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Bittersweet Chocolate and Cardamom Cupcakes
2008-10-21 07:15:00
Over the past couple of months I have been consumed by guilt. Even though I had tons of ideas and a couple of sleepless nights I did miss a couple of Sugar High Fridays. Guilty! It matters. It's sugar. Allright, so "consumed" is a little strong. Upset that I could not work my schedule right to find an hour to make cupcakes is more realistic. When something I could have done starts bugging me, the smaller it is, the more it bugs me. I can easily forget there is an elephant in the room, but if a tiny little fly starts dancing in my head....It will keep dancing and buzzing until I do something about it. The elephant will still be in the room though.I missed Fanny's S.O.S for cupcakes but I surely was not going to miss Anita's call for SHF spiced up sweets. So when C. and I started to plan her upcoming birtday party, the little fly in my head started to dance, loudly. Tap dancing even. Maybe I could combine both.C: hmm, not sure what I want for dessert for my birthday...Me: Cupcakes!...
More About: Cardamom , Chocolate , Bittersweet

Choux A La Creme: Guest Bloggers Pull One From The Archives
2008-10-19 08:29:00
I asked Bailey and Tippy to keep you entertained this weekend since I am trying to catch up on work I could not get to during the couple of weeks I was under the weather. That's what they came up with... Normal day in our household I may add! Bailey is eagerly acting up for the camera while Tippy looks at him with the "why mom? why?" look and ends up rolling over.Thus...it's one from the archives this weekend folks. I hate to do this but Cream Puffs are one of my favorite comfort "desserts" to make and eat when things are busy, stressed, stretched and sleep on the minimal side. Oh yes, I will always some time to make these... You can find the original post/story for these Strawberry Cream Puffs With Grand Manier Mousseline here but in the meantime here is the recipe again. I should be back on Monday or Tuesday, after you are good and tired of the pupps!Choux with Grand Marnier Mousseline:Serves 8For the Choux:85 gr all purpose flour75ml water75 ml milk65 gr butter3 eggs1 Tb sugar1...
More About: Bloggers , Guest , Archives , Pull , Creme

Pecan Pie Macarons and Giveaway Winners
2008-10-16 07:41:00
I know! Macarons...again! Before you roll your eyes and quit reading, indulge me for a minute, there is a story behind it. A lovely meeting with a fellow Daring Baker and an afternoon spent baking macarons...and a lot of them! Before I get to that, I must announce the winners of the Confetti Cakes For Kids Cookbook for which I let the Random Number Generator pick the five lucky you's.#9: Dorothy from The Fat Free Tester Squad#19: Allie (no blog)# 76: Ruby from Ruby's Tuesday#106: Sugar Chef# 266: Erica from The Underground CupcakeCongratulations ladies! Please send me an email at marinette1 at comcast dot net with your mailing address and I'll pass on all your info to the publisher.Now...the rest of the story and the Pecan Pie Macarons. When I can't sleep at night, I usually don't count sheeps, I think of flavor combinations for macarons instead. Seriously. You think I'd joke about that?!! Problem is, the world in my head and the world around me don't always agree with each o...
More About: Winners

Plum - Raspberry Cardamom Crumbles
2008-10-13 07:17:00
It's been a yucky week....all grey with some rain drops here and there. Rain with warm tempereatures. Thunderstorms and shorts, I'll never get used to this!! I decided to see it as soft and comforting. I baked and I baked without prospect of a good picture taking day. The fridge is overflowing, the freezer is about to get there. In the midst of running out of room in former, I had to start reorganizing the latter. I pulled out one bag each of raspberries and juicy plums to replace them with other desserts that will hopefully be "taken care of". I already told the neighbors to come over for desserts because there is no way B. and I can eat a dozen fast enough. Well we could....but our doctor would not be very happy!The weather had been threatening us with rain long enough for me to let my guard down and leave the house without an umbrella. Don't ask...Of course I got soaked while leaving the grocery store after a quick run for milk and eggs one early morning!! Actually I was still...
More About: Raspberry , Cardamom , Plum

