Cuisine: Dessert
Gege’s Banana Bread
Gege's Banana Bread recipe is from my husband's grandmother. It was always made in this Cane Mixing Bowl by Mason Cash. I guess it just tastes better if you make in this bowl. I always seem to have several overripe bananas lurking on the counter. This recipe makes one loaf of bread, but I like to make 3 small loaves and freeze some.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 45 mins
- Yields: Makes 1 loaf or 3 small loaves
Black-and-White-and-Green Cookies
These Black-and-White-and-Green Cookies are a cross between the New York classic Black and White and Thin Mints. Fresh mint gives it a vibrant green hue and the flavor intensifies if you make it ahead.
- Prep: 2 hrs
- Cook: 10 mins
- Yields: Makes 24 cookies
Pecan-Rye Pumpkin Pie
My daughter Zoe made this very complicated Pecan-Rye Pumpkin Pie. Here is her take on it -
I'll be the first to admit that I am not great at handling crust, especially one that requires you to take it out of the oven three times just for the blind bake...but something came over me around 8 am and I dove right in, only to look up at the clock about 4 hours later. Mixing pumpkin and pecan together intrigued me enough to dedicate my morning to this task and I happen to be a sucker for heavily spiced pumpkin (not in my coffee, please). I certainly owe my mother's arsenal of little jars nestled on shelves built by my father a major shoutout here. All in all, this pie's wow factor really is in the time (and love!) you put into it. And don't even think about making this day-of.
Maple Pear Upside Down Cake
I have no idea why I decided to make this Maple Pear Upside Down Cake. For me, this is ADVANCED baking! It's a bit complicated and includes making granulated maple sugar out of maple syrup, which are is an exact science of bringing it to 265° F. I was in shock when it worked. Anyway, this cake is exquisite, with a subtle hint of cardamom.
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Yields: 8 - 10 Servings
Maple Sugar
Making Maple Sugar is not as hard as you might think. It is just maple syrup that's boiled to 265° F, and then cooled and ground into granulated sugar.
- Cook: 15 mins
- Yields: Makes 2 cups of sugar
Apple Mille-Feuille
My daughter Zoe made this Apple Mille-Feuille for dessert. It's a rather odd way of using puff pastry by baking it between to baking sheets on top of each other. The end result is astounding. It's topped with a luscious bourbon laced whipped cream.
Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies
Anyone who’s been on social media in the last year has probably already seen Sarah Kieffer’s perfectly imperfect “pan-banging” chocolate chip cookies. As a cookie lover who errs on the chewy side, I was excited to try creating my own mesmerizing ripple effect (as well as the cheap thrill of slamming a sheet pan against a hot oven rack). What I wasn’t trying to do, however, was open my oven 5 - 6 times while the ambient temperature in my house was 90° F. Now that we are slowly (and I mean sloooowly) easing into fall here in Southern California, I thought I’d give these a try. Let me tell you, they are definitely worth the warm kitchen.
- Prep: 40 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Yields: Makes 10 cookies
Apple Tart
I love Fall, everything about it. Unfortunately, I live in Los Angeles where you have to light a damn cinnamon candle and ask Alexa to play the sound of windy leaves to even conjure up the idea of fall. I recently bought two of these rectangular tart pans with removable bottoms. If I have a larger crowd I make two different tarts. This Apple Tart is easy to make using frozen puff pastry, which is something I ALWAYS have in the freezer.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Yields: 6 Servings
Louise Cake with Plum and Coconut
My friend Sharon from Australia sent me Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh’s book, Sweet. Then this morning she texted me this photo of the Louise Cake with Plum and Coconut. It consists of juicy plums, almonds, with a coconut based biscuit topped with meringue. All I can say is YUM! I will have to get one of my daughters to make this for me!
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 1 hr 5 mins
- Yields: 10 Servings
Frozen Daiquiri Pie
This recipe was originally discovered as a frozen margarita pie but I like to swap the tequila for white rum, which lends itself very nicely to the tart lime and rich graham cracker crust. Frozen Daiquiri Pie is an easy, make ahead dessert that allows you one last cocktail after dinner all the while keeping you cool. Because what’s almost better than rum and pie? And, it keeps your oven off in the summer.
- Prep: 20 mins
- Yields: 8 Servings
