I chose to make russians (or pistachio stacks, as I like to refer to them), paris brests, chocolate eclairs, and chocolate financiers with candied ginger and cacao nibs. For the russians I made a dacquoise of both almond and hazelnut flours, and then piped the batter into little circles. They were spongy and soft inside, with a slightly crisp exterior. Pistachio mousseline was sandwiched between two of the dacquoise circles to create a close cousin to a French macaron (commonly spelled and pronounced macaroon in the U.S.) . The pistachio mousseline was pastry cream, buttercream, and nut paste. My only regret was making the mousseline the day before, and so the buttercream in it curdled from being refrigerated. In my effort to redistribute the fat globules the mousseline lost some of its structure, so the sandwiches didn’t sit up quite as high. These were probably one of the favorites of the four.

I also knocked out a batch of pate a choux dough. It always fills the kitchen with a very comforting smell as its made, like butter, flour, and eggs cooking, I love it. Pate a choux is the most remarkable dough, as it bakes it forms a hard shell and the insides become hollow, perfect for filling, since the crunch is a beautiful contrast to the filling.

Paris brests are “wheels” of pate a choux filled with a hazelnut mousseline. The pate a choux was sprinkled with sliced almonds before baking, and afterwards, dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Some of the pate a choux was piped into little eclairs, which I filled with a bittersweet chocolate pastry cream and dipped in a chocolate icing. The eclairs are easily a one-bite treat, and the chocolate explosion in your mouth is glorious!

Lastly, I made chocolate financiers. Ground almonds add an incredible amount of moisture to these. I added candied ginger and cacao nibs to the financiers, which added an element of spice and chocolately crunch.

It was a fun working on all of the different petit fours and I look forward to the next opportunity. Petit fours are meant to be one or two bites and they are perfect tastes of bliss.

I’ve also been experimenting with quick bread recipes that don’t use oil. If I come across any delicious breakthroughs I’ll post it.

Summer is the most bountiful time of year for stone fruits. We had a lot sitting around, so I made a lemon rice pudding with roasted peaches and plums. To roast fruit, top with a small cube of butter and brown sugar, and bake in a 400 degree F oven until golden brown and a pool of juice sits underneath each fruit.

Tonight I was in another petit four mood and cut out circles from a chocolate apricot torte I made today. Two thin layers of a rich chocolate cake (tasted similar to a brownie, but less dense) surrounded a chocolate truffle ganache and apricot filling. Then the whole thing was covered in another chocolate ganache. Intense!

Best eating my friends,

Megan

I had an order for one of my personal favorites, red velvet cupcakes. For those of you unfamiliar with red velvet, it is a buttermilk cake, tinted red, with a hint of cocoa. The buttermilk helps make the cake really moist and soft. It satisfies those chocolate-sweet cravings without being too much.

Traditionally, it’s paired with cream cheese frosting, which I find extremely delicious, but I’ve also seen variations in either a white chocolate or chocolate frosting. I made a light milk chocolate buttercream for my cupcakes and was really pleased with the result.

I also punched out some fondant circles (aka wafers, a la Martha Stewart) and stamped them with the letter “D”, to celebrate the birthday girl monogram-style. Of course to do this required clean, unused stamps and a trip to Michael’s Crafts revealed quite the upgrade in stampery…they make clear stamps now that allow you to create your very own stamps in endless combinations! Quite the find and definitely something to consider for future personalized projects.

A few days later I was making miniature-size cupcakes from a yellow cake batter enhanced with ground ginger. This time I topped them with a bittersweet chocolate buttercream and sprinkles, of course, since they were cupcakes and they were indeed created for a birthday celebration, so it was only fitting. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting seems to be an American birthday classic.  I was very impressed with the chocolate buttercream experimentations this week, they tasted even better than I had predicted!

Of course, once the cupcake production ceased I had time to do other things, like pay a visit to one of the farmer’s markets on Wednesday. I keep returning to buy organic blueberries, which happened to be just right last week: large, firm, and sweet.

We had some ricotta cheese leftover in the fridge so I channeled Tyler Florence and plopped a few spoonfuls in the food processor along with some lemon zest and powdered sugar, just to sweeten it up a bit. The blueberries were sugared and slowly simmered in a pot with some strawberries, raspberries, and fresh lemon juice until soft and compote-like, about 12 minutes.

A few spoonfuls of the berries over the lemon ricotta mixture with a chocolate wafer (leftover from ice cream sandwich-making) and you have yourself the quintessential summer dessert: light, fruity, fresh.

I finished off my weekend with herbal tea and freshly baked croissants (pain au chocolat for my mom), because I have missed them eating them in pastry school.

This week I am looking forward to creating an assortment of petit fours for my mom’s book club. More to come on this later!

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.

I think I have been following a strict butter diet. On to the food…

Photograph (right): Pear danish

TUESDAY:

We didn’t have class on Monday due to MLK Day. Tuesday arrived with a bang, as we made french bread, started beignet dough and croissant dough, and made waffles.

The French bread was delicious, we shaped half of the dough into baguettes and the other half into loaves, or batons. It was crusty, soft, and not the least bit chewy.

The waffles turned out thick and fluffy, perfect for trapping tasty toppings.

Photograph (below): French baguettes

Photograph (below): French baguettes and batons

Photograph (below): Waffles

WEDNESDAY:

Wednesday was a fun day to me because I was so fascinated by the process for making croissant and danish dough. The dough is prepared to a certain point and then proofed in the refrigerator overnight. Then, on this day, we pounded butter into very thin sheets and incorporated them into the dough.

A series of folds is done with the dough to create distinct layers of fat in between the dough. It is these layers that will create all those marvelous flakes we fondly associate with a classic, true croissant. The butter melts during baking, and consequently releases steam, producing millions of flaky layers.

Photograph (below): A flaky croissant

Photograph (below): The cross-section of  a croissant

Photograph (below): Pain a La Biere

We fried our beignet dough balls into fluffy, soft “french doughnuts”, which were rolled in granulated sugar and dusted with powdered sugar. I enjoyed mine with Nutella and it was amazing.

We then made a very rustic version of beer bread, Pain de Biere. The bread had the hearty addition of rye flour, and was brushed with a mixture of beer, salt, yeast, and flour, giving it a gorgeous red color.

Photograph (below): Beignets

Photograph (below): A tender (and utterly irresistible) beignet

THURSDAY:

We made danish dough, another type of baguette using a sponge starter, pastry cream, and the dough for Kugelhopf, a German pastry. It reminds me of both a cake and a bread, and is studded with Kirsch-soaked golden raisins.

Photograph (below): Kugelhopf

FRIDAY:

We finished our Kugelhopf by baking it in beautiful molds that are made just for Kugelhopf. Before placing the dough in the molds, almonds are arranged in a pattern on the bottom. The danishes were completed today, and filled with almond frangipane- a delicious combination of pastry cream and almond cream, then topped with either apricot halves or pear slices.

Photograph (below): Apricot danish

Photograph (below): Pear danish

We also made croissants, again, but this time they will be frozen and baked later next week. Instead of making them the traditional style, they will be either chocolate and almond variations.

For additional practice, we baked lemon pound again. Practice truly does make perfect-they turned out even better this time.

Photograph (below): Lemon pound cake

Next week we will be finishing up our breads and breakfast pastries, so by Friday we can begin petit fours.

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

The great thing about being a pastry chef is that you can work anywhere, and anything is possible if you are motivated. If you can create great food, people will come.

Photograph (right): That’s a lot of bread: Toast bread, whole wheat bread, and brioche loaves

We also received our texts, and after flipping through it and seeing what we would be making, I was ready to start cooking!

My class will spend the first 8 weeks on breads, breakfast pastries, and petit fours with Chef Jonathan. Our typical routine for this unit starts with us scaling our ingredients for the day. We scale ingredients, rather than use measuring spoons and cups, because the scale ensures accuracy every time.