Confetti Cakes For Kids Book Giveaway
2008-10-10 16:11:00
It looks like you all are going to get a break from my raspberry desserts this weekend....and have the chance to win one of 5 copies of Elisa Strauss' new pastry-cake book "Confetti Cakes For Kids ".I have been given the chance by the sweet and super efficient Anna from the Hachette Group to get a copy of the book before its official release on November 5th and she graciously offered to have 5 copies available for you!Don't know Elisa Strauss? She is the owner of Confetti Cakes in New York, and the author of The Confetti Cakes Cookbook where her signature Handbag Cake is featured on the cover. She has made countless appearances on TV in Good Morning America, Food Network's cake challenges, etc...Check out this little video if you would like to put a face on the name. Well, she has now written a cake book especially for kids...although I got to say that the Gift Box Cake is something I would like for my own birthday!!Do not be intimated by her level of expertise, designs or ideas. ...
More About: Book

Lemon Raspberry Mille Feuilles
2008-10-07 06:24:00
I know, I know, it is Fall...so why all the raspberries? And now the lemon? Store diplays, magazine covers and tv shows "fall season" premieres are doing a great job at convincing me it is Fall. Yet, one step outside in the middle of the afternoon keeps telling me otherwise, time and time again. Still wearing flip flops and shorts so I hope you will indulge me for a couple more raspberry posts. I promise the next one will have an autumnal twist.We are enjoying quite a few dinners outside with the neighbors and the summer grill outs have finally given way to wonderful oyster roasts. It is hard to believe the way our street functions but if you spend one week here it'd be easy to see why I wish I could take the whole street with me if we ever move. It is not uncommon to harbor someone else's dog while they help you run after your own, have about 3 strollers and 8 dogs walking alongside your own crazy little-big ones. A walk up to the dock usually turns into a crabbing or shrimping f...
More About: Lemon , Raspberry

Red Berry Almond Milk Panna Cottas
2008-10-03 17:00:00
I need to start with an apology...or two. First, as you can tell my blog posting schedule has slowed down to 2 posts a week instead of every other day. Hmmm...wonder why?!!! I really wanted to thank you for keeping on reading and checking back, especially right now that I have noticed some stressed induced grey hair. Ok, only two..but still! Second, I wanted to apologize for being such a ghost commenter on your blogs. I sometimes have to pack a whole week's worth in one evening so do not worry if it seems like I am stalking your blogs on Friday night....whole pages at a time. In that regard, I wanted to thank you for coming here and leaving comments, you have no idea how supportive I find them, especially at midnight when I am tweaking a recipe for the third time and recalculating metrics one more time.. just to be safe. So peeps....from the deep dark corners of my kitchen, thank you!It is funny how things happen in series. Right after I posted the Daring Bakers challenge on gluten...
More About: Milk , Berry , Almond

Saffron Pumpkin Macarons
2008-09-30 07:50:00
All summer long upon entering the grocery store I would grab a basket, stop at the sushi counter, pass by the salad bar, turn the corner and with my eyes closed reach in the plum and nectarine display to my left. The most visible display as you enter the store. All summer long, I would pick three of each and make a beeline for the cherries and the figs before resuming with the rest of the items on my list. Summer reached an end. Pears replaced cherries and figs turned into dates. Expected.I still went to the store and turned the same corners, walked down the same aisles even when Autumn pointed its lovely little chilly mornings (well, for about 3 days). Last week, as I walked by the main display and reached for the plums and nectarines, I found myself holding three decorative mini gourds instead. "C'est quoi cette histoire?" What is going on? Well I really said "quesaco", Provencal for the same expression which attracted a different set of puzzled looks. After the courgettes and au...
More About: Saffron , Pumpkin

