things I've learned

May 18, 2015 in tips & tricks

Monday. I know.

I hope you had a good weekend, though. Was it a long one, like we had here? Did you get to enjoy some sunshine? Did you indulge in something?

My weekend was all about my beautiful little niece Seraphine, who was baptized yesterday. I spent Saturday baking cakes for her party and I got to enjoy a sunny Sunday among family, celebrating in my brother's amazing garden. Good times. Good food.

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almond génoise

April 23, 2015 in baking class, all-year, cake, nuts

This week, baking class was all about tiny cakes with tasty extras. How do you feel about apples? We can soak them in a little bit of dark rum first, if you want to. Or do I need to bring out the chocolate to seduce you? Easy. Concerned about your health/diet? We can always go the wholewheat route... You'll just have to ignore the huge amount of butter involved in making these wholewheat cakes.

You know what? Let's just go with my personal favorite of the pack: the fluffy, nutty almond Génoise mini-cake.

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carré confiture

April 21, 2015 in all-year, fruit, pies & tarts

I know we've already passed Easter, but do me a favor and think back to New Year's Eve for a second.

Did you drink champagne? Eat good food? Dance? Did you spend it with family? Friends? Both?

That last part is always a bit tricky. You can't be everywhere at once, right? This is why, almost ten years ago, my college friends and I started the tradition of a "Second New Year's." We find a date that suits everybody and get together for an ersatz new year's eve celebration. We dress up, we drink champagne, we exchange gifts and we count down. The whole shebang.

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pear walnut tart

April 07, 2015 in fall, fruit, nuts, pies & tarts

How was your Easter weekend?

Had enough chocolate yet?

When I started thinking about a dessert for Easter with Thomas's family, the abundance of chocolate eggs was definitely something to keep in mind. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate and those tiny chocolate eggs filled with popping candy that my friend Bart used to bring us when we were in college... After all of that, even I wouldn't feel the need for any more chocolate.

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yeasted puff pastry

April 02, 2015 in baking class, all-year, basics

Going to baking class is a little bit like going to the theater. There's this incredible dynamic between the teachers at the campus and all of them have mastered the art of banter. I don't know how to explain it, but it can be quite hilarious.

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mini nut tartlets

March 27, 2015 in baking class, all-year, nuts, pies & tarts

Our teacher Danny likes things small. In earlier classes, he's already tried to convince us that a cookie should be small enough to eat in two simple bites. This week, we made tartlets that seem to go by more or less the same standard. Luckily, though, Danny also likes things in large quantities. Ten different kinds of tartlets, twelve of each. A true tartlet extravaganza.

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