Category: winter
the snow… and a flourless chocolate-almond torte ("torta caprese")
| January 12, 2010 | Posted by ameliaps under almond, chocolate, dessert, winter |
…the snow came over the week-end, silent, white and peaceful.We woke up to the awe of our blanketed patio. We put on mitts and gloves and went outside to play…all day. The sliding down the driveway was the fun-est we’ve had in a long time. We just used cookie sheets and plastic garbage can tops. After… more
Holiday Eggnog with Grand Marnier
| December 27, 2009 | Posted by ameliaps under Drinks and cocktails, eggnog, holidays, oranges, winter |
We had some good neighbors over with the kids and Abi (who always makes amazing cocktails and drinks) brought over a pitcher of delicious spiked holiday eggnog. I am not sure exactly what she put in it, but I tried replicating the flavors and mmm… was it delicious!!! Holiday Eggnog with Grand MarnierServes 46 large egg… more
Christmas cookies galore (10 recipes)!!!
| December 23, 2009 | Posted by ameliaps under caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, cookies, cranberry, currants, dessert, holidays, nuts, oranges, peppermint, raisins, raspberry, rum, sugar, winter |
Merry Christmas (and happy holidays to everyone that does not celebrate Christmas)!!! Baking is in the air and the house smells like sugar dust!Here are a few cookie recipes:1. Chocolate-peppermint wafers2. Chocolate-coconut Needhams with Chocolate Dip 3. Old-world raspberry bars4. Cranberry-orange cookies5. Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookies6. Frosty snowballs7. Rum-currant cookies8. Cinnamon raisin cookies9. Chocolate… more
Pfeffernüsse (German pepper cookies)
| December 23, 2009 | Posted by ameliaps under cookies, dessert, holidays, pepper, winter |
Pfeffernüsse (recipe from Martha Stewart) These are aromatic Germany cookies with molasses, pepper, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg and they are typically made over Christmas. 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I used regular pepper – my peppermill grinds much too coarsely) 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground… more
White Christmas cookies
| December 23, 2009 | Posted by ameliaps under cookies, dessert, holidays, white, winter |
Count down… -3 days to Christmas. I have been baking a lot of cookies these past days but I have not had a chance to post a lot. So I will be catching up with the coming days. These above are what I call ”white Christmas” cookies :) Lime Meltaways (recipe adapted from Martha Stewart) These are basically… more
Kumquat pâte de fruit (fruit jellies)
| December 18, 2009 | Posted by ameliaps under any season, candied fruit, candy, dessert, kumquat, winter |
I bought some kumquats from the market… mmm … what should I do with them???I have always wanted to make pâte de fruit (little fruit jelly jewels) so I thought I would try that.Another option was to candy them whole. There are basicaly 3 ways to make pâte de fruit (pronounced: PAHT duh fruit): 1) The sloooooow way:… more
Mexican fusion: Chili con carne, Mexican pickled carrots, Corn-bread Poblanos, Lime pie
| December 16, 2009 | Posted by ameliaps under carrots, dessert, lime, mexican, peppers, soup, winter |
I had book-club over for dinner. We just finished reading “Still Alice“, a powerful account of Alzheimers.The best thing about hosting book club is that I get to pick the next book! So I chose “The Elegance of the Hedgehog“, a book my mother brought for me from Italy (translated in Italian, yeah!) last time she visited.… more
Peasant’s pie ("pizza rustica") with mozzarella and salame
| November 12, 2009 | Posted by ameliaps under any season, appetizers, autumn, cheese, crust, eggs, mozzarella, parmesan, salame, side dishes, winter |
This savory pie is delicious right out of the oven, piping hot and oozing mozzarella cheese in strands or diced up in squares once cooled in finger bites. It’s awesome for buffets and pic-nics. It is actually similar in idea to a quiche, but it is topped with pastry.You can be creative with the main… more
Cioccolata calda: rich and velvety hot chocolate
| November 7, 2009 | Posted by ameliaps under chocolate, cocoa, Drinks and cocktails, holidays, hot chocolate, winter |
On hot chocolate: “It flatters you for a while, it warms you for an instant; then all of a sudden, it kindles a mortal fever in you.” ~ Marie, Marquise de Sévigné, 17th century On a cold afternoon, there’s nothing that will warm my heart and soul more than my dad’s rich and velvety hot… more
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