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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caramel Whiskey Cream Cheese Frosting

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

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

Caramel Sauce

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

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

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

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

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

Photo (Below): The happy diners

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

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

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

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

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

Chocolate-Brownie Cake Layer

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

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

Pistachio Cream

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

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

Chocolate Mousse

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

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

Chocolate Icing

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

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

Raspberry Coulis

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

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

Assembly:

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

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

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

Here is the new dessert menu:

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

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

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

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

Come by and try the new menu!

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

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

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

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

Check back soon!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zucchini Cakes with Sweetened Cream Cheese and Caramelized Walnuts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Preserving Fresh Herbs:

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

Pumpkin Butter (The Culinary Institute of America)

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

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

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

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

Basic Poached Pears (The Culinary Institute of America)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Brownies!” my mom yelled, “Hurry!”

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

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

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

Here are the qualities of a keeper brownie recipe:

1. Lots of eggs

2. Lots of butter

3. Real chocolate, with or without additional cocoa powder

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let the brownies cool completely before cutting for easiest handling.

Brownies (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Fall!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Why do we like corn in the first place? Because it’s sweet! This ice cream perfectly captures the irresistible flavor of fresh sweet corn. This nod to late summer flavor is further enhanced with a tart, fruity blackberry sauce.

If there’s one thing we grow well in Indiana, it’s corn, and right now people are offering up plenty of it, freshly picked. When a family friend delivered a big box of summer produce to us, I felt the need to get creative.

While I’d certainly pick a double dip waffle cone of espresso chip ice cream over sweet corn ice cream, this is great for a tasting menu (Word of advice: if preparing this for a tasting menu halve the recipe). Paired with the blackberry sauce I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the flavors abundant with summer’s conclusion.

Once you have your fresh sweet corn, the cobs and kernels are steeped in cream to infuse their natural sweetness into the mixture. If you’re a bit wary about the corn flavor, I suggest only steeping for 2-3 hours. Afterwards, the cobs and kernels are strained from the mixture, so your ice cream will be smooth. Don’t worry, there aren’t going to be frozen chunks of corn in here or anything. Just flavor.

The blackberry sauce is made by cooking the blackberries until they become soft, pureeing them with some lemon juice in a blender, and then straining out the seeds. That’s it.

So do as I did, and next time you find yourself with some fresh sweet corn lying around and a basket of berries in fridge, it’s time to make ice cream!

Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Blackberry Sauce (New Flavors for Dessert by Williams-Sonoma)

• 4 ears fresh sweet corn
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
• 2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 pints blackberries
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Using a chef’s knife, cut the kernels off the cobs. Add the kernels and cobs to a large pot along with the half-and-half and cream.

Add the 2/3 cup sugar and the salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let steep for at least 3 hours or up to overnight (if steeping for longer than 3 hours, refrigerate the mixture).

Strain the corn mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Using your hands, wring out the cobs and press on the kernels with a spoon to extract as much liqud as possible; discard the cobs and kernels.

Measure the liquid; you should have about 3 cups. If not, add more cream as needed. Cover and refrigerate the corn-infused mixture for at least 3 hours or up to 8 hours. Basically you want it to be nicely chilled.

In a nonreactive saucepan, bring the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 2 pints of the blackberries and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and add the lemon juice. Puree the berry mixture, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Freeze the chilled corn-infused mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. If desired, pack it into an airtight container and freeze until very firm.

To serve, scoop the ice cream into bowls, drizzle with the blackberry sauce, top with a few of the remaining berries, and serve right away.

Yield: 1 quart ice cream, 6 servings

I was going to make a sable tart dough and fill it with lime curd when I came across this recipe for Key Lime Cocoa Tartlets. The key lime filling is simplified by using a can of sweetened condensed milk, making it a quick recipe, but the chocolate crust is what sets this tartlet apart from others. Key lime and chocolate? Delicious!

It’s a very soft dough, but it survives the pressing and prodding of fingertips into the little tart pans beautifully. The shells remained tender and delicate. After pressing them into their molds I let the dough rest in the refrigerator to relax the glutens. This also prevents the shells from shrinking too much while they bake.

Another note on the chocolate tartlet dough- use the best quality cocoa you can get. I like to bake with high fat cocoa powders, anywhere in the range of 22-24% cocoa fat. You can find good cocoa powders online, such as sites like www.kingarthurflour.com and www.pastrychef.com. They really lend a richness and an intense chocolate flavor to recipes. The first time I used a higher fat cocoa powder I was amazed at its likeness to brownie batter when simply whisked with water.

If you’re feeling a bit betrayed by the fact that cocoa powder can have a high fat content, just consider this:

1. A dessert made with pure, high quality ingredients is going to be very rich in flavor and taste.

2. It is much easier to satisfy cravings with a small sliver of an intensely decadent, delicious dessert rather than a huge slice of a sub-par one that still leaves you lingering for something else.

