pastries

This month, some dear friends from college will be visiting me in San Francisco. Whenever I have out-of-towners, my favorite way to welcome them is with a small savory or sweet treat — always homemade, for a little personal touch. This time, I'll be making scones. After all, what puts one at ease better than a warm pile of just-baked breakfast breads?

Since one of them has a sweet tooth, and the other is a total cheesehead, I'll be making two different types. The first, a traditional scone, will be slightly saccharine and studded with raisins; the second, cheesy-chivey goodness, topped off with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Both will be spectacularly crumbly, and insanely scrumptious with imported Irish butter. Interested in the recipes? Get them here.

I've gone and developed a pretty tasty habit for myself. Every week, I buy myself a raisin custard roll from the farmers market near Sugar HQ. Initially, I felt pretty guilty about indulging in such a decadent pastry but now I look forward to it. In fact, I welcome it. Because it's become a weekly ritual, I no longer give into cravings as much as I used to. I've also noticed that I don't buy sweets on a whim any longer. Instead, I find myself content throughout the week because I know that there's a yummy pastry waiting for me every Thursday.

If you're sticking to a healthy diet but still find yourself craving rich or fatty foods, I suggest that you try to give yourself a cheat day, too. It gives you something to look forward to and prevents you from feeling deprived. Celebs like Sandra Bullock practice this same technique, and trainers like Harley Pasternak encourages this type of eating to their clients. What will your cheat food be?

Source: Flickr User Phillie Casablanca

It's high time I set the record straight: macaron is not an alternate spelling of macaroon! In fact, the two terms refer to distinctly different things. Both macarons and macaroons are confections, and both names are derived from ammaccare, which is Italian for "to crush" — but that's where the similarities end.

A macaron specifically refers to a meringue-based cookie made with almond flour, egg whites, and granulated and powdered sugar, then filled with buttercream or fruit spread. The delicate treat has a crunchy exterior, and a weightless interior with a soft ending that's almost nougatlike in its chewiness. To add to the confusion, it's often called a French macaroon.

In contrast, the word macaroon is a generic phrase that is applied to a number of small, sweet confections. Mostly, the term is equated with the the moist and dense coconut macaroon, which is composed of egg whites, sugar, and dried coconut, piped with a star-shaped tip, and often dipped in chocolate. The coconut macaroon, or congolais, as it's known in France, is frequently served during Passover because it contains no flour. Which would you rather eat?

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Source: Flickr Users _FXR and Itinerant Tightwad

Below, OnSugar blog Fresh Tart makes the most of leftover pate brisee — and the end of the season's apples and pears — by rolling out a rustic galette.

You can thank the asparagus & leek tart for this treat.  The original pie crust (pate brisee) recipe makes two crusts (I halved it for the posted recipe), so I had extra dough sitting in the fridge.  I brushed over it a couple of times, thinking I'd probably make another quiche and freeze it.  But then I noticed my fruit bowl, holding two very ripe pears, and two dusky apples, and well...a tart was born.

See how her dessert comes together when you read more.

This story was written by member girlA and comes from The Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange group in the YumSugar Community.Yum! These were quite delicious and easy to make. The recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of applesauce and of course, I didn’t have any. We’re not big applesauce eaters here and I knew that any leftovers would turn different shades of green and white, so I opted to make my own. I just chopped up 1/2 a Granny Smith — skins and all — and threw it into the food processor with a 1/4 cup of water and a teaspoon of sugar. Worked beautifully! Also, the recipe calls for flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, yet strangely never mentions it again. I nearly forgot to add it! So I figured the best time to do so was when adding the applesauce and vanilla. Seemed to be the perfect time. The lemon-flavored icing was the perfect accompaniment to these cookies!

To get her recipe, keep reading.

This story was written by member syako and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.Mardi Gras is a couple weeks away, and this New Orleanian gal — who's been transplanted to Maryland — misses this holiday the most! Even more, I miss the yummy gooey king cake that goes with it. So I made one myself this weekend and the result was fabulous! It's definitely worth trying. Hope you enjoy.

To get her recipe, keep reading.