Cranberry, Pear, and Almond Frangipane Tart

So it’s January and I’m still posting my Thanksgiving recipes…..

Anyhow, this one was actually a last minute addition to the Thanksgiving menu. There was a total of 15 of us and I realized that one apple pie and one pumpkin cheesecake would be just enough for everyone, and, of course, just you don’t want just barely enough of anything you’re serving – you want to make sure there’s plenty to go around. I wasn’t quite sure what to make that would be Thanksgiving-y, and it occurred to me that I should use cranberries seeing as how they weren’t on the main menu.

Pistachio Cardamom Shortbread Cookies

Happy new year! I know I’ve been totally slacking on posting regularly, but I’ve come up with a few ideas to maximize my use of time, so hopefully I won’t be as negligent on here anymore (at least not for the next few months…I also have to kick the wedding planning into high gear – I’m getting married in eight months!)

Anyway, a few weekends ago, I went on a baking bender and made tons of cookies for a friend's family's holiday party as well as to take down to my fiance's family's house for Christmas (I still can’t reconcile palm trees + Christmas lights). Among the many cookies I made were these little shortbread cookies.

Kabocha Squash (Pumpkin) Cheesecake with Graham-Lime-Walnut Crust

Pumpkin pie: people either love it or hate it. I, as a lover of all things pumpkin, obviously don’t hate it, but I am very picky about it. Most of them have a bad crust and the filling is usually too sweet and cinnamony (I really don’t like cinnamon). But if it’s made well, it’s oh so good.

A number of years ago, I very briefly worked at a fancy Chinese restaurant at which Pichet Ong was the pastry chef. I absolutely loved, and to this day, still do love, his Asian-inspired desserts. About a year after that, the New York Times printed a wonderful recipe of his a few weeks before Thanksgiving for a twist on the classic pumpkin pie: a Kabocha squash pie. Kabocha squash is among the sweetest varieties of squash (see this NYT article if you don’t believe me), so it lends itself perfectly to dessert. My favorite thing about it is its vibrant orange color - it's very Day-Glo-esqsue. Pichet's pie's filling contains the standard pumpkin pie spices, but is heavier on the ginger than the standard. The crust is perhaps the best part – it’s a graham cracker crust that’s perked up with ginger, lime, and walnuts. The addition of nuts make the crust rich and almost candy-like, and the flavor is just outstanding. Overall, it's a nice little Thai twist.

Luxe Mac and Cheese

I promised a friend that I’d post this last week, and, of course, I’m only getting around to it now….

I’ve always loved cheese (I have a hilarious/embarrassing childhood story about my love for cheese), so it naturally follows that I’ve always loved mac and cheese. I always looked forward to the one Saturday a month that mom made the Kraft stuff for me and my brother, and I continued to love it (and try to not eat the whole box) well into my early 20’s. But then one day I went to Artisanal (aka the temple of cheese) with my friends Elise and Kristen and we decided to be indulgent and order a side of their mac and cheese. It was amazing – light years better than the stuff made from powdered cheese, and even more satisfying. I have no idea what blend of cheeses they use, but it was perfect – pungent, creamy, rich, and perfectly seasoned.