Here in El Paso, summer does not creep up on us–it pounces. The gusty spring days, random hailstorms and chilly high desert sunsets suddenly open up into that first morning walk which for me marks the beginning of summer. When I wake up and take the dog out first thing in the morning and it’s…
Category: Fresh desserts
Yes to cookies, no to dishes: Vegan Almond Chocolate Chip “One-Fork One-Bowl” Cookies
Although I have been known to spontaneously gather up a group of friends, a bottle of champagne, and make croissants together on a Monday night (and may have literally done that earlier this week, with awesome results), sometimes I feel lazy. But I want cookies. Enter this recipe: you will use only one bowl and…
Rock your next very-adult dinner party AND indulge your inner kid: Super Easy Chocolate Ganache Cake with Marshmallow Meringue!
This rich, decadent chocolate cake is offset by a simple, light and fluffy swiss meringue topping that is a showstopper. The cake batter comes together in just two minutes using one bowl, and the meringue is quick to make while the cake bakes. Feel free to add a few tablespoons of espresso, frangelico, amaretto, or…
A sticky, finger-licking post: wild Maine blueberry pie jam
This is blueberry pie in a jam jar! Note the emphasis on blueberry pie: three staged additions of berries along with butter and lemon in this jam will transform toast, yogurt, or any dessert into a sumptuously blue treat. For the month of September, I’ve had the luck to work in the emergency department in Portland, Maine….
Frozen cherries bring the taste of summer early with…clafoutis!
Clafoutis (pronounced “klah-foo-tee”) is a wonderful, comforting baked custard studded with cherries in the simple, rustic French tradition. Its magically crisp cake-like edges and smooth custard center are sprinkled with crunchy sugar just before serving. This recipe is made both more affordable and possible year-round by using frozen cherries, although the traditional recipe uses unpitted cherries…
The chocolate almond torte to make you famous this winter
This traditional Italian torte is at once rich, light, fluffy and decadent. It is an impressive gluten free dessert to share and keeps well for a week or more at room temperature. A gâteau from Stephane Reynaud’s whimsical French cookbook Ripailles inspired my simple version below, which is always a hit. For the torte pictured, I…
Garnish with whipped chantilly cream
The trick to a true chantilly cream is the addition of table sugar at the very end. The result is a charming, delicate crunch of sugar throughout the light whipped cream, which is a real treat.
Våffeldagen: Swedish Waffles today
Although it is a sunny day in September, I’m having a våffeldagen here at home. National Waffle Day (Våffeldagen) is a Swedish tradition every March, with the word coming from Vårfrudagen, Our Lady’s Day of Ascension. This entirely non-religious holiday simply requires at least one meal consisting of lovely, fluffy Swedish waffles, usually with freshly…
Candying fresh flowers in hopes of warm weather
Last summer, headed outside to trim fresh cilantro, I found that all four of my plants had bolted (gone to seed) over the last few days. Crestfallen, I went back inside to see what I could improvise with. After a few unsuccessful minutes, I turned around, went back outside with scissors, snipped off a sprig of the coriander…
butter in bloom: my plant-based kitchen 