84 Comments

I bake. What is most fulfilling isn’t the satisfaction in seeing the result of hours (sometime days) of baking, and it’s not in the taste of something sweetly delicious. Rather, I adore the feeling when I see the delight in another’s eyes, the chuckle of anticipation when the person pulls the plate in to take the first bite. The light in the eyes of the kid next door, calling out to a parent « It’s the neighbor bringing treats! ». To be a cook is to want to give others something that’s fundamental, that’s soul-filling. When I’m on the receiving end, the best dessert is the one that was made thinking of me. The cook gave me her time. That’s more precious than any ingredient.

Great question; thanks. Totally took my mind off the world’s problems.

Expand full comment
author

What a nice reflection. The baker who savors most the response of others. Thx.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I really am not a dessert person except for....a home made apricot tart. So this is what you do. You have to create what in france we call a ' pâte brisée '. ' brisée' means it will heavenly crumble inside your mouth, and it is mostly flour, lot of butter and a little water but you must barely knead the dough as it is what keeps it crumbly. Then you lay it on your buttered tart mold and simply lay half ripe apricots on it, throw some sugar, not much, on top, so you keep a little acidic taste to the fruits, and teeny bits of butter and then in the oven.

No cream added before laying the apricots, please !!... this way you have only the simple taste of buttery flour and melting apricots.

I hate desserts but this, oh my goodness !!! And you can only make it for a few weeks while apricots are in season so you are left to wait for another year to taste it again...

🤩 🤩 🤩

Expand full comment
author

You may not like desserts, but you sure know your apricot tart. 😉

Expand full comment

lol 🤦🏼‍♀️

Expand full comment

My mother worked in a small family owned bake shop once. I used to help her by sealing the hot waxy end paper coverings of bread. She used to get so mad at a few women who always asked, "Is this fresh?" "I'll get you some from the back that isn't out yet," she would answer. Yesterday's that hadn't sold then came out, was wrapped, and away walked the ladies thinking they had gotten the best. I thought how great to be able to have brownies, cookies, tarts all for the taking at my desire. Well, after two weeks, I could hardly look at the stuff.

Mother used to get up in the morning and make food, just in case somebody should stop by that day. Her cinnamon rolls were heavenly. Not the old bready things slathered with hardened icing sold in stores. Hers were a special rolled up dough baked with butter and brown sugar. We also had home made flaky mouth watering biscuits that we topped with strawberries She made bread that tasted like dessert. I have tried all the different breads at the grocery bakery-crusty, everything, sesame seeds, French, Italian - they all taste the same. Apparently same dough for all. And just as there are less chips in bags, smaller candy bars for the same prices, the bakery's single slices of cake with butter cream icing, $5+, are now, half the size. As for cakes, pies, cookies, I make my own. I think people have become either busy or lazy . They even buy already done hard boiled eggs.

So my favorite, as always, is a hot fudge sundae, and I make my own chocolate. 7 pats of butter, 2 1/3 cups sugar, pinch of salt, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, Simmer for an hour. Add 3/4 cup cocoa, vanilla to taste, and beat for 15 minutes. Whip rest of heavy cream for topping. Makes many. Yummy.Cheap. $8, $9 to buy one out.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

If it's morning, nothing beats a pain au chocolat and cafe au lait. Delicious flaky pastry with just the right amount of soft dark chocolate, chased by a warm roasted coffee sip whose bitterness has been perfectly tempered by warm, frothed milk. If possible, drink in Paris. If Paris is not at hand, enjoy anywhere!

Expand full comment
author

All true.

Expand full comment

My sweet mom has passed. She was the master artist of conversation and pie making. Was it the pie or her soul speaking?

Expand full comment
author

Lovely question.

Expand full comment

Both!❤️

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I meant to add, love that you had a date night with your daughter. Those are memories she will cherish the rest of her life.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you for noting.

Expand full comment

With just the right amount of regularity you are among the few I subscribe to who pull it's community out of the news and ills sweeping the world..to things like "What's your go to desert?" It must be the therapist in you Steven that you know just when it's time to lighten all of our burdens..

