A Simple French Classic: Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin simply means; chicken with wine. The delectable delicate flavors of this classic French dish kisses your palate with essences of fresh herbs and subtle wine. Coq au Vin is really quite easy to put together, so there’s no need for any intimidation factors. I used Pinot noir in this recipe for the…

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Croque Madame: The French Grilled Cheese

In France, Croque Madame is a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with the addition of a simple white cream sauce and fried egg. The Croque Monsieur is the same, but without the egg. This creamy, cheesy, slightly salty, flavorful French delight originated in French cafés and bars as a quick snack or lunch. Typically, Emmental…

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Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Stout Buttercream

This is my very first blog post: Date: 2/28/14. While I haven’t changed a word I did add a few additional photos. How time flies… 🙂 One needn’t be a beer fan to become one of these luscious, spongy delights. These Chocolate stout or Guinness chocolate cupcakes are dense, flavorful and moist. The frosting, also…

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Black & White Cupcakes & a little cookie history

Black & White Cookies aka Half moon cookies, half and half cookies and in Germany Amerikaners have always been an elusive, personal favorite of mine. Why elusive? Mostly because they are so difficult to find! However, when I do unearth them, I snatch up a dozen of the soft, hand-sized, yin and yang frosted shortbreads,…

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Strawberry Creme Shortcake Cupcakes

  Strawberry season is on the horizon and these charming, petite, portable shortcakes are an ideal treat for family get-togethers, parties, BBQs, bridal showers or even an afternoon tea. They are very easy to put together and the secret is to place fresh sliced berries in between the frosting—the sweetness from the frosting serves as…

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S’mores Cupcakes Featuring Chocolate Marshmallow Buttercream

As we continue with cupcake week I wanted to introduce you to a shop favorite. I was asked to put these together by a dear, kind man with a massive sweet tooth! His comment was “Lana, I love S’mores and adore your cupcakes—how can we make both?” Today’s recipe is my solution and they were…

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Raspberry Filled Yellow Fairy Cakes with Lemon Buttercream

So, what are Fairy Cakes anyway? Fairy cakes are not, as their name might imply, themed cakes designed and decorated to the liking of mystical, fantasy enthusiasts. They are, simply stated, smaller versions of cupcakes. They’re widely popular in the UK, and tend not to pile on the icing in the same way that American…

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Incredibly Simple Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise & a little history

  This week we’ve celebrated the wonders of American Fare. Served up today is another U.S culinary phenomenon, Eggs Benedict! Contrary to popular belief Eggs Benedict’s origin is not that of foreign ground. Yep, it’s all American! It even possesses its own National Day, April 16th, which I missed this year. Better late than never,…

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