Strawberry Pavlova

Besides looking forward to the end of tax season and a more manageable schedule, mid-April is also when my favorite local strawberry patch is open for the season. This fruit stand is about 1/2 mile from my house, I often ride my bike there.  It's a small husband-wife operation, every time I go out there he is usually in the field picking berries and she is assembling baskets.  There is nothing that compares to fresh, locally grown strawberries!

My first after-tax season desserts usually consist of these fresh strawberries.  We had guests over for dinner and I decided to make individual pavlovas rather than a shortcake, something a little different.  A pavlova is a dessert made of meringue-like shells.  The edges are crispy and airy and the centers are softer, almost like a marshmallow. The center is smoothed out so that the meringue will hold a whipped cream filling, forming a little indentation. They are very easy to make, impressive to serve, and are suitable to making ahead of time.  When it's time to serve dessert it's just a matter of adding the whipped cream and topping them with the fruit. Any kind of fruit can be used but I especially like them with any sort of berry, or combination thereof.

They can be filled with a simple sweetened whipped cream or embellished with more flavor.  On this night, I added a few dollops of lemon curd as I love the flavor combination of lemon and strawberry.  A strawberry puree can be mixed in and the berries drizzled with chocolate. Cinnamon flavored whipped cream is a great base for an apple topping.  Mix and match to whatever fruit you have on hand!

You can make a big pavlova and serve it like a pie or individual ones.  You can spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe the circles or spoon mounds of the egg-white mixture onto the parchment paper and shape with a spoon.  It's all in how fancy you want to get!  Either way, it's best to draw the desired sized circles onto parchment paper.  I used a ramekin.  Once the circles are drawn, turn the paper over so that the meringues aren't on the penciled side of the paper. Pipe or shape the meringue onto the marked paper and bake.  Easy, peasy!

Before baking!

After baking!  Cracking of the shells is normal.

Pavlova Shells

4 eggs whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Trace 6-8 circles (or one 9-inch circle) onto a piece of parchment paper with a pencil.  Flip paper over and lay on baking sheet.

Place sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk together.  Place egg whites in a stand mixer with whisk attachment.  Beat for 1-3 minutes, until soft peaks form.  With mixer running at medium-high speed, slowly add the sugar mixture, until all is incorporated. Increase speed to high and continue mixing 3-4 minutes longer, until mixture is smooth and glossy and holds stiff peaks.

Add the vanilla and vinegar to the mixture and mix to combine, scraping down edges of bowl with a spatula.  Place mixture into a piping bag and pipe rounds onto the prepared sheet (or spoon mixture onto the marked rounds and shape with a spoon).

Use a spoon to make a little indentation in the center of each mound.

Place pan in oven and decrease temperature to 250 degrees.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the edges are set and sound hollow when tapped.  Turn off the oven and crack the door open, let pan cool completely.

Spoon freshly whipped cream (lightly sweetened) into center of each shell.  Top with desired fruit.

Pavlovas can be stored in an air-tight container for a day or two.

Double The Streusel Apple Butter Bars

It's finally starting to feel like fall in the central California valley.  The temps have dropped, summer annuals are being replaced with fall/winter plantings, the leaves are slowly turning colors.  We even got a little rain, which did so much to clear the air from the effects of the summer forest fires and recent almond harvest. I've been lazy (I justify that by saying I've been busy) and not started any fall decorating, or even bought a single pumpkin, but my baking has definitely taken on an autumn twist!

I love apple butter, each year I make 2 or 3 batches of crockpot apple butter.  It's easy to make and the house smells wonderful while it's cooking. I saw this bar recipe on the Half Baked Harvest Instagram page and quickly bumped it to the top of my "things to bake" list. Not only do they contain apple butter and apple slices, but also all the familiar fall spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg. I'm a sucker for anything with streusel in it.  The streusel mix serves two purposes in this recipe, pressed down into the pan and baked, it becomes a soft buttery crust with the remaining becoming the glorious crumbly topping that I love. This is a great fall treat, perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

Double the Streusel Apple Butter Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashion oats
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks ( 1 cup) cold salted butter, cubed

Filling:
1 cup apple butter, homemade or store bought
2 honey crisp apples, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9x13-baking dish with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, oats, pecans, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon, until the oats are mostly ground. Add the cold butter, pulse until a crumbly dough forms.

