Provence(!!), Basque Cheesecake, Cornbread and more . . .

Hello peeps and happy belated Valentine’s Day (for all those that celebrate). Hope you ate lots of chocolate - or whatever it is that floats your heart-felt boat. My boat is oft-floated by Rice Krispies Treats (which you may or may not be aware of) and so I had my share of Valentine Day-inspired ones last week. I have even included a recipe for them below, as perhaps your boat is similarly floated. But you know what else floats my boat? Going to Provence for a week in October with YOU (if you’re up for joining).

I am hosting a week-long trip from October 23 through 29th with Modern Adventures (a travel company that leads intimate trips (i.e.: space is limited) with food peeps (and other creatives) like me). We will explore all that Provence has to offer - food, wine, markets, medieval churches, gardens, sites, e-biking, bakeries (natch) and more. There is more info here and the first few folks to sign up for the trip can use the promo code JESSIE250 for a discount! Very exciting, I know. 

In other news, my conversation with Sally McKenney of Sally’s Baking Addiction, is now available for your listening pleasure over on my podcast, She’s My Cherry Pie. 

Sally was an utter delight to chat with and we talked all things cinnamon buns and more. This is a must-listen situation, peeps, so I’d suggest getting on it. 

In addition to going deep with Sally, I also managed to fit in a TV appearance at NYC’s TV news station PIX11. I’m just going to come clean and admit I adore being on TV - it’s literally my fave thing (besides my cat…oops - and my children . . . ). I made a pie and the anchors went crazy for it - which obvs made me feel good. You can check out my segment here.

Okay, recipe time, friends. First up is my basque cheesecake for the Washington Post. I had never made a basque cheesecake before and had no idea how unbelievably easy they are to make. There is no crust and all the ingredients are whizzed together in a food processor and then thrown into a pan and baked - at a high heat, believe it or not.

And here’s the kicker: I am not even a cheesecake fan, but when it comes to basque cheesecake? Sign me up. What with its extra creamy, almost pudding-like middle and burnished tops and sides, it is just a fantastic dessert, IMHO. Texturally it is out of this world and also beyond delicious - think burnt vanilla, almost caramel-like, and think yum. I also developed a recipe for basque cheesecake “baked” in an air fryer, recently, if that is of interest . . . 

And, of course, I developed one for Valentine’s Day Rice Krispies Treats, as I mentioned above. 

You can 100% omit the pink V-day inspired sprinkles here and just go to town with straight up RKTs. And on the off chance you’re thinking to yourself: RKTs? Been there, done that. Let me just tell you that these cuties have a secret ingredient that makes them extremely special . . . check out the recipe to see what it is . . . oh, best and if you want to watch me whip up a batch, check this out. 

Finally, I wanted to share my recipe for olive oil cornbread with you, as it was one of my top 10 recipes of 2023 and peeps are going crazy for its moist texture and very corny flavor; as well as its tenderness (from buttermilk) and its hint of sweetness (from brown sugar). 

I also think the fact that peeps are loving on a SAVORY baking recipe of mine, bodes VERY well for my savory baking cookbook (hitting shelves 9/24/24, FYI . . . ). That’s it you lovely readers. See you in two weeks.