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Dessert First

a san francisco food and travel blog | all things sweet

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Financiers with Finesse (And a Curd with Some Zest)

Feb 23 by Anita 11 Comments

So one of things you learn when you work in a commercial kitchen and you make the same recipe over and over, is the importance of consistency. From whether you sifted your ingredients, to how quickly (or slowly) you combine everything, to the ambient temperature of the kitchen when you put a batter together, can […]...

Filed Under: Cakes, Custards, Recipes Tagged With: financier, hazelnut, lemon curd, streusel

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Feb 14 by Anita Leave a Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day to all! If you’re just here for cake, at the end of this post you’ll find a recipe for an absolutely addictive gianduja mousse cake. A rendition of flourless chocolate cake made even more irresistable by the addition of fresh toasted hazelnut paste to the batter. This is defnitely a one-slice-is-all-you-need dessert; […]...

Filed Under: Cakes, Chocolate, Personal, Recipes Tagged With: cake, chocolate, gianduja, hong kong, mousse, wedding

Snapshots from Hong Kong

Feb 2 by Anita 20 Comments

Hello dear readers! Apologies for the long absence – and thank you for all of your kind notes! My trip to Hong Kong was very cold – record cold temperatures, I believe, and filled with family and lots of food. Hot food, preferably, to keep warm. It was difficult not to make this a 100 […]...

Filed Under: Asia, Personal, Photography, Sweet Spots, Travel Tagged With: hong kong, travel

New Year, Another Trip to Hong Kong

Jan 2 by Anita 31 Comments

I hope you all had a good New Year’s celebration! I tried valiantly to convince myself I wasn’t coming down with something, which worked until about 1 AM on January 1, when I collapsed into bed and slept my way through most of the first day of the new year. Tonight, I’m hoping that my […]...

Filed Under: Cakes, Chocolate, Recipes

{Cookie Review} Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway

Dec 28 by Anita 41 Comments

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. I'm trying to squeeze as much work as I can before the end of 2010, as I'll be going to Hong Kong for a couple weeks right after the New Year. One thing I'm attending to on my list: a review of Tate's Bake Shop cookies […]...

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews

Merry Christmas to All!

Dec 24 by Anita 10 Comments

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all my readers and your loved ones. 2010 was a sweet year for me and I hope it was a great one for you....

Filed Under: Cakes, Recipes

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Archives

best of dessert first


The Making of Macarons (Sucre Cuit Style)

Hong Kong Eggettes (Daan Jai)


Tis the Season (Chocolate Mint Macarons)

A Better Brioche


Consider the Humble Chocolate Chip Cookie

A Feast of Figs


Pure Dessert, Pure Inspiration (Chocolate Citrus Tart)

My Own Remembrance of Things Past: Daan Tats


The Slow Drip of Coffee on a Languorous Summer's Day

Still Life of Strawberry Tart

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about pastrygirl

Anita Chu, also known as pastrygirl, is a baker, writer, and photographer with a passion for pastry. She trained at Tante Marie's Cooking School and is the author of Field Guide to Cookies, Field Guide to Candy, and Lollipop Love. Anita lives in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, and dog Max. More about pastrygirl

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Please e-mail anita {at} dessertfirstgirl {dot} com with all collaboration inquiries, pastry questions, or just to say hi! I look forward to hearing from you!
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