Zuccotto has everything going for it so I'm not sure why it isn't up there in the ranks of famous Italian desserts. But I have rarely come across it. Not exactly a cake, although it includes sponge cake, not exactly not a cake so we'll settle on dessert.
My first attempt at Zuccotto left me unimpressed. Perhaps because I am not a fan of ricotta cheese. Adding whipped cream and mascarpone simply made three neutral flavors predominant. So I went about using the flavors of Italy - amaretto, hazelnuts, cherries, candied orange, cinnamon, and chocolate to amp up the flavor and give it a lot of character. As with many European desserts, this is not overly sweet. [Read more...]
Different types of corn flour are increasingly being found in markets and in recipes. They can be confusing and often people substitute one for the other which sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.
Cranberry Linzer Tart with its bright deep red, vibrant, cranberry filling is a variation of the Viennese Linzer Tart with raspberry filling. The spiced Linzer pastry is a perfect partner with the cranberries. It is best made ahead so the flavors can blend making this a natural for the holiday season. It can also be baked and frozen until needed.
As promised, here is the Danish Butter Cake. This is good any time of the day from breakfast as a coffeecake, to evening as a dessert or, if you're like us, any time of the day. How can you possibly go wrong with almond filling, pastry cream, remonce, and chocolate? If you are not fond of almond paste, omit it from the remonce.
Quick Danish Pastry dough is based on the same technique I found for making faster 
Place the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a processor. Process about 5 seconds to mix.
Pour it over the dry ingredients and process until the dough comes together into a ball. 
Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for about 2 hours or until it is frozen about an inch in from the edge. Do not freeze the entire disc.
Pour onto a work surface. 
Repeat twice more with the remaining ingredients.
Fold the top down make a book turn. The butter will look very ragged at this point. That's as it should be. 
Turn the dough package 90° with the seam on your right.
As a committed chocoholic, this Rocky Road Snack Cake fills the bill. I noticed recently that I haven't posted a chocolate recipe for a while and being short on time came up with this really fast snack cake.
Scones are a welcome treat anytime, but Breakfast Scones area a special treat.
When I think of Indispensable Kitchen Tools, I think of smaller pieces of equipment that make baking and pastry so much easier. These aren’t mixers and processors but the handheld equipment that makes it easier to do a task.
Chocolate Orange Pudding Cake is perfect for a summer chocolate fix. No matter what time of the year I love chocolate. This cake goes together in minutes after the ingredients are assembled. It uses a bowl and a whisk as well as a few measuring tools.
The other day, it occurred to me that a Peach Curd Tart would be perfect for the summer. The Georgia Peaches have been so good this year I have used them every way I can think of.
Soft chewy cookies such as this Fudgey Chocolate Cookie are not synonymous with under-baked cookies. Altering the way the cookie is normally put together and changing one ingredient makes the difference. When making a soft, chewy cookie the retention of moisture is the key; so, instead of creaming the butter and sugar, which is the normal procedure, the butter is melted before combining it with the sugar. 
This Easy Hawaiian Sundae, is a special endding for a grilled dinner. Fresh pineapple and a coconut cream chocolate sauce are topped with salted, toasted macadamia nuts which can be found in the snack aisle of my grocery store.
Becoming a better baker depends upon understanding the ingredients that go into baking. On my blog, I have a Baking Information tab on the navigation bar that has loads of information to help you become that better baker.
While the month of May is designated Fresh Strawberry Month, you can hardly miss it as you grocery shop. We love strawberries and eat them plain, on ice cream, in smoothies, yogurt parfaits, on cereal - any and every way.
With Mother’s Day upon us, this Vanilla Mousse Torte with Strawberries is a perfect do-ahead dessert to honor her. It is light, full of flavor, not too sweet, beautiful, easy to make and almost no bake. I’m not sure what more could be asked of a dessert.
Buttermilk is what we call a “rounder” in food service. It is a person, or in this case an ingredient, that can do almost everything. Buttermilk makes unbelievably tender pancakes, the flakiest biscuits, superior bread, and extraordinarily moist cakes. It can do all of this because of the presence of lactic acid. 
Banana Pudding is a favorite southern dessert usually made with purchased vanilla wafers and vanilla pudding mix. Before I became the pastry chef at Tony’s, I worked briefly at the Hyatt Hotel which was a client of the bakery. I wanted to see how a big bakery department worked.
If you read this recipe for Vanilla Wafers really early, please check again, as some of the instructions have changed. 
These Individual Variegated Pound Cakes were an idea born out of boredom waiting for my doctor appointment. I picked up a well-worn women’s magazine and leafing through it I found what they called a Triple Pound Cake in a loaf pan. After seeing it, I couldn’t get it out of my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't wait to make them.
