Classic hot fudge is the king of ice cream toppings. Deeply chocolate, satiny smooth, and with a viscosity that transforms from warm and gooey to thick and slightly chewy after hitting the freezing cold ice cream. More
Australia is well known for its wine and lamb. But what about its local food culture? Aside from my hometown Outback Steakhouse and listening to Men at Work toot about vegemite sandwiches, I've been pretty ignorant to the local food scene in Australia. So on a recent trip to Melbourne, I coaxed an authentic Australian mate (my husband) away from the cricket to show me how the locals eat and drink. More
Bite through the crunchy buttery graham cracker, the silky vanilla marshmallow, and the deep dark chocolate, and you just might find yourself muttering "Nabisco who?" More
Whoever came up with the idea of using crushed chocolate cookies to simulate dirt on food is a complete genius. Nothing else so perfectly mimics dark, moist, peaty soil, and as a cake decorator, I've had a blast conceiving all sorts of kid's cakes with the stuff. Unfortunately, most chocolate dirt desserts are sort of trashy: layers of boxed instant chocolate pudding, Oreo cookie crumbs, Cool Whip non-dairy topping, all decorated with handfuls of squiggly neon gummy worms. I decided to challenge myself by making this mash-up with some good, wholesome ingredients and a fresh design with adult appeal. More
Crispy, cakey, chocolaty, coconuty, pop-in-your-mouth doughnuts that are super easy to make? What's not to love? More
These brownies are not a mocha-macchiato-molten-center brownie, a death-by-triple-truffle brownie, or a cheesecake-chocolate-crack brownie. They're just a good 'ole basic brownie. No hoopla, nothing fancy, but soul satisfying good. More
Babka is a delicious bundt-shaped, yeast-risen coffee cake from Eastern Europe. Pronounced "bahb-ka", the word means "grandmother" in Polish, which is perfectly fitting for this plump and comforting sweet bread. Babka is typically filled with swirls of either cinnamon, nuts, or chocolate (my favorite of course). More
Unlike an office job, where a resume and an interview can be enough to get on the payroll, applying for a culinary position usually demands a "try out". You pack your knife roll (or your icing spatulas and pastry tips if you're a pastry chef like myself), and head into a strange kitchen to be handed your assignment. More
When you reach a certain age, it begins. Those dreaded moments when you see some of your most beloved treats simply go to hell. Maybe the candy is half the size it used to be, looks different, or just doesn't taste the same. The fact is that at some point the companies decide to cut costs and it sucks. More
It happens. You pry open your swollen eyes and remember climbing into the cab to head home, but not crawling into bed (hey, at least it's your own). And your credit card: "Oh no...is it still at the bar waiting to be closed out?" With a morning like this the last thing you want to do is make decisions. Especially the hungover breakfast question of the day: "Do I want salty or sweet?" Fortunately if you're in Singapore, their national breakfast has got you covered: Kopi and Kaya Toast with eggs. And you won't have to drag yourself far because it's right outside your front door. More
The chicks in Peepdom have finally won my heart. You can't beat a homemade marshmallow recipe, and chocolate soars them over the top. More
Rugelach are an irresistible, classic Jewish pastry which originated in Eastern Europe. Rich without being too rich, rugelach are a cross between a pastry and a cookie: flaky-crisp like a rich pie dough on the outside, and tender and buttery on the inside. More
The first time that I had these ridiculously delicious cookies was while I was working at a bakery in Poughkeepsie, NY. Made from almond paste (finely ground almonds and sugar), sugar, egg whites, almond extract, and almonds, these horseshoe-shaped crescents (the "horn" name eludes me) have a moist and chewy interior that yields under a crunchy almond coating. They are insanely almond-y because there's not a bit of flour in them (yes folks, gluten free!). More
This double chocolate tart is reminiscent of a plated dessert that I would have created way back when, when my chocolate palate was one of no-holds-bar, pedal-to-the-metal, tastes. Forget a plain pastry crust to hold the chocolate filling. My crust would be chocolate. And how about a simple vanilla ice cream to cut the richness of the chocolate tart? No way. It was gonna be chocolate all the way. More
This is hands down one of my favorite cookies ever. Back in 1998, when I was still the pastry chef at The White Hart Inn in Salisbury, CT, I eyed a recipe for Triple Chocolate Cookies with Pistachios on the last page of my Gourmet magazine. A chocolate cookie studded with semisweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chunks, and pistachios. Um, yum! More
This cake is the perfect party cake. Dark, dewy, cocoa-espresso cake layers nest in heavy swathes of bittersweet chocolate frosting. Sitting tall and pretty, decked out in creamy swirls of chocolate, this cake dares you to resist. But you won't. More
