I know I have been absent on here, and a large part of that is due to my lack of time. However, lately I feel there is something missing in my life.

Making plated desserts in a busy and chaotic restaurant kitchen is a constant battle against the clock. Recently, when I’m not at work, I find myself looking at stunning Parisian pastry display photographs, reminiscing on my days in pastry school, or opening the cluttered pastry drawer in my kitchen to admire all of its beautiful contents.

I miss the meticulous stuff. The confections that can be served entirely alone, because they are that perfectly composed. No need to dress them up, create a garnish, or figure out the presentation. The simplicity of pastry.

I am hoping that I can get back in touch with all of that, by playing and creating more in my own kitchen, and by discussing pastry again on here. Please join me. I will be updating and making a lot of lovely changes.

When I was brainstorming the dessert menu for this time of year, I was inspired mostly by the colors of Autumn. You can see it on every plate- the glossy brown of the chocolate molasses glaze brushed on the white plate for the chocolate stout cake, the burgundy port reduction drizzled across a quivering oatmeal-colored cacao nib custard, the array of orange tones for the always-popular carrot cake doughnuts, and the jeweled beads of apple cider caramel for the spicy butternut squash tartlets.

Photo (below): A quenelle of salted caramel ice cream rests atop a bed of turbinado sugar-almond crumble. The dessert is also served with tarte tatin apples, a spicy butternut squash tartlet, and an apple cider caramel.

Photo (below): Carrot-walnut butter, cream cheese frosting, and golden raisin jam await carrot cake doughnuts hot out of the fryer.

Photo (below): Carrot cake doughnuts, made with pureed carrots, ground walnuts, and spices, don’t last very long in the kitchen if we happen to have any extras.

I have also been featuring a dessert inspired by pastry chef Francisco Migoya’s book, Frozen Desserts. It consists of a cube of pumpkin ice cream atop a gingerbread breton crust, served with caramelized pumpkin and candied pepitas. What drew me in to recreating this was the caramelized pumpkin. The entire pumpkin is peeled, then thinly sliced and cooked in a hot caramel until it turns translucent and in effect, “candies”.  A new way to enjoy pumpkin!

Photo (below): Caramelized pumpkin doesn’t look too far from candy either.

This is a very good dessert, but given that we are in Colorado, I think to make this dessert more appealing for this time of year it needs a warm component.

I made this cake recipe last autumn, but that was in Indiana. I made some minor adjustments for the recipe that I thought might work for me here in Vail, Colorado, at about 8,000 feet above sea level.

The layers bake up thick and tall-make sure you don’t overfill the cake pans!- and with the help of freshly grated apples, they stay soft for days.

This cake is on the sweet side and delicious enough on its own, but I wanted to make a layer cake and plotted a bit over frostings. I decided on making a cream cheese frosting, which would still be tasty without being too sweet. To liven things up, I added some burnt caramel sauce and a few splashes of bourbon whiskey.

Cooking sugar can also be a bit tricky up here, but I have combatted this issue by always adding some type of acid to my sugar before I begin to cook it. That way I bypass the chance of seized sugar. Personally I find seized sugar to be extremely annoying!

Rocky Mountain Apple Spice Layer Cake (adapted from The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted room temperature butter
• 2 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 3 apples, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablepoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans and line each with a parchment paper round. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, and then the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground spices. Add the flour mixture to the batter alternately with the sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the shredded apples and vanilla. The batter will be thick.

Evenly distribute the batter among the three pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly browned on top and set. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely on wire racks.

Caramel Whiskey Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 lb 4 oz (5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 12 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 lb 8 oz confectioners sugar
• 4-5 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
• 6 tablespoons caramel sauce (recipe follows)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese until softly whipped and it produces a “glupping” sound as it beats. Gradually add the confectioners sugar until a desirable consistency is achieved. Add the bourbon whiskey and caramel sauce to taste. This makes a lot of frosting.

Caramel Sauce

• 270 g granulated sugar
• 70 g water
• 7 g lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 140 g heavy cream, lightly warmed
• 90 g diced salted butter

Place the sugar in a pot and add the water and lemon juice/cream of tartar. Make sure there are no sugar crystals along the inside of the pot and that all the sugar has been hydrated by the water. Bring to a boil over high heat until the sugar is a dark amber color. Remove from the heat and add the butter and warmed cream slowly, as the sugar will bubble up violently. If you are nervous about cooking caramel, use a long whisk. Let the caramel cool, then use as desired.

Hunter Smith is an incredible chef and one of my very best friends. These days he is a personal chef, but we used to work together, and I was always in awe at his culinary artistry. I find him so inspiring.

For the special meal, Hunter and I created a custom menu that we prepared at my place. It was so fun to stay in, relax, hang with my parents, and eat far better than at any other restaurant in Vail. They loved sitting at the counter and watching us cook.

Photo (Below): Chef Hunter Smith’s Wagyu beef creation

Photo (Below): The happy diners

When I used to live back home, I would make a pistachio pastry that my parents adored. It consisted of rounds of dacquoise, a chewy nutty meringue, layered with luscious pistachio pastry cream. It was rich and light at the same time. Deliciousness!

