Thinking ahead about Easter and the treats to serve? I’m a lifelong fan of marzipan, which is made from blanched almonds, sugar and some liquid sugar to make it malleable. The combination of marzipan and dark chocolate in these Mocha Marzipan Truffles is a natural. (They look like Easter eggs from Mars, where we might fine new friends.) The rich toasted notes of good-quality bitter chocolate balance the sweet almond flavors.  When spiked with a

Each season I audition cookies to make for the holidays. My palate prefers spicy, toasty notes over pure sugar.  Shortbread and these Almond Spice Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Coffee Crumbs appeal to me. A sugar cookie should be crisp, buttery and slightly sweet. Blanched almond flour adds a toasty note and warm baking spices suggest the winter holidays in these cut-out cookies. Although these cookies can be decorated with any sort of icing, the combination

A patisserie staple, almond financiers are a favorite and a treat that is easily made at home. These buttery little cakes deceive. Their delicately crisp texture hides a melting crumb of deliciousness. Yes, I have my weaknesses, and these are among them.   Blanched almond flour softens the crumb in these tender cakes. Browned butter gives them their rich flavor and melt-in-the mouth quality. If you’ve never made browned butter before, give it a try. 

Anytime I see ripe fresh apricots I buy them.  Apricot growers have upped their game. New storing techniques help preserve their flavor.  Now they entice enough to inspire me to make desserts like this Apricot Cherry Frangipane Tart. Jump to Recipe To make this tart, I adapted the sweet tart dough recipe from On Baking, the textbook I co-author. Sweet tart dough bakes into a crisp shortbread-like crust. Use it when you are making a

Some sweets deceive. These Almond Sablé Cookies among them. They require few ingredients.  Finely milled blanched almond flour and cultured butter prime among them. The almond flour adds to the sweetness and the cultured European-style butter gives the cookies their rich flavor.  The trick is finding the best quality ingredients. And baking the cookies low and slow to develop caramel notes. You can bake these sandy-textured cookies plain.  (Sablé means “sandy” in French.) Or you