Honolulu and Paris are two places I try to visit as often as I can. One is a tropical paradise, surrounded by vibrant flowers and lush vegetation. The other, a city steeped in history, style and architecture. They could not be more different than night and day. Yet both hold a special place in my heart.

This dessert was inspired equally by my love of these two amazing cities.  Paris is filled with great neighborhood bakeries. One of my favorites, located in the Marais district, makes a fabulous walnut shortbread that is the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon cup of coffee. Hawaii, of course, is known for its macadamias, which seemed a good substitution in my own version of that Parisian bakery shortbread.

Unlike in a traditional cheesecake where the filling is baked on top of the crust, here each component is baked separately and “glued” together with freshly made caramel. Buttery macadamias, rich and thick caramel and creamy cheesecake filling, this is Ono-licious!

If making caramel seems to daunting for you, omit this step and simply bake the filling directly on top of the baked and cooled crust. And if you need to switch out the nuts, then pecan is the only other nut that can be equally substituted and still give a rich, buttery, toasty flavor.

I hope that you can find the time to enjoy this recipe with loved ones.

With love, Karen

TOASTED MACADAMIA CARAMEL CHEESECAKE

Makes one 10” cake

Serves 14-16 ppl

Cheesecake Filling: 

4 ½ cups/ 4 ½ packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 ½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs

2/3 cup raw macadamia nut pieces, finely chopped

1.       Preheat the oven to 350F.

2.       Butter the bottom and inside a 10” x 3” Spring Form cake pan and cover with a 10”     diameter parchment paper round.

3.       In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

4.       Add the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. 

5.       Mix in the nuts just until fully combined.

6.       Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan and place on a rack in the center of the oven.

7.       Bake for 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 300 and bake another 50 minutes, until set.. The top of the cake may crack slightly and turn a light golden brown.

8.       Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer overnight or until firm enough to easily remove cake from spring form pan. The cake can be stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator or for up to 1 week in the freezer.

 Macadamia Nut Crust:

 1 cup coarsely ground raw macadamia nuts

2 cups all-purpose flour    

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened    

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1.       Preheat the oven to 350F.

2.       Butter the bottom and inside a 10” x 3” Spring Form cake pan and cover with a 10” diameter parchment paper round.

3.       In a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, combine nuts and flour and pulse to a coarse texture. Be careful not to over pulse or the oil from the nuts will cause the mixture to become wet and clump.

4.       In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated.

5.       Add the nut mixture and mix just until well combined and the dough holds its shape. *At this point the dough can be stored unbaked and well wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for up to 1 week. Thaw completely before proceeding to next step. 

6.       Press the dough evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan and place on a rack in the center of the over.    

7.       Bake until golden brown, approximately 25-30 minutes   

8.       Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before releasing the crust from the pan.

9.       Once cooled, remove the crust from the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap until ready to use. The baked crust can be stored for up to 2 days at room temperature.

 Caramel:

 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

½ cup water

¼ cup light corn syrup

½ cup heavy cream, room temperature

1.       Combine the butter, sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

2.       Continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to darken in color and thicken slightly- enough to start to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. 

3.       Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream, mixing to combine.

4.       Return the pan to the stove and bring the mixture to a boil once again. 

5.       Pour caramel into a clean bowl and set aside to cool until ready to use. Caramel may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Caramel should be brought to room temperature and may need to be stirred before use.

Assembly:

“Caramel”

“Macademia nut crust”

“Cheesecake filling”

1.       If caramel has been stored in the refrigerator, allow it to come to room temperature before using.

2.       Place a teaspoon-size dollop of caramel in the center of a 10” cakeboard to anchor the crust in place.

3.       Place baked, cooled and unwrapped crust on cake board and press down gently to adhere to caramel.

4.       Using an offset spatula, spread half of the cooled caramel evenly over the crust.

5.       Place the baked, cooled and unwrapped cheesecake on top of the caramel-covered crust. Spread the remaining caramel over the top of the cake. At this point, cake may be well-wrapped in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before decorating and serving.

Decor:

 3 cups heavy cream

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ cups coarsely ground macadamia nuts, lightly toasted  

1.       In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the cream and the sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form.