Flipping through The Seven Sins of Chocolate, by Laurent Schott,  a gorgeous cookbook given to me by one of my former chefs and good friend (and also soon to be famous!), Rahm Fama, I came across a chocolate pistachio dessert that sparked my interest. I wanted to make a variation of it as a treat to my parents.

The mousse cakes consist of three layers: a chocolate-brownie, rich pistachio cream, and light chocolate mousse. Then the little cakes are doused in a shiny chocolate glaze. I plated them with a raspberry coulis and scooped a quenelle of pistachio ice cream on the side. I rarely eat dessert, because I taste bites of it all day, but this was one I nearly finished. It’s pretty good!

The other plus? It works at high-altitude. No adjustments necessary. Rather than make the single 6-inch cake, I used 3-inch cake ring molds to create four individual mousse cakes. It’s always fun to get your very own dessert.

Photo (below): Garnishing the Chocolate Pistachio Mousse Cakes with finely chopped pistachios.

Chocolate-Brownie Cake Layer

• 1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the chocolate and butter in a pan over low heat. Remove from heat, and whisk in the egg and sugars. Stir in the flour. Divide among 4 buttered 3-inch ring molds, or a buttered 6-inch cake pan with a removable bottom. Bake until the cake is almost set, slightly puffed, and just a small dark circle remains inthe center. Taking the cake out at this point ensures you have a fudgy, moist brownie layer. Slightly underbaked brownies are always superior in taste and texture.

Pistachio Cream

• 1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
• 1 tablespoon water
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup pistachio paste

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk the yolks and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light yellow and slightly thickened. Bring the cream to a simmer in a saucepan and whisk into the yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and stir over low heat til it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Whisk in the pistachio paste. Strain through a wire sieve into a clean bowl.

Chocolate Mousse

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 large egg yolks
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Bring the sugar and water to a full boil. Beating the yolks with an electric mixer, pour the hot syrup into the yolks, until the yolks have doubled in volume and are cool. Using clean beaters, whip the cream to soft peaks. Whisk one-third of the whipped cream into the tepid chocolate. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold in the yolk mixture, then the remaining cream.

Chocolate Icing

• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring sugar, cocoa, heavy cream, and remaining 1/4 cup water to a boil in saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the soaked gelatin, making sure it is fully dissolved. Pour into a bowl and let stand until the icing is tepid, but still fluid. If it is too warm when you glaze, it will melt the mousse. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Raspberry Coulis

• 1 bag frozen raspberries
• Sugar and lemon juice to taste

In a blender, combine the raspberries with a little sugar and lemon juice. Puree, then taste to see if any additional sugar or lemon juice is needed to brighten or sweeten the flavor of the berries. Strain to remove the seeds.

Assembly:

• Once the cakes have cooled, leave them in the ring molds and top with the pistachio cream.
• Allow the pistachio cream to set slightly, either by refrigerating or freezing it.
• Cover to the top of the mold with the chocolate mousse. You will want to do this step shortly after you make the mousse so that it doesn’t set. Use a knife to smooth the top. You will have some extra mousse leftover.
• Freeze the cakes until the mousse is firm.
• Arrange the mousse cakes over a wire rack placed on top of a sheet pan. Ladle the tepid chocolate icing over each mousse cake, running an offset spatula across the tops once to smooth and evenly distribute the icing. Refrigerate or freeze the cakes to set the icing, then let them temper in the refrigerator before you eat them so that the components are not still frozen.
• Spoon the raspberry coulis across a plate. Top with an assembled mousse cake, and serve with pistachio ice cream, if desired.

Photo (below): Cooking a custom meal for my parents in the kitchen with chef Hunter Smith

This can be reflected in the our new fall menu, which showcases the end of summer produce and early fall flavors.

Here is the new dessert menu:

-Carrot Cake Doughnuts
Raisin Jam, Cream Cheese Frosting, Carrot-Walnut Butter.

-Chocolate Stout Cake
Ale Cream, Chocolate Molasses Glaze, Black & Tan Ice Cream

-Butternut Squash Tartlet
Tarte Tatin Apples, Oatmeal Crumble, Caramel Ice Cream, Apple Cider Reduction

-Cacao-Nib Infused Custard
Port-Braised Pears, Cacao Nib Chocolate Tuile

Come by and try the new menu!

When I first moved out here, I was terrified of what the elevation can do to baked desserts and pastries that would normally come out perfect at sea-level. In fact, I even avoided baking because I felt so restricted. My original belief was that nothing would turn out well.

One day I had to make several recipes from pastry chef Francois Payard’s cookbook, Chocolate Epiphany, to assist him with a culinary demonstration he would be leading. Everything turned out…fine. I felt liberated. I began to read more about high altitude baking and started to experiment with my own recipes.

