From My Apartment's Christmas Table

My roommates and I enjoyed a homemade meal together this past Wednesday, prior to heading our separate ways for Christmas. Laura took care of the main course, which was macaroni with artichokes, mushrooms, and scallions, all tossed in a light cream sauce. I, of course, made the dessert. I tried this Stonewall Kitchen recipe for a chocolate-raspberry fudge cake. Once I got past the general unhealthiness of the ingredients (how many sticks of butter? cups of sugar? eggs?), I was able to enjoy the promise of chocolate - as derived from cocoa powder - and raspberry - as derived from seedless jam - flavors. The cake itself is very dense, but not as moist, smooth or rich as I would have liked. Its aroma is better than its taste. In the finished product, I noticed the dry, plain flavors of flour and butter more than the chocolate, sugar, or jam. I would replace some of the butter with oil in future bakings, and see if that moistens the batter and causes it to bake more smoothly. Also, the oil might draw out the flavors more than the solid butter. Aesthetically, it looks rather plain coming out of the 9" round cake pan. In order to enhance both the presentation and the flavors of the dessert, I served it with fresh raspberries and warm bittersweet chocolate sauce. Both additions were delicious!

This was probably the least successful baking experience / dessert yet recorded in these pages, but hey, the recipe was worth a try. I now have the goal of making an appropriately smooth, rich, and flavorful fudge cake!

The Cheesecake Factory's Latest Delight

...is a peppermint bark cheesecake.

The base is a chocolate-mint graham cracker crust. The cheesecake itself has a faintly peppermint flavor, with small chunks of candy and red food coloring swirled in. (The flavor and coloring fade toward the outer crust of the cake, where it is replaced by plain - though still delicious! - cheesecake.) The result truly gives you the impression that you are looking at a slice of peppermint bark, albeit in cream form. There is a layer of vanilla cream on top of the cheesecake, which is sprinkled with more peppermint candy chunks. A dollop of whipped cream, topped with more candy bits, plus two thin wedges of smooth dark chocolate finish off the dessert.

This cheesecake may be my favorite Cheesecake Factory dessert, with the other contenders for that title being Linda's Fudge Cake, Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake, Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake, and Key Lime Cheesecake. The only way this particular cake could have been better? More chocolate, of course. (In my experience, peppermint bark has consisted of just as much chocolate as peppermint!) I would recommend enjoying this seasonal delight as soon as possible, as I don't anticipate it being around much after the holidays.

For a Cheesecake Factory restaurant near you, go to http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/locations.htm.

The Holiday Breakfast

Yes, this entry on Thanksgiving baking is several weeks overdue. I know, I know. I will limit it to the Thanksgiving breakfast, which I baked, rather than including the Thanksgiving desserts as surreptitiously prepared by my mother (she knew I'd be upset if I heard she was baking dessert in advance).

I must start by telling you that I am an apple snob. I didn't choose to become such a snob; it just happened that way. I grew up in Londonderry, New Hampshire, a town with four commercial orchards and, as the local phrase goes, "more apples than people." The most popular of the orchards, Mack's Apples, is the ultimate New England fall destination, with apples, cider, pumpkins, other veggies, baked goods, and maple products available for purchase from the orchard shop. (You can also pick your produce straight from the tree/vine, via several "U-Pick" stations; in the summer, you can enjoy locally-made ice cream by a pond with sociable waterfowl.) The orchard grows a variety of apples, which I have sampled throughout the years; my favorite is the Londonderry Cortland. Cortland apples are crisp and tart, with sparkling white flesh covered by red-and-green blotched skin. They are neither too sweet nor too tangy, and produce the most satisfying crunch possible in an apple - I've never encountered a mealy Cortland. Whenever I go to NH in apple season, it is guaranteed that I will return to Boston with a box of Cortlands. Present me with a different apple, and I will look at it in disdain.

Londonderry Cortlands are big apples, and a Mack's box contains a lot of them - so, I was making applesauce on a weekly basis for a while. I didn't add any sugar or other flavors to the applesauce - the Cortland flavor is strong enough that it doesn't need any enhancement. Other favorite apple recipes are apple crisp, applesauce-maple bread, and an apple spice cake. The apple spice cake had the honor of being the recipient of the last Cortlands of the 2008 season (tear), as well as being the 2008 Thanksgiving Breakfast. Since my parents would be eating the cake over the holiday, I asked for their input on the recipe prior to baking. My dad suggested replacing the Cortlands with Granny Smiths (overrated), Golden Delicious (how boring can you get?), or - wait for it - Honeycrisps (blasphemy). Apple snob that I am, I did not appreciate the joke. I ignored the "input" and baked the cake with my beloved Cortlands.

