dessert – Page 2 – Backdoor Hospitality

Sour Cherry with Grand Marnier Creme Brulee

I recall having a traditional creme brûlée years ago and not liking it. I don’t remember where, just that this raved upon dessert tasted a bit like an eggy mess. It turned me off completely. Then, one Valentine’s Day, six years ago my dear sweet friend and old neighbor Allison brought Valentine desserts over to Ben and me. Allison has this knack of having mismatched, yet whimsical, plates, bowls & cups and other trinkets in her home. She converted me to forgoing paper napkins, due to her assortment of linen napkins I would find her using with her lunch, or serving me with a cookie on it.

There she was with two little black foiled containers filled with creme brulee sitting on one eclectic small plate; along with a cut out paper heart placed on those white paper doilies. Allison and I shared the love of eating fine food and here she was sharing this delectable creamy treat with us. As she stood there describing her love of these specific creme brulees (from a local bakery), I stood there smiling with a very thankful heart. What I didn’t tell her was what I was thinking, which was, “Oh, how incredibly thoughtful, but I don’t like creme brulee. I won’t let Allison know.” I placed the plate on the table and gave Allison a big thankful hug and said goodbye.

After I shut the door I said, “Ben, Allison brought over some dessert for us for Valentine’s Day,” to which he replied, “that’s nice.” “Yes, it was, but do you know what she brought? (because Ben knew I wasn’t fond of creme brulee),” I said, “Creme Brulee!” I recall Ben laughing at my predicament and then asked, “well, are you going to try it?” Like any good foodie, regardless if past experience went awry, I responded with an astounding “Yes!”

I got two spoons and dipped my spoon to remove just a little bit. And what I tasted was nothing like scrambled eggs mixed in cream. It was simply heavenly. All Ben heard was, “MMM, OHH! Ben! (another bite) This is amazing! You have to try this! (another bite) I could eat yours if you want!” I was transformed. So when my dear friend Talia was coming over for a little birthday celebration, I knew I needed to make her creme brulee. Except, I wanted to put a spin on it by adding the sour cherry with Grand Marnier filling on the bottom. I recommend ensuring that the creme is very cold while the brulee is warm when you serve–it’s the best way to eat it in my opinion (plus, did you know sweet is more pronounced when it is warmed up, so the cold creme doesn’t allow the sugar to become overbearing). You’ll be sure to win over even the biggest anti-creme brulee person with this dessert.

A Year Ago: Spicy Caramel Popcorn

Sour Cherry Creme Brulee with Grand Marnier (printable recipe)

Keep the egg whites to use for another recipe. And if you stay tuned, I’ll share a Coconut Lime Macaroon recipe to utilize them. If you don’t have a blow torch, then put your cooked & chilled creme brulee ramekins in 9×13 pan (or roasting pan) and fill it with ice, in order to keep the custards VERY cold. Turn your broiler on and put your ramekins (with the sugar on top) sitting in the ice bath directly under the broiler for only 30 seconds. Check the sugar (brulee) to ensure it doesn’t get too burnt. If you need it to cook a bit more, then put it back in for another 15 seconds and continue until it reaches your desired burnt sugar liking.

Sour Cherry Filling Ingredients:

1 pound fresh/frozen sour cherries ( I used frozen sour cherries that were fresh in the summer)
1-2 Tb raw honey
1 Tb arrowroot powder
2-4 Tb Grand Marnier

Creme Brulee Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
1 tsp Grand Marnier (optional)
6 egg yolks, large eggs
1/4 cup sugar for brulee part

Sour Cherry Filling:

Put all of the cherries, along with the juices into a heavy-bottomed saucepan (ensure there are no seeds in the cherries). Turn the heat to medium. If your cherries are frozen, wait before adding any of the other ingredients until the cherries are completely thawed. If your cherries are thawed or fresh, add 1 Tb of honey and allow to bubble, stirring occasionally. Keep it in this stage for about 10 minutes. You are working towards a nice filling consistency.

Sprinkle the arrowroot over the cherries and mix thoroughly. If the mixture is bubbling rapidly, turn the heat down, in order to avoid burning. You want it to simmer/bubble. The filling should start to set as you stir occasionally. Taste throughout to see where the filling sweetness is at. If you feel that the filling needs another tablespoon of honey, add it now. Once the filling has thickened (dip a metal spoon in the filling and it should coat it), add two tablespoon of Grand Marnier (I used 2 Tb). Adding more than two tablespoons will make the filling taste more boozy; however, once the filling is added to the ramekins and cooked with the creme, the Grand Marnier burns off a bit with just two tablespoons. Cook on stove top for an additional minute, then remove from heat to cool.

Creme Brulee Ingredients:

Combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until it reaches the boiling point. Set aside to steep until it cools down.

Preheat oven to 300 F, and adjust a rack slightly lower than center.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks & optional 1 tsp of Grand Marnier briefly. Add the cream mixture very slowly into the yolks, whisking well with each addition. Once blended, strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Put cherry filling into 8 or 9 (4-ounce) shallow ramekins (about 2 inches high) to cover bottom (about 2 tsp), then pour the custard mixture on top of the cherry filling, and bake them in a water bath for 35 to 45 minutes, until centers are softly set. “Remove from oven and cool in water bath until comfortable to handle. Cover the dishes and refrigerate for 2 hours. These can be stored for 1 or 2 days before serving.

