29 posts tagged “dessert”
Last weekend I visited an orchard and picked blackberries and peaches. While I snuck a few juicy plump bites of blackberries, the mosquitos snuck a few juicy bites of me. It's been an itchy week.
Excited about the berries, I wanted a dessert that combined dark chocolate and blackberries. September's issue of Food and Wine came through for me again, with their recipe for dark chocolate molten cakes with three fillings. Blackberry filling wasn't an option, but I thought I could adapt their raspberry filling without problems. The cakes turned out delicious, but not pretty. I couldn't get them to come out of the ramekins without disaster, so no photo, no blog entry. Sorry. However, I've found that I'm not the only one with love for this issue of Food and Wine. Food blogger, Dine and Dish , also shares the love and happened to make these exact molten chocolate cakes. She filled hers with caramel filling. Please drool over her photo.
With one dessert disaster down, I turned to husband, and he came through with the above peach-blackberry crisp. He is a good crisp maker. Unfortunately, I don't have a recipe for the crisp for you. Husband loosely follows a recipe, I think modeled after one from the Joy of Cooking. (At this time I wasn't in the kitchen...I was at the table with my bowl and spoon ready).
The crisp paired well with the peach ice cream I made a week or so ago. Yes, it's hard for us to believe that homemade ice cream had lasted at least a week in our refrigerator, but it had. The ice cream was very good, but had a bit of an icy texture. I guess we like our ice cream a little more creamy in texture. Evaporated milk replaced the cream in the recipe, so the taste was creamy, but the texture didn't follow through. I think this recipe would be great as ice cream pops, so that's what I recommending it for. Or if texture isn't a problem and you want a tasty ice cream with out cream's fat content, this is a recipe for you.
Fresh Peach Ice Cream
adapted from Saveur Magazine, June/July 2006
makes 1 quart
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. whole milk
2 eggs
1 large peach, pitted, skinned and pureed
1/2 c. peach soda
pinch of salt
Put sugar, evaporated milk, 1/2 c. of whole milk and eggs into a medium saucepan and whisk until well combined. cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and set aside to let cool.
Once mixture has cooled, add pureed peach, peach soda, remaining whole milk, and a pinch of salt and stir well to combine.
Pour mixture into an ice cream make and process according to the manufacturer's directions.
I come from an ice cream family. Although they do enjoy ice cream, I'm not talking about my mom's side. It's my dad's side of the family that has a special place in their hearts (stomachs) for ice cream. I know they could eat ice cream after every meal. It's probably a rare evening when either my dad, my uncle, or my grandpa doesn't have a bowl of ice cream after dinner. Nothing special either...just vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and peanuts.
I was very lucky growing up in that I got to see both sets of grandparents almost weekly. We'd visit my dad's parents for Sunday lunch. There'd always be ice cream. It would go something like this:
"How much would you like?"
"I'll take two Grandpa scoops."
"I'll take half a Grandpa scoop with extra strawberries."
For those of you not in the family, a Grandpa scoop is the size of a love it bowl at Coldstone Creamery. (I'd always get half a Grandpa scoop).
My Grandparents' church has an ice cream social every summer. We'd usually attend. It seemed there was always talk of how good the cherry-nut was that year. As a 10-year-old, I thought cherry-nut ice cream sounded like the worst flavor on the planet. As a 30-year-old, I'd be willing to try it. After all, I've had black truffle ice cream, and I liked that. Bacon ice cream...that's a flavor I'd like to sample.
Raspberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream
adapted from Blueberry-Sour Cream Ice Cream from Dorie Greenspan's Baking:From My Home to Yours
Makes about 1 pint or 2 1/2 Grandpa Scoops
1 c. frozen raspberries
1/3 c. sugar
Pinch of salt
Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lime
3/4 c. half and half (original recipe used heavy cream)
3/4 c. sour cream
Put the raspberries, sugar, salt, zest and juice in a medium nonreactive saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture boils and the berries pop and soften, about 3 minutes.
Turn berries into a blender, and whir until you have a fairly homogeneous puree, about 1 minute. Add the half and half and the sour cream and pulse to blend. Taste and, if you'd like, add a squirt more juice or a tiny bit more sugar.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled before churning it into ice cream.
Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Pack the ice cream into a container and freeze for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.
Raspberries have seeds. I don't mind them. If you do, run the pureed mixture through a sieve to remove them before adding the dairy.
According to my calculations, this is my 100th post!
I haven't had chocolate cake (you know it's my favorite food from a previous post) since my blogiversary in April. And to get technical, I didn't actually eat my blogiversary cake on the actual day. It was a week before, so it's been a while.
