There’s no shortage of reasons why crème brûlée shows up on the menu of so many elegant restaurants. It’s both simple and complex: a rich, sweet custard with a silky texture that serves as the perfect foil to the crisp-crackly topping. It’s even more of a show-stopping dessert if you use a small propane torch to carmelize the sugar, as does the contributor of this recipe, the FAC’s technology… Read more →
It was obvious, once we thought of it. We posted this recipe when Aaron Diehl, Cécile McLorin Salvant, and Adam Birnbaum, backed by a five-piece jazz ensemble, came to the FAC to perform Gershwin and Jelly Roll Morton tunes. This one comes from a vintage Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (the iconic one with the red-checked cover that has been through umpteen editions). Although… Read more →
The origin of this recipe is the combination cookbook–art catalog If You Make a Mistake, Put a Rose on It, by UMass art professor emerita Pat Lasch and her dad Fred Lasch, a master pastry maker. Pat’s art is in such major museums as the Metropolitan (below, her “Bound in the Bardo” sculpture, and yes, that is a bat skeleton). Over the years, we’ve… Read more →
Lynne Dyer of Turners Falls, Massachusetts, took the gold with this recipe in the fourth annual King Arthur Flour Holiday Cookie Baking Contest at Historic Deerfield. Contestants sent in recipes, then five finalists in several categories, including “Raise the Bar” and “Cookie-cutter Cookies,” were invited to bring their submissions to the village on December 3. There the entries were judged on taste, appearance, festiveness, originality, and overall appeal.… Read more →
Nothing smells better than the aroma from this cake baking in the oven. The recipe goes back aways. Grandma Gracie was a wonderful cook; her daughter, Mary Grace, is, too. The latter shared it with us when we were just out of college, which was, well, a while ago. It’s simple to make, the most labor-intensive step is creaming the butter… Read more →
This dessert is a show-stopping finale to a fine meal and a sweet way to perk up a weeknight dinner. As an alternative to melting the chocolate and butter in a double-boiler, you can microwave them in 30-second bursts (cover the bowl, stir after each burst), to make the process a bit faster. Ingredients: 5-6 ounces dark chocolate 6 tablespoons… Read more →
