The custard is baked in individual dishes in a water-bath after which it's chilled to set, and for the crowning finish it's sprinkled with plain sugar and melted with a hot flame to caramelize.

What is Creme Brûlée?

Crème brûlée is a French dessert that literally means "burnt cream," as it is a custard with a hard caramelized sugar shell coating the top. The contrasting layers make it one of my favorite dessert recipes out there.

It is generally made in individual dishes called "ramekins" and served chilled. And it can be made in various flavors but the classic mostly commonly found variation is vanilla.

Dessert really just doesn't get any better than this! To crack through that incredibly crisp, perfectly golden brown, candy-like shell into a decadent, silky smooth custard is supreme dessert bliss.

This is proof that sometimes the simplest ingredients can create the ultimate recipes.

This dramatic dessert may seem intimidating to make but it really is quite easy. Just follow this method and you can't go wrong.

Love white chocolate vanilla bean treats? Also try my triple layer Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (with Mousse!). It's easily one of my all time favorite desserts!

The BEST White Hot Chocolate

I'd dare say this velvety drink is the BEST white hot chocolate! Far better than any mix you'll by, better than what you'll get at a local shop, and yes even better than Starbucks white hot chocolate.

It's company-worthy and loved by people of all ages. And you wouldn't believe how easy it is to make.

Plus it only requires 4 ingredients (along with a pinch of salt), and it's perfectly customizable (see some fun ideas below).

It's also an unexpected and welcome change from the classic chocolate flavored hot chocolate.

You can also double or triple the recipe for a bigger crowd, just use a pot instead of a saucepan.

What more could you want on a chilly winter day than this warm, inviting, vanilla bean flecked white hot chocolate?

You get four layers of utter deliciousness - graham cracker crust, rich tangy vanilla bean cheesecake, white chocolate mousse and a sweet fluffy whipped cream layer. You'll be savoring every last bit of it!

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

This is so good you'll lose all self control. Normally, I have better self control but not with this! Bring on a big slice. Well worth the splurge and every calorie!

During the holidays we all need an over-the-top dessert right?

This is just like the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory but even better. And you aren't paying $8+ a slice. Yikes!

Yes, this would have been a great post for December with all the cookie exchanges going on but now it's January and aren't you missing all the holiday baking? I say, it most definitely doesn't have to end. Why not keep such a great thing going, right?

Black and White Cookies with Pistachios

With my love of Italian food, I decided to add a fancy Italian spin on the traditional black and white cookies you see in every New York bakery. I added salted pistachios, vanilla beans, and freeze-dried strawberries which not only add delicious flavors, but bold and beautiful colors to the contemporary black-and-white, half chocolate and half vanilla pattern. I think some fine sea salt and almond extract would be another great remix of ingredients.

The strawberries are optional, as you can see I didn't add it to all of mine but it definitely adds one more layer of bold, fruity flavor, which of course is the perfect compliment to any type of chocolate. I choose unsweetened chocolate or more bitter varieties to balance the sweet frosting and cookie, but you can go with milk chocolate if you love the sweetness.

You can also make some with only strawberries on one half and leave the other half moon plain, which would be perfect for Valentine's Day coming up.

I love creme brûlée and the way its sugar coating nearly instantly caramelizes thanks to those ingenious kitchen torches. I almost feel magic :) as I watch the sugar melt into tiny round beads, then spread and rapidly change from a soft white to various vibrant colors.

The flavors of classic Italian foods always inspire me. Italian dishes are often full of gorgeous colors and deliciously fresh, mouth-watering appeal (I often think of reds - the tomato it's a given, and greens - fresh herbs and pistachios). All it takes is one split second, longing glance and I want it, I suddenly must have it (or so my stubborn mind says).

I also love the classic Italian color combination of red, white, and green and I wanted to use it to go with some of the flavors I think of when I think of Italian food (specifically gelato, yum!). Not to mention these traditional Italian cookies are made every year for your Christmas cookie tray!

Italian Thumbprint Cookies

What is one out of the ordinary thing you should add as a new highlight to the Thanksgiving feast this year? Something that probably wouldn't have come to mind, whipped specialty butters to go along with those fresh out of the oven, homemade rolls.

These butters are amazing! I was at my mother-in-laws a few days ago and she had fresh bread and some whipped cinnamon honey butter she'd bought at the store. I knew it would be a breeze to recreate after reading the ingredients list on the packaging label, so I came home and made it. In my opinion the homemade version may just be a bit better because it's freshly made, but other than that they taste exactly the same.

I also decided to create a few other versions as well because why stop at just one flavor? There are many more I wanted to make but didn't have the time. Here's a few I had in mind: orange honey butter with orange extract and fresh orange zest, salted caramel butter with caramel sauce (rather than honey) and coarse sea salt, and lavender honey butter with dried lavender, because honey and lavender just go together.

Really there are so many different flavors you could make, but if there's one you must try this Fall it's the Cinnamon Honey Butter. It makes an ordinary roll taste similar to a cinnamon roll.

Note that pictured is only 1/4 of each recipe just because I didn't want to use 3 cups of butter at once, there's no way my family of 4 could eat that much unless were were to serve it scooped over the top of ice cream cones. If it weren't so fattening I probably would like that =).

If you are looking for a delicious dinner rolls recipe, I'd recommend trying this one. Enjoy!

Raspberry Butter

Ingredients
1 cup salted butter , at room temperature
1/2 cup raspberry jam , seedless if preferred
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp raspberry extract (add 1/2 tsp more for stronger raspberry flavor)

Instructions
In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and mix until well blended.
Note: the raspberry is naturally pink no food coloring is needed.

Vanilla Bean Honey Butter

Ingredients
1 cup salted butter , at room temperature
seeds of 1 vanilla bean
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together all ingredients until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Have you ever tried banana bread in cookie form with a thick fluffy layer of frosting sandwiched between two of them? With these cookies now is your chance. They taste just like banana bread with an added bonus, a luscious layer of vanilla bean frosting. Lightly said, these cookies are amazing!

I saw the Banana Whoopie Pies over at Martha Stewart and new I just had to try them. Lucky for me I keep a stock of overripe bananas in the freezer for emergencies such as this, where I need an overripe banana in it's prime but don't want to wait 7 more days for it to hit its peak ripeness.

I used to question whether or not freezing bananas was a good idea until I tried if for myself a few months ago. It actually works great. You simply just leave them unpeeled and pop them into the freezer when they are nice and spotty. Then when you are ready to use them, thaw the frozen banana out (to room temperature, sometimes I cheat and even thaw them in the microwave) then peel and prepare them  as directed in your recipes.

Their texture is different from that of an overripe banana that has not been frozen (I'm thinking of the word juicy, so be sure to add all those juices when prepping). They won't hold their shape well, but they are perfect for recipes that call for mashed bananas. Their color may not be the most pleasant, as the peel will blacken a bit when frozen, but this doesn't affect their flesh or taste so don't worry.

Banana Bread Whoopie Pies

I made a few changes to the original cookie recipe. I didn't think 1/2 cup banana would give the cookies near enough banana flavor so I doubled it, then reduce the sour cream by half. I also decided to leave the vanilla out of the cookie portion because I wanted it all to come from the frosting so I could have an equal balance of banana and vanilla flavor. It is an entirely different frosting than what they had listed, but I think a cream cheese version would be delicious as well (although I'd use a lot more powdered sugar than they did, less cream cheese and add some butter of course =). Enjoy!