Category Archives: Chocolate

Pains au Chocolat

Posted on December 27, 2013 by

Croissant dough takes, as my son would say, “a minute”. For those of us older than 40, “a minute” means serious time.  It’s not your everyday dough. Christmas breakfast calls for something special, though, so 3AM did not seem an … Continue reading →

Posted in Breads, Chocolate, Dough, Pastries | Tagged | 2 Comments

Chocolate coeurs á la créme

Posted on December 9, 2013 by

Coeurs translates as heart in French. This simple dessert isn’t shaped anything like a heart, it doesn’t contain any hearts… so I’m guessing Chocolate Love with Creme is a closer translation. Chocolate, creme, berries + EASY definitely = love/heart. Serves … Continue reading →

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Orange Granitas in Chocolate Teardrops

Posted on October 20, 2013 by

Tempering chocolate is tricky and I still don’t have it down. Luckily, the granitas is frozen so that alone inhibits the normal melting that would be happening to this dessert at room temperature. Instead of explaining tempering, I’ll include a … Continue reading →

Posted in Chocolate, Fruit, Parfaits & Ice Cream | Tagged | 1 Comment

Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake

Posted on September 16, 2013 by

It’s September and time to make a Birthday Cake! My friend, Lee, passed along this recipe from Epicurious for a not-too-sweet dark chocolate cake. The recipe makes a three layer 8″ round cake. If you make all three layers, your … Continue reading →

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Chocolate Mousse + Lavender Crémeux + Berry Compote = Bliss.

Posted on August 5, 2013 by

I won’t lie. This is about to get complicated. At times like this, I wish I had another set of hands, an assistant and more rubber spatulas. But, alas, still me in my tiny kitchen. This dessert should have an … Continue reading →

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Coffee Chocolate (Dobos Torte) Rolls

Posted on July 21, 2013 by

I bought a new cookbook today called Petite Sweets, full of mini-desserts. The recipes are downsized versions of traditional desserts. They’re so gosh-darn cute! But are they good? Let’s try one and find out… This dessert roll is inspired by … Continue reading →

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Two-toned Zuccotto

Posted on June 24, 2013 by

What could be better than ice-cream cake? Italian Ice Cream cake! This domed dessert is made with Italian sponge cake which has been cut into slices to line a bowl that is then filled with ice-cream, candied fruits and nuts. Start … Continue reading →

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White Chocolate Mint Brûlée

Posted on May 20, 2013 by

When I asked my friend what sort of dessert he would like for his birthday, he simply said, “Crispy”.  My first thoughts ran to cookies, but then I remembered the delightful versatility of creme brûlée. Its delicate crust is nothing … Continue reading →

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Green Tea Opera Cake

Posted on April 7, 2013 by

After talking with a friend about Japanese~French Pastries, I was inspired to create a dessert using matcha. I’m a visual person, so I couldn’t wait to work with the lovely green hue of matcha powder. I’d also been wanting to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cakes, Chocolate | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments