RECIPE: Bouchons Au Chocolat

Bouchon (BOO-shone) is the French word for cork; hence the name of these little chocolate cookie-cakes*, bouchons au chocolat. They’re made in timbale molds, also called baba molds (photo #2). They are rich and brownie-like, and the inspiration for Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery (here’s his bouchon recipe). These chocolate “corks” are an ideal sweet…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Black-Eyed Peas For The New Year

For prosperity in the new year, it’s a Southern tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day—most popularly in the beans-and-rice dish, Hoppin’ John. Other favorites are black-eyed peas and ham, the peas often combined with collards (photo #3). The custom is actually a lot older than the U.S., and began in the Middle…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Champagne Gelatin (Not Jell-O) Shots

[1] Erica’s Sweet Tooth found fancy picks to decorate her champagne gelatin shots. We could only find these at Ali Express, but we did find others with jewel-like accents and these with faux pearls. Plus, instructions to make your own. [2] Coucou Jolie used a star-shape ice cube mold to make stars. You can stir…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Quick Chocolate Dipping Sauce With Biscotti Or Ladyfingers

If friends and neighbors are dropping by for some holiday cheer, here’s a very quick recipe for a delicious snack. It works well as a quick dessert, too. Keep biscotti around—they have a long shelf life—or ladyfingers, which freeze well and can be revived in a minute in the microwave. Then, in less than five…
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Cute Snowman Cake or Snowman Cookies Recipe

[1] What looks like a snowman cake is actually a stacked cookie from Lila Loa. But you can baked a three-layer cake instead, with graduated layers. [2] Melting Snowman cookie. Here’s the recipe (photo © Pillsbury).   If you don’t celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, or other year-end holiday, you can still have a special seasonal cake.…
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