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Tiramisu, an Italian dessert whose name translates to "pick me up," combines a few of my favorite things: coffee, chocolate, and rich, creamy custard. If tiramisu is listed on a restaurant dessert menu, you can bet I'll order it. I learned how to make it at home, and I love to make it when I …

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When I first heard about Desserts for the Deserving, I immediately signed up. The movement was started by I Am Baker. People going through hard times are nominated by family or friends, and bakers volunteer to send them a package of goodies. We can't solve their problems, but we can bring some joy to their …

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Blueberry season is in full swing! I picked up four pints during my last trip to Trader Joe's — yes, four pints! There are so many applications, both sweet and savory. Add them to pancakes, cook them down to a compote and serve over waffles, add them to muffins, steep in rice vinegar to use …

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I was deprived as a child. My mother made exactly 3 types of cookies: chocolate chip, chocolate with peanut butter chips, and sugar cookies. I had never heard of, nor tasted, a snickerdoodle cookie until I was in culinary school in my mid- to late 20s. So many years of missing out on buttery-sweet sugar …

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Hello, DNCWWO readers! Happy 4th of July to all of my American followers! I hope you all have fun plans for the day. Here in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the nation, there is always lots of festivities. Many neighborhoods and suburbs have parades and fireworks displays, and the city puts on a HUGE fireworks display …

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One more post about my Mother's Day brunch. I saw a slideshow on FoodNetwork.com of Mother's Day dessert suggestions. As far as I know, brunch doesn't typically include dessert, but I've never been accused of being typical, and I never pass on dessert!  I didn't want to make a cake (I was making so much food already; baking …

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With so many high-calorie treats at our Mother's Day brunch, I wanted to have some lighter fare available. Spring is here, and some of my favorite fruits are coming into season. I had planned a simple fruit salad, but came across Pound Cake and Fruit Parfaits on AllYou.com — fruit is still healthy when served with cake …

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The Mister is trying to lose weight. I have a sweet tooth, particularly for desserts of the chocolate and high-fat variety. I felt really bad eating chocolate ice cream with an almost equal amount of whipped cream on top while he ate an apple, so I decided to make a dish that I haven't made …

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It's that time again! This swap's theme was holiday cookies. After submitting the Spoon Cookies recipe I found in an old issue of Gourmet, I received a recipe for oatmeal cookies from The Imitation Chef. I grew up baking oatmeal cookies for my father, but only recently have come to like them myself. I've been …

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Sable cookies are a buttery shortbread cookie from France. "Sable" means "sandy," referring to the cookies' crumbly texture. These cookies are simple to make. The recipe below is Dorie Greenspan's recipe, as it appeared in the New York Times in 2004. The dough below is "basic," and can be flavored however you like (chocolate, almond, …

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White technically not "chocolate," because it doesn't contain any cocoa solids, I love the taste of white chocolate. This ice cream recipe, from a chef at the culinary school I attended, is delicious on its own, but would also make a delicious base when swirled with add-ins like spiced pumpkin butter, chocolate fudge, pretzel bits, …

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Part of the reason I love participating in recipe swaps is that I am forced (for lack of a better word) to try recipes that I probably wouldn't have chosen myself. Admittedly, I wasn't quite looking forward to this one. Last fall, I had a bagel with pumpkin cream cheese, and it was really disgusting. …

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Crème brûlée is French for "burnt cream." It is a rich custard, usually baked in a shallow ceramic dish, then sprinkled with sugar and torched or broiled, forming a crisp top coating. It makes for a nice contrast with the creamy custard.  You will need small oven-proof baking dishes (such as these) to make this …

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I'm a bit odd when it comes to certain foods. Peanuts for example — I could sit and eat a whole jar of peanut butter in one sitting, yet whole peanuts make me sick.  I love raw apples. Particularly Granny Smith and Honeycrisps. I love apples dipped in peanut butter, chocolate, or caramel. Cooked apples? …

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I'm making these wedding cake bites (based on Bakerella's Wedding Cake Pops) for a bridal shower tomorrow afternoon. I made a test batch last weekend, and my cakes kept sliding down the stick, so I decided to just leave them off the sticks, and serve them on miniature doilies, or possibly in cupcake liners. To …

