For everybody who lives in Belgium…

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
2 T. corn syrup
5 cups toasted pecan halves

Stir together first 5 ingredients in a 3 qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly 7-8 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 234 deergrees.
Remove from heat, and vigerously stir in pecans. Spoon the mixture onto wax paper, spreading it in an even layer. Let stand 20 minutes or until firm. Break praline-coated pecans apart into pieces. Store in an airtight container up to a week. You can also freeze in an airtight container or zip-lock freezer bag up to a month

Quick breads that incorporate ingredients like sweet potato and pumpkin are one of the ultimate fall comforts for me.  This recipe comes from Marina, aka *Food Editor*, and like her other recipes, does not disappoint.  The texture is lovely, much lighter than what I usually make, and I love the hint of rum.  Without the topping, this bread is fantastic.  With it, it is perfection.

PRALINE SWEET POTATO BREAD
Adapted from Marina’s recipe

4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. allspice
½  tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. ginger
1 lb. cooked & peeled sweet potatoes (I used canned & drained them, then weighed)
4 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
¼ c rum + enough cold water to equal 2/3 cup total liquid*
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 cups light brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans

*The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon rum extract and 2/3 cups cold water, should you wish to use that instead.  The measurement of rum that I used gives just a hint of rum flavor and a wonderful smell.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9” loaf pans with shortening, then dust with granulated sugar (pour some in and move the pan around until it coats the bottom and all sides).  Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt & spices in a large bowl. Set aside.

Beat the sweat potatoes in a medium bowl until creamy.  Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the oil, rum mixture & sugars and beat until well combined.  Pour into the dry mixture and mix well. Stir in pecans.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake one hour at 350 degrees. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Pour praline topping over loaves. Cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap.

Praline Topping
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
2 tbsp. dark corn syrup
1 tbsp. sweet butter
¼ tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. chopped pecans

Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla in medium saucepan. Cook and stir on medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is blended. Add chopped pecans and pour over loaves. (I doubled the topping ingredients.)

*To make 3 (5”) loaves, bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
*To make a bundt loaf, I recommend greasing and flouring the pan instead of using sugar (like I did) b/c it doesn’t make a very pretty top for presentation.  Fill the pan ¾ full of batter & bake for 1 hour, 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  You will have extra batter & can use it to make mini loaves (bake 30 minutes), one small loaf (as above) or muffins (haven’t tried this but I’d start checking after 15 minutes for doneness).
*Loaves may be frozen.

Acompanhando o blog DoisEspressos me deparei com essa excelente dica “chocolática” (nossa, que palavrinha…). Como sempre é bem-vindo um chocolate para harmonizar muitas das delícias alcoólicas que já indicamos aqui, resolvi replicar o post do Sr DoisEspressos. Das dicas apenas o Lindt eu já provei e realmente é muito bom. Inclusive o post fez eu ter um “mini-flashback” da infância, quando eu e minha irmã nos atracamos num pote de minis-lindts na casa de uma família que meus pais visitavam; minha mãe morria de vergonha…quem mandou oferecer chocolates pras crianças…

*Cíntia Barenho

Chocolates até R$20 que você deveria provar by Dois Espressos

A história é a seguinte: aproveitando a idéia que surgiu enquanto eu comia um pacotinho de Raffaelo, o embalo da série de textos sobre comida e o frio que tem feito por esses dias, falemos sobre os chocolates realmente bons que se pode comprar com menos de R$20.

De cara já vou avisando que não sou fã de chocolates e entendo pouquíssimo do assunto. No entanto, sou defensor da idéia de que quando falamos em produtos ou marcas tradicionais, o melhor é provar tudo e conhecer todas.

Assim sendo, listei abaixo 6 dentre as melhores e mais famosas marcas “comerciais” — produzidas em grande escala — que podem ser encontradas no Brasil ou facilmente compradas pela Internet. Não são os 6 melhores chocolates do mundo, mas são, sem dúvida, superiores a maioria dos produtos fabricados por aqui.

Acompanhe o restante das delícias AQUI

A história é a seguinte: aproveitando a idéia que surgiu enquanto eu comia um pacotinho de Raffaelo, o embalo da série de textos sobre comida e o frio que tem feito por esses dias, falemos sobre os chocolates realmente bons que se podem ser comprados com menos de R$20.

De cara já vou avisando que não sou fã de chocolates e entendo pouquíssimo do assunto. No entanto, sou defensor da idéia de que quando falamos em produtos ou marcas tradicionais, o melhor é provar tudo e conhecer todas.

Assim sendo, listei abaixo 6 dentre as melhores e mais famosas marcas “comerciais” — produzidas em grande escala — que podem ser encontradas no Brasil ou facilmente compradas pela Internet. Não são os 6 melhores chocolates do mundo, mas são, sem dúvida, superiores a maioria dos produtos fabricados por aqui.

Neuhaus (Bélgica)

Neuhaus é um dos chocolates belgas mais famosos do mundo. Começou a ser fabricado em 1857 por Jean Neuhaus, um suíço radicado na Bélgica que jurava de pés juntos ter sido o inventor do praliné (aquele “crocante”, feito com amêndoas e caramelo… sabe?).

Com lojas espalhadas por todo o mundo (de onde se pode comprar pela Internet) é relativamente fácil encontrá-lo aqui no Brasil. Essa barrinha acima, com 45g de chocolate ao leite e crocante de avelãs, sai por uns R$15.

Lindt & Sprüngli (Suíça)

Lindt é uma das mais antigas fábricas de chocolate da Suíça. Dos 6 chocolates dessa lista, são os mais fáceis de se encontrar por aqui (até o Submarino e a Americanas.com vendem Lindt), com preços que costumam varias entre R$10 e R$15.

Curiosidade histórica: foi Rodolphe Lindt, fundador da empresa, que em 1879 inventou a máquina para refinar chocolate. Ao misturar a pasta refinada com manteiga de cacau, Lindt criou o primeiro tablete de chocolate que derretia na boca.

