Desserts

Raspberry Shortbread Bars

Raspberry Shortbread Bars

These Raspberry Shortbread Bars are sublime! The shortbread melts in your mouth and the raspberry jam is, well, raspberry jam.  This recipe comes from Joanne Chang’s cookbook, Flour. You can buy the cookbook at your local bookstore or on Amazon here. Chang is also the author…

America Doesn’t Have a Monopoly on Chocolate-Chip Cookies: Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Cookies With a Middle-Eastern Twist

America Doesn’t Have a Monopoly on Chocolate-Chip Cookies: Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Cookies With a Middle-Eastern Twist

Every place in the world deserves a good chocolate chip cookie. Am I right? These Chocolate Chip Cookies With Ras el Hanout are right out of the Middle East. The recipe comes from New York Times Food Writer Nargisse Benkabbou and can be found on…

Strawberry Season!!!  Strawberry Almond Flour Cake

Strawberry Season!!! Strawberry Almond Flour Cake

I know. It’s another cake. This Strawberry Almond Flour Cake is just too delicious (and interesting) to delay sharing. And, anyway, it is finally strawberry season here in Southern California.  Interestingly, no wheat flour is involved here. It’s just almond flour and a small amount…

Syrian Nutmeg Cake

Syrian Nutmeg Cake

  Nutmeg has long been highly valued–sometimes commanding astronomical prices. In 14th century Europe, a pound of nutmeg could set you back seven fat oxen! Wow! Nutmeg’s story begins early. According to food historian Harold McGee (On Food and Cooking), nutmeg is known to have…

Oldies But Goodies: Almond Cake

Oldies But Goodies: Almond Cake

Every month Blue Cayenne features recipes from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. These recipes are our “Oldies But Goodies.”Here is a recipe for a sweet little almond cake. Here is the link: Almond Cake. You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again. Want…

Tequila Lime Cake

Tequila Lime Cake

This little Tequila Lime Cake is wonderful. With generous amounts of tequila and lime juice in the batter, it’s a Margarita with all the flavor and none of the guilt. This recipe also is interesting for its inclusion of masa harina ( flour made from…

Apple Tart With Rough Puff

Apple Tart With Rough Puff

Rough puff. It’s a thing among home bakers–a shortcut to glorious puff pastry. What’s the big deal about puff pastry? The magic of puff pastry (and rough puff) is the moisture in the generous amount of butter that is incorporated into the dough. As the…

Following the Crowd: Burnt Basque Cheesecake

Following the Crowd: Burnt Basque Cheesecake

I usually  march to the beat of  my own drummer, but the crush of interest in recipes for Burnt Basque Cheesecake has piqued my interest. It turns out that Burnt Basque Cheesecake originated in the 1990s as a Tarta de Queso at La Vina Restaurant…

Happy Birthdays and Tangerine Marmalade Cupcakes

Happy Birthdays and Tangerine Marmalade Cupcakes

  We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart…

Blueberry Muffin Cake :)

Blueberry Muffin Cake :)

When I was growing up, “Eat your spinach” was touted as the route to good health. I can still sing the Popeye spinach song, too: “…I’m strong to the finich, cause I eats me spinach.” (Damn. That little earworm will be in my head all…