Valentine's Day Italian Rainbow Cookies

 

Having grown up in Manhattan my friend Maria would rave about the delicious cookies and desserts she would get when she was a kid, but couldn't find in the Bay Area after having moved to California decades ago.  One of her favorites were rainbow cookies, also known as tricolor or seven-layer cookies that were sold at all the Italian bakeries.  I'd never paid much attention to rainbow cookies before because I was team black & white cookie (after watching that famous Seinfeld episode). Never one to pass on a delicious cookie I was open to giving them a try.

 

 

On a recent trip to NYC I made sure to get my hands on some rainbow cookies so that I could have a taste for myself.  Per Maria's recommendation I headed to Veniero's Pasticceria & Caffe, in the Lower East Side, who are famous for their rainbows.   While the cookies were delicious, at $22 a pound (cookies are sold by weight), I thought they were a bit on the expensive side.  When I got back to San Francisco I challenged myself to come up with a worthy replica.

 

I had made rainbow cookies once before, but because the results were less than stellar I never made them again.  Maria had success with this NY Times recipe and so I gave it a try.  With February 14th just around the corner I thought it was a great excuse to make Valentine's Day Italian Rainbow Cookies in pink tones.  

 

A word of caution though if you decide to make them: while the cookies taste really delicious, the process to make them is rather tedious and you end up with quite a lot of dirty dishes to contend with.  I don't see myself making rainbow cookies often, but I would definitely make them for holidays and special occasions.

Foolproof New York Cheesecake with Raspberries

A few of my co-workers ran the San Francisco marathon last month and to celebrate that tremendous accomplishment I offered to bring in a treat for the office.  One of the runners requested New York Cheesecake and I was more than happy to oblige, especially when I had a few blocks of cream cheese already in my fridge.   

I turned to my friends at Cook's Illustrated for their foolproof recipe and, as usual, it worked like a dream.  Unlike most cheesecake recipes, this one guarantees that you won't have any unsightly cracks on the surface of the baked cake.  I decided to top my cheesecake with fresh fruit, but trust me when I say that underneath those spirals of juicy raspberries there is not a fissure to be found.    

Crepe Cake

My family and friends have always been my biggest baking champions and ever since I started this blog their support has increased exponentially. I love to get suggestions and ideas from them about what I should make next.

Some of these recommendations have come from one of my oldest and dearest besties, Jill, who is celebrating her birthday today.  Jill was the one who suggested I try the famous Milles Crêpes Cake at  Lady M Confections the next time I was in NYC.  She had read about their celebrated dessert and and thought it would be ideal to attempt for the blog.

After one bite of Lady M's creation I knew instantly what all the fuss was about.  To call this cake amazingly delicious would not even begin to do it justice.  Aside from being beautifully constructed it tasted heavenly...layer upon layer of crepes filled with a whipped pastry cream.  I definitely had to try and make it at home.

My first attempt using leftover crepes and pastry cream wasn't as successful as I had hoped.   Problem #1: not enough crepes.  Problem #2: pastry cream filling that was too runny.  Result: a short cake that didn't hold its structure.   Oh well, it still tasted great!  Next time I think I'll use this recipe I found from the NY Times.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY J !!!! 

Black and White Cookies

"Look to the cookie!"  Who would have thought that a simple black & white could evoke such wise and thought-provoking words from Jerry Seinfeld?  Seinfeld aside, these iconic New York cookies will bring about harmony to your taste buds...guaranteed! 

If ever there was one cookie that I always bought and never considered making at home it would have to be the black & white.  Why?  Mainly because if I was eating one most likely I was in NYC enjoying it.  Not a bad thing if you ask me. 

Considering my budget can't support flying to the east coast on a whim I had to find a cheaper alternative to get my cookie fix.  America's Test Kitchen came to my rescue with this recipe.

These cookies seriously taste like the ones you'd find in a NYC deli.  It's got the authentic taste of the slightly lemony cake/cookie frosted with chocolate and vanilla fondant.  I swear you'll feel like you're back in the Big Apple!