Desserts

Oatmeal Cookies and a Trash Talking Scotsman

  Sad. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  That kind of sad. That’s what I think has been causing my sense of self worth to crater for the last week. Those menacing dark clouds and torrential rains may have nourished my garden, but they sure tipped my mood…

Banana Upside Down Cake

  I have a parrot, actually an umbrella cockatoo, named Moti. Moti is twenty-seven years old and quite the diva, especially about her food. In Moti’s world there is no sunshine if she doesn’t find a half a banana in her food dish each morning. Moti…

Love and Ginger Cake

  During the Middle Ages, rich European ladies slipped their favorite knights a bit of gingerbread before an important tournament. Sweet, aromatic, crumbly, swoon-worthy gingerbread. How utterly romantic is that!? If you need proof, the painting below portrays a lady and her knight. Theirs was…

Binge Cooking Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

  Uh-oh!  I’m in a dangerous place. I’m binge cooking cookies. Fortunately, I have neighbors who are willing to humor me and take some of my cookie glut off my hands. I recently posted a chocolate cookie recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s new book, Dorie’s Cookies. Now…

Crepes with Raspberry-Cassis Sauce

  I’m having a bit of a pity party about being alone on New Year’s Eve, so I decided to cook today. Several days ago I discovered this Martha Rose Shulman recipe on the New York Times site. One of my indulgences in life is…

World peace anyone?

  Me, too. These cookies, called World Peace Cookies,  are from renown baker Dorie Greenspan’s bestselling new cookbook,  Dorie’s Cookies. (Buy the book for someone you love. It is a wonderful cookbook with inspired recipes for both sweet and savory cookies.) In the introduction to Greenspan’s…

Caramelized Honey, Nut and Seed Tart

    Damn! It is almost November and Blue Cayenne almost missed celebrating October as National Caramel Month. What was I thinking? The only excuse I can think of is that I’ve been in a sugar-induced stupor for the last couple of weeks. With Halloween…

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

    Cutting the lemon the knife leaves a little cathedral: alcoves unguessed by the eye that open acidulous glass to the light; topazes riding the droplets, altars, aromatic facades.                     –Pablo Neruda   I’ve always…

An international ice cream primer…

  I thought this was interesting. I’m not sure about that German Spaghetti-Eis, though! Ice Cream Around The World

Cream Cheese Stuffed Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze

Cream Cheese Stuffed Carrot Cake with Orange Glaze

  Carrots improve your eyesight. Right? Therefore, if you are going to have a sweet, decadent dessert, you are somewhat forgiven for eating carrot cake. It’s a health food, for heaven’s sake! This line of argument works for me. If carrot desserts seem odd to…