Biscotti with Lemon Curd and Fresh Blueberries

Hubby and I went for a long hike up in the hills this morning so we were able to justify dessert. We had a sweet tooth (rather we have a sweet tooth - every day) but nothing interesting in the house.

There was some biscotti in the pantry but knowing they had been there for about a month I perceived them to be stale and tasteless, even though I knew biscotti has a decent shelf life.

I was just about to inform my husband that we had nothing in the house and suggest to him that we travel to our favorite pastry shop, Fleur de Cocoa in Los Gatos, CA (not far from our house). However, as soon as I thought about one of our favorite desserts at Fleur de Cocoa, the lemon & blueberry tart, I was inspired! I had fresh blueberries and some wonderful English lemon curd in the fridge... why not make my own version of that lemon & blueberry tart?

I spread the lemon curd on the biscotti, topped it with the fresh blueberries and voila! We suddenly had a tasty dessert to enjoy with our coffee without having to make the little trek to Los Gatos. Though it wasn't quite the same as Fleur de Cocoa's spectacular tart, I was happy to save the time and money today.

Chocolate Toffee

Chocolate Toffee
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

One more holiday treat to share... my friend Robin made her family's recipe for chocolate toffee. I hadn't eaten this kind of toffee in a long time so I didn't even know that it could be so good.

I always thought toffee was kind of hard and chewy and stuck to your teeth, but this was so fresh that it was not hard and sticky at all. I could taste the fresh butter and toasted almonds. It was quite addicting and I'm embarrassed to admit that I ate half of it in one day.

Because it's a secret recipe I cannot share it, but I was hoping to inspire someone to make or bake gifts rather than buy. Consumable gifts are practical and if they're made/baked by you, it's a lot more personal.

I was also delighted by the care and thoughtfulness of the way she wrapped her home baked gift. She included a couple of cookie cutters - the double heart for me and a guitar shaped one for my guitarist husband. How could I not photograph it and share it with everyone. Thank you Robin!

Sweet Aalto bowls

I got this Aalto mini bowl (the 5.5" in blueberry color) as a gift from my mother-in-law, about five yrs ago. I use it as my sugar bowl and it's filled with sugar cubes I picked up during my last two trips to Finland. I also have the larger 7" bowl (or sometimes called tray) in white which works well for candy.

I love this classic glass design made by the famous Finnish architect and designer, Alvar Aalto. It's modern yet it's organic shape gives it a warmth and versatility that works well in even a more traditional setting.

I have lots to share about my recent trip to Finland so I hope to get organized and post something soon. It's an obscure country that I think many people don't know much about but you'd be surprised to learn about the design heritage the country has, especially if you're into mid-century modern decor. Stay tuned.

If you need to find one for yourself or as a gift for someone, I recommend buying from FinnStyle.com. I've made at least 4 or 5 purchases from them over the last few years and I've had a great experience - fast shipping and secure packaging. Their current promotion is a $100 Holiday Shopping Spree giveaway so check it out and sign up before the deadline! There will be 5 winners... wish me luck and I'll wish you luck too! :-)

What's your favorite Halloween candy?

Getting ready for Halloween
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

I'll admit that I have become a chocolate snob. It's the only candy I eat so if I'm going to treat myself to something sweet, it's gotta be the good stuff... chocolate by the higher end makers and usually dark (60-75%). Neither I nor my husband enjoy the non-chocolate candy (the pure sugar stuff), so that doesn't make it into our house, with the exception of Finnish salmiakki that's gifted to us by his family every so often (but only little of it gets eaten).

BUT every year at Halloween I indulge in those "lower end" chocolate candies because of the fond memories I have of trick-or-treating as a kid. My favorites haven't changed over the years. I think my favorites will always be:

- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Snickers
- Mounds
- M&M's (preferably peanut, but plain is fine too)
- KitKat

Chocolate is a requirement. I also loved Necco's as a kid and I see they've remade them recently with all natural ingredients. But as an adult I just don't enjoy the pure sugar candies - the sugar has to be accompanied by chocolate and fat for me to enjoy them. But I would probably taste the new Necco's if I come across them.

Every year I have the same dilemma... should I buy candy that I like or candy that I won't eat?

If I have leftover candy that I like then I'm happy that I can enjoy the leftovers. But I obviously don't need it and shouldn't be eating it, especially with the upcoming holiday eating season coming up! Which is precisely the reason why I should really purchase candy that I won't eat.

Oh what a dilemma. Thankfully I only have to face this decision once a year.