a promising pumpkin pie

{image via martha stewart}

hello dearies!  thanksgiving is fast approaching & i must make a confession: i do not like pumpkin pie.  pumpkin muffins, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin mousse, even, yes.  but not pumpkin pie. i think it is the odd wobbly texture, the slightly watery surface that develops when chilled.  or maybe i've just never had a proper pumpkin pie.  anywhoo, i believe i have found a pie with promise: {martha stewart's deep-dish mile-high meringue version.}  i adore meringue, of course, and i love the idea of toasted clouds of it floating above a perfectly, warmly spiced filling, resting in a gingery crust.  could this be the pumpkin pie for me?  only time shall tell, as i plan on whipping this up when i return to boston on wednesday for the cherished american holiday, one that i missed last year while living in london.  

are you planning on making anything for thanksgiving?  with all of my recipe & entertaining reading, i look anxiously forward to the realization of my ideal thanksgiving menu one day, with a beautifully curated table, of course, laden with a delectable & traditional feast, sparkling friends & family on a perfect fall thursday, but as a slightly over-worked twenty-three year old without even a kitchen table, i am tremendously thankful for my thanksgiving this year, one which involves me coming back to boston late wednesday & enjoying a leisurely meal at my aunt's, no extensive preparation involved.  oh and catching up with brother & cousins & best friends, and saturday, transitioning beautifully transitioning into the holiday spirit via boston ballet's the nutcracker.  oh & fun fact.  have i ever told you that one of my ancestors came to america on the mayflower? {and presumably took part in the very first thanksgiving?}  c'est vrai.  & perhaps it's why thanksgiving and i are such bonnes amies. xx hillary 

simple fall dessert: swirly baked apples

have been so so busy & unable to blog & am feeling just terrible for it.  but i'm becoming more accustomed to my crazy new schedule & life in nyc, so this will improve, je te promets.  i just think that these swirly apples are beautiful & so easy & actually relatively healthy.  have you been enjoying the gorgeous fall produce thus far?  must run, but hope you're having such a lovely weekend.  xx hillary

perfect plum pudding: rustic plum & port tart

image via {bon appetit}

c'est officiel: with a temperature drop of 20 degrees yesterday, autumn has graced the east coast.  i could not be happier with the cool, crisp air this morning & thoughts of cozy fall cooking.  on wednesday i discovered this delicious & simple tart on bonappetit.com & think it would be the perfect dessert to celebrate the beginning of my favorite season. with only seven ingredients, including the accompanying vanilla ice cream, i plan to pick up my plums at the farmer's market tomorrow & cannot wait to enjoy.  give it a try too & do let me know how it goes.  happy fall.  xx hillary

p.s. access the recipe {here}

move over cupcakes: ladurée macarons in nyc

image via {here}

have you tried a proper french macaron yet?  these light as air, beautifully colored & flavored cookies are the new trending dessert, recently becoming a staple at weddings & other elegant events.  martha stewart living magazine even featured an article on how to make the parisian delicacies at home, each essentially two disks of italian meringue held together with cream.  often in light pastel tones in such darling flavors as rosewater, pistachio, jasmine, orange flower, sea-salted caramel, creme de cassis & the palest brown chocolate, stacked in pyramids, they are aesthetically oooh so pleasing & delicious, and although they have been widely available in the us & the uk in speciality shops, the original & most beautiful & indisputably authentic brand is ladurée {& with the most enchanting packaging}. only until the last few months these ladurée macarons were exclusively available in paris, but shops have opened in london {including a mini shop in selfridges} & a proper store in covent garden.  & most excitingly, madison avenue has been graced with a laudree {71st & madison).  apartment hunting {ultimately successful, i should add} deterred our plans to stop by, but we will undoubtedly visit very soon & i cannot wait to have a beautiful box of my own perfect sweets.    