Godiva (Bélgica)

A quem diga que esse é o melhor chocolate do mundo. Não posso confirmar porque os poucos chocolates Godiva que já provei — comprados aqui no Brasil — foram produzidos na fábrica que fica na Pensilvânia, EUA, com receitas mais puxadas no açúcar para agradar os consumidores norte-americanos. Quem já provou os chocolates produzidos na fábrica da Bélgica — que abastece o mercado europeu — diz que eles são muito superiores aos dos EUA.

Fáceis de encontrar por aqui, os chocolates Godiva são também os mais caros da lista. Com menos de R$20 dá pra comprar apenas essa caixinha acima, com 4 variedades de bombons ou, em um dia de dolar baixo e muita sorte, uma das caixinhas com 4 trufas. As opções maiores (com até 36 peças) chegam facilmente aos R$150.

Michel Cluizel (França)

Contando com apenas 200 empregados a fábrica de Michel Cluizel, situada na Normandia, norte da França, é uma das últimas e raras empresas familiares que ainda produz seu próprio chocolate a partir do cacau.

Disputando com a chocolataria Valrhona o título de melhor chocolate da França, Cluizel viaja o mundo para visitar pessoalmente plantações de cacau e escolher os melhores grãos. Suas barras de chocolate amargo — cujo teor de cacau pode superar em muito os 76% que muitos consideram o limite do palatável — são minhas favoritas.

Difíceis de encontrar no Brasil (achei uma única vez no Carrefour), as barras de 100g, quando estão num bom preço, custam entre $15 e R$20. Na Internet saem por cerca de  US$7 (sem os custos de envio).

Caffarel (Itália)

Pra encurtar a história sobre a qualidade dos chocolates Caffarel, basta dizer que foi o italiano Pierre Paul Caffarel que ensinou François Luiz Cailler — primeiro chocolateiro da Suíça, em 1819 — a fazer chocolate, e que foi ele que, em 1852, inventou a gianduia (mistura de chocolate com creme de avelã, mais conhecida hoje em dia como Nutella).

Difíceis de encontrar no Brasil, é mais fácil comprá-los pelo eBay, na loja The Chocolate Moose.

Valrhona (França)

Chocolate preferido por 9 entre 10 chefs pâtissier (incluindo o renomado confeiteiro francês Pierre Hermé), Valrhona é chamada por alguns de “Tiffany dos chocolates”. Da fábrica em Tain L´Hermitage, no Valle du Rhône (daí o nome Valrhona…) saem alguns dos chocolates mais premiados do mundo, como esse aí ao lado, o Valrhona Jivara 40%, eleito pela Academy of Chocolate como melhor chocolate ao leite do mundo em 2008.

A primeira vez que encontrei por aqui foi no Rio de Janeiro, numa importadora em Copacabana (dizem que em São Paulo é mais fácil encontrar… alguém confirma?). Nas outras vezes em que comprei achei mais prático pedir diretamente pela Internet, na The Chocolate Moose (cada barra custando algo entre US$5~US$7).

_______________

Alguma loja na sua cidade vende esses chocolates? Conhece algum outro fornecedor que envie para o Brasil? Conte-me nos comentários.

My neighbor Sheri contacted me about making a cake for her parent’s best friend! The best friend, Shari, loves everything cajun and goes cajun dancing all the time. They wanted half chocolate and half white cake. Here is the cake that I came up with: (bottom is a chocolate cake with chocolate filling and top is white cake with buttercream filling…all of the decorations are buttercream)

I also had 3 cupcake orders this past weekend. The first order was for my friend Joyce. Joyce wanted to give cupcakes to her son’s doctors office as a thank you. She also ordered an extra dozen for herself and Jay to enjoy! I made lemon poppy seed with lemon buttercream, strawberry with strawberry buttercream, pumkin with cream cheese and german chocolate.

My next order of cupcakes was for Monica. Monica belongs to a girl’s group where I have met so many awesome people! (Joyce is one of them). I was as excited about meeting Monica in person as I was about the cupcakes. She is so awesome and I am blessed to call her a friend!

Monica’s cupcakes were for a wedding shower she was hosting. I did simple cupcake decorations with blue and white. I also included chocolate monograms I made to be put on the cupcakes once they were at the destination. The flavors of cupcakes that Monica chose were pina colada with buttercream, carrot with cream cheese icing, dark chocolate with cream cheese icing, butter pecan with praline filling and buttercream icing, lemon poppyseed with cream cheese icing and german chocolate.

I also had an order from Michelle (she is our realtor Forrest’s wife) for a dozen carrot cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a dozen oatmeal cream pies. I am so mad at myself as I forgot to take pictures!

It was a busy baking weekend but I had a blast. Plus, all 5 of my nieces were in town for the Comal County Fair. Good times!! Here is one quick pic of my two youngest nieces at the fair!!

My take on ‘French’ toast. Using Clearance rack bread, that is usually a day old or more, eggs and cream (custard), spices and a cast iron pan. This is best made the night before breakfast, so the custard can really get into the bread.

Serves 5. Pure delicious.

1 large loaf Italian bread, cut in 1 in. thick slices
3 cups evaporated milk ( or use what you have on hand – soy, dairy, etc.)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons agave syrup, plus additional for topping
2 tablespoons brown or raw sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon, plus additional for sprinkling
1 TBsp powdered ginger
1 TBsp powdered nutmeg
1 TBsp powdered clove
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract, optional*

In a medium bowl whisk the milk, eggs, sugar and agave, cinnamon, salt and extracts, pour over the bread. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon and sugar.

Line a deep baking dish with the bread slices, and pour the milk mixture over top. Let the bread soak for a minimum of 10 minutes, longer if you can. Make sure both sides of each toast have a good soaking of the custard mixture absorbed.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt a tab of butter in the pan and fry the toast for 7 – 10 min. per side or until they turn golden brown.

