Greetings, everyone! It’s another snowy day in the Rockies. The sun hasn’t come out yet so the snow is still clinging to many of the tree branches and it’s lovely. Late yesterday, we took the beast out for a snowy romp. He seemed to enjoy himself and even dug up a frozen elk leg. Quite a day. Tonight I am meeting up with a friend who cannot consume gluten. As a professional pastry chef I find it very satisfying when I can overcome baking obstacles- high altitude for one, and currently, gluten-free baking- with a delicious outcome. I’ve always felt the best way to start gluten-free baking is with a recipe that is naturally gluten-free. For example, don’t start off trying to make breadsticks. That kind of recipe will require [...]

It wasn’t until I was in pastry school that I first learned what a French macaron was. They are delightful, chewy almond cookies that also happen to be extremely addictive. The flavor combinations span from classic vanilla buttercream to foie gras or curry fillings. Sometimes I’ll make carrot powder from dehydrated carrots and add it to the recipe to make ‘carrot cake’ macarons with a cream cheese filling. They are very versatile and a great palette for creativity. In the last two years it’s been fun watching them grow in popularity. I am always in support of products that utilize traditional French pastry techniques because many American pastries and desserts these days are the bi-product of so many artificial ingredients and shortcuts. They are also a bit more involved to [...]

There’s just something about chocolate and cheesecake. This recipe is the love child of two of my heaviest hitters. I combined fudgy chocolate truffle cake with smooth, creamy, and tangy cheesecake. And the best part? You don’t have to live at altitude to make this recipe, and you also can enjoy it as part of a gluten-free diet! The two layers could also be baked individually. Sometimes I will bake the chocolate truffle cake in a 9 x 13 pan and serve it as super decadent brownies. On other occasions I will bake it in a circular cake pan and cut it into thin wedges, accompanied with some blood orange or coffee gelato. At the restaurant, I used to bake the cheesecake without a crust and served crunchy walnut tuiles [...]