I’ve long had a bit of a macaron obsession, but only in recent months have I been experimenting more with making them myself. 

For my second macaron recipe on the blog, I’m just adapting from my first flavor (Chocolate Macarons). These cookies are filled with the same chocolate ganache as before, and the shells are speckled with coffee grounds. (more…)

Some people think that putting frosting on top of brownies is weird. They think that icing is just for cake or maybe sugar cookies, but never for something as sweet and rich as brownies. 

I think that people who say crazy things like that have never tried a good iced brownie (like this one). Sure, no one likes stomach-ache-inducing sugar-bomb sweets, but it is possible to make rich desserts that don’t leave you feeling this way. 

Take this mocha mousse brownie, for example. It is a rich brownie with a mousse icing. But this mousse icing is, well, mousse. It’s creamy and light and fluffy and sweet and chocolatey… the icing itself is like a cloud. It balances the dense chocolate of the brownie. It adds a touch of class, a taste of fancy, to this ubiquitous American dessert.  (more…)

Even though most people love chocolate, some are pretty picky about their chocolate cakes. 

Luckily, with this cake recipe I was able to please everyone who tried it. 

The cake is a bit fudgey without being overly rich. It has a slight coffee flavor to it that’s not overwhelming. It’s sweetened rather lightly, so don’t worry about this being a sugar-bomb! The icing is similarly light and sweet: it’s just heavy whipping cream with a bit of sugar.  (more…)