I realized that as a pastry chef, I had to embrace my situation as a test of my skill and to overcome the challenge with successful baked creations. I’ve been tweaking recipes ever since, with the firm belief that just because we live at 9,000 feet above sea level, pancakes can still be fluffy, cakes can still be moist and delicate, and great dessert is alive and well!

There seems to be a lack of high altitude recipes available on the Internet, and I want other people to be able to experience the thrills and enjoyment of baking, rather than dread it, like I once had. I will begin regularly posting recipes on my site that I’ve had success with here in Vail, Colorado.

Check back soon!

Since early June, the Restaurant Kelly Liken kitchen crew shops at the Vail Farmer’s Market every Sunday and then creates an entirely new menu just for that evening, showcasing all of the beautiful produce we were able to purchase that day.

Sometimes it can be a little challenging to create a new dish in a matter of hours, but it’s a great creative outlet and a chance to try out new ideas. I always try to retain the integrity of whatever fruit or vegetable I’m baking with so that it’s fresh-picked flavor still stands out.

I am always so impressed by the savory items the rest of the staff creates for the menu. Their dishes inspire me to elevate my desserts to match their level.

Living in Rocky Mountain high country certainly alters the availability and growing season of produce. Back in Indiana, rhubarb was only available in early Spring. Out here, we’ve seen it at the market through July. Currently, peaches, nectarines, plums, and other stone fruits from Palisade have been abundant and gorgeous.  When you have beautiful ingredients to begin with, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make a great-tasting dish!

Here are some of this summer’s recent Sunday Harvest Menu desserts:

Chocolate-Almond Brown Butter Cake (Financiers) with Wine-Soaked Cherries and Soured Whipped Cream

Sable Breton Tartlets with Rhubarb Curd, Vanilla Mousseline, and Strawberry-Rhubarb Salad

Lavender Cream Shortcakes with Peaches, Honey Cream, Peach Syrup, and Lavender flowers.

Chocolate Dacquoise filled with Macerated-Strawberries, and topped with disks of bruleed Chocolate Chiboust

Cinnamon-Sugar Cake Doughnuts, Blackberry Dipping Sauce, and mini Peach Milkshake Shooter

Zucchini Cakes with Sweetened Cream Cheese and Caramelized Walnuts

Yellow Butter Cake, Grilled Peaches marinated in white wine and brandy, and Mascarpone Cream

Mini Peach Fried Pies, Peach Caramel reduction, and Butter-Pecan Ice Cream

Peach Tiramisu- Ladyfinger circles, Vanilla-Scented Mascarpone-Ricotta Cream, Amaretto Soaking Syrup, Spiced Peach Puree, Fresh Peaches, and Whipped Cream layered in canning jars with Nasturtium blossoms

Warm Peach Crumble Tartlets, Almond Streusel, Peach Coulis, and Cinnamon-Infused Ice Cream

I am very excited about this opportunity, as Restaurant Kelly Liken places a strong emphasis on seasonal, local, and organic cuisine.

Once I am able to get some more consistent Internet service, I will be sure to keep everyone updated. Stay posted!

Pumpkin pie and sugar pumpkins  have a “smooth, sweet flesh that is much less pulpy and stringy” according to Regan Daley’s In the Sweet Kitchen.  This makes them the choice for bakers and chefs when they want to use real pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree.

Long before people were thinking about Fall flavors, especially pumpkin, I was intrigued by a danish variation I had seen using pumpkin butter and cream cheese filling. So, when the time finally came around for pumpkin to step into the spotlight, I decided to try my hand at making pumpkin butter.

Let me warn you however, that like apple butter, pumpkin butter takes a few hours start to finish because the pumpkin needs to completely break down. The best part is the incredible smell that will fill the kitchen. While I used my pumpkin butter as a danish filling, it can certainly be used in other Autumn and holiday desserts.

Another flavor to capture this season is pear. They are in season right now and taste their best. When we have too many to eat, I like to poach them and store them in the refrigerator for later usage. Sugar syrups, wine, fresh herbs, whole spices, vanilla beans, and citrus peel can be included in the poaching and create a great variety of flavors. Poaching works best on fruit that is slightly underripe.

Finally, on the note of preservation, I’d like to share a tip from one of my chefs, the brilliant En-Ming Hsu. Chef Hsu gave us this formula for cleaning herbs and extending their shelf life. A few weeks ago after a big frost warning, I did this with a bunch of herbs from our garden and they are still fresh in my refrigerator. The bleach water kills any organisms on the herbs.

Preserving Fresh Herbs:

• Fill two large clean, sterilized containers (hotel pan size) with water.
• Put 1/2 teaspoon household bleach in one container, and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar in the other.
• Soak your herbs in the bleach water for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the bleach water and soak the herbs in the vinegar water for 20 minutes.
• Remove herbs from vinegar water and drain briefly.
• Wrap the herbs in paper towels, then put inside of plastic bags and store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Butter (The Culinary Institute of America)

• 3 lbs pumpkin(s) (Sugar or Pumpkin Pie variety)
• 1 lb granulated sugar
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• pinch ground cloves

Cut the pumpkin(s) into quarters and scoop out the seeds. Place the quartered pumpkins cut side up on a sheet pan. Bake at 325 F until the flesh in tender, about 25 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin with a paring knife. Place the pumpkin flesh in a large pot with the sugar, butter, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and cloves. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the volume has reduced by half, about 2 hours. The pumpkin will completely break down and turn into a smooth paste. Remove the vanilla bean pod.