2.       Fit a pastry bag with a ½ inch 9 point closed star decorating tip and fill with 1/3 of whipped cream. Hold in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3.       Using an offset spatula, spread the remaining whipped cream smoothly and evenly over the top and sides of the cake.

4.       Press the toasted nuts evenly onto the side of the cake to completely cover the whipped cream.

5.       Using the pastry bag, pipe 8 large rosettes going around the top edge of the cake.

6.       Place cake onto a doily-covered 12” round cake board or directly onto a cake plate. Defrost for 8 hours in the refrigerator.

7.       Just before serving, garnish with whole macadamia nuts or flower petals if desired.

Kicking things off was our incredible in-store event on October 13.  The response was so overwhelming that we had to close the entire store for the evening.  Benefits from the event were donated to the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego.  It was a gorgeous event.

Then, we were hosted by longtime and dear family friends the Wasserman’s and the Fischer’s at Bud and Esther’s gorgeous house in North County San Diego, which was one of the locations of our photo shoots for the book.

On October 27, we visited Warwick’s in La Jolla where a great crowd joined us for tea, cakes and a book signing.

We then took the show on the road to Los Angeles on November 3.  Rolling Greens on Beverly Drive was host to a wonderful turnout of Extraordinary Desserts fans, who were treated to a pop-up store of our merchandise, free dessert, champagne, and a book signing.  We had some fans drive all the way from the Fresno area just for the event.

Our next function was at Bloomingdale’s Fashion Valley on Saturday, November 12 for Cake Couture.  We displayed our desserts on their luxury table ware and décor lines.  Waiting for your book to be signed was never so delicious.

Thank you to all who have supported us on this tour, and especially to my staff and PR guru, Lorena Whiteside-Nelson of Red Coral Public Relations, who have helped plan and
execute these very special events.

It’s not too late for you to join our celebrations, as we are in the planning stages of two
more public events to be held at both Extraordinary Desserts locations during the holidays, so stay tuned to our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Hope that you can join us and thank you, again, for your support.

Karen

Extraordinary Cakes book cover

Inspired by my travels throughout the world, Extraordinary Cakes has 32 cake recipes that range from simple to challenging.  From start to finish, the book has been a 2-year journey to create, but it draws from some of the best cakes we’ve featured over the past 22 years at Extraordinary Desserts.  Having to choose which cakes to include was a challenge since I wanted to include some of our most popular as well as my personal favorites.

Viking

In addition to complete easy-to-follow directions on how to create Extraordinary cakes, many of the recipes include tips on how to use just components of the full recipe to
make more simplified desserts such as pound cakes and chocolate mousse, as well as how to decorate cakes and desserts with fresh flowers throughout the year, and how to make delicious sauces that also add beauty and the finishing touch to every plate.

Bora Bora

The book is published by Rizzoli and contains beautiful photographs by Ray
Kachatorian, which were styled with the help of my talented friends, Andre Jackson/Jack Price Design and Gail Baral.  My co-author is Christina Wright from New York, who has co-authored four dessert cookbooks and currently works with Jacques Torres as his business partner on new retail ventures.

New York, New York

The recipes in the book are arranged by season to take advantage of the freshest ingredients and inspire home bakers to celebrate with cake all year long.

SPRING

Lemon Praline Torte

Toutes Fraises

Dame Chocolat

Ivoire Royale

Devika

Viking

Decadent Yogi

Marco Polo

SUMMER

Passion Fruit Ricotta Cake

Beau Soleil

Diamond Head

Chocolate Nirvana

Lemon Ricotta Cake

Strawberry Shortcakes

Caribe

Bora Bora

Citronesse

Strawberry Poppy Seed Cake

AUTUMN

Chocolate Tiramisu

New York, New York

Banana Cream Torte

Yuzu Tea Cakes

Tortamisu

Blackberry Cheesecakes

Blood Orange Ricotta Cake

WINTER

Versailles

Holiday Yule Log

Raspberry White Chocolate Linzer Torte

Amor Chocolat

Love is Chocolate (Chocolate Bread Pudding)

Bonaparte

Vallarta

Banana Cream Torte

I hope you enjoy trying the recipes for yourself, and I look forward to seeing you at one of our book signing events over the next few months.

To order the book and learn more details about our events, please visit our website or
follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest book and event news.

