Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

I’ve been MIA for a while.  Did you miss me? I missed you.  Unfortunately, real life gets in my way sometimes and the time just flies by.  But, I’m back.  Hopefully, I’ll slide right back into a regular posting schedule. Keep your fingers crossed!
This week’s TWD …

When I first learned that this month’s Daring Bakers challenge was Tiramisu, I thought “Woo Hoo!”.  At last, an easy one!  I’m Italian.  I can make tiramisu in my sleep!   Then I read something about making our own savoiardi, which are the “lady fingers” that act as the …

I’ve always considered myself to to be a hip and trendy kind of girl, especially when I was in my twenties.  As you get older, though, it gets a little harder to pull it off.  Still, I try to keep up with the times.  Having a sixteen year old …

I was pretty excited when I learned that this week’s TWD recipe was one for brownies.  Aside from the fact that I love brownies, it gave me an opportunity to use this:

It’s my new handy, dandy Perfect Brownie Pan!  (Don’t scoff.  When you can’t sleep at 3:00 …

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.
The Nanaimo bar is …

The other day, I was frantically racing strolling down the baking aisle at the market when I saw these Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips by Andes.  You know Andes, don’t you?  They’re the ones that make those little Crème de Menthe chocolates that you get at many restaurants along with …

I remember when I was in high school, my mother once tried to convince me to go out with the dorky son of one of her bridge buddies.  “What does he look like?” I asked.  She replied, “Looks aren’t everything.  He’s got such a great personality!” I knew I …

I call this week’s TWD recipe the Clark Kent of cookies.  These sables appear to be unassuming little wallflowers of a cookie.  Yet, one bite is all it takes to realize that they are quite special.  Sables are basically a butter cookie.  While they are sumptuously rich and buttery, …

(Matcha Macarons with White Chocolate-Passion Fruit Ganache and Blackberry Swiss Buttercream)
For years, I’ve been absolutely mad about French macarons.  Something about biting into one of those delicate little round disks with their frilly “feet” and crispy outer shells yielding to soft, almost chewy, centers beneath and filled with …