The cake was an instant hit! It's dense and flavorful. I attribute its success and exceptional taste to the following:

• grated apples - grated apples introduce more juice to the batter, so the apple flavor better permeates the cake than if the apples were diced into small pieces.
• lemon zest and juice - the extra tartness of the citrus fruit enhances the apple flavor.
• butter - yes, there is a lot of butter in this cake, but butter is preferable to cups of oil. Oil tends to weigh down these cakes and give them a moist, heavy quality. The butter gives this cake a creamy texture and keeps the batter somewhat light.
• liberal application of spices - it's a family tradition to double the spices in baking recipes; cinnamon gets the star treatment of frequently being tripled. Mmm, aromatic compounds.
  

Here is the recipe, courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine, for your baking pleasure.

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3 C flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t ground cinnamon (double/triple as desired)
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/2 t ground nutmeg (double as desired)
• 1/4 t ground cloves (double as desired)
• 1/4 t ground allspice
• 1 3/4 pounds Cortland apples, peeled / cored / coarsely grated (2 apples, to make 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 C (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C golden brown sugar, packed
• 1 t grated lemon peel
• 3 large eggs
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 t fresh lemon juice
  

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325 F. Spray a 12 C Bundt pan with nonstick spray.
2. Sift the flour and the next 6 ingredients into a medium bowl.
3. Grate 2 C worth of apples; set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, both sugars, and lemon zest in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the vanilla and lemon juice.
5. Beat in the flour mixture, and mix in the grated apples. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
6. Bake the cake until a tester inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes.

Enjoy the cake warm, whether by eating it straight from the oven or zapping it for a few seconds in the microwave. You will not be disappointed!

Londonderry apple season is now over, but Christmas is right around the corner - so, that will inspire me to new heights of baking. Will there be pumpkin pie? Something chocolatey? Sugar cookies in holiday shapes? Stay tuned...

The Great Political Bake-Off, Part II

This bake-off (as rated by myself, roommates, and party guests) AND election both ended in favor of the same candidate! Michelle's shortbread reminded me of a cross between shortbread and a lemon square - a very enjoyable mix of flavors and textures, since I'm not a particular fan of straight-up shortbread or lemon squares. The citrus zest provided a strong, fruity flavor, which was tempered by the almond extract and the smooth creaminess of the butter. I plan to bake this recipe again, closer to Christmas, in my family's holiday shortbread pan.

Here's to the Obama landslide, in both votes and cookies!

The Great Political Bake-Off, Part I

With so much at stake this election season, there is no way that any self- and country-respecting American can just sit idly by. After casting our votes on November 4, my roommates and I will do our part to foster civic awareness by hosting an Election Night party. During said party, we will snack on the prospective First Ladies' favorite cookie recipes. This afternoon, I donned my imaginary "Baking for Barack" apron and whipped up some tasty treats.

Cindy McCain's Oatmeal-Butterscotch Cookies - makes approx. 4 dozen

• 3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 C granulated sugar
• 3/4 C packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 C flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 3 C rolled oats
• 1 2/3 C butterscotch chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and both sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; stir until blended. Stir in the oats and butterscotch chips. Drop the dough by tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool immediately after pulling the cookies from the oven.

This recipe is straightforward and easy to make, with a delicious dough that yielded dense, richly textured cookies. There is an unusually high filler-to-batter ratio, with the combined oats and chips taking up more space than the wet and dry ingredients together. As with any butterscotch baked good, the finished product is a bit oily. The oats, by compromising the integrity of the batter, also make the just-baked cookies difficult to work with. Once the cookies have cooled, they are a bit hard and brittle; a quick microwave reheat solves that problem. All that said, these are the best oatmeal scotchies I have ever had.

Michelle Obama's Shortbread Cookies - makes approx. 30 pieces

• 1 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 C plus 2 T sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 T amaretto (can substitute 1/2 t almond extract)
• 1 t each of orange and lemon zest
• 3 C cake flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 beaten egg white

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 17x12x1 inch baking pan with nonstick foil (or, grease the pan). In a large bowl, cream the butter and 1 1/2 C sugar together.
2. Slowly add the egg yolks, and beat until smooth. Beat in the amaretto and zests.
3. Stir in the flour and salt until all is well combined.
4. Flatten the dough evely and smoothly into the prepared pan.
5. Brush the top of the dough with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle it with the remaining 2 T sugar.
6. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes, or until brown. Turn off the oven and allow the cookies to sit in the oven, with the door ajar, for 15 minutes. Cut the cookies while they are still slightly warm, with a smooth-bladed (i.e., non-serrated) knife.