To serve, sprinkle each top with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of brulee sugar and torch to caramelize. For thicker caramelized crunch, use more sugar.

Tasty Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was in the children section at a bookstore with my friend Tina. We were recalling some of our favorite childhood books. I pulled out Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs with nostalgic fondness. I remember thinking how amazing it would be if meatballs fell from the sky, and as a child I daydreamed about it. Then, there was Stone Soup, another favorite with ingredients like carrots, beef, potatoes & barley. I never had barley at that time, but it sounded wonderful. As I continued to pull out books there was a common theme Tina pointed out…FOOD. She said, “Kamille, you’ve always been a foodie.”

Never gave it much thought, but I guess she’s right. I still have my first cookbook from age 7, Mickey Mouse Cookbook with little notes inside. One of my favorite treats is checking out cookbooks from the library. When Tayers was born, I seriously had at least 10 cookbooks from the library (you know to read while nursing, etc). And what is it with the fascination with Food magazines. How many recipes does one truly need for Chocolate Cake, brownies, or apple pie? And if you look through my recipes you’ll see that I have three different chocolate chip cookie recipes available. So you might wonder why I’m offering you another one. Well, I haven’t done much baking lately and I’ve been trying to eliminate wheat flour from our diet; however, I wanted to make a special New Year’s Day treat, which could be made fairly quickly. I adapted my Superlative Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe with this one to make it a paleofied version. As Ben said after eating one, “these are good and not just Paleo good,” meaning they don’t taste like they’re a second rate version.

A Year Ago: Quicky Sticky Biscuits

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (printable recipe)

I love my Superlative Chocolate Chip Cookies and these ones are even more moist, and possibly better. This is the first time I have used coconut sugar. It didn’t make the cookies taste like coconut either.

Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups (8 3/4 ounces) almond flour

1 tsp baking soda

10 Tb unsalted butter

1 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

4 ounces Valhrona chocolate (82% cacao), chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Vanilla sea salt, or flaked sea salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside. Measure almond flour & baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.

On medium heat, melt 8 Tb of butter in a pan, constantly swirling until the butter is browned and smells like yummy toasted nuts (about 3 -4 minutes). Pour the melted butter into a metal bowl, while trying to leave the bits in the pan. Add the remainder 2 Tb of butter to melted butter and stir till it’s all melted. Add the sugar, vanilla & salt and thoroughly combine. Add the egg & egg yolk and mix for 30 seconds then allow it to rest for 1 minute. Continue to mix for 30 seconds again, then rest for 1 minute and repeat one more time.

Add the almond flour & baking soda to the wet mixture and stir to combine. Add in the chopped chocolate & pecans and mix throughout. Place 2 Tb of dough onto the parchment paper, spaced 2 inches apart. Sprinkle vanilla salt or flaked sea salt on top of dough. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool completely on pan and then remove.

Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

If you’re a chocolate lover then proceed. If you’re not, well I’m sorry, but maybe you will be a chocolate liker after trying these. I made well over 200 of these Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes for my friend’s wedding (Jason & Tina) while I was 7 months pregnant. I realized two things after that baking extravaganza of ’08. One is no matter how much I love someone, never again will I say yes to baking all the desserts for a large party while that pregnant and carrying for a 20 month old. Two, is how easy these are to make–no one will know otherwise.

I think I can get these out in 40 minutes, which is pretty excellent for a sophisticated dessert. They are also very adaptable with your chocolate liking. You could use all bittersweet (typically 60%), semisweet, or milk chocolate. You can mix different varieties as well. You can make them gluten-free. You can make them in big muffin tins or miniature ones. If you want to add a bit of espresso to bring out the chocolate flavor even more–then do it. I love these for all those reasons. And I can’t understand why I haven’t shared them until now.

Before we go onto the recipe, I should share a bit about my gluten-intolerant friend Tina who these were intended for and I’ve written about before. We met through one of her ex-boyfriends and I knew we were kindred spirits. She has a quiet reserve about her (at least when compared to her husband), but she is full of life with joy emanating from her. Although she seems to fill administrative jobs, which she’s wonderfully gifted at, her heart is passionate for women fulfilling their God given talents & calling. We have spent many hours talking about our dreams of what we will become when we grow up and I can depend upon her to watch very cheesy movies together. I can always count on her to be supportive, honest & spontaneous with me. So when she found out she was gluten-intolerant, I knew my job was set to bake GF treats for her.

Double Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes (printable recipe)

Recipe is inspired from Martha Stewart. This is also the time to use good quality chocolate, since it is the star ingredient. However, don’t let that stop you if you only have chocolate chips on hand. I’ve used semi-sweet chocolate chips before and they turn out great.

