You heard that right. You don't need an ice cream maker to make ice cream at all! It comes out creamy and delicious. Here's how to make ice cream at home without an ice cream maker!
Tips for Making Your Pen and Ink Illustrations Sparkle
Now, most of you know me through my writing about sweets. But as it turns out, I have valuable thoughts on illustration and art methodology as well! Check out this post with 7 stellar tips for making your pen and ink work sparkle.
How to Make Any Chocolate Chip Cookie Better
When is the last time you thought about the bottom of your chocolate chip cookie?
People have debated for years, decades, close to a century about how to make already-good chocolate chip cookies even better. Toast the nuts. Don't toast the nuts. Forgo the nuts entirely. Rest the dough. Add more brown sugar.
While well-intentioned, I humbly have to submit that this is the easiest, least controversial, and most taste-pleasing to make your cookies better: coat the bottoms of the cookies with chocolate.
Say what?
I know. But it is truly the gateway to chocolate delight.
You see, the brilliance behind this method is that from the top, it looks like just an everyday chocolate chip cookie, but then when you bite into it, you're greeted with a delightful taste surprise. If you ask me, it tastes even better because there is the aspect of joy of discovery: you bite into a cookie expecting, you know, awesome chocolate chip cookie, and then--OMIGOD! It is so chocolatey that your head may be tempted to spin.
It's an easy method to employ in your baking, and between you and me, it could be used for cookies other than chocolate chip. Some cookies such as chocolate dipped macaroons or sugar cookies are thinking along similar lines, but they lack the ninja-like stealth of the choco-bottom in terms of delightful taste surprise.
I've elected to call these cookies "Choco-belly chocolate chip cookies" because indeed, this method of preparing cookies does take the oft-overlooked underbelly of the cookie and raise it to a thing of celebrated beauty.
So how do you do it?
I could be totally snarky and tell you "simply melt chocolate and brush or spread it on the bottom of your cookies", but I won't do that, because I want to share the cookie recipe, which is quite good, too. It makes a nice cookie: crispy on the edges, chewy on the inside. I liked 'em. DO listen to the chilling part of the recipe, because if you don't your cookies will spread considerably.
So here goes. Prepare your taste buds for a deliciously wild ride.
Choco-belly chocolate chip cookies
adapted from a chocolate chip cookies recipe on Craftsy
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, some coarsely and some quite finely chopped
- 2 cups chocolate morsels, divided
Step 1:
Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in both the brown and white sugar and mix to combine. Stir in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
Step 3:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and pecans. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until just combined. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
Step 5:
Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.
Step 6:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from the fridge and scoop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes and remove from the oven. Cookies will look slightly underdone, but will continue baking on the hot cookie sheet. Once cooled, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 7:
Once cooled, melt the remaining chocolate in the top of a double boiler.
Step 8:
Brush or spread a layer of chocolate (fairly thin, but enough to be opaque) on the bottoms of the cookies. Place them back on the wire rack, bottoms up. Let them cool until the chocolate has set.
Enjoy. Like you needed to be told.
Easy Lattice Crust Tutorial
Lose your fear of the crust! Increase your pie prowess with this easy, yet (importantly) impressive-looking lattice crust. Here's how to do it! I promise, it really is easy!
Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!
Look at this dress my mom made for me based on one of my sketches! OMG! Buy her stuff (illustrations, not fashion design) on Etsy!
Obsessed with this 2-ingredient no-bake cake.
Is Hummingbird the best cake ever? Bake this one, and decide.
Only YOU can prevent dessert desertion.
STILL AMAZING: 50 Ways to Kill a Twinkie.
These brownies have beer! And mole! They are officially PARTY brownies! Woot!
A loving look at the hazy history of the Nanaimo bar.
Chocolate chip cookies with avocado. No, really.
If you are what you eat, be magical and sweet. These "magic bars" will help.
Rainbows! Unicorns! Cookies! Madness!
I'm crazy about this pie dress.
I love Federal Donuts, and they are doing some good. Won't you support them?
Curious about what they ate for dessert on the Titanic? Find out here.
Book of the week: CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life
The Ultimate Guide to New Mexico Sweets
In case you didn’t know it, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in New Mexico since last year. I didn’t know much about New Mexico before I came aside from the fact that it was, in fact, in the USA (apparently a leg up on some other US residents who don’t even know that!). One of the most impressive things to me about New Mexico is not its dramatic sunsets or majestic mountains or even the fact that it’s where that sandy desert Boyz II Men Video was filmed, but its unique desserts. I thought it would be interesting to give you an in-depth look at the desserts of the “land of enchantment”, including a little cultural context and a look at the ingredients which are commonly used in dessert here.
New Mexico: a brief culinary background
Many believe that the dramatic, sweeping sunsets and ruggedly beautiful landscape of New Mexico, which has inspired artists for centuries, is the reason behind the state motto “the land of enchantment”. Not to put down Georgia O’Keeffe and company, but I do respectfully submit that the cuisine is equal if not greater in terms of enchantment level.
New Mexico’s sun-baked soil and chilly desert nights provide a unique growing climate. While many crops are grown in the state, the short growing season, dry climate, and temperature variances lead to extremely concentrated flavors. Whether it’s a red-hot chile or a supersweet apple, the flavors are alive.
The colorful and zesty nature of the cuisine is certainly evident in its enchiladas and famous green chile cheeseburgers, but it carries over to the dessert course, too. They’re not afraid to embrace flavor in their dessert: let’s say New Mexico was doing chile-infused chocolates way before it was trendy.
What you have in New Mexico is a unique mash-up of cultural cuisines. Initially settled by Native Americans, colonized by the Spanish, home to many Northern seeking Mexicans, and now home to many aging hippies. Each contingent has made distinct contributions to the cuisine of the area, which shows traces of each of the aforementioned sources but is not quite any of them--New Mexican cuisine is a thing all its own. This is true of the desserts, too. Gluten-free wild blue corn pudding with Mexican spices? It wouldn’t be unheard-of.