Spend the night out in Singapore and there's a good chance that you'll end up either warbling your inebriated heart out to Barry Manilow at a karaoke bar, or sitting next to a group of old Chinese men (call them "uncle", please) at a hawker stand at 5 a.m. as you add your last bottle of Tiger to the dozens of empties besieging the table. More
Chocolate for breakfast? Pancakes for dessert? I say: why not! I've never subscribed to the notion of attaching specific foods to specific meals. I'll eat anything, any time of the day. I used to completely appall my grandmother when she stayed at my house when I was growing up. She would stand there in shock as she watched me toss a few slices of cold and congealed, pepperoni pizza into the toaster oven for breakfast. More
When I was in my early twenties, weekend nights with my hometown buds were built on Fuzzy Navels, White Russians, and throwing down some sweet moves at a club called Let's Dance in Poughkeepsie, NY. After hours of drinking and sweating it out, some serious munchies were in order. We'd hit up one of the few spots in the area that was still serving. We'd sometimes land at Denny's, but if there was too much of a line, we'd head over to the 84 Diner. The atlas-sized menu spanned the cuisine of the world, but I only had eyes for one thing: the bright red cherry cheesecake that was spinning around in the revolving pastry case. The massive slice of sweet cream cheese, canned-cherry-topped, graham cracker-y goodness hit the spot and readied me right for bed. More
Fondue is not for crowds. It's for a group of friends, or a romantic tête-à-tête, hovering and dunking over a warm bowl of this intoxicating potion. The word fondue comes from the French verb fondre, meaning "to melt". Sounds just right for Valentine's Day. More
Strawberries are the ultimate fruit for coating in chocolate for a number of reasons. The dry exterior gives the chocolate something to hold onto (slices of wet fruit are a major challenge for chocolate dipping). They're also the perfect pop-in-your-mouth size. Or, if you prefer, grasp on to the green stem and nibble through the hardened candy chocolate shell into the luscious gush of juicy sweet-tart berry inside. Aphrodisiac? Definitely. More
Climbing the walls for a chocolate fix, I wanted to bake a no-holds-barred, fudgy, chocolaty brownie. I dragged out my battered binder overstuffed with recipes that I've collected over the past 15 years. My husband cringes every time I heave it onto the table to start a recipe search. The cover looks like it's been run over by a semi, and when you open it up, papers fly out, and the smell of old bakery fills the air. More
I'm forever on the lookout for new chocolate flavor combos to inspire me. Just a few weeks ago at a fruit smoothie stand here in Singapore, I spied a Chocolate Avocado Milkshake on the menu and ordered it straight away. Though avocados are a fruit, I like them salty, not sweet. I've never considered paring the two together, and to be honest I thought the shake would be disgusting. More
One of the advantages of running your own restaurant is that premium ingredients are just a phone call away. But when I placed orders for my bakery, Desserticus, I routinely lost all self control. Every week it was like Christmas in the kitchen when the delivery driver finished dropping off boxes of European butter, cheese, and gourmet chocolate. This habit usually put a big hurtin' on my wallet. (I guess some girls like shoes. I like butter). More
Through serendipity I suddenly found myself in one of the best Christmas markets in Paris. Tiny chalets twinkling with holiday lights lined the tourist-filled street, selling everything from crafts to sausages and cheese. After spotting a long queue at the chocolate chaud (hot chocolate) booth, I couldn't resist the urge to practice my French and warm up a bit. More
The egg yolk is to help bind it all together. Especially since this dough has cocoa, which doesn't have structure. Egg is often added to rich non-chocolate crusts, such as a pate brisee. I haven't tried adding an egg to a standard pie crust but I'd be curious to see what it does.
I agree AdultCrash! There is so much to try here...we only skimmed the surface! Szechuan is a must try, def the beer (Little Creatures), and oh, the Victoria Market as well! I can't wait to go back. Thanks for your tips!
The vanilla is added with the gelatin. All is fixed. Thanks for pointing that out!
And yes about the slice of cake-had a tough time deciding on the best pic. Will give you a giant slice next time!
I'd add the espresso powder in the beginning just to make sure it dissolves and incorporates. No other adjustments necessary!
I'd be afraid to use a food processor for making the fondant. Once the crystals start forming, the fondant sets up pretty thick which might put to much strain on the machine. I've almost broken a processor before by doing this. It's true that working the fondant is a bit of work--I found that setting a fan over the area aided in cooling the fondant as I was working it and helped the process to go a bit quicker!
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I kept the fudge in a container on the counter for about 3 days and it was fine. However, storing in the fridge is probably the best way to go (you have to reheat it anyway to warm it up).