Sicilian Girl

Tweet There are three types of meringue, the differences lie in when and how the sugar is added. The one you are probably most familiar with is the French meringue. It is simply egg whites beaten until soft peaks form, gradually adding sugar, beating until the sugar is dissolved and peaks are stiff and glossy. [...]

Tweet A coffee and tea time favorite, this praline pound cake is one of those Southern cakes that is a consummate example of down-home goodness. I love this type of “needs no icing” kind of cake, that is not only the perfect offering for a friend who stops by for coffee, but is right at [...]

Tweet The art of making desserts is a great source of pride for the Southern hostess. Armed with heirloom recipes and an intuitive sense that company may be dropping by, she always has something sweet to offer her guests. Baking and entertaining, a creative outlet for many ladies, translates into tender luscious layer cakes, tarts [...]

Tweet The last time I made sweet potato cupcakes, I didn’t have any ingredients to make an icing. But I did have large campfire marshmallows leftover from a camping trip. These marshmallows were huge. After the cupcakes cooled, I placed a marshmallow on each and stuck them under the broiler … a bit too close [...]

Tweet When you don’t have time to make the traditional Mardi Gras King Cake and need an easy alternative, these festive little cakes are the solution. However, this is not a brioche-type pastry like the iconic Twelfth Night Cake (King Cake) but it is similar in flavor. I use the same sparkling sugars for decoration, [...]

Tweet Fun for all, especially the little ones, these cake pops are the solution to “How can we eat our cake and go on our walk at the same time?” This Christmas Eve we are breaking away from our tradition and participating in an event that has been a tradition for hundreds of families in [...]

Tweet The candy cane, synonymous with Christmas, began as a straight white stick of sugary candy. In the late 1600′s, (about the same time Europeans began using Christmas trees) a choirmaster had the sugary stick bent into the shape of a Shepard’s crook and passed them out to children who attended the living creche ceremonies. [...]

Tweet Tis the season for some serious cookie baking! Biscotti (cookies) are enjoyed year round, especially during the holidays. They seem to make an appearance at every gathering from the board room to the lunch room and all the parties in between, not to mention the few set out for the “big guy” on December [...]

Tweet There is something about the month of November that is quite comforting to me. Though I’m busier than ever with projects and deadlines, with each new dawn I seem to find more time to reflect on the many blessings in my life … and I am genuinely grateful. With a renewed sense of clarity [...]

Tweet Brownies, that iconic, no utensil needed dessert, that has made more appearances at pot lucks and back-to-school nights than perhaps her best friend, the chocolate chip cookie. I have eaten my fair share of this chocolaty square bite, from the cake types smeared with icing, to the ones that are dense, moist and chewy, [...]