Ingredients:

5 Tb unsalted butter

7 ounces milk chocolate chopped, Belcolade

7 ounces 71% cacao dark bittersweet chopped, Valhrona

1 Tb sugar

1 Tb brown rice flour (or all-purpose flour)

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

Butter & extra flour for muffin tins

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter & flour a 6 slot large muffin tin & set aside. Set a heat proof bowl over a pot with simmering water. Add the butter & chocolate. Stir to melt and combine. Remove from heat.

Add the eggs & sugar to a food processor & process for 2 minutes until light in color & foamy. Add flour & salt, process to combine (10 seconds). Add about 1/4 cup of melted chocolate to eggs & process till combined. Continue with 1/4 cup until all of the melted chocolate is mixed with the egg mixture.

Evenly distribute chocolate mixture to the prepared muffin tin. Gently pat down tops with the back of silver spoon. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. Loosen with a knife around the edges and serve.

**12 cup regular muffin tin bake for 13-15 minutes.

**24 cup miniature muffin tin bake for 10-12 minutes.

Great topped with sliced strawberries, fresh raspberries, a raspberry puree, or ice cream.

Rhubarb Crisp

Or in this instance, a rhubarb crisp. Okay, so I have a little bit of an infatuation with this long, sometimes slender, sometimes chunky, red/speckled red & green/green vegetable. Yes, rhubarb is actually classified as a vegetable, but heaven’s to Betsy–whatever Pioneer woman made use of this manna–I am forever grateful. While Ben and I were dating, we would be walking in some new neighborhood of Bellingham & I would stop in my tracks. Ben thinking I found something remarkable or writhing in pain, because of the deep sigh & deer in head lights stare. What? What? He’d ask. Then, I would point.

rhubarb leaves

I had a gift of spotting those huge, elephant like leaves protruding from behind a high backyard fence at least 100 meters away. In fact, as I sat gazing at some (meanwhile, Ben was probably thinking how silly it was) rhubarb, the owner of the house came out back and said hello. But also kind of wondered what I was looking at. I said I was admiring his rhubarb and then he offered me to take some. I really wanted to, but I felt like that was crossing a line.

rhubarb stalks

Rhubarb to me says Springtime. The quintessential springtime pie is a Strawberry-Rhubarb (I’ll be saving that recipe for a bit later). The house I lived in the year I was engaged had a big window looking out to the neighbors yard. I had been admiring their rhubarb plant in early April (I even inspected it for it’s bounty). When it hit May, the time at which the stalks were ready for harvesting, I walked to the neighbor’s door to ask them if they were going to use their rhubarb (that line I was fine crossing–they were college students who most likely didn’t have a clue as to a rhubarb plant being there). My prediction was correct and they didn’t know anything about it and gave me the green light.

Well, I wasn’t quite ready for pulling off the stalks as I needed some strawberries. A few days later, in the morning, I got awoken by the sound of a tractor outside my window. When I came into the kitchen, I absolutely freaked out. There was a mini bulldozer/tractor (I have girls, not boys) something or other outside my window. It was pulling up all of the ground along the side of the house and I feared for the safety of my rhubarb. They were plowing right next to my love and I didn’t know if they were alright. There was only one thing to do. I went outside in my pajamas to stop the man on the John Deere to see what he was doing and if he was aware of my bounty awaiting its fate I had planned out? And there, like a diamond in the rough lay my rhubarb–right next to plowed up ground. I didn’t hesitate and pulled them up right there on the spot, brought them into the safety of my home. Where they intoxicated me with their tangy, red smell as I cut them into slices and mixed them up with sliced strawberries. We enjoyed our first Strawberry-Rhubarb pie of the season that night.

And last night we had our Japanese Community friends over. Their names are Ayumi & Maho and I taught them how to make spaghetti from scratch & introduced them to what will hopefully not be their last taste of rhubarb. I found rhubarb at the Farmer’s Market yesterday, but strawberries are not quite in season. So, we made do & made a crisp, which to me is just as satisfying without all the primping that comes from a pie. Here’s to kicking off Spring!

Rhubarb Crisp (printable recipe)

I made this on the fly, because crisps are so forgiving & easy. It’s a humble cousin to a rhubarb pie, but I find it just as good. It reminds me of my favorite summer breakfast of plain yogurt, fresh fruit & granola, except in dessert form. And if you don’t have a food processor for the crisp, then use a pastry cutter, or a fork, or best of all–your hands.

Rhubarb Filling

4-5 cups sliced rhubarb (around 6 rhubarb)
1 cup unrefined sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Crisp Crust

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachio
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 Tb unsalted butter, cold cut into 1/4 inch squares
pinch of salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Clean rhubarb stalks & slice into roughly 1/4-1/2 inch slices. Put sliced rhubarb into a medium bowl, along with 1 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, orange & lemon zest. Dive in with your hands and mix it all together. Dump this into an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Set aside.

Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, pistachios, & salt into a bowl of a food processor. Mix to combine (3 seconds). Put in the butter & pulse 7-9 times. Some of the butter will most likely still be in whole form. Dump the contents into a large bowl. Then, use your hands & fingers to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Don’t be bashful, imagine you’re a kid playing with play dough. At the end, your crisp part will look comparable to wet sand. Spread the mixture atop the rhubarb mixture.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. Okay, so I didn’t time it unfortunately. But what you’re looking for is a golden crust, the smell of rhubarb-spiced goodness & if you can pierce a fork through the rhubarb–it’s good to go. You can let it cool for a bit (10-15 minutes), or serve it up right away. No judgment. Top with some vanilla ice cream as any crisp always tastes better with it. And there you have a slice of Spring.

Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies Cupcakes

I have been reading this cookbook, The Flavor Bible. It’s inspiring for anyone who takes their cooking or baking skills seriously. My copy is on loan from the library, but I would recommend this one to your home library archives. The author made a point how food is not only for sustenance, because if it were, we would eat the same thing 3 times a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year. Rather, food is about the flavor profiles, which are the taste, mouth feel, aroma & X factor. All of these being great, but I think the X factor stood out the most. It is the stories, the total experience, the nostalgia, which comes to mind after eating a specific food.

We all have these. And quite honestly, it’s what makes certain foods disgusting to some, while to another their “last supper.” It’s no wonder Jesus chose to perform his first miracle at a wedding feast and through the fruit of the vine. He wove the spiritual with the senses, creating this amazing story of his complete love & provision.

So as I was making these souffle chocolate cupcakes yesterday, I didn’t have any idea what they would be like. Nor did I realize that they would stir the X factor up. You see, after my oldest was born and people graciously dropped off meals every night, one night someone dropped off a roasted chicken, salad, and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies Ice Cream. I personally am a ‘every but the..’ sort of girl. However, the melding of the brownie chunks, vanilla & raspberry swirled made for quite the addiction.

Oh so back to these cupcakes. Well, I have been salivating over these for a while. Not only that, but they are gluten-free, which made me think of my friend Tina (she works with Ben & I feel bad when I only bring in gluten treats). However, Tina loves raspberry & chocolate, so I changed it up a bit. Then, when I bit into one, it took me back to our old apartment with my week old baby and a still, quiet moment, that everything would be okay in my insane, postpartum state. I’m not promising that this will create quite the same X factor for you, but maybe you should make some for yourself and some new mother to create one for her.

Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownie Cupcakes

(printable recipe)

This recipe has been adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Souffle Cupcakes, which had a mint topping and used espresso powder instead of the actual espresso I used in mine. You should do as Deb over at Smitten Kitchen says, “eat at once,” because the coolness of the Raspberry Cream enhances the dessert.

Chocolate Soufflé Cupcakes
6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons (86 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 Tb fresh espresso
3 large eggs, separated
6 tablespoons (97 grams) sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Raspberry Cream
2 ounces (56 grams) white chocolate, finely chopped
3 ounces heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup (76 grams) frozen raspberries + 1 tsp water

Get the white chocolate cream ready for later: Put the white chocolate in a small bowl. Then, bring the cream to a simmer and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute to melt the chocolate, then whisk well. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the cream. Chill until very cold, about two hours.

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9 standard-size (3-ounce) muffin cups with paper liners. Put the butter, chocolate & espresso in a saucepan. Place over low heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Briefly beat lukewarm chocolate mixture, then vanilla extract, into yolk mixture. Since I used my one Kitchenaid bowl for the whole process, I poured the chocolate-egg yolk contents into another bowl. Clean the bowl & use the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, sugar & salt until medium-firm peaks form. Using a spatula, fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared cups, filling each three-fourths of the way.

Bake cakes until tops are puffed and dry to the touch and a tester inserted into the centers comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan on a cooling rack. Once they are cool, add the raspberry cream.

Make Raspberry Puree:Over low heat, add the frozen raspberries and 1 tsp water to a small saucepan. Allow the raspberries to slowly melt down into a mush. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Place a sieve above a small bowl, then dump the raspberry contents into the sieve. Take a spatula and begin to push the raspberries through the sieve (you are getting the puree while the sieve will catch the seeds). You will get about 2 Tbs of puree. Set aside to add to your white chocolate cream.

Putting it altogether: Beat white chocolate cream with electric beaters until medium peaks form. Slowly add the raspberry puree. The cream might curdle a bit, but don’t over beat. If you find that the cream isn’t the right consistency, then put the cream in a pastry bag or plastic sandwich bag and place in fridge for a bit. Cut the end and squeeze out about 1 Tb on top of each cupcake. Eat immediately to gain the full experience of the cold raspberry cream with the delicate crumb of the brownie.

Pseudo, yet easy Chocolate Mousse

With spring’s early advent in the Northwest, one cannot escape the driving urge to buy fresh produce (preferably strawberries & rhubarb) to make a pie or crisp to welcome the May Day in March. However, as we’ve been fooled into thinking it’s time to pull out our swimsuits & sandals, we cannot escape the reality that it’s not the summer sun shining down quite yet. Hence making it impossible to eat that fresh strawberry-rhubarb pie.

