Category Archives: Desserts, Sweets

THE RHUBARB BROUHAHA: REVELATION COMPOTE

Posted on August 5, 2010 by sallybr| 8 Comments

May 2009. While browsing at Tea and Cookies I became smitten with a recipe. Her description of its texture and flavor, plus the fact that she called it a “revelation,” made me crave for it, even though I’d never had it before. I even left a comment on the site with a commitment to make that dish the following weekend. Why did it take over a year to finally do so? I simply couldn’t find any fresh rhubarb! I’ve been on a quest for it ever since.

A few weeks ago I stopped by a Homeland supermarket that I don’t normally shop, and while walking through the produce section I saw, in all its glory, fresh rhubarb! I heard myself saying aloud: “OOOOOH! RHUBARB”! A lady standing nearby gave me a strange look and moved away, taking her child by the hand, in that protective mode that Moms often display in the face of a loony. Too excited to care, I grabbed a full bunch and left the store with THE biggest smile ever. My husband finds it unpalatable, but I’m not so predisposed!

REVELATION RHUBARB COMPOTE
(from Tea and Cookies)
2 Tbs butter
1 lb rhubarb
3/4 cup sugar
2 TBS orange liquor (optional)

Trim the rhubarb of the ends, and split it lengthwise. Cut across in 1/4 inch pieces, forming small cubes.

In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb with the sugar and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the sugar-coated rhubarb and the orange liquor, if using. Let this cook over a medium heat, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes. When the rhubarb has started to release juices, gently stir.

Continue cooking the compote over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the juices are all released, then begin to thicken. Cooking time is about 10 to 15 minutes total, until the compote looks thick and the rhubarb is tender.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I could ‘t help but think of “Happy in the Kitchen“ by Michel Richard. No, the book doesn’t have a recipe for rhubarb, but Happy in the Kitchen described me to a “T” while making this compote. Maybe it was the long wait to finally get my hands on the plant, or maybe the anticipation of how it would taste. It is indeed delicious! My beloved stayed true to principles and didn’t care for it. But I loved it: by itself, with yogurt, with a swirl of honey, or… best of all, over my homemade fromage blanc with a bit of agave nectar. Each bite was unique in its own combination of flavors, and a perfect way to either start or end a day.

ONE YEAR AGO: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peanut Sauce

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Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Vegetarian-friendly

Tagged rhubarb compote, rhubarb, rhubarb dessert, simple dessert, compote

SWEET EMERGENCY

Posted on July 28, 2010 by sallybr| 15 Comments

You need to bring something sweet and tasty for an event that will take place in less than 24 hours.

You are cake challenged.

What could you possibly do? Get into panic mode? Call 911? Worse yet, grab something from the grocery store? No need. Emergency cupcakes to the rescue!

EMERGENCY BLENDER CUPCAKES
(from Abigail Dodge, The Weekend Baker)

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, not Dutch-processed, sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For frosting:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup condensed milk
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Optional: sprinkles for decoration

Heat the oven to 375F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt in a blender. Cover with the lid and process until combined. Add hot water, oil, egg, and vanilla. Process until smooth, making sure to stop a few times and run a spatula around the edges to ensure it is fully homogenized. Pour into the prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean – about 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Prepare the frosting by melting chocolate and butter in the microwave. Add condensed milk, corn syrup, vanilla and salt.
Whisk until well blended. Set aside at room temperature, whisking frequently. The frosting will thicken as it cools. When completely cool, cover with plastic wrap until ready to frost the cupcakes. It can be prepared in advance.

Decorate with sprinkles if you so desire…

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This recipe is all over the internet, getting praises from both experienced and naive bakers. Experienced bakers love the fact that they can have something simple but delicious ready at the drop of a hat. Naive bakers… well, we need this recipe. It is a dream come true for those with cake insecurities. One important note: the frosting recipe makes A TON. Unless you plan to have cake emergencies on a daily basis for a month, consider halving it.

ONE YEAR AGO: The bread we love

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Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Vegetarian-friendly

Tagged Abigail Dodge cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, cupcakes, easy cupcakes, The Weekend Baker

HEAVENLY HOMEMADE FROMAGE BLANC

Posted on July 22, 2010 by sallybr| 5 Comments

When I lived in France I often had lunch with Valerie, a beautiful French woman with a sensible approach to food and life in general, who was also our laboratory technician. Her meals always involved a small appetizer, the main dish and dessert, followed by a shot of espresso. During those lunches she introduced me to three French delicacies: Kyr Royale, Badoit water, and fromage blanc , her favorite light dessert. I became hooked on all three the first time that I tried them.

With regard to French cheeses, fromage blanc doesn’t get the praise it deserves. It’s smooth, tangy, light, and refreshing. Plus, you can enjoy it in different ways: plain, or with honey, sugar or fruit; with salt and herbs as a spread for crusty bread, or whipped with cream to incorporate in recipes.

