Easter and the end of Passover coincide this year, which presents an opportunity to reprise experiments in breads both leavened and unleavened. Povitica, the sweet bread that was always part of our Croatian Easter basket, is a lesson in the former, while matzoh (or matzo) pretty much defines the latter. A lesson in povitica Mamma,…
Category: Desserts
The Kings and I
Christmas may be a hazy, food-coma hangover, but that does not mean pastry season is over. Indeed, we have entered King Cake time, the weeks between Epiphany and Mardi Gras–the last night before Lent and its prescription of 40 days of restraint.
Cookie Swap Out
This year’s cookie swap involved creative friends with varied family traditions. Actually, it was a first-time swap, as the participants would normally be scattered far and wide for holiday gatherings. The setting was a cozy outdoor arrangement (no real stretch for the Swiss host who would usually be hiking and skiing in the Alps this…
Q is for Quince
There’s something old-fashioned about quince. It could be partly because the fruit is rarely seen in U.S. markets these days, despite its likeness to the apples and pears that overflow grocery bins. That very scarcity, coupled with the fact that quinces have a dry, astringent flesh that needs to be cooked, and so can’t be…
How Refreshing
Looking for a quick, easy, refreshing and luscious dessert? Look no further, the Meyer Lemon Posset is here. This incredibly simple recipe with the strange name consists of just whipping cream, sugar and lemon juice. After coming to a bare simmer, it sets up into a hard-to-describe ethereal something. It’s beyond whipped cream, but it’s…
The Velvet Truth
Enough already. The out-of-control cupcake craze of the past few years has peaked, leaving a trail of overwrought treats in its wake. Perhaps the most collateral damage has been done to the reputation of the Red Velvet Cake, touted by many bakeries as the ultimate variety, the cupcake supreme. But an office celebration a couple…
King Me
It’s Mardi Gras season! Sadly, I am in shivery Washington instead of rollicking my way through New Orleans. At least the oven works here, and I have colorful sugar in the cupboard. My solace for today: Cinnamon-laden, almond-glazed King Cake, warm and sweet and sober.
Little Jewels
We were dubbed The Macaroon Gang by one of the husbands of our little group, incredulous as he was that his wife and her food-obsessed buddies would devote an entire day to tracking down macaroons on the Lower East Side. But by then we had our route plotted out, starting at the little shop that…
Chocolate Kissed by a Rose
The signboard outside a neighborhood sweets shop offered the enticing promise of rose-flavored hot chocolate. A promise that, as is so often is the case with rose-flavored/scented foods, did not quite stand up in the bargain. The Valrhona hot chocolate was indeed luscious and lovingly prepared, but a bit heavy-handed in the addition of rose flavoring….
Q is for Quince
There’s something old-fashioned about quince. It could be partly because the fruit is rarely seen in U.S. markets these days, despite its likeness to the apples and pears that overflow grocery bins. That very scarcity, coupled with the fact that quinces have a dry, astringent flesh that needs to be cooked, and so can’t be…
Three Points Kitchen 