GOODIES

Some of my favorite treats and where you can get them!

Borgatti's Ricotta Ravioli

Borgatti's ricotta cheese filled ravioli are quite simply the best! The filling is creamy and delicious. I like them with Mom's plum tomato sauce or just a little melted butter and parmigiano. Of course, the family connection gives the appearance of  partiality, but to date I have yet to find better. - mjb


  
Cindi's Cookie Club Rugelach

My philosophical approach to food goes something like this: Once you tasted the best, why would you ever go back? Not that there can't be two of something equally as good and granted it's always nice to have an alternate to fall back on, but Cindi's Rugelach sets the bar.

The flavors and textures of the pastry and the fruit and nut fillings are so scrumptious that  you will want to chew them slowly so you can savor every last  delicious morsel. To give you an idea of my standard when comparing rugelach, there's a lady in Brooklyn who bakes a fairy close second. - mjb



 Pain D'Avignon's Almond Croissant

This is the best croissant I've ever tasted. It's flaky and tender, has a lightly sweet buttery taste and a simply perfect almond filling. The texture is superb. It pulls apart beautifully and is actually fun to eat.

I've tried many of the breads and pastries that Pain D'Avignon has been baking over the years. To my taste they're as near as a you can get to the greatest boulangeries on the planet, and their croissant is just one example of that closeness. - mjb

Pecan Crescent Cookies from Misty Yoon

Pecan Crescent Cookies from Misty Yoon - Kkokko's webblog

I found this wonderful recipe for Pecan Crescent Cookies, similar to those my Mom would bake for us, at Misty Yoon - Kkokko's webblog. I've tried several variations of this recipe, found  online, but none matched my recollection of this family favorite. Then I came upon a superb blog with photos depicting each step in the process for making this cookie, including the handling and shaping of this luxurious cookie dough. 

To say that the process was quick and simple is an understatement. The dough works beautifully! Chop those pecans finely to avoid the big chunks from breaking through when rolling and shaping the dough. My batch baked in 22 minutes, and yielded 3 dozen cookies. 

Some other recipes I've tried in the past were either too crumbly, too dense or they tasted undone even when baked to the point where the cookie's edges were burnt. Not so with Misty Yoon's Pecan Crescent Cookie recipe. It has a perfect texture and a scrumptious taste ...  just like Mom's.  Thank you Misty Yoon!