Recently, I was asked to review Domestic Chic: A Fashionably Fabulous Guide to Cooking & Entertaining by the Seasons by Kristin Sollenne. If you have no idea who she is, let me help you out.
- Certified nutritionist & chef
- Executive Chef & Culinary Director of the Bocca di Bacco restaurants
- Honoree of Zagat’s Top 30 under 30 in NYC, 2013
- Mentor on Food Network Star, 2014
Domestic Chic is filled with simple, farm-to-table recipes made with fresh vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Each chapter is based on a season and equipped with a seasonal produce guide, which is quite helpful because sometimes I have no idea what’s in-season.
Even though the recipes in Domestic Chic are on the healthier side, I went straight to the sweets like Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls, Easy Caramel Sticky Buns and California Almond Fudge Pie.
I like this dessert because it has two of my favorite things: chocolate and alcohol. The alcohol of Kristin’s choice: Amaretto. So let’s see here…a pie filled with chocolate, almonds, and Amaretto? Looks like Kristin Sollenne knows what she’s doing! Sit down and have a slice while flipping through Domestic Chic.
Domestic Chic will be officially released on September 4, 2015, but is currently available on Amazon.com in hardcover or Kindle.
Recipe for California Almond Fudge Pie
Recipe for California Pie barely adapted from Domestic Chic: A Fashionably Fabulous Guide to Cooking & Entertaining by the Seasons.
- Crust
- 2 cups flour
- ⅔ cup butter, ½ inch cubes
- ¾ cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Amaretto or more (I used 3 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Filling
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon Amaretto
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat 9 inch pie or tart pan with baking spray.
- Place flour, butter, brown sugar, almonds, and salt in a food processor.
- Pulse until the butter is the size of small peas.
- Pour flour mixture into a bowl and add Amaretto (you can use 1 tablespoon of Amaretto and 2 tablespoons of water, instead) until it forms into a dough.
- Use about ⅔ of the dough and press into the bottom and sides of pie plate or tart pan.
- Place pie plate or tart pan on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silpat.
- Spread remaining dough on the parchment paper next to the pie plate. Make sure it'd the same thickness as the pie crust
- Bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
- Filling
- Cream butter and gradually add the sugar. Add salt.
- Beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add chocolate and stir until the mixture is uniform in color.
- Add eggs one at a time, until each egg is fully incorporated.
- Stir in Amaretto and almond extract.
- Pour mixture into prepared crust, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon/spatula.
- Crush the extra crust with your hands and sprinkle it over the pie.
- Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Enjoy!
This tart sounds amazing! So rich and chocolaty. Love your photographs too, I am drooling 🙂
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake recently posted…Chocolate chip cookie dough cream pie
Thanks, June! I need to put alcohol in more of my desserts. Haha.