image via {here}

image via {here} 

image via {here} 

image via {here}

image via {here}

image via {here} 

image via {here} 

image via {here} 

image via {here}

au revoir weekend, passing so quickly & dominated by upper east side real estate & more amazing alumni football, but onto a fresh new week, to be filled with lease signing & a saks launch party & kate spade fall fête & perhaps my first day as an employee at j.crew collection on madison.  how was your weekend?  i hope you are enjoying the most lovely transition from summer to autumn ...  now to get organized before monday monday & bon soir.  xx hillary  

summer sweet: just peachy

image via pinterest

hello mes chéries!  it's late august & can't you just smell the peaches ripening? they are perfect & irresistible & so beautiful in their blushing innocence.  the star of so many dishes, sweet & savory, it's difficult to decide with which recipe to begin.  shall we start with dessert?  here are some of my favorite ideas & recipes:

• grilled vanilla peaches: perfect finale for a simple bbq.  essentially toss with lemon juice & grill in a foil packet, then brush with the essential combination of brown sugar & cinnamon & vanilla, and serve over ice cream.
• lavender peaches over pound cake: peaches + lavender = divine.  stew peach slices with lavender & vanilla, spoon over tangy sour cream pound cake & top with whipped cream sweetened with the remaining lavender syrup.
• peach melba spoom: light & delightful.  frozen meringue = fat free ice cream. swirl it with seasonal pair peaches & blackberries for gorgeous contrast that begs to be served a clear glass.  night in with the girls?  yes, please.  
• peach ice cream with armaretti cookie crust: broil peaches with brown sugar & fold into softened vanilla ice cream, then pack into crust of the delicious italian almond cookie.  top with whipped cream & more crumbled armaretti.
• individual peach crisps: dinner guests adore their very own dessert {fact}.  use ramekins or little crocks, so widely available now.  top peach slices with buttery oatmeal crumble & bake until bubbling.  serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.  

peaches are so inspiring.  so many savory dishes as well: did you know peaches also pair beautifully with basil & proscuttio? oh & in white wine sangria!  & the peach palette generally, that beautiful blush... perhaps there are more peachy posts to come.  have the most lovely day.  xx hillary 

links & little things

farm photos via {eat boutique} : banana ice cream via pinterest :
paris wife via {here} : cupcake via {this is glamorous} : kate spade via {here}

happy wednesday mes chéries!  today a few things to share:

• photos of my farm dinner unaccessible for now due to camera malfunction (trés triste), but another blogger who did a similar dinner justice.
• have you read the paris wife?: the story of ernest hemingway's first wife, a glorious second course to a moveable feast {what a classic.  read immédiatement!}
• kate spade fall: 50s inspired glamour à la mad men {my favorite show, by the way, yours too?}
• my next party will definitely.include.these: gilded cupcake toppers.  i feel as if the early nineteenth century aristocrats consuming my life at the moment {via dissertation} would approve. so chic.
• you.must.try easiest non-fat bliss: freeze peeled bananas, then whiz away in blender with some skim milk.  same texture as ice cream.  trés trés délicieux!  

do enjoy!  what a beautiful day.  now to take my reading outside.  have the most lovely afternoon.  xx hillary 

summer sweet: ethereal pavlova

hello mes chéries!  have you ever heard of pavlova?  described here as 'an edible translation of sugar into cumulus clouds,' it is a refreshing, delicate dessert, perfect for summer, made of three components: a meringue base, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, covered with dollops of something smooth and cool, either whipped cream or tangy crème fraîche, or even a fruit curd or pastry cream, and topped with sweet seasonal fruit.  the meringue here is essentially a canvas, serving as a vehicle for its toppings, and for creative and beautiful food styling.

anne pavlova

 named after the russian ballet dancer anne pavlova {1881-1931}, it's also the national dessert of australia and new zealand.  impressive and ethereal served either as a shared, larger meringue, or individually, the dessert is very light, the ideal dish for a summer get together with the girls, and should be topped with the best seasonal fruit available.  make your own meringues {although do avoid this on a humid day}, or buy meringues and simply assemble for the easiest finale to a lovely summer's evening that is sure to impress & enchant your guests.  here is a basic recipe, featuring step-by-step photos, but there is an endless quantity of brilliant variations available online & in many cookbooks.  bon idée, non?  xx hillary 

with peaches & blueberries!