Gluten Free And Vegan Daring Bakers' Challenge
2008-09-27 06:01:00
It is indeed a first in the history of the Daring Bakers , a gluten free and vegan challenge! Since being a Daring Baker in December 2006, I have seen the group grow by leaps and bounds, with members from all walks of life partaking in our monthly bake-offs. I know it is daunting at times for some Daring Bakers to adapt recipes to fit their dietary lifestyles and I always marvel at how creative and resourceful gluten free and vegan members are. I was really excited to see that our hostesses this month, Natalie from Gluten A Go Go, and co-host Shelly, of Musings From the Fishbowl, chose Lavash Crackers from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread.Natalie being a gluten free baker asked us to challenge ourselves and make the crackers gluten free while Shel asked us to come up with vegan dips and spreads to go along. Being a ubber cool group, we still had the choice to make them with regular flour if gluten free baking did not appeal to ...
More About: Free , Gluten Free , Challenge , Vegan

Breakfast Thoughts: Lavender Oatmeal Squares
2008-09-24 16:02:00
Let's interrupt our usual programming of decadent and creamy treats to talk about breakfast, shall we? You know, that "most important meal" of the day, the one that also defines our lifestyle, mood, habits. Even the last edition of Saveur, almost entirely devoted to breakfast made it to my mailbox right when I had breakfast oatmeal squares in the oven...sign.Over the past years, I have been catching myself saying I love breakfast but what I should really say is "I'd love to have breakfast". I hardly have time or appetite in the morning for more than a cup of coffee and a few spoonfuls of yogurt. Everyday I tell clients about the benefits of a balanced breakfast and yet this is a classic case of "do as I say and not as I do". Bad me.It has not always been the case. As a typical French child, my mom would fix hot chocolate, toast and jam, maybe a yogurt, before heading to school. Sometimes toast was a croissant or a slice of brioche (toasted with some honey, please!). More or less o...
More About: Breakfast , Thoughts , Oatmeal

Toasted Coconut And Berries Charlottes
2008-09-22 06:01:00
"I want a bouquet of berries!"That's what my friend Laura exclaimed when we met at the florist to talk bouquets for her upcoming wedding."You mean...for real..or on your cake, as a separate flavors, as favors? What? What?"...Can't you just sense the panic in my voice? Lord knows I love Laura, I laugh with her, cry with her, call her crazy and yet, I never know when she is joking when she is in charge of making decisions. See, Laura has already changed her mind 3 times for her dress...after it was bought. The ceremony has been changed just about everytime the wind changed direction, the vows?...typed, backspaced, saved, erased, and started over countless times. A couple of things have remained: the groom is still "The Original One" as we have nicknamed Jason, her husband to be, and as always her group of friends has vowed to throw her into the pool after the big event.I met her while at the restaurant, she was waiting tables and quickly volunteered to be my dessert guinea pig. Laur...
More About: Coconut , Berries

Saffron And Vanilla Poached Pears
2008-09-18 06:56:00
It has been really hot and muggy in the last week or so, nothing unusual in our area but we all took it as the usual sign of upcoming rain and thunderstorms. I don't mind hot and I don't mind rain, I actually don't mind hot rain...I dislike the few hours before the sky falls open. The dogs seem to pair up and want out every thirty minutes although they just stand there noses up to the air.Three days a week I work almost completely from home so they "know" that they will be taken out, played with, petted and loved all this in between cracking a few many eggs and rolling out pastry dough. I get up early and start baking or writing depending on what has not been done the day before and they lie around, right outside the kitchen. When the smell of the coffee brewing reaches their snouts, they suddenly jolt up and want out. Out of the five households in our little custer around the curve, 3 of us work from home while looking over kids or animals. It is not unusual for us to be in our ...
More About: Saffron , Pears , Vanilla

Pine Nut Tartelettes - A Taste Of Two South
2008-09-15 06:39:00
Being a South erner in one continent is often nothing like being a Southerner in another and I am sure many other expats can relate to this. I never thought that things I'd find here in SC would be the same as back home but I never imagined what a wonderful bounty was awaiting me. I know I often reminisce about good times and childhood moments I had in Haute-Provence but I found that they are very similar to the ones B. experienced as a child and young adult. A lot of outdoor times, campfires with his cousins, we had barbecue pits dug right in the ground, they had oyster roasts, we would sleep on the lawn watching meteor showers and they would build a tree house and divert phone lines (yeah...that's a story for the phone company never to find out!).When I moved here, I starred amused at yellow mustard potato salad and fried chicken but fell in love with gumbo, okra, yellow squash, cornbread, spoonbread, and pecan pies...I quickly understood that very few people other than B's mom ...
More About: Taste

