Because it’s my BIRTHDAY today, because I’m trying to stay SIMPLE, because WE HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, because we were (and still are) "CHARLIE", because I also want to be "GEORGIE" again & because LIFE MUST GO ON … here’s my birthday cake to ME ! We’re invited...
... IF THESE 3 CAKES CAN GET ALONG, THEN WHY CAN'T WE ?! When either sad and/or bad things seem to be happening around you, try to do something to remember the happier times ! When I was a kid growing up in Montreal, my mom or dad would buy us May West cakes (a Quebec dessert invention made by a company that still exists and...
"Like brave soldiers, guarding the night, brothers-in-arms bound to one anothers’ lives, the Prince steps forward, sacrificing himself and revealing to you, beyond the dark-as-night chocolate armour, a mind as bright as fire, a crown of sugar diamonds, with a heart and a soul the depth of caramel … " As I...
In the beginning, there were grapes … squished, squashed, mashed, pressed, juiced, fermented, transformed, becoming something else : WINE (of course it’s more complicated than that but you get the picture). The colours are 3 : red, white, rosé, (the easiest descriptive terms to remember). Then came all those characteristics...
When I say “sour”, I mean “tangy” like sweet jelly beans and sour jelly beans ! Ha, ha ! Anyways, looking inside my refrigerator, I decided to use up all my already opened dairy leftovers. I had plain greek-style yogurt, I had evaporated (or unsweetened condensed) milk, I had sweetened condensed milk too (I love that) and...
“This weird and perhaps not-so-attractive thing, is a delight and you’d be crazy not to make some quickly !” Of course, this isn’t my invention, this is an Italian and Portuguese holiday sweet, often called “chocolate salami” … I simply re-adapted my chocolate and biscuit blocks (see recipe here) for...
Just one last sweet orange-colored autumnal recipe before I begin with the savory versions of orange-colored squash recipes … What can you do with your extra homemade pumpkin purée ? Well you can just eat it with a spoon or you can make quick and easy fruit jellies ! My last 2 recipes used pumpkin purée incorporated in the...
JIAO-ZI is the Chinese word for DUMPLING and also the name of a fellow blogger’s (see Mandy Lee’s post from Lady and Pups here) dearest doggie & friend who passed away recently and who I dedicate this Western autumnal dessert to … As I said, this is in no way an Asian recipe nor a reinterpretation of one. My physical body...
Now HOW did this last-minute dessert idea happen ? This is how the story goes : I had leftover kataifi dough (from making another dessert again, the raspberry and rose shortcakes, see recipe here). I had already defrosted and separated the strands and mixed the kataifi dough with icing sugar and melted butter and thus could not put the extra...
So here we are with recipe number 2 of the 3-part cherry-almond-mahlepi love story and now celebrating these 3 ingredients in the form of ice cream. I have several recipes and methods for making ice cream and frozen desserts. The traditional version uses a custard with egg yolks, another uses sweetened condensed milk (this is the easiest and...
A few sweet moments before the holidays ? WHY WAIT ? ... Cookies made with almonds and oranges to celebrate the arrival of winter but with a touch of orange blossom water to remind us that spring and sunny weather will follow soon after ! Normally cookies are prepared directly on a cookie baking sheet, but these are somewhat between cookies...
As I mentioned in my 2 last posts, a failed solid pumpkin caramel recipe (it was too soft) turned into 3 re-adapted recipes and no longer failures ! What I also forgot to mention is that I initially made over 5 cups of this soft pumpkin caramel (which is also an excellent spread) and used only 2 cups for the last recipe so I was now...
An ODE to all the hard-working men & women of this autumn season who are grape-growers and grape-harvesters and wine-makers … with the WINE-MARINATED GRAPES again (see recipe here) … but this time in a grape & wine harvest cake, with honey and olive oil and butter and creamy dairy too. A basic cake with fruits, with 2...
What better way to celebrate Labour Day in Canada today ? How about enjoying some icy chocolate whisky coffee popsicles … made with some good old Canadian whisky, fresh brewed espresso coffee and melted dark chocolate. A dessert for adults, not too sweet, with an extra touch of bitterness from the very dark chocolate, extra cocoa...
The story begins here... mahlepi or mahlab or mahalab is an aromatic spice made from the seeds of a species of black cherry, with a flavour similar to a combination of bitter almond and cherry. As I was cleaning out and checking out what was in my pantry and discovered some leftover mahlepi kernels and ground powder too. By the way, this spice is...