Halibut en Papillote with Pernod

Great things come in small packages, especially when you cook en papillote. Halibut en Papillote or Halibut al Cartoccio. Both a French and an Italian method of cooking fish in an enclosed parchment paper pouch along with veggies, herbs, wine and or butter. Serves 4 The first time you have this dish, it feels like…

Brownie Mocha Latte Cheesecake

It’s a fancy mocha latte in the form of a cheesecake with a brownie base.  Serves 12-16 Let’s talk about the amazing ridiculousness that is this cake. The smooth, and creamy cheesecake with a kick of coffee flavor. If you love coffee, ☑️ if you love chocolate, ☑️ if you love brownies, if you love…

Black Forest Expresso Cake with a Bittersweet – Kahlúa® Glaze

Here it is: death-by-chocolate. But what a way to go! Serves 14-16 This is a magical cake – unadulterated chocolate bliss. The texture is similar to that of a very creamy truffle, but even fudgier. It’s critical that you use top quality chocolate for this recipe, such as Valrhona, Scharffen Berger or Lindt. For the…

Poppy Seed Angel Food Cake with Grapefruit Curd

Serves 8-10 Ready for a slice of heaven? We are no stranger to decadent and rich cakes. But what about a cake recipe where butter, fat, and egg yolks run away in fright? No matter how healthfully we try to eat, most of us sometimes craves something sweet and more so during tough times. A…

Framboise Chocolate Torta

Serves 10-12 Framboise chocolate torta is a European-style cake that is extremely moist with deep chocolate notes that conspire with Framboise (raspberry liqueur) and fresh raspberry purée then draped with a chocolate butter glaze. This is a chocoholics dream which is why I always make it for Valentines Day for Timothy. I recommend using artisanal…

Vee’s Loaded Oatmeal Cookies with a Brown Butter Glaze

The name says it all, an old fashion favorite comfort cookie loaded with brown sugar, pecans, golden raisins, currants and a combination of spices. My favorite is the cardamom. I’ve always been reluctant to use shortening but with no real valid reason so after much research and testing I decided to include it in this…

Butter-Toffee Crunch Shortbread

Shortbread has beneficial effects on the soul. The warm glow it gives is better than alcohol…” – LUCY ELLMAN Perhaps the most decadent cookie I have ever had. Awfully impressive, and dead easy, this is just a good basic brown sugar Scottish shortbread recipe, enhanced with butterscotch and toffee bits. As with any shortbread, the…

Chocolate-Caramel Pecan Sandies a.k.a Shortbread Cookies

Lovers of pecan sandies a.k.a. pecan shortbread cookies will love and adore these crisp, buttery treats that are a cinch to put together. One of the ultimate holiday treats which always makes for beautiful delicious packaged holiday gifts. Sandwiched between 2 of these buttery treats is a dollop of chocolate-caramel or, if you prefer you…

Pecan Chocolate-Caramel Tart

Serves 12-14 Pecan chocolate-caramel tart is a pâte sucrée crust (shortbread cookie crust) filled with pecans enrobed in a homemade chocolate-caramel sauce. It’s kinda like a premium candy bar with the chocolate-caramel coated pecans set in the buttery, sweet shortbread crust — which is to say perfect! The crisp texture and buttery flavor goes perfectly…

Pâte Sucrée

(Rich, Sweet Shortcrust Tart Pastry) Pâte sucrée is fussy, difficult to work with and sensitive. Having said that, I will add this: it also makes a dynamite tart crust! It is buttery, sweet and tender, like a good shortbread, and is perfect with fruit tarts. Don’t even try to roll it out – just press…