chilled dessert

Lemon mousse is a fresh and easy dessert that combines the tangy flavor of lemon with a light, airy texture that’s incredibly pleasing. This, my friends, is the perfect, prep-ahead dessert for springtime. By definition, a mousse is a soft, sweet or savory, prepared food that incorporates air bubbles to create its distinct silky mouth […]

A cream pie, of any kind, is a variation of an old-fashioned custard pie. But to me, a banana cream pie is a culinary work of art.  It is a magical combination of creamy vanilla custard, bananas, and whipped cream all layered together. This dreamy filling is set in an irresistible coconut graham cracker crumble […]

Although I am not a die-hard chocolate fanatic, many I know are. This recipe is for them. Chocolate can make many wonderful things, pudding is one of them. Chocolate pudding was a childhood treat that sometimes appeared in my school lunch box. But the kind I ate was not the homemade kind, it came in […]

Coconut cream pie falls in the “retro dessert” category. By retro, I mean an old-fashioned/vintage dessert that evokes a feeling of nostalgia whenever I have it. This old-school dessert may have fallen in and out of popularity over the years, but it should not be forgotten. From custards and puddings to jiggly mid-century confections, many […]

A no-bake, chocolate matzo icebox cake, layered with whipped cream and chocolate is the Passover-friendly, no-bake dessert I should have thought up years ago. I am mean seriously, with all the many things I have made with matzo over the years, how the heck did I not think of this sooner? This matzo icebox cake […]

You can’t avert your eyes and you know it. It’s a Biscoff mascarpone icebox cake and it is killer. This beauty is the easy, prep-ahead holiday dessert you’ve been looking for. Building an icebox cake is not difficult, the trick is chilling the cake untouched. Overnight, magic happens. The cream will soften the cookie layers […]

Rice pudding is something my mother loves. Although she never made it from scratch, I have always associated rice pudding with her. My mother did not teach me how to make this classic comfort food, ironically I learned how to make it at my first job out of culinary school. Although hired as a saucier, […]

Despite my boys being back in school, technically, it’s still summer. This has always been a strange thing for me to accept. In New York, school started after Labor Day.  Even after so many years living on the West Coast, that still seems “normal“. With August winding to a close, Northern California is still seeing […]

Even with all the amazing ice cream flavors out there, chocolate and vanilla remain two of the most popular flavors around. Not a huge surprise to me, but then again, I’ve always been a fan of the classics. Chocolate has always been a favorite of my boys. Straight-up, no toppings, the richer the better. While […]

Pot de crème is a simple baked custard I have blogged about before.  Last time it was a classic chocolate pot de creme, an old favorite, this time I’m talking rich creamy butterscotch. Both of my pot de creme are delicious, but very different. Butterscotch has always fascinated me. I have loved the flavor since […]

There’s no hiding it, I love French food.  I’ve taken three trips to Paris in my life.  And I can tell you I ate my way through the city, always leaving wanting more.  The last two trips came after I studied at the French Culinary Institute, now known as The International Culinary Center, which left me […]

Although it feels odd to say it, my history with rice pudding is a complicated one. My mom ate it often when I was a kid. Not the homemade kind, but the kind that came in a small individual package with a pullback foil top. I had no major objections to it.  But this was […]

It’s almost Memorial Day–a holiday honoring those who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces.  It is a patriotic day for those in the United States.  But Memorial Day has also come to represent the unofficial start of the summer season.  With this, you have vacations, family gatherings, camping adventures, pool parties, and […]