desserts recipes

APRICOTS are my SUMMER SYMBOLS, wherever I may be (or dream of being) especially while enjoying glorious summer holiday mornings, if possible, close to the Mediterranean Sea (or at least close enough to feel and smell a salty sea breeze). That freshness, crispness, clarity and transparency in the air as you’re having breakfast, ideally...

PA-XI-MÀ-DIA is just the word that designates the Greek version of BISCUITS or BISCOTTI and this is a ‘staple product’ in my parent’s home (I mean the sweeter version and not the neutral ones resembling rusks). This is my adaptation of my mom’s version that just about everybody that I know and their friends have...

Even though they’re SMOKY-SALTY-TOASTY-CRUNCHY, it breaks my heart to publish a chocolate holiday recipe today. As you may have noticed on the social networks, I’ve spent a few on-and-off working and vacationing weeks experimenting with different bread doughs, simply or in weird combinations. Like I said, the weeks that I’m off...

A home-made version, all CUBIC & COPPERY & DARK, with a cocoa & coffee crunchy puff-pastry dough, a rich chocolate, hazelnut and chestnut creamy filling and very dark chocolate squares to crown it all . . . and it tastes a bit like a "BROWNIE" ! SO WHY FLOCK TO ALL THOSE FANCY CATERERS & PASTRY SHOPS for this...

No, you’re not mistaken, this recipe takes 7 DAYS, and they’re officially called “MARRONS GLACES” . . . even though “mine” resemble small stones and seashells of different sizes found somewhere out there in nature (and not like the amber-colored and glittering ones we can buy) . . . BUT, (and please...

The days are longer (especially for those furthest away from that imaginary and yet ever so present dividing line called the «equator») and even though cocktails may begin earlier than usual and suppers and dinners inevitably end later than usual too, you probably won’t be having that ESPRESSO at the end of your summer meal . . ....

WHEN YOU NEED A TREAT ... like these little cakes for kids, after a long day at school. Nothing fancy, nor exotic. Two layers of of cake that are soft & dense & sweet and in the middle, one layer of pure creaminess. Just VANILLA flavors. Just SOFTNESS. Just INNOCENCE. A treat for “recess-time” for kids or an afternoon snack...

YELLOW yet CRUNCHIER version TESTING 1-2-3 . . . I had a craving for shortbreads at the same time that I had a craving for cornbread and polenta. I needed to do some math, so as to figure out what makes a shortbread what it is and what happens if you modify this tried-and-tested basic recipe. A basic shortbread is truly basic : 1 part sugar, 2...

“NEIGHBORS, THEY COME AND THEY GO”. . . BYE-BYE & FAREWELL (perhaps) & BEST OF LUCK dearest EVELYNE B. (a.k.a. our quiet, discreet, sophisticated, generous and quite adventurous and  travelling next door neighbor for the past 15 years who just recently moved far away exactly 7 days ago on December 21st, 2017 to return...

WHY 5 ?! Because this experimental recipe is also a precise mathematical equation. It requires 5 times the amount (or weight) of thinly sliced round apple slices (cored and peeled) as compared to the rest of the 5 other main ingredients which are precisely equal amounts of butter, sugar, eggs, milk and flour (with small additions of...

I was in AIX-EN-PROVENCE where they make the original CALISSONS d’AIX. It’s a candy made of a thick layer of candied melon paste (and some candied citrus) and almond paste, flavored with some orange blossom water and then shaped like an oval eye or almond or a ‘weaving shuttle’ (but it actually represents the...

PULLING APART THE LAYERS & NO SLICING, PLEASE ... that’s all that matters to me when eating this type of sweet aromatic bread, whether rolled, braided or twisted. The mere idea (and this is just my sincere & humble opinion) of taking a knife to a “tsoureki” horrifies me and literally annihilates the...

Sometimes, LOVE requires some work to get past that "shell". What are some of the words attributed to LOVE ? LOVE can be sweet, gentle and tender. LOVE can be bitter, harsh and tough. LOVE can be fragile, complicated and vulnerable. LOVE can be solid, reassuring and comforting. LOVE can be hard, protective and...

HO-HO-HO & NO-NO-NO . . . it’s not too late ! It’s actually just the right time (and time is something I seem to running out of because I haven’t quite decided exactly what I still want to or don’t want to make for this weekend’s holiday meal), but there’s a good reason for that. Instead of packing our...

“WHAT’S MISSING ?” . . . like that feeling you get when you eat/taste something and even when it’s good, you know deep-deep down inside that it needs something EXTRA to make it just RIGHT ! This is why I made this . . . As usual, I was invited to fancy & tasty work-related lunch meetings and I had a piece of pear...