eat dessert first
I love this banana pudding recipe featuring homemade Nilla wafers, pastry cream (pudding), and perfect whipped cream. It’s a simple, elegant dish that you can serve in a large glass container or in individual jars. The quintessential southern dessert is found on the back of the box of Nilla wafers. […]
This homemade vanilla extract recipe is a fast and fun way to infuse flavor into your baking. You only need two ingredients to keep the best vanilla extract ever on hand. Vanilla extract is probably the most-used ingredient in my kitchen after flour and sugar. It is also my go-to […]
When making homemade ice cream, you have to start with a really great base, which for me means lusciously smooth, with a dense and silky texture. The flavor should be rich, but not too buttery (greasy) and I always start my “French custard” ice cream base with vanilla. So start […]
Those beautiful cakes you see in the bakery window or the box of cupcakes at an office party are likely decorated with buttercream. But, what kind? “Buttercream” is a word used for a whole category of frostings, so it is helpful to know the different kinds so you can make […]
Last week my youngest son turned 18. It hit me that he’s a man and about to head out into the world to make his mark. I am so excited for him and looking forward to watching him and his brother become their own men, but it’s a touch bittersweet […]
This is a wonderful tart filled with vanilla custard. You’ll find custard tart in every patisserie in Paris, but have likely never come across one here in the states. Its rustic simplicity is exactly the kind of pastry I love. It’s really quite easy to create; a tart dough (this […]
As you may know by now, I love meringue. I especially like the effect of spiking it into a Phillis Diller-esque topping. It works on cakes, pies, cheesecake and ice cream cake.
I’m not sure anyone would describe me as a perfectionist? My house is neat enough, but it is clearly lived in. I’ve always wanted to be the kind of person who irons my sheets, my table clothes or even my clothes, but so far it’s just a fantasy. The only […]
Every year at this time, I try to find some new ghoulish and creepy way to terrify my sweet young boys (in a motherly-love kind of way). Nothing like a coffin shaped cake, with a mummy laying on top to make them squeamish and thrilled to go at it with a […]
I fell in love with a little Vietnamese restaurant when I was pregnant with my first son. I craved salty, spicy, big, fat flavorful foods and Quang delivered on all of it. I would have eaten every meal for the nine months there, but I knew my husband just couldn’t […]
It’s hard to find a better summer treat than strawberry ice cream. As always, bonus points for fresh strawberries, but you can get the wonderful summer flavor from store bought, too. Last weekend my folks presented me with a container of fresh strawberries they picked up at an Amish Farmers’ […]