Roasted Caramel Figs, Berry and Apple Compote Verrines
2008-09-12 07:45:00
When I visited Lisa last year in October, I kept marveling at the coming of Fall, the changing nature of the landscape and the foliage. Those deep reds, perfect greens and deliciously rich golds...they were making me happy and dreamy. She got quite amused by my attitude toward something so natural as Fall and asked what on earth was going on deep in the South for me to act as if I had not seen Fall in ages? Didn't leaves change colors down there? She was stumped when I told her that they turned from green to brown. No luscious displays of colors, just brown...and if we were lucky a little beige-orange. Nothing like the landscape that was unfolding in front of my eyes as we were driving along.It becomes difficult to start cooking with pumpkins, pears and apples when you are still wearing shorts and tee-shirts in the middle of November. Granted the evenings are chilly but nothing that a light cardigan can't fix. Stores and floral shops do their best to put us in the mood by displayi...
More About: Apple , Berry , Caramel

Jasmine Tea Ice Cream In Roasted Plum Cups With Sables Cookies
2008-09-09 07:21:00
Eat me quick....I am melting....Thank you all for your concern with the storm. We did get a good bit of rain, enough to make the water come up the hill from the river during the night at high tide but it was all gone by 9am with blue skies, bright sun and scorching heat once more. I woke up at 3am to check the river and the backyard and took Bailey out so he'd let us sleep a little in the morning. Bad mistake...he loves adores water and started doing a little "Dancing In The Rain" number... lovely. Good thing he loves rolling in a towel too, makes our job easier!! Anyway, Hanna turned out to be windy and rainy but nothing compared to the threat that Ike seems to be. Anybody in Ike's path, be safe.Didn't I say a couple of weeks ago with the redcurrant sorbet dessert that it was the last time I was trying to shoot ice cream during summer? Yes, well...either I am a sucker for punishment or I am a sucker for ice cream. Hmm...yes, apparently my love for anything ice cream-ish made me ...
More About: Ice Cream , Cookies , Cups , Jasmine , Cream

Red Berry Macarons
2008-09-06 07:48:00
More berries! It's not that I won't find stone fruits and other summer fruits living in a Southern state, it's just that they will probably taste bland and by the time Fall hits, I know my baking mind will be ready for apples and pears. I have been freezing and preserving a ton these past few days so if I get a craving for juicy roasted peaches and creme anglaise in the middle of November, one trip to the freezer and I am set!Friday afternoon when B. went to put bottles of water in the freezer as part of our preparations for Tropical Storm Hanna, he was amazed to find the bottom drawer full of halved peaches, halved plums, raspberries, blueberries, watermelon for quick sorbet, not to mention doughs of various kinds, etc... Tucked in a corner he noticed a small box with a few red berry macarons that I had saved "just" for him. He exclaimed "It almost makes me wish we lost power with that storm!" to which I replied "take a peak out the window and tell me that with a straight face!"...
More About: Berry

Lemon Balm Infused Berries And Almond Tuiles
2008-09-03 06:25:00
I seem to have a hard time letting go of summer....stone fruits, berries, herbs are always sneaking in into my shopping basket. It is easy to get inspired or to focus on writing certain chapters of a book when you have a big bowl of juicy and plump fruit in front of you! It is a little less fun when our new puppy set his mind to chew our lemongrass plant, mix it up with a little rosemary, adds a little spice with a touch of Thai basil and finally decides that the game can't be complete until he ends with a few springs of lemon balm! Why do we let him? We don't!! I did not realize that he had grown so much that he was not able to pull on the leaves, take the pots down and have a feast! Just right when I was starting to think I finally grew a green thumb, no kidding people, I can even kill a silk plant (ask my mother in law!).I consolidated my schedule to be able to work more from home and for longer stretches of times which is perfect to bake and write but I guess I don't see him ...
More About: Lemon , Berries , Almond