Not every measuring cup is exactly the same, nor are ingredients, like flour, measured into the cup in the same manner universally. I purchased my first kitchen scale this summer and I love it, especially for ingredients like cake flour.

After scaling, the chef-instructor demonstrates his approach and techniques for each of the recipes we will be making that day. Then the rest of the time is ours to bake with.

MONDAY:

Our first day started with some basics. We were given a tour of the kitchen we would be working in for these next 8 weeks and an introduction to the kitchen equipment.  We also practiced knife skills (kinda important, eh?) on apples. The chef also showed us how to make clarified butter, beurre noisette (a browned butter with a delicate nutty taste that can be used in pastry doughs), and our own baking grease for pans.

TUESDAY:

Our second day in the kitchen, and this time we would be making products for the first time. We made a versatile and beautiful vanilla bean-flecked sweet dough that can be used for tarts and cookies, streusel topping, and an almond cream for using with tarts or cakes.

We also had the opportunity to test out those fabulous pastry tips from our tool kits- we practiced our piping skills with butter.

Photograph (below): An arsenal of pastry tips

Photograph (below): Sablees

WEDNESDAY:

This is where things started getting busy. We rolled our sweet dough into cookies, made pastry cream, piped and baked French meringues, made Italian meringue, and Italian buttercream.

By the end of class the kitchen smelled deliciously of vanilla. There are several different types of meringues, and it can get confusing sometimes when reading recipes.

The main difference between a French meringue and an Italian meringue is that the French meringue is baked, creating a hard, yet melt-in-your-mouth shell that can be filled with fruit, pastry cream, etc.

Italian meringue is basically when a hot sugar syrup is beaten into egg whites, creating a stiff meringue that is usually combined with other ingredients, such as butter, to make a light, sweet, and beautifully spreadable frosting.

Photograph (below): An oven that’s too hot creates edible, yet cracked French meringues

THURSDAY:

On this day we started to dip into the baked goods department. We had our first opportunity to work with yeasted dough by making toast bread, a lovely white bread with a crumb.Perfect for toast or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Chef Jonathan spent a long time discussing yeasted doughs with us and showing us some of his techniques, as bread baking is his specialty. It’s amazing to watch how quickly and perfectly he shapes dough.

We baked blueberry muffins and started brioche dough, which rested overnight in the refrigerator.

Photograph (below): Blueberry muffins baked in mini charlotte molds

FRIDAY:

Our last day of the week ended with a bang. I had so much product to take back to my apartment that I didn’t know if I’d even be able to carry it all.

We made whole wheat bread, finished and baked our brioche, and made lemon pound cake. This created a massive number of mini loaves, as for the wheat bread alone we each made 6 loaves!

My favorite had to be the brioche, we made two mini loaves with our dough, then divided the rest into 6 individual balls that were brushed with egg wash and sprinkled with either Bee Sting (a delectable sugary honey almond mixture) or pearl sugar.

For lunch Friday I had bread with cheese, honey, and jams. The rest went into my freezer!

Photograph (below): An assortment of quick breads

And that concluded my first week of kitchen time. Despite the below zero temperatures, severe windchill, snow, and early mornings, the time in the kitchen has been truly enjoyable. I am looking forward to the next!

Photograph (below): Brioche topped with Bee Sting mixture

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

Highlight: Getting my pastry tool kit filled with all the goods.

Lowlight: Sanitation and food safety class. I think I’ll be afraid to eat out for awhile.

The more I get to know my chef instructors and the staff of the school, the more I realize how truly lucky I am to have this opportunity (thanks again, Mom and Dad). The French Pastry School is great. I haven’t spent any time in the kitchen yet but I know spending a semester here is the right move for my career goals.

I’m also really excited to get to know my classmates more. I’ve had food conversations with some of them already and we all share the same passion and creativity for baking and pastry arts. It’s a good feeling. My classmates come from all over and there is a wide range of ages.

The first “unit” my class will be focusing on is bread and breakfast pastries. The FPS recently acquired a new chef instructor, Jonathan Dendauw, who is a master bread baker, so this will for sure be a unique learning opportunity. I won’t be  posting recipes or material from class, but I can take photographs and I will share my experiences as a pastry student and my time in Chicago.

Once I get more settled into my new lifestyle and apartment, I also plan on resuming my own baking experiments, which I will be sure to post.

Photograph (below): My loaded pastry kit

Of course there were more cupcakes to be made, which I will discuss later in my posts on Kat Rohrbacher, the artist I worked with for her thesis project, and on Christmas Red Velvet Cupcakes. Update: You can see Kat’s cupcakes here.

My wonderful and generous father flew my Grandma Jone in for a surprise visit on Friday. It was so nice seeing her around this time of year because many of my fondest holiday memories took place at her house on Christmas Eve. My Dad is one of six kids, so our family get-togethers with his side of family are always quite large but it’s great when we can all converge in one place.

You know what they always say, that mothers are the foundation to a family? Well I can see the truth in this because when my Grandma Jone is in town, it brings my Dad’s whole family together again. And it feels just like it did when I was growing up and she still lived here. So this weekend was kind of nostalgic for me, having her around for the holidays.

This visit certainly inspired some baking. With the possibility of other family members dropping in all morning and afternoon, I baked Let’s Make A Date Muffins and Gingerbread Muffins for breakfast. That evening I made some roll-out sugar cookie dough- in gingerbread and chocolate variations. My younger brother Cam and I were up late decorating them, but laughing the whole time, as we enjoy making them a bit…inappropriate at times.

We had a huge ice storm this weekend and it was devastatingly beautiful, if that makes any sense. Tree branches are drooping under the weight of the thick ice coating them, but they also look like a glass forest when grouped together. It has been snowing off and on, so the flurries stick to the icy branches and its a winter wonderland outside.

Well, this ice storm caused my Grandma Pat’s power to go out on Sunday, so she sought refuge at our house that day and night. My Aunt Sherri also slept over that night because we had our Christmas party with my Dad’s side and she didn’t want to drive back in the bad weather. We had a full house. You know what that means! Breakfast for them in the morning. Plus I couldn’t let them leave without something in their stomaches.

I made Gingerbread Scones, which like the Gingerbread Muffins, are the perfect wake-up call to sleeping guests and family. The house will fill with an intoxicating, warm scent of spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. If you are feeding these to younger mouths, I recommend cutting back on the spices just a bit, so they are not as spicy.

What was also valuable about spending time with my grandmothers this past week was that I was reminded of family history that I had forgotten about. My Grandma Pat’s mother was a very Greek woman who was a wonderful and passionate cook. My Mom’s Great Aunt Mary created many of her signature recipes that my family still enjoys. And my Grandma Jone’s parents owned a candy shop where my Great-Grandpa made his creations using the recipes in his head. This was during WWII when sugar was rationed and my Great Grandpa was still able to get it because the shop was his business, and they received lots of customers seeking to satisfy their sugar cravings. Hearing all of this was just so wonderful to me, because I realize more and more that my passion and interest in cooking and baking has been passed down to me through generations for family.

All of our guests are gone now and here it is Christmas Eve! Unfortunately I ran out of time to make a gingerbread house this year, but I feel like next year at this time I will be able to make a magnificent one after completing pastry school.

Tonight we will be going to mass then spending the evening with just our family this year. I am looking forward to this time together. For dinner we are each going to make a seafood dish that is fast and relatively simple- like crab legs, seared ahi tuna, and shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce. My wonderful friend Jen got me a cookbook (and a gift certificate to Sur la Table!) for fondue and I may concoct some cheesy goodness to go along with our dinner.

