My next dessert is Italian-inspired. I'm planning my trip to Italy, so let's just say Italy is on the brain. I love rosemary in dessert more than I do savory dishes, it pairs so beautifully with sugar. It is such a strong flavor profile that it can get a bit tricky to balance. Shown is a pine nut salted caramel tart, red wine sauce, blueberry compote, rosemary cream, & crumble. The caramel tart is chewy, crunchy & gooey. I love the rich & buttery taste of pine nuts paired with salted caramel. Honestly the filling is addictive. The red wine sauce adds acidity to cut all the richness. The blueberries are lightly poached, until the outside is cooked but the fruit is still firm. It adds a burst of freshness. The rosemary cream adds an edge to the dish, one that makes it interesting and memorable.

The arrival of spring immediately brings to mind one of fruit, lemon. While citrus is a winter fruit, I can't help but correlate the tart and crisp flavors of lemon to spring. It's refreshing, and March is all about hitting refresh on your daily routines. The layers of clothing slowly come off, the sun doesn't disappear after 4pm, and the warm weather is energizing. Once I learned how to make lemon curd, I was hooked. The combination of eggs, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and butter is tangy, citrusy, and delicious. To highlight one of my favorite flavors, this dessert is a play on a lemon meringue tart. It is made with lemon curd, shortbread shell, meringue crisps, yogurt with blood orange juice, and fresh figs. Just imagine a creamy and citrusy curd, with a buttery tart shell, crispy and crunchy meringue, tangy yogurt, sweet blood orange juice, and a ripe fresh fig. Separately, they're good. But together all the components add up to a light and refreshing dessert perfect for the arrival of spring.

in the kitchen x pine nut caramel, rosemary cream, & red wine

in the kitchen x lemon curd, yogurt, & fresh figs