Who’s been a good doggie? My girl certainly has. And she certainly deserves these wholesome treats made exclusively for her. Unlike other dog biscuits I posted earlier, these ones are for dogs’ consumption. They are made of brown rice flour, rolled oats, brewers yeast and beef stock. And Lexis finds them delicious.

Lexis is almost 10 months now and what an incredibly smart, loyal, loving and gentle dog she is! She is starting her advance obedience class in a few days. Here, she is demonstrating her “wait”.

Nobody in the family can imagine our life without her. We all became happier and healthier since we’ve got her. Happy New Year, dear!!!

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Before it’s too late, and while they are still available, I’d like to share a nice way of preserving the raspberries rather than freezing them or making jams. The method is not cheap, but well worth the money spent. The raspberries will keep well for several months, easily up to the Christmas time, and will make a lovely addition to any home-baked/made gift baskets (if you do such things). These berries are so good in chocolate tarts, soufflés or mousses.

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Here is a simple set of steps you need to follow to cook your can of condensed milk without a fear it explodes all over the kitchen you’ve just renovated.

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The most descriptive word for this would be “addictive”. I made the crocante planning to serve it with not-yet-made ice cream in a couple of days (the crocante can be kept for up to 2 weeks – theoretically speaking). But it was all eaten the same day and I ended up making another batch of the crocante for my project…

The crocante is not teeth-breaking hard; it’s very porcelain crowns-friendly :).

Adapted from “Dolce Italiano”

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Well, I wouldn’t call it a “cake”. But the author is the one who decides. I found the recipe in Nancy Silverton’s “Pastries from the La Brea Bakery”. It sounded like a perfect accompaniment for a cheese platter and I wasn’t disappointed in the flavor. The initial presentation was quite impressive but, as I suspected, the “cake” was not easy to cut through the whole almonds in the middle of rather soft layers of figs. We ended up serving it from the bowl. Nobody complained, the flavor was still delicious. But the next time I make this thing (and I will, it’s definitely worth it) I’d use chopped or, better yet, sliced almonds instead to ensure easy and neat cuts. The cake can be made a couple of hours in advance but I would not recommend assembling it a night or so before – the almonds will lose their crunch.

Adapted from Nancy Silverton’s “Pastries from the La Brea Bakery”

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If I was asked to name my favorite cookies of all, that would be it. Although, I’m not so sure that they can be actually considered as cookies per se. Or maybe they can because of their shape, in this particular case. Anyway, they are my favorite thing.

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