Category Archives: Recipes (Sweet)

Chocolate Stout Rosemary Cake Will Win You Over

A chocolate cake worth celebrating.
A chocolate cake worth celebrating.

When it comes to Father’s Day, most folks will no doubt fete their dad with prime rib, a massive T-bone or a double-decker cheeseburger.

Not me.

When I think of my late dad, it’s chocolate that comes to mind first and foremost.

I don’t know if my dad thought that life was a box of chocolates a la Forrest Gump. But he surely thought that life was immeasurably better with any kind of chocolate in it.

So, when I spied this recipe for “Chocolate Stout Rosemary Cake,” I thought of him immediately.

No doubt like my husband, he might have turned quizzical over the addition of rosemary in a cake.

But like my husband after one taste, he would have been won over by the addition of this woodsy herb that stars in the thick, cream cheese frosting that lavishly frosts the top of this sour cream- and Guinness-infused chocolate cake.

Trust me, you’ll fall for this cake in a heartbeat, too.

This fabulous recipe is from “Cake From Lucie” (Clarkson Potter).

It was written by Lucie Franc De Ferriere, a French-born, self-taught baker who owns the popular From Lucie in New York City’s East Village. She grew up baking with her mother at the family’s farm and bed-and-breakfast in Southern France.

Read more

Chocolate Chip Cookies — But Make ‘Em with Miso-Glazed Walnuts

Loads of dark chocolate plus miso-glazed walnuts make these cookies extra special.
Loads of dark chocolate plus miso-glazed walnuts make these cookies extra special.

Crisp or chewy. Brown sugar or granulated. Softened butter or browned. Chips or chopped chocolate. Baked immediately or from chilled dough.

Chocolate-chip cookies come in all sizes and manners, and we love each and every one.

Get ready to add another fabulous one to your repertoire — this one with miso.

As in miso-glazed walnuts.

“Miso Walnut Double-Thick Chocolate-Chip Cookies” is from “Sift: The Elements of Great Baking” (Clarkson Potter, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Nicola Lamb, a London-based recipe developer and pastry chef, who has trained with superstar chefs Dominique Ansel and Yotam Ottolenghi.

The first 100 or so pages are perfect for bakers who like to nerd out. They’re devoted to the science behind flour, sugar, eggs, and fat — and how they affect different types of dessert recipes.

Read more

The Balm of Pistachio-Cardamom Cake

A cake for cardamom lovers.
A cake for cardamom lovers.

Ready for Dessert” has got to be the most rhetorical of questions.

Because when it comes to desserts, I don’t know about you, but I am ready and willing 24-7.

If you’re the same, then you’re sure to appreciate this aptly named cookbook (Ten Speed Press, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

It’s actually a newly revised edition of David Lebovitz’s best-seller that first published in 2010. A professional cook and baker, who worked at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse for 13 years, he’s now grown into a prolific cookbook author and baking authority who makes his home in Paris.

You’ll find nearly 175 recipes sure to tempt your sweet tooth, from “Cherry Gateau Basque,” “Banana Cake with Mocha Frosting and Salted Candied Peanuts,” and “Chocolate Ganache Custard Tart” to “Butterscotch-Pecan Ice Cream,” and “Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread.”

With its haunting and unmistakable sweet, minty, citrus-y, and pine-y fragrance, I can never resist anything with cardamom.

And Lebovitz’s “Pistachio-Cardamom Cake” delivers big-time in aroma, taste, and texture.

Read more

Fragrant & Fabulous Candy Cap Granola

I like topping my yogurt with granola made with mushrooms. How about you?
I like topping my yogurt with granola made with mushrooms. How about you?

Ever thought about making granola with mushrooms?

It’s not as wacky as it sounds.

Because when it comes to dried candy cap mushrooms, their beguiling maple syrup-curry flavor is a natural for your favorite mix of oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

So, when I spotted a recipe for “Candy Cap Granola,” I was all over it.

This fun recipe is from “The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen” (The Experiment, 2025).

It was written by the Bay Area’s Chad Hyatt, a chef and expert forager. It is filled with information on varieties of both cultivated and wild mushrooms, with tips on best ways to cook and preserve each one.

Read more

A Beautiful Jolt of Green

A bit of green for the holiday -- or any day.
A bit of green for the holiday — or any day.

Some people like to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.

Me? I like to eat it.

As in matcha.

And you thought I was going to say “kale,” right?

On a holiday all about revelry, I choose to let loose with slices of tender “Matcha Latte Loaf.”

The recipe is from “Dorie’s Anytime Cakes” (Harvest, 2025), of which I received a review copy. It’s by the incomparable Dorie Greenspan, of course, the five-time James Beard Award-winning cookbook writer and baking authority.

As the title implies, it’s a collection of recipes for cakes of all shapes and sizes that really satisfy — without being too complicated or cumbersome to make.

Read more
« Older Entries