Friands with Lime Curd

Friands (mini almond cakes), are one of my favorite quick and easy type of desserts. In a recipe I posted HERE a few years ago, I used cardamom powder in the batter, and served them with lemon curd. This time, I’ve decided to omit the cardamom, and serve them with lime curd – and the result was just as delicious.

Duck Breast with Spiced Kumquat Marmalade and Mustard Glaze

Duck breast meat is a special delicacy: unlike most poultry, it is at its best when pan-fried to medium-rare degree, very much like a good steak. The meat is highly flavorful, while the layer of fat adds more flavor, and a slight smokiness, when it is rendered in the pan.

Pineapple, Coconut and Rum-Raisins Cakes

The following cakes will delight any fan of dense and moist fruit cakes, with an added bonus of tropical flavors and aroma of pineapple, coconut, rum and vanilla.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Dough Cookies with Quince Paste

Ever since I’ve discovered sweetened condensed milk dough in this blog, I’ve been experimenting with it. I like the easiness of its preparation and of rolling it, and the fact that it keeps its shape well while baking.

Blueberry, Lavender and Lemon Marbled Cake

Buying more blueberries than needed, I decided it would be a good idea to bake a cake with them. However, I didn’t want to just add them into a cake batter, but rather, have them in a sort of separate layer in the cake.

Apple, Pineapple and Honey Mini Tarts

After enjoying filled cookies made with sweetened condensed milk dough (click HERE for the recipe), I knew I wanted to use this dough in more than one way. The following tasty mini tarts are the result of this decision.

Blueberry Nectarine Crisp with Spelt Flour and Coconut

A crisp is one of the easiest and tastiest fruit desserts. The combination of warm, juicy fruits layer, with a crispy sweet topping, is a perfect ending to a summer lunch or dinner.
In the version I have for you here, I used spelt flour instead of white flour, and mixed it with rolled oats and shredded coconut, along with butter and warm spices.

Ginger-Lemon Summer Fruit Cake with Fruit Compote

Fruit cakes are high up on my favorite cakes list, and with summer fruits in abundance, it is only natural to bake them even more often.
This time, I used a combination of black plums, apricots and peaches, which I paired with freshly grated ginger, lemon juice, lemon zest and hard apple cider – to enhance the fruits’ flavors and aroma.

Spiced Pears in Butterscotch Sauce

Poached pears is my go-to recipe, when I’m looking for a quick, tasty and light dessert (click HERE for the recipe). Pears have an incredible way of absorbing flavors while cooking, yet keep their shape, and can be easily served on their own, or with few additions, creating an effortless and elegant dessert.

Candied Pomelo Rind

The following recipe came from my maternal grandmother, who was raised in the Sephardic Jewish community of Izmir. The making of jams, confitures and sweets was an important part of every household, and the guests were greeted with an assortment of small plates of these delicacies, along with coffee.

Filo Purses filled with Apples, Honey and Golden Raisins

The Jewish New Year is celebrated tomorrow, and this brings back memories of traditional foods, even to an agnostic such as myself. One of the culinary traditions for this event, is to dip a slice of apple in honey, and eat it as a symbol for a sweet New Year. Plenty other sweet dishes are added to the table as well, in order to emphasize this hope for a sweet New Year.
The following dessert was inspired by this tradition.