Thank you,

Karen

In my unbiased opinion, the cake is the centerpiece of every wedding.  Okay, it is at least one of the most important things.  Dress: check.  Ring: check. Flowers: check.  Location: check.  Oh yeah, Groom: check.

When it comes to the sweet tooth portion of the wedding reception, I am working with
brides and grooms to expand the boundaries of offering their guests more exciting alternatives other than “just” wedding cakes.

We have launched a new feature on our website that will help streamline the process of
viewing our portfolio and scheduling a consultation, so that we can help you plan the most extraordinary wedding cakes and desserts.

Here are some of the trends in wedding cakes and desserts:

Simple and elegant cakes always seem to be in style.  “Ceremony” and “Serenity” shown below from left to right.

Roses always evoke romance, which happens to be the name of the cake below left.  “Romance” and “Blush”

It’s always easy to accommodate chocolate lovers and still have a bridal presentation.  “Desire” and “Delight”

A cake for even a small wedding can create lasting memories.  “Joy” and “Glorious”

Petite desserts are wonderful for guests tiered, tray passed, or on dessert buffets.

Cupcakes are fun and playful, yet also elegantly presented.

Desserts can also be delicious take home surprises in gift boxes with bows, ribbons, flower petals, or simply an Extraordinary Desserts sticker.

Also, I am excited to announce that my first book, Extraordinary Cakes published by Rizzoli, will be launching in early October, and it will include two recipes, the Ivoire Royale and the Lemon Ricotta Cake that are popular wedding cakes.

Therefore, if you are ambitious in the kitchen or live outside of our San Diego wedding delivery area, then you can bake and decorate your own extraordinary wedding cake.

More details on the book launch and special events to come in the near future.

Live sweetly,

Karen

My inspirations for the summer are:

      Creating desserts with seasonal fruits (I love nectarines)

      Running near the beach (especially Torrey Pines)

      Vacationing with my family (anywhere remote)

      Walking our Weimeraners (maybe they walk us)

      Tending to my Gardenias (my favorite flowers)

      Drinking rose wines (and reds…and whites…and bubbles)

      Sweating through even hotter hot yoga (too much rose wine)

      Dining al fresco (for all meals) is my favorite part of summer

They say if you can think about what inspires you, then it can give you a goal.  Hearing and seeing happy people in our stores provides me the spark of inspiration to create new desserts and display new gift items.

Here are some of the new things you will see this summer:

Smores Hot Fudge Sundae -

marshmallow ice cream & chocolate graham crackers

Ballpark Ice Cream –

coconut porter, milk chocolate covered pretzels & peanut brittle

Roasted Coconut Pineapple Bread Pudding -

  AHHHHloha!

Strawberry Poppyseed Cake -

layers of organic strawberries and custard

Govino for your Champagne -

reuseable & recyclable outdoor Champagne flutes

Maileg from Copenhagen –

collectible and playful bunnies and mice

What inspires you?

The bond that we share with our mothers is unlike any other experience in life.  I realized how deep and profound love for someone else can be with the arrival of my daughter Sahara into the world.  Of all of the wonderful and beautiful things I have created, witnessed and done in the world, she is the absolute best.  I would do anything for her and love her with all of my heart.

The gift of motherhood comes in many ways, however, and it can be caring for others, reaching out to help those who are suffering, creating an environment that puts smiles on people’s faces, mentoring employees, helping children, and adopting pets are all mothering qualities that we should acknowledge and celebrate every day of the year.

On Mother’s Day, I like to find some of my own treats to indulge myself, so that there is no pressure for anyone else involved.

Therefore, whether you are buying for your mom or directing someone to buy for you, here are a few gift ideas to help you celebrate motherhood this year:

“Duchess Peony – Powder Room” is a natural soy based candle by LAFCO.  This gorgeous candle comes in a striking pink glass vessel and smells like sweet, blooming peonies.  Excellent when paired with a bubble bath, champagne, chocolate bar, and some peace and quiet.

“Mala of the Heart” is a beautiful book of poems from around the world edited by Ravi Nathwani and Kate Vogt.  I can open this book to a different page each day and come away spiritually uplifted and grateful for life.

“Super Natural Every Day” by Heidi Swanson is a cookbook so well done that it makes me want to have someone make me every recipe for Mother’s Day.  Even the popcorn has me going out to the market to buy Dijon mustard today. 

