• Berry tiramisu slice
    Baking

    Berry Tiramisu

    If you’ve taken one of my Summer Italian Kitchen cooking classes over the past few years, you may recall watching me make this berry tiramisu, or perhaps even prepared it along with me. Summery and just sweet enough, it’s not only a no-bake dessert, but truly no heat, as the syrup from macerated berries replaces the espresso into which the ladyfingers are traditionally dipped.  Layers of soaked ladyfingers, berries, and the mascarpone whipped cream I enjoy on so many desserts make for a light, airy, and incredibly flavorful treat. Through my summer Italian recipes, I love celebrating the beautiful simplicity of Italian cooking with its emphasis on fresh, quality ingredients.…

  • Chocolate tart with Biscoff crust
    Baking

    Chocolate Tart with Biscoff Crust

    Decadent chocolate ganache fills a press-in crust with deep caramel flavor, making this tart a delicious alternative to a box of chocolates for your loves, yourself, and everyone else you will be treating on Valentine’s Day. While this tart can be made any time of year, we find ourselves in midwinter, when citrus practically demands to be included in sweets.  The richness of the ganache pairs perfectly with candied blood orange and mandarin slices, plus a few pieces of pizzelles, though the choice of topping is completely up to you. The combination of chocolate, caramel notes, and citrus I find absolutely irresistible. Making ganache involves pouring hot cream over plenty…

  • cranberry linzer torte
    Baking

    Cranberry Linzer Torte

    With a crust that rivals the best holiday cookie, this linzer torte features warm spices, ground nuts, and a vibrant, lightly sweet yet tart cranberry filling.  Topped with a generous lattice that makes dessert gorgeous and rustic at the same time, consider this your invitation to bake up a bit of holiday magic. In place of traditional almonds or hazelnuts, I include pecans and/or walnuts in this recipe as they pair so well with cranberry, though you can customize using your favorite ground nuts if preferred.  They make the crust incredibly flavorful and ensure this cranberry linzer torte will be the jewel of the dessert table – even more so…

  • Apple loaf cake
    Baking

    Apple Loaf Cake

    Each slice of this loaf cake has an irresistible quality that comes from a combination of baked apples and cider.  Studded throughout the batter, the chopped pieces add fresh-from-the-orchard flavor while the reduced cider and warm spices give it depth.  Buttermilk makes it tender and far from dry.  Bake this at night then enjoy it for breakfast – or bake it when the sun comes up and enjoy it throughout the day.  As morning fare, a snack, or dessert, it’s the ideal way to celebrate apple season If you’ve enjoyed my apple cider vinaigrette recipe, you already are familiar with the process of making a cider reduction.  Concentrated apple flavor…

  • Skillet cornbread topped with tomatoes and rosemary
    Baking,  Food

    Skillet Cornbread Topped with Tomatoes and Rosemary

    Skillet cornbread may be the best kind to serve, as it cooks up with a toasty bottom and tender middle.  I love to top mine with garden tomatoes and chopped rosemary to hold onto every last bit of summer. Since corn is available through September, fold some into the batter for added texture and flavor using the recipe below. Recently I recommended this as the ultimate side to my summer Cobb salad, and with Labor Day weekend here, this is a crowd-pleasing addition to the menu.  By the start of September, our vegetable gardens have become looser, more natural and sprawling, and our dishes follow suit.  The actual amounts of…