3. With high quality you always win!

I also loved the combination of key lime and chocolate in these tartlets. It’s easy to fall into the chocolate-orange trap. Citrus flavors are fun and diverse: tangerine, grapefruit, blood orange, Meyer lemon, kumquat…the list goes on.

Top the tartlets any way you wish. I used creme chantilly, a sweetened whipped cream. The actual recipe calls for creme fraiche.

Key Lime-Cocoa Tartlets (New Flavors for Dessert by Williams-Sonoma)

Cocoa Tartlet Dough:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl. In a food processor, combine the butter and sugar and process until blended. Add the flour mixture and process until almost combined, about 8 seconds.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and process until the dough comes together. Transfer to a work surface dusted with cocoa and knead 2 or 3 times to bring the dough together; it will be very soft.

Press into a disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the gluten relax. The dough can be chilled or at room temperature when pressing into the tart pans.

Pat the dough into a 6-inch by 9-inch rectangle and cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut each half crosswise into thirds; you should have six 3-inch squares. Place each square in a 3-inch tartlet pan, then dip your fingertips in cocoa powder and press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pans.

Press off any excess dough from around the edges, and use any scraps to fill holes or cracks. Chill the tartlets for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place tartlet shells on a baking sheet and bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let the shells cool on a wire rack.

Key Lime Filling:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons white rum
• 8-10 key limes

Whisk together all but 3 tablespoons of the sweetened condensed milk (save the 3 tablespoons for another use), the whole egg, egg yolks, and rum. Finely grate the zest from 3 of the limes, the squeeze 1/3 cup lime juice.

Whisk the zest and juice into the condensed milk mixture. Ladle the filling into the tartlet shells, dividing it evenly, and bake until just set, about 15 minutes. Let cool at room temperature on the baking sheet on a wire rack, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

When ready to serve, spread with creme fraiche or whipped cream.

Yield: Six 3-inch tartlets

These are one of those thin, chewy, types of cookies. You can bake them a little longer if you want more of a crispy cookie but the brown sugar in them is still going to lend a bit of “chew”. Regardless, they are quite delicious. The ginger is not too overpowering, and neither is the lemon. Just a little something more than a sugar cookie, and a pleasant surprise at that.

The recipe comes from The Summer Anytime Cookbook by Dana Slatkin. I checked it out from the library and I think I’ve exceeded my renewal limit, so unfortunately it’s going to have to go back soon. I sure have gotten a lot of usage out of it. The recipes are fresh and inspiring, most of them the same kinds of things I would want to make people I cared about deeply. They would certainly leave the meal feeling well-fed and nourished.

The sand dollar design is a little time consuming, I know, but it’s also pretty fun. Just take the tip of a paring knife and move it back and forth to create little slits in the cookies, while they are still warm. They also look nice with some coarse sugar sprinkled on top.

On a related side note- I am posting this post-vacation and yes, we did find sand dollars while out in the ocean. I don’t think they were as lovely as these!

Lemon Ginger Sand Dollar Cookies (The Summer Anytime Cookbook by Dana Slatkin)

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons minced candied ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light in color. Add the egg, sour cream, lemon and vanilla extracts, and lemon zest and beat until light and fluffy.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and ground ginger. Add the butter mixture along with the candied ginger, and mix until blended thoroughly.

With floured or moistened fingers, drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Shape the cookies into balls and flatten them down slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are set and lightly colored. For a more chewy cookie, reduce the baking time by about 3 minutes. If you wish, carve sand dollar-like slits into the cookies with the tip of a knife before they cool. Cool on a wire rack. These will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Yield: About 2 dozen

Asheville is a food lover’s paradise, with its numerous locally owned restaurants and artisan shops. Many of these places use organically and locally grown ingredients as well. It’s a very green city. While I could spend an entire day (actually, who am I kidding…DAYS) tasting food and indulging in the whole experience of eating there, my brothers would rather hike, which I can understand.

The most perfect compromise of adventure and indulgence was met, however, on one particular hike we took. We had the thrilling experience of coming across an entire valley of wild blueberry bushes. I have read about wild blueberries but I have never had the luxury of tasting them.

Wild blueberries are generally smaller than conventional blueberries and have a delicate, sweet taste. Tasting wild and heirloom fruits and vegetables is exciting to me because they are in an honest, unaltered form. They haven’t been modified for shipping purposes or size. Often times I’ve bitten into a blueberry from the supermarket only to find it has no taste at all.

So back to the berries. Cam and I started picking a few and trying them. We were hooked instantly, as these little suckers are extremely addicting. Who knew you could snack on fruit like this!? We continued our hike but every so often if we came across a bush that was loaded with ripe berries we’d engage in a feast, much to the patience of Kyle.

