My Weekly Dessert

Husband #1 loves cherries and, no matter what I bake, he prefers they be included. This cake satisfies his craving. And it has alcohol, which I always add more of than the recipe calls for. Don’t know if that’s a bad habit or a good one. So, what is a gateau you ask? It's a cake, technically one with a rich filling between the layers, often with fruit. Call it whatever you like. Here is the link: https://www.butterandbrioche.com/home/black-forest-gateau Changes I made If you’ve been reading this blog regularly, you know I tend to use what I have in the house and make all kinds of substitutions. I took some liberties with this cake, though I did send Husband #1 to the store for mascarpone. However, I would have been happy to blend heavy cream, cream cheese, and sour cream instead. To start, I halved everything, including the filling and the topping, since I was bringing this cake to someone’s house for dinner and there were only four of us. I baked it in a single round cake ...

  The online photo of this tart is amazing and I knew I wouldn’t be pulling out all the stops with the decoration. In fact, I wouldn’t be doing any decoration at all, especially since it was just for Husband #1 and me. But, nevertheless, I persisted. I’m not afraid of a more complicated recipe. In fact, I rather enjoy it now and then because it typically means I am trying something new. I’ve made the basic parts of this recipe before (cookie crust, lemon filling) but I hadn’t made a jelly layer and well, I didn’t this time, either. More on that later. Crust Ingredients Here’s the recipe; https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/recipes/all/peter-blackberry-lemon-tart/ Changes I made ·          Instead of hazelnuts, I used 50 grams of almond flour.    I didn’t buy enough blackberries, so included strawberries to get to the right amount. Here's the berry pulp after being put through the sieve. ·      ...

When a pot-luck dinner calls for a gluten-free dessert, there's no need to fret. Just about any cake or cookie recipe can be made with a gluten free mix like those from King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill. I've substituted one-for-one in a number of recipes with no problem. Gluten-free flour doesn't work for pies or yeast breads, but just about anything else is fair game. This time I looked online for gluten-free recipes and saw this one for strawberry shortcake. Since it's spring and store strawberries are not completely white inside, I gave it a go. https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/gluten-free-strawberry-shortcake/                                         Wet & dry ingredients               Everything mixed The recipe calls for gluten-free baking soda and gluten-free vanilla. I am not familiar with either, though most standa...

This isn’t my first rodeo with banana bread, but it’s the first with real buttermilk. Normally I substitute by putting lemon juice in milk and calling it a day. I typically bake banana bread to bring to Son Number Only who refuses anything with sour cream, which is a common substitute for buttermilk. I’ve likely made over ten different banana bread recipes over the last twenty years and this one was declared a winner.  Here’s the recipe:  https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/classic-banana-bread-3361704 Ingredients Changes I made Husband Number One often appropriates my loaf pan and this time it was in the freezer filled with meat loaf. All the rest of my baking pans and equipment are separated from anything he cooks with (and he typically cooks wonderful dinners) because well, let’s just say I like mine a bit more pristine. Can someone remind me to buy my own loaf pan? I baked twelve muffins in a cupcake pan and had enough batter left for a small round c...

 Just in time for Passover; the recipe is my own. It started off as the Chocolate Macaroon recipe from The New York Times Passover Cookbook (1999 edition), but I didn’t have (or like) some of the ingredients, so took it in another direction. The batter will be thick after being mixed, so you’ll need a second spoon or your finger to drop each cookie onto the cookie sheet.   The bottoms can burn; check the underside at 15 minutes. Feel free to experiment with this recipe: increase the amount of chocolate, add cinnamon, plop in some coconut or even sub it for the praline (I’m not a fan of shredded coconut, but you might like it). Make the praline first, as it must be cool to be put in the batter. Oh, and there will be extra praline so that you can eat some as is. Makes 24-30 cookies depending on size Preheat oven to 300 degrees Praline 1 cup whole nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or a mix) ¼ C. water 3/4 C. sugar 1.        Toast the ...

This recipe is listed as one of Ruth Reichl’s favorites. In case you’re not familiar with her, she is a chef, was the food critic for the New York Times and then the editor of Gourmet magazine. She’s written a number of books, two of which I own because she’s a splendid writer. Here’s the link to the cake recipe: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ruth-reichl-save-me-the-plums-memoir-recipes/  and the filling recipe: https://www.food.com/recipe/orange-citrus-cake-filling-147364.  This cake totally reminds me of the kind of chocolate cake you might have for a kid’s birthday party, topped with frosting and all kinds of decorations. The cake is light, not overwhelmingly chocolate, can be cut into two layers, and could likely take on anything you put with it, including ice cream. The cake takes about 1 ½ hours, start to cooling and the accompanying brittle can be made while it bakes. I love cakes that can be mixed by hand with a whisk and this cake fits that bill. Praline choppe...