The Baking Conundrum by Sofia Garchitorena

15/07/2026

My book The Baking Conundrum will be out next year. I am really excited and exhilarated about this project (keeps me up at night☺️).

28/06/2026

22/06/2026

Make way! This is my Deep Dish Apple Pie and you're gonna love it! You're gonna want to use those sturdy apples - I used a combination of Granny Smith and Fuji. We don't have a wide variety of apples around and are very expensive in supermarkets. So I made the most of what's on hand, about 4 pounds. Just imagine peeling and coring these apples. Sidebar: You gotta love your job when preparing this recipe - 1 hour or so. Not to mention rolling out the pie crust (I make my own). More great flavors are added in - lemon and orange zest and juices and all the warm spices.

So, all the sturdy apples. I don't recommend Red Delicious and Gala because this pie bakes for a whopping one hour and fifteen minutes at a high temperature. The Apple Pie of all apple pies! 9" in diameter and can get to as high as 3.5". It's Deep Dish Apple Pie after all!

Et voila!

11/06/2026

My Lemon Chiffon Cake is a blast! It has glaze generously poured on the top allowing it to drip on the sides. The candied lemon slices that have the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and lemon zest to complement the slices of lemon. This cake has light tanginess and sweetness that is why you will never get enough of just one slice. Try it!

01/06/2026

The great Julia Child got so bored with absolutely nothing to do when she and husband Paul first settled in Paris in 1948. But she refused to just sit around and wait for the husband to come home after a day's work, no siree! So she learned new skills like learning to speak French, go about town hunting for good cookware in flea markets (among other things), and eventually decided to enrol in Le Cordon Bleu where she got sized up like she's just one frivolous housewife finding ways to kill time. That must have been truly heartbreaking. But instead she took the challenge, head on - stopped at nothing to learn cooking. Went to every detail of every French recipe she learned and perfected 'em. She was 36 at the time. Her book, Mastering The Art Of French Cooking was initially intended for American housewives. Putting the book altogether was tedious and gruelling as she prepared her manuscript through a typewriter - 13 volumes altogether - from dishes to bread and desserts, from meat to sauces. The book went through a lot of scrutiny at first until one publisher tried her Boeuf Bourgignon and couldn't say anything but "YUM!". And the rest is history.

Mastering The Art Of French Cooking was later on reprinted. It not only benefited American housewives. It became a worldwide phenomenon. Julia Child's legacy lives.

Thank you, Julia! ❤️

18/05/2026

Proudly, my French Apple Cake. Super moist that is because of its unusual ratio of fruit to batter, has loads of butter, and dark rum and vanilla which makes a custard like crumb that melts in your mouth. I used 2 pounds or 1 kilogram of diced apples and very little flour just enough to coat the apples. During baking, the apples extract juices which contribute to the moist texture. Sifted icing sugar is then sprinkled on top of the cake for that classic embellishment. The inviting scent in my kitchen brings back wonderful memories.

Try this for yourself or . . . can make a perfect gift. Until next time!

19/03/2026

Beat the heat. Let Artisanale's fruit based treats refresh you!

Lemon Bars, Pineapple Crumble Bars, Blueberry Cheesecake, Mini Blueberry Cheesecake, Pasteis de Nata, Ube Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting, Ube Macapuno Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

08/03/2026

It all starts with 2 pounds of cooked chicken breast, lightly toasted walnuts (a personal preference) for a nutty flavor and crunch, stalks of celery, finely chopped parsley, red onions, red grapes and an equally hearty dressing - mayo and dijon mustard.

Skip the carbs. This is a great lunch in lettuce cups, as salad with arugula, or as spread in your croissant, wheat bread or ciabatta. I was up at 2 AM yesterday to prepare a big batch. Somebody ordered appetizers for an event and this time, sandwiched in rough puff and choux pastries. A rough puff uses the same ingredients as the classic puff pastry. The difference is in the lamination process. The classic has a block of butter wrapped in the dough - rolled, folded and chilled 4 times which could take 2 days max that is why you see all the mile-high layers once baked. The rough puff only takes 3 hours. Good and buttery yet less flakey.

And yes, I made Tuna spreads, too. Mayo, Dijon, celery, chunks of tuna.

It was a day well spent and finally, a well deserved shut eye by 5 PM.

Having a party soon? Pre-order now!