A Dense Almond Cake

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I’m forty now. It’s time to put on my big girl panties and face my fears. I need to be brave. I need to be confident. I need to walk on the wild side for once. I need to bake a three-tiered cake.

In my mind, this cake looks very elegant and pretty, but my mind has been known to exaggerate the truth every now and then (most of the time). Therefore, my goal is to create a cake that would fit a rustic charm description. Actually, it would more likely be called charming but rustic. Basically, it’s going to be a mess, but a cute mess, m’kay?

The taste, however, has to be out of this world. I’ve been fooled one to many times by gorgeous cakes. They lure you in with their intimidating beauty, but leave you flat with their disappointing taste. Well, not this time, baby! The bones of this cake, the heart and soul, if you will, are going to be made up of delectably moist, very dense, almond cakes. Come on… let’s go bake it. Continue reading →

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Cherry Pie

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A good piece of pie is the perfect dessert. A sweet yet tangy fruit filling encased in a buttery pastry and topped with a dollop of cool vanilla bean whipped cream is summer eating at its best. What perplexes me, however, is that most people I’ve talked to say they don’t like pie. They like fruit. They like breakfast pastries, but they don’t like pie. I can only guess that it is the pie crust itself that has been the culprit in turning off so many potential pie lovers. Most commercially made pie crust can be very disappointing. On the other hand, the mere thought of making pie pastry can scare the living daylights out of some. That old saying however, “if you want something done right you have to do it yourself” is very true in this case. I implore you to make your on pie pastry. Then make it again. And again. And again. You’ll see that your finger tips will start to know when the dough is just right. You’ll begin to meditate to the rhythm of the rolling pin. And your heart will skip a beat when you’ve fluted the edges, brushed it with a glaze, and sprinkled on Demerara sugar. So go out and practice. Start with this cherry pie. It’s perfect. Continue reading →

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Milk Chocolate Almond Truffles

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Milk Chocolate Almond Truffles 127 (2)
It has been a little over a month since my last post. I’ve no excuses. I’m simply enjoying my summer. I’ve been baking at least once a week,  swimming with my boys, taking early morning runs, and sneaking off to read Ken Follett’s Edge Of Eternity while my kids watch Zootopia for the 35th time. I know, I know. They shouldn’t be watching too much TV, especially during the summer months, but in my defense I was a huge TV watcher as a child, and look at me now– I sneak off to read books, and I’m adorable. Anyway, I made these scrumptious milk chocolate almond truffles almost two months ago. They didn’t last very long on the dessert platter, but their photos, having been imprisoned on camera, felt stifled long enough. I’m happy I’ve set them free, I only wish I had more of them to eat.  Continue reading →

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Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Spirals

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Jacques Torres' Chocolate Spirals 057 (2)

It was my birthday yesterday. I am now 40 years old. When I talked about my upcoming birthday with friends I did so with disappointment in my voice. After all, I’m not supposed to be happy about getting older, right? The truth is though, I have never been so excited for a birthday in all of my life. I love my birthday. I love feeling special for the day. I also love to make wishes and resolutions, and what better day to do that then on one’s own personal New Year’s Day. Sure I had some anxious feelings about being in my forties. I’m not young anymore. Youth is long gone, and that makes me feel sad, but I’ve never felt as complete in my life as I do right now. I spent my 40th birthday with the best people that came out of my thirties–my husband and my babies. I kept Aron company in the kitchen while he cooked us dinner. We drank beer, made each other laugh, and then dissected each joke to see whose was funnier. I made a vegan birthday cake so that all of my boys could enjoy it (blasted food allergies!), and topped it with a crown of Jacques Torres’ chocolate spirals. We sang Happy Birthday, ate more than we should have, and went to bed without cleaning up.

I don’t know what the next decade will bring, but right now, at 40 years of age, I am at my happiest. Continue reading →

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