Meeting Times

• Tuesday 1/27/2026, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM

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Description

Material Fee: $30.00 due in exact change.

Please bring your own apron and dish towel. 

We'll start by making my Danish Almond Tart recipe that won the 2025 Blue Ribbon in the tart category at Branford's annual Short Beach Days baking competition. Our second dessert is a decadent chocolate creation called Gateau Louis XV, that features a great trick. 

The Almond Tart had three layers, baked on a 12 inch pizza pan that I will provide for your keeping.  A short bread crust is covered with a "Choux"  middle layer that I will teach you to make. While the first two layers are baking, we will make the almond and whipped frosting that will be spread over the cooled tart.  We will also get our chocolate dessert ready to bake.

Making the Gateau begins with creating a chocolate and nut batter, then a powdery topping mixture that is sprinkled over the batter. Before going in the oven, boiling water is poured over the batter and topping.  That magically converts to a rich chocolate sauce that winds up on the bottom of the Gateau during baking.  This dessert can be served hot from the oven with ice cream, or after cooling when the cake transforms again and is delicious served with whipped cream.

Baking pans for your keeping, and all ingredients will be provided, and you will each take home both fully baked desserts in those pans.

BIO: Linda (Weiser) Newman graduated from Branford High School and then moved to California where she stayed 50 plus years. She and her former husband owned a large NY style deli where Linda trained the chefs with her recipes. In later years, Linda owned a dessert business that serviced busy coffee shops and take-out catering for parties.

"Over the years a favorite hobby of mine has been to learn ethnic cooking and baking techniques with friends. For example, I once ate Viennese apple strudel at a friend's parent's home who were from Vienna. I offered to barter cooking lessons to have an afternoon of learning from each other. I now make that strudel easily!"

"My passion is to find quicker and smoother preparation styles without losing any of the quality. Recently, I took a five-page magazine article on how to make a Paris Brest cake (shared by a neighbor) and reduced it to a manageable index card recipe! I did the same thing to a long Moroccan cake recipe for a gorgeous fresh pear walnut cake!"

Linda and her husband are now retired and living in Branford. She is currently writing her memoir of the adventurous life she lived.

Additional Notes

Material Fee: $30.00.