Archive for the ‘Baking’ Category

Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart + We’re BACK

Friday, September 11th, 2009

First off, my apologies if you visited the site yesterday and were greeted with a blank white page. Somehow, my WordPress update totally failed and erased the blog (which I had backed up the day before, MASSIVE SIGH OF RELIEF). So, we’re back. Now, onto the good stuff. This tart is phenomenal. I made it for dinner with a good friend, before I remembered she is dairy & gluten-free. Oops. Oh well, more for me. Make this baby a day in advance; the goat-cheese custard will need about 12 hours in your fridge to really firm up.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart

(more…)

Posted in Baking, Brunch, Vegetarian | 14 Comments »

Lemony Shortbread Thumbprints with Sour Cherry Jam

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Maybe you are brilliant and possessed enough self control to have made preserves out of your sour cherries. Or, maybe you are like me, and had to buy a jar. Either way, it’s absolutely fantastic paired with rich, buttery, lemon-scented shortbread. Adapted from Martha Stewart Living (December/January, 1995), this dough yields a few less than two-dozen cookies. Filled with tangy and sweet sour cherry jam, you will be shocked at how fast these lovelies disappear.

Shortbread Thumbprints with Sour Cherry Jam

(more…)

Posted in Baking, Vegetarian | 7 Comments »

Ina Garten’s Lemon Curd Tart

Saturday, August 15th, 2009

As I prepare to leave my parent’s lovely, relaxing, air-conditioned home upstate and return to NYC, I’m anxiously squeezing in some last minute baking; recipes I won’t have the heart to over-heat my entire apartment for while August’s unbearable humidity persists. Emma is not much of a chocolate fan (I know, truly alarming) but she is a lemon fanatic, so, being the fab older sister that I am, and pitying her impending return to college cafeteria food, I made Ina Garten’s incredibly luscious Lemon Curd Tart. This is my absolute FAVORITE lemon curd recipe, so definitely whip some up even if you don’t intend to make the tart. Tangy-sweet lemon curd is delicious spread thickly across toasted baguette, swirled into greek yogurt and topped with fresh berries, or, if I’m being completely honest, eaten straight from the saucepan.

Lemon Curd Tart

(more…)

Posted in Baking, Vegetarian | 10 Comments »

Jalapeño-Cheddar Ebelskiver

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

I am not one for single-use items. When your entire apartment would fit nicely into most peoples’ dining rooms, you generally cannot afford to give up precious space to a mango-pitter or a strawberry-huller or a corn-zipper. Because, really, you can use a knife for all of those tasks. (And for a bunch of other things as well. Necessary storage space = one knife-shaped spot in the cutlery drawer. See how that works?) Despite all this, I have recently fallen head over heels for a one-trick-pony: an ebelskiver pan. Lest you are unfamiliar with ebelskiver, let me fill you in: spherical toasty little stuffed pancake-popover hybrids, originally hailing from Denmark. You sold yet? How about now:

Jalapeno-Cheddar Ebelskiver

(more…)

Posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Baking, Vegetarian | 15 Comments »

Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

I don’t like recipes called “Decadent This” or “Sinful That” or “Better than Sex Something-or-Other” (what? really?). The names annoy me, but my bigger problem lies in the overwhelming richness or cloying sweetness that usually accompanies desserts with such names. This Cherry Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake is the perfect response to all those sugar-surge confections. The cherries are sweet, yet complex, thanks to a splash of balsamic vinegar. The cake is moist and light, yet satisfying and beautifully rustic. Served with a dollop of barely-sweetened whipped cream, this cake is the perfect summertime dessert.

Cherry Cornmeal Upsidown Cake

(more…)

Posted in Baking, Vegetarian | 4 Comments »

Orange-Pecan Zucchini Bread

Monday, July 20th, 2009

Yes, this is the trillionth zucchini recipe in a row. Or third. But I have about seventeen baseball bat-sized zucchini to get through, and I am running out of patience with grilled zucchini sandwiches for lunch. Thus, Orange-Pecan Zucchini Bread. This slightly sweet version is neither very citrusy nor very dense, making it a perfect breakfast or snack bread. And it will use up at least two normal-sized zucchini, which makes it worth a try in my book!

Zucchini Bread

(more…)

Posted in Baking, Vegetarian | 5 Comments »