I get a bit teary this time of year, in the lead-up to Mother’s Day, thinking about all the women in my life who’ve shaped and inspired me as a person and as a cook.
My wonderful mom, Denise, instilled in me a deep passion for all things food, which she herself inherited from her own fantastic mom, who I called Nannie, my single greatest influence. The epitome of a Southern matriarch, Nannie passed on her eye for gardening, her supernatural connection to birds and butterflies, her affability and, perhaps above all, her (sometimes impossibly) high standard for excellence.
I almost bought a shirt the other day that says “I
I think often and fondly about my mom’s German chocolate cake and Nannie’s cherry yum-yum, or how Valerie’s eggnog snickerdoodle created a cookie monster (me) and Vanessa’s pumpkin dump cake puts all of my desserts at Thanksgiving to shame.
So this week I’m paying homage to the women who inspire me with some of my favorite Mother’s Day recipes. And don’t forget! The big day is Sunday, May 9, and it’s never too early to start planning.
Rhubarb season, a-go-go
I love that Mother’s Day coincides with rhubarb season. Two of my favorite things! To celebrate, I think I’m going to make this rhubarb macaroon tart from Samantha Seneviratne. The shell is made of sweetened, shredded coconut, baked until golden brown and toasty like a coconut macaroon, which nestles a layer of luscious vanilla custard. It all gets tessellated on top with brilliantly pink poached rhubarb, but if you can’t find the pink stalks, just about any freshly sliced fruit would be a great stand-in. Style and substance. Just like mom!
View the recipe here.
When life gives you whole lemons …
When my mom was pregnant with me, she craved whole lemons. I’m not exaggerating — she would eat them peel, pith and all. And so, I have an affinity for anything extra lemony, like this whole-lemon tart from Dorie Greenspan. The custard filling is made with every part of the lemon except the seeds, so its flavor is “exuberantly full,” as Dorie describes it. Plus, it all comes together in the food processor. The crust is like a toasty butter cookie, which plays off the tart filling for a final product that’s incredibly satisfying and complex, but also really easy to pull off. I think my mom would love this one.
View the recipe here.
Put your flowers in the cake
Skip the bouquet of roses for Mother’s Day and bake this Persian love cake from Naz Deravian instead. Even though its origins are shrouded in a story of unrequited love and not the unconditional kind mom gives you, the cake works perfectly for the celebration. It combines almond, cardamom, lemon and rose for an ideal springtime brunch treat. It’s delightfully tender, thanks to the addition of almond flour and Greek yogurt, and gets soaked in a lemony rose-water syrup so it stays incredibly moist. It’ll have your kitchen smelling like an English garden.
Of course I included this princess cake from Nicola Lamb — because moms should be treated like royalty, always. This one is slightly simplified from the traditional Swedish Prinsesstårta, and although it still requires a bit of work, it’s completely worth it for this showstopping centerpiece of a dessert. Spongecake is sandwiched with custard and store-bought raspberry jam, covered in a dome of mascarpone cream and draped in pistachio-green marzipan (alluding to a crown, supposedly). Assembling everything upside-down in a bowl makes it quick and clean work for a very professional outcome. After everyone bows down to mom, they’ll probably bow to you.
Seeing your beautiful carrot cake butter mochi has positively thrilled me. Thank you to everyone who made it! Gear up for next week: new month, new Monthly Bake. Keep tagging me on Instagram at @vaughn or send them to me by email at baketime@nytimes.com. (By submitting photos to us via email, you agree to our reader submission terms here.)
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