Cool the pumpkin butter over an ice water bath and reserve in an airtight container under refrigeration. Makes about 15 fl ounces.

Basic Poached Pears (The Culinary Institute of America)

• 75 fl ounces water
• 15 ounces sugar
• juice of 7 lemons
• 12 pears

Combine water, sugar, and lemon juice in a pot large enough to hold 12 pears. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Boil 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium.

Trim the bottom of each pear to make it flat, core out the bottom with a melon baller or paring knife, and peel off the skin. Leave the stem attached. Once a pear is prepped, submerge it immediately in ice water acidified with lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

Once all of the pears are prepped, place them into the poaching liquid and simmer for 30 to 60 minutes. Make sure the pears are completely submerged by placing a parchment circle on top of the pears. Once the pears have become slightly tender, remove the pot from the heat and let the pears sit in the poaching liquid until tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Cool pears to room temperature. Reserve, covered, under refrigeration. Makes 12 poached pears.

I’m moving to Colorado, which is an adventure in itself. My life will become significantly busier, but I’m determined to keep posting. Every time I’ve lived in a new place, I discover wonderful inspiration for desserts and pastry.

At the moment, this move isn’t permanent, but I’m excited for this new opportunity to get more experience in learning and in life. There is still time for a few holiday orders, but only before December, for those interested.You can email me with questions (contact info is up at the top right of the page).

I’ve also been brainstorming some ideas for making the most of Fall’s flavors. This includes using  apple butter, pumpkin butter, poached pairs, etc. We’ll see how that comes along, depending on the oven status (At the moment it’s broken).

In other news, we’ve managed to acquire a chocolate temperer. Tempered chocolate is necessary for proper chocolate candy making in that it stabilizes the fat crystals in the cocoa butter. This creates a quick-setting, shiny, hard chocolate that has a much longer shelf life. Chocolate can be tempered without a machine, but it’s easier to hand dip and cast large quantities of chocolate candies with the help of one.

I’d like to play around with it and make some chocolate candies for holiday gifts this year. I’m hoping to get started on that soon and will be sure to post any exciting recipes.

Speaking of our broken oven, these pumpkin-hazelnut doughnuts were created after seeing the recipe on Aran’s blog, Cannelle et Vanille (It’s a beautiful blog, be sure to check it out!). It was a chilly weekend morning and one glance at Aran’s pumpkin doughnut picture told me there was no turning back.

What made them particularly appealing was the need for a stove, not an oven. I could make them! Because they are a cake doughnut, there is no yeast, and they come together very quickly. Enjoy them while taking in the colors outside for a true taste of Autumn.

Here is the link to Aran’s recipe for Pumpkin-Hazelnut Doughnuts at her blog Cannelle et Vanille.

Last night we had a glimmer of hope. The lower oven started responding to the dials when we did an experimental run. My dad asked if there was anything I wanted to bake.

“Brownies!” my mom yelled, “Hurry!”

We all held our breath waiting for the oven to go out, but it stayed on, miraculously. It must have known how badly we needed something that was baked, rich, and chocolately.

Brownies are a classic that everyone can make. You don’t need any fancy equipment and they are quick and easy. Navigating the infinite recipes from cookbooks and the Internet can get overwhelming and is not always reliable. Trust me, there is nothing more disappointing than a bad brownie!

There are a few things to look for in a brownie recipe to know whether or not it’ll be a keeper. A keeper brownie is one that is the perfect height- not too thin nor too thick, fudgy, moist, slightly chewy, and huge on chocolate taste.

Here are the qualities of a keeper brownie recipe:

1. Lots of eggs

2. Lots of butter

3. Real chocolate, with or without additional cocoa powder

Simple, but true. Eggs may get bad press from time to time, but they are an invaluable baking ingredient. Eggs contain lecithin, an emulsifier, which evenly distributes fat particles throughout the batter. This creates a very tender finished product.  Eggs also add lots of moisture.

Butter is more obvious, it adds flavor, richness, moisture, and texture to baked goods. When melted, it produces a cakier texture.

Using chocolate in a brownie recipe simply makes them more gooey (and certainly increases the chocolate taste!). A good-quality cocoa powder adds an intense chocolate flavor to baked goods, but if you’re going for something that is more dense and fudgelike, use real chocolate.

Below are two of my favorite brownie recipes. The first is a thicker brownie and the epitome of a “keeper brownie”. Instant espresso powder adds a further note of complexity to the chocolate flavor. It’s the brownie photographed for this post, since that’s what was on hand at the time. You will not be disappointed.

The second recipe is so rich the brownie itself  melts in your mouth- and so fudgy that it’s almost creamy in texture.

