I’ve been a tiramisu fan for quite some time, but I can’t say I’ve never met a tiramisu I didn’t like. My main complaint with tiramisu is that it is often overloaded with sugar. I have a sweet tooth (I promise), but sweetness is not the only component of a great dessert.
This recipe was a challenge for me on many counts. I had never made the ladyfingers or mascarpone in this recipe and have little experience with piping. Moreover, tiramisu has only a few key ingredients (sugar, cream, coffee, wine), and each of those is as likely as the other to usurp complete control of the dessert if you let it. I was excited about the chance to create a version of this favorite dessert with new flavors. Making tiramisu components from scratch enabled me to knock down the sugar, a dietary and taste preference that is also responsible for why you’re not seeing the pastry cream component like you would in most other Daring Bakers’ versions.
I love tiramisu’s traditional coffee and marsala flavors but I wanted to veer just a few degrees off. So I coated my ladyfingers with coffee and hazelnut liquor and I flavored the mascarpone with Rainwater Madeira, which if you’ve never tried, is a soft, semi-sweet aperitif that I find complements many kinds of desserts. The natural nuttiness in the Madeira coupled with the lush sweetness of the hazelnut liquor makes for a flavor-balanced pairing.
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As I write this, a blustery snow storm in the Big Apple is increasing in intensity and my once waterproof boots are destined for a trash bin instead of their usual long term storage. Breaking under the weight of snowfall, trees in Central Park are falling onto buses.
And I’m thinking of limes.
Weather like this calls out for hearty recipes, but I keep veering towards lighter dishes. Perhaps it’s my unwillingness to put on those compulsory winter pounds that prevents me from sitting down and eating a bowl full of garlic mashed potatoes or a filling beef stew.
It’s been a while since I shared a dinner party menu with you (Thanksgiving, 2009). I recently made a close cousin of these pulled pork tacos and the rest of the menu here for a group of eight.
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CONGRATULATIONS to the naked beet’s one year anniversary cookbook giveaway* winner, Holly from Auburn Hills, Michigan! I hope you’ll enjoy the book as much as I do.
I’m always looking for a healthy breakfast I can eat before I run out the door, and most mornings I am desperately craving carbs. I’ve said goodbye to my favorite packaged cereals, Raisin Nut Bran and Cheerios, because of the quantity of sugar and processing that goes into making them. A carb-rich breakfast that’s also super nutritious and affordable has always been a tough nut to crack. Monkey muffins are healthy and completely guilt-free (provided you don’t eat them all at once).
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Ever since I first had Esan Thai cuisine, I find myself yearning for spice experiences that set my mouth ablaze. This Valentine’s, I’m celebrating my newfound love of heat by combining it with my enduring love of dark chocolate.
Naming this cookie has not been easy. Is it Chili Cherry Chocolate, or Cherry Chili Chocolate, or Cherry Chocolate Chili? As it stands, the final cookie name presents the ingredients in descending order of intensity (forgive this nerd). The first bite is pleasantly chocolaty, and you might even get a slight chewy nibble of the sour cherry, plump with kirsch. As you continue eating this cookie, the heat starts spreading and spreading until you’re done eating the cookie and then promptly reach for another.
Yes, I offer these for Valentine’s Day. It’s got chocolate in it, so who am I stand in the way of popular American culture? That said, you don’t have to make these for anyone. It can be just you and these cookies.
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I can’t believe it’s been one whole year since I started this blog. A few new plug-ins, a new print feature, which I hope you’ve taken advantage of, and some small design changes make it seem like I’ve barely just begun.
I’m continually inspired and impressed by other food bloggers and it’s exhilarating to be part of such an active, creative community. Very soon, I plan to share with you some of the food blogs I’ve enjoyed reading over the course of the year.
To celebrate the one year anniversary of this blog, I’d like to thank readers with a cookbook giveaway, a new hardcover of Great Pies and Tarts, by Carole Walter, who is a phenomenal teacher. This book is my go-to for pie and tart pastry making, and since acquiring this book about 2 years ago, I’ve made several of her recipes, from peach cobbler and pear tart to the fancier blackberry cream tarts, all of which have been decadently delicious.
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