Recipes

Desserts

Earl Grey Ice Cream with Blackberry Swirl

Tea time, in ice cream form.

Desserts

Spiced Parsnip Cake

I love parsnips. I think they're a very underused vegetable. I found an article in the Oregonian about parsnips in dessert recipes. There was an attached recipe for parsnip cake. Not one to leave well enough alone, I decided to create my own parsnip cake recipe. I used my favorite carrot cake recipe from Better Homes and Gardens that uses a buttermilk glaze in place of cream cheese frosting as my starting point. I wanted to incorporate maple syrup in the cake and the glaze, as I think it complements the parsnips nicely. I tried several spice combinations, and finally settled on French four spice (I used the Penzey's blend which contains white pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves), cinnamon, and ginger. I am quite pleased with the result, and hope you get a chance to try this cake.

Desserts

Feta Frozen Yogurt with Blood Orange and Mint Granita!

Greek yogurt and Greek feta were meant to be friends, and served along with the Blood Orange and Mint Granita, it's an orgy of ingredient love. Too weird? Not for me... Anyway! If you've never bought a little cup of greek yogurt and put it in the freezer for your own frozen yogurt treat, then you're really missing out. This little dish takes that guilty pleasure to a whole new level. Here in Texas, spring really is right around the corner; our days are getting warmer, so it is perfect timing for this icy goodness. Some fun facts: this dessert is super healthy, but you can add sugar if you want. Also, sheep's milk cheeses have the highest fat content and the least amount of lactose, so they are really easy on your belly. Lastly, despite my pictures (a bit melty) this frozen yogurt holds up really well, more like ice cream, once you let it firm up all the way.

Desserts

Sesame and Coconut Sugar Cookies

Classic crunchy sugar cookies, with a nutty upgrade.

Desserts

Chocolate Hazelnut Crack Ups

Like your favorite peanut butter cookie recipe, only drastically improved by Nutella.

Desserts

Chewy Chocolate Meringues

Deliciously simple, these cookies stay soft in the center under a crisp shell. They're gluten free, with only three ingredients!

Desserts

David Lebovitz's Chocolate Sorbet

Despite having no dairy or eggs, this sorbet is impossibly creamy. It also remains perfectly scoopable without going hard or icy in the slightest, even after several days in the freezer. Lebovitz credits this remarkable consistency to the high proportion of bittersweet chocolate.

Desserts

Stress-Free Vegan Holiday Gingerbread Cookies

And keep in mind that these cookies are a bit molasses-forward, so if you're not a fan, you could use less and add more of the spices. Try with candied ginger, stevia, honey, or just lots of freshly ground black pepper if you want more of a kick. Make as much as the dough as you can to build a mansion of a gingerbread house. No one will know these cookies are vegan, and you'll find yourself going to this recipe again and again whenever the holidays roll around.

Desserts

Citrus and Cardamom Baklava with Pistachios and Walnuts

My Dad is Greek, so ever since I can remember we have had Baklava for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is the version I've created through years of eating my mom’s and other ladies' varieties.

Desserts

Maple Cream

If you haven’t had maple cream (a.k.a. maple butter) before, then you’re missing out on maple syrup in one of its most decadent, delicious forms. To make maple cream, you simply heat maple syrup to the cusp of soft ball stage, cool it down, and then slowly stir it until the sugars crystallize and form a light, spreadable cream. It’s wonderful on toast, mixed into frosting, or simply eaten right off a spoon.