Welcome to TBLSPOON
Follow along as I document my adventures in baking. I hope it inspires you to try something new.
Thanks for visiting,
Sarah
Follow along as I document my adventures in baking. I hope it inspires you to try something new.
Thanks for visiting,
Sarah
All in Pastry
Cream puffs with a chocolate cookie topping and filled with a decadent Nutella pastry cream. A friend sent this customized recipe – made just for me! – by one of my favorite cookbook authors Erin McDowell for Christmas. And they are beyond amazing. Crispy, creamy, chocolatey... all the best things.
Pâte sucrée is one of my favorite pastries to make, there’s something therapeutic about rolling out the dough and satisfying when the the tarts come out of the oven proudly holding their shape. Plus, it’s delicious since it's essentially a buttery shortbread with an egg mixed in to hold it together... and made even better when filled with creamy dark chocolate.
Bunny Pineapple Buns inspired by Yukiko Tanzi's adorable Bunny Melon Pan recipe. Sweet fluffy buns, filled with chocolate chips and topped with a cookie-like topping. Perfect for spring celebrations.
Soft, buttery brioche buns filled with sweet berries, cardamom sugar, and vanilla custard...a decadent brunch treat to be sure. While the brioche buns are best the day they're baked, the dough and custard can be made the day before, so all you'll need to do is assemble and bake before your guests arrive.
If you cook onions slowly over low heat, they lose their sharpness and turn melty soft and sweet. That caramelization is what makes this French beauty a classic. I followed a recipe by André Soltner of Lutèce fame that can be found in NYT Cooking. The caramelized onions are combined with cream, eggs, a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then baked in a savory tart crust. The result is pure buttery, flaky, onion magic.
These Hamantashen are my tribute to childhood Hamantashen and my mom's efforts to make all of us happy. Poppyseeds for mom, fruit filling for dad, and chocolate for us (grown) kids all wrapped up in a single triangular cookie.
The combination of flavors in Claire Saffitz’s Salty Nut Tart from her cookbook “Dessert Person” is decadent and unique: so very buttery from the pine nuts and the sweet tart crust, and not too sweet. The rosemary is there but doesn't overpower, making the tart a sophisticated, but not complicated, end to a festive meal.
If you’re a fan of sweet-tart treats, this one is for you! Fresh cranberries are blended with orange juice and orange zest to create the velvety smooth filling for this festive tart from NYT Cooking. I served this for dessert on Christmas this year. It would also be a great option for Thanksgiving or New Year's celebration.
Have you ever tried Canelés? They’re lightly boozy, tiny French pastries with a crunchy, caramelized exterior and soft, custard interior. Such a unique flavor/texture combination and so delicious!
Crisp pastry filled with raspberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, toasted pecans, and diced dried cranberries. I made this raspberry rugelach recipe from New York Times Cooking last year and fell in love with the sweet, bite size treats.
These Pecan Shortbread Bars have that sweet and salty thing going that I can’t get enough of. The maple and brown sugar coated pecans are layered right on top of a thin, buttery, pat-in-pan shortbread crust for all the flavors of a pecan pie in an easier to execute form.
With their soft and pillowy texture and warm yet vibrant flavors, these Gingerbread Cinnamon Buns are made for cozy fall mornings.
Extra soft and fluffy buns swirled with a decadent, chocolate-tahini filling, then drizzled in a light tahini glaze. My husband (and photographer) Dan took one bite, glanced over at me with a smile, and said “Oh my god”. That made me pretty happy.
Sweet, cinnamon flavored taco shells filled with my Bourbon Chocolate Mousse accompanied by a fresh mango salsa. These dessert tacos are not any sort of authentic Mexican dessert, but with cinnamon sugar and chili powder warming up the mousse, the flavors are reminiscent of fresh churros and Mexican chocolate.
Paris Brest is a decadent French pastry made from the same crisp, pâte à choux dough as cream puffs, generously filled with a luxurious hazelnut praline cream. They are defined by their circular shape, reminiscent of a bicycle wheel.
A Mille-Feuille recipe designed for home bakers. Make crisp, buttery pastry layered with a luscious vanilla diplomat cream at home with step-by-step instructions.
A thin layer of lemon scented marscapone hides beneath those beautiful, sweet strawberries. But the thing that makes this Strawberry Tart so special is the dollop of basil infused whipped cream on top. It’s such an unexpected complement to the berries and adds an extra sense of freshness to the dessert. These tarts would be the perfect way to cap a leisurely Sunday brunch.
These smooth Chili Lime Tarts are that perfect balance of sweet and tart, cool with just a touch of heat. (Just like you wish your boyfriend was.) In the same family as a key lime pie, the sweet shortcrust gives them just a bit more elegance than a graham cracker crust, and that hint of chili adds a bit of sophistication.
