28 Apr

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Brownies

Posted by Michelle as Brownies and Bar Cookies | 22 Comments

It is said that necessity is the mother of invention, and that’s exactly how these brownies were born. I NEEDED dessert. What I didn’t want was to go to the grocery store. And so I started rummaging through my baking supplies to see what I could play with. I remembered that I still had Oreos leftover from the Peanut Butter Torte that I made the week before. Score. I thought and thought, and decided that since brownies are easy and virtually mess-free with only one bowl, that Oreo brownies would be quite suitable. Then I opened the refrigerator and saw cream cheese leftover from the same torte. Hmmm, I love Oreo cheesecake… I love brownies… surely an Oreo cheesecake brownie (or something to that effect) would be good, yes? YES!

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17 Apr

Pigu (Italian Gougeres)

Posted by Michelle as Appetizers, Pasta, Noodles and Dumplings | 18 Comments

It wasn’t until I broke one of these open for the purpose of my photographs that I realized what the perfect description for them is:

Italian Gougères.

Well, maybe a cross between an Italian Gougère and a baked ravioli (minus the ricotta). My grandma has made these the week of Easter for as long as I can remember. I am not sure where exactly the tradition or recipe comes from, but it is certainly a large part of my family’s Easter tradition. Since we typically do not eat meat on Good Friday, the pigu serve as a great alternative for snacking or, in large quantities (which I have been known to consume), for a meal. Aside from the no-meat-on-Good Friday Easter tradition, these would also be great for any party or get together where you’d like to serve appetizers or snacks that aren’t messy and easy for guests to pick up and eat with their hands.

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15 Apr

Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

Posted by Michelle as Layer Cakes | 24 Comments

Many of you know that until recently I suffered from a number of food allergies, one of which was peanuts. As a result, the most tempting dessert featured in Dorie Greenspan’s utterly superb Baking: From My Home to Yours, the Peanut Butter Torte, was sadly off limits to me. Oh, how I pined after it. Oreo crust. Peanut butter mousse. Chocolate ganache. Seriously, what could possibly be better? Once I finally found out I was no longer allergic to peanuts, it was really only a matter of time before I broke out the cookbook and whipped up this torte.

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07 Apr

Banana Cream Pie and Tips on Pie Crust

Posted by Michelle as Cream, Custard and Nut Pies | 10 Comments

If I were given this recipe and told that I had to come up with my own name for the pie, it would be Bananas Foster Cream Pie. With the exception of setting bananas on fire, the flavors in this pie are reminiscent of the classic dessert, Bananas Foster. In place of a typical vanilla pastry cream, Dorie subs out the white sugar and uses brown sugar, and adds cinnamon and nutmeg for an extra punch of earthy flavor. As I was whisking and whisking, and smelling the cream as it thickened, I couldn’t help but think that this pastry cream would be a perfect pairing for so many fall-inspired desserts – anything from apple to pumpkin, and everything in between.

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