In that spirit, for 8 days in December I will travel to NY to unplug from all burdensome things as best I can..To stay with old friends, sip coffee while gazing magnificent sunrises and sunsets at the north shore of the Long Island Sound..There will be no discussion of politics, war, or anything akin to it..With the exception of a long overdue visit to lower Manhattan to the site of the World Trade Center.. The most serious decision I am likely to make will be whether to have the Pistachio or the Vanilla Bean..following my slice of pizza..However, I may find myself troubled as to what to do if presented with a slice of Key Lime Pie..

Expand full comment
author

An occasional exit from the madness: Necessary for well-being. Thanks for noting, Sam. And smart to take that NY break.

Expand full comment

Thank you Steven..Can't call you Steve..You went back to the original photo..

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

Everyone knows how to make brownies, right? Well, in my recipe, I I substitute Grand Marnier liqueur instead of water. Serve it with French vanilla ice cream, or Chantilly cream, and voilà, a desert made in Heaven. Highly addictive, but it’s my go to when I have to whip up a quick dessert.

Expand full comment

I worked at a "Brownies only" bakery. Everything was so delicious and rich. But my favorite, even though I love chocolate, was the extra nutty Blondie. Buttery Blondie topped with salty mixed premium nuts. I wish I had the recipe as they are out of business now.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I (unfortunately) have a big sweet tooth. But they must be high quality sweets as pictured in your post. I love cannolis the most but also love tiramisu, cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, warm apple crisp. And French macarons YUM!

Expand full comment

Cannolis… can do… mmm!

Expand full comment

I always love a slice of good Key Lime Pie or a couple of Wakers Shortbread Cookies..But if I had my druthers it would be Ben & Jerry’s Pistachio ice cream or Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean..

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I love to bake and eat créme brûlée. It’s delicious, only a few ingredients required, and easy to prepare. My mother-in-law’s cinnamon rolls call for a mashed potato dough. Moist and delicious; they bring back memories of family. She taught me to bake her mom’s approximately 100 year old recipe.

Expand full comment

Wow would I love to have that recipe!

Expand full comment

On FB? I can send it in messenger?

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I had to sit and think about this one. After seeing the picture you posted, my eyes glazed over a bit. I love desserts! My favorites are cakes, cookies, and just about anything else. Tiramisu, homemade strudel, palachinca (crepes in Croatian), chocolate mousse. I'm stopping because the list could go on...

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I keep a stash of Trader Joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups for a quick dessert. I really don't have room for anything more than a couple of those after dinner!

Expand full comment

I’d be happy to eat a good slice of pumpkin pie any day, but I really miss my Dad’s ricotta cheesecake. He was a master cook and baker. I also love a really good, fresh Baba au rhum, but it’s hard to find one.

Expand full comment

This is fun! Chocolate mousse and chocolate eclairs. Both French, I guess. (Chocolate chip cooks are a close third.)

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

PS: thanks for taking us away from the ugliness for a few moments with this thread. I live in Ohio, so I really, really needed it.

Expand full comment
author

Glad to offer a momentary reprieve, Ellen.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

For me it’s a gingerbread cake that is so packed with ginger and peppery spices that your whole mouth is left warm and tingly.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

Carrot Cake… with lots of cream cheese icing. Love icing—there can never be too much (for me!)

Expand full comment
author

Carrot cake is always my go-to for birthdays.

Expand full comment

Lately we found the ice cream Twix bars simply irresistible but in the fall my favorite is a gooey yummy piece of pecan pie! Love this Saturday diversion.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023·edited Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

By the time I got making my comment I had forgotten what you saw at the convection smorgasbord.. I went back to take a second look.. I am also a huge fan of Macaroons.. when it comes to dessert one must have alternative go tos..LOL

Expand full comment

For those who may not know what French macaron is to its namesake macaroon. The macaron is a small sandwich-like cookie, similar to an Oreo, but filled with jam, ganache or butter cream while the macaroon is a drop cookie made with coconut. If I had my druthers, I’d druther have a macaron, especially the ones that are made in France. Just thinking about them, makes me want to book a flight to Paris.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

Ice Cream probably. Whether it’s gelato or ice cream, probably my go-to

Expand full comment

Definitely agree with ice cream with either Ben & Jerry's brand or Häagen-Dazs and they have to have chocolate in them.

