This original creation is a wonderful interplay of tastes and textures. The tangy, vividly colored blood orange curd—adapted from a recipe by Richard Sax, he of Chocolate Cloud Cake fame—is beautifully balanced by sweet Italian Meringue Soft layers of Butter Sponge Cake lightly brushed with a delicate, orange-scented syrup, provide…
Before donating my collection of The Best of Gourmet magazine compilations (1985–2001) to a local library, I flipped through each volume in search of recipes to feature on the blog. The Apricot Cheesecake from 1987 was one I immediately bookmarked and scanned. The photograph—admittedly dated in style—showed a simple yet…
Authentic Danish pastry is buttery and flaky, lightly flavored with vanilla and cardamom, and bears little resemblance to the fruit- and cheese-filled rolls labeled “Danish” in most bakeries. It is made from a rich dough layered with European-style butter using the same lamination method —the repeated folding of dough and…
There is so much to love about this Double Chocolate Raspberry Trifle. Like all desserts presented in a trifle bowl, it’s visually striking—layered, luxurious, and an instant centerpiece on any holiday buffet. Both mousses—Chocolate Velvet and Milk Chocolate—are wonderfully rich, so even the most devoted chocoholic will find that a…
This Caramel Pumpkin Pie is so good because it fixes the two weak links in a standard pumpkin pie: flat sweetness and one-note texture. Straight pumpkin custard is mellow. Add caramel and you suddenly get toasted sugar, and a darker, more adult sweetness that wakes everything up. This is a…
When I was baking out of my porch in Chilmark, Martha’s Vineyard, Financiers were part of my morning delivery to Alley’s General Store, along with an assortment of croissants and the muffin of the day. The recipe I used then dated back to my time at Conversation, a Philadelphia patisserie…
I have a particular fondness for cakes built around nut meringue layers. The interplay of soft, tender cake and crisp, nutty meringue creates a truly memorable taste experience. This Aztec Layer Cake is a perfect example: layers of pecan meringue infused with cinnamon and coffee, paired with Chocolate Chiffon Cake…
With fresh nectarines, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom, this Autumn Nectarine Pie is both an ode to the fading days of summer and a welcome to the warm spices of fall baking. The interplay of late-summer fruit with autumn flavors makes for an unforgettable taste experience. At first, I was surprised…
The Friday Baking Project
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