I’ve been in a state of fromage blanc withdrawal since then, but no longer! Thanks to a tiny package from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, I’m the proud owner of almost 2 pounds of fresh cheese that sent me straight back to Paris as I drizzled it with honey and raised a spoonful to my lips… I’m sure Valerie would love it too!

FROMAGE BLANC
(recipe from New England Cheesemaking Supply Co.)

1 gallon of whole milk, pasteurized
1 packet of DS culture (order here)
(cheese cloth for draining)

Heat the milk in a large pan to 86F. Add the contents of the package and mix well. Cover the pan and allow it to sit at room temperature for 12 hours.

Line a colander with double thickness of cheesecloth, place it in the sink, and carefully ladle the curdled milk into it. Let it drain for 6 to 12 hours, depending on how thick you like it to be. (You can do this step in the fridge, placing the colander inside a pan to catch the draining liquid).

When the cheese is in the consistency you like, remove it to a container and keep it refrigerated.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

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Comments: If you have ever considered making cheese at home, I urge you to try this recipe! I cannot praise enough the customer service at New England Cheesemaking Supply: contrary to the other two companies I contacted, they went out of their way to ensure that I would get the culture quickly. A real pleasure to deal with! I am now tempted to make mozzarella at home, their website makes everything seem pretty easy… And they have a nice blog too, check it out here.

ONE YEAR AGO: A Perfect Sunday Dinner

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Posted in Desserts, Sweets, General

Tagged cheese and honey, dessert cheese, French dessert, fromage blanc, light dessert

BRIGADEIROS: A Brazilian Party!

Posted on July 17, 2010 by sallybr| 6 Comments

It’s time for a virtual visit to Brazil. Brigadeiros are a mandatory sweet delicacy at children’s parties, especially birthday parties, but they’ll put a smile on folks of all ages, at any celebration. At a typical Brazilian birthday party hundreds of brigadeiros surround a beautiful cake in the center of a huge table. Tropical Miss Manners states that brigadeiros should be enjoyed AFTER the cake, and until then they’re part of the party decor, but by age 5 each Brazilian has already developed his or her unique style of discreetly stealing a few. My Dad – whom I’ve already praised for his expert kitchen thievery (in stealing pasteis ) – used to slowly circle the table while pulling his white handkerchief from his pants as if to anticipate a sneeze. With a quick but quite elegant move, two or three brigadeiros disappeared into the handkerchief, adeptly pocketed for his later enjoyment while he was away from the other guests.

Remembering these little gems, it’s not surprising that we all had a difficulty waiting for the candles to be blown.

BRIGADEIROS
(traditional Brazilian recipe)

1 can of condensed milk (for instance, Carnation brand)
1 + 1/2 T butter
1 + 1/2 T cocoa powder, sifted
pinch of cinnamon
chocolate sprinkles (enough for coating all brigadeiros)

Place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan (preferably enamel coated, but not absolutely necessary). Cook in medium heat until the butter melts, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until the mixture starts to pull out of the bottom of the pan. It should take between 10 and 17 minutes. If the mixture starts to boil too furiously, reduce the heat or remove the pan from the burner for a minute or so, always stirring.

Allow it to cool until you can handle it. It is OK to put it in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Place the chocolate sprinkles in a shallow dish. Have a small dish with cold water to dip your fingers and moisten the palm of your hands. Using a teaspoon, grab portions of the cool chocolate mixture and roll into balls. Immediately roll them in chocolate sprinkles and place in a small paper cup.

Makes 24 brigadeiros. Scale up the recipe for large gatherings.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Rolling brigadeiros kicks off the party. Usually a bunch of women sit together at a table working in factory-like style. When I was a young child, I recall feeling jealous of my sisters, because being older than me, they were allowed to “enrolar brigadeiros,” whereas my job was to painfully open and prepare the little paper cups. It seemed so unfair! But, they were democratic as far as eating the misshapen ones: I always had my share when all was said and done… or should I say “when all were rolled and done?” . As you may have already gleaned from the recipe, brigadeiros are not just about chocolate. The sweetness and smoothness of the condensed milk cooks down into a retro, fudgy texture that you won’t forget!

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ONE YEAR AGO: Lemony Asparagus

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Posted in Brazilian cooking, Desserts, Sweets, Vegetarian-friendly

Tagged Birthday candies, Brazilian chocolate candies, Brazilian sweets, brigadeiros

RUSSIAN TEA COOKIES: WHEN PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF

Posted on July 11, 2010 by sallybr| 14 Comments

This recipe has tempted me ever since I first encountered it on Barbara’s blog. If you read her post you’ll understand my sentiments and want to bake a batch too. So, a couple of Mondays ago I awakened at 5:30 am and went to the kitchen, hoping to have these cookies still warm from the oven for our lab meeting. As you shall see momentarily, the road to hell is indeed paved with good intentions.