Press 1/3 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Transfer to the oven and bake 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, make the filling.  In a medium bowl, toss the sliced apples with the male syrup, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Spread the apple butter evenly over the pre-baked crust.  Arrange the apples in an even layer over the apple butter. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 streusel dough over top of the apples.  Return to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the crumble is a light golden brown.

Let cool completely before cutting into bars. 

Strawberry Buckle

There are all sorts of variations of old-fashioned fresh fruit dessert recipes. What they all have in common is fresh, seasonal fruit. The differences arise with the type of topping.  The most common types of baked fruit desserts are:

            Buckle:           A dessert combining fresh fruit, a rich cake batter, and a streusel topping.

            Cobbler:          A dessert of fresh fruit baked in a deep dish and topped with a biscuit-like crust, usually sprinkled with sugar.

            Crumble:         A dessert of fresh fruit baked with a crumbly pastry mixture.

            Crisp:              A deep-dish fruit dessert made with a crumb or streusel topping.

Everyone has their personal favorites and they are all good. When spring and summer rolls around there is nothing better than a fresh fruit dessert!

As I've mentioned before, my local strawberry patch is open for the season. It's about two miles from my house, if that.  Last week my 3-year old grandson and I took a bike ride out to the patch.  (I have a trailer he rides in).  That little boy loves strawberries! He was enthralled with the strawberry plants and all the red berries. He ate some in the field, he ate some sitting in the trailer as I pedaled our way home, and he had some more for an afternoon snack.  It's a good thing I bought extra for our dessert!

I love my fun little baking pans so this recipe caught my attention because the buckle can be made in mini skillets.  That's such a cute presentation! It was an easy recipe to throw together and the buckles baked while we had dinner. I served them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. They were quite good!

Strawberry Buckle

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped

Streusel:
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 5 4-inch cast iron skillets (or 4 6-inch cast iron skillets, or a 9x9-inch baking pan or 10-inch cast iron skillet).

Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, cream the softened butter.  Add the shortening and mix thoroughly.

Add the sugar to the butter mixture and beat to combine.  Add the egg and beat to fully combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; mix with a whisk to combine. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Slowly pour in the buttermilk and mix until combined.

To make the streusel, using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the cold butter into small pieces.  Add the sugar, flour and spices, mixing until the mixture has the consistency of small pebbles.

Spoon the batter evenly in the prepared pans.  Evenly layer the chopped strawberries over the batter.  Distribute the streusel evenly over the mixture.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes (40-45 minutes if using larger pans) until the top is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if using mini skillets it's best to bake them on a cookie sheet). Allow to sit for five minutes before serving.



 

Croissant Bread Pudding

I enjoy bread pudding, my Hubbers hates it.  Consequently, I only get it when we eat out or if I happen to be at my Mom's when she has made one. Recently, one of my food board friends, Martha, made Ina Garten's croissant bread pudding and raved and raved about it.  I knew I had to try it but it had to be a time when I wasn't the only one around to eat it!  As it was my turn to host our neighborhood book club, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try the recipe.  My neighborhood ladies are always indulgent of me making them my culinary guinea pigs and they give me good feedback on my experimentations.  We all loved it, there wasn't a crumb left in our bowls! 

This bread pudding is a little different than most.  Traditionally, bread puddings are made with leftover bread, oftentimes resulting in a dense bread pudding.  Croissants are a little more delicate and lighter.  Instead of being totally absorbed in the croissants, the custard formed a layer on the bottom of the dish.  Ooh, la, la, I loved that! Many bread puddings are seasoned with cinnamon, this had no seasonings, other than vanilla.

 

I topped our servings with a dollop of rum whipped cream, though any flavor liqueur would be good.  I may try it with Grand Marnier next time. There will be a next time whether my Hubbers wants some or not!

