Ingredient: butter

chewy mexican hot chocolate cookies

Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

This recipe is my baby.  It’s the first recipe I ever developed myself and it’s the recipe I’m most often asked for. When I ask people what I should bring to their picnic, bake sale, birthday party, the answer is invariably MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES. DUH.  They are spicy, chewy, chocolatey and just the right size.  If you usually just window shop when you look at baking blogs, I encourage you to give these a try. They’re memorable, foolproof and delicious. Continue reading “Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies” →

Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Ganache

Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Ganache

This super sexy fall pie is half pumpkin pie and half chocolate ganache tart. Graham cracker crust, spicy pumpkin filling, and rich chocolate ganache, all topped with real chocolate leaves. This pumpkin pie with chocolate ganache is “the one.”

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Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream

Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream

I totally fan-girled last week when I realized my pastry chef crush David Lebovitz had pinned my Earl Grey Lavender Lemon Tart.  To celebrate, I wanted to create a fresh take on the cream-topped tart.  You know those amazing dreams you have when you can fly?  This Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream is what your morning coffee dreams it can do.  A chocolate crust, not-too-sweet dark chocolate filling topped with luscious swirls of deep espresso flavored whipped cream.  It’s rich and it’s elegant.  In my house, it’s also breakfast. Continue reading “Dark Chocolate Tart with Espresso Whipped Cream” →

Rosewater Buttercream

Rosewater Buttercream

I’ve been tinkering with the proportions in this Rosewater Buttercream recipe for years.  I first made it as part of a lemon curd filled white cake for Easter.  It was delicious but the buttercream was too sweet, a bit grainy and the rosewater flavor overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the cake. I had all but given up on making this recipe “blogworthy” but then I was helped by some divine intervention.

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Violet Lilac Panna Cotta Tart

Lilac and Violet Panna Cotta Tart

Every year I make violet jelly just like my mom taught me when I was a girl. But because the season is so brief and the color of the violet tea is so divine, I’m always looking to make something new and different with the foraged flowers. Last year it was Violet Lemonade, the year before that was Violet and Elderflower Gummies.

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Cabin Fever Brownies

Cabin Fever Brownies

Less Is More.

I’ve heard through the grapevine that when you’re looking for a recipe, it’s aggravating to have to read through an entire epic description and wade through umpteen photos. Because there’s a pandemic and I don’t want to further irritate you, I am presenting this Cabin Fever Brownies recipe without much commentary. Also, I am homeschooling, working, wife-ing and generally losing my mind so I don’t have time to inspire you with the fancy words.

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Brownie with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts

Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts

I wasted about a week making a string of disastrous sheet cakes.  A vanilla rhubarb cake that was tough and spongey with weeping, semi-curdled frosting.  An earl grey-lemon one that was simultaneously bitter and bland.  The last bright idea I had was a lemon-thyme cake with a goat cheese frosting.  But I just couldn’t face another failure so I skipped it.  But I had already bought the goat cheese.  So I gave it a hard think and in the spirit of Reckless Experimentation decided to make a Chocolate Brownie with a Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts. Continue reading “Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Goat Cheese Frosting and Candied Walnuts” →

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

I love the vibrant flavor and tartness of strawberry and rhubarb.  A strawberry rhubarb pie is one of the best things about spring.  That and the end of another soul-crushing Chicago winter of course.  I wanted to see if I could pack all that spring flavor into a tart resembling a lemon meringue pie, using rhubarb as the filling and adding strawberries to the classic Italian meringue topping.  This Strawberry Rhubarb Tart does it all.  It’s bursting with juicy flavor, rich and tart, and topped with pillowy swirls of strawberry meringue. Continue reading “Strawberry Rhubarb Tart” →

Pumpkin Cake With Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake With Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cake With Molasses Cream Cheese FrostingThis frosting is the best baking idea I’ve had in like a year.  I’m sort of over pumpkin honestly so when I got a hankering for a cozy fall cake, I didn’t really know where to turn.  I’m not an apple gal and carrot cake is made of vegetables.  And nuts.  And raisins.  Come on. Continue reading “Pumpkin Cake With Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting” →

Weezy's Honey Cake

Weezy’s Honey Cake

 

I love my little weirdos.  All of my three kids have special talents and hilarious quirks.  My son has an insane amount of energy, charm, musical ability and dramatic flair.  If the entire cast of a cruise ship musical production could be crammed into one person, that would be Simon on a slow day.  My middle daughter, Ramona, is artistic, soulful and passionate.  Her art teacher once told me, “She’s like a conduit, the ideas and inspiration just pour out of her.”  I wish this were a kids’ art blog because she is truly gifted. Continue reading “Weezy’s Honey Cake” →