Pain chocolat (Chocolate Croissants)

That's right...I finally made home-made croissants. It's like that French secret recipe that everyone avoids, and how can you blame us? Just the idea that you can turn a piece of dough into a flaky multi-layered pastry leaves us fearful of the complex instructions and in dread of all the possible ways we can screw it up. But once you do master it, oh the endless possibilities...

Read around in different books and websites and the consensus is: they are pain to make, but upon first bite you instantly forget about all the pain (interestingly, also kind of like what they say about childbirth too).

David and I have both been missing home, and so on the same day I decided to make a thousand dumplings and different side dishes for an upcoming dinner party (to be posted soon), I also thought that this would be an interesting endeavor to take on. Anyway, to be frank, the 8 step recipe cost me quite a few hours of sleep and even finally pushed me to get a bigger cutting board to roll the dough right in the middle of steps 6 and 7 because I just couldn't take it anymore.

The final result though was pretty much amazing...and these little babies with a latte brought back amazing memories of France. Come over quick and we can daydream about having brunch by the Seine after I offer you a chocolate croissant and a latte.

Although to be fair, these might not last until morning.

Apricot Tart

Apricots have quickly become one of my favorite fruits. I think it's elusiveness is what draws me to it. For some reason, I feel like I wait for most of the year for it to come into season and just as quickly as it appears, it disappears leaving empty bins with a pathetic mashed up apricot in the corner and a tear in my eye. I wonder if this is simply just another tragedy associated with living in Boston. That "hard to get" factor along with some delicious apricot confiture in the dead of winter increased my hunger for it even more. Thus the minute I got the chance, out came this apricot tart.

Beauty

Flourless dairy-free chocolate cake

We recently got invited to a BBQ hosted by one of our dear friends who has both a gluten and dairy allergy. I thought it would still be nice to make a dessert that she could eat rather than leave her out for convenience sake. After skimming through hundreds of sources, I soon realized there was a lack of recipes catered to such allergies (let alone BOTH), but I was determined to make something rich and chocolaty (her favorite ingredient).

Thus with what seemed like hundreds of substitutions such as that of maple syrup and coconut cream for butter, this came out.

I was nervous until the first bite but it passed the test with flying colors! Phew!

Now I wonder if the increasing rates of allergies in the US means the real market lies in starting a gluten free dairy free bakery. Anyone interested in being a future partner for this non-existent bakery?

Marble Cake

Vanilla bean cake with fudge brownie topped with cream cheese frosting.

Everything, including crumbs, is gone.