Archive for the Category » Desserts «
11
Mar 2016
Mar 2016
Over the past week or so, I’ve been searching for a fun St. Patrick’s Day recipe to create and share with y’all. Although I was initially thinking of something savory, this happened—boozy cupcakes. If you spend anytime on social media, you know that this time of year Guinness and Irish liquor inspired sweets are all the rage. So, I finally jumped on the bandwagon. Having recently fallen hard for NOLA Brewing’s Irish Channel Stout, it was tough not to. Irish Channel Stout is the Guinness of New Orleans—only better. Yes, I’m partial to [ ... ]
Category: Craft Beer, Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, Snacks
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22
Dec 2015
Dec 2015
Before I decided that I didn’t like to bake, I baked a lot. Weird. I know. But true. Since I did not come from a strong line of bakers or sweets makers, it was a surefire way of finding my place in the whole family cooking hierarchy. And as a teen, I loved the attention and praise I received whenever I showed up at a family function with dessert in hand. One early success that garnered many oohs and ahhs was my Fudge Pie.
Looking back, I think the Fudge Pie was a [ ... ]
18
Nov 2015
Nov 2015
Hey guys! Sorry for not posting much lately. These past few months have been very hectic for me and my family. But I do see the light at the end of the tunnel and hope to share all the particulars with you soon. For now, though, I’m focusing on Thanksgiving and am working hard to make sure it’s a fun-filled and stress-free week for my crew–Lord knows we all need one. I plan on transitioning into the holiday mode this weekend by making one of my kids’ favorite fall treats–Pecan Pie Bars (a recipe I [ ... ]
16
Jun 2015
Jun 2015
Here’s a heavenly (or sinful, depending on how you look at it) little number that’s sure to satisfy every salty, sweet, chewy, gooey, crunchy craving. It’s best described as a chocolate chip cookie, peanut butter cup, cheesecake hybrid. Oh yeah! Three delicious sweet treats harmoniously blended into one.
I used to make this torte every time family came to visit. Then somewhere along the way the recipe got buried and forgotten. That was until a couple of weeks ago when I went flipping through my overstuffed “Dessert” file in search of something new to [ ... ]
13
Feb 2015
Feb 2015
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. The Saturday before Mardi Gras. That means this year that Hallmark holiday is not going to receive a whole lotta love in the Crescent City–at least not from me and several thousand of my closet friends who will be hanging out on the parade route. Nope. For us, purple, green and gold will trump red and pink. And we will toast our sweethearts and the Olympian God of Fertility and Eternal Youth–Endymion–with Mardi Gras go-cups full of beer and Carnival cocktails while indulging in sexy street food consisting of mini-muffulettas, mini-poor [ ... ]
Category: Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, Mardi Gras
Tags: Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, Mardi Gras, Snacks One Comment
02
Feb 2015
Feb 2015
This may come as a big surprise to many, but most of us New Orleanians do not make our own King Cakes. We prefer, instead, to patronize our favorite bakery for our Carnival confections. And there’s a certain lineage that typically dictates our most cherished bites. That lineage, more often than not, is defined by family loyalty to a specific bakery. For instance, if mom favors Haydel’s King Cakes, chances are those are the King Cakes her kids and grandkids will ultimately prefer.
As a kid, my favorite King Cakes were the simple brioche-based, icing-less ones from [ ... ]
21
Nov 2014
Nov 2014
Oops! I revised this recipe on 12.24.2014 to correct an error–the pie shells should remain frozen until ready to bake. Otherwise, the bottoms could end up soggy. Sorry for the oversight!
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, now is the perfect time to share this seasonal treat with you all. This is a sweet, festive finger food perfect for holiday entertaining. And, in my opinion, it’s the best way to serve pecan pie. Not only do the individual pies make everyone feel extra special, each serving has that perfect filling-to-crust ratio and the baker never has to [ ... ]
Category: Desserts, Finger Food Fridays, New Orleans Classics, Snacks, Thanksgiving
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10
Sep 2014
Sep 2014
My kids have been back in school for only a month now and I’m already struggling with school snacks. Mind you, all three are beyond designated snack times. But to get them through their long days, I need to stash their lunch bags with extra food. Since they have already grown tired of my old faithfuls–turkey jerky, cheese sticks and nuts–I started making one scratch sweet a week. Nothing too over the top. Last week, I made two batches of my Three Ingredient Muffins (I have 3 kids and a midnight-snacking husband; they go fast). This week I jumped on [ ... ]
12
Jun 2014
Jun 2014
Grandma Benson was the hubby’s maternal grandmother who, unfortunately, passed away before he and I began dating. I did not have the pleasure of meeting her or sharing a meal at her table. I was, however, put to the Grandma Benson “test” early on in our relationship by a couple of Larry’s cousins (whose names shall remain anonymous) along the Uptown parade route no less. It was the typical, old-school New Orleans line of interrogation: “Who’s your mama?” “Are you Catholic?” and “Can you make a roux?” (The latter question also generally means, can you cook.) Thankfully, my mother was [ ... ]
09
Apr 2014
Apr 2014
Last summer, my girls spent many mornings home alone while I travelled around the city caddying (I use that term VERY lightly) for my son in his junior golf tournaments. Although I felt bad leaving them behind, they actually enjoyed their alone time and took full advantage of having the kitchen all to themselves. While I didn’t allow them to cook on the gas stovetop while I was away, they had my blessing to microwave and bake to their hearts’ content. And bake they did! Each day, Brennan and I would return home to find mass [ ... ]
