Chefs, Cookbooks, New York Post a Comment

Chef Fany Gerson’s Pan de Muerto

pan de muerto by chef fany gerson of la newyorkina Brooklyn
Photo credit: Melissa Hom

When I’m in Brooklyn, I always stop at Fan Fan Doughnuts to see what Chef Fany Gerson is baking. She always coming up with exciting new things to keep her menu fresh and this fall, she’s gone all out to celebrate Día de Muertos with pan de muerto.

“Pan de muerto is my absolute favorite bread in the entire world, and we eagerly wait to make it! This classic bread is found all around Mexico, but everyone makes it a bit differently. Ours is a buttery bread (not rich like a brioche) flavored with orange zest and orange blossom, finished with a buttery sugary topping.” – Fany

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Chefs, Fall, Napa, Sweet Recipes

Bouchon Bakery’s Round Challah

round challah before baking, bouchon bakery. / photo credit: pastrywithjenn


I had the pleasure from learning how to make challah from former Bouchon Bakery chef Nick Bonamico. He is now creating amazing things at Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco. Way back when I was producing Facebook Lives (remember those?) at Williams Sonoma, we invited Chef Nick to demonstrate a round challah, one of the bakery’s bread offerings during Rosh Hashanah.

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Chefs, Cookbooks, Paris

Mokonuts Chocochunk Cookies

Mokonuts peanut butter, black sesame tahini and chocochunk cookies
Photography:  Mickaël Bandassak

This cookie recipe comes from the Paris bakery-cafe Mokonuts Bakery. It is a newly opened sister shop to the restaurant Mokonuts that is on the same block and is one of my favorite reservations. Yes, I specifically say reservation, because it’s tiny inside, seating maybe 20 diners at most, so I highly recommend booking ahead. The menu changes daily, including the fresh-baked trio of cookies offered for dessert. For one of my meals, I had Vietnamese coffee with orange, cherry leaf with sesame and chocolate buckwheat. Her signature cookie flavors are now made for the bakery, including: miso peanut butter, black sesame tahini and chocochunk (shown in the photo above). Enjoy as is or a la mode.

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Holiday, London, Sweet Recipes

Homemade Mincemeat Pie Filling

homemade mincemeat pie filling in a jar


I just finished making this mincemeat filling for the first time, so this is still a work in progress, until I bake off the pies at holiday time. However, I tasted the filling after it cooled and I thought it was delicious and can only imagine how it will be once the alcohol has had time to mellow over the next couple of months. It’s nicely spiced, but not overly strong and the sweetness is there but again, subtle and balanced from the alcohol and the citrus juice.

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