During this Lenten season, our family is eating beans & rice Monday through Friday for dinner, trying to embrace simplicity in our everyday lives. It’s been a fruitful experience thus far. It’s also fun to read or hear about a number of individuals eating beans & rice for the whole month of March. As we’ve been partaking in simplicity for our weeknight dinners, it has made Sunday night dinners extra special. I made this last Sunday along with this Chocolate Mousse. I was wanting to make a chocolate cream pie, but it was around 4:00 and my ambitious, idealist nature waved the white flag to that simple, realistic side screaming at the top of its lungs.

Now this mousse seriously feeds a crowd (I put the rest in a tupperware and sent it to Ben’s work). It’s creamy, rich and has a chocolate ice cream sort of taste. If you’re a fan of these and you don’t have much time to make a dessert, I recommend this hand’s down. And if you’re standing in your kitchen in late Spring when fresh strawberries are available, but your palate is saying, “chocolatey richness!” Then, make this and top with sliced strawberries–perfectly divine.

Pseudo Chocolate Mousse (printable recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream, cold
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, I used a bag of Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Chill an electric mixing bowl & the whisk attachment for about 10 minutes.

In a small pan, fill with about 1 cup of water and place a heatproof bowl on top. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl. Heat over low heat, you want the water to simmer. Add the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to the bowl, stirring occasionally until melted. Once melted, remove bowl from pan and let come to room temperature.

Remove the electric mixing bowl and whisk attachment and attach to the mixer. Pour in the cold whipping cream and turn your mixer on high speed (10 on Kitchenaid). Beat until stiff peaks appear, because you’re using the whipped cream as your base for the mousse (about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes). When you raise your beater, the whipped cream should be able to stand up well on it’s own.

Add the can of sweetened condensed milk to the cooled, melted chocolate. Stir until thoroughly combined (no streaks remain). Fold in the whipped cream until no visible streaks remain from the whipped cream. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate for an hour (if you can wait that long). The longer it sits in the fridge, the more congealed it will get, which is a good thing.

Mascarpone Chocolate Cheesecakes

I was realizing how most of the food I post is under the dessert or baked goods category. It made me think, “Uh maybe I need to start incorporating some vegetable side dishes, meats or beans, or something aside from dessert.” But, I soon came back to Kamille reality and the truth is…I don’t enjoy cooking nearly as much as baking. It’s not that cooking isn’t fun, but it comes in waves in my house. I really do like it, but right now in the state of affairs, cooking is a job that needs to get checked off the list. Hence, resulting in mindless ‘make the doughnuts‘ fashion when it comes to cooking a meal. It’s a chore and I’m lacking creativity to put forth anything tantalizing enough to write about (I feel like I’m always making eggs as a result). Don’t worry, the pizzazz will come back soon.

However, in the meantime, I’ve been putting forth my energy into baking. Whether it’s homemade bread (a loaf is sitting on the counter right now), making healthier snacks for my family, or finally making those pecan bars I’ve been wanting to make for well over a year and a half (they required 2 lbs of pecans–you can see why I didn’t take the plunge). And as with most culinary tasks there are those which fall under the lengthy & advanced cook definition, lengthy & intermediate and easy (because anything that is lengthy almost always never falls under the easy). Although I enjoy the lengthy challenge, there are times when easy yet tasty (without anything from a box) is desperately needed. So I present you with these Mascarpone Chocolate Cheesecakes.

I think this took me a total of 50 minutes (this didn’t include the chill time in the fridge). The recipe says they should chill for 4 hours, but really, I think it’s all a matter of preference. You could just as easily let them cool to room temperature then grab a spoon, which the result would be creamy billows melting across your mouth. However, if you chill them you will get the more firm taste one is accustomed to when eating cheesecake (personally I prefer more billowy and less dense). I have also realized that what may come as second nature to me is what scares most people out of the kitchen. So let me give you some pointers on making cheesecake (and specifically these cheesecakes).

When recipes call for heating up heavy cream to which you will add chopped chocolate (which is called a ganache–it’s what is used to make truffles), you should chop it up. However, in this instance, it’s okay if the chocolate is in bigger chunks, because the chocolate to cream ratio is 4:1, so you have more time to stir the cream with chocolate, in order for the chocolate to melt.
Always cool down the chocolate mixture or any hot cream mixture when adding to eggs. That is unless you want scrambled eggs hidden within. If you don’t feel like eating breakfast with your dessert, resist the temptation thinking warm is equivalent to room temperature.
Always, Always, Always (was that enough always?) use a bain marie when making cheesecakes or baked custards. A bain marie is a hot water bath. You take your cheesecake pan or ramekins with the uncooked mixture inside and place it in a roasting pan, 9×13 pan or any pan with sides taller than the ramekins, springform, or cake pan. You will need to boil water in your kettle or get very hot water from your tap. Place your ramekins inside a rectangular pan and set it on the rack in the oven. Now gently pour the water into the rectangular pan without splashing any water on the cheesecake, until the water reaches the middle part of the outside of the ramekins.
Bain Marie: By baking your cheesecake in a bain marie, you are relying on the hot water to help with the baking process, not just the dry heat from the oven. This method will result in a creamier cheesecake and not a dry, dense one. **if you’re making a big cheesecake, you will need to wrap the bottom with heavy duty aluminum foil, so the water doesn’t seep through the springform pan.**
Never open the oven door while baking cheesecakes. Don’t be tempted to open it (I know we all think by opening it the cooking will somehow be closer to being done). By opening the door you alter the temperature, which causes those cracks in the middle of cheesecakes.
If your making a big cheesecake, and the time is done. Turn off the heat, but leave cheesecake in the oven with door closed for an additional hour.
Remove the cheesecake from the water and let it cool on a rack to room temperature.