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When cooking with fruit, most people assume you mean baking a pie. But there's a lot more you can do with it. One of my favorite things is fruit soup. The culinary school that I attended has a restaurant that is open to the public. As pastry students, we were responsible for prepping the desserts …

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I haven't typically been one to celebrate Valentine's Day for the last several years. It was one of the few times I hated going out to eat, and any gift even remotely romantic has its price jacked up because of the holiday. This year, I decided (very last minute) to cook a "nicer than normal" …

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I just arrived back home from my first Christmas with my boyfriend's family. We were asked to bring a dessert, and he said that most of his family liked cheesecake. I was tired of my go-to recipe, "White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake." So, I decided to attempt a recipe that has intimidated me up until now: …

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Whenever one of my many cooking magazine subscriptions arrives in the mail, I try to take the time to read it then, partly because the recipes are seasonal, and partly because if I don't, they pile up quickly. I often print out the recipes that interest me, as I'm never able to remember which magazine …

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OK, so bread pudding is generally a "winter" treat. But it's one of my favorite comfort foods, that I enjoy year-round. This is one that I adapted from a bakery that I worked at from September '06 to January '07. I specify Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Rolls from a tube for convenience (and built-in serve-with sauce!), …

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Oh. My. God. YUM.  Labor-intensive but not difficult, and impressive-looking. My mouth is watering just writing this post.  Chocolate-Dipped Cheesecake-Stuffed StrawberriesAdapted from Nutmeg Nanny  Ingredients 1 pint of strawberries -- preferably at least 1 ounce in size 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (don't use …

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Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, dipped in melted Ghirardelli 60% cacoa bittersweet chocolate chips, and decorated with red cookie frosting hearts I've been hearing a lot about these treats lately, made popular by Bakerella. They're genius, really. I love cake, and I get really frustrated when I go to turn it out of the pan, and it breaks. …

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This is the chocolate cake recipe from a bakery that I worked at back in late 2006. I think it's the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted. It's very moist and the addition of coffee enhances chocolate flavor. The amount of batter that this recipe makes is enough for about two double-layer 8- or 9-inch …

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So, last Saturday, I attended a "girls' night" potluck. Knowing that most of the attendees would bring savory dishes, and knowing that I'd be expected to bring some sort of sweet item, I decided to make Tiramisu. I browsed the web, and found Giada DeLaurentis' version on Heaven In Your Mouth. I tweaked it just …

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In honor of the evil co-worker who brought in mini cream puffs and eclairs, and left them in the break room (where I was tempted to bring the whole box back to my office, so I could eat them all), I'm posting my recipes for choux (pronounced "choo") dough, and pastry cream. Pâte à choux …

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Personally, I can't stand ricotta cheese. Both the flavor and the texture bug me (can't eat cottage cheese, either). I got this recipe from a chef at The Restaurant School for cannoli filling. I have the molds to make the shells at home. But I've never done it. It's just too easy to go to …

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If I'm making cut-out cookies, this is my go-to dough. It's not excessively sweet, and (as the name suggests) doesn't need to be chilled before being rolled. I found the recipe on CakeCentral.com. No Chill Sugar CookiesSource: CakeCentral.com Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 …

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This recipe was given to me by a family member. It makes a TON of cookies! They are so light and airy, and just melt in your mouth. Meringue CookiesSource: Kathleen L. Ingredients 2 egg whites ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Directions Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites …

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I made a version of these White Chocolate Brownies while working at a bakery in Newtown, PA. I adapted the original recipe, and have decided to post it here. White Chocolate BrowniesSource: Ann B. Ingredients 1 pound of good-quality white chocolate (like Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, or Guittard) (coarsely chopped if it comes in bar form) …

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These tender, chewy, classic chocolate chip cookies are even better than the iconic Tollhouse recipe. Give these a try, and you'll never go back! I grew up on Tollhouse Chocolate Chip cookies. And for years, I loved them. I didn't even consider that there might be other recipes out there for chocolate chip cookies. Not …

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This recipe was published in the December 2005 issue of the now-defunct Gourmet magazine. They are called Spoon Cookies, because you shape them with a spoon. They take some extra effort, but they are SOOO GOOOOD! Bake these cookies at least 2 days before you need them. Spoon CookiesSource: Gourmet Ingredients: 2 sticks (1 cup) …

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