My Madison Bistro

After taking an unplanned vacation from baking when my oven died, I quickly got over my withdrawal when my new oven was delivered. You already saw the first baked good to emerge from the new oven when I made these chocolate shortcakes. That wasn’t enough, so then I made a super-secret dessert (super-secret because I […]

Eclairs. Fruit Tarts. Napoleons. Cakes. Cannolis. Fruit Pies. Cream Pies. What do these desserts have in common? They all can include pastry cream, a silky custard that is an important component to many recipes, but is also rather decadent on its own. You’ll find this custard filling an éclair, topping the prebaked pastry shell in […]

At any given time, I have several variations of flour at my disposal: whole wheat, all purpose, bread, cake, almond, whole wheat pastry… With that many varieties, it stands to reason that I sometimes run out of one or more. The kind I run out of most often? Cake. I tend to buy it when […]

The first time I decided to try my hand at home canning, I was terrified. If you read any “how-to” instructions on canning, they sound so scary! In reality, it’s really not difficult to can, but there are a few important steps to take so that you do not poison your family and friends. 1. […]