One last rule of thumb: Check your brownies 10 minutes before they are supposed to be done. Sometimes they will be done early. Brownies can go from being perfect to overbaked very quickly!

The Baked Brownie (Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 11 ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate (60 to 70% cacao)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

In medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.

Turn off heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature-not too hot.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Don’t overbeat the batter.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just a bit of flour mixture is visable.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.

Let the brownies cool completely before cutting for easiest handling.

Brownies (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.

Melt butter and chocolate in a medium metal bowl over a saucepan filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Sitr until chocolate has melted completely.

Add the sugar and eggs to the choolate mixture, whisk about 1 minute until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in the flour, salt, and vanilla. Do not overmix.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the brownies are just firm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. These are very dense so they cut best when completely cool.

Fortunately, apples can last a long time when they are stored in a cool place.

I recommend using apples fairly soon after they have been picked for recipes where they won’t be cooked. This way they will be at their optimal crispness. When apples are stored for a long time, their peel will begin to toughen and the flesh will get softer. They are still perfect for baking though.

This year I lugged home a huge bag of Spigold apples. They are a cross between Northen Spy and Golden Delicious apples, and they have worked beautifully for apple desserts.

I made two different types of French apple tarts with my Spigolds. The first was an Apple Nougat Tart, where a sweet dough shell is filled with caramelized apples and topped with a sugared egg white and sliced almond mixture. The topping transforms in the oven to a slightly chewy crust that adds the perfect touch of sweetness and nuttiness to the apples. It’s truly delicious.

The second was a Baked Apple Tart using an almond frangipane filling. Pate a foncer dough, which is very crisp and buttery, is filled with the almond cream and then topped with fanned apple slices. As it bakes, the almond filling puffs up into the apples and whole thing is enticingly fragrant. Eating this tart reminds me of eating a luscious coffee cake.

Every year we pick apples we also make applesauce. My mom has a food mill that we use to run the cooked apple pieces through, then the applesauce is lightly sweetened with sugar and spiced with some fresh cinnamon.While we were engaging in this process I also made some caramel apples for my brother, who is a huge fan.

But now to the Apple Spice Cupcakes. The cupcakes are tender, slightly spicy, and the perfect compliment to the grated apple pieces that are dotted throughout. I made a salted caramel sauce which I used to flavor basic Italian buttercream and also drizzled over the finished cupcakes.

Happy Fall!

Apple Spice Cupcakes (The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons light molasses
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tart baking apples, peeled and shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula then beat in the molasses. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground spices to blend.

Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately to the batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture. After each addition, beat on low speed just to combine the ingredients. Stir in the shredded apples, vanilla, and ginger.

Spoon the batter 2/3 full into the muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes until the cupcakes spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Salted Caramel Sauce (The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard)

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed to 100 degrees F
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine the water, 1 cup sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over high heat, being careful not to get any of the mixture on the side of the pot.  Once the mixture boils, stop stirring from this point on. The caramel will be very bubbly and be careful, because it is very hot.

Meanwhile, heat a saucepan of water and place a whisk in it.

Insert a candy thermometer into the caramel pot. When the temperature reaches 300 degrees F, lower the heat to medium, which will slow the cooking. Continue to cook to 350 degrees F.

When the caramel reaches 350 degrees F, remove the pan from the heat. It should be golden brown. Let it rest for 1 minute, or until the bubbles have subsided. Add the warm cream to the caramel. It will bubble up vigorously so be careful.

Quickly whisk the creme fraiche, 1 tablespoon sugar, lemon juice, and salt into the caramel. Cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to a month. When cold, it has the consistency of peanut butter.

Personally, I think this sauce tastes better if it has had a day to rest in the refrigerator.

My fears were put to rest this morning in yoga class:

“We will begin with our three-part breath”, my instructor calmly said, “On your exhale, open your mouth to let out an ahhhh”.

I should have been relaxing, taking my mind off of job prospects and adult life. Yet I found myself merely going through the motions. Do you know why?

I was thinking about the ice cream sandwiches I am going to make today, which revealed to me that I am not a cat freak, but an obvious pastry freak!

For real.

These sandwiches have an intense chocolate flavor and the right amount of crunch to be the perfect counterpart to lusciously creamy ice cream. They’re a little time-consuming, especially if you decide to poke those ‘authentic’ ice cream sandwich cookie holes in each cookie, but pulling out a plate of these from the freezer to surprise guests makes quite an impression.

Here they are, from me to you. The obsession of my morning. Homemade ice cream sandwiches. You’re probably going to want to make them again! I ended up making vanilla ice cream to sandwich between my cookies, as a nod to the classic, but you can use any flavor you choose.

Ice Cream Sandwiches from Eating Outdoors by Country Living

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 quarts ice cream, slightly softened

Sift flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. With an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat until blended.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until a firm dough forms. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a rectangle about 4 by 3 inches. Wrap in plastic and chill for 20 minutes.

