I love nothing more than a s’more. It’s my ideal dessert, second only to a perfectly gooey chocolate chip cookie, I’m a simple gal, what can I say. But this summer, regular s’mores weren’t enough, so i made them better: I turned them into ice cream, and then I turned that ice cream into a sandwich!

Meet the ice cream S’moreswich: toasted graham crackers, a chocolate swirl, all packed into scoop of vanilla mascarpone ice cream.

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The mascarpone is doing the quiet work here. It’s not marshmallow (nothing really is), but it gives the ice cream this light, fluffy quality, and the slight tang balances out the sweetness so the whole thing doesn’t put you into a sugar coma. It’s not a 1:1 stand-in for marshmallow, but the flavours land in almost the same place, and somehow it works even better than the real thing.

It isn’t summer until you’ve had a s’more. So to everyone already deep into fall baking mode, I’m sorry, but it’s still summer. Here’s a recipe to keep it alive for as long as we possibly can.

Vanilla Mascarpone Ice Cream

• 4 egg yolks

• ½ cup sugar

• 2¼ cups whipping cream (35%)

• ¼ cup whole milk

• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

• 3/4 cup mascarpone

Heat the cream, milk, and scraped vanilla bean until steaming, then let steep 15–20 minutes. Whisk the yolks and sugar until pale, temper in the warm cream, then cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 170–175°F (77°C) and coats the back of a spoon. Strain, cool until warm, then whisk in the mascarpone (a little at a time, off the heat, so it doesn’t split. There also might be some lumps and won’t FULLY mix in, but that is alright). Chill completely, at least 4 hours (preferably over night), then churn following your ice cream maker's instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency.

Toasted Graham Crumb (2 options)

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

• 3 tbsp melted butter

• 2 tbsp sugar

• pinch of salt

Toss together, spread on a baking sheet, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8–10 minutes until toasted. Cool completely.

OR

Alternatively you skip the bake and pulse whole graham crackers into larger crumbs instead!

Chocolate ganache

• 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped

• ¼ cup heavy cream

• 1 tbsp corn syrup*

• pinch of salt

Heat the cream, pour over the chocolate, add the corn syrup and salt, and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature before swirling.

* Corn syrup is an invert sugar, so it interferes with sugar crystallization and lowers the freezing point of the ganache. Without it, a cream and chocolate ganache firms up quite hard in the freezer, more like a solid and pliable enough to actually scoop well.

Building the S’moreswich

• Graham crackers (store-bought or homemade)

• Your churned s’mores ice cream

• Chocolate

• Toasted marshmallows

1. Toast your marshmallows over a fire until golden.

2. Place the toasted marshmallow onto a graham cracker with chocolate.

3. Scoop a generous portion of ice cream on top, then finish with a second graham cracker and press gently.

4. Enjoy right away!

I would love to know your favourite summer dessert! Let me know in the comments below :)

I hope your summer's been a good one, and that this recipe helps stretch it out just a little longer.

Until the next recipe!

Andrea

I wasn’t able to get this recipe up on Friday, so I thought, why not make it a little Monday pick-me-up and surprise you instead! Now you have the whole week to gather your ingredients and make them this weekend 🤭

We are back with another comforting bake, and this one really delivered. After the cardamom buns, I’ll be honest, I was nervous nothing was going to top those. But here we are, and I can confidently say these are right up there with them! They’re quite different, so it wouldn’t really be fair to compare the two, but in the world of comfort bakes? They both absolutely deserve a spot at that table!

These banana cream brioche buns are everything homemade bake should be, (bakeshop quality if I do say so myself), they a are a soft, pillowy brioche bun, dipped in butter and sugar and filled to bursting with the most incredible banana cream. This is Christina Tosi’s famous banana cream, and it has been my all-time favourite and go-to for as long as I can remember (at least 9 years now). Once you try it, you’ll understand why.

If you’ve ever wanted to try making brioche at home, this is the recipe to start with. It’s a perfect weekend baking project that will have you feeling proud once you pull them out of the oven, filled and plated up.

These take a little time and patience, but I promise every step is worth it.

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Egg wash

• 1 egg, beaten

Sugar coating

• 1 tbsp melted butter

• ½ cup sugar

Method:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast, keeping the yeast and salt on opposite sides of the bowl so they don’t touch. Give everything a little whisk, then add the milk, water, vanilla, and eggs. Knead using the dough hook of the stand

up mixer until the dough comes together into a semi-smooth mass.

Now for the butter. Add it one tablespoon at a time, giving the dough a moment before adding the next. Do not rush this part, it’s what separates a good brioche from a great one. After about 15-20 minutes, the dough will transform into something silky and smooth, pulling away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the dough from the bowl and s hape the dough into a ball, return it to the bowl, cover, and let it rise somewhere warm for 1½ to 2 hours, until doubled in size.

While the dough is rising, this is the perfect time to make your banana cream — it needs time to chill, so the earlier the better. Recipe below.

Once risen, punch the dough down to release the air, then divide it into 5 equal pieces, about 110g each. Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball and place on a lined baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap and proof for another 1½ to 2 hours, until doubled again.

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Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Brush the buns evenly with egg wash and bake for 15–20 minutes, until deeply golden. You’re looking for an internal temperature of 200°F (93°C). Let them cool completely before filling, I know it’s hard, but please resist.

Once cooled, lightly brush the top of each bun with melted butter and dip into the sugar to coat. Then, using a piping bag fitted with a filler tip, fill each bun generously with the banana cream. Finish with a little dollop of cream on top and a fresh slice of banana right in the centre.

Christina Tosi’s Banana Diplomat Cream

Makes enough to fill all 5 buns

The filling that makes these banana cream filled brioche buns truly unforgettable. Rich, silky, and deeply banana-flavoured. It’s perfect.

• 1 ripe banana

• 3 tbsp heavy cream

• 2 tbsp whole milk

• ¼ cup caster sugar

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 egg yolk

• 1½ tsp gelatine, bloomed in 1 tbsp cold water

• 1½ tbsp cold butter

To finish

• ½ cup heavy cream

• 1 tbsp sugar

Add the banana, cream, and milk to a blender and blitz until completely smooth. Add the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolk, and blend again until everything is fully combined.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan and whisk constantly over low-medium heat until it thickens. Keep whisking and bring it to a boil for about 2 minutes to cook out the starch, it will get very thick, almost paste-like, and that’s exactly what you want.

Transfer back to the blender, add the cold butter and the bloomed gelatine, and blend until silky smooth. Pour into a container and refrigerate for 30–60 minutes until completely cold.

Once chilled, whip the heavy cream and sugar to medium-soft peaks, then fold in the banana mixture and whisk until smooth and evenly combined. That’s your cream. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days — though I doubt it’ll last that long.

Fill your buns and enjoy!!

You’ll find the process video below:

As always, let me know if you have any questions or comments! 🤍

Leave a comment

Wishing you the most wonderful Monday!

Until next time,

Happy baking :)

-Andrea

These are the kind of thing you make once and add to your permanent rotation. The perfect slow weekend bake, the perfect thing to share, and honestly — the perfect excuse to spend a morning doing something just for yourself. 🍌

Summer is finally here! I am currently thriving in this warm weather and feel like a human being again, with energy and motivation, aha. In the end, we are all little flowers who need sunlight.

Before I get to the cookies (trust me, you’re going to want to make these), I want to take a moment to chat about some changes coming to this little corner of the internet, and to say thank you for being here! It truly means so much when I see you making the recipes.