Mascarpone Chocolate Cheesecakes (printable recipe)

This is another recipe adapted from my Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey book. If I haven’t spoken of its praises enough, then this recipe is another reason why you should stop stalling and go get it. If you’re not up for it, stick with me and I’ll most likely be pulling a few dozen more of it. What I like about these is they are less finicky than your typical cheesecake, don’t require as much cream cheese, and are individual servings. Oh yeah & they’re crustless…so gluten & wheat sensitive can indulge.

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (see note above)
8 ounces mascarpone cheese (you can find some for a cheaper price at Trader Joe’s)
1/4 cup sugar (okay, so seriously, I don’t think this really needs sugar–I say you could do 2 Tb and be fine)
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (At Costco they sell gluten-free pure vanilla extract for a big amount & good price)
pinch of salt
1 Tb rum, brandy or Grand Marnier (optional)
Top with whipped cream, sliced strawberries, raspberries or orange segments.
Boiling water for bain Marie

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325.
In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove it from the heat once it starts to boil. Add the chopped chocolate and whisk till all the chocolate is melted. Let it come to room temperature.
In a medium bowl, whisk or stir together mascarpone & sugar till creamy. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly incorporated. Add the vanilla, salt & liquor of choice.
Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the mascarpone cheese mixture and whisk till smooth.
Put eight 4-ounce custard cups, ramekins or small ovenproof coffee cups in an empty 9×13 pan or roasting pan. Divide the cheesecake mixture evenly among the ramekins.
Put the baking dish in the oven and gently pour the hot water into the pan (see notes above on bain marie). Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake until the tops of the cheesecake appear solid but jiggle slightly when shaken, 30 minutes. The perfect consistency is soft, but not liquid. Transfer the pots from the baking sheet to a wire rack. Let them come to room temperature. Then, cover each pot with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!

Cranberry-Orange Crostata

It’s been extremely cold outside lately. I took my oldest with me to the grocery store and just walking from the car to the store, I was regretting my decision to leave my gloves at home. But what got me was what I witnessed on our way home. A middle school aged boy walking home with shorts, lightweight sweatshirt & basketball jersey. Seriously?! I checked the temp stat once I got home…31 degrees, but feels like 21.

This makes me happy knowing we have heat in our home, a pot of chicken stock cooking, beds that are “just right” (I’ve been telling a lot of Goldilocks these days) and a family that is in anticipation during this Advent season. I was reminded yesterday about the need to believe again. Believe in the unseen & seen. To believe what continues to turn up empty. So, as Ben is sick in bed and me listening to the rhythm of the dishwasher, I will continue to hope.

And I think part of that hoping is tied up with food. We look forward to events to share life with one another, but also the food involved in the communal feast. This crostata or galette (there pretty much the same thing) is a delightful Holiday feast with the flaky crust, tangy cranberries, zest of orange & cardamom to bring it all together.

Cranberry Crostata or Galette (printable recipe)

I made this for a dear friend after she had her first baby. The crust is one I have used to make mini pecan tartlets, which is from The Pampered Chef. When I made it, I doubled the crust, in order to make another for later.

Ingredients:

Crust

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup cream cheese

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 beaten egg

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Filling

2 cups frozen cranberries or fresh

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

zest of one orange

juice from one orange

2 tablespoons Triple Sec (or Cointreau)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Crust: Combine all ingredients into a food processor to combine until it forms a ball. You could also beat your butter & cream cheese in a mixer, then add your flour. Separate into two equal disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Filling: Combine all of the ingredients into a pan over medium heat. Stirring to combine and wait till it starts to bubble. Turn to low heat and allow the cranberries to pop. Some of the cranberries will keep their form, while others will not. It will thicken up a bit, around 15 (if frozen) minutes. Taste to see if it needs more sugar. You still want the sour tang, but not overpowering you that you’re in a constant pucker face. Take off heat.

Assemble: If you have a pizza peel, then you could put some parchment on it and roll out your pastry dough on top. I have a pizza stone in my oven at all times & I simply slide the parchment with galette onto the stone. If you don’t have either of these, then put the parchment paper on a jelly roll sheet or cookie sheet. Roll it to 12 inches. Pour all of the cooked cranberries in the middle of the rolled out dough. You should have about a 2-3 inch circle of dough without cranberries on it. Carefully, fold up one part of the dough onto the cranberries.

Then, going counterclockwise, continue making folds with pleats, until you get to the last fold of dough. Brush your beaten egg over the dough & sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes. OR…till the pastry puffs & is a lovely golden color. Let it cool for around 25 minutes before you slice into it.

