Persimmon Crisp

Our Cookbook Club tradition is to do a Friendsgiving event in November, where instead of using a cookbook everyone makes a dish that’s either a Thanksgiving tradition for them or something new they want to try this year. It’s persimmon season, and my friend recently gave me a bag full from her tree. I make…

Chocolate Pomegranate Clusters

I got a load of pomegranates from a friend’s tree, and after eating a ton on salad still had so much left and was looking for something to do with them. These chocolate pomegranate clusters are an easy 3-ingredient guessipe, but they look super festive and are a great combo of salty-sweet-tangy. Perfect for holiday…

Quince Custard

A friend of mine gave me some quince, which are in the pear and apple family but aren’t eaten raw. I baked them into a custard which my boyfriend liked so much he said it was the best dessert I’ve ever made (though I should make the disclaimer that he has a really short memory…

Passion Fruit Panna Cotta

In my opinion passion fruit is an under-utilized fruit. I love passion fruit’s tropical sweet-tanginess. So I’m ecstatic that I’ve recently come across a local source for purple passion fruit. I’m using some of the seeds to try to grow my own! Until that gets going though, I used some of what I got to…

Rosemary Ricotta Lemon Bars

After making a full ricotta-themed meal (appetizer, main, dessert) with the best ricotta ever (no exaggeration), I had exactly 2/3 cup of ricotta left. I figured that was the perfect amount to mix into lemon bars for a little creaminess to smooth out the lemony tang. I also used rosemary in the shortbread crust to…

Lemon Ricotta Torte

I had made an appetizer and a savory main course with the ricotta from my friend, and I still had a few treasured cups left. So it seemed appropriate to try my hand at something sweet. Ricotta is so versatile! A crumb crust provides a nice bit of crunch to complement the creamy goodness of…

Guava Jam

My neighbors gave me some wonderfully ripe guavas fresh from their tree. I love the taste of guava, but I hate the multitude of seeds. I know that some people eat the seeds, but I find them unpleasantly hard. These guavas were so fragrant that I even tried eating one, but the seeds distracted from…

Coconut Mango Dessert Soup

I know a dessert soup sounds weird and maybe not that appetizing, but that’s probably because it has a better name that I don’t know. I once had something like this at a Chinese banquet dinner and loved it so much that I went around to all the people who looked like they weren’t eating…

Candied Kumquat Cremeux

I occasionally get a load of kumquats from a neighbor and enjoy just popping them whole into my mouth as a snack. But one day shortly after receiving a bag of kumquats, I needed to make a dessert for a dinner party. Hunting around in the fridge, I came upon the kumquats and some heavy…

3.14 Pi(e) Day V

Well, COVID is still a thing, so once again we did a scaled-back gathering with fewer people in an outdoor setting. Even a global pandemic can’t get in the way of me and pie! Pie Day was a great opportunity to catch up with some of my fellow pie-loving friends, many of whom due to…

Coke Float Pie

It’s March 14, and that means… Pi(e) Day! I’m back to my drink-themed pies again, with a pie inspired by the flavors of a Coke Float. I prefer Coke over Root Beer, but you can go with whatever your heart desires. Guessipe 1 pie crust 2 cans Coke 1/4 cup whole milk 1 3.4-oz package…

Mini Lemandarin Pies

A Lemandarin, also known as a Rangpur Lime or a Mandarin Lime, is a hybrid between a lemon and a mandarin orange. The tree in my neighborhood had a ton of ripe lemandarins in December. I’m told they’re great for making marmalade, but since they’re a bit like sour oranges or Meyer lemons (which you…