First, if you’re new here, welcome! I’m so glad you found your way here. And if you’ve been around for a while, whether you’ve been quietly reading along or you’re already a paid subscriber, I want you to know that your support means more to me than I can properly put into words. This started as a passion project, and it still is. Every single one of you showing up here is what keeps it going, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Now, for the update! This Substack is moving to a partially paid model. I’ve gone back and forth on this for a while, because sharing food and recipes is something I do out of pure love, not for profit. But the reality is, I can only give so much for free, and I want to keep creating things that are actually worth your time.

Here’s what that will look like: recipes like this one, and plenty of the ones I’ve already shared, will stay free. Always. And there will still be free recipes coming! What’s changing is that some of the content I create, the ones I pour most into, will be for paid subscribers.

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading, I’d love to have you! And if free is where you’re at right now, that’s completely okay too! Happy to have you here! :)

Okay, now for the cookies.

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Banana oat double chocolate chip cookies 🍪🍫

These cookies may not win a beauty contest, but they win in flavour. They taste about 5000x better than they look, and I mean that as the highest possible compliment.

The secret is in the bananas, you roast them first, skin on, until they’re almost jammy and deeply sweet. Combined with chocolate sunflower butter and a little maple syrup, the base is rich and fudgy before a single oat even enters the picture. These are gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and genuinely satisfying in a way that feels almost too good to be true.

Make them. Let me know what you think.

BANANA OAT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 350°F

Banana mix

• 5 ripe bananas

• 1 cup chocolate sunflower butter (or any nut butter)

• 3 tbsp coconut oil

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla

Roast the bananas whole, skin on, at 400°F for 20 minutes. Lower oven temp to 350F. Let them cool, then add all the wet ingredients to a bowl and blend with a hand blender for about 8 minutes until everything comes together smoothly. The warm bananas will melt the coconut oil and will help mix that through.

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups oats

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tbsp flax

• 1 tbsp hemp

• ¼ cup chocolate chips

Once your wet mix is ready, fold in the dry ingredients. Scoop the dough onto a baking tray and press each cookie down with a spatula until about 1cm thick.

Bake for 8 minutes, rotate the tray, then bake for another 8 minutes. Take them out, let them cool, and enjoy. 🍪

They’re that easy! And SO SO delicious!

As always, thank you for being here! This community is the reason I keep going <3

Until next time,

Andrea :)

I came home and became a little obsessed. I needed to be able to make that bun. What followed were a few bad batches, too dense, too dry and filling leaking everywhere before I finally landed somewhere that felt right. And this is that recipe! It’s soft, it’s intensely fragrant, and eaten straight from the oven, I honestly don’t think there’s anything better.

Let me walk you through it, because there are a couple of things worth understanding before you begin.

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First, let’s talk about tangzhong

If you’ve never made an Asian-style milk bread before, tangzhong might be new to you. It sounds technical, but it’s simply a small cooked paste of flour and milk that you make before mixing your dough.

Here’s why it matters: when you heat flour with liquid to around 65°C (150°F), the starch granules absorb the moisture and gelatinize. This pre-gelatinized starch holds onto water far more effectively than raw flour, which means your finished bread stays soft and moist for days longer than a standard enriched dough would. It’s the reason Japanese milk bread has that legendary, almost cloud-like texture.

For this recipe, the tangzhong is quick, just two ingredients, a few minutes on the stove, but it’s non-negotiable. Don’t skip it, and make sure it cools completely before you add it to your dough. Adding it warm can mess with your yeast and change the dough temperature in ways that affect the final result.

On the cardamom

Ground cardamom is wonderful. Freshly crushed cardamom seeds are something else entirely.

The ground stuff gives you warmth and background fragrance. The freshly crushed seeds, slightly coarser, more aromatic, give you those bright, almost citrusy high notes that make this bun smell like it came from a bakery. I use both in the dough and both in the filling. It’s a small extra step (a mortar and pestle, or the flat of a knife) but the difference is genuinely noticeable.

If you want to take it one step further, the optional citrus zest in both the dough and filling adds a brightness that makes the whole thing feel more alive. Half an orange is my preference!

The recipe

Makes 6-8 buns Prep time: 25 min

Proof time: 2 hours Bake time: 12-15

min

Tangzhong

• 65g whole milk

• 25g strong white bread flour

To make: Whisk together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a smooth, glossy paste — about 3–5 minutes. It should hold a trail when you drag a spatula through it. Remove from heat and cool completely before using.

Dough

• All of the tangzhong (above)

• 95g whole milk, slightly warm (around 35°C / 95°F — just warm to the touch, not hot) You can also use almond or oat milk to make it dairy free, just 1:1.

• 1 large egg (50–55g)

• 1 tsp instant yeast

• 285g All Purpose Flour

• 40g granulated sugar

• 5g fine sea salt

• 2 tsp ground cardamom

• ½ tsp freshly crushed cardamom seeds (highly recommended)

• 70g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• Swedish pearl sugar to top off before baking (optional but really dresses them up!)

Optional: zest of ½ orange

Filling

• 110g unsalted butter, very soft (almost spreadable, but not melted), I did use Becel 1:1 baking plant butter for this one to make it dairy free.

• 90g light brown sugar

• 1½ tsp ground cardamom

• 1 tsp crushed cardamom seeds

• Pinch of fine salt

• Optional: citrus zest

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and spreadable. Set aside at room temperature.

Cardamom Syrup

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 2 tbsp water

• 4 lightly crushed cardamom pods

Combine in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Keep warm.

Method

1. Make the tangzhong

Cook milk and flour into a thick paste, stirring constantly. Cool completely — this step is important for dough structure and shouldn’t be rushed.

2. Mix the dough

In a stand mixer bowl (or a large bowl if kneading by hand), combine the warm milk, yeast, cooled tangzhong, egg, flour, sugar, salt, and cardamom. Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Then increase speed to medium and knead for 8-10 minutes, until the dough starts to develop some strength and pull away from the sides of the bowl.

3. Incorporate the butter

With the mixer running on medium-low, add the softened butter a tablespoon at a time. This will look messy at first, the dough may seem to fall apart slightly. Keep going. Once all the butter is incorporated, increase speed to medium and knead for another 8–10 minutes.

You’re looking for a dough that is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. The real test is the windowpane: stretch a small piece of dough between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to be translucent without tearing, you’re there. If it tears, keep kneading.

Note on flour: Humidity, egg size, and milk fat content all affect absorption. Add 10g more gradually if the dough feels unworkably sticky after butter incorporation.

4. First proof

Shape the dough into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and leave to proof at around 26°C (79°F) for 1–1.5 hours, or until doubled in size. The dough should feel airy and jiggly when you gently shake the bowl.

5. Shape and fill

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle, roughly 30x40cm. Spread the filling in a thin, even layer — resist the urge to pile it on, as too much filling leads to leaking and soggy layers. Roll tightly from the long edge, then cut into portions (8–10 buns, depending on your preferred size). Arrange in a lined baking dish or on a lined baking sheet with a little space between each.

6. Second proof

Cover loosely and proof for 45 min - 1 hour, until the buns look soft, puffy, and have grown into one another slightly. They should feel pillowy when gently pressed, not tight or firm.

Note on final proof: If you lightly press on the dough and it bounces right back, its under-proofed. If it stays slightly dented and rises slowly back to its original state, it perfectly proofed. If it stays dented and loses its shape, it is unfortunately over-proofed :(

7. Bake

Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Top buns with the Swedish pearl sugar and bake for 13–15 minutes, until golden brown on top. They’ll be soft, don’t panic! They firm up slightly as they cool, but you want them to stay tender inside.