Alternatively, you can bake the toast uncovered at 425F for 30 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

Serve Immediately.

Top with fresh fruit, yogurt and honey, granola, almond slices, Fresh Fruit Jams or with this delicious Pecan Praline Topping:

Praline Topping
1 stick butter, slightly softened
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Cook over medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes, until sugars melt and the mixture has a nice caramel consistency.

J’ai enfin reçu les photos de ce fameux gâteau que j’avais fait spécialement pour ma maman et que j’avais fait prendre le train Paris Lyon (l’amour du risque!) sans avoir pu le prendre en photo moi même. J’étais censé faire un opéra mais dans ce gâteau, n’est opéra que le biscuit Joconde!Maman: Fan des macarons au café et capable de manger la ganache seule et ayant horreur de la crème au beurre… J’ai donc remplacé la traditionnelle crème au beurre au café par une ganache montée au café. Pour le biscuit Joconde, il est simplement imbibé d’un sirop au Rhum Charrette. Et Pour apporter un peu de croustillant dans tout ce fondant, une couche de praliné feuilleté: simple mais toujours efficace! Ce qui est le plus surprenant et donne vraiment l’eau à la bouche, c’est ces quatre étages… dans lesquels une petite cuillère rêve de s’enfoncer! en tout cas, moi, ça me fait de l’effet… hou!

Pour les détails, se référer à Gâteau d’Anniversaire Chocolat-Café et à Macarons au café.

Ce n’est pas une excuse mais les finitions ont été faites à la vas-vite sur place à Lyon sans mon petit univers… et aussi les macarons autour avaient été fait à l’avance et se sont avéré être trop grands… Comme quoi, il faut savoir prendre son temps si on veut être vraiment satisfait.

I was at the cafe I deliver to yesterday and a customer came up to me and said that the “Barley muffin” I made on Friday didn’t sound very nice. Hmm; funny that, I didn’t think I made a Barley muffin on Friday. Then after racking my brain for a few minutes I remembered what I had made, and told him that I had baked Pear and Praline, not Pear and Barley, so I guess Fridays muffin was lost in translation.

Praline is one of those things I remember  making as a young kid, I loved to read my mums cookbooks try new recipes and smash-up her kitchen before she got home from work. I did burn the almonds the first few times though becauseI kept adding them at the beginning of making the toffee.

Pranline does make a lovely sweet crunchy topping for muffins, but I am not so sure about a barley topping though.

Encore du praliné? oui, mais c’est pour la bonne cause. A la base, c’est un gâteau que j’ai fait en suivant les gouts de ma mère, il était alors au café. Je vous présente ici sa version chocolat. C’est une base de biscuit Joconde agrémenté de ganache montée au chocolat noir et de praliné feuilleté, s’il vous plait! Pour ma part, je préfère la version quatre étages: biscuit-ganache-biscuit-ganache-praliné-biscuit-ganache-biscuit. Pour celui là (dont vous voyez les photos) j’étais à cours d’œufs et de temps et j’ai donc enlevé un étage. les proportions que je vous donne sont pour un grand gâteau pour… beaucoup de monde! et pour la version trois étages.

Pour le biscuit Joconde, se référer à la recette de Pierre HERME dans le Larousse des Desserts.

Ingrédients:

-3 biscuits Joconde d’environ 40 par 25 cm

pour le sirop

-300g de sucre

-200mL d’eau

-Envrion 100 mL de rhum Charrette ( à ajuster au goute de chacun)

-extrait de noisettes

pour la ganache

-300g de chocolat noir ( un peu amer c’est mieux)

-300g de crème fleurette

pour le praliné

-200g de praliné

-200G de chocolat

-une boite de gavottes

-50g de beurre

on peut aussi le réaliser avec 400g de pralinoise, c’est déjà un mélange de praliné et de chocolat.

La veille

Préparez la ganache. Faire bouillir 100g de crème. Faire fondre le chocolat, ajouter la crème chaude. Puis ajouter la crème froide. Mettre au frais ( au congélateur si on est pressé).

Préparer les biscuits Joconde et les laisser refroidir. réalisez les les plus fin possibles!

Préparer le sirop. Faire bouillir le sucre avec l’eau. Laisser tièdir puis ajouter le rhum et l’extrait de noisette.

Préparer le praliné. faire fondre le chocolat, y ajouter le praliné et le beurre, puis les gavottes émiettées.

Montez la ganache refroidie en chantilly très ferme.

Montage

Disposer la première couche de biscuit et l’imbiber généreusement de sirop. Etaler la couche de praliné. Recouvrir ace une deuxième couche de biscuit, l’imbiber puis recouvrir de ganache et terminer par la dernière couche de biscuit imbibé. Pour cette étape il est commode d’avoir un tour à entremets, cela permet d’éviter d’avoir à ajuster les bords au couteau et donc d’avoir des pertes. Filmer le gâteau et mettre ua frais toute la nuit.

Le lendemain, Glacer le gâteau, remettre au frais puis découper soigneusement les bords.

Décorer. ici j’ai choisi de décorer en saupoudrant de cacao et en ajoutant quelques noisettes caramélisées et des morceaux de gavottes. Pour les bords, j’ai utilisé des langues de chats… mais je préfère largement le faire avec des coques de macarons si j’ai le temps.

Mettre au frais et sortir une bonne demi heure avant dégustation… hmmmmmh!

This is the big finale of my dinner party from last week, and I am so excited to write about it and mentally savor it again!

My tastes have changed so much through college and since I started cooking with some food-knowledge. If you asked me 5 years ago if this is a dessert I’d want, I think I’d actually turn it down…and anyone who knows me is probably shocked to hear that I’d say no to ANY dessert.

It turns out, though, that bananas are actually *really* good when ripe, and homemade caramel simply OWNS the weird, store-bought, grainy stuff I ate as a kid. Together, the bananas, caramel, and chocolate are a fantastic, balanced, sweet-but-not-too-sweet, rich, simply amazing dessert. Can I say enough about it?