Because I was a little tired and sleepy I carefully followed the recipe, and even arranged the measured ingredients on the counter top (the mis-en-place, mark of a serious cook). Nevertheless, unimpressed by my organizational skills, the ingredients refused to shape into a dough. No matter what I did, I only found revolving sandy crumbs forming in the KitchenAid mixer bowl. My husband woke up, came to the kitchen with a good morning kiss, but quickly decided to fetch the newspaper and read it with his coffee, far away from the kitchen (smart man that he is).

I returned to Barbara’s blog … had I forgotten something? – nope, everything was in order. So I gathered up portions of the sandy mess, formed them into “balls” and baked them, into what turned out to be unstable, unappetizing blobs. Frustrated, I rolled one into powdered sugar and tried it….Not fit for human consumption. Almost in tears, I began cleaning the kitchen, and while putting the almond flour away I noticed something printed on the bag: “brown rice flour“.

Some days a woman should not leave the comfort of her bed until way past 7 am, possibly around noon. But, I made them again, and… persistence paid off. Would you believe that the correct flour made them just as tasty as Barbara described?

RUSSIAN TEA CAKES
(adapted from Barbara’s blog, originally published in A Blithe Palate)

1 + 3/4 cups (6 oz) almond flour
2 cups all purpose flour
6 T sugar, divided (4 T + 2 T)
8 oz unsalted butter, softened
1 t vanilla
extract zest of 1/2 large lemon
1 t salt

Powdered sugar for dusting the cookies.

Heat the oven to 325 F.

Cream the butter and 4 T sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla until combined, then reduce speed and add the two kinds of flour, salt, lemon zest, and the remaining 2T of sugar. Scoop a spoonful of dough and roll it into a 1 inch ball. You should obtain about 36 cookies.

Place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake them until light brown, approximately 20 minutes. Do not overcook. Half way through baking time, switch the cookie sheets, rotating them to promote even baking. Remove from the oven and dust them liberally with powdered sugar. Cool on a rack. Eat 3 or 4 four cookies while no one is looking.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

receita em portugues na segunda pagina

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Comments: What a difference a flour makes!

My only change to the recipe was to add a bit of lemon zest, because it’s a natural match for almonds. The dough is easy to shape and has a delightful aroma even in its raw form. At the first bite of the cookie I wondered, “do I like it”? But within seconds it melted in my mouth, with a lovely almond flavor, simultaneously sweet and nutty, with a slight splash of citrus as an extra kick. Eat one, and you will reach for a second in no time.

ONE YEAR AGO: CINNAMON-RAISIN WALNUT LOAF

receita em portugues na pagina seguinte

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Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Vegetarian-friendly

Tagged almond cookies, cookies, Russian cookies, Russian tea cakes, Russian tea cookies

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Posted on July 2, 2010 by sallybr| 6 Comments

As far as baking is concerned, muffins are one of the easiest delicacies to make. At least, that’s what I’m told… I still get nervous when following the only golden rule of muffins – minimize mixing, because I once wound up with some powdery flour dispersed in the crumb. It was a disturbing experience. But, in the name of bringing sweetness to our lab meeting, I sucked it up and baked a batch.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
(from Pam Anderson’s The Perfect Recipe)

3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
10 Tbs butter, at room temperature
1 cup minus 1 Tbs sugar
2 large eggs
1 + 1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp lemon zest
1 + 1/2 cups fresh blueberries + 1 Tbs flour

Heat oven to 375 F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin (each muffin about 1/2 cup) with oil, or line it with paper cups.

In one bowl, mix all dried ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.

Beat the butter with the sugar and the lemon zest in an electric mixer in medium-high speed until light and fluffy – about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in half of the dry ingredients, then one third of the yogurt. Beat half of the dried ingredients, alternating with the yogurt, until every thing is incorporated. Do not overmix. Add the tablespoon of flour to the blueberries, and fold them in the muffin batter. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Set on a wire rack to cool, un-mold, and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: For reasons that escape me, I didn’t care for blueberries until a few years ago. At home, the official pancake maker always had a few blueberry-free flapjacks ready for me. Suddenly, after a blueberry pie or other blueberry treat (I don’t exactly recall), I fell madly in love with them, and now indulge in every opportunity. A small bowl of blueberries topped with Greek-yogurt and a swirl of agave nectar is just dreamy, and perfect late in the evening while watching Law and Order (why, oh why did they can that show?).

Back to blueberries: these muffins are delicious indeed. I still need to perfect the mixing, to make them “light-as-a-feather,” but I’m getting there. The next batch might be it!

ONE YEAR AGO: A PIE FOR YOUR 4th OF JULY

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Posted in Desserts, Sweets

Tagged blueberry muffins