8. Syrup finish

The moment the buns come out of the oven, brush them generously with the warm cardamom syrup. Do this while they’re still hot, the syrup soaks in slightly rather than sitting on top, giving you that glossy, bakery finish and locking in moisture. It also perfumes the whole kitchen again, which is half the point.

A few tips

On the butter: It should be soft enough to press your finger into easily, but not greasy or shiny. If it’s too cold, it won’t incorporate smoothly. If it’s melted, it changes the dough structure.

On proofing temperature: A slightly warm oven (turned off after a minute at the lowest setting, with a bowl of hot water inside) works beautifully if your kitchen is cold. The dough is forgiving, but it doesn’t love being rushed.

On storage: These stay soft for 2–3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. A quick 10-second microwave brings them back beautifully or in the oven at 350F for 5 min. They also freeze well! Wrap individually and defrost at room temperature.

On the filling: The balance here is intentional. Enough butter and sugar to be rich and flavourful, not so much that it leaks and burns. If you find filling pooling at the bottom of the pan during baking, your layer was likely too thick, or the butter was too warm when you spread it.

Eat them warm. Pull them apart at the table. Share them with some friends.

These are that kind of bun.

If you make these, I’d love to hear how they turn out — drop a comment below or tag me. And if you have questions about any of the steps, ask away. Bread questions are my favourite kind.

Until next time,

Happy baking :)

-Andrea

If Mother’s Day were a cake, it would be this one. And if I were to describe these flavours, they’d feel like something kind and comforting, like a tight hug that settles anxious thoughts, movie nights with childhood snacks, standing on a stool just to reach the counter while cooking alongside the woman who taught me to see the joy and beauty in life.

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My mom is my best friend. She’s the person I go to when things feel heavy, when I need clarity, or simply when I need to be reminded that everything will be okay. But more than that, she’s shown me what it means to love people fully and unconditionally, to celebrate their wins, no matter how small, as if they were her own.

She has taught me what it looks like to be selfless and deeply caring, but also strong in a way that holds everything together. She is the steady presence the family leans on, the quiet strength behind so many moments, and the kind of person who gives endlessly without ever asking for anything in return.

For the mother’s who are the quiet strength behind everything we are, this cake is for you 🫶🏻

Elderflower Custard

Ingredients

• 3 egg yolks

• 50g sugar

• 200g whole milk

• 40g elderflower syrup

• 1½ tsp vanilla

• 120g heavy cream

• 1½ tsp gelatin, bloomed in 1 tbsp water

Method
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth and slightly pale.

In a saucepan, bring the milk, elderflower syrup, and vanilla just to a gentle simmer. Slowly temper the egg yolks by adding the hot milk mixture a tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously to prevent scrambling.

Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens. It’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a clean line through it.

Remove from the heat and stir in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved. Let cool completely in the fridge, at least an hour. Before serving, whisk heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the custard until smooth. And fill your cake!

NOTE:you may need to whisk the custard after taking it out of the fridge and before adding the whipped cream.

Poached Rhubarb

Ingredients

• ½ cup water

• ½ cup elderflower syrup

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla

• Rhubarb, cut into 3-inch pieces (or as desired)

Method
In a saucepan, bring the water, elderflower syrup, sugar, and vanilla to a boil.

Remove from the heat and add the rhubarb. Cover with a cartouche (a parchment circle placed directly on the surface) and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender but still holds its shape.

Carefully remove the rhubarb and transfer to a tray to cool.

Reserve the poaching liquid, you can use it as a syrup or mix it with some of the rhubarb for a soft, lightly sweet cake filling.

Chamomile and Honey Chiffon Cake

makes 1, 6” round cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup + 3 tbsp flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp honey

3 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup steeped camomile tea

3 eggs, separated

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, 2 tbsp sugar, honey, olive oil and camomile tea and whisk until combined. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt and whisk making sure there aren’t any lumps. In a separate bowl whisk egg whites and cream of tartar, slowly add in 1/4 cup of sugar and keep whisking until stiff peaks.

Pour batter into cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Once out of the oven, flip and let cool upside down. this will keep it very light and airy.

Once cool, gently remove from the tin and slice into 3 layers. fill with the custard and poached rhubarb and then decorate with an elderflower buttercream.

Elderflower Italian Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites

• 1⅓ cups sugar, divided

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

• 400g unsalted butter, room temperature

• ⅓ cup elderflower syrup

Method
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin whipping the egg whites with the salt and cream of tartar. Once foamy, gradually add about ⅓ cup of the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining sugar with the elderflower syrup. Heat over medium heat until the syrup reaches 235–240°F (soft-ball stage).

With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly pour the hot syrup into the egg whites in a steady stream. Continue whipping until the meringue is glossy, holds stiff peaks, and the bowl feels cool to the touch.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding the next.

Once all the butter is added, continue mixing until the buttercream becomes smooth, pale, and silky. (If it looks slightly curdled at any point, keep mixing—it will come together.)

Frost and decorate your cake!! WOO!

As always, leave any questions in the comments below.

I hope you have the most beautiful Mother’s Day!

Until next time,

Andrea :)

Croissants have always intimidated me, truthfully, they still do. With pastries like Pain Suisse, cruffins, or danishes, I can hide beh…

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And the food? Literally endless and all so delicious.

If I had it my way, I’d spend every hour trying new restaurants, cafés, cheese shops, delis, bakeries… just one little bite at each stop. Realistically, that’s a bit unhinged, but in my heart, it makes perfect sense 👀

These are some of my favourite spots in NYC that I would highly recommend trying them at least just once!

Starting with:

Edith’s

If I could eat anywhere for the rest of my life, it would be here. It’s officially become my new favourite spot.

I’d been seeing their tahini coffee slushie all over Instagram for what feels like forever (at least two years), and I’ve wanted to try it just as long. So finally in 2026, I made it happen, and it absolutely did not disappoint.

I also ordered the PEC&L: latke, egg, and cheese with pastrami on a bagel. It was, without exaggeration, one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. Everything about it just worked.

🇹🇭 Thai diner

A playful mix of Thai flavours and classic diner comfort food. Think crispy, saucy, punchy dishes in a retro, high-energy space that never feels boring. Definitely make a reservation ahead of time as it fills up quickly. They do accept walk-ins, but expect a wait of around 1–3 hours. When I went, we ended up waiting about 3 hours to get in, but I will say, it was absolutely worth it.

🥐 Breads bakery

Famous for their ultra-flaky pastries and one of the best chocolate babkas in the city. Everything tastes like it was made with serious butter and even more care. Their Chocolate rugelach is also a MUST!!

🍕 Two Boots Pizza

Big New York slices with a bit of personality. It’s casual, nostalgic, and exactly what you want when you just need good pizza without overthinking it. I ordered The Bird, which is Buffalo chicken, blue cheese dressing, scallions & jalapeños on a white pie and it was gluten free!

They offer gluten free crusts and vegan options!

🧀 Parm

Classic Italian-American comfort food done really well. Think rich red sauces, perfectly crispy chicken cutlets, and sandwiches that feel like pure nostalgia in every bite.

They also offer incredible gluten-free pasta, which still holds up beautifully in both texture and flavour, definitely not an afterthought.

🌿 Isle of Us

A really calm, beautiful space that feels like a little reset button in the city. Everything is simple and intentional, from the food to the atmosphere, and it naturally makes you slow down a bit when you’re there.

