Valerie

Two-Bite Chocolate Almond Biscotti

By: Valerie December 7, 2015December 4, 2020

Cookies, Bars and Biscottialmond, chocolateLeave a Comment

Chocolate. Almonds. Bite size. This recipe was a bit more complex than others but is very well explained, utilizes some of my favorite ingredients and generates a ton of biscotti. I just had to try it. I found that there was a little something something missing in the taste of these biscotti, but I haven’t quite been able to put my finger on it. Maybe it is the use of cocoa powder as opposed to other types of chocolate that changed the flavor profile of these compared to what I am used to.

Apple-Raisin Walnut Bars

By: Valerie December 1, 2015December 4, 2020

Cookies, Bars and Biscottiapple, cinnamon, raisin, walnutLeave a Comment

Oh how the months have passed me by! They fled at the speed of light. Almost December already! Finally having some free time on my hand and a spare apple to use, I decided to make these apple-raisin walnut bars. Let me tell you, these are delightful!! They are ultra moist with all the right flavours: apple, the sweetness of raisins and that touch of cinnamon.

Maple Crème with Almond Crackle

By: Valerie September 21, 2015December 4, 2020

Custards, Puddings and Soufflésalmond, creme brulee, custard, mapleLeave a Comment

Having plenty of cream in my fridge meant that I was going to make a custardy-type dessert, such as this maple crème topped with an almond crackle. It is not a crème brûlée per se because the top has not been coated with sugar that was burnt and caramelized to create the typical hard crust. In its place, a nut crackle is used to create the crunchy feeling usually obtained by the caramelization of the sugar.

Nut Crackle

By: Valerie September 21, 2015December 4, 2020

Frosting, sauces and garnishescrackle, nut1 Comment

Needing a garnish for a dessert that I wanted to make, I made this simple yet elegant nut crackle garnish. For my particular dessert I doubled the recipe, and for some reason the “crackle” never really solidified completely, making it difficult to break into pieces. Perhaps I should have kept in a bit longer in the oven to cook the syrup more, but I am not sure if that was the problem. I will keep you posted!

Cinnamon-Apple Almond Streusel Squares

By: Valerie September 12, 2015December 4, 2020

Cookies, Bars and Biscottiapple, cinnamon, streusel2 Comments

Surplus of both apples and free time has led me to make these cinnamon-apple almond streusel squares. As Anna writes in her cookbook, this dessert does indeed smell like apple pie in the making, but it takes considerable less effort to make! The taste is as expected: the deliciousness of apples merged with cinnamon and butter. The format of these squares makes them easy to eat and to share!

Tangy Lemon Walnut Squares

By: Valerie August 20, 2015December 4, 2020

Cookies, Bars and Biscottilemon, shortbread, walnutsLeave a Comment

Lemon desserts are not my favorite thing on the planet, but when one cannot eat chocolate one has to adapt. I made these bars mostly because walnuts are involved and they are easy to share, which is a bonus and makes it easy to bring to work! Perhaps I was a bit biased to start with, but I was not a big fan of this recipe. I found that the base was much to thick compared to the lemon layer, which made for a more dense and nutty bar.

Caramel Walnut Shortbread Squares

By: Valerie July 31, 2015December 4, 2020

Cookies, Bars and Biscotticaramel, shortbread, walnuts1 Comment

Last night I desperately needed to bake something that did not contain chocolate and could satisfy my sweet tooth. I thus present to you – caramel walnut shortbread squares.

Bountiful Coconut Almond Bars

By: Valerie June 8, 2015December 4, 2020

Cookies, Bars and Biscottialmond, chocolate, coconutLeave a Comment

After having been crazy-busy with my PhD for the last 3 months, I have finally found some calm again, enough for me to get back into baking at least. I made these coconut-almond-chocolate bars for a colleague’s birthday today. I wanted a recipe that didn’t look too complicated to ease back into it gently and I was not disappointed. These bars are simple to make yet taste delicious.

Baileys Chocolate Soufflés

By: Valerie March 7, 2015December 4, 2020

Custards, Puddings and SoufflésBaileys, caramel, chocolate, soufflé1 Comment

What is one to do with a large amount of egg whites leftover from making crème brûlées? Make soufflés, of course! Now I had never made a soufflé as I, like the majority of people I think, have always been intimidated by soufflés. Nonetheless, I decided that I would give it a shot by making this Baileys chocolate soufflé. It was not too complicated to make, but I was still nervous about messing it up. The first moment that gave me doubt was when the “thick paste” that I was supposed to obtain from combining the melted chocolate and the milk mixture was not so thick.

Creamy Caramel Sauce

By: Valerie March 6, 2015December 4, 2020

Frosting, sauces and garnishescaramel, sauce1 Comment

The dessert I made next called for this velvety and creamy caramel sauce. What a delight! It is fast to make and excellent. I highly suggest the addition of Baileys as it changes the whole taste profile. It is like caramel sauce for grown-ups!