I learned how to make this beautiful Blood Orange Marmalade Tart from Joyce Goldstein, who adapted it from a recipe she learned from the Trappist nuns at the Vineria Cozzi in Bergamo Alta, Italy. Originally called Crostata di Marmellata delle Suore Trappiste, the tart is filled with orange marmalade made by the nuns. In our version, blood oranges are used in place of regular oranges for their gorgeous color and flavor, “like an orange mixed with a rose,” as Joyce aptly described.

This tart has become a staple in my bag-of-baked-goods-tricks. Some of you may remember it from last year when I made it for the Online Bake Sale for Japan. With a certain romantic holiday around the corner, I thought now would be a good time to repost this dessert with step-by-step photos…just in case you wanted an alternative to the slew of red velvet hitting the waves...[Read Full Post]

There are times for luxurious butternut squash soup laced with brown butter…and then there are times for a more austere version that doesn’t involve homemade stock, a gaggle of aromatics, bouquet garni, and tedious straining. This isn’t a knock on the former – she’s an elegant special occasion soup, and you can taste the extra fuss that goes into her. Sometimes though, you just want an everyday soup – a practical gal that’s into healthiness, nourishment, and minimum effort.

For times like these, I turn to my Healthy Butternut Squash Soup. Comforting, satisfying, zero-guilt goodness, step right up. Did I mention, it only requires 3 main ingredients? Butternut squash, onion, chicken (or vegetable) broth. How wholesome...[Read Full Post]

I bet you thought you’d see a healthy, cleansing, post-holiday detoxifying recipe here today. Sorry, I’m just not ready for that yet. Don’t worry, it will come in due time. But first, pie. Because 2012 should start with something beautiful and homey and good. The new year should start with pie.

Learning to make the Perfect Pie Crust is a skill I sought early on in my quest for a delicious life. Flaky, buttery, and tender, perfect pie crust is the kind of thing that never fails to bring joy into a room.

My go-to recipe is Martha Stewart’s all butter crust (pate brisee). Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way for a successful pie crust...[Read Full Post]

I have a confession to make. These were really supposed to be amazing chewy pumpkin toffee cookies. Apparently chewy and pumpkin cookies are notorious nemeses. Had I consulted the internet before attempting such a perilous undertaking I could have saved myself much heartache, wasted butter, and trays of puffy pumpkin "cookies" taunting me with their flagrant cakiness.

I felt like a failure. A fraud. What happened? Why did my cookies turn into cakes? It's all the pumpkin's fault. I learned that the high moisture content of pumpkin puree was the cause of my demise. There are two purported solutions: simmer the puree until the moisture is cooked out, or use pumpkin butter instead of puree.

Well, what's done is done. I'll tackle chewy pumpkin cookies when my ego has had time to heal. In the meantime, what to do with these blasted cookie-cakes? Truth be told, while they made god-awful cookies in terms of texture, the flavor was what I was looking for – full of pumpkin spice warmth and tasty toffee bits...[Read Full Post]

In the DIY (and cost-saving) spirit of this holiday season, I’ve put together an ultimate list of delicious holiday food gifts.

When it comes to gift-giving, it all comes down to thoughtfulness. What I love about homemade edible gifts is I can often put together a number of gifts in one go and have them on hand for unexpected hostess gifts, friends dropping by, doormen, mailmen, delivery men…you get the idea. Be generous with your holiday joy.

I have a girlfriend who just has the most amazing eye for details and design. What I’ve learned from her is to think in themes. For example, gift a beautiful pie plate with a pie already in it. Or how about a jar of homemade granola packaged with a set of pretty bowls? I adore this idea of giving a gift themed around a specific cookbook.

And don’t forget about the presentation. Here are some clever, creative, pretty packaging ideas I’ve come across.

Are you inspired? What are some of your favorite homemade gifts to give? ... [Read Full Post]

It’s funny how certain smells work their way into your subconscious where they develop into permanent little memory bombs.

For me, this time of year, I crave the scent of Nuts 4 Nuts. Nuts 4 Nuts = Christmastime in NYC.

For those unfamiliar with this New York institution, Nuts 4 Nuts are street carts that sell honey roasted nuts – peanuts, cashews, and almonds. The thing about Nuts 4 Nuts though is, sadly, they always smell better than they taste.

This year I decided to end the cycle of disappointment once and for all and make my own. I started out with a typical recipe for sugared pecans amped it up with brown sugar, cinnamon, thyme, and a touch of sea salt...[Read Full Post]

I love the holidays. The Christmas music, the twinkle lights and tinsel, the hot cocoa and hot toddies, the party dresses, the bubbly, the arts and crafts, and of course, the cookies. Nothing says “I love you” like a batch of homemade cookies. Except maybe jewels. Yes, I believe jewels would work just as well.

With holiday cookie exchanges coming up, care packages to assemble, and grand aspirations for a stunner of a cookie plate this year, I’ve been scouring the internet for the best cookies ever. I turned to my baking gurus, my food blogger lifelines, to search out the cookies they crave, the ones their family and friends always ask them to make, and I was not disappointed.

Presenting…12 swoon-worthy cookies that I suspect you’ll be coming back to well after the holiday season...[Read Full Post]

I call these Chocolate Crack Cookies because they are utterly irresistible to the chocolate addict. Incredibly rich, these cookies are like a cookie version of flourless chocolate cake with a delicate surface that breaks into fudgy chocolate decadence.

This is the ultimate death-by-chocolate cookie. If you’re a dark chocolate lover, forget it, you are done for...[Read Full Post]

Salted Caramel added to anything is pretty much a secret weapon for success. Pretty sure if you enrobed an old car tire in the stuff I would venture a nibble. Well, I’d at least nibble the clean top layer of salted caramel off the tire before sending it to the scrapyard.

Really though, this salted caramel sauce is good on everything! Drizzle it over ice cream, dip apples in it, whip it into a buttercream frosting, or my favorite, just sneak spoonfuls of it as little treats throughout the day. What? Sometimes a girl needs a treat or two when she’s working hard!

Best of all, it is surprisingly easy to make your own homemade caramel sauce. Swear...[Read Full Post]

If you’re like me and go after the best part of Thanksgiving Stuffing every year – I’m talking about the crunchy bits on top of course – then this will rock your world: Stuffing Balls. This ingenious formation of Thanksgiving stuffing ensures optimal crunchy to moist stuffing ratio. Could it get any better? Well, since you asked. Yes.

Not only is this stuffing brilliantly shaped, it is full of sausage, sage, pecans, and cornbread. It is also, conveniently, a great make-ahead dish. Make the stuffing at your leisure, freeze it, then thaw it the day before Turkey Day and bake as normal...[Read Full Post]