Laura Rebecca's Kitchen

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: what I love most about the Daring Bakers is that each month’s challenge pushes me beyond my comfort zone and forces me to question my notions of baking and what I can do. Preconceived notions about this challenge?1) Making a laminated dough is difficult.2) I don’t […]

If only we had margarita glasses… Inspired by this lovely cocktail, the pomegranate margarita sorbet is a refreshing and sophisticated way to end a summer’s meal. In addition to lime and pomegranate juice, there’s a bit of tequila and Cointreau in here; not enough to get a buzz but maybe more than you’d feel comfortable […]

Two Sundays ago, Shane and I worked a shift on the Fellenz Family Farm as part of our obligation to the UUCC CSA. After nearly four hours of hoeing and transplanting, we’d worked up quite an appetite. Shane wanted a big breakfast — eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, hash browns — but I wanted a huge […]

When Lis, Ivonne, Fran and Shea announced this month’s Daring Baker Challenge — an opera cake sans the traditional coffee and dark chocolate flavors — I was apprehensive. What flavors should I use to make this my own? How many steps in this recipe? How many ingredients? How much will they cost? How much time […]

There are so many different types of chocolate chip cookies — flat and crisp, puffy and cakey, the kinds you find in Italian bakeries, the kinds you get in cafeterias, the kinds you eat in your Mom’s kitchen. This is a cookie you might find in a coffee house, or more likely, Jacques Torres’ retail […]

http://widget-85.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf First Jennifer made them. Then Doodles. Now me. All of us loved them and, if you bake up a batch, you’ll see why. Chewy little bites of pecan pie goodness — with nutty, buttery, and caramelized sugar notes — delivered to your mouth in a tiny cake. Light yet satisfying, they’re a perfect way […]

Several months ago, I fell in love with Peanut Butter & Co.’s Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. I can’t fully explain it, but the combination of warm cinnamon, sweet raisins and savory peanut butter drove my taste buds delirious with happiness. For many a breakfast, I’d spread some on a slice of toasted wheat bread, drizzle it […]

When I was very little, I would ride with my parents from Long Island to NYC; my parents would go to work, and I would stay at my grandma’s house until they returned. We’d usually stop at a coffee truck pulled over on the side of the road and grab breakfast: for me, a carton […]

I was thrilled when March’s DB challenged was announced: Dorrie Greenspan’s perfect party cake. Our host, Morven of Food Art and Random Thoughts, said we could play around, adapting the recipe’s flavor as we liked; we just needed to stick to a layer cake format. Who doesn’t love cake? As spring is here, and I […]

Chocolate chip cookies with their friend, Carmelized Pineapple Upside-down Cake. I’m posting this before heading off to the gym, the first day of a renewed effort to lose the last 15 — scratch that, 13.4 pounds — to reach my goal weight. I’m kicking up my exercise regimen in the hopes that it speeds up […]