Chocolate Eclair....Oh Pierre!!
2008-08-31 07:31:00
Eclairs With Chocolate Pastry Cream and Chocolate Glaze. Sprinkle of crushed Chikki (Indian Praline)I wanted to write this post for our Daring Bakers challenge last night and started doing other stuff instead and I have just now gotten home from working a small party with Old Chef. I am exhausted and what happens when I am tired and need to focus is that I tend to make phrases and rhymes out of everything, like for our challenge this month, Pierre Herme's Chocolate Eclairs: "Pierre, your eclairs, c'est du tonnerre. Soyons clairs, j'en suis fiere..." (does not sound that great translated but it basically reads that the eclairs were great!). I made the eclairs as written by our hosts but then played around a bit witht the eclairs and kept some of the pate a choux to make religieuses and cream puffs for a later post (without rhymes then, promise).Indeed, Meeta and Tony made a great choice by going with Pierre Herme's Chocolate Eclairs. Does PH really needs an introduction? I think ...

Redcurrant Sorbet And Faisselle Ice Cream With Fried Strawberries
2008-08-28 06:26:00
Sounds complicated right? Well, really it's not...trust me. If I have so little time these days that I forget to take my apron off before heading out of the house, then you can trust me when I say that this is nothing short of delicious but not intricate. I like multi layered, multi component desserts because they allow my brain to relax and my stress level to go down since I know I can plan and assemble them over several days.Did I just say that I went out with my apron on? Yep...I really laughed because I had mentioned to some of you that it might happen and it did. I did walk the dogs and went to the grocery store with my apron still tied around my waist. The funny part is that the neighbors did not act surprised nor did the personnel at the store! That grocery store around the corner from our house sees me just about everyday. The cashiers know my name, my habits, the produce guy even offered me a job on more than one occasion. I had to fess up and explain that no, one person d...
More About: Ice Cream , Fried , Strawberries , Cream

The Faisselle Experiments - Part Two...And Three
2008-08-25 07:53:00
Allright, so let's start this off the right way before I lose my mind. We all gathered today and read all your suggestions for a name for the dessert in the previous post and it was not easy making a decision...ya'll are good!! But....the overall favorite was "Transatlantic" from Miss Lillas who said "Salted butter caramel from Normandy, American chocolate brownie. An elegant bringing together our 2 continents"....So Miss, please send me your mailing address so I can send this wonderful book your way! Congratulations!A couple of weeks ago I took a long trip down memory and you were so kind to indulge me and read about my attempt to recreate a fresh cheese that my dad loves. The outcome was not "faisselle" like I remembered but something closer to fresh ricotta. The desire to recreate this unique product came from a conversation I was having with expat friend Aran from Cannelle Et Vanille after our first foray into re-creating desserts from our childhood and cultural heritage. She ...
More About: Experiments , Part

Two Chocolates, Some Salted Butter Caramel Mousse And A Smile On My Face!
2008-08-21 07:32:00
As you know from my last post, Monday was a pretty rough day, ups and downs, high and lows, laughing at the most ridiculous things and crying over the simplest ones, but I have to thank you for cheering me up and on throughout the day with your words both here and privately. This little giant group of bloggers sure knows how to laugh, cry, send hugs and cheer up and cheer on. Thank you. I wish I could say that to each of you individually but I can't. Instead I am bringing you a little dessert that is sure to heal a bad case of the blues or just make you feel better after a bad day. Problem is....I could not come up with a name for it and I am hoping that you can. What's in it for you? Well, I have two copies of Tartine and only one being read so it is up for grabs...skip to the end of the post for details.It was about 4 o'clock when I finally sat down on the front steps of C's house, after a day filled with tons of little errands. You know, the ones you keep putting off but sudd...
More About: Chocolates , Face , Smile , Butter , Caramel

