first

January 11, 2016
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Espresso Brownies with Espresso Ganache

These brownies should be marked “For Adults Only”. They are deep, rich, dark chocolate with an intense hit of espresso. There is espresso powder in the brownie and in the ganache frosting. You don’t usually think about a chocolate dessert at Thanksgiving but this is the perfect last bite to follow those traditional Thanksgiving flavors […]

October 12, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Triple Almond Cookies

Years ago, when I made my first almond cake using almond paste, entire world of desserts opened up for me. I never get tired of the flavor of almonds. It can be subtle, as in some cakes, or intense as in these Triple Almond Cookies. If someone doesn’t like almonds, they won’t like these, but […]

September 24, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Rocky Road Toffee

You need to stop whatever you’re doing and make this recipe immediately! I know it freezes well because the first time I made it (as a test), it was so good, I had to tightly wrap it, seal it up and put in my garage freezer to stop from eating it all. And as good […]

July 20, 2015
At Home with Friends

4 comments

Ginger Mascarpone Cheesecake

There are a lot of no-bake cheesecake recipes out there, but I haven’t found any this good, and in the interest of research, I’ve tried lots and lots. This one has an unusual blend of cream cheese, low fat yoghurt, mascarpone and heavy cream. Yes, there is sugar in the cookie crust as well as […]

July 16, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Giant Cornmeal Anise Cookie

No matter what our parents told us, we all know it’s fun to play with food. Maybe not a food fight (at least in my house) but fun to play. What better time than Game Night to have food to play with? So I made a giant cookie that my friends got to pass around […]

July 6, 2015
At Home with Friends

3 comments

Chocolate Prune Cake with Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

My Chocolate Prune Cardamom Cookies and the combination was so scrumptious I went in search of other chocolate prune recipes. I found David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Prune Cake that he took to a dinner party in Paris. I figured if it was good enough for a dinner party in Paris, it was fine for Game Night […]

June 5, 2015
At Home with Friends

1 comment

Chocolate Prune Cardamom Cookies

I have been toying with the idea of mixing prunes and dark chocolate in desserts. I like both flavors and sometimes find myself in my pantry looking for a snack, and I grab a moist delicious pitted prune and a square of dark chocolate. Who would have thought these would combine to make a great […]

May 22, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Cherry Walnut Chocolate Hermit Cookies

You might want to make this recipe first and immediately get the cookies into your freezer, just in case of a party emergency. This is a very sophisticated cookie. It has a dense chocolate cake like texture with walnuts, dried cherries and a kiss of Vandermint liqueur. You can serve it after a very elegant meal, […]

April 27, 2015
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Coconut Oatmeal Ginger Cookies

I always keep homemade cookies in my freezer for friends who drop by for a cup of tea or spur of the moment dinner guests. These are not your typical oatmeal raisin cookies. They are loaded with shredded coconut, crystallized ginger and golden raisins. They are dense, chewy and perfect with fresh fruit or dish […]

December 5, 2014
At Home with Friends

2 comments

Almond Cookies

If this recipe seems familiar, it should: It is basically the same recipe I use for the Pignoli Cookies, but without the pine nuts and lemon zest added. It’s important to realize that when you have a great recipe, you can tweak it in many ways  People who attended both parties had no idea that […]