P.A.C. Crisp (pear, apple, cranberry)

Crisp ala mode, what could be better?

Yesterday we had an Autumn Family gathering with the other families from our playgroup we go to Thursday mornings. I made this delicious crisp, along with the help of my trusty 2.75 year old assistant. I have to say that this crisp is exceptionally tasty. No, let’s not kid ourselves…it’s a complete foreshadow of everything Autumn (which is a GOOD thing indeed).

I was looking for something rustic, simple, and a ‘knock your socks off type of good,’ to make for dessert. I actually had never made it before, but I knew my Ina Garten hadn’t let me down so far, and her Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook would for sure have a crisp recipe. I made a few adjustments from the original recipe, by using rapadura sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, using cranberries instead of dried, and adding cardamom (since there was orange in the recipe, cardamom screamed to be used). All of these made it taste great, especially the addition of cardamom.

The pears, apples, & cranberries sitting in sugary, spicy goodness.

Since my two year old helped make the crisp, she couldn’t stop talking about it the rest of the afternoon. The party was at 4:00 and she still needed to take a nap. She had a bit of a meltdown when I informed her that we weren’t going to the party quite yet, because she needed to take a nap. Her eyes quickly filled up with tears and some speaking in tongues began, to which effect something about not being able to eat the crisp was murmured. Poor girl, she even got a bit anxious as we were walking up to our friend’s door, where she looked around for the crisp then blurted with panic, “CRISP! CRISP?” And yes, she was the only kid at the dinner table eating her crisp after dinner, while all the others were playing downstairs (Then, was it bad to serve this for breakfast to her? I did put my foot down and say no to the ice cream she requested).

The crumb crust before entering the oven. Yes it’s a lot of topping, but keep piling it on.

And it must be said that I adore all of these ladies whom I get to share life with (almost) every week. We have been meeting weekly since just after V’s first birthday, which is almost two years now. I love how we have our similarities and differences, yet we still choose to be more than co-mothers, but friends. Each one of them brings a different gift to my life as a woman, wife & mom. There isn’t judgment on how we parent different or how we fail, but grace, because we understand (period). I also love how everyone is real & genuine. No one comes in with a, “Wow, I LOVE being a mother every second of the day (or everyday for that matter).” But there’s also not this, “Whoa, I hate being a mom and my kid is a….”

Instead, it’s a sincerity and a realness of “this mothering/parenting job is hard, and I don’t always like it, and I’m not going to be fake and make you think it’s the best job in the whole world 100% of the time. But I do value something higher, which means I will give up some of my rights, in order to provide my children with something greater. I not only value something higher, but love these stinkers so deep it hurts and am willing to go above & beyond for them.” That’s who these women are to me and I love them for it. So thanks Biz, Lindsey, Becky, Christine, Bethany, Megan & Talia–my Thursday mornings (although always running late & a bit disheveled) are my diamond in the rough as a stay at home mom and you ladies’ bring out a different spectrum of light in my diamond.

Last year’s Halloween party before many of the siblings were born.

P.A.C. Crisp (pear, apple, cranberry) (printable recipe)

Recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. **A little side note: If you’re not familiar with other sugars like rapadura, I would encourage you to start baking & cooking with them. I get mine from the bulk section at our local Co-op, which is cheaper than buying it pre-packaged in the health/natural section of your grocery store.** The recipe also called for Macoun apples, but I used what I had on hand and I’m not too particular when the recipe calls for say ‘Granny Smith.’ Instead, I use what I know could create a good end product and wouldn’t dissolve into mush (say Red Delicious). My apples came from a friend’s tree, so I have no idea what they are called.

Ingredients:

3 ripe Bosc pears

5 apples (I have no idea what kind I used)

3/4 cup frozen cranberries (that’s what I had on hand, but you could use fresh)

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Squeezed juice of one orange

Squeezed juice of one lemon

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice sugar (this is sugar which is less refined and has a golden color to it)

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Topping:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup rapadura sugar (however, I know most people don’t have this, so do 3/4 of the above sugars)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and core the pears & apples. Cut them into large chunks. Put the fruit into a large bowl, toss with cranberries, zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, & cardamom. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely. You’ll notice that this is a lot of crisp topping, but keep packing it on and you won’t be disappointed.

Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm (with vanilla ice cream to live on the wild side).

Maybe sitting by the fire eating the crisp with this little cutie could be better.

Pull out the recipe box

As I mentioned a couple posts back about my cooking class and all the wonderful food I enjoyed, but didn’t have the recipes quite yet. Well, I do now and I would love to share some of them with you. But before I do that…I have to tell you a rather sweet & lovely morning I woke up to.

First off, I had a date with Ben last night and dominated the conversation (thanks for listening). I dumped on him about how I’ve been feeling as a stay at home mom (ie trying to feed the kids in a fashionable time frame, wanting to enjoy a hot cup of coffee for once, trying really hard to run the inner workings of our house while spending quality time with my girls, etc etc etc). As he was listening, he asked, “what would your ideal day look like with the girls?” I think I repeated about three times, “well it would look like, no but that would be unrealistic,” while he would continue to say, “I didn’t ask what’s realistic, but idealistic” (here my realistic hubby telling his idealistic wife to stop being realistic–gotta love it).

