Category Archives: Desserts/Baking

S’mores Bars

Posted in Cookies & Brownies & Bars, Desserts/Baking by

This recipe is from a great blog featured recently on the WordPress site, The Shortlists. One look and I couldn’t resist trying it out myself.

It’s incredibly easy — just a few ingredients, one big, messy mixing bowl, and no baking involved. The taste will evoke memories of those tasty s’mores you may have had around the campfire years ago. It would be a great recipe to make with kids (but as I found out, it’s also pretty great when you’re after a homemade sweet treat in a hurry).

1 box Golden Grahams cereal (9 cups)
3 cups miniature marshmallows (or regular marshmallows chopped up)
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 12-oz. package milk chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Grease a 9×13-inch pan. You may want to line the pan with baking paper and grease that for easier cleanup.

Place the Golden Grahams in a large bowl. Measure the marshmallows and keep to one side.

In a large pot, stirring constantly, bring corn syrup, butter, chocolate, and vanilla to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the cereal, scraping the pot with a spatula. Use the spatula to stir the cereal mixture, then mix in the marshmallows until everything is coated. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down evenly with the spatula.

If you want to enjoy it right away, let it sit at room temperature until cool and then scoop out the gooey pieces. For best results, and bars you can slice and serve, place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Posted in Cakes & Muffins, Holiday by

This cake turned out to be a big success — a straightforward recipe with delicious results and a rich chocolate flavor. As you can see, it was designed for Easter. The top ridge of the cake caves in, creating a base for a whipped topping that looks like a nest. Lay some candy eggs on top and you’ve got much more than a flourless chocolate cake — you have an Easter Egg Nest Cake.

This was a Nigella Lawson recipe I clipped from The New York Times eight years ago. I don’t tend to have a lot of luck with her recipes, but as I suspected, the recipe’s appearance in the Times meant it was a winner. I hope you have similar results.

Yield: 1 9-inch cake

For the cake:
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
6 large eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled
Approximately 1 cup small candy eggs, like robin’s eggs

1. Heat oven to 350F degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then grease the top of the paper.

2. For the cake, stir the softened butter into the just-melted chocolate and let cool. Whisk 4 egg whites until foamy (this is best done in a stand mixer). Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and whisk until whites hold their shape but are not too stiff. Reserve.

3. In a separate bowl, by hand, whisk 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar and vanilla until combined. Stir in chocolate to mix.

4. In three additions, fold whites into chocolate mixture*. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake rises, cracks, and center is no longer wobbly.

5. Cool cake on a wire rack; the middle will sink and the sides will crack. Carefully remove cake from pan and place on serving plate.

6. For topping, whip cream with vanilla until it is firm but not stiff. Fold in melted chocolate. Fill top of cake with whipped topping, easing it out gently toward the edges. Arrange candy eggs on top.

*A tip for folding mixtures: Folding is not the same as stirring. It requires gentle and methodical mixing with a spatula. Holding the bowl on the left side, cut through the batter with the edge of the spatula from left to right, then lift upwards with the broad side of the spatula along the half of the bowl closest to you. Give the bowl 1/4 turn and repeat, doing this until the batter is slowly mixed. Doing it this way preserves the air bubbles in certain batters where the bubbles are necessary for lift.

Birthday Fruit Salad

Posted in Breakfast/Brunch, Other Desserts, Salads & Dressings by

This recipe involved a lot of firsts, starting with the salad itself. I had never made one before. My mom makes an excellent fruit salad that I remember fondly from when I was growing up, and I wasn’t about to try to copy it. So I started with a recipe I already had on hand and adapted it based on what was available and what I wanted in the salad (and how much room we had in the fridge).

I had never cut open a whole watermelon before, nor had I ever cut fresh pineapple. Both were so easy and pleasing that I wondered why on earth I had waited so long to try them.

I served the fruit salad at my birthday party the other week and people really seemed to like it, so I’m guessing it’s good enough to share.

Serves 10

1 small watermelon
1 fresh pineapple
1 bunch of green grapes
1 small bunch of red grapes
100g or less blueberries
Agave syrup (or honey)

Use a melon baller to scoop out balls of watermelon, and place them in a large bowl.