 

 Croissant Bread Pudding

 

3 extra-large whole eggs

8 extra-large egg yolks

5 cups half-and-half

1-1/2 cups sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

6 croissants, preferably stale

1 cup raisins

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half, horizontally. In a 10 x 15 x 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with an inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn’t touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Dust with confectioners sugar and serve with rum whipped cream, if desired.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

I previously shared how my Hubbers and I ate at the Cheesecake Factory before Christmas.  He enjoyed a piece of lemon meringue cheesecake which I replicated for our Christmas dinner (recipe here).  While at the restaurant we perused their glass display case of cheesecakes.  I think a person could gain weight just peeking inside!  One of the cheesecakes that caught my interest was a red velvet cheesecake.  It's two layers of red velvet cake with a layer of cheesecake in between.  It's topped with cream cheese frosting and we all know that's a good thing!  My step-daughter loves red velvet cake so I added this to my Christmas dessert menu. It was enjoyed by all.  The colors of the cake lend itself not only to Christmas, but to Valentines Day as well. Oh, what the heck, the red works for the 4th of July, too! This cake/cheesecake combination is decadent and good anytime, but it would be the perfect dessert for an upcoming Valentines gathering.  The cake is huge so make sure to invite plenty of friends, it's a little too much dessert for a romantic dinner for two!

Though red velvet cakes have chocolate in them I would hesitate to call this a chocolate cake.  The chocolate flavor is very subtle.  As with all baked goods, the addition of buttermilk in the batter makes for a very moist cake.  And, yes, 2 bottles of food coloring is used in the cake, it is a very deep red! Red velvet cakes weren't real popular until the movie Steel Magnolias.  If you recall, the groom's cake, in the shape of an armadillo, was a red velvet cake.  Since then, the proliferation of cupcake shops has made this a very popular cake. Adding a layer of cheesecake to it just takes it over the top!

Don't let the length of the recipe intimidate you, each of the steps are easy to do. It does take some time, it is definitely a labor of love to make this, but your guests will appreciate it! The cheesecake layer can be made the day before. The cake is made in one bowl. The finished cake should be refrigerated so can easily be assembled the day before you need it. As with most baked goods, room temperature ingredients are always best.

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Cheesecake:

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Red Velvet Cake:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (two 1-ounce bottles) red food coloring
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted lightly to remove any lumps
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

To prepare the cheesecake layer:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place a large roasting pan on the lower third rack of the oven. Place a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.  Wrap a double layer of foil around the  bottom and up the sides of the pan.

In a large bowl, and using an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese until it is nice and creamy. Mix in sugar and salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Mix in sour cream, whipping cream, and vanilla.  Mix until smooth.  Pour into the prepared pan.

Set the springform pan into the roasting pan.  Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan.  Pour in enough water so that about an inch of the foil is under water, being careful not to get water on the cheesecake batter. Bake for 45 minutes.  It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. When it has cooled, cover the pan tightly with foil and place the pan in the freezer.  Let the cheesecake freeze completely, preferably overnight.

To prepare the cake layers:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9-inch round metal baking pans (or spray with baking spray).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar to the flour mixture.  Using an electric mixer, at medium-low speed, beat for 1 minute, until blended.  Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.  Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans, dividing equally.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans, then invert cakes onto a rack to cool completely.

To prepare the frosting:

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat all frosting ingredients until it is smooth and creamy.

To assemble the cake:

Place one cake layer onto the center of a cake plate or platter.  Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the springform pan, and slide a knife under the parchment paper to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Peel off the parchment. Measure (by eye) the cheesecake layer against the cake layers.  If the cheesecake layer turns out to be slightly larger than the cake layers, move it to a cutting board and gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake so it will be the same size as the cake layers. Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top of the cheesecake.

To frost the cake:

First apply a "crumb coat" layer of frosting to the cake.  This is done by using a long, thin spatula to cover the cake layers completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. (Be sure to wipe off your spatula each time you are about to dip it into the frosting so you aren't transferring red cake crumbs to the frosting!) Don't worry about seeing the cake through this layer; this layer is meant to be the base for the final layer of frosting. Once a thin layer of frosting has been applied, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the frosting. Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the second layer. Start by adding a large scoop of frosting on the top of the cake.  Using a long, thin spatula, spread the frosting evenly across the top of the cake and down the sides. Because a crumb coat layer was used there should be no cake crumbs floating around in the final frosting layer. Decorate, as desired. **

**  I didn't do any additional decorating.  You can top with shaved white chocolate, sprinkles, or candy.

Recipe adapted from Food, Folks and Fun.