“Parisian Chic” a style guide by Ines de la Fressange, who is France’s icon of chic.  This book provides great tips on how to dress and eat like a Parisian.  Best when combined with a round trip ticket to the City of Love or a café au lait while watching Audrey Hepburn in “Sabrina.”

Jewelry by Robindira Unsworth is globally inspired, super girly, high color, and über chic. 

Lemon Praline, Dame Chocolat, Dulce de Leche Cheesecake, and Shangri-La are all a mother’s best friend. 

Our new Strawberry Shortcake Tart is made with Devonshire cream and organic strawberries.

Hugs and kisses to mothers everywhere.

At least one time a year, I make a commitment to take a spiritual journey to relax, reflect, rejuvenate, and stir my soul.  While sometimes this might be for several days somewhere not too far away, other times it can be a major trek.  These spiritual journeys are primarily taken solo or with a very close friend, so that I have to opportunity to go inward.

I have always been drawn to travel east, and through these trips, I have brought the influences of both food and design back with me for my stores and home.  My most recent trip was to Bali, and it was much like the book and movie “Eat, Pray, Love” only that I was eating my way through Bali, praying that I would get to come back again, and loving every minute of it!

Bali has a nurturing feeling for me each time I visit the island.  In the same moment, it is luxurious and raw, decadent and simple, inspiring and quiet, as well as healing and awakening.  It’s lush rice terraces, rugged coast lines, sandy beaches, and deeply spiritual culture is paradise on earth. 

Once I get away and take the time to unwind and breathe, my senses are inspired with fresh ideas and interpretations of what I experienced.  My staff and family know that many new recipes, drinks, and gift items will be unpacked with my arrival home. 

One such inspiration has lead to the launch of our new Goddess Granola.  Packed with all-natural dried strawberries and dried organic pineapple, apricots, and cranberries, this crunchy granola is delicious for breakfast, as a snack, or a travel companion.  It is available in both of our stores on 3/18 and our online store on 3/25.

My trip was planned around the holiday, Nyepi, which is the Balinese New Year.  This is very different than a Westerner’s New Year.  The New Year in Bali is observed as a day of silence.  From a religious and philosophical point of view, the Balinese New Year is meant to be a day of self-introspection to decide on values of humanity, love, patience and kindness that should be kept forever.

Four days of preparation, ritual and celebration take place in every village throughout the entire island. 

The first day includes bathing rituals with the deities from village temples being taken to the river or the sea in long and colorful ceremonies.  They are bathed and then taken back to their shrines.  This signifies the purification of the soul and the ability to embrace the New Year with a pure heart. 

The second day is the evening parade of Ogoh-ogoh’s, which are depictions of monsters or evil spirits made of bamboo.  In a carnival atmosphere the Ogoh-ogoh’s, torches and music create a parade through the streets.  At the finale, these evil spirits are burned signifying the release of evil spirits out of everyday human life.

The third day is Nyepi, a day of silence to make and keep the balance of nature.  Every street is quiet.  No one is to leave their home.  All televisions and radios are shut down.  Light is limited to candles only.  Security guards monitor each village.  The whole day is simply filled with the sounds of nature and the barks of a few dogs.

On the fourth day, everyone emerges from their homes to visit their friends and relatives.  They share meals and rejoice in the New Year together.

As fate would have it, on my trip home, I was fortunate to have missed the natural disasters that struck Japan by hours.  This tragedy reinforces that we must strive to enjoy and fulfill ourselves by creating healthy environments and loving relationships throughout our daily lives. 

The biggest gift that this journey offered me was the Balinese New Year.  It has opened my heart and given me a greater compassion for all beings everywhere.

Valentine’s Day is our Super Bowl, and since it falls on a Monday this year, we are making preparations and decorating our stores for a long weekend of celebrating love.  While there will be specials to enjoy throughout the weekend, we are adding some sparkle to our Sunday brunch by including a glass of champagne.  The Sweetheart Sunday Bruch is available at our Union Street location only and sells out every year, so make reservations now. 

To me, Valentine’s Day is about finding and celebrating love.  Love for family, pets, significant other, and yourself.   We have something made with love for everyone special in your life to enjoy.

