Half-a-Pound Cake with Fresh Strawberries

I bought two flats (total weight, about 10 pounds) of strawberries earlier this month so that I could make preserves. It’s not a cost-saving measure to make my own. Ounce for ounce, just about any jar of strawberry jam at a grocery store is much cheaper. But store-bought jam doesn’t taste remotely like what you…

Apple Tarts

I had riches in the refrigerator, extra puff pastry left over from dinner on New Year’s day. Too good to go to waste, this all-butter puff was made by Dufour Pastry Kitchens in New York, and my not-so-local fancy food store had stocked it for the holidays. I’ve read rave reviews about Dufour’s puff pastry…