I’d even go as far as to say they serve one of the best wraps/breakfast burritos I’ve had in a while (we had it for lunch, but honestly it works any time of day) and also a very delicious iced matcha.

🍗 pies and thighs

Southern comfort food at its best, fried chicken, flaky biscuits, and pies that taste like they came straight out of a family kitchen. INSANELY delicious!! You can’t go wrong with anything here. My friends and I pretty much ordered the entire menu 👀 so worth it.

🌮 tacombi

Bright, fun, and super easy to love. Simple tacos, fresh flavours, and it always feels a bit like a mini escape. It honestly took me right back to Mexico, everything we ordered was incredible.

🥯 zuckers bagels

Proper New York-style bagels, chewy, dense, and done right. Classic deli vibes with all the essentials. No notes.

🍪 Levain Bakery

Home of the legendary oversized NYC cookies: crisp on the outside, gooey in the centre, and borderline ridiculous in the best way possible. I always go for the gluten free vegan one and it slaps every time.

☕️ EXTRA 🥐

These are some of the bakeries I didn’t get to try but have heard incredible things and are on the NYC bakery bucket list:

radio bakery

Fabrique bakery

Librae Bakery

Fan Fan Doughnuts

La Newyorkina

If you have any other NYC spots you love, let me know in the comments, I’m always looking for new places to try and add to my list!

Until next time,

Andrea :)

These little pain au chocolat remind me so much of my childhood.

Growing up, my sister and I would always look forward to Fridays. Not just because the weekend was finally arrivi…

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It was the first time I truly understood food.
Not just as something you eat, but something you experience.

We spent our days eating tapas, pintxos, and making tortilla de papa. Evenings would stretch into the night, filled with conversation, movement, and the kind of energy that feels so distinctly Spanish, where food isn’t rushed, it’s lived.

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And then there was this one ice cream.

A soft serve that was sold on the corner of a street, simple, nothing elaborate, but I remember asking my mom for it over and over again. I can still picture it so clearly. I still think about it.

It wasn’t just the dishes that stayed with me.
It was the simplicity of everything.

Pan con tomate.
Fresh seafood.
Ingredients that didn’t try too hard, they just were.

And more than that, it was the stories behind each dish. The way food carried history, culture, and meaning.

That was the first time I realized that food has a story of its own — that there’s so much depth in something so simple.

At one point during the trip, we drove to France. I remember stopping at a small grocery store and picking up baguettes, cheese, tomatoes, and cold meats. Nothing fancy. We parked near a trail, found some rocks, and just sat there eating together.

And somehow, that meal has stayed with me just as much as anything else.

Because it wasn’t about the food being elaborate — it was about the moment.
The stillness.
The simplicity.
The experience of sharing it together.

It showed me that the joy of food isn’t just in what’s on the plate, but in the memories and experiences that come with it.

And while Spain opened my eyes to all of this, the dish that stayed with me the most… wasn’t Spanish at all.

It was a quesadilla.

A simple one, but one that somehow left a lasting mark on me.

More specifically, quesadillas María Isabel from Polanco, Mexico. Funny enough, I’ve never actually had them in Mexico, only in Spain and Canada, lol. But both times, I’ve been told they taste exactly like the ones from the restaurant, so I trust the people who grew up eating them.

Even though it’s a Mexican dish, my memory of it is rooted in Spain, being in the kitchen with my family, cooking together, and learning new skills.

At one point, my cousin and I decided we would take on dessert and made crêpes for everyone. It was the first time I had ever made something without parental supervision… which felt like a very big deal at the time.

That trip didn’t just introduce me to new flavours, it shifted something deeper. When I came back home, my curiosity around food grew, along with this desire to travel, to explore, and to experience more of what exists beyond what I knew.

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My desire to understand food, to create it, to be part of it… that’s when it all really started to take shape.

My mom played a huge role in that, always recreating the flavours of Mexico for us at home. But my aunt and uncle were just as influential, showing me, in their own ways, how food connects us to culture, to place, and to each other.

Looking back now, I feel incredibly grateful.

Grateful that I got to experience all of that at such a young age.
Grateful for the flavours, the memories, the people.
Grateful for the moments that quietly shape the direction of your life without you even realizing it at the time.

Because now, years later, I can see it clearly.

That trip planted the seed.

And somehow, I’m still following it 💛

If you made it this far, thank you for being here! And now here is the recipe for the quesadillas that changed my life!

QUESADILLAS MARIA ISABEL

Makes 37 quesadillas

• 640g (5¼ cups) masa harina

• 200g (1⅔ cups) flour

• 1/2 tbsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 660g (2¾ cups) warm water

In a bowl, mix the masa harina, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the oil, then slowly pour in the warm water, mixing as you go until a dough begins to form. You may not need all the water. Knead the dough until it comes together and no dry spots remain, it should feel moist but not sticky.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Once rested, begin portioning the dough. Roll pieces into balls, about 4 cm in diameter.

Place each ball in a tortilla press. Unlike regular tortillas, you don’t want to press these too thin — aim for about ¼ cm thickness (it doesn’t have to be exact). A slightly thicker dough will help hold the filling without tearing.

To assemble, hold the pressed dough in your hand and add about 1 tablespoon of filling (see options below). Fold the tortilla over to form a half-moon shape.

Press and pinch the edges to seal, then gently fold the edge inward slightly to reinforce the seal.

Place on a lined tray and cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying while you continue shaping the rest.

Heat oil to 350°F (175°C).

Carefully add the quesadillas to the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for about 4 minutes on one side (or until that side is golden), then flip and cook for another 4 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Remove and place on a tray lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.

Serve immediately, they’re best enjoyed fresh!
I love them with a bit of crema and salsa verde.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. You never know… they might just change your life.

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FILLINGS:

Cheese

• Cheese of your liking cut into small cubes

CHICHARRON PRENSADO: 🌶️

Ingredients:
• 1 kg chicharrón prensado (you can often find this at a local Portuguese store)
• 10 guajillo chiles (Fortinos or any Latin market)
• 12 Roma tomatoes
• 1 Spanish onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

1. Slice the tomatoes and onion and place on a baking tray with the guajillo chiles (stem and seeds removed).

2. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt, and toss until everything is evenly coated.

3. Roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile:
4. Chop the chicharrón into smaller pieces and blend in batches until finely broken down (a food processor works too).
5. Add to a pot over medium heat to cook out some of the fat.

• If there’s excess, press through a sieve, then return to the pot on low heat.

1. Once roasted, remove the stems from the guajillos and blend the tomatoes, onion, and chiles until smooth.

2. Pour the sauce into the pot with the chicharrón and mix well.

3. Taste and adjust salt as needed.

4. fill your quesadillas.

5. Any extra filling you have can be frozen for up to 5 months or eaten in tacos the next day 👀 or used to fill tamales 👀

   ---

HUITLACOCHE:

• 2 cans huitlacoche (La Costeña brand — available at most Latin markets), drained and roughly chopped

• ½ Spanish onion, finely diced

• 1–2 cloves garlic (optional), finely diced

• ½ tbsp oregano

• ½ serrano pepper, finely diced (optional, for heat)

• ½ cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the huitlacoche, oregano, serrano pepper, and corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper, then stir to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes, until everything is fragrant and well incorporated.

Set aside and let cool slightly before filling quesadillas.

This filling is perfect for pastries, but also works beautifully in tacos, quesadillas, or even a morning omelet 🤍

Enjoy!

