Beignets with Coffee Sugar
This was the first dish we came up with in the La Copine kitchen. We noticed the fryers, and immediately Nikki was reminded of how much she loved making fry bread as a kid, and pretty soon that translated into beignets. And because we knew we were going to do coffee and daytime hours, it felt right—like childhood nostalgia. La Copine is rooted in California, with our beginnings on the East Coast, inspired by France and the Mediterranean, New Orleans, and the South. Starting with beignets helped establish our identity—thoughtful yet indulgent. Beignets are something you wouldn’t find in the desert, and it has been important for us to provide something different from what was already here. We decided to make our beignets vegan so more people could have them, as inclusivity is at the root of all our dishes and our restaurant. We don’t advertise them as vegan, because we get a lot of cowboys who might not order them if they knew, haha. Traditional beignets are covered in powdered sugar, so we blend sugar to mimic powdered sugar but with a more granular crunch, then we add coffee grounds for a little more texture. You can make the dough the same day, but we like to make it the day before and let it slow ferment in the fridge overnight to develop more flavor. The next day, let the dough sit out on the counter for an hour before rolling it out and cutting it. You can then chill the cut beignets for up to four hours, until you’re ready to fry. Once the dough is cut, feel free to freeze whatever you are not frying that day. Fry from frozen, but the beignets might be less fluffy. Frying from fresh is always best.If you don’t need to make them vegan, and have dairy milk, butter, and eggs on hand, you can use them instead of the vegan ingredients. Sub equal parts for the milk and butter. Use one egg for the tablespoon of egg replacer and remove two tablespoons of water from the recipe. We are all about flexibility and using what you have on hand where it makes sense.
Coconut Rice Pudding
This dessert is an OG. It has been on the menu since our first year and is one of our most popular. And it happened completely by accident. Nikki was making a vegan coconut custard that never set up. With a penchant for not being wasteful, she figured she could add some cooked rice to the loose coconut base, and voilà! It absorbed the custard perfectly! We then created an actual recipe for it. It has been a fun topic of conversation with guests for years because everyone loves the nostalgia of a bowl of rice pudding.Coconut, cardamom, cinnamon, lemon, and thyme flavor the pudding base made with sweetly aromatic jasmine rice. Before the pudding goes in the fridge, it will still look a bit loose, but don’t worry, it will set up overnight. We serve ours chilled in a bowl with a raspberry compote underneath and fresh orange slices on top. Our fennel-spiced pepitas add a fun crunch and additional flavor to this comforting old-school dessert. It’s so good, we don’t even discuss taking it off the menu anymore.
Earl Grey Icebox Pie
I gave up coffee and cigarettes when I gave up cooking in Michelin-starred restaurants. Earl Grey is my go-to cup now, but it’s polarizing. People think they don’t like the bergamot flavor, but really, what they don’t like is oversteeped tea. In the States, we put a bag in water, forget about it until it’s cold, then chug it when it’s dark and bitter. But there’s a right way to brew tea. The steeping time for this filling is dead-on for making a good cup of tea, then the tea leaves stay in the custard, flecking the pie. The recipe came from my personal challenge to get people on board with Earl Grey. It’s the most requested dish at Dad’s. Every week, people ask me, “When are you going to do that tea pie again?”
Tahini and Date Shake
This dairy-free treat from food stylist and recipe developer Susie Theodorou is simple, satisfying, and just what we want on a hot summer’s day.
Lemon Granita and Cream
The first time I tasted lemon granita was at an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn called Lilia, where it comes in a tall, ice-cold glass, stacked between layers of vanilla soft serve. The second time was in Sicily, at the iconic Caffè Sicilia, where it’s served with brioche and cream—for breakfast. Caffè Sicilia may be a bit farther from home, but both are transcendent experiences worth traveling for. In the meantime, make this lemon granita and bring that transcendence to your own table.
Chewy Ginger Maple Molasses Cookies
One of my all-time favorite cookies for their warming spice and chewy texture, with a little bite from crystallized ginger, these will quickly become one of your holiday staples. Molasses and maple sugar give an unparalleled depth of flavor, and these cookies just so happen to be vegan. They’ll stay moist and chewy for several days, so go ahead and make a whole bunch to share...or not.
Blood Orange Almond Olive Oil Upside-Down Cake
An impossibly moist and tender olive oil cake with pops of bright citrus—I can’t think of a better treat for the doldrums of winter. I love using blood oranges, but any variety of sweet citrus will work beautifully and create a juicy mosaic when inverted. It’s perfect postdinner, as an afternoon pick-me-up, or even with breakfast with some strong coffee. You can’t go wrong with this cake.
Coconut Oat Milk Chocolate Truffles
These truffles couldn’t be easier, and they’re completely vegan. The Scharffen Berger oat-milk-and-coconut-sugar-sweetened milk chocolate is a game changer, offering that milky, silky-smooth texture without any dairy. Make them ahead of time and dazzle your guests after dinner with these luxurious little bites.
Purple Haze Pie
Jon’s grandfather Howard learned to cook in the military, and he cooked for a living afterward. He was known to make mad trays of mac ’n’ cheese and mad sweet potato pies—the man only knew how to cook in bulk. He added coconut flakes to his sweet potato mixture to give the pie a little crunch, which has become a family tradition.We like ube, or purple yam, which comes from the Philippines and shows up in desserts like halo-halo (and a shout-out to the Negritos, the Indigenous peoples throughout the Philippines and nearby islands). Sweet potato pie is a staple in many Black American households; we’re remixing the spread with purple, which symbolizes abundance and wealth. To your health!
Thomas Keller’s Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)
There are different ways to make a lemon tart. At Bouchon, the French Laundry, and Per Se, we use a sabayon method, in which the eggs are first cooked with the lemon juice and sugar over hot water, then the butter is gradually incorporated—an easy method that results in a consistently good lemon custard or curd. The crust is made with sweet and nutty pine nuts, which I think are the perfect balance for the rich, tart custard.
Gluten-Free Olive Oil Cake
“This cake uses gluten-free flour and coconut sugar. The result is moist and delightful—not overly sweet—and goes well with a warm cup of tea.” —Mordechai
Pavlova
“Created for and named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, this gorgeous dessert is, indeed, a ballet of meringue, cream, and berries. It is ridiculously easy to make, particularly in light of its sumptuous, extravagant appearance. When prepared right, the meringue is marshmallowy on the inside and crisp on the outside, the cream is billowy, and the berries are bursting with juice. In winter, tropical fruits conjure sunny vacations. For a tropical pavlova, try a surprising touch of mango sorbet under the whipped cream and choose whatever fruits appeal—say, mango, pineapple, and kiwi.”