Honey Raspberry Semifreddo And An Open Letter
2008-08-18 06:34:00
Foreword: I have tossed and turned words for the past couple of days writing this post. I know this is a food blog, but over the past few years that I have written here, I have also shared with you the joys and sorrows of life. It has become more than just desserts since I come every week with stories out the wazoo, so I hope you will allow me to make this post about one person whom I lost and love and celebrate his memory. One person whose passing changed me radically in every thing I do and every way I see things. This is an open letter to my belated brother, one that I start and rewrite every year around the same time, one that will never end being re-written. I also thought about not posting at all, but one of our best memories shared was around dessert and it made sense to me to write it today. If this is not your cup of tea, skip to the recipe part.Dear Thierry,There are many dates forever engraved in my mind. The day you gave me a tiny white watch and a bright fuchsia scarf f...
More About: Raspberry , Open , Letter , Honey , Open Letter

Homework...Derailed
2008-08-17 06:33:00
Another day busy with baking and writing and photo homework...until a huge thunderstorm hit the neighborhood and we lost power from 5.30pm or so until 10pm. Others in the neighborhood got their power back on around 7pm but no one can figure out why our street stayed that long without it. It's the summer, there's a creek, there's a dock, a couple of canoe, plenty of kids and animals, so plenty to do without power. We all gathered to grill out, share salads and juicy fruits as we usually do on saturdays so really it did not make that much difference. Except, I was working and had plenty in the oven and lost it all. There is pretty much nothing to do when you have macarons, cakes, tarts, etc...baking in the oven and power cuts off for almost 5 hours. I thought about using the grill but again, all were pretty much used already.I called the electric company to inquire about the delay and the lady was real nice and really there was not much she could do. When she said at 7pm that most ...
More About: Homework

Cashew Gateau With Coffee Cardamom Mousse
2008-08-14 06:45:00
Thank you all for the very nice birthday wishes for my mother, she truly appreciated the thought. Funny story about birthdays in my family and birthdays phone calls especially: my grandmother had the habit to see whom of her children would call her first to wish her a happy birthday. When I called my mom on Tuesday, I immediately said "I know I am not the first but I am the furthest...that's got to count!".Anyways, back to today's dessert... I can't plan..Let me rephrase this: I can't plan to have a distraction free day because we all know that concept never truly works. I had planned yesterday to be a writing day punctuated by a few walks with the dogs, a couple of play breaks with them and the neighbors' kids, no grocery shopping, no baking commitment, no visits, no errands...just me and my thoughts. Ha! I should have checked the weather channel because as soon as I woke up the rain had decided to fall hard and steady, which meant no walks with the dogs, no play time nextdoor...
More About: Coffee , Cardamom

Roasted Apricot and Lavender Panna Cottas
2008-08-10 06:49:00
Tomorrow is my mom's birthday, my lovely sweet mom . Instead of baking her a cake I made her Roasted Apricot and Lavender Panna Cotta. It's not that I don't like cake, we all know better than that (!) it's just that every time I think about my mom I think of apricots and lavender. From as far as I can remember my mom seemed to smell of apricot and lavender. Maybe it is because we only had to walk to the front yard and get the fruits right off the tree back when we were still in Provence. Maybe it is because you can't open one single drawer at our house without finding a little lavender sachet to perfume our clothes. I always thought it was strange that I was the only lavender smelling child at school but guess what...I keep the tradition going even now (but that should not be a surprise either).By the way what is your favorite birthday sweet?I thought about this all day long the other day as I was preparing the panna cottas and I was not surprised to hear my dad say when I call...

