Sweet Testing: Dark Chocolate Tart with Gingersnap Crust

I make a lot of desserts that are incredibly time consuming. It is, most of the time, worth the extra time and effort, but, there are times, when I don’t really want to spend five hours in the kitchen. That is where this tart comes in. It is not only incredibly delicious, but also fast and easy to make. Delicious and easy. You can’t really beat that! It’s only downfall is that it may be too rich for some people. Personally, I don’t know the meaning of the words “too rich,” but, you know, some people just can’t handle it. I call those people “wimps.” As far as the recipe itself is concerned, I think the addition of the candied ginger on the top is a must. If you eat a little bit of the candied ginger with each bite, it’ll bring a whole new level of flavor to the cake. If you hate candied ginger, have no fear, the tart will still be super good. I also increased the pepper from ¼ to an 1/8 and added a bit of cinnamon to the base, which I think helps to balance out the chocolaty goodness. You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Sweet Testing: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust (Gluten Free)

I was seriously considering not posting this recipe because the photos I took turned out to be a little too Country Living for my tastes, but, after much debate, I decided to bite the bullet and post it because

A) The cheesecake was mighty delicious and I’m not even a huge cheesecake fan.

B) There is a cool visible layer on the outside of the cheesecake, which I love!

C) I wanted to show everyone that I do, occasionally, make desserts that aren’t from Baked!

D) This recipe can easily be made gluten free and I know that everyone appreciates a good gluten-free dessert!

I am also excited to be sharing this recipe because it is, in fact, a really cinchy one. Although, I am not happy that I still, somehow, managed to make not one, but two mistakes while preparing it! It was fifty percent my fault and fifty percent the fault of a missing step in the original recipe, but still . . . two mistakes! Oy vey. It actually turned out to be super yummy despite my errors, and I am thus posting my slightly altered version of the recipe, instead of the original.

Oh, and please note, the pomegranate seeds have nothing to do with the recipe, but were part of delicious pomegranate/orange juice/champagne concoction that was served before dinner. You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Homemade is Best by Ikea

Hel-lo gorgeous! That's what I thought when I first saw the photos from Ikea's new baking book Hembakat är Bäst (Homemade is Best). These beautiful images, taken by photographer Carl Kleiner and styled by Evelina Bratell, were inspired by high fashion and Japanese minimalism are Ikea's attempt to break from traditional food photography by focusing on the ingredients, instead of the finished product. The 140-page coffee table book contains 30 classic Swedish baking recipes, including Schackrutor, which Petra Borner was so kind to make us last year. The only bummer in all this is that Hembakat är Bäst is apparently only available in Ikea stores in Sweden and only for a limited time. Ikea, you're such a tease! If you'd like to see more from this colorful and interesting cookbook, Ikea's advertising agency is featuring pics on it's Web site, right here. Also, click here to view images on photographer Carl Kleiner's Web site.

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

My sister made these Martha Stewart cookies recently and I immediately snapped some pics because I knew that I wanted to share the recipe! So yummy!

You can find the recipe and a video right here on Martha's site. I've also posted the recipe after the jump.

Inspiration Board: Halloween

There are A TON of Halloween-related recipes circling the Web right now and trying to navigate your way through them all can be just a little exhausting. For this year's Halloween post, I wanted to narrow it down to the most inspiring options. So I scoured the World Wide Web, looking for ideas that I hadn't seen before or that made me smile wider than all the rest. Enjoy and Happy Halloween! [above: Marzipan Figures by Dean & Deluca ($35)]


Vampire Cookies by Baking Bites

Gingerbread Skeletons from The Secret Life of Food


Cupcake Envy's Spider cake and cupcakes (This one really creeps me out, which means that it must be good!)


Gingerbread Monster by Scottoons (This one is actually a clay sculpture, but I thought it was a cute idea for Halloween gingerbread cookies!)


Martha Stewart's Boo-tiful Cake


The Food Network's Screaming Spice Cookies

Black Pearl Cake (Wasabi & Ginger)

During my recent trip into the wonderful world of Wasabi ice cream, I stumbled upon this recipe for chocolate cake with ginger, wasabi, and black sesame! I'm a sucker for desserts with unusual flavors, so this cake, which was created by Katrina Markoff, CEO of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, is right up my alley. I can't wait to try it! Click here for the recipe, which originally appeared in Bon Appetit.

[top photo: Noel Barnhurst/Bon Appetit; bottom photo: catsun)

The Farnsworth House in Miniature

Keeping with my love of edible houses, may I present the gingerbread Farnsworth House, courtesy of cake designer April Reed. The New York Times recently did a piece on this yummy version of Mies van der Rohe's modern classic and I instantly feel in love with it! Of course, the price tag on this mini-house is $4,320, so it won't be sitting on my kitchen table anytime soon. On the plus side, 15 percent of the proceeds will be donated to help repair the much larger Farnsworth House in Illinois, so at least you'll know that some of your hard-earned money is going to charity. Click here to check out the piece in the New York Times and here to visit April Reed's Web site.

Ice Cream Sandwich Makers Ride Their Bikes, Too

I know that the holiday season is now upon us and the last thing you're probably thinking about in the dead of winter, while you're freezing your bum off, is ice cream, but I'm so excited about Ruby Jewel's ice cream sandwiches that I couldn't wait until spring to write about them! Not only am I impressed by their mouth-watering flavors like cinnamon chocolate with espresso, lemon with honey lavender, and, the seasonal treat, ginger cookie with pumpkin, but also with company's environmental philosophy. Lisa Herlinger, Ruby Jewel's founder, started selling her sandwiches at the Portland Farmer's Market, and has continued to support her community as the company has grown. The sandwiches are made from fresh, local, and natural ingredients, even when it's not cost effective, and, if you don't believe them, they even list their vendors on their Web site. In addition, they make every effort to limit waste, and actually reward their employees for riding their bikes to work!

If you live on the west side of the country, you can click here to find a store near you. The rest of the country can order online via their Web site. If you're torn between which flavor to order, Ruby Jewel has a variety-pack option, so you can sample each and every one!

Mid-Century Gingerbread House

I've always loved gingerbread houses. In part because of the detail involved in making them, but mostly because when I was a kid they seemed like the ultimate dessert fantasy! Each year I wanted to pick all the candy canes off the roof, but knew that I would be in big trouble if I did! So, as you can imagine, I really enjoyed seeing Red Envelope's modern take on the classic gingerbread house. It's renewed my interest in edible houses all over again! Click here for more info and to order online.

Chocolate with Bacon?

Being a vegetarian, I won't be sampling any chocolate bar with the word bacon on its packaging, but I had to post it because it's just so odd! I will admit, that after I thought about it for a minute, I decided that it probably does have a really great flavor, but maybe that's because I'm a sucker for all things sweet and salty. At the very least, it would be interesting! If you prefer a little less meat with your chocolate, Vosges offers a slew of interesting bars. There is chocolate with mushrooms, chocolate with wasabi, and chocolate with curry, among others.

For truffle lovers, the Aztec Collection offers up chilies and cinnamon, while the Zion Collection includes allspice, pumpkin seed, and ginger. Don't even get me started on the ice cream and brownies, both of which include equally unusual items in their ingredient lists. If you're tired of boring old chocolate, then definitely check out Vosges Haut-Chocolat. You can find their stores in Chicago, New York, and Las Vegas or you can click here to order items online.