It’s best to start the ice cream the night before, but as long as you give it a good 6 hours to cool in the refrigerator, you should be okay.

As for the caramel, it’s a bit of a learning process. David Lebovitz’s How To Make the Perfect Caramel was hugely helpful, and I slightly modified his technique for making caramel praline (from a recipe for salted butter caramel ice cream). I had a similar snafu with my first batch of caramel as David–I stirred too much and it looked like this:

But after some long low-medium heat, it turned back into the nice liquid it should be. And there’s really no joke about immediately pouring it out (for the praline) or adding the cream (for the ice cream) after the 2-3 seconds of smoking. I let one batch smoke for about 10 seconds and it was too burnt…had to throw it out, boo.

But enough of that! Go forth and experiment, because these recipes were new to me last week and I’m excited to play around with them at dinner parties to come.

Caramel Ice Cream with Praline Chips
Modified from Epicurious.com.
Serves 4-6

6-8 egg yolks (I used 7 for super-rich ice cream)
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk

Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl and set aside. In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup water. Do not stir. Every couple of minutes, use a heat-resistant (eg, wood) spatula to pull sugar on sides of pan toward the middle and swirl the pan. After several minutes, melted sugar will turn amber, then will begin to slightly “smoke.” After 2-3 seconds of “smoke,” turn off heat and quickly stir in the heavy whipping cream. **BE CAREFUL–this can bubble vigorously, so it might be a good idea to hold up a mesh splatter screen between you and the caramel at first.** Stir cream and caramel over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until all caramel bits have dissolved. Add milk and bring to a simmer.

Slowly dribble caramel mixture into egg yolks, stirring constantly to prevent curds from forming. Once combined, return to saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens, leaving a “nap” on the back of the spoon (see here for picture), about 5 minutes. Do not boil. Strain custard into a clean large bowl and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 24.

While custard is chilling, make praline by making a second batch of caramel, with 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water, exactly the same as the first. This time, have a large piece of parchment paper lining a cookie sheet near the stove. About 2-3 seconds after the caramel begins to smoke, immediately remove from the heat and pour onto the parchment paper. Quickly lift the pan and tilt it nearly vertical to spread the caramel into a thin layer. Let rest until cool, then crush into small pieces.

Once custard is chilled, churn in ice cream maker per manufacturer’s instructions. I like to use one bowl for the first 20 minutes, then transfer to my second bowl for the last 5 or so–it helps give it a little firmness that’s lacking otherwise. Once finished churning, stir in praline chips and set in freezer until ready to serve.

Banana Scallops
Serve 3-4

2-3 bananas, sliced into 1.5-inch thick pieces
Sugar for coating
1 Tbsp butter

Cover a small plate with granulated sugar. Tap the top and bottom of each banana slice (but NOT the sides) in the sugar and set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp butter in a saute pan until just barely browned, then carefully place each banana slice in the pan in an order you will remember (in rows, in a circle, etc). Each banana should have only about 1 1/2 minutes per side, so once you’ve finished placing them all, they will probably be ready to be flipped in the order they were added. Be very careful when flipping; they’re hot! Again, once you’ve finished flipping, the first ones are ready to come off. Serve while hot.

I also grated some dark chocolate over the whole set-up to give it an extra sharpness. Better quality chocolate is definitely worth investing in, especially since you use so little. My personal favorite is Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate.

History in the Making: Hot Sauces + Cold Ice Cream = Melting!

If you google “sundae” the first two hits you get are wikipedia answers.  The first, of course, is the ice cream confection that just about everyone is familiar with.  You know the one – ice cream, goopy sauce of some description, maybe a marschino cherry on top. But the second one … whoa.  I almost went there.  Really.  I chickened out though.  Boiling pig intestines and filling them with noodles and pig blood just didn’t seem all that appealing and, besides, as un-Canadian as this may be, we are celebrating American Food Holidays here (silly Canadians don’t seem to have one for each day of the year – we are so out of it) so I went with the more American ice cream dessert.

I should add in here that today is also Remembrance Day – which doesn’t really have anything to do with sundaes, but I just felt it would be wrong to write something about November 11th that didn’t also take a moment to acknowledge the sacrifices of all those who have fought in and suffered through humanity’s many wars.  As the saying goes, “Lest We Forget”.  Sometimes it’s pretty easy to forget stuff like that when you’re someone who gets to live a life in which your key responsibility for the day is blogging about ice cream.

There is much debate about the origin of the sundae with two American cities fighting to take credit for the invention.  Whether it was an accidental compromise made to avoid the sinfulness of serving an ice cream soda on a Sunday (Two Rivers, Wisconsin), or whether a fountain clerk got creative in an effort to impress his boss and a local reverend (Ithaca, New York), there is no doubt that the sundae is a near ubiquitous American dessert.  Whether it be the soft-serve McDonald’s variety in a plastic cup (which, has its own fan site and strangely, makes a great dip for McD’s fries – really), or the $1,000 Grand Opulence Sundae from Serendipity in New York, there is no doubting that a sundae is a special yummy sticky messy treat.

While I was mulling my choices of toppings for whatever gourmet sundae concoction I was going to make for my blog, I did some research (wiki really – it’s pathetic that the sum total of most of my research these days comes from wiki) and was delighted, delighted, to discover that Bananas Foster is actually a sundae.  I love Bananas Foster.  Really, really.  How can you not love bananas fried in butter and brown sugar and then flambeéd in rum?  You’d have to be crazy, that’s how.

I didn’t exactly make Bananas Foster though.  I have this deep and abiding fear that my house is going to burn down.  Flambeéing anything in my house is out.  Period.  I did a little further research at Epicurious.com and rummaged around in my cupboards and freezer and eventually concocted what might have been the Greatest Sundae of All Time – and it did not involve gold leaf or celebrities.

