Deb’s Mom’s Apple Cake

I’ve been living in Tel Aviv for 3 months now, which in and of itself, blows my mind, but more importantly at the moment, I’m about to celebrate my first Rosh Hashanah ever in Israel. (Okay, technically I celebrated a few as a baby, but seeing as how I was barely a sentient being, I feel […]

Pop Tart Hamantashen

My whole life, I’ve more or less been a creature of habit when it comes to hamantashen. I grew up eating apricot-filled ones, which I will happily gobble up to this day, but poppyseed… nope, no thank you, blech. Also, if you throw in a chocolate-filled one, I’m definitely in, no questions asked. Other jams, […]

Cranberry-Lime Pie

Last year, basically all of Instagram was mesmerized by Bon Appétit’s captivating Cranberry-Lime Pie, and for good reason. Edible things of this technicolor hue usually have food coloring in them, but THIS jewel-toned beauty attributes its vividness to cranberries and only cranberries! I have finally made the pie, and I appropriately fawned over its gorgeous […]

Apple-Maple Tart

I know. Pumpkin pie is supposed to be, like, the thing this week. I am fully aware of this, and yet, I refuse to conform. I’ve just never been a huge fan of pumpkin pie; it’s okay, but I can take it or leave it. I am much more excited about other Thanksgiving/autumn desserts. Things that […]

Tuscany: Torta di Mele (Apple Cake)

I’ve been writing about Italy for several weeks now (except for a little hiatus due to work craziness), and I know every place I write about is all amazing and beautiful and historic and delicious and OMG-level. But I hadn’t gotten to Tuscany yet. And all the stuff about those other regions was 100% true, […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Classic Apple Pie

In the Great Life Debate of cake vs. pie, cake pretty much always wins in my book. (Unless there is chocolate and/or caramel in the pie. Then we might have to discuss further.) I will fuss with cake layers, frosting, crumb coat, the decorating turntable, and any other minute details to make every cake as […]

Baked Sunday Mornings: Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Pastry Cream

My feelings about bananas are not a secret… suffice it to say, I’m not a fan. I’ve largely come around when it comes to banana baked goods, and that is a good thing. How sad would it be if I was missing out on stuff like banana bread and banana cake?! Let’s not even entertain […]

Apple Orange Rye Honey Cake

We interrupt this regularly scheduled Italian Desserts blog post to wish you a Belated Shana Tova! If you celebrate the Jewish High Holy Days, I hope your Jewish New Year is off to an excellent start. I was planning to post a spiffy honey cake for you before the holiday, but it didn’t quite work out as […]

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. 😉 One place in particular that I […]

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. […]