Posts filed under 'Sweet Recipes'
Our visit to New York City in February included a trip to Grand Central Station for lunch at the infamous Oyster Bar; my kids had their first oysters (and I'm sad to say one ran to the bathroom after a 5 minute valiant attempt to eat it, and the other just spit it out) We opted for dessert at Magnolia Bakery; their first piece of ice box cake was much more well received than lunch.
I had made it once for my eldest, before the others were born and had forgotten how simple and delicious it is. For my middle child's 10th birthday, a request was made for this to be his cake.
Easy to make and easier to devour. You can dress this up or down. Smitten Kitchen has a more beautiful version but this one, from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook – uses 3 cups of heavy cream and more packages of the wonderful wafers. Smitten Kitchen also offers a recipe for making the wafers from scratch. Someday, I will try that.
Nabisco wafers are indeed hard to find so if you find them, purchase several boxes as they also make the best chocolate crust for pies.
Click here for the original recipe listed on the back of the chocolate wafer box. Searching the web will give you any variations you might want, like mint, and alcohol scented whipped cream, a touch of brandy could create a Brandy Alexander Ice Box Cake.
Try it, you'll like it, we promise.
May 25th, 2011
Flavorista Eliza brought Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding to our Mother's Day potluck dinner. She and I have been contemplating this specific banana pudding for quite some time; why oh why did we wait so long? All six born and bred yankee adults in attendance agreed that this dessert was crazy good.
Banana pudding certainly falls into the comfort foods category. It is a perfect party dessert because it can be made ahead and one recipe serves quite a few people, as it is very rich. During strawberry or raspberry season, you could easily replace bananas with berries.
Paula's banana pudding is reminiscent of a traditional, southern banana pudding made of Nilla Wafers, fresh banana slices and creamy vanilla pudding but her version is enriched with Chessmen Shortbread Cookies, sweetened condensed milk and yes, you guessed it, cream cheese.
Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
Serious, serious YUM. Eliza made the very good call of replacing Cool Whip with real whipped cream, ooh la la…
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8-oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 cups milk
1 (5-oz) box instant vanilla pudding
6-8 bananas, sliced
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
Line the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer banana slices on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth.
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
May 14th, 2011
The idea for these brownies came from Martha Stewart's Cookies Cookbook. I did not care for the texture of the brownie in that recipe as it was far too cake like, so like flavoristas tend to do, I came up with my own version.
Then I stumbled upon the BEST brownie mix ever – Ghiardelli's Double Chocolate. I like my brownies ooey and almost gooey and this mix delivers. They actually come out as pictured on the box. Lucky for me they sell it in bulk at Costco here in Boulder. I highly recommend that you have this in your pantry as they are quite simply delcicious.
The peanut butter topping does come from the Martha's book but I adapted it for these brownies. If you like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, these are for you.
Peanut Butter Swirl
I haven't tried it yet, but this filling might also be good as a sandwich cookie filling, think homemade nutter butters.
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I prefer chunky but the kids don't)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. salt coarse sea salt
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
Procedure:
Make the brownies according to the recipe on the box and pour into your prepared brownie pan.
For the peanut butter swirls, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Using a spoon, (or as I prefer a small 1 oz. ice cream scoop), place dollops of the peanut butter just on top of the batter. Using a sharp small knife, place the tip in the center of one of the peanut butter dollops. Now carefully fan the peanut butter out into the batter. Do this on each dollop making longish type swirlies (as pictured above).
Bake for the time as indicated on the brownie box for the pan size you use. I like to use the larger sizes brownie pan as the peanut butter doesn't spread but sets up where it is on the brownie. The brownie batter also tends to rise up around the peanut butter.
It doesn't hurt to sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the top as well.
April 18th, 2011
In a quandry of what to make for dessert one night I was inspired by a recipe on food52 by Merrill Stubbs. While recipes for this homey cake abound, many are filled with nuts, dried fruit and a myriad of different spices, I think this recipe takes the proverbial cake.
Just to be clear, it is nothing like my other two favorites Aspen Apple Cake or Upside Down Apple Cake. This cake is quite fast and easy to make.