I fried my bananas in butter and brown sugar, added a titch of cinnamon and nutmeg and then settled for deglazing the pan with rum instead of lighting it on fire.

I made two sauces.

Boil, Boil, no Toil, no Touble!

One is a Cardamom Praline Sauce that I found on Epicurious and I invite you to click on the link for the recipe.  I picked it because the second I got this assignment, I knew I was going to make something with Cardamom in it for my sundae.  Why?  Because.  Cardamom is good.  It likes desserts.  Desserts like it.  Plus all the reviews of this recipe raved about how good it was, and how easy.  They were all correct.  It’s truly brilliant – just use more Cardamom than the recipe calls for – like a 1/2 tbsp.  N, previous guest blogger on National Candy Corn Day and willing test subject said, “the cardamom sauce tastes like Christmas.”  I do believe she was on to something.

For the other sauce, I tossed 2 cups of frozen local strawberries (the good sweet everbearing kind), 3 tbsp white sugar, 1/2 c. Sambuca, 2 tbsp. orange juice concentrate, 4 tbsp. water and a squeeze of lime juice into a saucepot.  Cooked it on medium-high until it came to a boil and then simmered until the liquid was much reduced and I had a nice thick syrup with chunks of berry floating about.  God it was good.

"Secret" Ingredients ...

Two scoops of Praline Ice Cream surrounded by the fried bananas, a glop of Cardamom sauce on one side, a glurp of Strawberry Sambuca sauce on the other, a blob of fresh whipping cream on top – let’s just say that everything got real quiet for a while.

My two willing test tasters N and K

I confess, I ate the same thing again the very next day.

B.

p.s.  I was going to try the Brandied Fruit on the ice cream but I just wasn’t brave enough.  It’s brown.  Not pretty.  Not appetizing looking.  Still smells ok but I think I might have to confess to epic failure on that one.  I won’t even show you pictures.  It’s too nasty.

These sweet little squares truly are, as the recipe indicates, easy as can be–with a wonderful return. During the baking, the brown sugar/butter mixture seeps into the cracker, rendering it crunchy on the edges but slightly chewier inside, and the candy-coating gives the walnuts a completely addictive rich, savory-meets-sweet flavor.

Ingredients:

• Graham crackers
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 large bar milk chocolate, such as Lindt, coarsely chopped

How?:

1. Break enough graham crackers into individual rectangles to cover the bottom of a 15×10x1-inch jelly roll pan.
2. In a saucepan, bring brown sugar and butter to a boil.
3. Add cream of tartar and walnuts (or pecans) to the boiling mixture. Pour over graham crackers and spread as evenly as you can (it’s a pretty thick mixture so it’s best if you only spread one way rather than going back and forth). Scatter the chocolate on top, if you’ve chosen to add it.
4. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the chocolate has gotten melty and the sugar mixture is lightly bubbling. Remove from the pan while still warm.

(From the  Misc Collection at emealsforyou.com)

Mary N's Baked French Toast

With the holidays rapidly approaching we find ourselves thinking about company coming to town to enjoy a visit and immediately our brains turn to food.  What to feed them?  The dinner meals are usually pretty straight forward;  large extravaganzas with turkeys, hams or roasts taking center stage.  Fill in around these and you are all set.

It’s the other meals that drive us up a wall.  Beyond juice and coffee what to serve for breakfast.  You know that meal first thing in the morning that you usually skip save for a cup of coffee.  Company changes all that.  Bagels and doughnuts only go so far, and besides you what them to think you care about starting the day off right, right?  The answer may lie in make ahead breakfast casseroles.  Do all the work ahead when you have the time.  Company morning get up, turn the coffee pot on and preheat the oven.  Pop in your pre-made casserole and let the aroma drift through the house.  Chances are everyone will show up with a smile on their face and exclaim, “boy, I can’t believe you got up early and made breakfast for us!”

This recipe comes to us via my wife’s aunt Mary.  She brought some cream cheese brownies to a family function recently and this recipe was a bonus recipe from her.  Both recipes are on the emealsforyou.com website. This recipe is somewhere between French Toast and OMG Sticky Buns.  You can’t beat the French toast for the ease of preparing it and it is certain to become a new family favorite.

Mary N’s Baked French Toast Casserole

Slice French bread into 1-inch slices. Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish. Place slices in 2 overlapping rows. Mix the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt ion a large bowl until just mixed. Pour over the bread, making sure to get mixture between and all over bread slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.

For the Praline Topping: Combine butter, brown sugar, pecans, light corn syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl, mix and allow to sit covered on a countertop over night.

Baking instructions: Spread the praline topping evenly over the casserole. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; bake casserole for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

If you find yourself in San Francisco and are feeling adventurous, try one or more of Humphrey Slocombe’s flavors. Chef Jake Godby created foie gras, peanut butter curry, government cheese, pistachio-bacon or secret breakfast-corn flakes and bourbon ice creams.

Chef Marc Cohen

Lobster bisque with tarragon shallot sorbet combines two distinct elements that are delicious on their own or together by spooning the sorbet onto the bisque. The creamy sweetness balances the savory and enhances the subtle sweetness of the lobster.
Chef Marc’s menu at the Watermarc in Laguna Beach is filled with old comfort dishes alongside newer creative items. Dishes such as Crab Louis or Steak Tartare appear side by side with Ahi Watermelon Skewers–Seaweed salad, ponzu or Smoked Paprika Day Boat Scallops & Shrimp–Saffron orange couscous, apricot butter.
“Guests come in and say I’ve not had this since like forever,” said Chef Marc. “We have 26 grazing plates and are not too expensive. We don’t want to be a special occasion restaurant.” Appetizers, salads, flatbreads, and soups range from $6 to $12, sandwiches $9 to $16. The most expensive dinner item is the Fillet Three Ways: Oscar, Wellington and Diane for $34.

