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Dessert First

a san francisco food and travel blog | all things sweet

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Farewell to 2015: Sugar and Spice Cookie with Dipping Bar

Dec 31 by Anita 2 Comments

Sugar and spice cookies turned into lollipops you can dip into chocolate, marshmallow cream, or cookie butter. A fun interactive treat for New Year’s Eve or any get-together. How quickly another year comes to an end. It’s been unusually chilly and rainy here, but on this last day of the year it’s calm, clear, and […]...

Filed Under: Cookies, Recipes Tagged With: cookie, ganache, hatchery, marshmallow, new year, spice, theo chocolate

The Brownie-Cake Borderline

Feb 27 by Anita 20 Comments

So I was leafing through the latest issue of Donna Hay and came across this nigh-irresistibly named-and-photographed Caramel Crunch Brownie. A brownie covered with a crunch-filled caramel and a layer of chocolate ganache sounded like something that needed to be coming out of my kitchen posthaste....

Filed Under: Cakes, Chocolate, Recipes Tagged With: brownie, caramel, chocolate, ganache, sesame

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

{Sweet San Francisco}: TCHO and Chocolate Mint Filled Cupcakes

Mar 16 by Anita 17 Comments

Pardon the slightly disjointed nature of this post; it was meant to be report on my TCHO factory experience that evolved into a St. Patrick’s Day recipe that now includes a mention of Japan. Apologies, but I couldn’t not mention that I fell in love with Japan long before I visited it for the first […]...

Filed Under: Cakes, Chocolate, Recipes, San Francisco, Sweet Spots, Sweet Spots Tagged With: chocolate, cupcake, ganache, mint, san francisco, tcho

‘Tis the Season

Dec 5 by Anita 32 Comments

I love December, the gentle melancholy as we tiptoe to the end of the year, juxtaposed with the swirling joyousness of the holidays. I always smile when I realize the approach of things that suffuse me with the warm, fuzzy holiday spirit: gaily colored Christmas cards in the mail; children running about in puffy, scarf […]...

Filed Under: Chocolate, Cookies, Recipes Tagged With: chocolate, christmas, cookie, ganache, macaron


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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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