Brown sugar pecan cupcakes with caramel frosting

They tasted so much better than they looked.

A Good Idea

A trio of deviled eggs, served as an appetizer at a gourmet diner style restaurant, where each deviled egg was infused with a different flavor (I'm thinking something like truffles, hot pepper, anchovies, capers, etc...)

Would be a humorous nod to those trios of creme brulee that were everywhere for a while.

Maybe the best thing about summer

I was on the way back to the kitchen with a tomato I'd just picked and wondered why the scent isn't used more often in perfume. It's sharp, like a citrus, sweet, a little spicy, very fresh. A little like basil or grapefruit, but also grassy. It would probably be hard to place, and blend well with other odors. I'd wear it.

My job was to bring dessert

Christmas Eve dinner with the family up in LA. We were charged with bringing dessert, so I made two things.

1. Chocolate Cherry Heering Truffles. I figure everybody would want a little truffle with coffee after dinner, and I've never tried to make them before. It was easy, but very hands-on:


2. A lemon mascarpone tart with an almond lavender crust. The lemons are from my grandparents tree, and the lavender is from my parents garden. Doughs and crusts are a challenge for me, but I think this one turned out ok.


I'm about to put on my party dress and hit the road. I hope everybody is having a wonderful holiday!