I got busy and out of focus as we planned a little Thanksgiving vacation to sunny California. We visited family and went to the beach which was a lot of fun. And [...]

Pumpkin banana creamy dreamy dessert Pumpkin banana creamy dreamy dessert

How would you like to have these for your holiday dinner?
Remember the Pumpkin banana cream pie? The recipe is here. So this is what you do when you don’t want pie (skip the dough step), or if you do make the pie but have extra custards.
I mentioned a shortcut in the pie post – if [...]

Pumpkin banana cream pie Pumpkin banana cream pie

As far as my memory goes back in time, I can count the times I baked with someone on one hand. I don’t get too many opportunities to bake together with family or friends besides my son (who sometimes quits before the process is complete) or an occasional guest. Baking means a lot to me. [...]

Apple pie, and it feels like home Apple pie

A few years ago, or in December 1997 to be more specific, I was an M.A student, sharing a tiny two bedroom apartment with a roommate, working 2-4 temp jobs at a time, studying whenever I could (a.k.a when I did not work or party), and eating giant size salads for “linner” – I made [...]

A blink and they’re gone Roasted nectarines with ice cream and white chocolate

You have probably noticed it too. Deep in your heart, you know it’s about to happen. But maybe you don’t like to say it out loud, just like me. And if you blink, they will be gone. Summer fruits. That’s it. Finished. Over. All done ‘till next year! A few more sunny days and any [...]

Chocolate-vanilla tea biscuits bars Chocolate-vanilla tea biscuits bars

This post has been sitting on my desk, actually on my computer screen, open for the past week. If it were on paper, I would have probably torn it to little pieces by now. I can’t even remember, what was the point I wanted to make in this post?
In order to finish it, I need [...]

Triple coconut cream pie Triple coconut cream pie

          
Oh, man, it seems like ages since I made this pie, right after the recent Dahlia dinner. But what can one say about a pie when life is a roller coaster?

chocolate cake chocolate cake

Comfort food. That is what I need right now. Food that I don’t need to plan or think about too much. Food that doesn’t require instructions or a recipe. Food that everyone in the family loves.
My favorite foods, since childhood, are breaded and fried chicken cutlets or  breaded and baked chicken drumsticks with mashed potatoes [...]

Birthday dirt cake Birthday dirt cake

I had my eye on this cake for a few weeks now. I first saw it when Diana posted it on her blog in April. I knew then that I was going to make it as a surprise for my son on his birthday. I still looked around for other ideas and asked my Twitter [...]

Hunger Action Week – Days 3-4-5 Pear Clafouti

So what else happened during days 3-5?
My husband, L., is sure a happy camper this week… taking home-made food to work. I rarely cook lunch or breakfast. Our breakfasts are simple, mainly some bread, cheese, yogurt, fruit. If we have leftovers from last night’s dinner whoever wants them can have them for lunch.
On Wednesday night, [...]

Lots of planning… and cakes Ricotta Bundt Cheesecake

I don’t know what to begin with. The usual Friday cake collection? Weekly meal plan? Next week’s Hunger Challenge? There’s so much going on…

Cake Collection #3 and Chocolate Chocolate Stout Cake Chocolate Chocolate Stout Cake

1. In the photo above a Chocolate Chocolate Stout Cake which I will tell you about in a minute.
2. I have the winner of the Cake Collection Giveaway way way down below at the end of the post. The winner gets a copy of Ray’s Boathouse cookbook (read more about the restaurant, the book, the [...]

Marjolaine Cake and Cake Collection #2 Marjolaine

 
My friend L. stopped by my house yesterday morning for a chat and cup of coffee. We had a nice time but the minute I asked her if she would like to bake a cake with me she jumped on her feet and said she had to go…

Home-Made Cinnamon Ice Cream Home-Made Cinnamon Ice Cream

I love that when I bake a cake at home the aroma of the cake can be smelled from the garage when someone comes home. It can be smelled even from the street. Imagine this – an aroma of freshly baked cakes coming out of each house on your street. Wouldn’t it be absolutely wonderful?
But [...]

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I made this cake with my son (5 years old). It was easy and fun.
Kids can measure ingredients, pour dry ingredients, sift the dry ingredients, crack the eggs, and make the streusel, turn the mixer on/off – they love that! – but you need to make the rules and explain about safety, stand next to [...]