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

My Hubbers and I recently had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. As the name implies, there is a lot of cheesecake to choose from. In addition to a bakery display case full of decadent cheesecakes, they also had TV screens flashing pictures of various cheesecake offerings. How could anyone resist?  My Hubby honed in on their lemon meringue cheesecake and didn't deviate from that when we were presented with the full dessert menu. The cheesecake was topped with lemon curd and meringue.  He ate every crumb and proceeded to ask me if that was something I could replicate for Christmas. I took that as a challenge and got to work looking up recipes. Being the nice Hubby that he is he told me that mine was much better than the restaurant's version. He has a few brownie points in reserve now! All my guests enjoyed the cheesecake so I will definitely make it again.

The starting point of the cheesecake was a recipe from the cookbook Luscious Lemon Desserts by Lori Longbotham. What attracted me to this recipe was the method of grinding sugar and lemon zest together.  Rather than having large pieces of zest in the cheesecake, which some don't find attractive, the zest was finely ground with the sugar providing a subtle lemon flavor. More lemon flavor was provided by using some lemon juice.  I took it one step further and marbled fresh lemon curd into the cheesecake batter. The cheesecake also has sour cream in it.  The result was a lemony, very creamy, cheesecake. More lemon curd was spread on the top of the cheesecake and then a cooked meringue on top of that.  It was pretty and, oh, so, good!

 

 

In my opinion,commercial lemon curd pales in comparison to the fresh version.  It's not hard to make; it's egg yolks, lemon juice, and sugar cooked to a spreadable consistency. It can be made a day or two ahead of time and you will have extra for other uses.  I use this recipe.

Most meringues are uncooked and are applied on top of a hot filling, which cooks the underside of the meringue, before placing in the oven and browning. This method wouldn't work with a chilled cheesecake. The thought of uncooked eggs didn't appeal to me so I went with a cooked meringue.  It's got more of a marshmallow texture, rather than a light and fluffy meringue. 

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
3 large eggs
1 cup (approximately) lemon curd, chilled

Position rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter the bottom and side of a 9" springform pan. Have ready a roasting pan.  Put on a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.

Stir together the crumbs and butter with a fork in a medium bowl until combined well.  Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until crust is set; let cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Process sugar and lemon zest in a food processor until zest is finely ground.

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese beginning on low speed; increasing to medium-high, until light and fluffy.

Gradually add sugar mixture, scraping down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula, continue beating until smooth.

Add sour cream and lemon juice; beat until well blended.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Wrap the outside of the springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, then pour half the filling into the pan. Dollop large teaspoons of lemon curd on top; with a knife marble the curd into the filling. Repeat with remaining filling and more lemon curd. Set the pan in the roasting pan.  Place the roasting pan in the oven and carefully pour in enough boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of the springform pan.

Bake for 70-75 minutes or until the center is almost set but still slightly jiggly.  Do not overbake, the cheesecake will firm as it cools.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the water bath for 15 minutes.  Remove from the bath; let it cool on a wire rack.

Remove the foil; refrigerate the cheesecake in its pan, loosely covered, for at least 8 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

Run a table knife around the inside edge of the pan; remove the pan's side.  Spread approximately 1/2 cup lemon curd over the top of the cheesecake.

Top with meringue and brown the meringue using a kitchen blow torch.

Meringue:
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Fill the bottom of a double boiler with about 2-3 inches of water.  Bring to a boil.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in the top of the double boiler (or use a bowl and saucepan). Place on top of the pan with the boiling water.  Whisk constantly for about 5-7 minutes, until the mixture reaches 140 degrees (use a candy thermometer).

Immediately transfer the hot mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel

I've previously shared my love of panna cotta.  It's a fairly new dessert to me and I just love it! I recently purchased Ina Garten's (Barefoot Contessa) new cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey. Imagine my delight when it had this recipe for a panna cotta flavored with dark rum. We were hosting another couple for dinner and I'd been ruminating about what dessert to make.  Problem solved! Cold, silky panna cotta paired with warm, salty caramel.  Sounds like a great fall dessert to me!

Panna cotta looks impressive but it is so easy to make. What I especially like is that it needs to be made ahead of time.  That is one less last-minute detail to attend to when hosting a dinner!

Oh, this panna cotta is soooooo good! The combination of the sweet and salty, cold and hot is just fantastic!

