christmas bake-off part one:

Dark chocolate-dipped peppermint meringues.

A quick dip in super dark chocolate surprised with a nice contrast to the super-sweet melty peppermint meringues. I was inspired by this Martha Stewart recipe, but totally baffled about how to present a sandwich cookie that is pointy on both ends (other than on... is that chicken wire in her picture?).
Highly recommended as a simple, light cookie alternative. And it is-wait for it- gluten free!
Leftovers can be crumbled to top ice cream sundaes or hot chocolate, too.

dessert: two ways

Though I have ceased eating most baked goods, I still have a love for making them, so on occasion, I'll be posting here some of my sweeter experiments here for your post-meat-eating enjoyment.

This weekend, I finally made Pavlova, which I have been dying to try since seeing a lovely picture in the April 2009 issue of Gourmet magazine.

Here's the finished product--

Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Berries.

Slightly more ambitious than Friday night's cheater dessert, which was adapted from one of Martha Stewart's old recipes for Honeyed Fruit Tartlets using (gasp!) store-bought pastry crust.

Honeyed Plum Tartlet with Fresh Mint and Lime