Autumnal tart 1/2: A hazelnut sablé crust and hazelnut frangipane filling, a seasonal twist on the classic almond version. Before the final bake, the tart is crowned with a Fuyu persimmon rosette. I finished the final product with honey, bee pollen, pumpkin seeds and fresh pomegranate arils for fall grins.
Autumnal tart 2/2: A spiced apple tart built on a pecan–based sablé crust with a frangipane filling. The natural oiliness of pecans brings a deeper, more decadent flavor, but also required a few tweaks to balance the added moisture—mainly, a touch more flour.
A complex blend of spices adds dimension against the rich pecan backdrop: cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and mahlab (محلب), a real secret of Middle Eastern pastry. Made from ground St. Lucie cherry seeds, mahlab lends subtle notes of almond, cherry, and delicate florals.
Thinly sliced Envy and Golden Delicious apples, lightly brushed with honey, form a gradient that, fortunately, held its color through the final bake.
I finished the tart with freshly ground cinnamon, a sprinkle of sea salt, and a tangy sour-cream topping, then boxed it on a doily and gave it to a new friend.
A parting gift for my friends. Almond sponge soaked in amaretto, layered with mascarpone chantilly, ultra-ripe cherry jam, and a soft ganache (60% cacao, in a 1:1.5 cream-to-chocolate ratio). The cake’s grocery store bakery aesthetics—maraschino cherries, piped rosettes, candied oranges, sliced almonds and chocolate chunks— are reimagined with richer ingredients and a more indulgent, vaguely Italian, flavor profile.
My birthday cake, made with freshly ground pistachio and almond flour, spiced with cardamom, and filled with homemade lemon jelly and mascarpone chantilly. The sponge is my adaptation of an Ottolenghi-inspired recipe for the traditional Persian Love Cake, originally shared by the LA-based, ultra-creative Zozo Baking. In Persian folklore, a woman once used the cake’s fragrant blend of saffron, cardamom, rosewater, and turmeric to enchant a prince. My adaptation leans into just the cardamom, brightend with citrus zest and vanilla extract– a flavor that’s crisp, aromatic and still remarkably sensual.
Alternating pralines with rosewater–white chocolate pistachio ganache (dark shells) and hazelnut dark chocolate ganache (light shells). For the dark chocolate shells, I use 60% cacao — bold, but still gentle enough to let the delicate notes of pistachio and rosewater shine through. Against the creamy white chocolate shells, single saffron threads add a slightly bitter floral twist that enhances the earthiness of the hazelnut filling. Recipes are my very own.
