Even the last scraps of home made puff pastry taste great and puff perfectly. Never ever dispose these precious leftovers, always put them to some use. The flavor of the real butter and the texture of the finished product is far superior compared to store-bought puff pastry.

I’m crazy about lemon-licorice combo. But the key is not to overdo the last component. If you wish, you can use anise seeds instead of fennel, but since the anise is more potent, reduce its amount accordingly. A little bit too much and you can end up with a cough syrup flavor.

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As easy as it gets – lightened by whipped cream fresh mango puree with blueberries and crushed coconut meringue folded in. Without taking into the account the meringue cookies (which are good on their own, not just as an addition to the fool), the dessert takes about five minutes to assemble. It tastes light and fresh, just the thing needed when the whether is so crazy hot.

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Desserts served in glasses (or any other vessels) are stress-free for entertaining hosts. All you have to do on the day you are having guests over is to transfer these glasses from the fridge onto the table. It is very nice not to slice or plate anything for a change, just try to relax and enjoy the company.

The toasts themselves, I suspect, originated from Australia (correct me, if I’m wrong). I saw similar cookies in Australian cooking books and magazines. The cookies are thinner and even leaner relatives of Italian biscotti; basically fat-free besides the fat contained in the nuts. If you are uncertain about using apricot kernels due to safety issues, substitute for whole almonds instead.

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I often call it a breakfast. That means I have an excuse to have a dessert afterwards with my morning espresso.  Yes, I believe every meal should be followed by a sweet course.

I prefer to bake rhubarb instead of cooking on a stove since it lessens the chance of overcooking. The rhubarb is such a sneaky veggie; one minute it’s raw and not even remotely done, the next moment – it’s already a puree.

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This is the same lemon pudding I posted earlier, but presented differently. The illusion is very realistic due to the color and consistency of the pudding and a lemon curd “yolks”. For the toast, there’s an anise seed génoise-sort-of-cake, baked in a loaf pan and toasted before serving. The texture of these “toasts” is nice, not even close to hard or difficult to bite in; they don’t need to be dunked before eating – they melt in the mouth.

Adapted from the Gourmet magazine

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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.

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