Daring Bakers

Dahlia Cookies

It was 3am when we pulled away from our apartment that last time, and noon when we hit El Paso. We'd driven through 600 miles of Hill Country, mesquite, sage and then desert, mesas, and mountains. The next day and the next were the same, canyons of sand and rock and unforgiving light. We crossed dry grassy land, then drier river beds as we coursed north.

Then we began to climb.

• 6 comments
• Read more

Apricot Ice Cream Baked Alaska

The picture is one I'd rather forget. I'm standing apart from my friends Leah and Julie, wearing a gypsy-looking skirt and a scowl. I'm about 10 and from the looks of it, fresh into a tantrum. It's a pre-birthday dinner photo-op, and even though I can't remember what I was so pissed about, the memory of dessert sticks in my head like popcorn in my maw. Bananas Foster, my favorite flame-o dessert, likely landed in front of me that night.

• 6 comments
• Read more

Blackberry and Orange Thyme Bombe

Your eyes start in the middle and follow the dark purple ribbon in a circle. Suddenly it ends and your eyes search for a new beginning, a new ribbon to trace on this frosty dome. Inside it's robed in creamy whites and browns, but the blackberry lanterns persist, you can't escape.

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.

• 12 comments
• Read more

Chocolate Pavlovas with Mascarpone Mousse

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.

• 6 comments
• Read more