And then it will be the most magical time of year-Christmas- and my 23rd birthday. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Here’s an update to that. We met today for our “cupcake transaction”. She is a very sweet girl and I wish her all the best of luck. I am happy we got the chance to work together.

These are photos of some of the cupcakes she wanted.

1. “The Emily”. Kat wanted this cupcake to be very girly in a fluffy, white, volumptuous way. I made three variations, one with coconut, one that was swirly and high so she could put a fancy liner on it if she wanted, and the third was a spiky meringue.

2. “The Joan”. This cupcake needed to represent Kat’s art teacher, who was kind, warm, caring and the epitomy of an “art teacher”. Joan was also into intricate bead artwork. I made two variations; one with an “artist’s palette” color frosting, and the other with some bead-style decorations added.

3. “The Andy”. Kat wanted this cupcake to have a tube sock look to it, with white, red, and blue stripes. I did two variations, the first was swirled white frosting with red and blue sprinkles on a white cupcake with a red and blue liner. The second was a piped white frosting layered with colored fondant stripes.

4. “The Damon”. This cupcake needed to represent a flashy, over the top personality. I made two variations, each with spiky chocolate frosting and dramatic touches, such as chocolate lettering and silver dragees.

5. “The Neil”. Kat wanted a masculine, handsome cupcake that also demonstrated a life devoted to the United States Army. I covered white and chocolate cupcakes with army green frosting, fondant stars painted with gold luster dust, and white star sprinkles.

6. “The Ken”. Red was the color that came to Kat’s mind for this cupcake. I swirled red frosting and sprinkles on top of white cake to convey a popular, nice cupcake.

7. “The Vanessa”. Kat envisioned a cupcake that almost blends into the background and conveys a talented, other world. For this cupcake I swirled pale blue frosting on white cupcakes and decorated each with either tiny pearl decorations or small fondant flowers.

8. “The Justin”. This cupcake needed to be “soft turned hard”. For this one, dark chocolate cake was covered with soft marshmallow filling and dipped in chocolate, to create a shell.

9. “The Chad”. Kat wanted a cupcake that was slightly angry, so I used a red velvet cupcake that was covered in soft marshmallow filling and dripping with chocolate.

Cupcakes, anyone?

You may wish to reduce the amount of spices and molasses, as they are a bit spicy and younger mouths may not appreciate that taste.

Fresh chopped cranberries, dried cranberries, or dried cherries all work wonderfully with this recipe. Add them at the end with the buttermilk.

Always remember the key to light, tender scones is to blend the dough to a point where you can still see little pieces of butter and handle the dough as little as possible.

Gingerbread Scones (The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons light unsulfured molasses
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a thin silicone mat. Place the flour, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 10 seconds to blend well.

Add the cold butter pieces and pulse 5 times at 1-second intervals, or until the butter is cut into medium pieces.

Blend the buttermilk and molasses together, in the measuring cup. Pour the mixture into the food processor and pulse another 20 times, or until the dough holds together in large, thick clumps. Use a spatula to scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently squeeze or knead the clumps together until they form a cohesive dough.

Pat the dough into a circle about 7 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 equal wedges and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.

Brush the tops with a thin coating of the beaten egg (you will not use all of the egg) and sprinkle evenly with the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, until firm to the touch and golden brown.

Transfer to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 scones

Red velvet is my favorite type of cake- it is in its own category of cake and taste. It has a hint of cocoa in it, and a slight tang from buttermilk and vinegar, as well as an intriguing red color. This recipe also has sour cream in it, which makes for a moister, softer cupcake.

Frosted with a generous dollop of cream cheese frosting and red and green sprinkles, these cupcakes are perfect for Christmas, although I would gladly eat them any time of the year.

Christmas Red Velvet Cupcakes (The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) red food coloring
• 3 1/2 tablespoons high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill muffin cups (approximately 2 1/2 dozen) with paper liners.

In a small bowl, stir the red food coloring and cocoa powder together to make a smooth paste. Set aside. using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, then add the cocoa paste while continuing to beat. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, and beat the batter for about 4 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk (this can be done in the measuring cup).

Add the flour mixture in three increments, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on medium speed just until the ingredients are combined. Add the sour cream and vinegar and beat on low speed until combined.

Fill the muffin cups three-fourths full with batter. Bake for 18 minutes or so, just until the cupcakes feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake, or the cupcakes will dry out. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Yield: Approximately 2 1/2 dozen standard cupcakes

Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting (The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone (Italian cream cheese, available at most grocery stores)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or mint extract

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the mascarpone on very low speed until just combined (Be careful, once you add the mascarpone, excessive beating can make the frosting curdle). Stir in the vanilla or mint extract.

The dates are made into a puree so there are no date pieces in these, although you could always process the dates less to make a chunkier mixture. They give a slightly sweet taste to the brown sugar muffin base.

I love the nutty, crunchy topping. Toast your pecans for the best flavor.

Let’s Make a Date Muffins (Eat Feed Autumn Winter by Anne Bramley)

Streusel Topping:

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Muffins:

• 9 ounces whole Medjool dates, pitted (about 14 dates or 2 cups)
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

To make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and pecans. Using a fork, cut in the butter until well combined and mixture begins to hold together a bit. Set aside.

To make the muffins: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Place the dates in a shallow bowl (in a single layer, if possible), pour the boiling water over them, and soak for 15 minutes. Transfer the dates and soaking liquid to a food processor and puree until almost smooth but a few pea-sized fruit pieces remain. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. With the motor running, mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture and mix until moistened. Follow with the date puree, and when thoroughly combined, mix in the remainder of the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and give a final stir with a spatula to make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Top with the streusel and press down gently to adhere.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins

I replied saying she needed to pick up mascarpone cheese and cream cheese. What was the root of this frantic text? I pondered this as I began prepping for the tiramisu. Tiramisu is one of those desserts that tastes more decadent the longer it sits in the refrigerator, so I wanted to get everything ready for when the cheeses arrived with my mother.

Apparently, my Mom and Dad were at an Italian restaurant eating a late lunch, when the waitress served tiramisu to the table next to them. Bam! Just like that my Mom was pining for tiramisu.

This little ordeal worked out rather well because I had been wanting to try out this recipe for tiramisu. It calls for making your own ladyfingers. Of course, you can always use store-bought ladyfingers too. For some reason I like to do these kinds of things. I’ve even made my own graham crackers before. I don’t know why, but I like doing it that way. I suppose part of me likes to taste how dishes were intended to taste before we had food manufacturers.

Ladyfingers are a very light, delicate cookie that work terrifically for soaking up the espresso syrup in this dessert. They actually get kind of soggy with the syrup, but it goes wonderfully with the rich filling.

Assembling tiramisu is kind of fun. The ladyfingers are dipped in a delightful kahlua-espresso syrup, and then layered with sweetened cream cheese and mascarpone cheese (with just a hint of espresso). The cream cheese and mascarpone cheese create a thick, creamy, and rich filling. The tiramisu is dusted with cocoa powder or grated bittersweet chocolate, which ever you prefer. I did a little of both. As the layers soak and the flavors blend together, you are left with a dessert that will make people go weak in the knees.

Tiramisu literally means “pick me up” because of the espresso soaked layers and flavor throughout. You can always use decaf if you are worried about your dessert keeping you awake.

This is perfect to make around this time of year, when you can make it in advance and keep it tucked away in the fridge, since it tastes better the next day (or two or three).

*Another note: I used fresh espresso instead of instant espresso powder. I added espresso to my taste, probably around 1/2 cup for the syrup, and 1/3 cup for the filling.

Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

Ladyfingers (You can always use store-bought if you prefer):

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting the ladyfingers, plus extra for dusting the baking sheets
• 7 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Soaking Syrup:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup dark rum, such as Myer’s (You may choose to omit the rum and add more Kahlua in its place)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Filling:

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 (16-ounce) tub mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• Dark cocoa powder or grated bittersweet chocolate, for dusting

To make the ladyfingers: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two 12 x 17-inch baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the paper with a light coating of powdered sugar. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks, the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and the vanilla in a large bowl on high speed about 5 mintues, until the yolks become thick and pale yellow.

In a separate clean, large bowl, use a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add the 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. Fold the egg white mixture gently into the egg yolk mixture. Use a sieve to gently sift the flour over the batter. Gently fold in the flour just until incorporated.

Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, making each ladyfinger about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. This takes a little practice, don’t worry if your ladyfingers are a little wobbly, they will be hidden by layers of luscious cream cheese and mascarpone cheese. You’ll be able to fit about 5 ladyfingers across and 4 down on each sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Sift the 1/2 cup powdered sugar over the ladyfingers just as they come out of the oven. Cool for 5 minutes and use a spatula to transfer them from the baking sheet to the cooling racks.

To make the soaking syrup: Simmer the water and sugar in a heavy saucepan set over medium heat about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the espresso powder, liqueur, rum, and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

To make the filling: Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl on high speed. Add the mascarpone and beat on medium speed just until incorporated. Combine the boiling water and espresso powder in a small bowl. Stir 1/4 cup of the cooled soaking syrup and 1 tablespoon of the espresso liquid into the filling.

Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture into a medium bowl. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of espresso liquid into the second bowl of cream cheese mixture. You will have 1 bowl of light brown cream cheese filling and 1 bowl of dark brown cream cheese filling (from the addition of extra espresso liquid).

To assemble the tiramisu: Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Dip both sides of 1 ladyfinger in the cooled soaking syrup and place in the bottom of the pan. Repeat with more ladyfingers and syrup to line the whole pan. Spoon the light-colored cream cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and smooth gently with a spatula. Cover with a second layer of dipped ladyfingers. Spoon on the dark-colored cream cheese mixture and smooth the top as before. You may not use all of your ladyfingers. Use a fine-mesh sieve to dush the top with a light dusting of dark cocoa, or sprinkle grated bittersweet chocolate evenly over the top.

Cover the tiramisu and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve cold from the refrigerator. Cut in squares and serve with a spatula.

Yield: 16-20 servings

We chatted for a long time last night about her project and I am excited to get the opportunity to do some very creative custom cupcakes. She is painting portraits of people she’s known throughout her life who have passed away. Each painting will also have a cupcake in it that channels the personality and traits of each individual. 

What’s great about Kat is that she seems as obsessed with cupcakes as I am, so I think we’re going to work really well together. The cupcakes will be completed in the next two weeks for Kat to photograph while she is in town for the holidays.

I will be sure to post pictures of the cupcakes and updates on Kat’s thesis work. The photograph pictured above is one of her paintings. You can check out her website at www.katgallery.net and her blog at http://appleseed.tumblr.com/.

Some other things that are adding a skip to my step:

1. I received information from the French Pastry School today about my schedule for the first week of classes. Exciting!

2, Seckel pears, lady apples, and red currants. The pears and apples are miniature-sized. I was able to find them at Meijer and they make beautiful, edible table decorations.

3. www.chefscatalog.comhas free shipping on all orders until the 15th. They also have Cuisinart Green Gourmet cookware on sale. It is eco-friendly. Also related, not in a food way, but an online shopping way, is  www.retailmenot.com. My Mom is currently obsessed with this website. You can find coupon and discount codes for websites when online shopping. Score!

4. Eclairs. I am going to make eclairs this weekend that have a spiced pate a choux dough, dulce de leche pastry cream filling, and a milk chocolate glaze. Check back for the post and recipe!

The problem is, I am caramel challenged. Try as I might, I have a very low success rate when it comes to making caramel.

I stood over that saucepan for a good 45-50 minutes. The recipe recommended medium-low heat, so it took a while. I stirred and stirred, trying to keep the sugar from scorching. For a fleeting moment I pretended I was filming a Werther’s Original commercial. Finally, temperatures were reached and the completed caramel was poured into a buttered pan to cool.

It looked fine. It smelled delicious. And it was rock hard.  Ohh I was mad! The temperatures on my new candy thermometer were exact. But sometimes that happens in baking. You’ve just got to keep trying, learning the visual and textural cues that tell you when something is ready without the use of instruments. Practice makes perfect.

That fiasco beside, I have two recipes here that are pretty fool-proof. The first is for rolled sugar cookies. What’s nice about this recipe is that the dough only needs to chill for 30 minutes before you roll it out. It sticks very little and is forgiving when scraps are re-rolled, making it ideal for little hands. The cookies are delicately crunchy and perfect with or without a sweet glaze of icing.

I was feeling artsy after I baked them and decided to embellish them in true holiday fashion. I made royal icing and then a thin powdered sugar glaze to use for flooding. This is a really neat way to ice cookies. Royal icing has egg whites (either fresh or powdered), which creates a stiff, hard icing when it dries. By outlining cookies with royal icing, you create a “dam” that stops thinner icing from going over the edges. When the cookies are “flooded” with the thin icing, it creates a little icing pool that dries in a smooth, shiny layer. You can use a toothpick to guide the icing into all the edges.

The second recipe is my newest favorite. It comes from Tessa Kiros’ cookbook Apples for Jam. It is the most beautiful hot chocolate, especially when served in a mug with a big top. As much as I love the recipe for Campton Place Hot Chocolate, this one requires no make-ahead ganache. Chocolate is melted into milk, just like most true and traditional hot chocolate recipes. Meanwhile, heavy cream is sweetened with a touch of powdered sugar and whisked until it is slightly thickened. After the chocolate milk mixture is poured into mugs, the sweetened cream is poured into the chocolate mixture. The thick cream is cool and sweet, floating on top of the hot chocolate. It’s delicious. You can also make a mocha that is better than any coffeeshop’s by substituting 1/2 cup fresh espresso for the milk.  

On to the recipes:

Christmas Vanilla Sugar Cookies (At Home with Magnolia by Allysa Torey)

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat well.

Add the dry ingredients, in three parts, and mix until just combined. Shape the dough into three flat disks, wrap each disk tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Working with one disk at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch fluted cutter, cut out the cookies and place on baking sheets lined with waxed paper. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator and chill for an additional 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease two baking sheets.

Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and arrange on the greased baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you choose to decorate these cookies, I recommend the powdered sugar icing I also use for Cut-Out Shortbread Cookies.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

Beautiful Hot Chocolate (Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros)

• 2/3 cup chopped best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon confectioner’s sugar
• Unsweetened cocoa powder or ground cinnamon, to serve

Heat the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t burn (chocolate burns easily). Bring it just to below boiling point, when bubbles form along the edges and steam rises. Whisk with a wire whisk to make sure it is completely smooth.

Meanwhile, whisk together the cream and confectioner’s sugar until quite thick but not stiff- just dense enough to sit on top of the hot chocolate.

Pour the hot chocolate into cups and gently spoon the cream over the top, dropping it first on the back of a spoon and letting it slide onto the top of the chocolate. Sieve a tiny amount of cocoa powder or cinnamon over the top and serve at once. This can be drunk as it is so that the chocolate streams through the cream, or the cream can be stirred through first.

Yield: 2 servings

We ended up making four different types, two old and two new recipes. At our house, there are always a few Christmas “classics” that are a tradition in our family and can never, ever be skipped. In recent years these have included Spice Molasses Cookies, Aunt Mary Cookies, Greek Holiday Twists, Chocolate Crinkles, and Nutmeg Meltaways. Yesterday we made the Spice Molasses Cookies and the Aunt Mary Cookies.

