"desserts" news and stories

And they call it puppy love! OK, we couldn't resist a nod to the Paul Anka (and Donny Osmond) song, but we're all kinds of smitten with the Creative Cupcaking duo's pink pooch. All you need to make them (and to make your kids smile) are vanilla cupcakes, a can of frosting (or homemade) colored pink. Then simply add marshmallows, jelly beans, some coconut and nonpareils. This cupcake (thank you, Christopher Guest) is absolutely best in show.

Get the Pink Poodle cupcakes recipe and watch the Creative Cupcaking how-to video here.

See more ideas for Creative Cupcakes.

Gail Simmons has cooked up a bunch of Christmas dessert ideas for us, among them this variation on the pecan pie that will make fans of even those folks who say it's delicious but too sweet. Gail's solution is to add flaky sea salt to the sweet caramel, which supplies a lovely contrast. She even sprinkles a bit over each warm slice, then adds a fluffy dollop of whipped cream.

Click the links below for Gail's recipes, and a video visit to her Pantry Project, for great tips on using everyday ingredients.

Gail's recipe for Salted Caramel Pecan Pie

Gail's Christmas Dessert Recipes

Gail Simmons's Pantry Project: Salt

Is the prospect of yet another pumpkin pie yawn-inducing? Are you just plain over all things crust-cradled? Listen, we've had our share of French apple pies lately, too. So when we read on Grub Street this morning that the infamous Crack Pie, being made by David Chang and company over at his Momofuku Milk Bar, was being delivered nationwide, we thought there might be an answer to plain-pie burnout. The oatmeal-cookie-crusted creamy, gooey very buttery Crack Pie sells for $44 in New York. But if you happen to live in L.A., the overnight Fed Ex charges (the only way pastry chef Christina Tosi will allow them to be shipped) will set you back around $60. Now, we're not cheapskates, but there are very few pies out there we'd drop a century note on. Plus, the L.A. Times published the recipe.

A bunch of the Chowhounds are sick of pie, too, and they offer up suggestions, from a walnut-crusted rum cake to a gingerbread trifle with poached pears and a bourbon-infused crème anglaise.

Our colleagues at Kitchen Daily put together a "Thanksgiving Dessert: Beyond Pie " feature, which includes five great alternatives to the mincemeat already. Can you think of anything less pie-like than the green-apple-and-basil granita pictured here?

Happy National Crème Brûlée Day!

Named for its "burnt cream" topping, crème brûlée is a chilled custard served with a caramelized sugar crust. The custard -- a combination of cream, milk, egg yolks and sugar -- is typically strained into individual ramekins, baked in a water bath then topped with sugar before undergoing a quick trip in the broiler, which creates a brittle layer that adds great texture when contrasted with the creamy-smooth custard underneath.

Bakingbites.com gives detailed directions how to start with a simple vanilla crème brûlée, but the custard cups can run the gamut in terms of flavors -- lavender, rosebud, hazelnut, even foie gras. They may not be traditional, but they're guaranteed to please the palate.

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Vanilla's an essential part of so many desserts. But when should you use vanilla beans vs. vanilla extract?