It’s important to remember that the Native Americans were there first, and the mentality of using what the earth provides still certainly pervades the culture, including that of dessert. Early sweets would be likely to employ ingredients that were simply there: eggs, corn, honey, lard, spices, and milk--in the earliest days, goat milk, but as the industrial revolution came about, dairy from cows, too.
The influence of the Spanish and Mediterranean explorers added cooking methods and ingredients that would not have been around otherwise, making for a fusion of Spanish recipes with native ingredients: that’s where we get such dishes as bunuelos, biscochitos, and natillas.
As a side note on Native American sweets, this is one of the most difficult parts of the dessert scene to pinpoint, as many of these treats are baked at home rather than as offerings in a commercial setting. I did my best, as you will see below.
Some of the cuisine in New Mexico can be confused with the food of Mexico, because both can tend to earthy and rich in flavor. In New Mexico, the cuisine is particularly chile reverent, and the fiery pods are used even in desserts such as New Mexican apple pie with green chile or brownies scented with red chile.
Since the 1900s, New Mexico has been a hamlet for artists of all types. This has brought an air of sophistication to the state’s dining, which has over the years led to city and hipster type interpretations using locally harvested ingredients. Trendy doughnut shops featuring blue corn and chile on their (gluten free) holey treats? Hey, it could happen.
Key ingredients
Here’s a look at some of the key ingredients which are used in New Mexico sweets. Not all of the ingredients are exclusive to the area, but you’re very likely to see them play a role in the sweets of the region. They can also give a deeper look at the way ingredients may play into desserts, giving a local flavor to even desserts or sweets such as cookies, cakes, or doughnuts. For instance, a doughnut is not a regional treat in New Mexico, but a blue corn doughnut could be unique to the area.
Blue Corn
Blue corn? Yep. This is a variety of maize which is grown in New Mexico. Mild, nutty, and lightly sweet in flavor, perhaps its most distinguishing characteristic is its color, which is indeed an indigo hue. The cornmeal is a frequent part of sweet recipes, making its presence known in quick breads, doughnuts, pancakes, and bundt cakes.
Chile
To say that chile is a vital part of New Mexican cuisine would be an understatement. Beyond condiment, chiles are sold directly from roasters on the side of the road, and are present in just about every meal. The big question is red or green? Or “christmas” - both? They are added to desserts too, including Pumpkin Green Chile pie, Red Chile Brownies, and a famous apple pie with green chile.
Cinnamon
The importance of cinnamon in New Mexico desserts cannot be underestimated. It is the dash of something that makes natillas sing; it is the extra spice that makes biscochitos warm and fuzzy in your mouth.
Chocolate
Everyone knows that Spanish explorers loved drinking chocolate (at least, that was an interesting tidbit I remembered from History class). Chocolate remains a rich tradition in the area, with traditional drinking chocolates readily available and a wide variety of locally made chocolate available. In Santa Fe, there’s even a self guided “chocolate trail” including a number of fine local purveyors.
Dairy
One of the state’s largest sources of income is through its dairy products. This translates into the dessert arena, where many dairy-rich desserts can be found regularly at restaurants. It wouldn’t be New Mexico without flan or tres leches cake (or both) on the menu.
Piñon
You may call it a pine nut, but in New Mexico, this is not reserved as an ingredient for pesto. It’s a way of life, with the scent of piñon roasting a part of the landscape and street vendors advertising the new batch. Though fairly expensive as an ingredient, it’s not unlikely to see it used in desserts, such as chocolates, pancakes, or ice cream.
Peanuts
The conditions for growing Valencia peanuts--characterized by three or more small kernels to a pod and a bright red skin--are a small, sweet peanut which can be roasted or boiled. If the baker is using local ingredients, these unique peanuts contribute a slightly different peanutty flavor in New Mexican sweets.
Pecans
Although we usually will think of Louisiana when we think Pecans, it’s one of New Mexico’s top agricultural crops. This makes pecan based desserts a stronghold, whether it’s a rich pecan pie, pecan-studded cookies, or a rich caramel turtle chocolate cake.
Piloncillo
This is a type of unrefined cane sugar which resembles brown sugar in color, but has more similarity flavor-wise to palm sugar. It is purchased as a cone, which can be shaved or cut.
Pistachio
Grown in the desert, pistachios are actually one of New Mexico’s top harvests. Though a popular ingredient globally in dessert, its presence is prominent in New Mexico desserts, from lemon pistachio white chocolate doughnuts to delicious and unique pistachio brittles.
Prickly Pear
Nicknamed “indian fig”, the prickly pear is the sweet-tart reddish fruit from a cactus which grows in the dry areas of the southwest (prominently in New Mexico and Arizona). It is a key ingredient in imbibements such as margaritas, as well as in dessert course treats such as sorbets, ice creams, and sauces.
Sweet Specialties of New Mexico
These are the treats you’ll see often enough to take notice in New Mexico. Some are unique to the area, and others simply proliferate in a big enough way to bear mention.
Apple pie with green chile
In New England, there is a saying that “apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze.” In New Mexico, it’s green chile that adds a little spice to the life of apple pie. It’s a commonly seen specialty in restaurants and cafes, and a recipe has even been shared in the Smithsonian.
Arroz dulce or Arroz con leche
Photo via Wikipedia commons
You’ll recognize this dish if you see it: it’s rice pudding. The version favored in New Mexico has a distinctly Mexican inspired flavor; it’s almost like the pudding version of horchata. It’s made with milk, sometimes raisins, and always spiced with cinnamon.
Atole
Corn is the base of this traditional beverage of Mexico and Central America. Corn flour is combined over heat with water, piloncillo, cinnamon, vanilla and optional chocolate or fruit to make an earthy, hot beverage which is commonly served as an accompaniment to tamales during the holiday season.
Biscochitos
As the Official State Cookie of New Mexico, this delicately flaky anise-scented cookie demands civic respect. There are variations on the recipe: sometimes they’re made as circles, sometimes as diamonds, sometimes trefoils. The spelling is sometimes of debate, too: you’ll see them as biscochito or bizcochito (see lore, below). But most old-school bakers will agree on at least one thing: the secret to the melt-in-your-mouth texture, which simply cannot be substituted without sacrificing authenticity, is lard.