If you are cleaning out your pantry this spring and come accross some homemade apple sauce or if you happen to have a jar of a really good quality, unsweetened apple sauce, this cake is simply delicious. Moist from all the apple sauce it doesn't need that much added fat.
You can play around with the spices; I've used freshly grated ginger; Merrill had 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper in hers (which frankly I didn't taste so omitted it the second time round). Smoked cinnamon would be interesting to try too.
Please sift your flour. If you don't you will simply be using too much. I made a few changes to her recipe, including adding 3/4 less powdered sugar in the caramel-like glaze. The glaze is optional but dresses up the cake nicely if you are having company.
Kimberly's dulce de leche would also be fabulous as a drizzle when serving. One little anecdote, I love the sound this cake makes when you take it out of the oven. If you make it, take a listen.
Apple Sauce Cake with Caramel Glaze
2 cups of sifted flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups apple sauce
2 tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the dry ingredients (after you have sifted the flour). Place all wet ingredients (applesauce, vanillas, oil and eggs) into a large bowl and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet 1/2 a cup at a time and stir well to incorporate before adding more flour. Continue until all the flour is gone. Pour into a prepared (greased and floured) bundt pan.
The cake Merrill features on food52 is far prettier than mine. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Caramel-like Glaze
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. salt (or sprinkle some Maldon's salt flakes or fleur du sel on top of the glaze for a nice crunch)
Once your cake has cooked and cooled, you can make the glaze. Heat the butter until it is melted in a small sauce pan. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar melts. Cook for about 3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat and whisk in the heavy cream and salt. Allow to cool for a few minutes then whisk in the confectioners sugar. Pour on to your bundt cake after you've turned it out on to a platter and it has cooled slightly.
Serve alone or with caramel ice cream -YUM!
April 6th, 2011
During my vegan detox, one thing that I missed was ice cream. I come from a long line of ice cream lovers and knew that I would have to come up with a plan to fill the ice cream void.
Canned coconut milk is a luxurious ingredient, it adds an unmistakable richness to Thai and Indian currries and I am happy to report that coconut milk can be used very successfully as an "ice cream" base.
You could certainly make a straight coconut sorbet but my detox required no sugar so I opted for a version that used ripe bananas as a sweetener and almond butter for added texture and flavor. A little touch of vanilla extract and a small amount of agave pulled the recipe together.
Adjust the recipe to suit your preferences, add a bit more agave, almond butter or a touch of almond extract. Top your dish with some toasted almonds, shredded coconut or chocolate shavings.
This "ice cream" is certainly a healthier option to traditional ice cream which is loaded with butter fat and sugar. And here’s the good news: It is wholly satisfying (see pic below, if you don’t believe me).
I make homemade ice cream in my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. It worked especially well with this vegan version because as it froze the ice cream it incorporated air, in effect lightening the finished product.
Banana Almond Vegan Ice Cream
1 (13.5) oz. can coconut milk (full fat is better than light in this recipe)
2 ripe bananas, sliced
2 – 4 Tbsp. almond butter (to taste)
1- 2 Tbsp. agave (to taste)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt
Add all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture overnight.
Give the mixture a good stir until it is smooth and pour it into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer instructions.
Serve immediately or transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze until it’s time for dessert. When serving this ice cream straight from the freezer, allow it to warm up for 10 minutes so that it softens up a bit making it easier to serve and eat.
FMI on Meatless Monday, click here.
March 14th, 2011
The inspiration for this recipe came from the wonderful blog The Nourished Kitchen. I changed the recipe considerably and the end result is a delicious oatmeal-like cake.
Make it once and have a slice every morning for a few days or serve it to a crowd at brunch. With some warm maple syrup and a dash of whipped cream it is really delicious! Perfect for winter weekend mornings.
You can use any dried fruit and nut combination. A few suggestions are apricots and pistachios, dried plums, apples and pecans, raisins or currants or cranberries and walnuts. Regardless of the combination you choose, it is delicious.
Baked Oatmeal (inspired by the Nourished Kitchen)
This recipe is easily doubled but this serves 6 for breakfast.
