desserts recipes
A MID-SPRING DESSERT CLASSIC made easy (or easier) . . . with simplified steps : 1. No slicing up of strawberries (which is why I use very large whole strawberries that have been softened just enough with lemon/lime juice and sugar and have released part of their juices). 2. Using the released juices to create the syrup glaze for the...
BLANCHED ALMONDS - GROUND ALMONDS - ALMOND POWDER - FLAKED or SLIVERED ALMONDS . . . ? You can do this all yourself you know, starting off with plain regular almonds but anyways, it’s just a thought ! I’ve never made these before, but these babies are one of my favorite greek pastry and bakery items....
. . . let me explain : the original name of this working-class (or actually for people not working at all) winter dessert from Quebec during the Great Depression and the Wall Street Crash of 1929 is 'POUDING-CHOMEUR' which can be left as is or literally translated into ‘poor man’s pudding’ or ‘pudding for...
CHOCOLATEY & FRUITY & CREAMY & NUTTY & CRUNCHY & CHEWY & SPICY (but not too spicy this time) . . . ***and stop panicking, you all still have time to get everything done !!! Here’s an easy holiday recipe that is an adaptation from last year’s “chocolate holiday sausages” (see recipe here) but...
The BIG RETURN … By now, you’ve already accepted it or have been forced to accept it because you no longer have the choice. Back to school for the younger ones (kindergarten, elementary, high school, university) and back to work for us older ones (office work, house work or taking care of your crazy family) . ....
A VERY SHORT & SWEET STORY : "One fine day, coming home after work (and on this same very fine day), when Angel was working from home and had time to do all the cooking, I discovered these wonderful little tartlets . . ." SHORTCRUST PASTRY DOUGH + CARAMEL + CHOCOLATE = Angel’s versions which were simpler but equally...
"A cube of glistening darkness . . . topped by a golden square of pale caramel & crowned with a walnut kernel . . ." yeah … whatever ! I made these little numbers by modifying and transforming my chococolate-covered clementine almond cakes recipe (see recipe here) by using home-ground walnut powder,...
SOOOOOO . . . what do you do (in the winter) when you have loads of walnuts and dried dates and breadcrumbs & earl grey tea too ? The 2 kg of dates and 2 kg of walnuts and the earl grey tea we’re all given to me by my friends & neighbors and the breadcrumbs (also 2 kg at least) are the result of my own weekly bread I make...
APPLE PIE : American, European, French, British, German, Austrian, Scandinavian ? ALL of the ABOVE my friends, and many more . . . (and I know this too well because I've prepared at least a dozen pies in the last 2 months). Each continent and country has its own versions. Some with top and bottom crusts, Others only with a bottom...
SEPTEMBER isn’t all that BAD ! One week ago, I sincerely thought I was going to write up a kicking-and-screaming back to work September article. I changed my mind . . . It only seems painful in that way, not because everybody’s getting back to work or school or both and vacationing is over but because the weather changes. No...
“ I TOLD YOU SO ! ” . . . but who listens to me ? About 6 months ago, if you remember well, I told you all to freeze some berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants, etc.) because summer is still far away but spring is here with its share of holidays and preparations. Okay, don’t worry, this...
HAPPY "VALENTINE’S DAY" to my MAMA and my PAPA (and a very happy birthday to my mama this week too and who still looks fabulous) ! In your lifetime, you will end up with several “valentine’s day” candidates (I remember that as a kid in elementary school, we would all make hand-made cards in class and give...
January 6 : ‘EPIPHANY’ or the visit of the 3 WISE KINGS and also my cousin ANGIE’s birthday (who is exactly 10 years and 1 day younger than I am) . . . Happy Birthday my darling & youngest of cousins ANGIE ! January 6 is also the official date for the «GALETTE DES ROIS» or...
Once upon a time (a few days ago), a few fresh PLUMS (the ones that turn into dried prunes later on) decided to have some fun and live it up before they lost their ‘freshness’ and dried up. They wanted to go on “dates” before their time would come. It just so happened that a few fresh DATES (the ones that turn into sweet...
“AS PURE AS THE SNOW-CAPPED PEAKS OF MOUNT OLYMPUS” . . . I’m half-Olympian from my mother’s side. Not an Olympian like a citizen of the city of Olympia in the Peloponnese region of Greece, where the Olympic Games first took place. Nor Olympian like the athletes in the Olympic Games. But rather a half-Olympian (in the...