The Spice Molasses Cookies are a subtle nod to our beloved Paradise Bakery Ginger Molasses Cookies. Although not as thick as Paradise’s, they are not too spicy, perfectly chewy, and taste of brown sugar and molasses. To our family, everything about them says “Christmas is here”.

The Aunt Mary Cookies get their name from my Mom’s Great Aunt Mary, a very Greek woman with a love for baking. Every Christmas, she would send packages of baked goods, including these cookies, to my Mom’s family when she was younger. What is so neat about her recipes is that she created them herself. Her filled cookies, pictured here, are a mix between a pastry and a cookie. The dough has cream cheese in it, which gives it a slight tang, and its flaky layers work beautifully with the fruit filling. Aunt Mary asked my Mom to keep the recipe in the family, so I will not post the recipe, although hopefully it will still inspire creative minds on the search for Christmas cookie ideas.

With two traditional cookies taken care of, I decided to try two new recipes (Obviously we are going to have to have another Christmas cookie baking day, or else “it won’t be Christmas”). The first was Shortbread Checkerboard Cookies. I wanted to make these soleybecause of their picture. They look so neat! The dough doesn’t require any long periods of chilling, which is nice, although if you’re going to try this recipe, a note of warning: these call for a lot of patience. The dough can be sticky at times, making it difficult to work with. An easy way to prevent this would be to stick it back in the freezer for a bit, but I was a baker on a speed mission. I also discovered this dough is easier to work with if you assemble it on parchment paper, rather than directly on your work surface, because it won’t stick to the work surface that way.

After all that rolling, cutting, and stacking, I was delighted at the beautiful checkerboard pattern on my cookies. The dough has a hint of citrus flavor from orange zest, and it works wonderfully with the buttery sugar dough and the chocolate. I also used toasted pecans instead of toasted hazenuts.

The fourth cookie was Mexican Chocolate Crackle Cookies.  I am so impressed with these. These are small crackled chocolate cookies. There is not a lot butter, so they don’t spread much. Beaten eggs contribute to their distinctive, light texture, which helps them not to be too rich. Use the best quality bittersweet chocolate you can find, it will make these taste even better. Ground toasted almonds, cinnamon, and ancho chile powder are also added to the dough. The cinnamon and chile powder add warmth, but don’t worry, when you bite into the cookie you aren’t going to think “There’s chile powder in here”. Rather, it brings out the chocolate flavor even more and you feel the tiniest amount of heat in the back of your throat.

The balls of dough are then rolled in granulated sugar, to give it some cracks and crunch, then rolled generously in powdered sugar, adding a coolness to the warmth in the cookie.

And on to the recipes…

Spice Molasses Cookies

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Granulated sugar, for rolling

Cream shortening. Add the sugar, egg, and molasses and mix well. Combine the flour with the remaining ingredients and gradually add to the shortening-sugar mixture until blended. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes (tops will crack).

Yield: 4 dozen

Checkerboard Cookies (Recipe from www.joyofbaking.com)

• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest (1 medium orange)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Bake hazelnuts for 15 minutes or until skins start to blister. Remove from the oven and wrap in a clean towel so the nuts can “steam” for 5 minutes. Rub the towel briskly in a back and forth motion to remove the skins from the hazelnuts. Set aside to cool. When cool, place the hazelnuts in a food processor along with the cocoa powder and process until the hazelnuts are finely ground. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest and beat until well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half and place one half of the dough back into the bowl of your electric mixer. Add the cocoa and hazelnut mixture to the dough and beat until incorporated. Set aside.

Lay out two large sheets of parchment paper (about 10 x 12 inches) and on one sheet of parchment roll out the white dough into a 6 1/2 inch by 10 inch rectangle, making sure both sides of the dough are smooth. If the dough is too sticky, put in the freezer for a few minutes or place another sheet of parchment paper on top to sandwich the dough as you roll. Wrap the dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until the dough is firm.

Meanwhile, take the chocolate dough and remove 1/2 cup (used later for wrapping the checkerboard log) and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside. On the second sheet of parchment paper, roll out the remaining dough into a 6 1/2 by 10 1/2 inch rectangle, making sure both sides of the dough are smooth. Wrap the dough and place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes or until dough is firm.

When both the white and chocolate dough are firm, remove from the freezer and lay the white dough on a cutting board, removing any wrapping. I found it was easier to work with the dough if I put a piece of parchment paper over the cutting board. Lightly brush the top of the white dough with a little water (this helps the layers to stick together). Remove the parchment paper from the chocolate dough and place it evenly on top of the white dough. Trim the edges of the two doughs so the rectangle now measures 6 inches by 10 inches (Take the chocolate dough trimmings and add to the 1/2 cup reserved chocolate dough).

Lengthwise cut the rectangle into thirds (Three 2 inch by 10 inch strips). Place one strip on a piece of plastic wrap. Brush the top of the dough with water and place the second strip on top of the first (alternate colors so you have a black, white, black pattern). Brush the top of the second layer with water and stack the third layer. Press down lightly on top of the dough and then wrap and freeze for 15 minutes, or until firm.

When firm, remove from freezer and unwrap, placing the dough on a cutting board. Using a sharp long knife, cut the layers lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide and 10 inch long strips (You will end up with 4 strips). Stack the layers, turning every other strip so top faces down and bottom faces up, to produce the checkerboard effect. Rewrap the stack and place in freezer again to firm up.

Meanwhile, take the reserved chocolate dough trimmings and 1/2 cup and roll out on a piece of parchment paper into approximately 9 1/2-inch x 10 1/2-inch rectangle, making sure the dough is smooth. Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm.

Remove the stack of checkerboard dough from freezer and place in center of chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the checkerboard layers until you have a smoothsurface that encloses the checkerboard design. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm. The dough can be frozen for up to a month.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove dough from the freezer and place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut the block of dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart, and bake from 5-7 minutes or until cookies just start to brown around the edges. The edges will also feel firm. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.

Yield: About 3 dozen

Mexican Chocolate Crackle Cookies (The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur or cooled brewed coffee
• 6 ounces 70 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (3 ounces) whole almonds, toasted and cooled completely
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder (optional) Note: I couldn’t find it at my grocery store so I put a dried ancho chile pepper in the food processor to create my own.
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) unsifted confectioner’s sugar

Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of the double boiler. Place the butter, liqueur, and chocolate in the top of the double boiler (off the heat). Turn off the heat, then set the chocolate mixture over the steaming water. Stir occasionally with the spatula until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove and let cool slightly while you whip the eggs.

Place the eggs and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar in the bowl of the mixer and whip on high speed until very light in color and thick, 5 to 6 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer and medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and whip until blended, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Place the flour, nuts, cinnamon, baking powder, and chile powder (if using) in the food processor and process until the nuts are very finely chopped, 60-90 seconds. Add the flour mixture to theegg mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Stir gently a few times withthe spatula to make sure there are no patches of unincorporated flour or butter lurking near the bottom of the bowl. Cover the dough with plastic and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until firm.

Preheat the over to 325 degrees F and position an oven rack in the center. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop the chilled dough into tablespoon-size balls using a mini ice cream scoop or a spoon. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in one small bowl and the confectioner’s sugar in the other. Roll each dough ball in the granulated sugar and then in the confectioner’s sugar. Be sure to coat the dough generously with the confectioner’s sugar-in this instance, more is better. Space the cookies about 1 1/2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, rotating the sheet halfway through the baking time, for 11-14 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and cracked. If you nudge a cookie, it should slide on the sheet rather than stick. It is better to slightly underbake these cookies than to go too far- when overbaked they are dry and unpalatable. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Yield: About 45 cookies

Another crinkle cookie, these are low-maintenance and beautiful from the contrasting white and brown that happens as the cookies bake and their surfaces crack.

You’ll want to be sure to chill the dough a few hours before you bake them, otherwise they will be impossible to form into little balls. Unlike most of the other recipes I blog about on here, this recipe does not use butter. Shocking!