I have not yet sampled these cookies, as I am saving them for the party due to a comparatively low yield. However, if the ingredients and my kitchen's aroma are any indication, this is not your mother's shortbread - in a good way. The citrus zest and almond extract seem like an unusual combination at first, but their scents mingled very pleasantly; I will hope for a similarly-pleasant mingling of flavors in the finished product. Also, the egg-white-and-sugar topping helps retain some moisture in the battter, so I doubt this will be the crumbly, dry sort of shortbread most people recollect. The touch of sweetness in the topping will also be a pleasant surprise. It was difficult to adequately mix, and then spread, the stiff dough, but I hope to be rewarded for my efforts.

Family Circle magazine has traditionally published these recipes, and has polled its readers as to which cookie they preferred. Legend has it that the winner of the cookie contest will win the White House. Stay tuned for a poll of the election party's attendees!

I'm a Phantom Phan!

The premise of this blog proves that I'm a fan of desserts. The same can be said about food in general, and this weekend gave me a chance to indulge in said fandom unlike any other. Or, should I say phandom?

On Saturday, the Phantom Gourmet Food Festival came to Boston! Over 80 food vendors from the greater Boston area converged on Lansdowne and Ipswich Streets to offer samples of their cooking and baking. Rumor was that one's stomach capacity would be sorely tested, so I tried to limit my food intake the night before and morning leading up to the event. I arrived downtown around noon, and met up with some friends who had been there since the festival opened at 10:30. They had already passed through one street's worth of vendors, and I heard glowing reviews of everything from ribs to risotto, crabcakes to cupcakes. My stomach was groaning in anticipation, so we left Tequila Rain and meandered down Ipswich Street. We were soon swallowed up in a crowd of purple-bead-wearing "Phantom Phans," and a few elaborately-costumed fellows emulating the caped and masked Phantom Gourmet mascot.

The verb "gorge," referring to a ravenous style of eating, most accurately describes my response to the array of food I found on this street. The most compelling dishes, to use Carr's classification, were either meat or sweet - I tried to stay away from the breads and pastas, since I knew they would fill me up but not provide much flavor. My favorite meat dishes were ribs from Firefly's, served with a side of whipped sweet potatoes and pecans, and Harrows' chicken pies, complete with thick, savory sauce and pastry topping. (Linda, if BC Dining had had access to these pies, chicken pot pie day would have been one hundred times as exciting.) However, in keeping with the theme of this blog, I'll give you a breakdown of the sweets:

• Wholly Cannoli, dynamite stick - this cannoli in ball form was, without a question, the best dessert there. The dynamite stick had a traditional ricotta cannoli filling. That filling was enrobed in caramel, and then contained within a chocolate-covered pastry shell. The resultant ball was then given a coating of chopped-up pecans and cocoa powder. I was absolutely delighted. (A note to Mike's Pastry: start offering a version of these if you want my cannoli patronage to remain in the North End! Sadly, Wholly Cannoli is based out of Worcester.)
• Simply Divine Brownies, brownie truffles - these truffles were small, extremely dense bits of brownie enrobed in fruit-flavored chocolate. The raspberry and cranberry truffles were decent, but simply divine? Not even close.
• Ivy's Fine Cakes and Pastries, assorted cakes/brownies - these tasted too much of mass-produced baking mixes to deserve special mention for their flavor. However, their cakes were beautifully presented, and an Ivy's wedding cake would make a stunning visual statement at any ceremony.
• Sugar Bakery, brambles and cupcakes - a bramble cookie is made from two layers of pie crust dough, with fruity filling between the layers and a healthy sprinkling of sugar on top. These cookies were crisp, sweet, and fruity - a definite winner, and something I might try to recreate. The bakery's cupcakes were equally pleasing. I had a chocolate caramel cupcake, which featured a delicious and moist cake topped with swirls of caramel and sweet frosting.
• Pure Chocolate, P2C2 bar - this Quincy-based chocolatier uses Belgian chocolate to create interesting barks and individual pieces. The P2C2 bar is milk chocolate swirled with peanut butter, caramel, and crisped rice. Tasty, and a potential personal replacement for Berkshire Bark's discontinued Pretzelogical bar.