Line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with plastic wrap and spread the ice cream evenly in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refreeze.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Roll one rectangle of dough to form a 1/4 inch thick 9 x 11 inch rectangle. Cut the dough into six 2.5 x 5 inch rectangles. Repeat with the remaining dough to form a total of 12 cookies.

Using the blunt end of a wooden skewer, poke holes into the cookies (5 rows with 3 holes in each row). Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in the pan 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Assemble the sandwiches: Place half of the cookies face down on a clean work surface. Remove the ice cream from the baking pan and unwrap it. Using a sharp knife, cut 2.5 x 5 inch rectangles to fill the sandwiches with. Place on each of the cookies and top with the remaining halves. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until set- about 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings. You can pretty much make whatever sizes and shapes you want, so adjust to your liking!

Once you get off of your tractor trailer, you are directed to a row and it’s all yours! When we were younger, my brother Kyle and I would leave with berry stained faces and hands. I’m assuming we most likely ate more than we picked. Have you ever eaten a juicy strawberry, warm from the sun? Ah, the simple pleasures of life.

This is another example of why locally grown, in season produce always tastes the best. Try a hard, hollow, white strawberry from the grocery store and compare it with one of these. I could be the prune lady in the tv commercials, but with strawberries. But alas, that is not my battle at the moment. I have strawberries that need to be put to culinary use.

First up, Strawberry Cream Puffs with Rose Cream (recipe follows at bottom). I piped pate a choux dough into balls slightly larger than a quarter – these should be dainty – and after baking and cooling, cut the top 1/3 of the puff off. Pate a choux is a remarkable type of pastry. As it bakes, it creates a sturdy shell, while leaving the inside moist and hollow, perfect for filling. I filled the bottom of the puff with thinly sliced fresh strawberries, piped rose cream on top, and topped with a few strips of lemon zest. Beautiful.

Remember that if you ever make a filled pate a choux product, it needs to be filled shortly before serving otherwise it will get soggy.

Seeking inspiration from some succulent Greek yogurt, I was inspired to make a second dessert, Lemon Financiers with Macerated Strawberry Salad and Greek yogurt. Financiers are moist delicious little cakes made from almond flour. The almonds bring a great deal of moisture to the financier. The strawberries are sweet, so I wanted the financier to have a bit of tartness to it, hence the lemon. And what says summer better than lemon?

While my financiers were baking, I sliced strawberries and tossed them with muscavado sugar (similar to a dark brown sugar), a little lemon juice, and fresh basil and mint. If you let them sit for a bit, the sugars will dissolve with the strawberry juices and create the most lovely little sauce. You can do this with most fruits. I mixed a smidge of vanilla paste with Greek yogurt since I am obsessed with the look of vanilla seeds. The Greek yogurt is creamy, rich, and tart, much needed to contrast with the sweet lemon cake and juicy berries.

Our last subjects are Berry Tartlets with Lemon Cream. Thin, crunchy shortbread crust, rich tangy lemon cream, and berry topping. Freshly sliced strawberries and blueberries were mixed with some of my mom’s homemade strawberry jam that had been warmed slightly so it was liquid. This makes the berries shiny and helps keep them fresh longer.

Of course, you can always eat the fresh berries plain, warm from the sun, like I’ve done for years.

Rose Cream (Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich)

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 to 2 teaspoons rose water
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• Pink food coloring, optional

In a chilled bowl, whip the cream with 1 teaspoon of rose water until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and whip until the cream holds a soft shape. Taste a bit of the cream, add a bit more sugar and/or drops of rose water to your taste, then finish whipping the cream to the desired stiffness.

Then I grew older and wiser, a natural progression. In fact, there are numerous varieties of salt available today for culinary uses, and they are deliciously different from table salt in their size, crystal shape, and taste. I highly encourage you to experiment with them.

One of my favorite salt varieties is fleur de sel. Of course it is also the most expensive of all salts, but this is due to the fact that it is hand-harvested under precise conditions. It is a moist, flaked salt that dissolves beautifully and is free of that sharp salt flavor, if that makes any sense. Forgive me, as savory flavors are more difficult for me to describe.

Anyways, I recently replenished my fleur de sel stock, and was inspired to bake with it after coming across this recipe. If the name is any indication, these cookies have three main flavors: peanut butter, salt, and toffee. The peanut butter flavor is dominant, but there are hints of salt and toffee which make them perfect. Add a little crunch from the toffee peanuts and peanut butter lovers are bound to find themselves in heaven.

Salted Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies (Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich)

• 1 1/3 (6 ounces) cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup natural chunky peanut butter (not unsalted)-stir well to blend the oil before measuring
• 1 cup (5 ounces) toffee peanuts or coconut toffee peanuts, very coarsely chopped

Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together thoroughly in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter with both sugars. Whisk in the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter. Add the flour mixture and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until just evenly incorporated.

Cover the dough and refrigerate for an hour or two, or up to 2 days. This will make it easier to handle.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the chopped nuts into a shallow bowl. Scoop about 2 level teaspoons of dough for each cookie, shape into a 1-inch ball and coat heavily with the chopped nuts, pressing in any pieces that fall off, so there are no bald spots. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies until they are lightly colored on top, 15 to 18 minutes. The cookies will seem very soft to the touch, but they will firm up as they cool. Set the baking sheets on a rack to cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks.

