When the weather is as hot as we’ve got here, cool and tangy dessert like this seems soothing and refreshing. I made the pudding late at night, after the summer heat subsided, and the idea of stirring a hot mixture on the stove didn’t look so torturous. The madeleines, unfortunately, can’t be baked in advance (although the batter can, and, actually, should be made earlier). So, I still had to turn my oven on the following day, but only for a brief moment – it took under 15 minutes for the madeleines to bake. And this sort of cookies/cakes  is worth to be made even during the most excruciating heat.

Continue with the recipe »

I believe everybody is familiar with the savory cheese version of cream puffs. The technique is the same, and it’s not complicated. The only problem these little appetizers present is a possible overindulging; it’s difficult to eat just a few. This particular recipe is from the mentioned earlier Gale Gand’s “Brunch!” How are these gougères different? She added a bit of Dijon mustard to the choux (such a lovely touch), brushed the freshly baked gougères with a mixture of garlic-infused melted butter and fresh chopped parsley and then sprinkled them with Parmesan (maybe the latter makes the gougères a little bit less authentic but, dare I say, even tastier).

Continue with the recipe »