{chocolate variation}

stacked chocolate layers!

{blueberries & blackberries with lemon curd}

{raspberries & lemon curd}

{peaches and lavender}
all images via pinterest

p.s. last night spent the most impossibly magical evening under a beautiful white tent enjoying a delicious farm dinner ... post coming soon!

simple sweet: chocolate mousse

image via {here}

hello mes chéries!  sitting in heathrow at the moment, at an adorable english pub in an enormous wing chair, surrounded by rustic upholstered stools and deep padded leather sofas.  my very last dose of british-ness {parting is such sweet sorrow}.  but strangely, cannot stop thinking about my favourite recipe for chocolate mousse!  so here it is, an amazingly simple, incredibly delicious recipe that you can whip up in no time, with ingredients you may have on hand, and which is an ideal ending for a romantic summer meal with a beau... 

to serve four, just mix together 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread {aka nutella} with 1/3 cup crème fraîche.  add 1 1/2 teaspoon coffee or hazelnut liquor, if desired.  then, in a separate bowl whip 1 cup heavy cream until it holds soft peaks.  reserving some for garnish, fold the whipped cream into the hazelnut/crème fraîche mixture, spoon into serving dishes {even large wine glasses would work}, and chill for at least 20 minutes before serving {topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream, of course}.  so simply and so impressive.  

bonne idée, non?  xx hillary 

p.s. not officially finished until i was home sweet home!

lovely links for a new week

image via pinterest

hello darlings!  i hope that your monday was the perfect start to a brand new week.  and for today, some links that i've gathered especially for you.  charming entertaining ideas, an amazing beauty website, home libraries, stationary, and delicious blueberry pancakes.  and the most adorable image of a mother and baby giraffe.  i had no idea how much j'adore giraffes until i began this blog (beaucoup! beaucoup!).  only three days until home.  oodles of packing and errands until them, and inevitable tears with an au revoir to dear friends and my london, but i do hear the massachusetts coast beckoning...  enjoy & bon soir.  xx hillary 

• a thoughtful entertaining touch: themed drink stirrers
• from a friend with discerning interior taste: home libraries
• please more post!: beautiful, printable, free party invitations
• updated with whole grains & yogurt: blueberry pancakes
• summer dessert: popsicles & champagne?  yes, please!
• stunning and fresh beauty tips via lauren conrad: makeup & hair

image via pinterest
the look of my next weekend {sigh}

lovely links for a new week

images, top left then clockwise via {here}, {here}, {here}, {here}, {here}, and {there}

some lovely links to begin your week:

• most.amazing.wedding.website
• in paris?: couture exhibition
• magic blemish clearing product i will never live without
• have you ever heard of olallieberries?
• need to master these chic diy hair ideas: chestnut bun and gibson roll
• 100% homemade grown-up s'mores 

hope your day was perfect.  xx hillary 

summer sweet: cherry ice



image via martha stewart

the most simple and refreshing fruit-filled summer dessert, close to granita, perfect for ripe cherries..

adapted from martha stewart's dinner at home:
whisk together 1/3 cup dry white wine, 2 tablespoons sugar, the juice of one lemon, and 1/4 cup water to combine.  pulse 2 cups fresh pitted cherries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped, then transfer cherries to wine mixture.  pour into a baking pan (metal works best) and place in the freezer, stirring every 10 minutes until the mixture is slushy and partially solid, about 1 hour. 

serve in darling white cups, garnished with the most perfect whole cherries.

easy and trés délicieux, non?


hope you're having a lovely day. weekend is nearly here.  xx hillary


p.s. cherry-lovers may invest in this most practical gadget (perfect for olives, too)

bonjour

an irresistible bowl of meringues piled high at the neighborhood french bakery, begging to be photographed. crisp on the outside and soft in the center, perfect eaten alone, or when smashed and swirled with strawberries and cream for that oh-so-british summer dessert, eaton mess.  

hope you've had a strong cup of coffee and that your day is off to a beautiful beginning. xx hillary