Homework...
2008-08-07 06:50:00
This is my homework almost everyday...in a very simplified sum up: baking, taking pictures, eating, and writing. Fortunately the state of my mind is not empty like a consumed cupcake wrapper but full of stories and giddy with excitement. I was having a conversation with Elizabeth the yoga instructor where I teach Pilates and she reminded me that I also needed to breathe. I can't "breathe" and relax in chaos and right now my picture files and documents are in shambles or at least overflowing in all directions....so much so that I forget what I have prepared to post on this blog. It made me happy to found them tonight for next week though!!So I am going to take the next couple of days to organize my head, my files and figure out a way to prevent Bailey from nipping at my apron while I bake...or pull on the tablecloth while I take a picture!Thank you to all of you who left a response to my question the other day. It might have sounded like this problem was happening a lot, rest assure...
More About: Homework

Apricot And Wattleseeds Tea Cakes
2008-08-05 06:29:00
I know I am not the only one in this case and it might come as no surprise to you if I say that my husband rarely reads my blog. It's not that he does not care but I talk about the post the moment I make the cake, dessert, pastry, etc...so by the time I take the said dessert out of the oven or off the stove, he already knows what I am going to write and talk about. You can imagine that the last post about the "faisselle" my father loves so much brought back a lot of memories and we spent a couple of evenings reminiscing about our childhood favorite summers.It made me realize that I was a deeply nostalgic person, but not a sad nostalgic always wishing it were still the good old days. No, I am a content nostalgic. Memories appease me, wrap me up like a soft blanket and give me a sense of direction. It is hard to find the calm when words and events hurt you or saddened you and instead I try to find a way to let them in, to let them show me a missing key to that big puzzle that is life...
More About: Cakes

Another Dairy Experiment: Faisselle And Lemon Balm Cherries
2008-08-02 07:18:00
The last dairy experiment earlier in the month left me with the desire to make one of my father's favorites: faisselle (pronounced fay-cell). It is believed to be one of the oldest form of fresh cheese made either from fresh cow's or goat's milk. Its name comes from the vessel used to drain the milk once the rennet is added and the milk has had the chance to incubate for a few hours. The result is a creamy, rich and a little wiggly-jelly like cheese that most people eat for dessert with a little sugar or honey. We also like to sprinkle a little salt and fresh herbs on it and serve it instead of a cheese tray. For me, "faisselle" is synonymous with vacations, my father, the Alps, best memories a child could have. Yes, I guess I am being a little nostalgic today, I blame it on youtube and too many videos of Provence where I grew up, or the Tour De France passing right by our vacation spot in the Alps!!I brought my breakfast of faisselle, fresh peach, toast and lavender honey to the...
More About: Lemon , Experiment , Dairy

Daring Bakers' Nut and Chocolate Gateau
2008-07-30 06:03:00
First I would like to start this post by dedicating it to Sher from What Did You Eat? and fellow Daring Baker who past away last week. This past Sunday, a lot of bloggers honored her memory by cooking something from her site. We were in celebratory birthday mode on Sunday for my husband so I never got around to it. I did look through her desserts archives and noticed that a lot of them were previous Daring Bakers ' challenges...so here is to you Sher, because I know we almost did have the same thought that a chocolate bath can't be such a bad thing after all! You are missed and loved all over the world. It is definitely strange without you around today, "reveal day", but I'll just come and say hey anyway.Our host this month was wild red headed Chris from Mele Cotte who chose a Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream from "Great Cakes" by Carol Walter. I had the pleasure of meeting Chris in the flesh this month after many months of chatting over the phone, so you could say we are "...
More About: Chocolate

No Recipe But A Question
2008-07-28 15:56:00
Working on the recipes for the book, I noticed that for some of them (I am talking like 2-3 not 50) I found myself with about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup max of batter left that would not fit into the pan without running the risk of creating mayhem in my oven. It could also be mousse, but in that case, my spoon seems to find its way in there without my brain fully aware of it. I may be particular but that never seems to upset me as I would pour it into a small baking cup and consider that a little "pre" taste to the dessert to come. To me it's no different than cutting the dome off a cake to make it flat for layering, it means I get to nibble.As I said, I may be just be me but I am curious to know what you think/feel if there is a small amount of whatever batter you are working with left that can't possibly make it into your pan/dish/glass.Do you get upset? Do you see it as a chance to get a little nibble before anyone else? Do you throw it away? I am not talking about an extra cup or two,...
More About: Question , Recipe