The canola oil in these cookies creates a cakelike texture and very little spreading. The cookies only bake for 8-10 minutes, so despite the cakelike properties that come from baking with oil, they will still be fudgy.

Chocolate Crinkles (Better Home and Gardens: Christmas Cookies)

• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, combine eggs, granulated sugar, melted chocolate, oil, baking powder, and vanilla. Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Gradually beat in the flour until combined. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours, or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet and set aside. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (this can be done easily and efficiently with a mini dough scooper). Roll the balls in powdered sugar and place 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are dry. Do not overbake. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack, where they will deflate slightly.

To store, layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper covered in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Yield: 36 cookies

The spongy chocolate cake bakes up in just 10 minutes. The part that probably takes the longest, depending on how fancy you want to get, is the decorating. Rolling the cake can also be a nerve-wracking task to some; with yule logs, however, you can cover any cracks if they do occur with the thick chocolate ganache frosting.

In true pastry case fashion, I spent a lot of time detailing my meringue mushroom decorations, sugaring rosemary sprigs and cranberries, and making sure the ganache was spread to look like tree bark. Right before I served it, I dusted it lightly with powdered sugar to make it look like a soft dusting of snow. Very Christmasy indeed!

I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner with some of our relatives from my Dad’s side. We are celebrating Thanksgiving this Sunday with my Mom’s side of the family, and I have another big dessert planned that I will post about, so check back.

Everyone was very curious about the mushrooms-what they were made out of, how I made them, and if they could eat them. I think they add a very realistic touch to the log, so take a little time on them. And yes, they are edible! Sidenote: If you ever decorate something with inedible things, be sure to tell everyone, because I guarantee at least someone will try to eat the decorations. It is safest to always use edible decorations.

Chocolate yule logs make a great impression at holiday parties and also double as a beautiful centerpiece. You can make lots of them and stick them together to make one giant log to feed a big group. The cake also can be made 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Yule Log Cake (Eat Feed Autumn Winter by Anne Bramley)

Meringue Mushrooms:

• 1 large egg white, room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup sugar

Cake:

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Filling:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Ganache Frosting:

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
• Confectioner’s sugar for garnish

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the meringue mushrooms: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg white until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until medium-stiff peaks form. With the motor running, slowly add in the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form (If you dip a spoon in and lift out, the meringue will stand straight up).

Using a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, pipe mushroom caps and stems onto the parchment. Make your stems and caps a variety of sizes. For caps, pipe mounded disks. Using your finger dipped in water, you can smooth out any piping lines across the caps. For stems, pipe columns straight up. Lengths of 1/4 to 1 inch provide a nice variety. Remember, they’re mushrooms-they look more realistic being imperfect! If you hate your work, you can always scoop it off the parchment back into the pastry bag and pipe again. This makes a fairly generous amount of meringue to work with, so don’t fret too much.

Bake the meringues for 2 hours. Turn off the oven and let them sit inside until the oven is completely cool. Gently lift the pieces from the parchment and store in an airtight container until you’re ready to decorate the cake. The meringues can be prepared up to three days ahead.

To make more realistic looking fungi, I brushed the bottoms of the caps with melted chocolate and let it almost set, then brushed melted white chocolate over the chocolate. Next I took a toothpick and ran it through the chocolates to create those “gills” that mushrooms have. Let the design cool and set.

For a truly dedicated mushroom-decorator, add some cocoa powder with the cream of tartar when making the meringue. Your mushrooms will be more of a gray tone, and not pure white.

When assembling mushrooms, it’s easiest to take a small paring knife and carve a small circle in the bottom of the cap for the stem to insert into.

To make the cake: Combine the water, butter, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Preheat the over to 375 degrees F. Butter a 12 x 17-inch jelly roll pan. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and then dust with flour.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks on medium speed for 1 minute. With the motor running, add 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until mixture is double in volume, thick, and light yellow. Beat in the cooled cocoa mixture and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and continue to beat for another minute. Transfer the batter to a large bowl mixing bowl. Sift the flour over the batter and fold in gently. Set aside.

In a clean mixing bowl with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Using a large spatula, gently fold into chocolate batter by thirds. Spread the batter onto the prepared pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cake springs back gently when pressed. Remove the pan from the oven, cover with a clean damp kichen towel, and cool on a wire rack.

To make the filling: Combine the whipping cream, sugar, and cocoa powder in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Scrape down the sides before the cream starts to thicken.

Lifting by the parchment paper, slide the cake out of the pan and onto a work surface. Spread the filling over the cake. It helps to use an offset spatula to get a flat surface. Turn so the long side faces you. Using the parchment to help, loosely roll the cake away from you. Don’t try to make too tight a roll or the cake will crack and the “log” will be too thin. Cut approximately 2 inches of the cake off each end, cutting on the diagonal. Set aside to make “knots”. Refrigerate the cake while you make the ganache frosting.

To make the ganache frosting: Coarsely chop the chocolate (no piece should be larger than 1/4-inch). Place in a large mixing bowl.

Heat the cream until it barely simmers. Whisk it into the chopped chocolate and continue to whisk until all the chocolate is melted and no lumps remain. Set aside to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter. Set the ganache aside to cool and reach a spreadable consistency, 1 to 4 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature. Stir every 20 to 30 minutes as it cools.

To assemble the cake: Position the cake on the platter on which you intend to serve it. Sometimes a cutting board is just the trick if you don’t have a large enough platter. I covered mine with parchment paper to make a white surface for the log. Have your small “stump” pieces ready. Spread chocolate ganache over the cut end of each and attach to the log in whatever pattern suits you. Gently frost the seam where the stumps attach to the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to solidify the ganache.

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of ganache for the mushrooms. Generously frost the rest of the cake, covering all seams and exposed cake. If you desire, you may leave the ends of the log exposed. Once the cake is completely frosted, you can use a knife or a fork to make swirls on the end of each stump and down the length of the log.  Refrigerate until ready to serve but let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before eating for best taste. Can be made 1 day ahead.

Just before serving, sift confectioner’s sugar over the top of the cake to simulate snow (If this is done too early, the sugar will become moist and fade into the surface of the cake). Use bits of ganache (or melted chocolate) to attach mushroom stems to mushroom caps, if necessary, and to stick them on the cake. Dust the mushrooms with cocoa powder, if desired. Position the mushrooms on top of and around the cake.

You can also sugar cranberries and rosemary sprigs, using powdered egg whites that have been reconstituted (they are pasteurized so they are safe for everyone to eat). Brush the rosemary and cranberries with the egg white, then roll or sprinkle with extra-fine sugar. Let it sit a few minutes to harden. Position the sprigs and berries around the log. Don’t tuck them too far under the cake however, as the rosemary may infuse its flavor into the cake where it’s touching.

Yield: 14 servings

They are probably one of the best roll recipes in my repertoire, and trust me, I’ve baked lots of rolls. A few summers ago, when I discovered the joy and taste there is in homemade bread baking, I was in a “roll phase”. Again, pastry geek. It was a never-ending quest to find the perfect roll recipe, which I tested on my carb-hungry teen brothers (such hooligans). At one point I recall throwing ice cubes into the oven as rolls baked to obtain the perfect crust. Well, these aren’t crusty rolls, but they are that pillowy soft kind you pine for every once in awhile. There’s an egg and some glorious butter in the dough, which gives it a richer flavor. Mmm, carbohydrates.

There’s not a lot of room for error in making these either. The dough is made in a standing mixer, with no kneading, and scraped into a bowl. The dough sits overnight in the refrigerator, which slows the rising time and gives them a better flavor. This is also convenient because you don’t spend the entire day catering to the needs of bread dough.

