Sweet Tooth Friday: A Trip to NOLA Beignets

I love to travel. One place that is definitely on my bucket list is New Orleans. I know the food scene there is amazing and for me travel = food. When I do, one of my first stops will be Café Du Monde. They are world famous and serve, ‘the best’ beignets. Beignets are a little square of fried dough, served hot with powdered sugar.

As you can gather from this website, I’m a big fan of trying recipes that are indigenous to a particular area of the globe so when my daughter requested that I make them, I was very excited to comply. Whether you have made it to New Orleans or not, give these little powdered squares a try. It will feel like Mardi Gras in your mouth when you take a bite!

Sweet Tooth Friday: Super Mom Strawberry Shortcakes

My son’s preschool provides a snack for the children every day. It’s either graham crackers, goldfish or some other simple treat, but a few of us decided that we wanted to do something a little better. A schedule was made and each day, one of the moms brings in something extra for the kids to eat.

Yesterday was my day so I decided to put out my A game. Dante and I got up early and made mini strawberry shortcakes. A simple, sweet biscuit, pureed strawberries and some whipped cream and viola, the best snack ever was created.

Sweet Tooth Friday: Pass-Over Some Mandel Bread

Tonight starts the beginning of Passover, so I asked JoAnn Elice (a previous Heirloom featured 'Nonna') to share one of her favorite Passover desserts. Always so generous, ‘Mimi’ Jo immediately obliged with her delicious Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread.

‘Mandelbrot’ known today as Mandel Bread, originates in Eastern European, and simply means almond bread because it included ground almond flour; an acceptable flour for Passover. Just like biscotti, it is cooked twice but is much softer due to the high fat content. They are perfect for dunking!

Sweet Tooth Friday: Ginger-Snappers

I’m going to keep this short and SWEET - My daughter wanted to make gingersnaps and I found this amazing recipe in one of my favorite baking cookbooks. Tastes just like Nabisco Gingersnaps, but these are so much better because, (1) They are homemade goodness and (2) They have lemon zest - my secret weapon in them. Thanks to my lil’ sister who wrangled all three kids into the kitchen and made these delish cookies with them. They had fun and I got a blog post out of it. Win, win.

Sweet Tooth Friday: Tiramisu (Valentine's Edition!)

As I mentioned on Tuesday, this year, I decided to throw a Cupid’s Cocktail Party in honor of the ‘Day of Love’. I needed an excuse for a get together and it seemed like the perfect time to invite my friends for a night of cocktails, yummy bites and of course, dessert.

I have asked my guests to bring a dessert they love to the festivities and I decided to do the same. I went with a favorite, an old stand by, Tiramisu. Just like any great love, it never disappoints and everyone digs in. Layers of delicious lady fingers and creamy mascarpone cheese and of course, lots and lots of espresso. When it’s made right, it’s a dream on a plate.

Sweet Tooth Friday: Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Kids love muffins. Why? Because let’s face it, muffins are just cupcakes without the frosting. After a recent 'eat this and stop bugging your brother' muffin impulse purchase, I decided this Friday needed to be dedicated to the glorious muffin. I developed a recipe that has all the bakery goodness and some dried cherries too just to make them interesting. I figure, if a muffin can keep your child well behaved and obedient on the weekly grocery store run, they might just be full of magic powers.

Sweet Tooth Friday (From Nonna's Kitchen Edition): Nonna Mary's Wine cookies

This recipe comes to me from my lovely friend Claudia. She is a true Italian girl with both of her parent’s families hailing from the old country, northern Italy and Sicily. Even though Claudia always jokes she isn’t much of a cook, I tend to doubt it because she definitely has some incredible cooking genes. Her father was generous to share a few of his specialties and Claudia has saved many of the wonderful recipes her mother used to make.

Most of Claudia’s mom’s recipes come from her mother, Claudia’s grandmother Mary Zeppieri. Mary came to the US at the age of 25 from Veroli, Italy and raised five children in upstate New York. She was a dedicated wife and mother and always cooked homemade Italian food. Claudia has dear memories of walking to her Nonna’s house every Sunday after church for these wonderful cookies.

Sweet Tooth Friday: Nonna Olga’s Biscotti

This Friday’s recipe is very special and really encompasses why I started Heirloom Kitchen. A few years ago, my friend Gina made me these biscotti for Christmas. Hands down, these are the most delicious biscotti I have ever had. A delicious combination of anise and almond, they are light, crunchy, and simply perfect with a cup of coffee.

What really makes these biscotti so special however, is not merely how they taste, but where they come from. This recipe was created by Gina’s paternal Nonna, Olga Giovannoni and came here with her, all the way from South Africa.

Sweet Tooth Friday (Cooking With Kids Edition!) Rice Krispie Pumpkins

Rice Krispie treats have been around since I was a kid. I remember quite vividly, in the early 90s, when Kellogg’s started marketing them through TV commercials and then printing the recipe on the box. I also remember telling my mother about it and making them with her. Even she liked them!

So, at least once or twice a year, my girls and I will grab some marshmallows and cereal and whip up a batch. This year, my daughter Veronica is taking a baking class and came home with a cute variation for Halloween, little rice krispie pumpkins. We decided to make them for her school party today so she ‘taught’ me how to make them.

Special Edition Sweet Tooth Friday: Grandma Harriet's Rugelach

This week, I decided to roll my Nonna recipe and Sweet Tooth Friday all into one sweet rugelach; I mean, blog post. This recipe is extra special to me because it was given to me by one of the best Nonnas I know, Harriet Marks-Nelson - my husband’s wonderful grandmother.

Sweet Tooth Friday: Anna's Apple Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

When I was in college, I had a serious weakness for the Sour Cream Walnut Apple Pie made by The Little Pie Company. They came in mini pie tins and I could eat an entire one by myself - hello, freshman fifteen! I wanted to develop a cookie recipe that showcased the strudel topping AND the sour cream flavor because the combination is just heavenly. Here is my spin on combining cookies with the best pies you can get in NYC.

Sweet Tooth Friday: Delectable Donuts

TGIF! The almighty weekend is coming and its time to make something sweet. Why? Because I said so.

This week, I decided to make some baked donuts. I know, it kind of sounds like an oxymoron because the main reason donuts taste so good is that crispy outside coupled with a fluffy inside achieved by a quick bath in a deep fryer. However, I wanted to see if the baked variety could stand up to its deep fried brother.

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