Vanilla Archives

Amaro Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

Two sweet and salty shortbread cookies with a thin layer of bitter amaro jelly sandwiched in between.

Chai Sweet Potato Pie Brownies

Fudgy brownies with a chai spiced sweet potato pie swirl and crushed up pie crust on top.

Oatmeal Raisin Stout Cheesecake

A Cheesecake inspired by stout beer and oatmeal raisin cookies, with an oatmeal crust, and a raisin caramel!

Egg Nog Stuffed Donuts with a Whiskey Glaze

Yeasted donuts stuffed with an egg nog pastry cream and topped with a simple whiskey glaze and some festive sprinkles.

Layered Tortilla French Toast Bake

A big stack of tortillas prepared in a French toast style, with layers of mascarpone cheese and lots of cinnamon, butter, and maple syrup.

Chile Basil Ricotta Brownies

Basil and chile peppers make a perfect red and green in these festive ricotta brownies.

Muddy Buddy Chicharrones

Inspired by Townsman restaurant in Boston, these chicharrones are tossed in peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar.

Cornetto Con Crema

A popular breakfast pastry in Florence that I recreated at home.

Easter Ice Cream with Mini Eggs and A Peep Swirl

Ice cream loaded with Easter candy like Peeps and Mini Eggs.

Habanero ice cream has been on my list for a while, because habaneros pair extremely well with dairy, and also sweets so I thought the combo would be only natural. The milk and sugar also helps remove the heat from the peppers and leaves that sweet tropical pure habanero flavor that is like nothing else in the culinary world. At a farmers market last week Warren Farms had a free sample of their habanero infused maple syrup, and I instantly knew that that would be the flavor of the ice cream. I made it only a few days later!