To cut the pineapple, cut off the top and bottom, then stand it upright on a cutting board. Use a chopping knife to cut off the skin in thick strips, starting at the top and going straight down. Continue doing this until all the skin has been taken off, and use a paring knife to cut out any prickly knobs that are left behind. Then, keeping the pineapple upright on the cutting board, use the knife to cut off sections, leaving the core intact (discard the core later). Lay the sections down on the cutting board and cut chunks as desired.

Wash the grapes, cut each in half, and add to the bowl. For color, use more green grapes than red — maybe a ratio of 2 to 1.

Wash the blueberries and toss them in. Again, let color be your guide — add as many or as few as you think the salad needs to look good.

Drizzle agave syrup (or honey, if you don’t have agave) on top, then toss gently with a wooden spoon.

I think the recipe worked because of the nice mix of colors, the strong taste of each of the fruits, and the different shapes — but you could adapt it however you like. You could add cut strawberries for a burst of red, or cut sections of tangerine to add citrus. I avoided using apple or banana just because I wanted strong colors and tastes, but you could use them, too. (If you do use apple, dress the pieces with lemon juice before putting them in the bowl to prevent them from turning brown.) Other berries like blackberries would look spectacular, as would sections of kiwi. You could chop fresh mint and sprinkle it on top. Melons and mangoes don’t interest me so much, but they could also be a nice addition.

Fennel Seed Bread

Posted in Breads by

I got this recipe from an Estonian food blog (http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/), which in turn got it from a Swedish baker. It’s delicious, and what a nice change to use yeast and such basic ingredients in a recipe again! Mine didn’t rise as high as hoped, but I’ll try to fix that next time. I also used two tablespoons of fennel seed instead of the two teaspoons called for below. I recommend it.

25 grams fresh yeast
1 Tbsp. honey
400 ml tepid water
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. fennel seeds
4 1/4 cups plain flour

Crumble the yeast into a large bowl, add honey and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Add tepid water and stir until everything is dissolved.

Add the salt and fennel seeds and most — not all — of the flour. Stir until combined, adding more flour if the dough is too wet. You may need to knead the dough by hand toward the end.

Cover the bowl with a clean towel or clingfilm and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free place about one to two hours, until double in bulk.

Punch down dough. Divide it into two equally sized pieces. Put a little flour in your hands and, on a lightly floured surface, form each dough piece into an oblong loaf.

Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and lift the dough pieces onto the baking sheet.

Heat the oven to 250C/480F degrees and let the dough rise outside the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Bake the loaves in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 150C/300F degrees and continue baking for about 20 minutes longer, until the bread is light golden brown and sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.

Let cool on a metal rack, loosely covered with a towel.

Fudgy Brownie Cups

Posted in Leftover Ideas, Other Desserts by

This is a cute little dessert that takes no time to make and tastes delicious hot out of the oven. And here’s a tip to remember: It’s also a great way to use up leftover puff pastry you might have from another recipe.


500g (18 oz.) refrigerated or frozen puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
100g (4 oz.) dark chocolate
115g (1/4 cup or 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
170g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 205C/400F. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle about 15×12 inches. Cut into 3×3-inch squares (you should end up with about 20 squares). Press them into the cups of a regular-size muffin tin.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat when mixture is melted and stir in the sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla, then the flour. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate mixture into each pastry square. (The more filling you spoon in, the better — just don’t let it overflow the pastry.)

Bake for 15 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Remove from muffin tin immediately and eat right away — or just let cool on wire racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Coconut Rhubarb Muffins

Posted in Cakes & Muffins by

Makes 8-9 muffins

125g (4.5 oz) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
40g (1.5 oz.) flaked coconut, plus extra for topping
225g (8 oz.) rhubarb (about 2 large stalks), chopped
100g (3.5 oz.) light brown sugar
30g (2 large Tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
125ml (a little more than half a cup) milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180C/355F. Butter muffin tins and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add coconut and stir again. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the rhubarb with the brown sugar and toss to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, milk and vanilla. Add the rhubarb and stir to combine, then add the flour mixture and stir until just mixed. Spoon into muffin cups, filling almost to the top, and sprinkle a bit of flaked coconut on top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and springy to the touch. Let cool completely in muffin tins. Be gentle when removing from the pan, especially with the bottom of the muffins.