Expand full comment
founding
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I love deserts too much

Love chocolate but a simple well made apple pie buttery flaky crust sweet cinnamony apples

Best part of apple festival in Oak Harbor, OH trying all the apple pies

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

Peanut butter cookies 🥰

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

Ironic that you should write this today Steven. Just this morning, I treated my sister to a

“Paris Baguette” bakery (a first). Much like (on a smaller scale) the photo you included. Your context and image brought back a fond memory for me regarding the famous “Porto’s Bakery & Cafe” in Glendale, CA. What a treat that was. I’d never experienced such delights before and never forgot it.

Upon reflection, as a child, banana-coconut-cream pie my mother baked (from scratch of course), was a favorite. Also, fond memory of old fashioned oatmeal cookies baked with my older sister (deceased now) was always a joy. Today, I’m grateful to be able to treat myself to just about anything I hadn’t had before, and find myself favoring a pecan braid at a local bakery. I, like others here, appreciate the “break” from other news Steven. Thank You.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks for the thoughtful reflection. Yes, an occasional break is good for the spirit.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I am totally and unequivocally a dessert person and while I would say anything chocolate, I have become more discerning in my ‘mature’ years. I am with you all the way on the chocolate chip cookie and default to this all too often or so my clothes tell me. Although I love many, my other is what a former neighbor turned me on to many, many years ago, Dieter’s Downfall. A ton of an assortment of chocolate with caramel thrown in for good measure. It is aptly named and never disappoints.

Expand full comment
Nov 5, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I guess my all time favorite would be a Hersheys Upside Down Chocolate Pudding Cake. There’s nothing like it for a chocolate fan. It was great treat for special occasions with lots of gooey goodness.

https://www.hersheyland.com/recipes/hot-fudge-pudding-cake.html

I haven’t made that for probably 15 years. After I was diagnosed with a T2 form of diabetes I completely changed my diet, tossing out the main white carbs: wheat, potatoes & rice. I discovered a whole new world. (Ask me about my peanut butter, pumpkin & banana bread 👩‍🍳 which is really good with strawberry or raspberry chia jam.)

These days when I need something sweet I get out this recipe for chocolate peanut butter fudge.

https://elanaspantry.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-fudge/

Expand full comment
Nov 5, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

What a striking thing, the number of comments to this posting! Well done, Steven; just what your readers needed, when they needed it. There aren’t many desserts I don’t enjoy, but your story brought back two funny memories.

One, like Steven, I enjoy a chewy cookie. My wife finds only a crisp one acceptable. I suspect most people are in this either/or split.

The other is that when we first got married many decades ago, my wife got concerned about our diet and stopped making desserts. I got a hankering for a lemon meringue pie and so determined I would learn how to make one- I had never cooked. I have been cooking ever sense - it’s a zen experience.

Expand full comment
Nov 5, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

Oh my, mine is rhubarb pie with strawberry whipped cream on top. Cannot find it often but could fall into it face first

Expand full comment
Nov 5, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I thought I knew my “go to” dessert until I started reading other people’s favorite desserts. I had to go eat a piece of pecan pie to get through the review. I am back now.

My “go to” dessert is usually a good Spanish flan or crème caramel. I recently ate at a dessert cafe called Better Than Sex. And, whatever the desert I finally settled upon from a daring and enticing offering was, it met the hype. It was one of my best desserts ever served in a sultry environment.

NOTE: The desserterie is a part of a chain and is located in Savannah, Key West, Orlando New Orleans, and (go figure) Greenville, SC. I recommend it for a fun, fulfilling time!

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

It has been years, but my husband Tony and I love pecan pie!

Expand full comment
Nov 5, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I remember fondly as a child going to Foster’s Freeze for a soft serve vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate, with the sweet little swirl on the top. I’d bite off the swirl and suck the I cream out, leaving a chocolate shell to enjoy with the semi-gooey cone. As an adult, a scoop or two of really good vanilla with an equally good warm dark chocolate sauce poured over brings the same satisfaction with a bit more sophistication.

Expand full comment

Although I really enjoy our respectful and enlightening discussions of the serious things in the world, it is fun to take a Saturday off and think about sweet things. I try to avoid sugary treats, as they re not healthy on a regular basis. So, on a regular day my dessert is simply graham crackers, the cinnamon-sugar ones if I was able to find them in the store. However, when it is time for a real treat, apple pie is my absolute go-to favorite. This is a very timely discussion, because my town is having an interfaith Thanksgiving service on the Sunday before Thanksgiving (the service routes among the various churches and temples from year to year); and after the service, we have selection of great pies from which to choose. So, on November 19th, I will happily be giving thanks and then enjoying some great apple pie.