Chef Ramon Perez
Pastry Chef Ramon Perez never runs out of ice cream or dessert ideas. A recent dessert menu at Sona in Los Angeles listed “Fatale” Chocolate Tart with braised raspberries and avocado-rum ice cream and a Montmorency Tart Cherry Strudel topped with a scoop of Parmesan ice cream. What he doesn’t enjoy as much is repeating himself. “I like to change it up too often and can’t do routine,” Chef Ramon said. Fortunately his fans are open to his desserts and dessert tasting menus. Sona charge $55 for 3 to 10 courses of desserts that change frequently depending on what’s best and in season. “We sell about 6 per night. Guests come and just order that,” he explained.

Inspiration comes from random places. “I went into the walk-in and saw a drawer of brussel sprouts. Once I burnt the white chocolate by accident but discovered caramelized tasted good,” he said. Knowing what goes with what and utilizing product is what every good chef does.

Chef Scott Brandon
Chef Scott is from Corona del Mar where he currently is chef/partner at the Crow Bar and Kitchen. He’s returned from his working culinary travels through Los Angeles, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and San Francisco. He spent 13 years as executive chef at Oysters before partnering at the Crow Bar. He serves “pub food” with local ingredients that follow the seasons.
He has some regulars who come in just for his bananas foster bread pudding–rum caramel, caramelized bananas and brown sugar/caramel gelato; and Spreckle’s draft root beer float–root beer sorbet, vanilla bean gelato.

Chef Rudi Wieder
Currently working at the Hilton Bayfront inSan Diego, the German-born master pastry chef is an award-winning chocolatier with years of experience. He trained in Germany and has worked there, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Canada and the US. He came up with the monk hat ice sculpture holding his sorbet for a VIP dinner once. “Too much work to do on a large scale,” he said. How to make the ice sculpture? Something to do with freezing water in a balloon.
He currently delights guests with his dessert creations and baked treats at Vela Restaurant.

Brussels Sprouts Ice Cream
500 grams milk
250 grams cream
4 grams kosher salt
250 grams sugar
10 ea egg yolks
300 grams Brussels sprouts

Bring milk, cream,salt, brussel sprouts and half of sugar to boil. Cook till Brussel sprouts are tender, blend and strain through fine mesh strainer into a medium sized sauce pot. Place over medium-high heat and allow to come to boil. Add remaining sugar with egg yolks, temper Brussels sprout cream into egg yolks, stirring constantly. Once tempered, pour custard base back into sauce pot. Place over medium heat, using a spatula constantly stir until temperature of base reaches 85°C. Freeze according to ice cream manufacturer specifications.

Serve with lemon olive oil sponge, kumquats and mustard seeds.

Chef Ramon Perez
Sona
Los Angeles

Shiso Ice Cream

1150 grams milk
300 grams sugar
10 grams ice cream stabalizer
240 grams milk powder
130 grams glucose
485 grams cream
700 grams shiso

Blanch shiso in salted water. Shock. Puree, and pass through fine mesh strainer. Set aside.
Mix 100 grams of sugar with stabilizer. Add remaining sugar with milk, milk powder, glucose and cream. Bring up to 45C, add stabilizer, and bring to 85C

Buckwheat Ice Cream
200 grams buckwheat grain
1000 grams milk
300 grams Simple Syrup

Cryovac buckwheat with Milk, place in water bath at 72C for 30 minutes. Cool. Strain. Add Simple Syrup and freeze according to manufacture specifications.

Serve with buckwheat sable, sous vide cherry and yuzu kosho marshmallow.

Caramelized white chocolate, potato chip praline ice cream

Chef Ramon Perez
Sona

Chanterelle Ice Cream
1100 grams milk
300 grams sugar
10 grams stabilizer
250 grams milk powder
140 grams glucose
500 grams cream
670 grams chanterelles
25 grams butter
10 grams salt

Place butter in medium sized sauce pot, allow to brown. Add chanterelles and cook down. Add salt. Add milk, half of sugar, milk powder, glucose, cream. Mix remaining sugar with stabilizer, Once milk mix is up to 45°C, add stabilizer. Bring to 85°C. Blend, strain, and chill. Freeze according to ice cream manufacturers specifications.

Serve with soft jivara ganache and apricot.

Chef Ramon Perez
Sona
Los Angeles

Lemon-rosemary Pernot Sorbet

Juice and zest from 6 lemons
600 grams sugar
26 grams pectin
150 grams trimoline
32 grams fresh rosemary, leaves only
800 milliliters lemon juice
12 bottles water

Combine all ingredients in stockpot and bring to a boil. Strain through a chinois. Process in ice cream maker.

Chef Wieder’s colleague, Sous-chef Vijay Thukral, suggested the sorbet could also be served in an appetizer salad of greens and shaved fennel.

Pastry Chef Rudi Wieder
Hilton San Diego Bayfront

It seems as quickly as it started, it has finished.  Caramel month.  It has been a busy few weeks as I have navigated my way through caramel in many forms.  Crunchy.  Creamy.  Clear. 

Sherry Yard has been my chief ‘instructor’, guiding me through the fundamentals of caramel via her book, The Secrets of Baking.  This is one of the most frequently referenced tomes in my collection (primarily due to its instructional nature), and has been invaluable in steering me through this syrupy affair.

Caramel quite simply starts with cooked sugar.  Most professionals use the ‘dry’ method to make caramel – an approach that requires a very good eye to gauge temperature.  A more foolproof approach is the ‘wet’ method that incorporates water with the sugar.  The addition of corn syrup or lemon in to this mix – which is common in many recipes - also assists in minimising the development of sugar crystallisation.  The ideal temperature to cook sugar is roughly between 160-180C (or 325-350F).  It quickly can burn, so is essential you watch it the entire time.  No multi-tasking!