We stayed in a lovely villa last week on our vacation. It came complete with our own private cook. The food was delicious! Every night was a four course dinner. Each evening I asked myself, "Is it going to be chocolate tonight?" No. It didn't happen. She could have thrown a little cinnamon in and called it Mexican Chocolate Cake. I didn't care. When the craving hits, I'm not picky. (I've been known to eat a spoonful of cocoa in a pinch).
So this week, guess what was on my to do list? Chocolate Cake. I found a new recipe, set aside Monday afternoon, and then realized no baking soda was to be found. (I had used the last of the box when I washed towels. Helpful hint: Add 1/2 c. baking soda to your rinse cycle to freshen up towels. This works magic folks). Maybe it exists, but I couldn't quickly find a chocolate cake recipe without baking soda. Defeated, I hoped that a little butter and sugar would help me forget about my chocolate craving. I had peaches, so pound cake was the direction I went.
This recipe from Nancie McDermotts' Southern Cakes, is a geniune pound cake: equal weights of butter, sugar, flour and eggs. I halved the recipe and made a 1/2 pound cake. Caution: This does not make it any more low-fat or low-sugar. It's just a smaller cake.
1/2 Pound Cake
Adapted from Waddad Habeeb Buttross's Classic Pound Cake of Southern Cakes
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 + 1/3 cups) confectioner's sugar
3 eggs
1/2 pound (about 2 cups) sifted flour
1/2 t. vanilla
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
IN a large mixing bowl, beat the butter at high speed, scraping down the bowl once, until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar and continue beating to combine well, scraping down the bowl often, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just enough each time to mix the egg into the batter.
Add the flour and beat at low speed, or stir with a large sppon, until it disappears. Stir in the vanilla, and then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden and springs back when touched lightly in the center, and until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen cake with a knife and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely top side up.
P.S. Problem solved. Husband and I went out to eat last night and there was a delicious bite of chocolate cake in my bento box.
Happy Mother's Day!
I had a performance today, so there was no celebrating with my mom. :( Husband, however, got to spend the day with his mother and his family. That would have been fun for me too. :(
Did I dream this dessert? The picture is something of a mirage. I remember making it for the occasion, but no proof exists in my mouth or my stomach. It's not often I don't get to sample my work. It must have been a hit with Husband's family, (or so bad it was thrown out). This is what was brought home.
When we brought the rhubarb home from the farmer's market, the plan was for a strawberry-rhubarb pie. Luckily before I started the pie crust, I remembered I had not replaced our rolling pin. What to do? A crumble.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble
adapted from Karen Barker of Fine Cooking Magazine
1 T. unsalted butter, room temp.
For the topping:
1 c. flour
1 c. lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. kosher salt
8 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
For the Filling:
5 c. rhubarb, sliced
2 c. strawberries, sliced (this was substitution, recipe called for 7 c. rhubarb)
1/2 c. lightly packed brwon sugar
1/2 c. turbanado sugar (this was a sub. on my part, ran out of brown sugar)
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 t. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 t. kosher salt
350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pyrex baking dish with the softened butter.
Make the topping: in a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt and pulse several times to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture has the textrue of coarse meal and clumps together when squeezed lightly, about 1 minute.
Make the filling: Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a spatula until evenly mixed. Transfer the rhubarb mixture to the baking pan, and sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit.
Bake until the topping is lightly browned, the rhubarb is tender, and the juices are bubbling thickly around the edges, 45-60 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool to warm or room temp. and allow the juices to thicken, at least 1 hour.
As of tomorrow, April 25, 2008, Tabicakes turns one! It's my blogiversary! Believe me, I'm as surprised as anyone. Honestly, I don't have the best track record at follow through. Let's see, I have yet to really start the family cookbook I said I would put together a couple of years ago, the dining room chair covers I made (three years ago) are on the chairs but have never been hemmed, and I could go on.
When I first started this blog, it was on a whim after I viewed a lot of food blogs. I saw some really wonderfully inspiring ones - Culinary Concoctions by Peabody and Tartelette - and some really terrible ones. Aiming to fall somewhere in the middle, I had a new camera, and nothing to loose. Are there future plans for my blog? I don't know. All I know is that in this moment, I enjoy it. Happy Birthday Tabicakes!
Normally I don't encourage "healthy" desserts for special occasions, but Husband and I still have that trip to Mexico next month. (Yikes! We better get busy). Besides, Tabicakes isn't a real person anyway. She'll be fine with a lighter cake.
This cake was delish! From Martha Stewart Living Magazine, Double-Chocolate Cake, was advertised as "You can have your cake and eat it too." Per serving: 261 calories, 8 g. fat, and cholesterol free.
My changes:
1. So there was a limited supply of leftovers, I halved the recipe and baked the batter in ramekins.
2. I cut the sugar in half again, so there was only a 1/4 of the sugar originally called for in the cake.
3. I used unsweetend chocolate in the glaze, so that was a little less sweet too.
Husband and I don't like super sweet desserts, so we thought these were fine changes. They made for an intense chocolate flavor.