Blue corn pancakes
Using blue corn in pancakes is a trend which is generally credited to Tecolote Cafe, whose atole pinon pancakes have been featured on the Food Network and beyond. It has spread far and wide, though, and is a frequent occurrence on breakfast menus.
Buñuelos
Photo via Wikipedia commons
These lightly sweetened doughnut-esque fried bits of dough are not unique to New Mexico; you’ll find variations of them as widely flung as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. In New Mexico, you’ll often see a version which seems like a relative of the sopaipilla; the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. They are typically sweetened with sugar and cinnamon; sometimes, a sugar cane glaze is employed for maximum deliciousness.
Capirotada
Photo via Flickr member Joel Kramer
This variation of bread pudding is characterized by its addition of cheese and spices--a cinnamon-rich mixture which makes it sort of like bread pudding meets cheesecake with a dash of horchata. There’s no part of the equation that is wrong.
Chile chocolate
Chocolates scented with chile are an everyday occurrence in New Mexico. All chocolate shops will stock some variation on the theme, whether it’s straight-up dark chocolate with ancho chile or a more involved confection with pinon, caramel, and chile. Brownies will also commonly contain chile.
Chongos
Chongos photo via Wikipedia Commons
Apparently “chongo” is a Spanish term used similarly to the term “chignon” which is referred to a particular twist of women’s hair. Certainly there is a twist involved in the dessert, which is made with cheese curds which are “twisted” and served with a sweet syrup.
Dulce de calabaza
Pumpkin is treated with a method somewhat similar to making candied citrus to make this unique confection. It’s candy-like on the outside yet remains soft on the inside, making it a singular dessert. You won’t so much find it at bakeries as you will as a snack at flea markets, or if you’re lucky, someone’s grandma made it for you.
Dulces membrillo
Dulces membrillo via Wikipedia commons
From the Spanish by way of Portugal, Dulce de membrillo is made of quince fruit, sugar and water, cooked over a slow fire. It is sweet and mildly tart, and similar in consistency, flavor and use to guava cheese or guava paste. It is sold in squares or blocks, then cut into thin slices and spread over toasted bread or sandwiches, plain or with cheese, often served for breakfast or as a snack, with manchego cheese or mató cheese. It is very often used to stuff pastries.
Empanadas dulces / empanaditas
Hand pies stuffed with all manner of sweet fillings are a common sight in New Mexico. Typical fillings include dates, apples, peaches, or quince. They can be small or quite large.
Flan
You know flan: a decadent cooked caramel cream custard which is popular in a variety of cultures. Perhaps owing to the combination of dairy production and Mexican and Spanish influence in the state, flan is extremely popular in New Mexico. It's as standard on dessert menus as chocolate cake.
Fry Bread
Also called Navajo fry bread, this is a staple that comes with a sad story. After being ousted from their land, Native Americans had to make due with what they had. Government supplies of staples were often rancid; making due with the minimal ingredients they had, fry bread was born. It has become a sacred tradition, and some say “it is to be consumed by the people until the earth has again become purified.”
Horchata
You'll see your fair share of horchata in New Mexico. This beverage made from soaked ground rice comes across as “milky” but it’s typically not made with actual dairy. It’s typically sweetened with sugar and scented with cinnamon. It’s a common street vendor beverage and is a common beverage offering at restaurants in New Mexico.
Hot chocolate
Sure, you can find the Starbucks or Swiss Miss types of hot chocolate in New Mexico. But you can also find a more exotic and luxuriant Mexican/Spanish style of drinking chocolate. According to cuisine expert Gwyneth Doland, “Both hot chocolate and atole are traditional accompaniments to tamales. Mexican hot chocolate is far, far superior to the American version. First, they make it from real chocolate. Then, they spice it up with canela, vanilla and sometimes a kick of chile. If you can’t find ancho chile powder, try regular old red chile powder; just don’t use a powder that contains anything except ground chile peppers.”
Jamincillo
Have you ever heard of milk fudge? Or perhaps penuche? If so, you have an idea of what jamincillo is; if not, let me explain. It’s made with milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, and pecans. The first four ingredients are heated and lightly caramelized; once they reach a level of firmness, they are either rolled or pressed into a pan to form confections.
Marquesote
This is a simple and classic sweet in Mexican and Salvadorean traditions. Made with yeast, it’s sweeter than a typical bread, and with a more delicate crumb owing to cornstarch, but less sweet than a cake (so it is often called “Mexican cake bread” which seems to tell it like it is). It can be served simply, with confectioners’ sugar as a breakfast item, or gussied up with fruit or syrups. You'll often see variations on this type of cake bread in the panaderias which are so common in New Mexico.
Mexican wedding cakes
They exist under many names and in many different cultures: Russian teacakes, snowballs, kourabiedes, Armenian sugar cookies.
They’re extremely popular in New Mexico; bakeries and restaurants always seem to stock them. Variations will include Bocaditos de miel de abeja (honey drops) and yemas de nueces (nuts and yolks, referring to some key ingredients).
Molletes
Molletes are better known as a sort of open faced breakfast sandwich, but there is a lesser-known dessert version. Sometimes referred to as molletes de coco, these are sweet buns filled with a sweet mixture, usually a creamy custard. They can be appointed and garnished with rum, coconut, icing, and pumpkin seeds.
Natillas
Photo via Wikipedia commons
In my opinion, the best way to describe natillas is to call it “rice pudding, but without the rice.” It is a relative to the French îlles flottantes, or floating islands. Cooked on the stovetop, natillas have more milk and fewer eggs than their French cousin, which makes it thinner and creamier.
Paletas
To call paletas “ice pops” would be a disservice and an understatement. Far from the frozen sugar water sticks of color, paletas are rich in flavor, made with fresh juices. They’re extremely vibrant both color and flavor-wise. They’re a popular item in the summer in New Mexico.