The next day, all you do is shape the dough, let it rise for one hour (and fill the house with a wonderful smell), and bake. It’s a durable dough that isn’t a sticky mess, so this can be done quite quickly. When the rolls come out of the oven in their hot, golden brown goodness, brush the tops with salted melted butter, which takes their flavor over the edge.

They are great eaten on their own for breakfast, alongside a meal, or used to make little sandwiches. They are the perfect go-to roll in a pinch.

Alas, but our breakfast feast wasn’t complete without the Campton Place Hot Chocolate. I don’t have any photos because my family drank it all up, so you”ll have to take my word for it. The recipe comes from Sherry Yard, the head pastry chef at Spago (Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant).

You’ll have to make ganache, which sounds really fancy but is actually extremely easy to make and only dirties two dishes. The ganache should be made in advance so it can cool down and develop a thick frosting-like, fudgy consistency. Cocoa powder is whisked into a cream and milk mixture, then the ganache is added, creating an all-around smooth chocolate flavor with lots of depth. What’s truly fantastic is that this hot chocolate isn’t too sweet, nor does it taste like hot chocolate pudding. It is…perfect.

Icebox Butterhorns (Taste of Home June/July ’95)

• 1 package (1/4 ounce or 2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
• 2 cups warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• Additional melted butter

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, egg, salt, and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Beat in butter and remaining flour (dough will be slightly sticky). Do not knead. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch dough down and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll each half into a 12-inch circle. Cut each circle into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Beginning at the wide end, rolle up each wedge. Place rolls, point side down, 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place, until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately brush tops with melted butter.

Yield: 2 dozen.

Campton Place Hot Chocolate (The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard)

• 1 recipe Master Ganache (recipe follows)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Tia Maria or vanilla extract

Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk to dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the ganache. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until well combined, about 4 minutes. Stir in the Tia Maria or vanilla.

Serve the hot chocolate right away as is or store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It can be reheated easily on the stovetop or in the microwave. If you wish, top it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Master Ganache:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream

Using a serrated knife, finely chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces, since big pieces will not melt. Place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Tap the bowl on the counter to settle the chocolate into the cream, then let it sit for 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, slowly stir in a circular motion, starting from the center of the bowl and working out to the sides. Stir until all the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes.

Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it cools to a thicker consistency, like soft fudge. It can also be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Yield: 2 cups

The Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Streusel Topping is well, topped with a streusel crumb mixture that bakes into a sweet crunchy top crust. It pairs really well with the delicate pumpkin filling.

The Pumpkin-Pecan Buttermilk Tart is sprinkled with big, meaty pecans and a dusting of sugar before it bakes, creating a slight variation of candied pecans on top of the pumpkin filling.

Like I said, either way they are both tasty, and I give them my seal of approval. Two more for The Pastry Case!  So why tarts and not pies? Honestly, as much as I enjoy classics, sometimes I find pumpkin pie a bit boring. Maybe it’s because around this time of year you can buy it at the grocery store, at cafes, anywhere really. Show me something a little bit different and I might be tempted.

Tarts can be made with numerous types of crusts-the flaky pie crust type, the buttery shortbread type, the softer subtle cookie type (as used in these), among others. They also have an air of elegance to them, particularly because the tart will always have a perfectly fluted crust, due to the pan shape. They are much easier to cut into neater slices and to remove from the pan. Have I convinced you yet? Give these recipes a try.

Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Streusel Topping (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

Tart Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream (more as needed)

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed for about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into 1/2 inch pieces. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine on low speed abuot 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the mixture looks crumbly, with bits of dough the size of peas.

Whisk the egg with the cream and add to the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough is just combined. Continue mixing for 10 seconds longer. If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough out to a 1/8 inch thickness on a generously floured flat surface. Fold it over the rolling pin and gently transfer the dough to a 10 inch tart pan. Press it lightly into place. It is now ready to for you to fill and bake it.

Pumpkin Filling:

• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup bourbon (optional)

Streusel Topping:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter

Line a 10-inch tart pan with the tart dough. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the filling, spoon the pumpkin into a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, the sugars, the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and flour; whisk vigorously about 30 seconds. Whisk in the cream and bourbon.

To make the topping, combine the flour, both sugars, the cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the flour mixture. Pulse 3-5 times, until the mixture is crumbly.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared tart crust. Spoon the streusel topping evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Don’t worry, it won’t fall to the bottom. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the filling is set. Let the tart cool at least 1 hour before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Pumpkin-Pecan Buttermilk Tart with Sweet Tart Dough (The Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri)

Sweet Tart Dough (Makes one 10- or 11-inch tart crust or one 9-inch pie crust):

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse several times to mix. Add the butter and pulse repeatedly until the butter is finely mixed into the ingredients- you do not want any visible pieces of butter (this is a soft crumbed crust, not a flaky crust).

Add the egg, egg yolk, and water. Pulse repeatedly until the dough forms a ball. Invert the food processor bowl over a floured work surface to turn out the dough. Carefully remove the blade and transfer any dough on it to the work surface. Form the dough into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

After chilling, the dough can be rolled out on floured work surface until it is a 1/8 inch thick circle. Carefully fold the dough into quarters, place in tart pan, and unfold to fit (this eliminates any stretching of the dough). Press the dough into the pan and sides. It is now ready for the filling.

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces, coarsely chopped

Set a rack on the lowest level of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. For the filling, place the pumpkin in a bowl and whisk in the eggs. Whisk in the 2/3 cup sugar, then the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and buttermilk. Pour the filling into the crust and sprinkle the top with pecans and sugar.

Bake the tart until the dough is baked through and the filling is set, 30-35 minutes. Cool the tart on a rack. Keep the tart at a cool room temperature, loosely wrapped in plastic, on the day it is baked. Wrap and refrigerate leftovers and bring them to room temperature before serving again.

Yield: One 10-or 11-inch tart, about 10 servings.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream (The Modern Baker by Nick Malgieri)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Just before serving, combine the cream, sugar, and cinnamon. Whip until a soft peak forms.

Best of all, it doesn’t take up precious refrigerator room! In fact, this can be assembled up to the point of glazing and kept in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

The amount of chocolate used in this recipe is insane. It’s a good recipe to have for one of those days when a Kit Kat bar just won’t cut it. Or if you need to ask someone a big favor. Cut the cake into very thin slices and serve with cold milk.

One note of caution, however, is that this recipe contains raw eggs. Yes. Traditional mousse uses raw eggs, and this recipe follows. The eggs add a richness and the ultimate creamy texture to the mousse, making it truly sinful. You won’t taste the egg, only what it adds to the mousse. Just be careful when selecting your eggs for the mousse- choose organic, free-range eggs that are fresh. Anyone very young, the elderly, and anyone immunocompromised should avoid eating raw eggs.

Chocolate Mousse Dream Cake (adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 12 ounces premium-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons dark rum, such as Myer’s, or the liqueur of your choice, such as Kahlua or Grand Marnier (optional)

Milk Chocolate Mousse

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 10 ounces premium-quality milk chocolate
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Dark Chocolate Glaze

• 4 ounces premium-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with a parchment paper round and coat evenly with cooking spray. Melt the butter and chocolate in a metal bowl set over a medium saucepan with 2 inches of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove the bowl from over the saucepan. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until well combined. Stir in the vanilla and rum.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place it in a larger roasting or baking pan. Fill the larger pan with enough hot water to come about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when it is firm to the touch. It will rise while baking and settle down to its original size when removed from the oven. Cool the cake completely in the pan on the rack.

To make the mousse: melt the butter and milk chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Set the chocolate mixture aside to cool. Using a mixer or whisk, beat the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the egg yolk mixture with the chocolate mixture. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until shiny, stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, using a large rubber spatula. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream on high speed just until soft peaks start to form. If you beat the cream more, the mousse will get lumpy. Gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Spread the mousse over the cooled cake, filling the pan to the top. Wrap with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

At this point the cake can be kept in the freezer for up to three weeks.