Yield: About fifty-six 1 1/2-inch cookies

Living in a city where you have to carry your groceries for blocks completely changes your perspective on needs versus wants, but we’re not even going to get into my city life rationing groceries and acting like a pack mule (at least not this time).

Sometimes, but only on occasion, as I try to utilize my food inventory in the most efficient and unwasteful manner, I have “overstock”. Case in point: Four pint-sized cartons of heavy cream, all unopened but nonetheless facing impending expiration dates.

So, I decided to make panna cotta. Not just your typical white disc surrounded in berry sauce or whatnot, but a quivering, pale yellow panna cotta scented with exotic saffron and cardamom. And then I adorned its creamy richness with freshly grated cinnamon and crushed pistachios.

Don’t be confused, however, with pudding, or creme brulee. Panna cotta, especially in this recipe, is rich and creamy, with the help of all that heavy cream, but it is not heavy. There is only the slightest amount of gelatin in panna cotta to give it just enough structure so it holds its shape-barely.

This creates that quivering spoonful that is much more worthy of a Jurassic Park scene. And sopisticated. Jell-o, really?

Saffron and Cardamom Panna Cotta (Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich)

• 3 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 cardamom pods
• Slightly rounded 1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin or 3 leaves of sheet gelatin*
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Finely chopped or grated pistachios for garnish (optional)

In a small saucepan, heat the cream, sugar, and salt until steaming hot, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar. Off the heat, add the cardamom pods and saffron. Cover and allow to steep for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside (without stirring) for 5 to 10 minutes to let the gelatin soften.

*If using gelatin leaves, soak the leaves in the cold milk to soften them, then fish the softened sheets from the milk and stir them into the hot cream (after steeping) until completely dissolved. Stir in the milk, and proceed as directed.

Add the milk and gelatin to the cream mixture and reheat to steaming, stirring well to dissolve the gelatin. Strain the mixture into a bowl, preferably stainless steel; discard the cardamom pods. Set the bowl in a larger bowl of water and ice cubes and stir frequently until the mixture thickens and registers 50 degrees F on a thermometer.

Divide the mixture evenly among ramekins or dessert dishes (I used espresso cups, which created more than six servings). Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 but preferably 12 hours. Before serving, use a microplane to grate a little stick of cinnamon over each one, and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.

Serves 6

Let me start off by saying that if it weren’t for my mom, I wouldn’t be baking and cooking like I do today. She taught me the instinct that is baking- the spring of a done cake, the golden edges of a cookie, the way a cooked custard should coat the back of a spoon. I love being in the kitchen with my mom and it is something we always enjoy. I love you mom!

I was shopping at The Spice House in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago this weekend where I immediately gravitated to the baking spices. One whiff of the intoxicating scent from the Lavender Sugar jar and I was hooked (The best vanilla sugar is made from cane sugar and high-quality vanilla beans. Sometimes vanilla extract is added. It’s also a delicious pair of words). The lavender is rather subtle but adds an entirely new dimension that is fragrant, floral, and an essence of summer.

I wanted to convey this scent into cookies, so I adapted a Williams-Sonoma shortbread recipe to my liking. Butter is one of the main ingredients, so be sure to use a rich, high-quality product for the best tasting result. I used pastry flour to give these cookies a lighter, more tender texture but all-purpose flour can be easily substituted (If you are trying to find pastry flour, I recommend ordering from King Arthur Flour, at www.bakerscatalogue.com).

I also desired a strong vanilla flavor to compliment the lavender, so I used vanilla paste. Vanilla paste has actual vanilla bean seeds in it, which I love because you see the flavor before you taste, but equal amounts of a nice vanilla extract works too.

After mixing up my dough, I rolled it into logs and then rolled each log in a generous coating of lavender sugar. Then the logs were given some time to harden in the freezer for easier cutting and a more attractive result after baking (the warmer the dough the more the cookies will spread, losing their delicate small shapes).

Best of all, these bake up crisp, buttery, and will melt in your mouth.

The tops of each cookie were decorated with one or two dried lavender buds pressed into the surface, as even a small amount of dried lavender has an intense taste- use sparingly. The cookies will keep, stored airtight, for about a week, making them perfect for shipping to your mom or grandma. They are excellent with coffee or tea.

Lavender-Scented Vanilla Bean Shortbread Cookies (adapted from Williams-Sonoma recipes)

• 2 cups pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (or pure vanilla extract)
• 1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel (or kosher salt)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
• Lavender Sugar, for dusting and rolling (www.thespicehouse.com)
• Dried lavender for decorating

Sift the flour into a large bowl with the granulated sugar, confectioner’s sugar, and salt. Whisk briefly to combine all of the ingredients.

Add the butter and vanilla paste to the dry mixture, then use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until the entire mixture can be formed into a soft lump. Lightly roll the dough into a 1 1/2 ” diameter log. Cut the log in half for easier handling. Roll each log, carefully, in several spoonfuls of Lavender Sugar to coat.