CHORIPAPA

• 1 chorizo link, casing removed (ideally from a Latin store or local butcher; Mexican or Spanish chorizo both work, just make sure it’s raw, not cured)

• 2 medium potatoes, finely diced (very small, almost petit)

In a pan over medium heat, cook the chorizo, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.

Once it’s almost fully cooked, add the diced potatoes and stir to combine. The chorizo will release its oils and flavuor, which will cook and season the potatoes.

Cover the pan with a lid to help the potatoes cook through, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Cook until the potatoes are tender but still hold their shape — be careful not to overcook.

Let cool slightly before using to fill the quesadillas.

And enjoy!

As always, I’ve included a video below you can follow along with, it should help answer any questions as you make the quesadillas.

I’d love to hear from you, whether you’ve tried these before, make them for the first time, or have your own version.

Thank you so much for being here 🤍

Wishing you a beautiful weekend,

Until next time,
Andrea :)

I basically grew up living on Nutella and banana sandwiches. They were, without a doubt, my favourite snack in the entire world. Well that and arrowroot cookies with cajeta! There’s a slight pattern to my favourite snacks.

When I got to culinary school, my weekend diet didn’t get any fancier. I would just snack straight from the Nutella jar, using an ar…

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Budín Azteca is the latter.

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It has been one of my favourite meals since I was little — the kind of dinner that made my sister and me visibly excited when my mom announced it. Layered, warm, comforting, and deeply nostalgic. It’s simple in ingredients, but rich in flavour and memory.

At its core, Budín Azteca is a layered dish of roasted tomato and poblano salsa, tortillas, shredded chicken, cream, and cheese. That’s it. Humble ingredients, transformed into something incredibly satisfying.

The salsa is everything here — smokey from the charred poblanos, slightly sweet from roasted tomatoes, and deeply savoury from chicken broth and cumin. It soaks into the tortillas as it bakes, softening them into tender layers that hold everything together.

It’s the kind of meal that feels generous. The kind you serve in bowls, hot and bubbling, with golden cheese on top.

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the poblano–tomato salsa

• 6 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped

• ½ Spanish onion, roughly chopped

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 3 cups chicken broth

• ½ tbsp cumin (or to taste)

• 6–8 poblano peppers

For assembly

• ¼ cup avocado oil (for lightly frying tortillas)

• 12 tortillas (store-bought or homemade — you may need 14–16 for a large dish)

• 2–3 cups shredded chicken (homemade or rotisserie)

• Cream or Greek yogurt

• 1½–2 cups shredded cheese (I used aged cheddar)

Method

1. Char the poblanos

Turn your oven to broil. Place the poblano peppers on the oven rack and broil, rotating every few minutes, until the skins are blistered and charred on all sides.

Transfer them to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to trap the steam. Let them sit for about 10 minutes — this makes the skins easy to peel. Once cool, remove the skins, stems, and seeds. Slice and set aside.

2. Roast and blend the salsa

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the tomatoes and onion on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for about 20 minutes, until softened and slightly caramelized.

Transfer to a blender with the chicken broth and tomato paste. Blend until smooth. Add cumin and adjust salt to taste.

Pour the salsa into a pot, stir in the sliced poblanos, and bring to a gentle simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavours to deepen.

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3. Prepare the tortillas

Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Warm each tortilla briefly on a dry pan or comal, then fry lightly in the oil — about 10 seconds per side. This step prevents them from becoming soggy and adds a subtle richness.

Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.

4. Assemble

In oven-safe bowls or a casserole dish, begin layering:

Salsa
Tortilla
More salsa
Shredded chicken
Cream
Cheese

Repeat once more. Finish with salsa and a generous layer of cheese on top.

5. Bake

Bake at 400°F for about 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Switch to broil for 1–2 minutes to achieve a golden, bubbling top.

Let it rest for a few minutes before serving. The layers will settle, the salsa will soak into the tortillas, and everything will come together beautifully.

Budín Azteca is comfort in its purest form. It’s nostalgic. It’s forgiving. It’s meant to be shared.

And somehow, no matter how many times I make it, it still tastes like childhood.

Let me know in the comments what you think or if you have any questions!

Until next time,

Andrea :)

Part 2 here we go!

Welcome back to a semi-beginner’s guide to laminated pastry! Today we will be looking at the Flan Parisien!

Now if you’re coming here not having read part 1, I highly recommend reading it as it has a lot of information regarding the ingredients and what their roles are in the lamination process as well as why this dough is slightly di…

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These cute little heart-shaped pop tarts are inspired by my love of almond croissants, and my inability to eat them because #glutenfreelife. So we’re layering strawberry jam with almond filling and turning it into the most delicious little treat.

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Each batch makes about 10, depending on the size of your cookie cutter, which makes them perfect for a Galentine’s party or a sweet little gathering any time of year (you can also shape them into classic rectangles for that nostalgic pop tart vibe).

They’re honestly so simple to make, and dangerously good.

So without further ado, here’s the recipe (the recipe video is just below, too):

Gluten free pop tart dough:

• 1 1/4 cup gluten free flour with anthem gum (if it doesn’t have xantham, add 1 tsp) and more for dusting when rolling.

• 1/2 cup coconut flour

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp cold vegan butter

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 tbsp cold water (add more if needed, 1 tsp at a time)

• 1 egg + 1 tbsp almond milk for egg wash

1. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.

2. Add the cold butter and toss it in the flour to coat. Using your fingertips, gently press the butter into the flour, rubbing it between your thumb and index finger until the mixture resembles coarse sand. In chef school, we used to call this “counting the money” — and once you see it, you’ll never forget it.

3. Add the apple cider vinegar, vanilla, and water. Mix gently until a dough begins to form. Be careful not to overwork it — you want it just combined.

4. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛-inch thick. Cut into your desired shapes.

7. Spoon almond filling and strawberry jam onto one half of each piece, leaving a small border around the edges so the filling doesn’t spill out.

8. Lightly brush the edges with water, fold the dough over, and press to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork.

9. Brush with egg wash and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown.

10. Let cool and top with strawberry glaze (just some strawberry jam mixed with some icing sugar until you get your desired consistency) and sliced almonds and enjoy!!

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Frangipan filling:

• ½ cup unsalted vegan butter

• ½ cup caster sugar

• 1 large egg

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup almond flour

• 2 tbsp gluten free flour

In a small bowl, beat butter and sugar together until combined. Add the egg, salt, and vanilla, continue to mix. Add the almond flour and all purpose flour stir in using a silicone spatula. Set aside.

Filling

STRAWBERRY “JAM”
It’s my lazy version of a jam haha

• 2 cups frozen strawberries

• Juice of half a lime

• 1 tablespoon honey

1. Add ingredients to a small pot and cook over medium heat. Make sure to stir frequently as the “jam” could start to stick to the bottom of the pan.

2. Let it come to a boil and turn down the heat to medium low and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the mix starts to thicken.

3. Turn heat off and let “jam” cool. Once cool, using a hand blender, blend mix until smooth.

4. Place in a container and refrigerate! Place in a piping bag and fill your pastries!

It can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and you can definitely freeze any extra for up to 3 months! 👏🏻🍓

I hope you love them as much as I do!

Talk soon,

Andrea :)

Okay. Here we go. the first of the many croissant Substack posts to come. We are starting the DEEP DIVE.

I’ll be honest in saying that I’ve been putting this off for a bit because I know once I start, I’ll never be able to stop. There’s just so much I want to share about the lamination process and its ways to go about it. If…

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Today I’m sharing one of my all-time favourite comfort meals. It’s the dish I make when I don’t want to put a ton of effort into dinner but also want something that feels impressive enough for friends. Truly a very versatile queen.

