I don't think I ever made my mom breakfast in bed when I was a kid. The closest I ever got was reading Calvin and Hobbes cartoons in which Calvin considers doing it for his mom; I thought, perhaps, I should do the same. Well I'm making up for lost time now by imploring each and every one of you to make breakfast for your own mom's* this Mother's Day. More
Sometimes called a Fly Pie or Fly Cake, this pastry is not a common one in North America, but with a few ingredients and about half an hour you can have a classic British pastry to be proud of. Traditionally, Eccles Cakes are made with currants, which can be difficult to find as well as costly. This recipe substitutes golden raisins, which are a bit sweeter than currants but plump and take on the flavor of the brandy and spices very nicely. More
As soon as spring arrives, I start thinking about tarts. Berry tarts, asparagus tarts—I love them all. It's time to revisit the technique for crusts so you're ready to make a tart whenever the mood hits you. More
The Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (M.O.F.) competition is the ne plus ultra of pastry-making. Chronicled in the documentary "Kings of Pastry" by D A Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, it makes Top Chef seems like child's play. More
Matt of MattBites shares his memory of sopaipillas, a dessert that always takes him back straight to his childhood: "Made by my grandmother, the tender warm pillows of fried dough were sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with honey and always disappeared within minutes. She would encourage us to eat them immediately while they were still warm, but it was always said with a wink in her eye – she knew we couldn't keep our hands off them until there was an empty plate of grease-laden cinnamon-scented crumbs."... More
Recently in Travel + Leisure Magazine, Linda Dannenberg lists eight of the best boulangeries in Paris according to a specialty: croissants, sourdough loaves, miche, baguettes, pain au raisins, pain au chocolat, croissants aux amandes and fougasse. [via roboppy del.icio.us]... More
"I love makin' doughnuts. People love 'em, no matter what they say. Every culture fries dough for some purpose, sweet or savoury. This last weekend's donut gathering was a local affair. I invited everyone I knew who lived within 20 miles of my house. I opened cupboards and invited others to concoct sugars of their wildest imaginings." Shuna threw a doughnut party and so can you, with her pate a choux recipe.... More
If you enjoyed Roadfood Roundup: Doughnuts and have the means to deep-fry at home, you might want to try making Nordljus' Wafu Beignets—oh how I love the idea of twenty small freshly-made cream-filled sesame-coated doughnuts, made just for me. Keiko also makes them with azuki red bean paste inside or with raspberry jam filling and a cinnamon sugar coating for her boyfriend, so tweak the recipe as you will.... More
If just thinking about a cinnamon roll makes your mouth water, perhaps you should consider buying yourself this lovely cinnamon roll necklace from Pancake Meow, purveyor of scented miniature dessert jewelry. (Her cupcake and donut necklaces are equally adorable but currently out of stock, as is the waffle necklace I've got on right now.)... More