To make the glaze: Place the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Combine the corn syrup, cream, and vanilla in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Immediately pour the cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Keep the glaze at room temperature to ensure that it will pour. If the glaze is too thick, add more cream.

To assemble the dessert, remove the cake from the freezer. Dip the bottom of the pan in hot water to loosen, then invert it onto a plate, so that the mousse is on top. Pour the glaze over the mousse, making sure it covers the sides. Let the glaze set at least 1 hour. Freeze until ready to serve. The dessert is best when removed from the freezer just a few minutes before cutting. If left at room temperature, it will begin to melt.

Yield 14 to 16 servings

The cranberries turn into an oozy bubbling garnet mixture as they bake beneath the sweet crumble topping. While they are still sweet-tart in taste, the buttery flaky crust and the crumble topping balance the flavors well.

This tart keeps up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Though delicious at room temperature, it is meant to be served warm (try it with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream). If chilled, allow one hour for it to come to room temperature. If you’d like to enjoy it in all its warm glory, reheat it in a 350 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Add 1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds or walnuts to the topping mixture for a variation.

Warm Cranberry Crumble Tart (The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

• 1 recipe Flaky Pie/Tart dough, baked and cooled in a 9-or 9 1/2-inch tart pan

Filling:

• 5 cups (20 ounces) fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 medium orange
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make the filling: Coarsely chop half the cranberries by hand with a chef’s knife or with a few pulses in the bowl of a food processor (the food processor method is much, much faster. Trust me). In a medium bowl, combine the chopped cranberries, whole cranberries, sugar, orange zest, flour, and cinnamon and stir to blend well. Use a spatula to scrape the filling into the cooled tart shell.

To mix the topping: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the cold butter and mix on medium-low speed until the mixture begins to form clumbs the size of small peas (some will still look a little sandy, which is fine). Cover the filling evenly with the topping.

Bake for 40 minutes, until the fruit is soft and bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack, making sure you hold the pan by the sides and not by the bottom (the hot tart pan may come apart that way).  Cool for 20 minutes before serving, or cool completely, then reheat just before serving.

To serve: Place the tart pan on top of a large can from your pantry so that the bottom balances midair as the rim falls to the counter. Use a large metal spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate or simply leave the bottom of the tart pan under the tart for support. Use a thin, sharp knife to cut the tart.

Yield: 1 9-inch/9 1/2-inch tart, serving 8 to 10

I like crusts to be tender, flaky, subtle- the real prize to a pie or tart is the filling. The crust should be a compliment to the filling, something that accents it just right.

Rather than purchasing pre-made pie crust dough, make your own. I have two recipes here that are incredibly easy to make, roll out with very little sticking, and taste wonderful each time. Both of them feature one of my favorite ingredients- beautiful butter. Just remember to have your butter really, really cold. Pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes. It is that cold butter in a hot oven that creates flakes in your crust. Handle the dough as little as possible since your hands will warm the butter. Don’t be afraid of the pastry, you can always stick it in the freezer to chill up again, but just be aware of the butter’s temperature.

Using a mixer or food processor makes pie crust preparation a very short task. Whether you use an appliance or depend on a beloved pastry cutter, aim for butter pieces the size of peas.

If your dough is dry and crumbly don’t panic, you can add liquid in small amounts at a time until it is perfect. Plan ahead so you allow the dough time to chill before rolling it out. You can streamline the process and get better crust results (less time at room temperature) if you have everything pre-measured and ready. Have the cold ingredients measured and sitting in the refrigerator.

The pie crust dough recipe can be found in my post on Southern Comfort Apple Pie. Use it for fruit fillings, pumpkin, custards- anything really. Both the pie and tart crust doughs can be made 2-3 days ahead of time and kept chilled in the refrigerator. Let them sit at room temperature 10-15 minutes before rolling so they soften up enough not to crack when rolled.

Here is another dough recipe that makes an exquisitely flaky crust. It can be used for both pies and tarts.

Flaky Pie/Tart Dough (The Art and Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet)

• 1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
• 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (omit for a savory crust)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the butter pieces in a bowl or on a plate and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Refrigerate the water in a small measuring cup until needed.

Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Process for 10 seconds to blend the ingredients. Add the frozen butter pieces and pulse 6 to 10 times (in 1-second bursts), until the butter and flour mixure looks like crushed crackers and peas.

Immediately transfer the butter-flour mixture to a large bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the cold water over the mixture and “fluff” it in, then add another, and another, until 3 tablespoons have been added. Continue to fluff and stir 10-12 times. It will not be a cohesive dough at this point but a bowl of shaggy crumbs and clumps of dough. Before bringing the dough together, you need to test it for the correct moisture content. Take a handful of the mixture and squeeze firmly. Open your hand. If the clump falls apart and looks dry, remove any large, moist clumps from the bowl and then add more water, one teaspoon at a time, sprinkling it over the top of the mixture and immediately stirring or mixing it in. Test again before adding any more water. Repeat, if needed. The dough is done when it holds together (even if a few small pieces fall off). If the butter feels soft and squishy, refrigerate before continuing. If the butter is still cold and firm, continue to the next step.

Turn the dough out on a work surface and knead gently 3 to 6 times. If it won’t come together and looks very dry, return it to the bowl and add another teaspoons or two of water (one at a time), mixing in as above, and try again. Flatten the dough in a 6- or 7-inch disk, wrap in plastic or parchment paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  This allows time for the dough to hydrate fully and for the butter to firm up again.

If the dough has been chilled for more than 30 minutes, you may need to let it sit 10 to 15 minutes on the counter until it is soft and malleable but still cold. Dust your work surface generously with flour and set the disk on the flour. Dust the top with flour. Roll, turning the dough, until you’ve got a 14-15 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. If at any point the dough becomes too warm and sticky, gently fold it into quarters, unfold it on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until butter is firm again.

Fold the dough circle into quarters, brushing off any excess flour as your fold. Put the point of the folded dough in the center of the pie pan, tart pan, or baking sheet, and unfold the dough, lifting it slightly as necessary to ease it into the crevices of the pan. Do not stretch or pull the dough, which can cause thin spots, holes, and/or shrinkage during baking. Trim the dough using kitchen scissors or a knife (carefully) so it overhangs the edge of the pan by 1 inch. Fold the overhanging dough under itself around the pan edge, then crimp or form a decorative border. Chill for 30 minutes before baking.

If you need a baked shell, bake the dough in a preheated 375 degrees F oven on the lower third rack. Be sure to line the shell with heavy duty foil, and fill with pie weights (or dry beans). Bake the shell 20-22 minutes, until foil comes away from dough easily, if it doesn’t, bake another 5-6 minutes and check again. Remove pan from oven, close oven door, and carefully lift out foil and weights from shell. Return pan to oven and continue baking the shell 20-25 minutes longer until golden brown all over. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

The tart crust dough has a softer texture and sweeter taste. Tarts are very similar to pies, with the exception of the crust. Generally speaking, you can fill tarts and pies the same.

Tart Crust Dough (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream (more as needed)

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, and sugar on low speed for about 30 seconds. Cut the chilled butter into 1/2 inch pieces. Add the butter to the flour mixture and combine on low speed abuot 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until the mixture looks crumbly, with bits of dough the size of peas.

Whisk the egg with the cream and add to the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough is just combined. Continue mixing for 10 seconds longer. If the dough is too dry to form a ball, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Gently mold the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll the dough out to a 1/8 inch thickness on a generously floured flat surface. Fold it over the rolling pin and gently transfer the dough to a 10 inch tart pan. Press it lightly into place. It is now ready to for you to fill and bake it.