Strawberry Cream

For my brother's birthday his favorite is strawberry cake. This year I made hi a strawberry and cream cake to celebrate!

Light and Healthy Desserts

Vegan Jelly Donuts

The object of this class was to make plated desserts that fit certain dietary restrictions. There are vegan, sugar free, and gluten free varieties.

Sugar free Orange Curd

Gluten free Banana Bread

Vegan Apple Spice cake

Sugar free Lemon Mousse

Vegan Tiramisu 

Vegan Cheese Tray

Vegan Berry Cheesecake

Chocolate Sculptures

Made entirely out of chocolate, flowers and all!

Yule Log Cake

Getting into the Christmas spirit by making this winter themed yule log cake! All decorations are marzipan/fondant and the mushrooms are dried meringues.

Chocolatetier in the Making

I took an advanced chocolates class during my senior year at JWU. These are some of the bonbons I made.

Cinnamon Truffles 

Passion Fruit 

Banana

Coconut

Peanut Butter Truffles

Raspberry

Guava

Chai Tea

Thanksgiving Pies

It's not a Thanksgiving meal without the pumpkin pie! My family traditions include the usual feast of home-cooked food and delicious pie. This year I made whole wheat crusted pumpkin pie and chocolate silk pie.

Birthday Pie

Who wouldn't want their name spelled out on a birthday pie? This one happens to be apple pie and I cut out the top crust to celebrate my dad's birthday!

Reese's Lovers Cake

Chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven! This cake is chocolate, filled and topped with chocolate ganache, enrobed in peanut butter frosting, and topped with Reese candy decorations.

Wine Tasting

This weekend is Family Weekend at my school and they offered a wine tasting course. We were able to try six different wines: two white and four red. My favorites were the white Ch Latour Pessac Leognan with a smooth citrusy taste and the red St. Julien with a crisp, rich flavor. The others included: Sauvigon Blanc, Merlot Napa, Cabernet Napa, and Haut Medoc.

Science Of The Vanilla Bean

A Rare Find With An Exceptional Demand

            The last five centuries of world history were mainly shaped by the discovery of new plants, especially spices. The Americas offered the rest of the world all kinds of new flavorings, including vanilla (Standage: 90). Today, it is one of the most popular flavorings in the world (McGee: 430). Vanilla is most commonly known for its distinct aroma, high production cost, and its use in cooking. While its botanical origin is not acknowledged as much.