Sweet potato gnocchi alla tequila.
It’s my little Mexican twist on pasta alla vodka, and it always hits that creamy, cozy, slightly spicy spot.

One of my favourite parts? If you make a full batch of sweet potato gnocchi, you can freeze them and pull out exactly what you need whenever you need it. Perfect for weeknights or hosting.

Ingredients

For the gnocchi

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and boiled until tender

• 2 cups gluten-free flour

• 1 tbsp salt

For the sauce

• 1 delicata squash, peeled and cut into larger cubes

• 2 poblano peppers

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ Spanish onion, diced

• 2 chorizo sausages, casings removed and cooked

• 1 tbsp cumin

• 1 tbsp oregano

• 2 tsp epazote (optional but lovely)

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 tomatoes, diced

• ¼ cup tequila

• 1 cup water or chicken broth

• 1 can coconut milk

To serve

• Cotija cheese

• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Instructions

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

1. In a bowl, mash the boiled sweet potatoes until smooth.

2. Add the gluten-free flour and salt. Mix until a dough forms — add a little more flour if it feels sticky.

3. Divide the dough into smaller pieces to make it easier to handle.

4. Roll each piece into a rope about ½ inch thick.

5. Cut into 1-inch gnocchi pieces. (You can leave them as little pillows, or roll them on a gnocchi board if you have one.)

6. Place the gnocchi on a floured tray and freeze until firm.

7. Once frozen, transfer to zip-top bags for easy storage.

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Roasted Squash + Poblanos

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Toss the delicata squash with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Place the squash and poblano peppers on a sheet pan and roast for about 20 minutes, flipping the poblanos and stirring the squash halfway through.

4. Once the poblanos are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin, remove the seeds, and dice. Set aside.

The Sauce

1. In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onions until translucent.

2. Add the tomato paste, cumin, oregano, epazote (if using), and salt. Cook for about 3 minutes to deepen the flavours.

3. Deglaze with the tequila, scraping up all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pot.

4. Add the diced tomatoes, water (or chicken broth), and coconut milk. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

5. Carefully transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
   Be cautious blending hot liquids — vent the lid or let it cool slightly first!

Bring It All Together

1. In the same pot (or a larger one), sauté the cooked chorizo and diced poblanos until fragrant.

2. Pour in the blended sauce and bring it to a gentle boil.

3. Add the frozen gnocchi straight from the freezer. Stir gently so they don’t break.

4. Cook for 5–10 minutes, or until the gnocchi feel tender. The sauce will also thicken at this point. Be very gentle with the gnocchi!

5. And serve!

To Serve

Top with crumbled cotija cheese and a handful of toasted pepitas.
Enjoy this warm, cozy, spicy-creamy hug of a dish. 🤍

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Wishing you the most wonderful weekend :)

-Andrea

Today, we’re diving deep into all things cinnamon buns. I recently shared a reel showing one of my favourite little pastry hacks for making cinnamon buns (I’ve added it below for you to use next time you’re in the kitchen), and… it went VIRAL! Ah that was so crazy to see! It’s been a hot minute since a video of mine has gotten that much attention, and it was slightly overwhelming haha But honestly, seeing so many people get excited about this simple trick made my week. There’s something about a small kitchen hack bringing joy to so many people that just feels magical.

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Speaking of magic… I recently hosted a little harvest party with some friends, and I wanted to make it extra fun by having everyone make their own cinnamon buns. Imagine a table filled with soft dough, rolling pins, little bowls of fillings, and a whole lot of laughter. I prepped four different fillings for them to try:

• Classic cinnamon (can’t go wrong with the OG!)

• Earl Grey (a cozy, slightly floral twist)

• Apple coffee cinnamon (yes, it’s as dreamy as it sounds)

• Chai (spicy, comforting, and full of fall vibes)

Watching everyone get creative and make their own rolls was such a simple but joyful reminder of why I love baking so much, it’s not just about the food, it’s about the memories you create along the way. There’s something so special about friends gathered around a table, flour on your hands, laughing when dough refuses to cooperate.

I’ve included the recipes for all four fillings below, so you can bring a little of that harvest party magic into your own kitchen. Try one, or try all four (I won’t judge if you eat them all in one weekend). And I’d love to hear, which filling are you most excited to try first

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Whether you’re baking to impress friends, treat yourself, or just make a chilly morning feel a little cozier, cinnamon buns are here to remind us that the little joys in life are often the sweetest.

For the Cinnamon bun dough:

DOUGH:

•4 cups flour

•2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

•1/2 cup sugar

•1tsp salt

•2 eggs

•1 cup warm milk

•1/3 cup soft butter

METHOD:

•In a bowl of a stand up mixer add flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm milk and eggs. Using the dough hook mix for 30 seconds on a medium low speed until a dough forms.

•Add butter and continue to knead dough for an additional 4-5 minutes.

•Place dough into an lightly greased bowl cover and let rise for 1hr or doubled in size.

•On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 12”x16” rectangle. Spread filling out evenly on dough using an offset spatula.

•Roll and cut dough into even sized rounds (about 1-1 1/2” pieces). Place on a lightly greased or parchment lined pan and cover with a damp towel. Let rise for 30 min.

•Preheat oven to 350F.

•Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

•Top with cream cheese icing and enjoy!!

💛

Earl Grey:

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 earl grey sugar (1 cup sugar + blended earl grey tea from 3 tea bags)

1/2 cup butter

Cream together in a bowl and use right away or leave at room temp to make it easy to spread.

Chai:

1 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp chai spice mix

1/2 cup butter

Cream together in a bowl and use right away or leave at room temp to make it easy to spread.

Classic Cinnamon:

1 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter

Cream together in a bowl and use right away or leave at room temp to make it easy to spread.

Apple Coffee and cinnamon:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, soft

1 tbsp butter

1 apple diced

1 tsp vanilla paste

3 tbsp cinnamon

1 shot of espresso

In a pan over medium heat melt butter and cook apples with cinnamon and vanilla until soft. Add espresso and cook until almost all the liquid has cooked down. Remove from heat and let cool before mixing it in to the brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter.

We are half way through Latin Heritage Month and if you’re new here, you might not know, I am Mexican! I know, I probably don’t look it at all. That’s because I have European ancestors who immigrated to Mexico generations ago from Italy, Spain and France.

A friend, graphic designer @fiorelladoodles, recently posted about how immigrating to Canada at a young age leaves you in this strange in-between-you don’t fully belong to either country. That’s something I’ve always felt.

I love my Mexican roots and I was always proud of them growing up. But when I went to Mexico, I never felt fully Mexican. My parents kept Mexican traditions alive in our home, but in Canada I was seen as “more Mexican,” and in Mexico I was “too Canadian.” It was this constant push and pull, never fully one or the other.

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And while I’ve always been proud of my heritage, I’ve also felt like an imposter when I share traditions or food inspired by it. I’ve never lived there longer than two and a half years, so why should I get to share it? But I think it goes deeper than that.

My family move to Canada when I was just two a half years old. So much of my identity was shaped here. Canada is where I grew up, where I learned English, where I fell in love with baking (for the most part, Spain has also played a significant role in my culinary journey), and where I became “me.” But Mexico is where my family stories, traditions, flavours, and roots live. Both are part of me, even if I don’t neatly fit into one box.