Panaderia fare
Conchas, pan de huevo, marranitos, bigotes: all of your favorite pan dulce favorites from Mexican panaderias can easily be found in New Mexico.
Panocha
Photo via Wikipedia commons
Panocha is a pudding made from ground sprouted wheat and piloncillo. It is traditionally eaten during Lent. The sprouted-wheat flour itself is called "panocha flour". But listen to me right now. Do not google images for it, because you'll learn that it's also slang for something else.
Pastellitas Indios
Almost like a garibaldi biscuit, this pastry is like a pie that has been flattened on purpose: it has dried fruit condensed to a sticky-sweet filling between flat pastry crust. It's way better than it sounds.
Sopaipilla
A signature New Mexican treat, this is not necessarily sweet. Literally “little pillow”, this fried bread is typically served with honey, which is why I give it honorary sweet status. It’s served alongside savory meals, though, but I consider it sort of like a sweet respite during a savory meal.
Tamales
True, they’re more famous for being a savory dish, especially popular around the holidays. But here's a secret: give them a sweet filling and they’re a dessert! You’ll find fruit-filled varieties throughout the state, with fillings ranging from cheese to fruits.
A particularly interesting variety of tamale is called kneeldown bread. Also called Navajo tamales, this is a sort of sweet tamale, but don’t be misled by the name. Made from corn, fat, and water, it derives its sweetness naturally, from corn, but is baked hard, like a cracker, and sometimes stored all winter long. It’s named for the prone position assumed to make it.
Tres Leches Cake
Literally “three milks”, this cake is beloved all over, but has a strong presence in New Mexico--along with flan, it's as ubiquitous as chocolate cake on dessert menus. The style can vary, but if you ask me, a good one is made with a spongey cake to absorb all of the milk, and is so saturated that it almost sops a bit when cut into.
Pastry profiles
A sampling of regionally famous and interesting desserts I've sampled or heard about from trusted sources in New Mexico. I believe that these desserts are unique in that they all offer a distinct sense of place while you're in the Land of Enchantment.
Atole Piñon Pancakes, Tecolote Cafe, Santa Fe
Though the restaurant is closed for the moment (they lost their lease and are looking for a new spot), their pancakes are legendary. As wide as a salad plate and satisfyingly thick, one pancake really will do. It’s flecked with plenty of blue corn and studded with piñon.
Apple Pie with Green Chile and piñon, Daily Pie Cafe, Pie Town
This is probably the most famous pie in New Mexico, as it is the only one I can think of which has been featured in the Smithsonian. A thick double crust plays house to spicy apple slices flecked with green chile and pinon.
Blue Corn Doughnuts, Whoos Donuts, Santa Fe
Picture a cake doughnut. Now, change everything: make it with blue corn to give it an ever so slightly gritty texture and nutty flavor, and top it with a sticky sweet raspberry jam spiced with a whisper, not a shout, of jalapeno. It sounds a bit much but truly, it’s a thing of delicious beauty.
Caramel Pinon Ice Cream, Taos Cow, Taos
If you like dulce de leche ice cream, chances are you’ll love this creamy, mellow yet sophisticated flavor. Caramel ice cream gets a rich expansion of flavor thanks to a smattering of pinon nuts, which round out the flavor and make it more interesting.
Chocolate Pecan Pie, Cafe Pasqual’s
Pecan pie is great, but like a great many things, it is improved by chocolate. The name may not insinuate its greatness, but one taste of this sweet and flavor-filled pie will make you a believer. It’s a beloved dessert at a beloved restaurant.
Custard empanadas, Leo’s Bakery, Las Cruces
Fruit empanadas are one thing. But fruit and custard? Amazing! The custard empanadas are a popular and interesting item to try at Leo's Bakery in Las Cruces.
Eclairs, Charlie’s Spic N Span Cafe, Las Vegas
A giant cream puff sign will put you in a pastry mood even before you walk in the door, but the eclairs are what keep the crowds coming. Technically, these are not eclairs, but large, elongated cream puffs with chocolate icing...but really, who’s complaining?
Fruit filled burritos, Michael’s Kitchen, Taos
Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. But sweet, not savory.
Ice cream sundaes from Vanilla Moose Ice Cream, Aztec
To call the owner of Vanilla Moose “zany” would be an understatement. She concocts a mile-long list of mini sundaes with any number of toppings from pretzels to pineapple upside down cake, and serves them with a smile. Free mini cones for babies and dogs.
New Mexican wedding cake, Mary and Tito’s, Albuquerque
I know I just spent all this time explaining that Mexican wedding cakes are actually cookies, but this exceptional cake happens to have almost the same name as the cookie but actually be a cake. Confused? Don't be. Focus on the cake, which is really quite incredible. I'd describe it as being like hummingbird cake, but without the bananas.
Peanut mexican wedding cakes, Glenn’s Bakery, Gallup
Typically, mexican wedding cakes are made with almonds or pecans, but this interesting version makes use of New Mexico's peanut bounty. Not many cookies feature peanuts--they all seem to have peanut butter--but these make a case for more peanut usage in cookies.
Pinon biscochitos, El Meze restaurant, El Prado
Looking for a fancy version of the state's down-home official cookie? Look no further. Delicately flavored with pinon, the biscochitos at El Meze restaurant, owned by famed NM food historian Fred Miller, are really something else.
“Potato” ice cream, Cowgirl Cafe, Santa Fe
Photo via Trip Advisor
There’s no actual potato in this dessert, which is named for its looks rather than its flavor. Ice cream is rolled in cocoa and presented as a baked potato, down to trompe l’oeil pat of butter. It’s a favorite with children, but beloved by adults, too.
SPAT (pinon caramel truffle), Chocolatesmith, Santa Fe
Named for the shoe covers favored by turn-of-the-century dandies (I don't really see the resemblance but I can let it go), these chocolates are rich in caramel and slightly salty pinon. They're a unique treat at a purveyor which features many New Mexican ingredients in their delicious chocolates.
Tres leches cake, The Pantry Restaurant, Santa Fe
The Pantry restaurant is famous for breakfast in Santa Fe, but here's a little known fact: one of the employees' wives makes their tres leches cake in small batches at home and supplies the restaurant. This cake tastes like love, and oozes milky goodness when the tines of your fork hit the cake.
