Category Archives: Recipes (Sweet)

Make It A Miso & Nutmeg Custard Pie Kind of Holiday

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Not your ordinary custard pie.
Not your ordinary custard pie.

Me and custard pies go way back.

Back to when I was a tot and my dad would tote home pink boxes of pale yellow custard pies from San Francisco’s Chinatown.

And back to when my older brother started a family of his own and began baking them for his signature Thanksgiving Day dessert.

But I’d never had one that had a sneaky smidge of white miso in it.

Until now.

And boy, is it fabulous.

“Miso & Nutmeg Custard Pie” takes that homespun dessert — and gives it a little more oomph.

The recipe is from the new “I’ll Bring Dessert” cookbook (Hardie Grant), of which I received a review copy. It’s by Benjamina Ebuehi, a recipe developer and food stylist based in London.

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Pumpkin Plus Nutella For Double the Goodness

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It's the great pumpkin Nutella bread, Charlie Brown.
It’s the great pumpkin Nutella bread, Charlie Brown.

October heralds everything pumpkin, of course.

Add in rich, creamy Nutella, and you have a combo that can’t miss.

That’s what this gorgeous, moist “Pumpkin Nutella Bread” is all about.

The recipe is from the new “Dolci!” (Alfred A. Knopf), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Renato Poliafito, founder of Ciao, Gloria bakery and cafe in Brooklyn, and former co-owner of Baked in Brooklyn; with assistance from with Casey Elsass, food writer and cookbook author.

It’s a collection of treats that take influence from his Italian, American, and Italian-American heritages in everything from “American Cinnamon Rolls,” “Sicilian Sticky Buns,” and “Triple-Chocolate Biscotti” to “Honey-Ricotta Black and Whites,” “Limoncello Pistachio Tart,” and “Cannoli Cake.”

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Understated, Utterly Delicious Caramel Slices

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A simple cookie that delivers on all levels.
A simple cookie that delivers on all levels.

Like biscotti, these cookies are baked in flattened logs of dough, then sliced after emerging from the oven.

But unlike those Italian classics, these Scandinavian beauties are baked only once and end up crispy all over and chewy at the center.

They also taste profoundly of caramel, despite being made with only white sugar and corn syrup.

And best yet, they require only a few basic ingredients.

When I started seeing people rave online about “Caramel Slices,” I knew I had to try baking them, too.

The recipe for these cookies, also known as “Kolasnittar,” is from “Scandinavian from Scratch” (Ten Speed Press, 2023) of which I received a review copy.

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Jammy Crumble Crostata

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One dough is used for the top and the bottom of this tart that gets filled with your favorite jam.
One dough is used for the top and the bottom of this tart that gets filled with your favorite jam.

You know those times where you devour something indulgent, then promise yourself that you’ll work out twice as hard in the gym the next day to make up for it?

Well, you needn’t worry about that with “Jammy Crumble Crostata.”

That’s because your biceps and shoulders will feel the burn when you make this buttery, crunchy, tart-like creation that has a hidden filling of your favorite jam.

Yet have no fear. This dessert isn’t complicated or overly time-consuming to make. But it does require that you freeze your dough rock hard, then grate the whole shebang by hand, an endeavor that will make your arms feel the burn. It’s all for a good cause, though — to fashion a unique tart with a crisp cookie-like texture.

This winsome crostata is from “Beatrix Bakes Another Slice” (Hardie Grant), of which I received a review copy.

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In Praise of Cardamom Butter Cake

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This cardamom butter cake is made with an unusual method, and results in a tender, fluffy, and irresistible texture.
This cardamom butter cake is made with an unusual method, and results in a tender, fluffy, and irresistible texture.

When Pittsburgh-based Liana Krissoff set out to write her newest cookbook, she had herself and her daughter in mind — as well as anyone wanting to nurture an everlasting love for cooking in their children.

“In Praise of Home Cooking” (Abrams, 2023), of which I received a review copy, showcases more than 85 recipes that have not only proved formative to Krissoff’s own culinary prowess, but helped her instruct her daughter in such a way that she gained both skills and confidence along the way.

Krissoff, a recipe tester, editor, and veteran cookbook author, readily admits that some of the recipes in the book may seem basic at first glance. However, they provide not only a solid foundation, but a jumping off point to hone techniques and creativity.

That’s why you’ll find recipes for “Grilled Cheese Sandwich” (with tips on how to jazz it up with spices and kimchi or sauerkraut), “Baked Potatoes” (rubbed all over with bacon fat before going into the oven), “Basic Meatloaf with a Few Vegetables,” and “Yogurt Marinated Spiced Chicken.”

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