This shortbread was sublime. The oats contributed an almost coconutty texture and a lovely toastiness, and the lavender was a delightful, graceful note. We thought they were delicious right out of the oven, but, as the notes say, they were even better the next day: a little sturdier for packing and with a deeper flavor. Next time I will dial down the salt a tad.
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As it says in the recipe, you must try your hardest not to smooth out the blob after it comes out of the pan, even though you'll desperately want to do so. That's the key to get that really light, airy texture. Once you break apart the chunks, you'll see what we mean! Again, watch the video to see what it should look like, and keep the spatula way. Divide the chunks among some pretty jars, tie them up with a bow, and your holiday/hostess/teacher/whatever gift is ready to go.
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The cakes are moist and somewhat dense, almost chewy, and come out of the oven with perfectly flat tops, which beg for a slick of ganache and end up having that gorgeous, streamlined European bake shop vibe. Also, the ganache in this recipe is my go-to ganache--it firms up nicely with a slight chew and a satiny sheen. Full story of this recipe available on my blog at pieceofcakeblog.blogspot.com !
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While I love these with a sprinkling of fleur de sel, Lily preferred hers plain or with roasted cashew half. If you want to add a nut, gently press into the dropped dough before baking.
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The Mango lassi's 'solid' cousin! Mango Srikhand is a classic dessert/snack dish from the Western Indian state of Maharashtra, home to the Alphonso Mango, undoubtedly the best tasting variety of mangoes in the world. The traditional version is simply a blend of sweet mango pulp with thickened yogurt, spiced up with cardamom and saffron. My version is a whipped lighter (ok, it does have a generous component of whipped cream) variation. Adding the Meyer Lemon juice at the end tends to help the whipped cream hold up its shape better & also adds a lovely citrus tang to the simple, yet delicious dessert.
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Silky milk chocolate slowly melted with heavy cream and spiced with plenty of nutmeg makes for a rich and decadent tart. Allow at least a day to make this dessert since there's a lot of wait time with making the crust, freezing it, baking it, and letting it set in the fridge. If you have trouble rolling out the hazelnut crust you can always press it in pieces into the pan.
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Who doesn't love fried dough? And these sweet delights are a perfect opportunity to fry up something deliciously new for the Festival of Lights. Try forming quenelles of dough with two spoons to help regularize the final form of your zeppole. The filling is sweet but not overly so (play around with the proportions if the consistency doesn't seem conducive to squeezing through a pastry bag). The acidic citrus and bitter chocolate are wonderful counterpoints to the fried flavor of the dough. Fry some up for a sugar boost to get those dreidel fingers working!
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Deliciously simple, these cookies stay soft in the center under a crisp shell. They're gluten free, with only three ingredients!
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Limoncello always ends a meal perfectly, but I knew that a basil-variety would delight a die-hard basil fan, like me or everyone else in my family. This version is strong but adds just the right sort of strength to a scoop of delicate lemon sorbet.
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