Lore and interesting bits from New Mexico
The curious case of the biscochito
Pretty much everyone I've emailed or spoken to spells the state cookie "biscochito". But we're all doing it wrong: the official word is that it's "Bizcochito". As I learned here,
In 1989 New Mexico House Bill 406 declared the bizcochito as New Mexico's Official State Cookie. The battle over the state cookie was not about adopting it but how to spell it. Several lawmakers got on the House floor to press for the "s" or"z". Eventually the Senate returned it as "bizcochito". To this day the Senate version prevails, but as we all know, it's the taste that gives a biscochito the name, no matter how you wish to say it.
Pastry Pilgrimage: Pie Town
Pie Town is located in a relatively remote part of southern New Mexico, and is very much the small frontier town. When I went there, I was told jokingly that its name is inspired by the fact that the town is "exactly 3.14 miles from the middle of nowhere."
As the legend goes, the town gets its name from an enterprising local who began to sell sundries and snacks, notably pies, to travelers passing through. Without much else to discern the town, it began to be referred to as "Pie Town". The name caught on, and has held strong.
Interestingly, pie has not been a constant in the town that bears its name. There have been long stretches when no pies, or worse, not very good pies, have been sold.
Today, two of the small handful of retail businesses in Pie Town are pie related: the Good Pie Cafe and the Pie-O-Neer. The former is only open seasonally, so you'll have to wait until spring to sample their pies; as the Pie-O-Neer advises, "our days and hours change like the weather"—that is to say, call ahead if you're planning a trip to try them out.
A recipe for the road
It would be inhuman to close without at least one recipe, right? So here's a recipe for some biscochitos!
Pinon Biscochitos - from Fred and Annette of El Meze Restaurant
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter; softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp anise seed; finely ground
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups pinon nuts; finely ground
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup water
Directions
- Preheat over to 375 degrees.
- Cream butter and shortening together with mixer or in food processor. Add sugar and anise seed and blend until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
- Mix flour, baking soda, ground nuts and salt together. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until smooth.
- Add enough water to form a stiff cookie dough. Chill dough for 1 hour or longer.
- Cut chilled dough into 6 pieces (keeping pieces in the refrigerator until ready to use). On floured surface, roll out cookie dough until 1/8” thick. Cut out with 1-1/2” round cookie cutter. Press pinon nuts on top of each cookie. Sprinkle heavy with raw sugar.
- Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Cookies need to soft brown color, not white.
Well, that was a totally sweet tour of New Mexico sweets, sweeties! If you have anything to add or thing I got something wrong, please feel free to chime in to make this guide even better!
How to Make Magic Cookie Bars
Magic cookie bars, 7 layer bars, dream bars, Hello Dolly bars...whatever you call them, the recipe always adds up to extreme deliciousness. Learn how to make them here.
Creative Cake Separators
Don't shed a tier: separate your cake layers creatively. Here's a collection of stunning cake separators I put together!
Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!
Those things are not dessert (see above). Now for more links...
Hey! I'm teaching a kids' cooking class in Santa Fe, NM! Read all about it!
Why cupcakes are nutritious. Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist.
Savory, yes, but still totally sweet: tips for making the perfect grilled cheese.
Sweet tips for making birthday cakes for kids. (I would accept any of these cakes, too)
Pretty sure Elvis would approve: Banana meringue pudding.
Secrets: celebrity baker tips for making perfect "surprise inside" cakes.
When is the last time you made shortbread?
Fascinating food pairing: chili and cinnamon rolls. What do you think?
Yes, apparently it is a thing in the plains states. Who would have thought? Chili and cinnamon rolls??
Speaking of odd: wild rice dessert topping.
Lovelovelovelovelove: Donut doubles.
Make cake, in a mug, in the microwave. Cake science!
Book of the week: American Home Cooking: Over 300 Spirited Recipes Celebrating Our Rich Tradition of Home Cooking
Bali Memories: 15 of My Favorite Food Moments in Ubud
Oh, I'm sorry, did I forget to mention that I spent 6 weeks in Bali earlier this year? Well, if I hadn't mentioned it, there you go. I'll give you a moment or two to be jealous.
Done being jealous? Good. Because I want to make you jealous again, with this collection of what I am going to deem the 15 tastiest experiences I had in Bali. Doesn't it make you long to be on a faraway Southeast Asian island?
Strawberry cake, Seeds of Life (pictured top)
Believe it or not, I didn't even have the whole slice. Just a few bites from my friend Deborah's plate. But it made a lasting impression. It was raw, vegan, all of that stuff. I don't know how they made this cake happen, but it was delicious and extremely beautiful. I wish I could be there right now so I could have my own full slice.
Dosha balancing drink, Bali Buda
I would like to introduce you to the magic that is the Dosha balancing drink from Bali Buda. Bananas, dates, and almonds. I don't even know what a dosha is, but I felt supremely balanced after drinking this delicious and refreshing milkshake-y beverage.
Fruit and granola, Bali Buda
Yes, this is the second time this establishment is on the list, because I became thoroughly obsessed during the course of my stay. I was a regular yoga student across the side street at Radiantly Alive Yoga, and Bali Buda was the choice place to hang out after class and refuel. I have never been one to order fruit with yogurt or yogurt and granola, but this place changed my mind about it. Just look at that thing: packed with fruit so fresh it could practically sing folk songs to you (I don't even know what that means), and granola with fresh coconut, crispy oats, and crunchy peanuts. It was so, so, so good.
Deconstructed tiramisu from Caramel Patisserie
Look at that thing. Isn't it a work of art? Well, it was also edible, and tasted just as exquisite as it looks. This bakery was somewhat unlikely in that it was Frenchy as can be, with macarons, Napoleons, and other sweet treats including cupcakes and fancy desserts like the one pictured above...but it was located in Ubud, Bali. The tiramisu included a coffee-scented mascarpone cream, jellied coffee cubes, and crushed ladyfingers. Nom.