Vanilla Rum Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel

2 teaspoons (1 packet) unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
3 cups heavy cream, divided
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup sugar
Dark rum
1/2 cup good caramel sauce
Fleur de sel (sea salt)

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on 3 tablespoons of cold water.  Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla seeds. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream and the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Off the heat, stir the softened gelatin mixture into the hot cream until dissolved.  Pour the hot cream-gelatin mixture into the cream-yogurt mixture and stir in 3 tablespoons of rum. Pour into 8 serving glasses and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill overnight.

Before serving, heat the caramel sauce with 2 teaspoons of rum in a small bowl in the microwave or a small saucepan set over low heat, just until warm. Spoon a thin layer of warm caramel on each cold panna cotta, sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve.

Don't throw away your used vanilla bean!  I keep a canister of sugar on my counter, adding used vanilla beans and additional sugar as time goes by.  The result is a lovely vanilla-flavored sugar that enhances all my baking!

Pear Custard Pie

We recently spent a week in Maui; home of pineapple, guava, papaya and coconut, and had many desserts with those ingredients. Back home, signs of fall are everywhere, including the produce stands. Apples and pears abound, persimmons are almost ready for picking. By necessity, no more tropical desserts for me!

I do love my sweets and am always baking something.  I had some pears that needed to be used so found this recipe for a pear custard pie.  It's a crustless pie and the cream mixture is made in the blender.  It's so easy to make, just peel and slice the pears, arrange in the dish, and pour the custard over the top.  Sit back and rest while it bakes!  I love desserts like this!

It's best served warm, it isn't the type of dessert that keeps well.  If you have extra, do like I did, and share with a neighbor! 

For best blending results, the eggs and milk should be at room temperature (actually, this is best for any baking).

Pear Custard Pie

2-3 firm pears of any variety, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9-inch round pan with cooking spray.

Arrange the pear slices in the pan.

Put the butter, eggs, milk, salt, sugar, flour and vanilla into a blender; process until smooth.

Pour the batter over the pears.  Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custard is golden and firm to the touch.  Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving.

Blood Orange Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is not a new dessert but it's something I wasn't exposed to until a few years ago.  I just love it!  I often order it at restaurants as it's such a light dessert, a little sweet.  It's so refreshing after a big meal. Last month we were in the Napa Valley and had a late lunch at my favorite restaurant there, Bottega. One of their dessert offerings that day was a blood orange panna cotta. It was heavenly! My mission became to recreate that for home.

My favorite panna cotta recipe is from Ina Garten so I tweaked it, using blood orange juice instead of water, to soften the gelatin. This gave the panna cotta a slight pink color.  Then I made a juice reduction to pour over before serving. I thought it turned out wonderful! My dinner guests this evening had never had panna cotta and enjoyed it.

Winter is citrus fruit time, everywhere I go I see oranges, grapefruits, lemons hanging on the trees.  Blood oranges have a crimson flesh.  They have a different taste from regular oranges, almost a raspberry-like addition to the citrus flavor. I love blood oranges and have used them to make marmalade, cakes, and add them to baked chicken dishes. And now I know to use them for panna cotta!

Panna cotta is a very easy dessert to make.  It also is a make-ahead dessert, leaving more time for dinner preparation and enjoying guests!

Blood Orange Panna Cotta

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed blood orange juice
2 teaspoons (1 packet) unflavored gelatin powder (Knox)
3 cups heavy cream
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup sugar

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on the 3 tablespoons of blood orange juice.  Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the cream, the yogurt, and vanilla extract.  Split the vanilla bean and use the tip of a knife to scrape the seeds into the cream.  Heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream and the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Off the heat, add the softened gelatin to the hot cream and stir to dissolve.  Pour the hot cream-gelatin mixture into the cold cream-yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Pour into 8 (6- to 8- ounce) ramekins or custard cups and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Blood Orange Syrup

1 blood orange, zested, pith removed, cut into segments
1/4 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
1/3 cup sugar

In a small saucepan, combine the zest, juice and sugar; bring to a simmer. Cook until sugar is dissolved and mixture has a syrupy consistency, about 4 minutes.  Cool and refrigerate in a covered container.