Expand full comment
author

Glad to hear this was timely, Janet!

Expand full comment

I used to roll out strudel dough thin as paper to size of the table... spread the dough with apples, currents, sugar, cinnamon and butter... roll it into a log, bent into a U shape.... bake. Oh my! Since I am no longer able to do this, I'm almost as happy with apple pie made with gravenstein apples. Or cherry pie made with sour cherries. We often make a pie just for the two of us to eat for breakfast.

Expand full comment

A nice piece of warm apple pie with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. 😋

Expand full comment
Nov 5, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

Bread pudding with bourbon brown sugar butter sauce over it. Moaningly good. Fluffy,

Expand full comment

40 year old tawny port.

Expand full comment

BOTTEGA LOUIE

West Hollywood

Divine is the only way to describe every single item in their pastry section and on their menu. Heaven would be dining there every day.

Expand full comment
author

I was referencing the one downtown.

Expand full comment

LOL!

I should have known from your description of the dessert. Their Instagram account is mouthwatering.

Expand full comment

Since I have celiac disease, most of the kinds of things you had to choose from are forbidden to me. One dessert I love that I make myself but don't eat often because of calories is really simple.

Fold crunched up peanut brittle into whipped cream.

End of recipe.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

I love the Chantilly cake from Whole Foods. I like to get the slice that has a lot of berries in it. Also cheese cake is a great dessert. I like it plain or with fruit. I usually get a slice from the Cheesecake Factory for my birthday.

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

A Crème Brûlée is so simple yet decadent. Especially after an Italian stuffed pasta sampler at a local eatery. 😘

Expand full comment
Nov 4, 2023Liked by Steven Beschloss

Napoleon is my go to but not often.

Expand full comment

Cheesecake, doesn't matter what kind of variation.

We lived in St. Louis when I was little. My mom worked as a book keeper for a downtown company located near Stix, Baer, & Fuller. Occasionally, she would drop by their deli and bring home a few pieces of cheesecake for our desert. It's not as though she didn't make other wonderful deserts, but those cheesecake dinners were always special. When I eat a piece of cheesecake, I think of mom and those special dinners.

Expand full comment

More down to earth for my choice. Being an apple (mostly) orchardist since my childhood, I tend to crave either an apple bundt cake or moist applesauce bread. That earthy taste, accented with a good dose of cinnamon just hits the spot beside a piping hot cup of plain black coffee. Just had a slice of the bundt cake doused with a caramel glaze a little bit ago. Alas, with green tea this time because I have finished my coffee consumption for the day. Smiles!!

Expand full comment

I am a connoisseur of oatmeal raisin cookies. Everywhere I go, I check out the oatmeal raisin cookies. Big ones, little ones. Crispy, crunchy, chewy. Oatmeal + raisin. No other additions, although I have had an oatmeal cookie with cranberries that did pretty well. Nothing like a good oRC to brighten up my day.

Expand full comment

I don't eat a lot of dessert, but when it's offered, key lime pie is my go-to.

Expand full comment

My mother's recipe for chocolate chip cookies. She had a small paper cookbook from the restaurant where it was invented in upstate NY. Soft, chewy, chocolaty. MMM. Peach pie in the summer when they are wonderful. Pumpkin at Thanksgiving. However, my go to fancy dessert, that outshines anything I have ever tasted is a double cream torte in a meringue shell. Half of the whipped cream is with cinnamon and vanilla. The other you add melted chocolate chips to. It is to die for. My mother called it Chocolate Torte Royale, and got the recipe from some women's magazine in the 1950's.

Expand full comment

Hi! I'm also on Ohio 😵‍💫

If you like peach pie, try Martha Stewart's peach buckle. It's easier and so very delicious. 💙

Expand full comment

Thanks, but I love making pie crust!

Expand full comment

Banana pudding. It takes me back to my childhood and I made it for my kids.

Expand full comment

Key Lime Pie

Expand full comment

Yes please!, or feel free to use my email - drellenanderson@gmail.com. I can't wait to try it!

Expand full comment
founding

Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream is the ice cream other ice creams wish they could be. Having said that, I would pay a king's ransom to have one more piece of my Mom's Apple Cake.

Expand full comment