Cardamom chocolate from Kué
This was one of the most unassuming items on the menu at this full-service bakery, which had everything from fresh croissants to layer cakes, cookies, tarts, and bread. But the cardomom chocolate is the thing that remains crisp in my memory: dark as night chocolate, just this side of bitter in a good way. But no ordinary dark chocolate. This had been kissed...no, not even kissed, more like posessed with a soul of cardamom. Slightly gritty (again, in a good way) and warmly spicy, I did not want this flavor to fade from my tongue. It was exquisite.
"Cloud 9" cake, Alchemy
This raw cake or, as I would call it, pie, was a most interesting specimen. Made from cashews, irish sea moss, and citrus, it had a lovely berry topping. The taste wasn’t what I expected, which was cheesecake-esque, but once my taste buds acclimated it was quite a subtle and lovely cake. Read more here.
Rujak, Atman Kafe
This is another food that sounds way healthy, and it actually might be, but most importantly, it's way, way delicious. It's a weird but wonderful little fruit and vegetable salad which will differ depending on who makes it, but ingredients at Atman included apple, cucumber, papaya, pineapple, chili-tamarind dressing, and crushed peanuts on top. This was a perfect sweet-savory breakfast dish.
Brown rice soy ice cream, Warung Igelanca
When I saw a sign advertising "homemade brown rice soy ice cream", I was...intrigued. But when I ordered it and had a taste, I instantly became obsessed. Good gravy, did they secretly hide crack in it? Apparently no, only pumpkin (other options included ginger and green tea). It was definitely not ice cream--it melted differently, and had a texture more like a paleta, but wow, whatever it was, it was very good.
Coconut pancake, Seniman Coffee
Listen, it is no secret at all that I instantly fell in love with the fantastic even-better-than-a-cookie upgrade that you receive when you order a latte at Seniman. But it bears repeating. A coconut pancake sweetened with palm sugar. You are winning at life with this experience. It is an experience I have had in life, people!
Corn from a street vendor
I realize that corn is considered savory, and that makes it not-completely-eligible for full feature on this site. But you know, this bears mentioning.
Every so often you have a taste experience which, even as you're experiencing it, you realize is profound. When I tasted this corn from a street vendor parked outside of Radiantly Alive Yoga, I instantly felt a sense of place, and a sense of the amazingness of the fact that I was eating corn from a street vendor in Bali. How many people can say they've done that?? I'm pretty sure the corn, slathered with butter, squeezed with lime and seasoned with spices, was delicious. But it was largely the experience that made it memorable.
Mint spirulina bar, Kafe
Nope, that is not a Nanaimo bar. And on top of that...it was a hippie dessert! But in spite of the odds against it, this spirulina bar from Kafe was highly memorable and delicious. Rich as all get-out, nutty, minty, and chocolaty, it was a cooling dessert which made me feel like I was on a 2-minute vacation (because even going slow, that's how long it took to eat) from the sweltering sweet heat of Bali.
Black rice pudding, Casa Luna
This is a famous restaurant in Bali, the cornerstone of an empire of restaurants, cooking schools, and hotels. And it's famous for a reason: everything is really, really good. My favorite dish was the traditional black rice pudding, lightly salted and served with coconut cream and dense, super-sweet banana slices. So simple; so good. Here's how to make black rice pudding at home.
Lattes with cookies, multiple locations.
I'm not going to say Bali is the only place you'll get a cookie with your latte. But so MANY places did it there, and I loved every moment of it. Click on the link above to read much more about my love.
Chocolate citrus tart, SOMA
You probably won't believe it, but this dessert was raw and vegan. I don't even care. Because most importantly, it was a delicious and decadent taste experience. Normally not a huge fan of the choco-citrus combo, this one was so delicate, and balanced with the nuttiness of coconut citrus cream and a nutty base, that I could at least see how I might someday become a believer. Read about more chilly desserts I ate in Bali here.
Magnum gold bar, by the beach in Uluwatu
Listen, I realize that it seems like a total cop-out to list an internationally available, commercially produced treat. But I am telling you, people, this is a taste experience that cannot be missed. Read more about my experience with the Magnum gold bar here.
BONUS: Cookies I made with my students!
You knew I was in Bali as a kindergarten teacher volunteer, right? On my last day, we decorated cookies with confectioners' sugar icing, candies, and sprinkles--and the kids were ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED. I felt like I brought a bit of CakeSpy to Bali! This was a sweet experience indeed, and one that I won't forget soon.
Places mentioned:
Creative Cake Decorating with White Chocolate
Melting white chocolate is a science, but decorating with it is an art. Here's a collection of inspiring ways to use white chocolate in your cake decorating!
Best Health Food Ever: Millet Cookies
I realize that I have something of a reputation for riding unicorns, wearing sparkles, and subsisting on a diet of mainly pink frosted treats. But the fact is this: I love a good hippie cookie every now and again. Whether it's the "Shazaam!" from my home base in New Jersey or a Power Cookie from Whole Foods, I enjoy these cookies with dessert-worthy delight. Something about the nuts, hearty hippie ingredients like nut or whole wheat flour, and a plethora of trail mix-esque mix ins just does it for me.
So the other day when I found a bunch of millet in my cabinet, I decided to see if I could make it into a tasty cookie creation. I'll tell you right now, so you don't stress about it, that the cookies tasted delicious.
I found a recipe for oatmeal millet cookies on Grateful Table, which I proceeded to so completely change that I wouldn't even feel comfortable saying I adapted it...more like used it as a springboard. Still, I do want to give the website a shout-out because these cookies also look highly delicious.
While I toasted some cashews and millet, I evaluated my ingredients. I realized I wanted to soften the butter which was totally cold, so I did something so forbidden: once the millet and nuts came out of the oven, I laid the cold butter on top of the millet. I turned the side every minute or so. Believe it or not, because it really seems like it shouldn't have worked, it did.
But I digress. Back to the cookies.