To serve, carefully run a paring knife around edge of each ramekin.  Turn upside down onto a plate (shake if it doesn't immediately fall out).  Place an orange segment on top and drizzle with blood orange syrup.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

It is the custom in our family that the birthday person gets the dessert of their choosing for their special day.  Recently we celebrated my son's 33rd birthday (how can I possibly have a child that old?)  I asked him what he wanted and he said "something with chocolate and bananas".  Hmmmm....what to make? I decided to do my version of a black bottom pie.  A black bottom pie is basically a cream pie with a layer of chocolate.  I added a layer of sliced bananas between the chocolate and the vanilla cream layer. The vanilla cream is a variation of the recipe my Mom has been making all her married life.  She uses milk, I use half & half. Eating this pie was like eating a chocolate covered banana with a bonus of pudding!  Oh, my, it was yummy! I made two pies; there was enough for all of us to have a piece and enough for the birthday boy to take the leftovers home.

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

9" baked pie shell

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups half & half
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter

Bring whipping cream to boil (on stovetop or microwave).  Pour over chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes.  Stir until thoroughly combined.  Pour on bottom of baked pie shell.  Top with a layer of sliced bananas.

In a medium pan, combine flour, salt, cornstarch and sugar.  Stir in half & half until combined.  Bring to boil over low heat.  Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  Combine the three egg yolks and one cup of the hot pudding, lightly beating until combined.  Add egg/pudding mixture back to remaining pudding in pan. Cook over low heat for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter.

Pour pudding over chocolate and banana layers.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing wrap onto the pudding (this is so you don't get a "crust").  Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Top pie with sweetened whipped cream or meringue.

Marshmallow Cereal Treats

We had a pumpkin patch party to attend, my contribution was to bring a dessert.  I've been wanting to try a new recipe for an apple butter pound cake so thought that this party would be a good time to make it.  I gathered all the ingredients which included 5 eggs, 3 sticks of butter, 8 ounces of cream cheese, pecans, apple butter, flour, etc. My kitchen smelled wonderful, the cake released from the pan with no problem. As it was cooling, I reviewed the recipe and my heart dropped; I hadn't added the sugar! Oh no! Now what to bring?

So I had to go to Plan B.  The granddaughters love Rice Krispie treats and they are easy and quick to make. I didn't have enough Rice Krispies in the cabinet, but I had a full box of Trix (Nana's must always be prepared!), so I substituted. I had some rainbow-colored mini marshmallows and threw them in at the end. I liked this addition, there was the melted marshmallows and bits of fruit-flavored marshmallows, along with the cereal. A little drizzle of melted orange candy coating and we had a treat suitable for a pumpkin party!

They aren't fancy but, to be honest, I'm sure the kids enjoyed them more than they would have the pound cake. Sometimes you just have to resort to the easy, tried and true treats! The pound cake is on my agenda to make again, let's hope I don't have another senior baking moment!

Marshmallow Cereal Treats

4 tablespoons butter
40 large marshmallows or 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
6 cups Fruit Loops
10 ounce bag rainbow marshmallows

Combine butter and marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave, in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until marshmallows and butter are melted. Stir thoroughly so that the butter and marshmallows are fully incorporated. Working  quickly, stir in cereal and rainbow marshmallows. With buttered hands, pat into a buttered 9x13-inch pan. Let cool before cutting into squares.

This is all it takes!

Granddaughter approved!

Panna Cotta With Peach-Raspberry Topping

I love panna cotta. It's a gelatin-based cream dessert, slightly firm, and it just melts in your mouth.  I've shared some panna cotta experiences a few times, with a New Year's Eve dinner and an excuse to buy a new silicone mold.

It's such an easy dessert to make.  As it's made the night before it's a delicious and impressive dessert to serve for company. No one will ever know it took less than 30 minutes to make!

One of my food board friends recently went to a cooking demonstration.  She commented on the peach panna cotta they had. I've been craving the dessert ever since.  So I took my favorite panna cotta recipe (The Barefoot Contessa) and made a peach and raspberry topping for it. Oh, my, it was delicious!  My husband had two helpings! 