The master caramel recipe of cooked sugar is used to produce crunchy caramel creations – praline, spun sugar, caramel decorations.  Add cream, and you have caramel sauce.  Add a liquid like wine, juice or water, and you have a caramel glaze.  Best of all, with this master caramel formula, you have an indispensable range of recipes at your disposal.

Mr Mélanger remarked I must be tiring of caramel.  Not at all.  Having only scratched the sugary surface of this caramel wonder, my fascination has only just been piqued.  But next month is a new theme.  And I am excited.  Any guesses?  Stay tuned!  In the meantime, here is a summary of the caramel recipes I tackled during caramel month.  I hope you enjoyed some caramel of your own this month, too!

:: Triple Caramel Cake ::
It is bold.  It is unashamedly rich.  And it superbly showcases caramel in many forms.  From the caramelised cake, to the soft caramel sauce infused buttercream, to the crisp hazelnut praline that crowns this four layer wonder.  { Recipe here … }

:: Belle Hélène ::
A simple, yet elegant dessert.  The refreshingly light chocolate ice cream combines faultlessly with the pears – the star of the dish - that has been deliciously infused with a simple lemon-vanilla syrup.  { Recipe here … }

:: Lavender Honey Crème Caramel ::
The sweet floral of lavender is quite the perfect match for the spicy, sweet honey in this twist on the classic crème caramel.  Bake in individual dishes or as a family style flan for a more relaxed dessert.  { Recipe here … }

:: Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream ::
Deep, rich caramel infused ice cream.  The ice cream is creamy, yet with an edge.  Enjoy by the spoonful whether it is 30C, or 30F, outside.  { Recipe here … }

:: Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes ::
The salted caramel harmoniously melds with the rich chocolate cake and dark chocolate frosting.  Lightly sprinkled to finish, the grey flakes, light and almost pearlised, look misleadingly innocent.  { Recipe here … }

:: Salted Caramel Macarons ::
A classic French macaron flavour.  The sweet and salty overtones of caramel perfectly cut the sweetness of the macaron shell.  A sprinkling of fleur de sel on top seals the salty fate.  { Recipe here … }

:: Dulce de Leche ::
Caramel at its richest.  Slow cooked milk and sugar produces the stickiest, creamiest and more-ish caramel treat. Eat straight from the jar or on bread, sweet biscuits or any accompaniment. Highly likely to be consumed within 24 hours.   { Recipe here … }

:: Brioche Tart with Caramelised Fruits ::
This egg rich bread is filled with creamy custard, topped with a tangy sabayon sauce, and served with caramel poached fruits.  Enjoy as a sweet weekend breakfast alternative to the typical pancake or waffle options.  { Recipe here … }

This isn’t really a “new” recipe. In fact, it’s not much of a recipe rather than a last-minute bake-off to use my shredded coconut before it expires – because letting anything expire in your pantry is just so sad. But my oh my, this accidental treat is yummy yummy yummy in my tummy (and a problem for my hips!). These bars are SO sweet and decadent, yet there is something about the combination of caramel and coconut and hazelnuts that is just to die for. The caramel brittle at the bottom just has the right combination of salty crunch and sweet caramel, and the coconut layer is chewy and delicious, and of course you then come aross the bittersweet chocolate layer on top with the added crunch of the toasted nuts. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry because I have no more bars left. You can seriously substitute everything in this recipe and just use my recipe as a guideline, and create your own ohmygosh bars with whatever you have lying around in your pantry. Seriously, all you need is a yummy caramel base, and top it with whatever your heart desires. I simply used my pecan praline caramel cracker recipe and then modified it slightly. Trust me, make double the recipe, keep half for yourself and give the other half away. That way, you’ll seem like the most amazing and generous friend in the world – while eating your own stash secretly in the privacy of your own home. You can have your ohmygosh bars and eat them too Seriously, I have found a new religion in these bars.

stacks and stacks of "ohmygosh, these are amazing" bars

look at all that gooey chewy coconut filling on top of that crunchy caramel brittle, smothered in chocolate!

who am I kidding - no one eats these with a fork

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 40 salted soda crackers
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup (1/2 can) condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts

How-to:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet completely with foil, and then line the base of the foil with parchment paper, cut to fit.
2. Line the bottom of the baking sheet with crackers, covering all parts.
3. In a medium heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, and stir it over medium heat until it begins to boil. Once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for three more minutes, stirring it well. It will thicken a bit as it cooks. Remove from the heat and add the salt and vanilla, and then quickly pour it over the matzo or crackers. You’ll want to spread it quickly, as it will begin to set as soon as it is poured.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the coconut and the condensed milk. You can use more of the condensed milk if you find the coconut mix to be too dry, but I found that 1/2 cup was just enough to bind the coconut together and provide the right amount of sweetness.
5. Spread the coconut mixture evenly over your caramel-covered crackers.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, making sure that the corners of the caramel or the coconut layer doesn’t get too dark. You want it to be golden.
7. Remove from the oven, and sprinkle your chocolate chips evenly over the coconut. Return to the oven just for 2 minutes, to soften the chocolate.
8. Using an off-set spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer. Sprinkle the toasted hazelnuts over top, and feel free to drizzle even more chocolate on top. Since I also had sliced almonds on hand, I sprinkled those on top too. The more, the merrier =)
9. Enjoy!

xo dessertchick

This year's Thanksgiving Pie

My good friend C's cute kid in the pumpkin patch, because I just couldn't get there this year!

This is the time of year when pumpkin patches are on the mind.  Alongside the highway, on the way to the ferries, the large pumpkin fields of Mitchell’s Farm are full of parents and children in search of the perfect pumpkin.