So one of my answers was being able to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, sit down for breakfast all together and come home from Thursday playgroup with lunch already made to serve when we walk in the door (and a little bit more I’m leaving out, maybe it was a massage?). Well, listen he did. He took care of the oldest breakfast, had an americano for me and when I thought it couldn’t get any better…”here,” he said diverting my attention to a clear rubbermaid container, “a grilled cheese sandwich that just needs to be heated up and apple slices for the girl’s lunch.”

This is what hospitality looks like to a mother with two young children, who just the day before wanted to drive far, far away by herself. I’m blessed to have such a guy and I try really hard to not take it for granted. And as you read this and maybe make one of the recipes, I hope you will find someone you can bless through the simple act of hospitality, in the form of a meal.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

adapted from Thomas Keller, Ad Hoc

I personally am not a big fan of fried chicken, but I do believe some of you are…specifically Liz S.

Ingredients:

1 gallon cold water

1 cup plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

12 bay leaves

1 head of garlic, smashed but not peeled

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

3 large rosemary sprigs

1 small bunch of thyme

1 small bunch of parsley

Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons

Two 3-pound chickens

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 cups buttermilk

Vegetable oil, for frying

Rosemary and thyme sprigs, for garnish

In a very large pot, combine 1 quart of the water with 1 cup of the salt and the honey, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Add the lemon zest and juice and the lemon halves and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool completely, then stir in the remaining 3 quarts of cold water. Add the chickens, being sure they’re completely submerged, and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the chickens and pat dry. Scrape off any herbs or peppercorns stuck to the skin and cut each bird into 8 pieces, keeping the breast meat on the bone.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the flour mixture, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 330°. Fry the chicken in 2 or 3 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crunchy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each piece registers 160°, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to paper towels to drain, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining chicken pieces. Transfer the fried chicken to a platter, garnish with the herb sprigs and serve hot or at room temperature.

Mile High Buttermilk Biscuits

adapted Cooks Illustrated

These are truly a phenomenal buttermilk biscuit, which are super quick & easy.

Ingredients:

2 C flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 C buttermilk

Additional flour

2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 500ºF. Spray a 9 in springform or cake pan with some nonstick spray.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt to a bowl and mix the ingredients together evenly. Using a fork or pastry blender, cut in the butter until the pieces are no bigger than a small pea. Fold in the buttermilk until everything is just blended, and there are no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix, the mixture should still be lumpy.

Line a plate or tray with some flour and using a 1/4 C measuring cup or 1/4 C ice cream/cookie scoop or eyeball it & use your hands, scoop out balls of the dough onto the tray of flour. Flour your hands and roll each ball around in the flour to evenly coat them in a layer of flour. The dough is very wet and very sticky. Place the dough balls into the prepared pan. Place 9 balls around in a ring and 3 balls in the center of the pan. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.

Bake for 5 minutes at 500ºF (middle rack) and then lower the temperature to 450ºF and bake for another 15 minutes.

Apple Tarte Tatin

Pate Brisee

12 oz flour, sifted

1 tsp salt

8 oz unsalted butter, diced

1/4 C club soda (more or less)

Put flour, salt, and butter in food processor. Mix until it looks like grated parmesan. Add club soda a little at a time until pastry forms a ball and does not stick to sides. Dump dough onto a flat surface and push it away from you using the ball of your hand. Do this two or three times. Combine into a disc using your hands (don’t worry it will look pretty crumbly, which is normal). Put dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Let it rest on countertop for 10-15 minutes, till a bit pliable. Then roll for your pie pan.

Ingredients for Apple Tarte Tatin

8 tart (granny smith) apples

3/4 C sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter

creme fraiche to serve

You need an oven proof frying pan – cast-iron ovenproof frying pan is fine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Peel, halve, and core apples. Melt butter in pan on stove. Add sugar (just sprinkle it on top of the butter) and place the apples decoratively on top (cut side down). Cook slowly until caramelized. This can take up to one hour. Do not stir! (Clearly, low heat here.)

When cooked (check by lifting an apple and seeing what’s going on), remove from heat.

Roll the pastry, put it on top of the apples. Tuck the sides in. Cook in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove, take a flat dish and turn the tarte upsidedown. Serve warm with creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream. You can also scrape a vanilla bean into the apples at the beginning of the caramelization and let the pod sit in there with them, too, but it’s not totally necessary.

Poached Pears

Ingredients

2 cups Orange Muscat
1 medium red beet (1/4 pound), peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
7-8 small firm-ripe pears (3/4 to 1 pound total), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cored

Bring wine, beet, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and bay leaves to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quarts saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Add pears and cover with a round of parchment paper. Simmer, turning occasionally, until pears are tender and liquid is syrupy, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pears to a bowl. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaves and pour syrup over pears. Cool completely in syrup, about 30 minutes.

Poached pears can be made 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.