But maybe that’s the point. Belonging doesn’t have to mean choosing one side, it’s about living the in-between, carrying the richness of both cultures and allowing them to shape something uniquely yours. For me, that’s food. So in honour of Latin heritage month, we’re going to dive into a Mexican inspired recipe and a little Mexican chiles 101!

MEXCIAN CHILES 101

Let’s start with the basics: dried chiles. (For my visual learners, here’s the video!)

They’re a staple in every Mexican kitchen, truly the backbone of so many sauces, marinades and stews. Think of them like grapes and raisins: when a chile is dried, it takes on a whole new depth of flavour, texture and even a different name.

Starting with CHILE MORTIA, this dried chile is actually a JALAPEñO that’s been dried and smoked, giving it this deep, smoky yet sweet heat that’s incredible in salsas.

Then there’s CHILE PASILLA, which comes from the long, fresh CHILE CHILACA. Pasillas are dark, wrinkly and a little earthy, perfect for moles.

The CHILE ANCHO might be one of the most iconic, it’s just dried POBLANO PEPPER, but it’s rich, slightly sweet and raisin-like.

CHILE GUAJILLO comes from MIRASOL CHILES and has this beautiful bright red colour with a tangy, fruity heat that balances really well in sauces.

And then there is CHILE DE áRBOL, the spicy one. It’s actually the only chile that doesn’t get a name change, it’s CHILE DE áRBOL weather fresh or dried. They’re small but mighty, adding a punch of heat wherever they go.

Of course that’s just scratching the surface. There are so many varieties, each with it’s own flavour personality and regional importance. But if you walked into a Mexican household, chances are you’d find at least a few of these tucked in the pantry.

Which brings me to this cozy fall recipe. A little something with my favourite dried chiles.

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Chile roasted cabbage.

Chile compound butter

2 chile ancho

4 chile morita

1/8 spanish onion

1 tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp epazote

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, room temp

1 cabbage, cut into 12 wedges

Yogurt sauce:

Yogurt

lime juice

cumin

salt

Start off by placing dried chiles in a bowl and covering with boiling water. Cover with a plate to keep all the warmth and moisture contained. Let it sit for at least 15-20 minutes. The longer the better.

Once they are soft, remove them from the water and take out the seeds and stems. Place in a small blender along with the onion, cumin, epazote, and salt. Blend until a smooth paste forms.

In a bowl mix softened butter and chile paste until is comes together. This is your chile compound butter!

preheat oven to 400F.

Generously spread the butter on the cabbage wedges and place on a lined tray. Roast cabbage for 30-35 minutes, flipping half way through.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Make the yogurt base by mixing the ingredients in a bowl (all to taste). Spread on the bottom of serving plate and place cabbage on top. I also topped mine with a little almond flour crumb (just baked some almond flour with a bit of olive oil, lime zest, salt and oregano,) freshly chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

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This is a perfect side dish for a dinner party or even to chop up in a salad if you have any left overs the next day!!

I hope this recipe brings a little warmth to your table this fall and maybe even inspires you to try cooking with dried chiles if you haven’t before!

I’d love to know, have you cooked with dried chiles before? Which ones are your favourites?

Leave a comment below, I’d love to chat more about it!

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Wishing you the most wonderful day!

-Andrea :)

But I refuse to believe that September = fall. Sweater weather doesn’t officially kick in until September 21st, okay!!

A couple weeks ago I threw a little Mexican hotdog BBQ dinner party, and if you’re also in denial about summer ending, you need to make these. They’re basically summer on a bun and will trick you into thinking we still have a whole month of sunshine left.

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THE BUNS:

Starting off with the hotdog buns, I used the Natasha’s baking softest rolls recipe which made for the perfect hotdog buns! But what I did when shaping, instead of rolling the dough out and then rolling again, I just shaped them into ovals and proofed them and baked using the time and temp stated in the recipe.

THE TOPPINGS:

• Hot dogs (I picked some up from Cumbrae’s and sliced them in half before grilling)

• Guacamole

• Pico de gallo

• Chipotle caramelized onions

• Pickled red onions and jalapeños

• Mango salsa

• Corn salsa

• Crumbled queso fresco or goat feta cheese

• Chipotle mayo

SNACKS:

• Cucumbers with lime and Tajin

• Tajin tortilla chips

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Guacamole:

Find the BEST guacamole recipe video here!

Pico de gallo:

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 spanish onion, diced

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 - 2 limes, juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Chili flakes, optional

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix. The simplest recipe ever.

• Chipotle caramelized onions

5 onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp, chipotle in adobo chopped

In a pot over low heat, add olive oil and butter. Add onions once butter has melted and cook over low heat for 1- 1 1/2 hours, stirring every once in a while. The onions will reduce in size by a lot! The onions should be a deep brown nearing the 1 1/2 hour mark. At this point add the chopped chipotle, stir and let it cook all together on low heat for 15 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

• Quick pickled red onions and jalapeños

2 cup white wine vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1 cup water

2 tbsp salt

1 red onion, thinly sliced, save 1/4 sliced red onions for the jalapeños

3 jalapeños, thinly sliced rounds

In a pot, bring the white wine vinegar, honey, water and salt to a boil. Place red onion in a glass container or jar and place the jalapeños and the saved sliced red onions in another glass container or jar. Pour pickling liquid into jars until onions and jalapeños are covered. Let cool before placing in the fridge.

• Mango salsa

2 mangos, peeled, cored and diced

1/4 red onion, diced

1/2 red thai chili, finely diced

1-2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (to taste)

1 tbsp olive oil

lime juice

salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together.

• Corn salsa

2 cups fresh corn kernels, from about 3 ears of grilled corn

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1-2 limes juiced (to taste)

chili flakes to taste, optional

salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl, mix and serve.g

• Chipotle mayo

1/2 cup mayo

2 tbsp chipotle in adobo

1 tbsp lime juice

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If you don’t want to use a blender you can chop the chipotle very finely and just mix it all together.

And that’s it! Build your perfect combo and enjoy! 🌭

Here’s to keeping summer alive a little longer! ☀️

As someone who’s Mexican, corn has always been a staple in my home. Tortillas, esquites, gorditas… the list goes on.

But in Mexico, corn is more than just food—it’s culture. It’s identity.
As the saying goes: “Sin maíz, no hay país” — without corn, there is no country.
And it’s not just poetic — it’s literal. Corn has been grown in Mexico for over 9,000 years and was at the heart of Mesoamerican civilizations like the Maya and Aztec, who even believed humans were made from corn dough. Over the years, maíz has been grown and harvested by small-scale farmers, passed down through generations, and transformed into masa for fresh tortillas, tamales, atole, and SO much more. It’s the heartbeat of Mexican cuisine—a food carried through time.

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For me, it’s deeply nostalgic. The smell of tortillas cooking on the comal takes me right back to my grandparents’ house. Making esquites reminds me of walking the streets at night with my cousins, hunting for dorilocos.

And while the corn here in Ontario is sweet corn, we still dress it the same way — with mayo, cheese, Tajín, and lime juice. A true Canadian esquite.

Now, these cookies?
They might be some of the best things I’ve ever made, I fear. Inspired by a Pinterest image I saw a few months back, I had to recreate it.

Think: cornbread meets gordita (IYKYK). They’re gluten-free (!!) and while they do contain dairy, I’ve included easy subs if you want to keep them dairy-free too.