There were several other dessert offerings, such as ice cream and biscotti, but I was too full from meats, the above sweets, and Captain Eli's blueberry soda to partake. Stuffed and barely able to walk (waddle?), I insisted on a break to nurture the food coma.

One La Verdad margarita and glass of water later, it was time to hit Lansdowne! Unfortunately, most of the dessert vendors there (Kickass Cupcakes, Rosie's Bakery) had closed up shop after running out of samples, so I didn't enjoy as many sweets during the second round. However, there was one interesting dessert. Gaga's "SherBetter" is a light, refreshing frozen dairy treat that contains more butter fat than sherbet, but less than ice cream. I tried two fruity flavors (lemon and rainbow), and enjoyed the smooth consistency and robust fruity flavor. Would I have this again? Not necessarily, since all frozen-dairy-treat cravings can be satisfied by my beloved Christina's, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Food-wise, Not Your Average Joe's offered delicious crabcakes and a mixed-greens salad, and Ivy (reviewed in the Restaurant Week entry below) served arancini, which are fried balls of cheesy risotto. I also sampled cheese, clam chowder, and another helping of chicken pie.

Sigh. Foodie heaven! I look forward to the Festival's return next September.

Needless to say, I did not eat for the rest of the day, and my appetite has only now returned, more than 24 hours after my last Festival bite. Perhaps a light dinner is in order?

A Restaurant Week Review

Twice a year, many of Boston's finer eating establishments offer discounted three-course meals. For two weeks each in March and August, you may enjoy relatively-affordable haute cuisine at restaurants participating in Restaurant Week. By now, so many restaurants participate that one may try several new restaurants each Week. The most recent Restaurant Week period ran August 10 through 15, and 17 through 22. Of those 12 nights, I dined out on three, and each of those three nights provided a multi-course meal to remember.

The last course, obviously, was dessert.

Icarus, in the South End off of Tremont, offers eclectic nouveau-American dishes in a refined dining room tucked below street level. The decor, for such a well-reputed restaurant, was rather uninspired, but the same cannot be said for the food! My appetizer - grilled flatbread with tomatoes, cucumbers, and seasoned hummus, all lightly drizzled in mint yogurt - was delightful, and my main course - roasted chicken breast in a savory vegetable sauce, with potatoes and julienned onions - was quite possibly the best chicken I've had in a Boston restaurant. After such a meal, I didn't think I would have room for the flourless chocolate torte I chose for dessert. The small slice, drizzled with raspberry sauce and topped with a dollop of whipped cream, packed a richness and heaviness in spite of its size! Each bite was intensely flavored with bitter chocolate, and the cream gave it a density that was hard to stomach. The lighter flavors of the raspberry sauce and whipped cream provided a pleasant contrast to the chocolate. In the end, the dessert was more than I could handle, and I had to leave a few bites on my plate. If I eat at Icarus and order the torte again, I will be sure to share it! However, I think it is similar to many flourless chocolate tortes you will find at fine restaurants.

Harvest, in Harvard Square, is a hidden gem of a restaurant serving modern New England fare. To get there, you head down a brick path leading away from Brattle Street; with each step, you are transported away from the Square's cheerful mayhem toward a calmer place. The restaurant itself, sandwiched between retail shops and office buildings, has a traditional entrance and bar area, but is distinguished by an open-air courtyard with tables scattered among trees strung with white lighting. In this beautiful atmosphere, I enjoyed my birthday dinner. For an appetizer, I had sweet corn soup with crabmeat and chanterelle mushrooms; both the crab and mushrooms complemented the corn puree to create an interesting medley of tastes, and the mushrooms in particular provided an unexpected burst of earthy, juicy flavor. My main course was haddock with pesto, potato puree, and cooked tomatoes and onions. I could have used more pesto and potato puree, but the meal was delicious and perfect for a warm summer evening. The dessert, however, was exceptional. I departed from my usual chocolate indulgences and ordered the "short cake" with peaches and vanilla creme fraiche. The short cake was not very cake-like; I would more accurately call it a thick, savory cracker glazed with a hint of sugar. The peaches were barely ripe and hardly sweet; their tartness was their most noticeable feature. The creme fraiche, in contrast to the prior ingredients, was light, sweet, and cool. When all three elements were combined together, the resulting dessert was the most interesting combination of sweet, savory and tart that I have ever tasted. Savory and tart won the battle among the solid dessert components, but to top it off, I had a dessert wine that had been selected specifically to complement the cake. The wine, overly sweet when sipped alone, was beyond perfect with the peach confection. I was, for a few blissful minutes, in dessert heaven. Harvest will definitely get my repeat business.