Toasty millet gives a fantastic crunch to the cookies, as well as a pleasingly nutty flavor that works in harmony with the flavor of the actual nuts and wheat flour. Perhaps because of all of the other ingredients, the wheat flour isn't as assertive tasting as it is in some recipes, and they maintain the identity of a cookie which happens to have healthy ingredients, rather than tasting like health food.
Of course, the chocolate morsels don't hurt. Don't even think about skipping them.
Nice and crispy on the outside, hearty and full flavored and slightly chewy on the inside. They may not be actual health food, but these cookies are awfully good.
Millet cookies (not actually health food) - Printable version here
Makes about 30 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup millet
- 1 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chocolate morsels
Procedure
- First, preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Now, toast the nuts and millet on a baking sheet while the oven preheats. Because they toast at different rates, what I did was scatter the cashews on half of the tray and let them toast for about 5 minutes, then I took the sheet out, added the millet to the other side, then let the whole tray toast for five more minutes
- Remove the tray from the oven and put it somewhere so it can cool, so not on top of the oven (you don't want your mix-ins to be hot). Proceed with the rest of the steps as they cool.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set to the side.
- Cream the butter in a stand mixer until nice and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar and continue to mix until it becomes fluffy again, 3 to 5 more minutes.
- Stop the mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, briefly mixing after each addition until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing as minimally as possible until everything is incorporated into a chocolate chip cookie-esque dough.
- Now, add the toasted millet and cashews and the chocolate morsels. Fold gently into the dough until evenly incorporated.
- Place the cookie dough with an inch or two of space around on all sides on the cookie sheet.
I made pretty fat cookies, a heaping tablespoon, but you make them however big you want them. - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until toasty on the edges and set in the center. Remove from the oven. Let cool on the baking sheet for a minute or so before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Cake it, Don't Fake It: How to Make Marquesote
When I say the word "marquesote", what pops up in your mind?
Maybe you think of quasi-royalty, like a marquise, or it calls to mind matinees, like marquee. All of these associations are wrong.
Because what marquesote should conjure up in your mind is this: Mexican cake bread.
What is this marquesote-Mexican-cake-bread-thing, exactly? It's an interesting little morning bread, very light and not too sweet, somewhat dry, but perfect with a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar and a strong coffee.
I came across the term "marquesote" while poring over New Mexico literature in the history museum. Turns out, because of the proximity to (old) Mexico, you'll see marquesote every now and again. In searching for recipes I found a number of them, so it was difficult to discern which was "authentic"--with or without yeast? With cake flour, all purpose flour, or, like the one I settled on, made with cornstarch?
This version, which I adapted from a version on What to Cook Today?, makes a weird little cake. It's light as air, and highly delicious, but it goes stale so, so fast. This is not such a terrible thing if you're smart about it: enjoy it plain, or with confectioners' sugar or a smear of sweet butter, OR BOTH, right after you make it, but if it's more than a few hours old, resign yourself: you're going to have to enjoy it with ice cream, whipped cream, or some other tasty thing that will add moisture. Poor you.
As a bonus, if it's up your alley, as far as my googling expertise goes, the fact that this recipe employs cornstarch instead of flour makes it gluten-free.
I tend to think it would taste great as a base for strawberry shortcake: more interesting than mere sponge cake, and perfect for soaking up all the tasty flavors.
Give it a try and see which way you like it best. It's easy to make, and smells like heaven whilst it bakes.
Marquesote
Adapted from What to Cook Today? - Makes 1 cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 cups cornstarch
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Procedure
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease and flour a loaf pan or 9-inch cake pan.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold in the yolks one at a time, beating on low speed.
- In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, baking powder and starch. Mix thoroughly. Fold this mixture gently into the eggs and add the melted and cooled butter and vanilla extract. Mix just until combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until it is golden brown. It may begin to slightly shrink from the sides of the pan.
- Immediately after removing from the oven, run a sharp knife along the perimeter of the pan to loosen the sides. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then invert the pan onto a serving platter. I served my cake upside-down like this, dusted with confectioners' sugar. Actually, more than dusted. What's the word for "dump a whole ton of sugar on top, but delicately so it looks like snow"?
Enjoy!
Sweet Art: Latte Love
Salvador dali latte art via Pinterest
Ever since my time in Bali, I have been obsessed with lattes. Well, mostly about the possibility of receiving a cookie with my latte.
But this love has expanded to an interest in latte art. So after a little pinterest and image search binge, I have come up with some wonderful images of fine art inspired lattes which I thought might inspire, and possibly make you smile as I did when I found them. (Click on each image to go to its source.)
The only thing wrong with these lattes is that there appears to be no cookie alongside any of them. Well, there's always room for improvement, ey?
Salvador Dali Latte (pictured top)
I love this quirky and clever interpretation of Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory. A foam clock perilously perched on the edge is sweetly surreal.
Van Gogh latte
Starry night via Deviant Art
The swoops and whirls of the classic impressionist painting Starry Night are perfectly translated into lovely latte form. I'm especially impressed by the levels of depth which are attained with just a few shades of milk and coffee.
Edward Munch
The Scream Latte art via Global Gallery
This latte makes me want to scream, but not out of alarm. I'm overcome with the awesome artistic ability that went into creating this perfectly rendered latte which beautifully captures and plays homage to the original painting.
Keith Haring
Keith Haring Latte Art via Messynessychic.com
I'll finish with my personal favorite. Keith Haring is one of my artistic heroes, and has been ever since I saw a sped-up video of him painting a mural. His absolute focus and oneness with the art completely awed me, and it's an escape I have been able to find in my art, too. This latte brings his lively line art to life in some lovingly rendered foam.
Hey, do you have any fine art lattes to add to this collection? Send 'em my way! Til next time... 
Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!
In case you missed it: ice cream made with butter instead of cream.
Update: I am revising my recipe page to include index pictures. Isn't it looking good so far?
Burmese semolina cake! Reminds me of the Basbousa we sold at the restaurant I worked at in college.
According to Time Out London, old fashioned desserts are big (again).
How to stamp designs on cookies! Cool!
What is cream of tartar and what does it do?
