Lavender Panna Cotta with Honey Poached Pears

Lavender Panna Cotta with Honey Poached Pears is an autumn twist on a classic Italian dessert. About a month ago, I had a fabulous dinner with some fellow bloggers at Oasis Cafe in Salt Lake City. It was a wonderful dinner and great introduction to a restaurant I hope to patronize over and over. As good as the dinner was (poached halibut with grilled veggies – amazing), my dessert was the most memorable part of […]

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Cacao Nib Pavlova with Balsamic Strawberries and Cream

I started out the day by giving each of my kids a list titled, “10 Things I Love About You.” Sadly they were much more interested in their peanut butter-filled chocolate hearts and getting to school to see their friends and exchange valentines. I can’t blame them, that was my favorite part of Valentine’s Day too.  But oh, how I enjoyed writing their lists last night before I went to bed.   We aren’t that […]

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Lavender Chocolate Pots de Creme for Valentine’s Day

One thing I forgot to mention about Alt is the lavender hot chocolate available between sessions.  As a great lover of all things lavender, I can’t believe I had never tried lavender-infused hot chocolate.  Lavender and chocolate are simply made for each other, and chocolate pots de creme is another perfect way to pair them. I texted my husband as I was sipping and sipping and savoring every last drop of the lavender hot chocolate.  […]

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Valentine’s Treats: Homemade Turtles

Homemade Turtles

When I told my daughter we were going to make homemade turtles, she asked if they were going to have “feet and arms and a little head poking out.” She thought it was pretty great that we were going to make turtles out of chocolate and caramel. As I was getting ready to post this, I thought I’d try and find out a history of turtles. Alas, I couldn’t find anything other than that have […]

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Valentine’s Treats: Cherry-Almond Divinity

Cherry Almond Divinity

My grandmother was the master divinity maker. Her divinity was heavenly. She would tint it pink and add chopped nuts, usually walnuts. It was always a treat. And I think of her every time I make a batch. I made my first batch years ago when I first got my KitchenAid mixer. It is still one of my favorite candies to make and eat. While divinity is very easy to make, it can also be […]

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Valentine’s Treats: Red Velvet Bonbons

I love Valentine’s Day. And I love making treats for Valentine’s Day. When I think of Valentine’s, my mind immediately turns to Chocolate Truffles. I adore truffles. For a few years, I’ve been trying to get up the courage to start working with chocolate. This year I decided to take the plunge and make my own truffles…The only thing was that I wanted to turn them into Red Velvet Truffles–something different, something red. (VERY red.) […]

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Valentine’s Treats: Cream Filled Strawberries

A long time ago, my neighbor brought my family the most delicious treat – cream filled strawberries. Not only were they pretty, they tasted fantastic. I’ve looked all over trying to find a recipe that tasted just like my neighbor’s. The filling was made with sweetened cream cheese and stayed nicely piped inside the strawberry “flowers.” So I looked around and finally found one that came close from The Joy of Baking. Her recipe calls for […]

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How To Make Homemade Caramels

I originally posted this back in November of 2006, but I figured if you are a new reader, you may not have seen it, and it’s that time of year again! Every year my mom would make homemade caramels. If I was lucky, she would let me stir it while it cooked. I loved the smell of melted butter mingling with the sugar as it bubbled away. Since I left home, there hasn’t been a […]

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