Amalfi Coast & Positano: Wild Strawberry Ricotta Cheesecakes
Everyone has their own idea of paradise, whether it’s a tropical island, a lake in the mountains, a tranquil forest, or whatever place brings you pure joy. Maybe even one’s own backyard. My happiest Happy Place is of the Italian persuasion… which you might have guessed by now. đ One place in particular that I […]
Lombardia: Torta Sbriciolata with Cocoa, Ricotta & Chocolate Chips
Last year I waxed poetic about a cake from northern Italy that I had discovered called torta sbriciolata (sbree-cho-LAH-tah), which consists of a crumbly base and top layer sandwiching a creamy or fruity filling. And I was all, âThis cake is amazing!â and âThis cake is so easy!â and âIâm going to post so many flavors […]
An Italian Love Story: Reflections & Recipes Inspired by my Travels to Bella Italia
Have you ever been to a place that has utterly overtaken your soul… and you didn’t have the faintest desire to resist? A place that seeped into your bloodstream? A place that you fantasize about on a daily basis from afar? A place you know you belong? I love to travel and see new places, […]
White Chocolate Birthday Shortbread Bars
I’m kind of on a shortbread bender right now, guys. Ever since I started playing around with variations on Ovenly‘s Buttery Shortbread recipe, it’s all I can think about– work? sleep? gym? NO– only shortbread. And I’m just fine going about my day believing this is normal, adaptive, healthy behavior– please don’t burst my bubble. […]
Baked Sunday Mornings: Chocolate Pop Tarts with Peanut Butter & Jam Filling
Some weeks I feel like I’m really progressing in my baking and making important strides in understanding baking chemistry… This was not one of those weeks. Between going back to work after having the summer off, ruining a batch of homemade puff pastry, and being involved in several Italian dessert projects for my upcoming Italy […]
Baked Sunday Mornings: Peanut Butter Blossoms
I’ll admit it– I am a chocolate snob. And I’m perfectly fine with that. If I’m eating chocolate out of hand, it’s definitely going to be a good quality bar or truffle or candy. And for baking? It’s going to be Guittard, TCHO, or Valrhona, because the quality of your chocolate makes a big difference […]
Salted Chocolate Sesame Rice Crispy Treats
Snap-Crackle-Pop will never be the same. I, like so many other dutiful American bakers, made my rice crispy treats using the recipe on the Rice Krispies cereal box, never questioning whether there were better marshmallow-laced specimens out there. But then, people like Deb Perelman and Joanne Chang taught me that rice crispy treats could be […]
Baked Sunday Mornings: Exceedingly Chocolaty Crinkles
Baked Sunday Mornings is celebrating Christmas in July… and I like it. We’re embarking on our last 5 recipes from Baked Occasions, which is really hard to believe! Most of our remaining recipes are holiday cookies, and Exceedingly Chocolaty Crinkles are among my favorites, as this was one of the recipes that I tested when our blogger group did […]
Baked Sunday Mornings: Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake
What. The. Effff… is what I thought when I was putting together this cake batter. Never before had I stared down so confusedly at a cake pan, wondering how the batter in front of me was supposed to bake into a cake. And yet, magically it sure did. If I were naming this bastion of […]
Pretty in Pink: Rhubarb-Raspberry Pistachio Tart
I can’t stop. I thought I was done with my rhubarb baking for the season, but I can’t help it. Apparently rhubarb grows like weeds in the Midwest (that’s a thing, right?), but it is sometimes curiously difficult to find in markets in California, or least where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. […]