Now, I ate all of mine as I picked them (that tells you a lot right there). Cam saved some for later and they ended up coming home with us. I didn’t have enough to make a pie with, but I did for a fantastic berry crisp.

I like my fruit desserts to be all about the fruit. Of course the crust and the crumble topping and whatnot are delicious, but in my mind a fruit dessert was made to showcase the fruit, so let it shine. This berry crisp fits the bill perfectly. The topping reminds me of crumbled oatmeal cookie dough that stays soft and chewy on top of the fruit and is sublime with the sweet-tart flavor of the berries.

We ate it so fast I didn’t have a chance to snatch a photo, so you’ll have to take my word for it. Enjoy!

Peak-of-Summer Berry Crisp (Tom Douglas’ Seattle Kitchen)

For the crisp topping:

• 2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into dice

For the berries:

• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over for stems
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (if berries are very sweet you may want to use less sugar)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For garnish:

• Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. To make the crisp topping, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the diced butter to the dry ingredients and blend with a pastry blender or your fingertips until crumbly. Set aside.

In another bowl, gently toss the berries with the sugar and flour. Pour the berries into a 9-inch pie pan or baking dish. Cover the berries with the crisp topping. You may have some topping leftover, which can be frozen for another use! Set on a baking sheet (in case any juices bubble over) and place in the oven until the topping is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Spoon generous portions of the warm crisp into wide shallow bowls and top with scoops of ice cream or whipped cream.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

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

Subjects Covered:

-Baking theory, history, and science

-Food service sanitation

-Breads and breakfast pastries

-Petit fours (miniature pastries)

-European-style cakes and tarts

-Ice creams and sorbets

-Plated desserts

-Wedding and specialty cakes

-Chocolate and sugar candies

-Chocolate and sugar decorations/showpieces

Photo (Below): Gumpaste flower spray on top of  three-tiered fondant cake

Class Schedule:

In my class of 18, we spent at least six hours a day together, in the kitchen. I wanted a school where more time was spent in the kitchen, rather than in a classroom.  A typical day would go as followed:

-Chef demonstration of the products being made that day

-Scaling of ingredients

-Student preparation of products

-Additional chef demonstration of finishing touches/techniques

-Cleaning of kitchen at the conclusion of class

Highlights:

We were able to taste everything we made, and usually we had products to take home. You can imagine that this worked out really well for a girl who lived alone with her cat. Ha!

Stages:

The chef instructors also encouraged us to do lots of stages. A stage is when you make an arrangement with the pastry chef of a restaurant, hotel, bakery, catering company, wedding cake shop, chocolate shop, etc., to go in and work one shift. For free. While they may get some free labor, you are also getting experience in different pastry venues. You usually pick up a couple of new tricks while you’re there, too. And don’t forget about connections!

Focus:

One last note is that I chose to attend a school that focused primarily on French baking and pastry arts, so we didn’t cover American-style layer cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, etc. We did, however, learn the techniques that would enable us to create them with success.

Photo (Below): Hazelnut chocolate cake

Photograph (below): Sablees

Photograph (below): Assorted chocolate candies

But I wanted to learn more. I wanted to understand why failures in the kitchen happen and how to prevent them. I also wanted to know how to make those fancy, gorgeous plated desserts seen at fine dining restaurants, and how to make caramel without overcooking it (Mine always got way too hard).

Oh, and how to make authentic French croissants that create a zillion little flakes when bitten into.

There were a dozen reasons like these. Sure, I could read cookbooks and baking tips, or watch online how-to videos. What I really wanted though, was a formal education, where I could learn directly under a master in the art itself.

Photograph (Below): A plate of freshly baked French croissants

My stint in pastry school was a great decision for me. I’m sure there are others who may argue with that statement. But you take out of it what you put into it. Whether it’s due to the current economy, or simply a choice to change careers, there are a lot more people interested in pursuing a job in the pastry profession.

For some, this means attending a culinary school with a baking and pastry arts program. Culinary school is not cheap! This can make enrolling in a program a tough decision.

I’ve decided to dedicate a special section of my blog to my posts on my culinary school experience. I also have a few tips to offer:

1. Make sure that you really take the time to observe and ask questions during your school visit. You shouldn’t feel pressured to attend by the prestige of a school if you don’t like the school. You will learn the most in a setting that you find satisfying.

2. This may be obvious, but pay attention to the chef instructors when visiting a school. They should enjoy teaching.

3. Do your research on your chef instructors. Sometimes it is their own personal stories or tips that serve you the most. Their past resumes are also crucial because you want the person teaching you to be a true expert in his or her craft. Otherwise what are you paying for?

4. Understand the pastry field. It is so much more than just baking cakes and pies. Pastry is an art form and requires a tremendous deal of patience, stamina, and a positive attitude.

5. Don’t commit yourself to culinary school unless you can fully commit to it.

Good luck!

Photograph (Below): Chocolate rose on chocolate showpiece

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!