Dinner with Kirsten

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Entries Tagged as 'dessert'

The Best Molasses Cookies

November 22nd, 2009 · 70 Comments

I was browsing Amazon.com for cookbooks, when I had an amazing idea: Why not test-drive these books before buying? So, I went to my library’s Web site and requested every cookbook on my Amazon wish list. A few days later I was trekking home (in the rain) with 50 pounds of borrowed cookbooks, ready to […]

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Tags: baking · dessert · recipes

The Perfect Rhubarb Pie

June 7th, 2009 · 55 Comments

I always say my favorite pie is rhubarb (without strawberries), but when I happened to think about it recently, I couldn’t remember the last time I had baked or even eaten a rhubarb pie. And with the ultra short rhubarb season upon us, I knew I had to get baking!
So, I was thrilled when a […]

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Tags: baking · dessert · recipes · weekend project

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries

April 6th, 2009 · 71 Comments

I was so amazed by this dessert – it’s unlike anything I’ve ever eaten! The base is a meringue that’s crisp on the outside and marshmallowy on the inside. To use the leftover egg yolks, you make a lemon curd to spread on top. Add in whipping cream and your berries of choice, and it’s […]

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Tags: baking · dessert · fruit · recipes

Lemon Yogurt Cake

February 27th, 2009 · 66 Comments

This is one of those stand-by recipes that I’m always craving. I remember devouring this issue of Bon Appétit, way back in February 2005. I had just returned from a trip to Europe, where I ate my way through Paris and completely fell in love with the food. Would I ever taste food like that […]

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Tags: baking · breakfast · dessert · french · quick fix

Chocolate Mocha Brownies

February 11th, 2009 · 65 Comments

I have to admit that I hardly ever make brownies from scratch. I usually make whatever mix is handy, most recently a Betty Crocker version from the local grocery store, bought in a craving-induced after-work stop. They were bad. So now I keep an emergency mix of my favorite variety on hand – Trader Joe’s […]

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Tags: baking · dessert · quick fix · recipes

Poppy Seed Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

January 11th, 2009 · 82 Comments

This recipe is a classic in my family, part of long-standing tradition. I don’t know where it came from exactly, but Grandma Lois used to make this Czech dessert a couple times every year. It’s one of my Dad’s and Grandpa Ernie’s favorites.

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Tags: baking · dessert · recipes · weekend project

Ostakaka (Swedish Cheesecake)

December 30th, 2008 · 73 Comments

Christmas Eve is the one day a year when my family embraces Swedish customs. When I was young, Grandma Lois would make a light dinner of salmon loaf with dill gravy (an American stand-in for Lutefish, the traditional dried codfish served in Sweden). She would try to force-feed me pickled herring from the relish tray. […]

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Tags: baking · dessert · recipes

Orange Pistachio Crescent Cookies

December 24th, 2008 · 57 Comments

I wasn’t sure if I should (or could) make these cookies. The prospect of small pastries filled with candied orange peel was just plain intimidating. Nevertheless, I went out and bought a new 3-inch round scalloped cookie cutter, just in case the urge struck.

Then I made a batch of macaroons. And as I was trying […]

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Tags: baking · dessert · recipes · weekend project

Chocolate Butter Cookies

December 18th, 2008 · 38 Comments

I sometimes like flipping through old magazines, revisiting old recipes that I once tried (or meant to try). In the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of Cook’s Illustrated, I came across a recipe for Chocolate Butter Cookies that claimed to be “the best,” combining strong chocolaty flavor with classic butter-cookie texture. I decided to try.

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Tags: baking · dessert · quick fix

Lemon Sandwich Christmas Cookies

December 13th, 2008 · 70 Comments

I made these glittery cookies from Gourmet for a cookie party at work. The recipe is a little weird – it uses cornstarch for some of the flour, powdered sugar instead of regular and not a single egg. But hey, I wanted something different and these didn’t disappoint. The texture was perfectly light and crumbly […]

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Tags: baking · dessert · recipes · weekend project