When I started my love affair with cooking, it was actually on the baking side, both sweet and savory. In addition to iconic cookbooks by Carol Field, Flo Braker, Rose Levy Beranbaum, and Dorie Greenspan, I waited every Wednesday for the Washington Post food section and I baked almost daily. In one of those sections […]

When I started my love affair with cooking, it was actually on the baking side, both sweet and savory. In addition to iconic cookbooks by Carol Field, Flo Braker, Rose Levy Beranbaum, and Dorie Greenspan, I waited every Wednesday for the Washington Post food section and I baked almost daily. In one of those sections was an article by Lisa Yockelson called “In Pursuit of the Perfect Sticky Bun.” I conquered my fear of baking with active dry yeast with this recipe (they are indeed perfect sticky buns), and ever since I now dive headfirst into any recipes which call for it — like these buttery Chocolate and Sour Cherry Brioche Buns from debut cookbook, OSTRO: The Pleasure That Comes From Slowing Down and Cooking With Simple Ingredients, by food writer and cake creator Julia Busuttil Nishimura. These heavenly buns are perfect for brunch (start the night before) when you want to impress (or just splurge!). Feel free to use the brioche dough as a blank canvas for your dreamiest combinations of fruits and nuts, but we think dark chocolate and sour cherries are almost as good as it gets! You can find Julia’s recipes for a Roasted Peach ...