Roll the logs up in parchment paper and put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, if not longer, until firm. When ready, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1/4 ” slices. Place on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet, 1″ apart, and sprinkle with more Lavender Sugar, if desired, or decorate with a few lavender buds. Bake the cold dough until is is just starting to turn golden around the edges, around 20 minutes or so.

Yield: About 40 small cookies

I love the incredible pairing of Guinness beer and chocolate and it’s a combination that’s been on my mind lately. So, naturally, when I was going through cookbooks (something I do frequently, for fun) I decided to give this recipe a whirl.

The recipe comes from Baked, by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, and they recommend using a chocolate stout, having found Guinness beer too light and dry for this recipe. After tasting the finished shake, I think Guinness would work fine in a pinch, although the chocolate stout does add a very pleasing taste.

This is great poured into a frosty tall glass, or as “tastings”, served in shot glasses.

Chocolate Stout Milkshake (Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

• 2 huge scoops (about 2 cups) premium chocolate ice cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup very cold chocolate stout
• 1 tablespoon malted milk powder

Put desired glasses for serving in the freezer while you mix up your shakes. In a powerful blender, add the ice cream, milk, stout, and malted milk powder and blend until smooth.

Pour into the chilled glasses and serve with spoons. Chocolate shakes are never going to be the same again!

Serves 2 (8-ounce servings)

When I came across this recipe, I knew it would be perfect for ringing in his birthday. The cake is made in a bundt pan, so there’s no need for assembling or frosting the cake; a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar adds just the right touch.

This cake also is super moist, with strong flavors of both yellow cake AND chocolate cake. Perfect for birthdays, right? The flavor of the beautiful chocolate swirl doesn’t get lost in the rest of the cake thanks to a potent combination of chocolate and cocoa powder. Be sure to cut generous, thick slices and enjoy…

Marble Bundt Cake (Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

For the Chocolate Swirl:

• 6 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened dark cocoa powder

For the Sour Cream Cake:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To make the Chocolate Swirl: In the top of a double boiler over simmer water, melt the chocolate. When the chocolate is completely smooth, add the cocoa powder and whisk until thorougly incorporated. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the Sour Cream Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a medium bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and ribbonlike. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and mix for 30 seconds. Mixing for longer will develop the gluten in your flour and create a tough, dry product.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl before each addition and beating only until each addition is just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pour one third of the cake batter into the chocolate swirl mixture. Use a spatula to combine the chocolate mixture and the batter to make a smooth chocolate batter. Spread half of the remaining plain cake batter in the prepared pan. Use an ice cream scoop to dollop the chocolate cake batter directly on top of the plain cake batter. The dollops will touch and mostly cover the plain batter, but some plain batter will peek through.

Use a butter knife to swirl the chocolate and plain batter together. Pour the remaining plain batter on top of the chocolate layer and smooth it out. Once again, use the knife to pull through the layers to create a swirl.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until a sharp knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges of the cake and invert it onto the wire rack and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

The cake will keep for 3 days, tightly covered, at room temperature.

Yield: One 10-inch bundt cake

I’ve lived in my apartment for over a week now, but I’ve found that when I live somewhere new, my residence does not start to feel like ‘home’ until I’ve broken in the kitchen a bit. That’s why I chose to spend my Saturday puttering around in the kitchen.

I had some blueberries and raspberries with a short shelf life, and a nearly overripe pear. What to do, what to do? One of the first things they have taught us in pastry school is that nothing should ever be wasted. Luckily I was inspired to make a pear berry crisp after flipping through a cookbook for dinner ideas.

You can use almost any fruit you want, and the pear, blueberry, and raspberry combination I used was surprising delicious. I made half a recipe since it was just myself who would be eating it. The topping is not crunchy like most crisps, it was much softer, like a crumbled muffin, with a strong vanilla taste. It reminded me of eating a coffeecake with a streusel topping. Bonus: the apartment smelled divine. Double bonus: it comes together quickly.

I liked to eat mine at room temperature and slightly warmed, depending on my mood. Either temperature, it’s delicious with a dollop of thick, creamy Greek yogurt.

Pear and Berry Crisp (Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros)

• 3 large pears
• 1 cup of mixed berries
• 1/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick), plus 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter a 14 by 8 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch (or a 13 by 9-inch) ovenproof dish. Peel, core, and slice the pears, and put them in the dish. Mix in the berries and scatter half the superfine sugar over the fruit.

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, and the other half of the superfine sugar in a bowl. Add the butter and vanilla and rub them in with your fingertips, working until the mixture isn’t smooth but looks like damp clustery sand. Your fingers might be tired.

Scatter the topping over the fruit to cover it completely in a good thick layer. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is nicely golden and some berry juice has oozed up a bit over teh crust and darkened it here and there.

Let it cool down a touch and then serve warm with whipped cream, a bowl of custard, vanilla ice cream, or Greek yogurt.

Yield: 8 servings