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Classic Deep-Dish Apple Pie
Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness. – Jane Austen. It’s been quite a little while since I made an apple pie, but when I saw there were Honeycrisp and Pink Lady apples available, I knew what had to be done. This beauty of a pie also includes a couple of Granny Smiths, of course, to add that bit of tart and keep the pie from being too sweet.
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Buttermilk Ricotta Fennel Rolls
“With bread all sorrows are less.” – Sancho Panza in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. These buttermilk ricotta fennel rolls came about because I was seeking a heartier dinner roll that could stand up to soups and stews and chilis while still remaining light in texture and with a good, tender chew. These rolls do just that and have a lovely tang from the buttermilk, a richness from the ricotta cheese, and pleasant subtle pops of fennel throughout.
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Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes with Purple Pansies
“Nobody can keep on being angry if she looks into the heart of a pansy for a little while.” – L.M. Montgomery. Indeed – who could stay in a bad mood when contemplating the beauty of a pansy? Blooming in all sorts of colors from the deepest purple to the most sunshiny of yellows, these spring beauties are a favorite of mine. With the wild version called by such names as heartsease, Johnny-jump-up, love-in-idleness, and kiss-her-in-the-buttery, how can you not be charmed?
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Swiss Meringue Buttercream
“Romance is the icing but love is the cake.” – Julia Child. Swiss meringue buttercream is my absolute favorite of all the buttercreams. It’s stable, pipes well, and tastes like a creamy, sweet cloud. I much prefer it to the overly-sweet, sugary American buttercream. I’ve played with this recipe a bit and this is the combo of egg whites, sugar, and butter that I think works the best. Even better, it’s easy to remedy when it goes awry.
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Spring Vegetables Galette
“Remind me to tell you about the time I looked into the heart of an artichoke.” – Bette Davis as Margo Channing in “All About Eve.” Like spring flowers, spring vegetables have a delicate beauty about them that their bolder, heartier summer sisters just don’t have. How can you not love those tender greens and yellows? This easy-to-make galette is packed full of them – peas, asparagus, marinated artichoke hearts – along with fresh dill, a tiny bit of lemon zest, and some crumbled feta. Yum.
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Lemon Thyme Shortbread Cookies
“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.” – Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Mother’s Day is this weekend and I wanted to make something pretty for my wonderful mom. She’s an amazing woman and given that she’s the one who taught me how to bake, it only seemed right to bake something especially for her. Enter lemon thyme shortbread cookies. Not only are these oh-so-delicious but they’re a snap to make. You could skip the lemon and thyme but why would you want to? That little hint of tang and…
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Lemon Basil Tart
“Sweetness cloys. Tart fruit and tart women give life its savor.” – George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons. Amen, Mr. Martin. By the way, that quote is from book 5 in the Game of Thrones series (technically A Song of Ice and Fire series), and I have to wonder if there will ever be a book 6 or 7. The HBO show had already outpaced the books by last season and once the TV series ends in a couple of weeks we’ll all be having withdrawals. Or at least I will. Can I say hurrah for all the strong, badass women characters in both books and show? That’s not…
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Bakes That Fail
Between the idea and the reality…falls the shadow. – T.S. Eliot. It’s inevitable. The meringue is soup. The cake is lead. Your caramel burns and your cake falls. And when it happens, there might be tears. Self-recrimination. Cursing. (Definitely cursing.) As you pour $$$ down the garbage disposal because even the dog won’t eat your food, you might feel as though the baking gods* have abandoned you to your fate. I am, of course, talking about the Bakes That Fail.
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Macarons with Earl Grey Tea Buttercream
“A woman is like a tea bag – you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. These delicious macarons are paired with an Earl Grey tea buttercream – because I love me some Earl Grey – but you could use another tea of your choice. They are also made with the Italian meringue method and I’m not sure there’s any turning back once you’ve tried it.
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Mocha Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
“As long as you have life and breath, believe. Believe for those who cannot…Never give up, never despair, let no mystery confound you into the conclusion that mystery cannot be yours.” – Mark Helprin. Coffee. And chocolate. In a cake. Life is good.
