vanilla Archives - East of Eden Cooking

2018/03/30

Pear Custard Tart

Pears have a subtle floral flavor that is irresistible in this recipe for Pear Custard Tart. There’s just enough voluptuous vanilla custard to cradle the pears in the buttery crust.

“Romie Lane was muddy with pools of water standing in the new wheel ruts, and the tall wild oats and mustard grew beside the road, with wild turnip forcing its boisterous way up and stickery beads of purple thistles rising above the green riot of spring.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Winning an Instagram contest brought a half a dozen gorgeous pears into my kitchen. They could have been buried in a smoothie or sliced into an afternoon snack. Instead this Williams Sonoma recipe for Pear Custard Tart was made. Not the spring dessert you’re looking for? Unless you can find sweet local strawberries our fresh fruit is still coming from the southern hemisphere. (Every bunch of spring asparagus I’ve found is from Mexico.) Baking with American grown apples and pears is a delicious option until the growing season catches up to our spring expectations. READ MORE . . .

2017/05/012018/02/09

Rhubarb Almond Cake

A Favorite Spring Cake

“Lee poured the scalding green tea. He grimaced when Adam put two spoonfuls of sugar in his cup. Adam stirred his tea and watched the sugar crystals whirl and disappear into the liquid.”

Inspiration

Dessert aficionados roughly fall into three categories, always chocolate, lemon first and the insatiable who just crave sweets. I always choose lemon first, which leaves the Mr and picky daughter mystified. They have their eyes on the chocolate. I’m convinced that rhubarb is revered by those who prefer lemon first. Rhubarb is very tangy, even sour, more intense than a well grown Granny Smith apple. With a texture reminiscent of celery rhubarb is easily ignored. I like my rhubarb matched with something sweet, but not so sweet than it overpowers the tangy fresh taste of the rhubarb. If you agree, this is a cake for you. A thick slice of the Rhubarb Almond Cake makes a fine companion for coffee or tea.

I’ve made this cake from Bon Appetit half a dozen times, finding it flexible enough to use different shapes and types of pans and varying the almond component between, blitzed blanched almonds as the original recipe suggests, or taking a short-cut and using almond flour or almond meal. The ingredients don’t need to be weighed, careful measuring will make a favorite spring cake. Taking a few minutes to pick the reddest pieces of rhubarb, measure and cut them for the top of the cake is a simple pleasure. Pushing the stalks deep into the thick batter and topping them with an avalanche of sugar delivers glistening rhubarb. The exterior of the cake is almost caramelized with pleasingly crunchy edges that contrast with the moist rhubarb that fills the interior. READ MORE . . .

2013/12/312014/03/30

Fragrant Vanilla Cupcakes

A Celebration

“Some things don’t ever change their value, he said.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Be kind, be gracious, a new year is arriving and we have dessert for the celebration! Vanilla was nudging me. Past the river of chocolate and butter of Christmas. Clean, fresh, sweet, a refreshing bath of flavor to begin a new year. It tugged and melted into a pool of bright silver light worthy of a celebration. Happy New Year! READ MORE . . .

2013/01/282017/12/26

Madeleines

A French Classic

“Could we have some tea? Why sure, I’d like some myself. He brought the steaming cups in and went back for the sugar bowl.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

When I reorganized my baking pans I found my madeleine pan wedged between a whoopie pie pan and a muffin tin. It seemed to wink at me; all that French history hidden away in the depths of an American pantry. Madeleines are the quintessential scallop shaped French cookie made famous by Marcel Proust in Remembrance of Things Past. Monsieur Proust was right, madeleines are perfectly paired with a steaming cup of tea on a winter afternoon. The madeleines are a mini version of a decadent sponge cake. The cookies ethereal qualities are found in their traditional French heritage of butter and eggs laced with vanilla and lemon zest. READ MORE . . .

2012/08/062017/12/31

Lavender and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Candied Orange Peel

Lavender Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Candied Orange Peel

Summer Lavender Harvest

“It was a fair place even in the summer when the sun laced into it. A line of river willows and sycamores banded it in the middle, and the western hills were yellow-brown with feed.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Between Monterey and Santa Barbara lavender farming is thriving in California. Just inland from the coast in the area between Paseo Robles and Santa Ynez the Mediterranean like climate is perfect for lavender cultivation. It was time for a road trip to Paseo Robles to visit the lavender fields of Central Coast Lavender before they closed for their annual harvest and the local Lavender Festival. The farm was quiet and calm; yet the bees hovered and buzzed about as lavender was bundled in preparation for the weekly farmer’s market. It was a warm afternoon filled with all things lavender. READ MORE . . .