SOMEONE PLEASE BUY ME THIS BATHING SUIT RIGHT NOW.
My hipster unicorns are news! Thank you, Albuquerque Journal, for recognizing my genius.
Instagram sensation "You Did Not Eat That". How do you feel about this, readers?
"Eating dessert does not mean you have less self-control." Great blog post.
Sweet sleuthing into the history of Brownstone Front Cake.
Sweet tips for making "surprise inside" cakes!
Today is National Mint Julep Day. Enjoy it by making mint julep mousse, ok?
Book of the week: The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy for Cupcakes but Fed Up with Fondue
Tips for Plating Restaurant-Quality Desserts
We eat with our eyes first, so it’s important to learn how to plate desserts properly. Prettily presenting your desserts is a cooking technique that makes for a pleasing visual feast before the spoon or fork is even picked up.
Creating plated desserts with a pleasing palette can be tricky; it’s not simply a matter of tossing on an artful drizzle of chocolate ganache. Pastry chefs in restaurants take great pains to plate desserts so that they look as good as they taste, considering their composition much as master painters would consider how to arrange their canvas.
Magical Unicorn Cloud Mousse
Picture a unicorn, surrounded by rainbows and munching on a cloud in the sky. Don't you want to know what that cloud tastes like?
Well, finding out is not all that difficult. Because this vanilla marshmallow fluff mousse tastes exactly like that imaginary magic cloud. In fact, so much that I'm going to dub this recipe Magical Unicorn Cloud Mousse.
Sweet Art: Hipster Unicorns Invade Santa Fe
I've had the craziest day in Santa Fe.
It started in the morning when I went to BODY for a yoga class. It was a dreamy class, but when I exited...there was a veritable sea of unicorns outside!
Well, I rubbed my eyes, shook my head, and chalked it up to a lack of caffeine so I headed over to the Betterday coffee shop, a known hipster hangout and fine purveyor of coffee.
But you wouldn't believe what I saw there... More unicorns! And these ones looked suspiciously like hipsters.
Starting to think that perhaps I was going crazy, I thought I would escape for a while in the soothing dark of a matinee. So I headed over to the Cocteau theater, which happens to be owned by George Martin of Game of Thrones fame.
But I wasn't alone... The Jean Cocteau appeared to have been taken over by yet more fashionable unicorns, and these ones were reading the Santa Fe Reporter, using iPhones, and even name-dropping.
Sensing that I was experiencing some sort of unicorn-induced hysteria, I decided to seek sanctuary at the Cowgirl BBQ nearby, where I figured I would at least see some people in cowboy hats acting southwest-y, and the horses on the wall would not have horns.
Well. I'm sure that you saw this coming, but the hipster unicorns had infiltrated the Cowgirl, too!
Maybe to those who have spent more time in Santa Fe than me, this type of thing is commonplace. But for me, it was a pivotal moment: I felt like I finally understood why they call New Mexico the "land of enchantment".
How To Write Letters Like a Unicorn: A Tutorial
Have you ever wondered how a unicorn writes a letter?
Well, I was hanging out with my pet unicorn, Sprinkle, who helps me with many things, from headstands...
to everyday advice like how to make rainbow jell-o cups or what time of day I'm most likely to see a shooting star with a rainbow trail.
So, me and Sprinkle were having a nice gossip sesh over frosting shots one day, and after maybe one shot too many, she told me the secret way in which unicorns write letters.
Because unicorns do not have hands, they do something really special to send their buddies messages. They whisper messages into rainbow rays, and then they wish them over to their friends, who are not only greeted with a rainbow but good tidings.
Listen, I'm not going to lie: humans do not have the magic ability to do this.
But we can co-opt the idea and send a friend a bouquet of rainbows and sweetness by stuffing balloons with little notes and gifts. It basically guarantees a magical day for the recipient.
Here's how you, as a human without magical abilities, can make it happen.
How to write a letter like a unicorn
You need:
- a variety of rainbow colored balloons
- messages or small gifts to put in the balloons
- tissue paper and packing material
- a shipping box
- love
Step 1: Start by preparing a bunch of small notes, like so:
You can also grab some other things, like candy or marbles or small things that will make nice little gifts.
You can also draw some unicorn horns and includes some of those, too: 
because then the recipient can hold them up to ponies and make them instant unicorns, like so:
A pony no longer!
Step 2: Place the notes or gifties in the balloons. One or two things per balloon. Roll up notes to get them inside of the balloons with ease.
Step 3: Blow up the balloons. Blow them kind of small, about the size of a large apple or so.
Step 4: Once you have a number assembled, place them in a box lined with tissue paper. Line the sides and top with packing material before sealing and addressing the box.
Step 5: Send it on its way! Unlike unicorns, you can't wish your package to its recipient, so you'll have to hit up the USPS or UPS or Fedex. For best results, use a fairly rapid shipping method (such as priority mailing). Be happy in knowing that you will have a very delighted recipient when it's received!
Although this is definitely an adapted version of the unicorn method, it's a highly delightful method of making someone's day brighter. And any unicorn would deem that magical.
So there we go! And now you know...
Who in your life deserves a magical letter?
Baker's Dozen: A Batch of Sweet Links!
Good idea for Memorial day: American flag cake.
These flag cookies are also adorable and don't look too difficult to make.
SO proud of my friend Molly for opening her own bakery!
I want to taste this: Chicha morada.
Interesting statistic from this article: 74% of Americans say that chocolate tastes better with almonds.
Seeking sweetness: eating disorders and food blogs, a true story.
I'm just impressed that there is a gourmet popsicle company in New Jersey.
Stuff your mouth with one of these: caramel brownie bites.
I know that this triple chocolate mousse cake would make my life better.
Ever tried gooseberry pie?
Most interesting business I've come across in some time: Cozymeal. Like AirBNB, but with food!
Happy food: sprinkle cakewiches!
Not cake, still totally sweet: how to make Indonesian noodles. Mie goreng rules!
Book of the week: Brooks Headley's Fancy Desserts: The Recipes of Del Posto’s James Beard Award–Winning Pastry Chef