The Hot Pink Chocolate served with whipped cream and strawberry white chocolate curls is perfect for the little ones in your family and you’ll be surprised how much you’ll like it, as well. 

Hot Pink Chocolate

Amor Chocolat marries creamy dark chocolate mousse with milk chocolate crème brulée in between layers of chocolate cake moistened with a ruby Port reduction.

Amor Chocolat

Maybe white chocolate is your passion.  If that is the case, then the Shangri-La is just for you, as it features Kirsch-moistened vanilla cakes layered with white chocolate and guava mousses, fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Shangri-La

 

If you are looking to send a sweet gift to a loved one, then you will be tempted by the re-launch of one of our exquisite chocolate bars, Au Chocolat.    The new version is still bittersweet, but now features a luxurious milk chocolate truffle soft center that is “darkened” by the addition of intense Valrhona chocolate.   You will probably want to send one and enjoy one yourself.

The new Au Chocolat chocolate bar

However, I do think that at the end of the year we all get time to renew connections with family, friends, and ourselves.  For me, it also involves the opportunity to travel somewhere where I can unwind and relax away from the feverish activity that accompanies the end of each year. 

We drove up to Santa Barbara to celebrate the New Year with some dear friends at their family-owned vineyard, Sunstone in Santa Ynez.  Our friends were gracious enough to open their stunning estate created from all-imported French salvaged materials.  We opened favorite bottles of wine, rare champagne and uniquely crafted port.  We feasted on gourmet foods, talked, laughed, and toasted 2011, while sitting around the pizza oven and long kitchen table.  It was such a memorable New Year’s Eve, that it occurred to me how important it is to spend time with friends.

Sunstone Estate Courtyard

Sunstone Estate Side View

For the New Year and always, it is imperative for me to keep my mental and physical being in optimum condition, so that I’m able to be the most creative and available for my business and family.  As a result, I’m always searching for places, foods, and unique items that make me feel alive.

Among my most recent obsessions that I have found over the holidays:

For the home: I think rejuvenation is being able to take a bath at home with a favorite candle.  Lafco candles are currently one of my favorites, which is ironic because Oprah had it as one of her favorite things.  We have some new scents on their way and I can hardly wait.

Lafco Candle

For the soul: Camilias are finally blooming at our home and it is such a decadent pleasure.  Not only are they beautiful but their delicate, fragrant scent is spiritually uplifting.

Camillias

For the heart: Swimming, like yoga, is a therapeutic exercise and finding beautiful places to swim are inspiring to me.

For the mood: The song “You’ve Got The Love“ by Florence and the Machine has been on the radio several times recently when I get in the car and it is really an uplifting gorgeous song.

And for those of you who have resolutions regarding Extraordinary Desserts, don’t stay away too long.  We have healthier options on our menu to indulge in.  Enjoy.

In such places, I always come up with new ideas for my own twists on desserts, foods, and drinks.  I also find sweet things to carry in my stores.

One of my stops on a recent trip up to L.A. was to meet with Joan of Joan’s on Third.  Joan’s is a gourmet café and food store that has wonderful food, baked goods, coffees, teas, and private label sweets among many other items. 

Of the many decadent items there that I tried, the Chocolate Coconut Covered Marshmallows reached “Best Thing I’m Eating Now” status.

I’m not even sure if any description is necessary.  I can just say that these are incredible and to warn that you will not be able to only eat one!

When winding down after the long day of shopping and traffic, I came across a wonderful Malbec called BenMarco from Mendoza in Argentina.  It struck me with its beautiful color and full-bodied and ripe red fruited taste.  This incredible wine will be in our Union Street location soon, and it will be available by the ½ glass, full glass and bottle.  It is a show stopper, so try this next time you are in or pick up a bottle if you see it somewhere.

One of the featured cakes on our holiday menu is the Yule Log. This year, I created a new twist by adding raspberry tea infused cherries throughout the recipe to give it more of a holiday taste.  It is a gorgeous cake that will help sweeten your holiday table décor and then serve as the perfect holiday dessert.  It is being featured in a San Diego Union Tribune article on December 9, and you will be able to place your order for full cakes now.  We have it available by the slice on select days, so try it before you order. 

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones.

With appreciation,

Karen