As if Monday's weren't bad enough... This past weekend, we had a much needed relief from the cold. Highs were in the 70s!!! Monday, unfortunately, brought back winter. Will it ever end? I'm forced to go with the ground hog on this one. He saw his shadow this year, so 6 weeks from Feb. 2 is what date again? I think we're getting close.
A sunny tart was in order. Nothing like beating your blues with food, right? This mini coconut tart did just the trick. Smooth and creamy, mmm.
I don't usually go for cutesy things, but for some reason this Valentine's Day, I thought it appropriate to make a few heart shaped foods. Unfortunately, in my haste to eat dinner (I was hungry), I didn't take the proper time to really plate and photograph the food well. Sorry. Please use your imagination. If you would like to try any of the recipes, they all tasted fabulous, in my humble opinion.
Leeks with Shallot Caper Vinaigrette
Prosciutto and Ricotta Heart Ravioli with Mushroom Sauce
Meringue Hearts with Ice Cream and Fudge Sauce
Yesterday was Husband's birthday.
I don't have a very good track record with making husband's birthday treats. Am I destined to fail on this special occasion or does husband pick desserts beyond my grasp?
Husband's first cake that I made, which actually turned out quite spectacular by the way, took me 4 hours to put together. And I'm not including the inactive time, it was four whole hours of active baking and creating. We weren't married yet...I was still trying to impress, I guess.
Last year's cake turned out so ugly I cried about it.
And now this year's... As you can see from the above photo, Husband requested creme brulee. How hard could it be? No leveling, no frosting, no garnishing... Because of work schedules, we had his big birthday dinner over the past weekend. The creme brulee was a total bust. It didn't set up, and then it curdled. My stuborness wouldn't allow for lack of dessert on a birthday dinner, and there wasn't time to try again, so rice pudding became poor Husband's big birthday treat. (see below) He seemed to enjoy it, but as far as I was concerned we still didn't have dessert that night. Uck!
On his actual birthday, I decided to try again. I used a different recipe this time, and voila, creme brulee. Happy Birthday Husband!
Not only Husband's and Abraham Lincoln's birthday, February 12th is now the birthday of my new nephew. I'm an auntie! Congrats Brother and Sister-in-law!
I've been gone for a week. Eating out on a limited budget gets old really quickly. I don't know how Subway's Jared could do it. A six-inch sub sandwich just twice in one week was my limit. You know it's pretty bad when your "splurge" is Applebee's Carside-to-Go. (I did have a couple of really good meals at Brother and Sister-in-law's, so it wasn't all bad. Thanks!)
However, homecoming was oh, so sweet. Husband had a delicious meal waiting upon my arrival. (see above).
Fish Menuniere with Browned Butter and Lemon
Roasted Tomatoes
Creamy Mashed Potatoes (the new potato ricer really works...get one)
And the piece de resistance....
Homemade Chocolate Mousse!
I guess the way to my heart is through my stomach. I'll take this over flowers any day.
I attended some sort of "leadership" retreat as a freshman in high school. I think all class officers from my school were in attendance. We did a lot of different games, met in focus groups, brainstormed...you know, activities that really got things accomplished and bettered the student body.
In one such activity I do remember having to answer a series of ridiculous questions. I'm not sure what the answers were used to prove. It could have been simply to "break the ice" or get us acquainted. The one question I remember was "What is your favorite food?" I easily answered, "chocolate cake." I noticed a few eyebrows were raised. Should I have said, "Pizza or Tacos," like everyone else?
Now when I think about that question, I wonder what I would answer. I definately love chocolate cake!, but I love a lot of different foods too. I think an artist friend put it well, when he was asked, "What is your favorite color?" His answer, "Of all the colors, I can't possibly pick one." Of all the foods....
I got a wonderful cookbook for Christmas: Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. It looks like it's going to be delicious! The other night, I tried Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies. My "favorite food" in bite size pieces. I'm really excited. I've put some in the freezer, so now when I crave chocolate cake, I'll pull out a cookie or two and mmm, craving gone!
Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies (adapted from Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)
2 1/4 c. flour
2 T cocoa
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temp.
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. dried sour cherries
375 degrees. Whisk together first 5 ingredients.
Beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Add sugars and beat for 2 minutes. Add eggs one by one. Beat for another minute until smooth and satiny. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the vanilla and melted chocolate. With mixer still on low, add dry ingredients and sour cream alternately, begining and ending with dry ingredients. Mix only until incoporated and batter is smooth. Mix in cherries.
Drop batter onto baking sheets (I used a smallish cookie scoop), leaving 2 inches between spponfuls.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