1/2 lb. rolled oats (she uses steel cut but I loved using rolled)
2 Tbsp. buttermilk or yogurt
1/2 cup whole chia seeds (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste, or 2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 /2 cup brown sugar or maple syrup
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup almonds
butter or non-stick spray for the baking dish
Place oats into a large bowl and pour on enough water to just cover them. Stir in the buttermilk or yogurt and add a dash of sea salt. Let sit overnight (8 hours to 12 hours is fine).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place oats in a colander and and push out any excess water. Transfer oats to a large bowl.
Butter a small square (9×9-inch) or rectangular baking dish, like one you would use for brownies. Beat together the milk, eggs and vanilla and brown sugar or maple syrup. Sprinkle the chia seeds and cinnamon into the drained oats. Add dried fruit and nuts then stir in the milk/egg mixture.
Pour into the baking dish and cook for 30 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Pour warmed maple syrup and a dollop of freshly whipped cream and tuck in.
February 16th, 2011
A local non-profit, The Organic Food Fight started by the very enterprising Alexandra Hanifin and Sarah Orens hosted a local baking contest to benefit their favorite non-profits, The School Food Project and Allergy Kids.
My dense chocolate sweet bread (made gluten-free) took third place. While I prefer the version with flour and no nuts, this one came out pretty well. To read more about the event click here. The recipe for the winning vegan carrot cake is there. It was exceptionally good!
My secret ingredient was duck eggs from Grant Family Farms. They really help make this wet batter rise beautifully. My favorite way to enjoy this cake is with a fresh fruit sauce. Although a bit of freshly whipped cream would be divine too and is how most folks in my house devour it.
With Valentine’s Day on a Monday, make this cake today, it’s even better the next day.
Be sure to follow the directions exactly. I also include 2 fruit sauces for you to try, either with this cake or with vanilla ice cream. I poured a very smooth and thin layer of chocolate ganache over the top of my cake and dipped several whole hazelnuts in the ganache for garnish.
Rich Ebony Cake -Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess.
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/3 cups flour (or gluten free baking mix. See note below)
1 tsp. baking soda (If you are using a gluten free baking mix, omit this ingredient as GF baking mixes already have baking soda added to it)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups dark brown sugar
2 duck eggs ( or 2 extra large chicken eggs, 3 if at high altitude)
1 tsp. vanilla extract plus 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. freshly boiled water
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups, chopped hazelnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degree. Butter a 9 x5-inch loaf pan – glass works best. Line it with parchment paper – you can just place the parchment in on the longest side with some of the ends hanging out. This is just to help lift the the loaf cake out once it has cooled. Place on a baking sheet as this batter is very wet and can spill over during the baking process.
Mix your dry ingredients together. Cream together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs -1 at a time- and then the vanilla.
Next on low, mix in the cooled chocolate. Do not over beat. Make sure to have your flour mix and boiled water ready. Now gently add some of the flour and combine. Now some of the boiled water. Once all the wet and dry ingredients are combined you will have a fairly liquid batter. Now add your chips and nuts.
Pour it into the loaf pan and bake in a preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 then reduce temperature to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes. The toothpick tester method will not work as the cake is very moist. The cake should be firm and not totally gooey in the center.
If you can let it cool for a solid day then that is what I recommend. It doesn’t happen in this house as this is my kid’s favorite dessert. But you should really let it cool for a few hours before removing it from the pan.
Two Fruit Sauces
Cranberry Garnet Sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (tangerine works well too)
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional)
Combine all the ingredients, except for the Grand Marnier in a heavy sauce pan. Simmer over meduim to low heat for 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor or use an immersion blender and mix until smooth. Add the Grand Marnier. This sauce gets very thick as it cools. You can thin it with water if you like it less so.
Strawberry Balsamic Sauce
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 pints strawberries, sliced
2 tsp. good quality balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh mint
Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the strawberries and cook, stirring occasionally until the berries begin to release their juices.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the berries to a bowl and continue to reduce the sauce for another 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and mint. Remove from heat and stir into the strawberries. Let stand for 2 minutes then remove the mint. Stir and serve slightly warm.
February 13th, 2011
These delightful almond cookies are just the best. They are so much tastier than the ones you buy at the store. I like these all year round.
