pumpkin crème brûlée image

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Recipe

As I post this recipe, I carefully duck under my desk in case anyone decides to toss some virtual tomatoes at me here. Yes, this is another pumpkin recipe on the internet. But in all honesty, I didn’t know pumpkin crème brûlée was even a thing until last Thanksgiving. My cousin had contributed to the dessert spread by making these tasty treats for us, and I was immediately in love. 

french chocolate mousse recipe image

French Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Oh, how this French chocolate mousse tested my patience! But I guess that’s what happens when you decide to follow a recipe from a sacred French establishment like Le Cordon Bleu. Recipe failure is also bound to happen when you’re attempting to recreate perfection off a distant memory. When I set out to make this mousse, I wanted to recreate the mousse I had at the corner cafe, steps away from the Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Paris. The mousse was as rich and thick as it was light and fluffy; a contradiction that seems impossible, but yet is magically so. 

easy rice pudding in a ramekin close up shot

Easy Rice Pudding Recipe

Rice pudding is not a new thing. The simple, but tasty dessert has been around for ages and adapted by various cultures. The rice pudding I’m going to share with you today is one adapted by the Greek, which was published by Bon Appétit magazine. If you’ve ever had those Kozy Shack rice pudding cups, then you’ll know exactly what this will taste like, a.k.a. divine. The difference is the cinnamon addition, but since I love the spice, I really enjoy the extra ingredient. Feel free to omit the ingredient if you’d rather have a more plain rice pudding.

clafoutis aux poires

Clafoutis aux Poires

While I enjoy making delicate profiteroles or a frosted cake, I’ve never been one to take myself too seriously when it comes to the details of pastry making. I feel there’s a constant battle within me between my perfectionist tendencies and my impatient side. The perfectionist in me demands frosted cakes be smoothly finished, while my lack of patience will hold me back from creating something as intricate as handmade meringue flowers for the top of the cake. I admire those of you who commit to the art greatly, but it’s just not my cup of tea. That’s why French country cooking has always been my happy compromise. A dessert like this clafoutis aux poires delivers the elegance and beauty my perfectionist side seeks, and yet maintains the simplicity and ease that my impatient side is all too eager to take advantage of.

hazelnut chocolate cake

Hazelnut Chocolate Cake with Caramel Marshmallow Ice Cream

On occasion, I get the temptation for something utterly tantalizing and decadent. Actually, who am I kidding? I constantly find myself battling the temptation to indulge. In Paris, this battle proves to be most difficult and constant since there are an endless amount of patisseries lined up along the cobblestone streets of the city, featuring gorgeous cakes, tarts, and confectionaries. While indulgence can come in the form of a butter cake, such as the creme brulee cake I made last week, I find that nothing beats an intensely rich and moist chocolate cake. This hazelnut chocolate cake is the kind of cake that commands you to close your eyes and release a sigh of pure contentment. And if that wasn’t enough, I paired this cake with my favorite no-churn, caramel marshmallow ice cream for ultra decadence.