Let’s bake some corn-filled joy 🌽✨

Makes 12 cookies

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (Vegan butter - I like Becel)

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tbp condensed milk (coconut condensed milk)

• 1 large egg

• 1 cup AP gluten free flour

• 3/4 cup masa harina (corn flour- I used Masienda flour but you can use Maseca)

• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon table salt

• 1 ear of corn, grilled until lightly charred, then sliced off the cob

• sugar for bruléeing corn

Corn Cookies with Brûléed Corn

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and condensed milk until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a spatula until a soft dough forms. Scoop the dough onto a lined baking tray, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie — they’ll spread slightly as they bake.

For the brûléed corn:
Break the corn into smaller pieces and place them on a metal tray. Sprinkle generously with sugar, then carefully brûlée with a kitchen torch until caramelized. Gently press a piece of brûléed corn onto each cookie dough ball.

Pop the tray in the fridge and let the dough chill for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden. Don’t forget to rotate the tray halfway through for even baking.

Let cool slightly on the tray before transferring to a wire rack. And ENJOY!

Storage tips:
• Room temp: up to 3 days
• Fridge: up to 1 week (reheat in the oven for a few minutes to bring them back to life)
• Freezer: up to 1 month

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Yes, you read that right.

The question I kept getting was:

“Why Malaysia? Why not France? Isn’t France the land of croissants?”

Totally fair. And yes, France has incredible pastry schools, but I wasn’t looking for a months-long program. I wanted technique. Precision. Those crisp, laminated layers you dream about. And I found all of that in a two-day croissant intensive led by the incredible Old Man Teh in Kuala Lumpur at the Bakers Workshop.

I’d been following him on Instagram for a few years—completely mesmerized by the perfection of his croissants. Every layer was sharp, the shape was flawless, and the crumb? Everything I’d been trying to master. So, on December 31st, 2024, I wired the money to reserve my spot (which, not going to lie, felt slightly sketchy at the time). The bank teller even asked if I was sure it wasn’t a scam. I didn’t blame her. But thank God, it was real haha

And the best part? I got to do it with my aunt, who is also a croissant connoisseur. Back in 2017, I lived with her and my uncle in Switzerland for a few months, and we made it our mission to café-hop and rate every croissant we tried. So doing this together felt really full-circle and special.

Since we were already flying halfway across the world, we figured… why not go a little further? We started the trip with a week in Singapore—walking over 20,000 steps a day, riding the most efficient subway system I’ve ever seen, and soaking in every second.

Literally soaking. Because, hilariously enough, we arrived during monsoon season. Full-on heat, humidity, and torrential rain. But we embraced it. One of my favourite things we did (completely soaked but thriving) was walk through a lush, tropical park that led to Henderson Waves—a bridge that looks like it’s rippling through the treetops. Honestly, the rain made everything look even more magical.

If you're headed that way, here's my little list of spots to eat, explore, and stroll:

🌴 For scenic walks and green escapes:

• Southern Ridges

• Henderson Waves → leads into the Mount Faber Trail (so good).

• Fort Canning Park → Stop at Le Jardin café for a dreamy breakfast and a matcha latte that truly changed me.

• Palawan Beach for some ocean air.

• Gardens by the Bay → stunning park and evening light show.

• Botanic Gardens + National Orchid Garden → over 1,000 orchid species and so peaceful.

• Koon Seng Road — iconic row of pastel heritage houses. Straight-up postcard material.

🍴 Food highlights that I still dream about:

• Wild Honey (Mandarin Gallery) — best. breakfast. ever. The smoked salmon eggs Benedict? Unreal.

• Cedric Grolet Singapore — I teared up over the pastries here. No notes. It is on the pricier side, but 100% worth it.

• Bengawan Solo — You have to try the pandan chiffon cake. It’s so fluffy and fragrant.

• Raffles Courtyard — not a food spot, but walking through the building feels like stepping into a movie set.

• Big Short Coffee — tiny and vibey. They experiment a lot with molecular gastronomy and have wild flavour combos and fun drinks that make walking 20K steps worth it.

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🧊 And then there’s the ice cream sandwich.

A must. It’s called ice cream roti or “potong” ice cream—basically a slice of ice cream wrapped in a piece of rainbow box bread or sandwiched between wafers. Sounds weird, tastes amazing.

And for me, it unlocked a core memory.

Back in 2009-ish, my family and I were obsessed with The Amazing Race. One night, my dad and I were watching an episode where the contestants stopped mid race to eat an ice cream sandwich—literally a slice of ice cream between bread. I had no idea where they were at the time, but I was so into it.

Right after the episode, my dad and I ran to the grocery store, bought hot dog buns (no idea why that was the pick), and some ice cream, and made our own version. It wasn’t great… but I’ll never forget it.

So when I saw an ice cream cart in Singapore selling that exact treat? I gasped. It was the Amazing Race ice cream sandwich in real life! Obviously I bought one. And yes, it lived up to the hype. It tasted way better than our homemade version and felt like the perfect way to wrap up our time in Singapore.

The next day, we flew to Kuala Lumpur for the croissant course (!!).

Day one was a hand-rolled croissant class. Then I did a two-day Viennoiserie course covering lamination, theory, shaping, and commercial production techniques. It was intense and exactly what I needed.

Day one of the hand rolled croissant class we started with making the dough, and had to let it chill in the fridge for a few hours. To keep things moving, we used a pre-prepped batch of dough provided by the instructors for the next step: laminating. Aka, folding a slab of butter into the dough and layering it. We learned how to lock in the butter, do the turns (folding and rolling, folding and rolling), and got to see how those iconic croissant layers start forming.

Even though I’ve made croissants before, this class emphasized precision. Every movement was intentional. Dough temperature, butter consistency, rolling direction—it all mattered. And getting to practice alongside people who are also obsessed with pastries? A dream. We ended day one by shaping the croissants, letting them proof, and finally—baking. The smell alone was worth the trip and they tasted phenomenal.

In between the classes we did in a little exploring—starting with the Petronas Towers, which were absolutely insane in person. Like, full jaw-drop moment. We also climbed the most vibrant, rainbow-hued staircase up to the Batu Caves (a very real glute workout, thank you). One of my favourite stops was Jalan Alor, a street that’s basically an entire party dedicated to food. We tried chicken satay, pad thai, stir-fried veggies, and had the best mango sticky rice of our lives. TRULY life-changing mango sticky rice. I still think about it.

The two-day course was more intense. We got to use the sheeter (THE machines to use for working with big batches and keeping that butter cold), practiced larger volumes of laminated dough, played around with more advanced viennoiserie shapes, and made some pretty incredible fillings. One of my favourites was a potato and curry quiche, comforting and so flavourful. And then there was a shrimp and sambal pastry that was unlike anything I’ve had before. Savoury, rich, a little spicy and honestly, I still think about it!

I’ve been holding off on making croissants since I got back. Not because I don’t want to, but because I’ve been a little nervous to mess them up. There's that little voice that says, what if they don’t turn out? what if I’m not as good as I thought? But I have this tiny painting on my desk that says, “If you can’t beat fear, just do it scared.”

And it makes me wonder... how many beautiful things in life do we delay because we’re afraid they might not go according to plan?

But what if they do?

So, that’s the plan. Do it scared. Trust the process. Let life surprise you.

If you’re in a season where fear is making you hesitate, I hope you remember you don’t have to wait for it to go away. You’re allowed to do the thing anyway. Joyfully. Nervously. One brave step at a time.

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AND if viennoiseries are something you’re hoping to perfect/pursue, I can’t recommend these courses enough!

And if you’ve made it to the end of this newsletter—thank you for being here and following along. It really means the so much.

Hope you’re having the best day!!

-Andrea 🥐💛