Panna Cotta

1/2 packet (1 teaspoon) unflavored gelatin powder
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1/3 cup sugar

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on the 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold water.  Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of the cream, the yogurt, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds.  Heat the remaining 3/4 cup of cream and the 1/3 cup of sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Off the heat, add the softened gelatin to the hot cream and stir to dissolve.  Pour the hot cream-gelatin mixture into the cold cream-yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Pour into 4 (6-8 ounce) ramekins or custard cups ** and refrigerate uncovered until cold. When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, run a small knife around each dessert in the ramekin and dip the bottom of each ramekin quickly in a bowl of hot tap water. Invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate and top with peach-raspberry mixture.

**  I usually use silicone molds, they pop out quite easily.

Peach-Raspberry Topping

2 peaches, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier liqueur
1/2 pint raspberries

Combine peaches, sugar and liqueur.  Let sit for 10 minutes for juices to develop.  Gently stir in the raspberries.

Don't throw away the used vanilla bean!  I keep a jar of vanilla sugar on my counter.  I add vanilla beans and sugar to it periodically.  I use this sugar for baking, making ice cream, any recipe that calls for sugar and vanilla.

Lemon Molten Cake with Raspberries

For our recent Valentine's dinner I made these cakes for dessert. Similar to chocolate molten cakes, or lava cakes, the cakes have a soft center once baked.  The sweet-tart of the lemons, combined with the sweetness of the raspberries, made for a winning combination. They are easily made ahead of time as the batter can be refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking.  I baked ours as we were doing the dishes (hardly romantic, I know, but we didn't have a bus boy!)

The original recipe calls for purchased lemon curd.  The food snob that I am, I used my homemade curd.

As it was only the two of us for dinner, I halved the recipe and had no problems doing so.

Lemon Molten Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 (4-ounce) white chocolate baking bar, broken into chunks
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup lemon curd
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

Garnish
Raspberry coulis
Whipped cream
Powdered sugar
Fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease (I used cooking spray) 8 (6-ounce) custard cups or ramekins. Place onto ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside.

Place butter and baking bar in a bowl.  Microwave 1 minute; stir. Continue microwaving, stirring every 15 seconds for 60-90 seconds or until melted and smooth.

Stir in flour and powdered sugar; mix well. Add eggs, egg yolks, lemon curd and lemon zest; beat with wooden spoon or whisk until blended. Pour evenly into prepared custard cups.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges are golden brown and center is puffy and just beginning to set. Let stand 10 minutes. Run tip of knife around edge of custard cup to loosen. Spread or pour some raspberry coulis onto individual dessert plates; invert cakes on top. Shake to loosen. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Coulis

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 (12 ounce) bag frozen raspberries, thawed

Heat the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes.

Put the raspberries and the sugar syrup in a blender and puree.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

The sauce keeps well, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Proof that both the dessert and wine were great!

Peach, Ginger & Blueberry Strudel

I always have a package of puff pastry sheets in my freezer.  They are useful for so many things, including quick desserts.  Last week our neighborhood had a gathering in connection with the Neighborhood Watch National Night Out. We were all requested to bring a dessert. By now you probably know that I rarely buy a dessert, the food snob that I am! I love to bake but I had worked all day and didn't have time to bake something very elaborate. On this evening I turned to my trusty puff pastry friend and made this simple strudel.

It's a very easy dessert to put together but very flavorful. If you are not a fan of ginger you can leave it out but I like the depth of flavor it brings to the fruit combination.

 

Peach, Ginger and Blueberry Strudel

1 pint fresh blueberries
3 cups fresh peaches, skins removed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon sugar

Adjust oven rack to the center shelf; preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss together berries, peaches, flour, ginger, brown sugar and orange zest; set aside. Unfold one puff pastry and, on a lightly floured surface, roll it out to an approximate 10x12-inch rectangle.

Transfer the pastry dough onto the sheet pan and brush edges of dough with some of the egg.  Arrange half the fruit mixture lengthwise down the center.  Fold both sides of the dough over the fruit toward the center. Pinch the seam together and tuck it under to seal it securely.  Pinch the ends to seal then turn the strudel over so the seam is on the bottom.  Repeat with remaining sheet of pastry dough.

Brush the tops with the remaining egg and sprinkle sugar over the surface of the dough.  With a sharp knife, cut four 1-inch slits down the length of the pastry. Bake 25-30 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and feels crispy to the touch. Remove from oven; let cool for 15 minutes before serving.  Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.