Raspberry linzer torte

I couldn’t possibly talk about raspberry linzer torte without using the circumstances to exploit my mom in regards to what was one of the funniest experiences of our lives to date.

Linzer torte has been a specialty of my mom’s for a long, long time. It’s always been her go-to dish for any sort of festivity. I’ve seen her make it countless times, have eaten the leftover raw batter until I felt sick, and have heard people rave about it.

But all that aside, the best thing that linzer torte has given me is this one story.

FoodThe PasticheDecember 15, 2015linzer torte, Christmas, holidays, entertaining, party foods, pie, tart, torte, raspberry, winter, fall, spring, summer, baking, sweets2015 Comments

Coconut bread with honey butter

I’m a little amazed that this is my first coconut recipe on the blog, but it’s a fitting first because it’s a tried and true favorite. Coconut is so, well, special. There’s no other flavor like it, and it ramps up everything that it’s in. Some of my favorites include: coconut curry, coconut gelato, pina coladas, and coconut macaroons. I even love that weird fake coconut scent a la tanning lotion from 9th grade. I love putting coconut oil in my hair even though I’m not convinced it’s even doing anything other than staining my leather couch when my pigeon brain forgets that I’m doing a coconut oil treatment. I love eating fresh coconut, and speaking of, how much better does coconut anything taste when you’re on the beach? Take me there!

FoodThe PasticheNovember 20, 2015coconut, bread, coconut bread, make-ahead, summer, fall, winter, spring, honey, butter, sweets2015, brunch2015 Comment

Croissant bread pudding with old fashioned lemon sauce

I love anything and everything that has to do with custard. And because I'm not a big chocolate fan, my weakness lies with custard desserts, and if they're combined with lemon—goodnight. This dessert is another inspired by my grandma, but with a twist. The lemon sauce is one she's been serving with her bread pudding forever, and it's divine. The sweet citrus is what takes the bread pudding to a whole other level. So, using her old fashioned lemon sauce, I'm upgrading Ina Garten's delicious croissant bread pudding. This is such a comforting dessert—perfect for fall and winter—and it's very, very easy to make.

FoodThe PasticheNovember 2, 2015bread pudding, lemon, pudding, Grandma, baking, croissants, make-ahead, brunch2015, sweets2015 Comments

Pumpkin cookies with caramel brown butter frosting

My best friend has coined these things ‘pumpkin delights’ because they’re actually the most delightful and heavenly little cookies of all time. These are another of my grandma’s recipes, and certainly one of my favorites. They are soft and pillowy and cakey, with incredible frosting made by caramelizing brown sugar and butter. They are the perfect pumpkin cookie—with no fake pumpkin flavor or forced sweetness or too many spices. I can’t express how much I love them. If you’re going to bake anything this fall, bake these!

Lemon curd tart and the nostalgia that ensues

San Francisco is a city that holds a special place in my heart. I visited for my first time about one week before meeting Jon. I was out there for a work conference, and my mom met me for the second half of the trip to walk and shop and eat our way around the city. Upon recommendation, we went to Tartine bakery, waited in the ridiculously long line, and sat like sardines at the cozy and bustling tiny bakery’s tables. I loved it from the second I walked in. It’s on an unassuming street corner, and the smells coming from within are divine. Although we’d never been before, something about the way that everyone else was behaving just made us follow suit, unintimidated.

FoodThe PasticheSeptember 9, 2015lemon, tart, lemon curd, nostalgia, san francisco, Tartine, summer, spring, vegetarian, sweets2015, dessert2015 Comments

Cinnamon sugar coffee cake

The best gift I ever received was a book full of all my grandma's baking recipes. She built a collection for me over the course of a few months, writing down for the first time some of her very best recipes that she knows by heart. Others are newspaper clippings or type-written rules passed down from some of her family members. The pages are decorated with little stickers and little notes of advice and tips from her. When I opened it up on Christmas I was blown away by the thoughtfulness, and to say that I cherish it is an understatement.

My grandma will always be my favorite cook and my favorite baker. She has been making some of her specialities for us since we were very little, and I am so excited to be able to share them with my own kids someday.

She makes the best coffee cake. It's old fashioned, straight forward, and delicious. It'd be the perfect lazy Labor Day breakfast-in-bed with a good cup of coffee.

FoodThe PasticheSeptember 7, 2015coffee cake, cinnamon, cake, fall, summer, winter, spring, vegetarian, sweets2015, brunch2015 Comments

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