This almond cookie recipe came from a teacher at my children’s preschool a few years back. Unfortunately, I lost the original recipe so I had to go from memory. I’m not sure where she found it but am thankful to have at least remembered this much.
Traditional almond cookies are made with lard, I used butter but if you feel intrepid and want to be truely traditional, just use lard in place of the butter. This year I am going to try making them gluten free with just almond flour.
2 3/4 cups sifted flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
48 whole almonds
Mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter, much like you would for making pie crust. Add the egg and almond extract.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches a part on the cookie sheet. Press one whole almond into the top and flatten them ever so slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
February 12th, 2011
Food52 is a wonderful blog, it’s the brain child of Amanda Hesser and Merrill Staub. They hold a weekly contest for recipes in unusual categories. I have yet to "win" but I keep trying in vain. I did get an official review on one recipe (finally) for my favorite curried apples (so perhaps I’ll get a winning nod soon).
The "Your Best Non-Pie Thanksgiving Dessert" contest held real appeal for me because I am not crazy for pie; I like tarts.
As you may well know, we here at flavorista like our sweets. There are a few upside down cakes and clafoutis already posted. This recipe is not quite as down homey as the others but VERY appropriate for any holiday or just some weekend baking.
The difference between this recipe and others that we have posted is that it has a basic genoise cake on top. I highly recommend that you use a spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment before adding the fruit.
If you happen to be attending a potluck and feel the need to "do something different" this cake will be welcomed by all. I used fresh cranberries but dried would also go well.
Pear-Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
For the Fruit:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 to 4 medium, ripe pears, peeled, quartered, cored and either diced or sliced into long slivers
2 Tbsp. juice from an orange, or any variety tangerine
1/3 cup fresh or dried cranberries
Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan then add the brown sugar. Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom.
Toss the pear with the orange juice. Scatter the cranberries on top of the butter-sugar syrup and then layer the pears on top. Now make the cake batter.
Genoise Cake Batter
2 Tbsp. butter
4 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. Massey’s Vanilla Bean paste (a Flavorista fave!)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sifted cake flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt until they triple in volume – this takes about 4 minutes.
Fold theflour into the mixture 1/3 at a time. Pour about 1 cup of this batter into the butter and fold. Return this butter portion into the main batter and fold until just combined. Try and do this as quickly and delicately as possible. You don’t want to loose any volume.
Pour the batter over the fruit and spread evenly. Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing the springform and inverting onto a cake plate. Remove the parchment carefully.
January 23rd, 2011
With Christmas upon us, we will be signing off for a few days for celebrating, cooking and eating. We would like to wish you happy holidays full of merriment and treats. Thank you for following Flavorista and for sharing our posts, we appreciate the time you spend with us.
Photo by Patti Sundik
Chef John of Q’s restaurant in Boulder shared this recipe with Flavorista. He serves it with lamb loin. During the holiday season, this would also make a nice addition to any table or a great hostess gift. Cherry Central, in Michigan is a excellent resource for dried cherries.
Adjust the vinegar and sugar levels in this recipe to achieve a acidity/sweetness level that you like. A smoother texture can be achieved by chopping the cherries before simmering.
The addition of herbs or other flavoring ingredients can add additional complexity to the finished product. For instance, try adding a toasted, seeded, crushed ancho chile to the mixture at the beginning of the simmering process
Tart Cherry Compote
Yield is about 3 cups
2 cups tart dried cherries
2 cups pinot noir
1 Tbsp. mulling spices, wrapped in cheese cloth (optional)
1 cup Banyuls Vinegar or other good quality red wine vinegar
(Balsamic would be nice too only start with 1/2 a cup and add more if you desire.)
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. kosher salt or sea salt
1 Tbsp. coarse ground black pepper
3 fresh bay leaves
Reconstitute cherries with 2 cups boiled water. Combine cherries and liquid with the rest of the ingredients in a non-reactive sauce pan. Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes.
Remove the mulling spices and continue to cook until the fruit is very soft and the mixture is reduced and slightly syrupy for at least 25 minutes. Use at room temperature or hot.
December 25th, 2010
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