*Tip: To make the muffins look especially nice, make sure a few pieces of the chopped rhubarb stick out from the top of each one just before you put them in the oven — maybe save a few from the brown sugar mixture and stick them in at the very end.

Strawberry Sour Cream Bread

Posted in Cakes & Muffins by

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups strawberries (fresh, frozen, or canned)*

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly and alternately add the dry ingredients and sour cream to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Gently fold in the strawberries, then pour the batter into the pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

*Believe it or not, frozen and canned work best in this recipe. If using either, make sure they are well drained before adding to the batter.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Posted in Other Desserts by
For those unfamiliar with this delectable British dessert, think of this as French toast baked in the oven with loads of sweet, jiggly custard. Traditionally, it’s made with orange marmalade — but I have replaced that with apricot jam, which is more to my taste. Whichever one you use, this dessert will be true comfort food.
Serves 8

 

575 ml low-fat milk
575 ml single cream
1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Softened unsalted butter
8 slices good-quality white bread, crusts intact
Jar of apricot jam (as smooth as possible — no bits)
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
200g sugar
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Put the milk, cream, and vanilla in a saucepan. Set over low heat and bring slowly to the boil. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, butter the slices of bread. Spread the jam liberally on four slices and top with the others to make four sandwiches. Cut them across to make triangles and arrange in a generously buttered baking pan, slightly overlapping the triangles.

Beat the eggs and yolks with the sugar in a bowl until they form a smooth foaming mixture. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture slowly onto the eggs, stirring constantly with a whisk, and continue whisking to make a smooth custard. Ladle this carefully over the bread and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 160C/320F. Bake for 45 minutes or until the pudding pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan and jiggles when shaken.

Serve warm, or refrigerate overnight and serve very cold. In both cases, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar before serving. Blueberries or raspberries go well with this.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Posted in Pies & Tarts by

Another bake-off winner from 2007 is this lemon meringue pie. The meringue part always seemed so daunting before I tried this recipe, but it turned out to be relatively easy to make.

The ready-made pie crust may not appeal to purists, but I think they have a place in certain recipes, at least until the baker gets more adept at making them at home. I’ve made a few, but adept, I am not.

1 9-inch pie crust, pre-baked if frozen

Filling:
4 large egg yolks
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch/cornflour
1/2 cup/4 oz./1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into very small pieces

Meringue:
4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cornstarch/cornflour
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup confectioners’/icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F/175C degrees. To prepare filling, in large heavy saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let mixture boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Pour into crust.

To prepare meringue, beat egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Beat in cornstarch and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla at high speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.

Working quickly, spoon meringue in large dollops over filling, then smooth with back of spoon, making sure it reaches the edge of the crust. Bake until meringue is golden, 12-15 minutes.

Melissa’s Banana Custard Muffins

Posted in Cakes & Muffins by

These muffins are full of banana flavor with a soft custard center. They are one of the few recipes I’ve invented in my life, and the result of a lot of trial and error.

Makes 9-12

For the custard:
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/4 cups heavy (double) cream
4 egg yolks
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the muffins:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 small banana, halved lengthwise and sliced
1-2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large bananas, mashed well with a fork
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 stick (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla

For the garnish:
12 large and round banana chips

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C degrees. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin.

Whisk together sugar and flour in heavy saucepan, then whisk in remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When bubbles appear, keep stirring until mixture gets very thick. (Don’t worry if it gets lumpy.) Remove from heat and whisk occasionally while you make the muffins.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, banana pieces, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In medium bowl, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, cooled melted butter, and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, gently mix this mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring only until just combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be thick and chunky.

Spoon a little bit of batter into the tins. If you want 12 muffins, spoon in only a tablespoon or two. If you want 9 muffins with muffin tops, fill the cups about halfway.

Gently spoon about a tablespoon of custard into each muffin, then fill tins with remaining batter. (Tip: When filling with the remaining batter, start by dripping a circle of batter around the custard to prevent the custard from seeping to the sides. You want it to stay in one big dollop in the center. Then cover with the rest of the batter.)

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are a nice golden brown. Immediately after removing them from the oven, gently but quickly insert a banana chip upright in one of the cracks of the muffin. Let cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.