The Ivy is an Italian small-plates restaurant whose swanky, club-like interior belies its location in gritty Downtown Crossing. Their Restaurant Week special departed from the usual three-course plan; instead, the diner ordered four small plates. I enjoyed three-cheese macaroni, ricotta ravioli, pappardelle in bolognese sauce, and cornmeal-crusted shrimp. I was very full after eating so much pasta, but even a full-to-bursting person could have made room for the miniature dessert served once the dinner dishes were cleared. Ivy offered a "tasting" - what amounted to a half-scoop in a tiny ramekin - of their signature homemade panna cotta gelato. This dollop of ice cream was pure, creamy goodness, swirled with ripples of praline. Imagine the frustration when I tasted such a delicious treat, only to be told that the half-scoop was all I would get! Needless to say, I left the restaurant rather demoralized...and wanting more. Maybe I should try some gelato next time I'm in the North End, rather than always defaulting to Mike's Pastry's chocolate mousse cannoli.

After such a successful Restaurant Week run, I'm already thinking about where to dine in March. Hopefully you will see a review of Sibling Rivalry's desserts in a few months' time!

Birthday Baking on Beacon

It has become a tradition in my apartment to bake a cake, of the birthday girl's choice, for each birthday. In mid-August, when two birthdays have fallen within days of each other, there is a lot of cake to go around! However, the tradition got off to a shaky start.

Last summer, I made Bekah a Mexican chocolate cake. The recipe, which she had used for Cinqo de Mayo parties in Brooklyn, turned out well, with plenty of leftover cinnamon-cocoa frosting. Bekah and Jess, on the other hand, attempted a rather complicated chocolate-mint fudge cake for me. The three-part recipe called for mint chocolate batter, mint cream, and chocolate frosting. For some reason, only the mint cream went as planned. The batter recipe called for potato flour, but said that mashed potatoes would be an acceptable substitute. One mashed potato and 400 degrees later, we ended up with a dense, brick-sized and -textured item. The butter in the frosting refused to incorporate with the other ingredients...

...so as much "cake" as possible was covered in mint cream, which was originally intended for between the layers. Note the discrepancy between the finished product and the cookbook's illustration (top picture on page):

On the evening of my birthday, we sawed the finished product into individual slices. We hoped that it would taste better than it looked, and that some vestige of chocolate and/or mint would assert itself against the packed sawdust created by our oven.

All hope was in vain, and there was nothing we could do but laugh hysterically at the dessert disaster in front of us. A few tastes and gags later, the Birthday Brick was unceremoniously dumped into the garbage. Yes, it was awful, but due to its sheer ridiculousness and unexpected humor value, it has become my favorite memory of that birthday.

2008's birthday baking was much more successful. I found a delicious lemon cake recipe per Bekah's request, courtesy of Barefoot Contessa's Ina Garten. (I am partial to any cook affiliated with Stonewall Kitchen, whose jams, sauces, soup mixes etc are to die for.) What makes this recipe special? Well, the batter requires the zest, and juice, of 6 lemons. You drizzle a warm sauce of sugar dissolved in lemon juice over the warm cake, and let it soak in. You then coat the cake in a crisp white glaze made of more lemon juice and confectioner's sugar. I particularly love the strong flavor added by the sauce and glaze. The final product is robustly lemon-y, yet light enough for breakfast or dessert on a hot summer's day, and perfect with chilled iced tea. I look forward to my next opportunity to bake this cake.

A few days later, determined to show the Birthday Brick who's boss, I requested a second chocolate-mint cake. The new recipe used basic ingredients - no curveballs like potato flour or ganache - and this year's finished product was infinitely preferable to the last, even if 3 times the recipe's amount of butter was accidentally added to the batter. (It sure was smooth and creamy, and I couldn't tell that something was "wrong" with it!) The cake itself was flavored with baker's chocolate and mint extract; the mint taste was light and refreshing. The homemade frosting, of course, was delicious, with subtle hints of cocoa and mint. I can safely say that this cake was not thrown in the trash, and it even passed the breakfast test, with slices consumed in the morning and evening. Thanks to Bekah and Laura for a delicious birthday treat!

Sigh. It is now 1.5 weeks post-birthdays. What shall I have for dessert now that all the cakes are gone?

