Tiramisu is not something I make too often, but when I do, I put some distance between the traditional recipe and me. I don’t have an explanation for it – it just happens. Given the fact that traditional tiramisu contains coffee and this one does not, a question arises – is it still tiramisu or…
Sweet treats
{Hazelnut Banana Spread} – Crema de banane si alune de padure
Spreads aren’t really that popular in Romania. Well, maybe except Nutella, but let’s face it – as delicious as this famous spread might be, it is packed with sugar and powdered milk and vegetable oil. And even though I know some of these ingredients are harmless, I for one much rather make my own spread,…
{Quadruple Chocolate Brownies} – Brownies cu ciocolata
Quadruple Chocolate Brownies don’t wear this name by chance – they do consist of 4 types of chocolate: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and gianduja chocolate. If you add to this equation the chocolate used in the actual batter you end up with so much chocolate that only a true chocoholic could handle this…
{Cherry Chocolate Verrines} – Verine cu cirese si ciocolata
A while back I saw these cute little plant pot looking dessert glasses and this idea sparked my mind – what if I play around this idea and come up with something delicious to fill them with, followed by actually planting something in the edible soil?! It sounded fun so I ended up actually making…
{Caramelized Popcorn Chouquettes} – Chouquettes cu popcorn caramelizat
Oh boy, I love everything that is caramelized! It is such a cool technique to improve taste and texture even to a pastry product! Think about caramelized sugar, about caramelized butter/ brown butter, think about that golden crust on so many desserts. Superb! But then I discovered caramelized popcorn and my world has turned upside…
{Mango Passion Fruit Caramels} – Caramele cu mango si fructul pasiunii
It’s been a few years since I played around with the idea of caramels, but here they are, making an entrance once again. Not your regular sea salt caramels this time though. These particular ones are tangy and intense, packed with flavor and have the best texture ever! And they are really not that difficult…
{Sweet Potato Fried Donuts} – Gogosi prajite cu dovleac/cartof dulce
I didn’t grow up with potatoes, they were something completely new when I first discovered them. I’m not gonna lie, that happen fairly late in life and it only did because I used them for my son’s vegetable puree when he was a tiny baby. I was never impressed by their taste, but I did…
{Nutella Swirled Banana Bread} – Chec cu banane si Nutella
Those of you loving Nutella, please raise your hands! Me included! In my case however, this love is strongly connected to my childhood. As Romania at that time was recently out of communism and I was living in a fairly isolated part of the country, pretty much everything of this kind (Nutella, candies, chocolate) was…
{Double Chocolate Raspberry Brownies} – Brownies cu ciocolata si zmeura
Hey there, my dear chocoholics! This recipe is for you! These double chocolate raspberry brownies have more chocolate than you can think of and just a touch of raspberry for that kick the berries add to pretty much any recipe. They look beautiful and they taste even better! So gooey and flavorful, packed with chocolate…
{Hazelnut Loaf Cake} – Chec cu alune de padure
I gotta admit that my work as a pastry chef revolves around one word: creaminess. I do love this particular texture for the way it melts in your mouth, for the way it allows flavors to explode on your taste buds, for how it makes you crave more! From time to time though I bake…
{Chouquettes}
Let’s put it this way: there are techniques that I love and techniques that I like, things that I do to improve my skills and things that I do out of pure passion. Pastry can be both fun and difficult at the same time, it can push your limits or make you do the same…
{Hot Chocolate Lollipops} – Acadele pentru ciocolata calda
There is something soothing about chocolate! The way it lingers on the spatula when you temper it, the way it coats your products or its taste, they all are mesmerizing in a way than any other ingredient is not. Chocolate is probably the most versatile of the ingredients used in pastry, one that has so…
