Whether living with a year-round hunger for rich, dark cake studded with nuts and colorful candied fruit or perhaps driven by resentment and remorse over sub-par fruitcakes of Christmases past, this updated version of our fruitcake recipe is a winner. Our "Mrs. Marino's" recipe gets an infusion of black walnuts from the Missouri Ozarks, the epicenter of North American black … [Read more...]
BLACK WALNUT FRUITCAKE RECIPE
BLACK WALNUT FRUITCAKE Recipe MIX TOGETHER AND LET STAND OVERNIGHT: 1 lb. golden raisins 1 c. chopped dates 2 c. candied fruit (mix of cherries, orange peel, lemon peel, citron) 1 c. cognac THE NEXT DAY, SIFT TOGETHER: 5 c. flour 2 t. cinnamon 1 t. nutmeg 1 t. ground cloves ½ t. salt ½ t. baking powder WITH A MIXER CREAM UNTIL SMOOTH AND FLUFFY: 1 ½ … [Read more...]
TIRAMISU
I jumped at the invitation to a Lavazza coffee party with special guest Debi Mazur. Many moons ago I did PR for Bumble + bumble hair salon where young Debi M (as she styled herself then) was a rising star beautician. Her path led to celebrity and stardom, to Goodfellas and Entourage. The downtown It Girl who was Madonna's best friend and Pee Wee Herman's girlfriend. And now … [Read more...]
Strawberry Longcake
Stawberry Longcake? Nothing simpler. Think of it as shortcake on steroids. Start with a double batch of the shortcake recipe on the Bisquick box. Spread it into a long log on a baking sheet. Use a spatula to make it as even as possible. Smooth out spikes in the dough. Sprinkle the top with course or raw sugar. In the Bisquick box recipe the cakes are baked for … [Read more...]
CROQUEMBOUCHE
Croquembouche: The dessert that "combines elegant traditionalism with an imaginative modern approach to the elaborate form of styling."* It's not quite fair to say that Croquembouche is simple, but the effort-to-reward ratio is off the charts, thus making the endeavor well worth the undertaking. Croquembouche's translation, basically "crunch in the mouth," is spot on. … [Read more...]
RECIPE: CROQUEMBOUCHE
CROQUEMBOUCHE: Cream Puffs, Sour Lemon Cream filling and Caramel recipes Not required but nice to have: Copper caramel saucepan Pastry bag decorating Set Croquembouche form NOTE: Make three batches of this cream puff recipe to provide an ample supply to build an impressive croquembouche. Freeze extra cream puffs for profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate … [Read more...]
KUGELHOPF DELUXE
The lordly Kugelhopf Deluxe is a magnificent and airy yeast cake. Studded with brandy-soaked golden raisins and shingled with sliced almonds, this traditional Alsatian pastry is cousin to the brioches of France, the dense stollens of Germany and Italy's chewy panettones. But why "Deluxe?" In the NYT's recent profile on the cheesecake baking Nuns of New Skete, a Sister … [Read more...]
CHERRIES IN THE SNOW
Ruminations on a snowy afternoon lead us to this cozy Cherries in the Snow recipe. The Spectacularly Delicious version takes the classic Île Flottante as its starting point, islands of snow drifts afloat a pond frothy crème Anglaise. But hold the caramel -- it's Presidents' Day weekend so in honor of George's birthday this breezy dessert is topped with sweetened (and … [Read more...]
THE TRIUMPH OF GLUTTONY
Could there ever be a more tantalizing recipe name than Triumph of Gluttony cake? I think not. Director Luchino Visconti's 1963 classic The Leopard stars Bert Lancaster as Don Fabrizio Corbera, Prince of Salina; Claudia Cardinale plays Anglica, a maiden so ripe she practically exudes sweet juices from her heaving bosom, and studly bad boy aristocrat Tancredi is brought to … [Read more...]
RECIPE: TRIUMPH OF GLUTTONY CAKE
FOR THE CAKE: 8 eggs, separated 2 t. vanilla extract 1 1/2 c. sugar, divided 1 c. flour 1 c. corn starch 1/4 t. salt zest of one lemon Preheat oven to 350º. Prepare two 9" cake pans: butter and flour bottoms and sides. Line the bottom with parchment and butter and flour the paper. Beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. While continuing to beat the … [Read more...]