These aren’t the best eating pumpkins, truth be told.  These are carving pumpkins.  You know, for jack o’lanterns.  Pretty much the only part of these pumpkins that gets eaten is the seeds (I mean, you can make allll sorts of delicious things – like roasted pumpkin soup, or stuffed roasted pumpkin, or grilled pumpkin spears, or ricotta pumpkin agnollotti – but what I’m saying is that these pumpkins mostly seem to get used to make hallowe’en decorations).  Mmmmmmmm … roasted pumpkin seeds!  Delish!  I like them with a little bit of olive oil and seasoning salt on them.  Alternatively, a little olive oil, some garlic powder, salt and pepper.  You scoop out all the gooey stringy insides of the pumpkin and pick out the seeds from the pulp.  I like to roll them around in a paper towel or a dish cloth to get the majority of the pulp off before tossing them with the oil and seasonings.  Some people rinse them to get all the goo off, but I like how it adds to the pumpin-y flavour and caramelizes a little.  In the oven on cookie sheets at 350 for some random period of time equal to how long it takes for them to get toasty and Bob’s Your Uncle! (where does that saying come from anyway?).

What I really love pumpkins for, in case no one picked this up from my Brandied Fruits post the other day, is pumpkin pie.  God love a good pumpkin pie!  For true pumpkin pie, made from scratch, you’re supposed to use sugar pumpkins, not the big, tough old things that people use to create ghoulish artwork every October 31st.  Of course, I am usually in a time crunch when I make pumpkin pie because it seems to be a holiday thing and the meals it goes best with are those that involve a lot of oven-intensive dishes – turkey, candied yams, stuffing, roast vegetables and the like.  So the pie almost always gets short-shrift.  Horrific, if you ask me.  It also means I almost always … okay … always use canned pumpkin.  Nothing wrong with that actually.  Just make sure to just use the pure pumpkin, not the instant pumpkin pie filling pumpkin.

I’m not one to buy my pastry pre-made.  I pride myself on my ability to make a great pastry.  So that’s what I do.  I used to use the recipe off the back of the Fluffo box (vegetable shortening – though lard is also good), but either I have somehow invented that in my own head, or they changed the recipe this year.  Either of these things is possible.  In any event, I can’t share my fail-safe perfect pastry recipe here with you.  Not yet.  I am in an ongoing heated competition with some other pie-makers and this competition will continue until I am, once and for all, named the Supreme High Best Piemaker.  Until then, top secret baby. Top Secret.

I will share one of my favorite pumpkin pie recipes with you though.  It’s not mine, but I often rely on it.  It’s from the Silver Palate Cookbook and it’s awesome.  Go here to read the whole thing. I frequently use this recipe as a base for my own variations.  I will tell you this tidbit – if you switch out the ground ginger for fresh ginger, and if you add a couple tablespoons of molasses and a few spoonfuls of maple syrup, instead of the brown sugar … mmmmmmmmm.  I should also add that although I like this recipe because it is not hugely sweet, I often use even less sugar than it calls for.  I tend to do that.  I like to taste the fruit, or vegetable as the case may be, in my pies.

Pumpkin Pie should always be made Deep Dish.  Why?  Because then the slices are bigger.  Duh!  Like most custard based pies, it’s tricky to make a pumpkin pie that doesn’t crack in the oven and most recipes you will find are not for a deep dish pie.  The key is to start it out hot (425 – 450) for the first 10 minutes, like you would with a cheesecake, and then turn the heat down to 325 and cook it slowly over a long time.  Watch it though.  Don’t leave it in too long.  It’s okay if it’s still ever so slightly shiny and wet looking in the middle, so long as a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean.  Don’t worry – they always set.

This pie stayed in the oven a tiny bit too long, which is why you see a cracks and some brown spots on it, but it still tasted yummy!

I prefer my pumpkin pie still warm out of the oven and smothered in fresh whipping cream.  Maple whipped cream is good.  If you make some candied pecans, or even pralines, and crunch them up as a topping for the pie, that’s good too.  Because pumpkin is a vegetable, I like to tell myself that it is a healthy meal choice and I definitely enjoy my pie for breakfast.

This last Thanksgiving, I made two pumpkin pies (one for each Thanksgiving dinner I went to).  My kid had a bite of my pumpkin pie – his first.  Then he proceeded to eat half of my piece of pie.  Then he had a whole piece to himself.  He is definitely my child.

B.

Today is definitely a cupcake sort of day: rainy and cold.  We were in need of a little cupcake smile.  In search of something new, we ventured to the Chocolate Box to check out Look Cupcake.   I had been to the Chocolate Box before to buy truffles or gelato, but I had never tried the mini cupcakes.  I found out today that they are supplied by Look Cupcake who are special order only and don’t have their own storefront.  These are mini cupcakes and cost $1.50 each at the Chocolate Box.

Our sampling today:

La Nina de Chocolate Diablo: Mexican spiced chocolate cake with Kahlua buttercream frosting filled with a peppery chocolate ganache.  I only had a little bite of this as I don’t really like spicy.  This was a beautiful cupcake.  The cake was very moist.  The icing was smooth and buttery like Italian or Swiss Meringue.   It did have a kick to it and I felt it in the back of my throat afterward.  Mr Shuck said he “wants a big one of these.”  He would put it on his favorites’ list if it were larger.  The chocolate pink ribbon garnish was also spicy.   His rating: ♥♥♥♥

Coconut Praline:  Vanilla cake with meringue buttercream dipped in toasted coconut and pralines (candied pecans).  It seemed like the pralines might have been salted.  I love the mix of salty and sweet.  The cake was very moist and had a tiny dab of chocolate ganache in the middle.   My rating: ♥♥♥

Chai:  All I can say is that it tasted like chai.  The cake was a little dry and the appearance overall was very plain.  Rating: ♥♥

Lemon Rosemary:  This flavor was intriguing to me before I tried it.  I thought it was light and refreshing.  Mr Shuck thought it was horrible and was tasting it for about 30 minutes after he ate his bite.  (Maybe he got a rosemary leaf stuck in his teeth.)  My rating: ♥♥.  His rating: zero hearts.  (He’s shaking his head in disgust as I type this.)

Overall:  We’d make a special trip to the Chocolate Box to see what cupcakes Look has provided.