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Dessert First

a san francisco food and travel blog | all things sweet

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An Easter Egg Cake for Easter

Mar 30 by Anita 11 Comments

Ok, this post is going up a little later than I wanted but at least I made it before Easter – why is it when you *have* to get a post up on time that things invariably go wonky? I wanted to share this cake that I picked out from Martha Stewart Living’s special Cakes […]...

Filed Under: Cakes, Cookbooks, Recipes, Reviews Tagged With: cake, cakes and cupcakes, chocolate, easter, martha stewart, truffles

A Sunshine-y Cake for Spring

Mar 7 by Anita 26 Comments

Thanks to everyone who commented on last week’s post with their favorite pie. I have about a hundred pie ideas to make now! The two winners of a copy of Pieography are: Commenter #3, ladywild and commenter #6, Sarah! Congratulations! For the rest of you, remember my pie recipe is available on my site....

Filed Under: Cakes, Recipes Tagged With: buttercream, cake, curd, vanilla

Now for Something a Little Different

Oct 22 by Anita 4 Comments

I’m working on a full-size post (with Halloween around the corner, is everyone automatically thinking of candy in “full size” and “fun size”? and how when you were a kid, you always knew which houses gave away the full size candy bars on Halloween night?), but in the meantime here’s a little update....

Filed Under: Cakes, Cookbooks, Recipes Tagged With: cake, chocolate, lucky peach

Looking for Sunshine: Apricot Crumb Coffee Cake

Mar 30 by Anita 16 Comments

It’s been raining a lot over here. April showers have come early, or maybe they’re winter rains that lost their way. Normally I like rain, especially after a dry winter that made me think I’d forgotten the sound of rain on the roof. In typical be-careful-what-you-ask-for-fashion, I am totally re-familiarized with rain. I still like […]...

Filed Under: Cakes, Fruit, Recipes, Reviews Tagged With: apricot, cake, coffee cake, crumb, review, streusel

Happy Valentine’s: Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Chocolate, Framboise

Feb 14 by Anita 24 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day! This dessert is a little brainstorm I got last weekend when I realized it was three days from Valentine’s Day and I hadn’t thought of anything to make yet. I wanted to take a classic V-day dessert and give it a little modern spin. Molten chocolate cakes came to mind…perennial lurkers on […]...

Filed Under: Cakes, Chocolate, Recipes Tagged With: cake, chocolate, molten, tonka bean, valentine's day, vanilla

A Little Night Circus Cake

Nov 21 by Anita 36 Comments

I rarely mention my non-food-related reading here (and judging from the pile of new cookbooks on my kitchen table, leisure reading time is at a premium these days), but I thought I’d have to mention The Night Circus as I haven’t made any literature-inspired recipes recently . (By the way, for all you Song of […]...

Filed Under: Books, Cakes, Chocolate, Recipes Tagged With: cake, caramel, chocolate, ganache, night circus

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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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