I’d never been a huge fan of panna cotta. If I was at an Italian restaurant, I’d much rather have the tiramisu than the panna cotta. Or the bombe oozing with Nutella. I used to always think panna cotta was too boring, too safe. I was so very wrong. And this, this recipe is a revelation. I considered not blogging about it all because the secret would be out. That one of the best desserts I’d ever made is so incredibly easy to execute. Easy, and stunning, too, in its simplicity. But not boring. Never boring. You can find the recipe from David Lebovitz’s blog here. I’d made this some time ago but winter didn’t seem the right time to blog about it. Indeed, I’m writing about this now because the weather is finally warming up and it’s a lovely end to a summer meal. Even better in my books: If […]
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David Lebovitz’ Best Sweet and Spicy Party Mix Ever
David Lebovitz’ Best Sweet and Spicy Party Mix Ever
This party mix saved my life this holiday season. Whether my husband forgot to tell me people were coming over, whether I needed a last minute hostess gift, whether I forgot to eat a meal and needed a quick snack, this sweet and spicy pretzel and nut mix was there to save the day. Really, though, you’ll want to save this all for yourself to nibble on over a chilled glass of wine as your coq au vin simmers away. (That’s the scenario in my dreams, anyway.) It was so quick to whip up, so delicious, that I have already made nearly two-and-a-half pounds of it in total.The first time I grabbed a handful, still slightly warm from the oven, I told myself this was the best thing I’d ever made. Maybe I’ve said that one or two or three times, but this is no regular nuts and bolts […]
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David Lebovitz’s chocolate chip cookies
David Lebovitz’s chocolate chip cookies
When my craving hit, it was sudden and strong. I wanted a chocolate chip cookie. But not just any run-of-the-mill chocolate chip cookie, a homemade one with dark chocolate chips that was slightly gooey and chewy on the inside. Some of my readers may or not remember my day job (at least when I am not on maternity leave) is as a journalist. And so I approached this self assignment much as I would approach any assignment. With lots and lots of research. Did you know that there are thousands of pages devoted to the art of making the chocolate chip cookie? Now, obviously some of this is subjective. Whereas you may prefer a crispy cookie with nuts, I prefer mine to be chewy, even slightly under-baked but with semi-sweet chocolate. There are those who swear by melted butter while others insist the butter must be firm but room […]
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Chocolate-dipped Florentines
Chocolate-dipped Florentines
This recipe comes by way of London-based restaurant Ottolenghi, then through Paris, where former Chez Panisse pastry chef and acclaimed cookbook author David Lebovitz wrote about it on his popular blog. You can find the recipe, including Lebovitz’ helpful tips at this link. Substitutions:Unlike Lebovitz, I did in fact use orange zest rather than orange oil. However, I almost wished I had the extract on hand, because some bites of orange zest imparted a more acidic than sweet taste. Would I make this again?Yes, however, they weren’t quite as easy to make as I thought. Sure, the recipe consists of throwing things in a bowl and mixing them. And yes, there was no danger of these cookies spreading as you watch in horror. In the future, I will try to have a lighter hand with the chocolate to give it a more elegant finish. But who am I kidding? […]
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Butterscotch pudding
Butterscotch pudding
When I began collecting bone china tea cups – Aynsley, Royal Albert, and Limoges – I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t just put them in storage, dust them once a year and gaze at them longingly. So I’ve been on the hunt for a recipe to showcase in my beautiful tea cups.And finally I found the perfect recipe for butterscotch pudding while perusing pastry chef David Lebovitz’s scrumptious food blog.It’s the perfect solution when you’re entertaining several people and don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen away from your guests. Not only can you create individualized portions but you prepare them in advance. Then once it’s time for dessert, all you need to do is pull them out of the fridge and accept heartfelt compliments.Lebovitz tells his readers that if they are the kind of people who want to press plastic wrap on top […]
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