The Place, The Taste, The Legend: Christina's Homemade Ice Cream

What better place to inspire my first review than my own backyard? One of the best parts - maybe even the best part? - of living in the Inman Square area is easy access to Christina's Ice Cream, a consistent Best of Boston award-winner that never disappoints. This bustling, family-owned operation is known for its exceptional and uniquely-flavored ice cream. Anyone can attest to the unique flavors - take one look at any day's offerings, and you will see ice-cream parlor standards listed next to flavors both unusual (banana cinnamon, rosewater) and wholly unknown (khulfi, adzuki bean). The consistency is also worth noting. The ice cream is just creamy enough - it's smooth, but not too dense, and slowly melts into a pleasing soup that is not too watery or too thick. The flavor is always strong, but not overpowering, and it balances perfectly with the cream. Lastly, you can expect a light full feeling - you'll be satiated after two scoops, but not in a bloated, heavy or regretful way. This is especially worth noting for those of us who like to indulge on a regular basis...

My favorite flavors are:

• Gina's Mocha Explosion - mocha ice cream with chocolate shavings, oreo crumbs, and fudge swirls
• Mexican Chocolate - chocolate mousse ice cream with a healthy dose of cinnamon and a hint of pepper
• Orange Chocolate - chocolate mousse ice cream with a hint of orange flavor
• Coffee Oreo - intense coffee-flavored ice cream with oreo chunks and crumbs
• Irish Cream - Bailey's in solid form, but not too heady
• Green Tea - refreshing, flavorful, and bright green!
• Chai Spice - the tea in solid form; the best way I have ever tasted cardamom

I usually opt for two scoops of Gina's Mocha Explosion. The ice cream is so jam-packed with goodies and flavor that it does not need to be augmented by toppings or sauces. However, my favorite order is the small sundae (2 scoops), with one scoop each of coffee oreo and Irish cream. Two ladlefuls of thick hot fudge and a dollop of whipped-in-front-of-you cream are included, as is one topping. I keep with Christina's tradition and get crushed peanut butter cups. A-MA-zing.

Of course, this local legend is always packed with eager customers. Seating is limited to a few small church pews, so the chances of enjoying your dessert in-house are slim in the summer months. In which case, feel free to get it to go and stop by my place to say hello. Don't forget to bring me some Gina's!

Christina's Homemade Ice Cream, 1255 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139.

Welcome!

Nearly a year after the idea was born, I have *finally* posted the first entry in my long-awaited dessert blog! It's amazing what an unasked-for dose of sarcasm re the blog will do to one's motivation to post.

So, what is this "Diary of Decadent Desserts" about (in case the descriptive title is not clear)?

If you eat out with me, you'll know that it's hard for me to refuse a dessert at the end of the meal, no matter how full I may be. If you live with me, you are used to the weekend-morning muffin-baking, occasional appearance of brownies from scratch, and spontaneous trips to Christina's. If you work with me, you've seen my page-a-day calendar featuring 365 facts about chocolate. If you've gone to New Hampshire with me, you know that it's impossible to enter that state with a member of my family and NOT have "lunch" or "dinner" at Mulligan's. Yes, I love desserts...so much...and it is time to share that love with you!

In this space, I hope to tell you about exceptional desserts I have had, desserteries that are worth a second visit, and recipes that are worth a second baking. If we're lucky, you'll see pictures as well. Yes, drool over your keyboard now! I'm an equal-opportunity dessert fan, so you will see the "fine desserts" of quality restaurants reviewed alongside sloppily-scooped ice cream and chocolate bars. I hope you enjoy, and that you're not laughing too much at how ridiculous this concept may seem...

Before signing off and leaving you craving some dessert, I will leave you with two comments.

1) If you have experienced an exceptional dessert in the Boston area and think I would like it, feel free to post a comment and I'll see about giving it a review.

2) Below are two pictures of pretty much the best dessert ever, the Mud Pie at the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse in Brookline, MA. This is the ultimate in decadence and deliciousness, the Dessert of Desserts. It consists of a thick Oreo crust (hence the steak knife to cut through it), two layers of ice cream separated by Oreo crumbs (my favorite combination is a layer each of mint and vanilla), and a half-inch-thick topping of fudge. The large slice is then drizzled with more fudge and covered in whipped cream. I might love everything I post about in these pages, but I can't imagine any dessert - past, present, or future - surpassing the Mud Pie in awesomeness.

Bon appetit!