Category: Desserts

  • Mayan Chocolate Cookies

    Mayan Cookies Plate

    Friends, I think I may have just fallen in love this year on Valentine’s Day. That’s right, I’m in love. I have fallen in love with the beautiful craft of baking. Especially cookies.

    Mayan Cookie Close Up

    About a year ago, Leili gave me a cookie mix created by the amazing Ashley Rodriguez and from there I baked my first batch of perfect cookies. For months, I kept the empty container so I could read the ingredients and set out on my own to create my perfect cookies. I’ve concocted several recipes since that time and have had wonderful feedback, but I’m still chasing after more perfect cookies. Who doesn’t love a good cookie to sweeten up their day? (more…)

  • Sinner’s Brownies

    raspberry fudgy brownies

    Oops…I did it again.

    I played with your heart, got lost in the game.

     

     

    .…the brownie game. (more…)

  • Intense European Hot Chocolate

    european hot chocolate mix
    You know how I feel about chocolate.

    Even if you haven’t been around here enough to hear me drone on and on about it for the past year, my relationship with this godly substance is pretty clear. I mean, if you have eyes.

    rich european style hot chocolate (more…)

  • Buttery Snowflake Cookies

    Snowflake Cookies

    Dear Santa, I’ve tried really hard to be a good person this year, but I’m human and I’m not totally confident I made it onto the Nice List. May I bribe you with some brown butter snowflake cookies to get back into your good graces?

    Snowflake Cookies Choc Coconut

    As I’m looking back at this year, I realize I have not completed my 2015 to-do list, but I am going to cross the “new tattoo” off my list this weekend. I am a little anxious but even more excited to get something new at the end of the year. I fell short of my expectations for this year in many ways, but I have also made a lot of strides. (more…)

  • Townsman Brunch

    Townsman Grilled Cheese 2Townsman

    At Townsman restaurant overlooking Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway, Chefs Matt and Kate Jennings are having fun with food. Since its opening last winter, Townsman has been serving up fresh New England fare to Boston patrons in a polished yet comfortable atmosphere.

    Townsman Dining (more…)

  • Fluffy Pumpkin Soufflés

    Pumpkin Souffle

    Let’s talk about the magic of desserts. Desserts are the mistresses to any meal – you try to deny yourself this tasty treat, but you know you still have room for something sweet and the seductive word itself entices you to give the menu a glance before you surrender to the sweet rush of sugar and satisfaction.

    Souffle with Whipped Cream

    We all know that feeling – you’re anxiously waiting for one of your friends at the dinner table to take up the offer on dessert. Ten minutes after you order, you’re all sharing this precious small plate, and another five minutes later, it’s all gone and all tummies are happy. Dessert is the lasting key to friendship.

    Ingredients

    In the spirit of Thanksgiving, and particularly Friendsgiving, I’m going to share this light and fluffy pumpkin soufflé recipe with you sweet folks. (more…)

  • Artichoke and Asparagus Risotto & Chocolate Hazelnut Roulade…and a giveaway!

    Servingchoco hazelnut roulade1

    Hello friends! We’re doing something a little different today, and sharing two recipes: a main dish and dessert. Because if a little is good, more is better.

    The holiday season in Boston is always pretty magical – crunchy leaves on Thanksgiving to accompany the pumpkin pie, and plenty of snow on the ground to welcome Christmas and the New Year. No matter how cold it gets outside, though, sharing warm, home-cooked meals with family is always the highlight of the holidays. As cheesy as it sounds, we love feeling the love.

    So we made these recipes with love, for you. Whether you have 78249395 crazy relatives or your family consists of just you and your cat, these are dishes made to share with those you’re closest to.

    For these recipes, we’ve partnered up* with Colavita and Perugina, makers of some of the world’s finest olive oils and chocolates, respectively. Olive oil and chocolate are two of our most-used (and most-loved) ingredients, and we love all things Italian, so this partnership was really a no-brainer. And because we love you too, we’re giving you the chance to enter Colavita’s “Join Our Italian Holiday Table” sweepstakes to win a basket full of olive oil and chocolate goodies. Just click on the link at the bottom of this page to enter to win, and thank us later. (more…)

  • Flourless White Chocolate Macadamia Brownie Cookies

    flourless brownie cookies

    Say hello to my current obsession!

    melted chocolate

    I’ve made these bad boys three times this week, and if I’m being honest with you guys, I’m about to jump into the kitchen and bake some up again right now. (more…)

  • Matcha Chocolate Mousse

    Serving 1

    I’m just gonna say it. Don’t judge me, but I do not like Halloween. Actually, it might be my least favorite holiday. Wait, is Halloween even a holiday? In my defense, I scare really easily (ask Leili) and I have zero enthusiasm for dressing up in a costume. My idea of dressing up is wearing dark colors and making up my face. This lifestyle is encouraged by my sweatpants and YouTube makeup videos.

    Matcha Mousse 1

    Spoonful 1

    (more…)

  • Top 7 Tips for the Amateur Baker

    pancake mise

    Hey guys, Leili here!

    This week we’re trying something new. I’d like to say it’s because we’re brave and imaginative, but really it’s because I tested a recipe I was really excited to share with you guys, but it failed. Miserably. So instead of posting that recipe, today I’m sharing some of the tips I’ve found most useful as a baker.

    I’ve been baking on my own for almost a decade, and I’ve messed up enough to have learned a few things along the way. Then I started working at a bakery and learned a few more things, and now I know at least 7 things! So here they are, for all you crazy baking-fiends out there that are just like me.

    cupcake mise

    1. Mise en Place

    Meaning “to set everything in place”, this is the golden rule for both baking and cooking. Any time you’re working in the kitchen, it’s always best to have all your ingredients prepped and measured out so that not only do you know that you have everything you’ll need, but so that the actual act of cooking or baking will be as easy as it looks on your favorite cooking show. It’s not only about the ingredients though – a big part of mise en place is reading over the recipe so you know what to expect in terms of time, space, and equipment. Basically, prepare yo’self. It’s what makes daunting baking tasks manageable, and it’s a rule to live by.

    (more…)