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Category Archives: Dessert
People often ask us, what we love about Paris. The answer is always the same, it feels like coming home. It is historical but modern. Romantic is an understatement. It just feels right, and good. We have been to Paris many times; but, never in the Spring. Normally, we travel there off-season, which is dark and gloomy to most, and romantic and intimate to us. I had secretly hoped this year (as I do every year) that we could make it to Paris in the Spring. I have this fantasy that there will still be a bit of gloom in the sense of the old, dark buildings that make Paris Paris, but, that the beginning of new life brightens the city up, without the sweaty heat of summer.
During one of my daydreams of long days sitting near the Siene, drinking Rose and nibbling pastries, I heard that my friend, Jamie was inviting everyone over for April in Paris for the Monthly Mingle. I pushed myself away from the computer, dusted off the baking pans, and set out to bake something wonderful. Something that I have yet to enjoy when in Paris.
 
I, adore cream puffs, but never make them, except in the form of gougeres, which is their savory cousin. Or, if we are missing Paris, I will whip up a batch of Les Chouquettes, which is a sweet breakfast treat, and a must with our morning coffee when we are there. Cream puffs are simply baked choux, filled with mounds of whipped heavy cream or a pastry cream, then dusted with powdered sugar. It was a very hot the day when I decided to tackle this project, so I opted to fill my cream puffs with a Tahitian Vanilla Bean Gelato. If, I was going to use a pastry cream to fill them, I would definitely use Dorie Greenspan’s recipe that she uses with a gorgeous french pear tart.
Once you master making choux (which is easy), cream puffs are a breeze. I change my basic choux recipe when making cream puffs, by adding a little sugar, to sweetened things up. After all, it is dessert. Simply bake small mounds of the sweet dough, until golden, then use your patience and let them cool. When you slice off the top of the cream puff there is a somewhat eggy texture inside some people like to remove this before filling, I like to leave it in there. It is sweet and has a wonderfully like texture. And, why waste it? Then I fill it with creamy gelato and drizzle hot fudge over the top. A sprinkle of pistachio dust, adds a lovely color contrast, and nice little crunch to your dessert.
Come along and enjoy Paris in April. There will be a round up of Monthly Minglers; I will update as it becomes available.
Recipe: Cream Puffs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup ap flour
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- vanilla bean ice cream
- homemade hot fudge
- 1/4 cup pistachios
Heat the oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. In a large saucepan bring the water, sugar, salt and butter to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat to a very low simmer, and stir in the flour, using a wooden spoon. Continue stirring the mixture until it comes together. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir with the wooden spoon until the mixture if glossy; you will get a workout. Then add the next egg and repeat the process. Using two soup spoons, put little piles of dough, about 1 1/2 tablespoons, onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced apart. You should have 6 – 7 puffs. Bake for 10 minutes, and then lower the heat to 375. Continue baking for 20 – 25 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown. Do not open the oven during baking. Cool. When the cream puffs are baking, make your pistachio dust. Put the pistachios into a ziploc bag, and roll a rolling pin over the top of the bag, back and forth, until they turn into a dusty mixture.
Slice off the top of a cream puff, fill with ice cream, and drizzle hot fudge over the top. Sprinkle with pistachio dust. Serve. Eat.
Lenny was traveling last week. I was a bit bad (head hanging low). I over indulged. I bought gelato. I made chocolate sauce. I watched bad movies and ate sugary goodness.
I remember my Grandma Olson would always have a little something sweet after dinner, and before going to bed. It usually consisted of a bowl of vanilla ice cream with this dreamy chocolate sauce. I was only a kid; but, I knew this was the ultimate. It was not from a squeeze bottle. She would take squares of chocolate, melt them with sugar and butter, and create what I was pretty sure what they served in heaven.
There is an emergency stash of bittersweet chocolate in the pantry. You know, for those last minute desserts, when company comes over. Or for emergencies such as this. The evening pretty much played out like this … I poured a glass of red wine, put a some Les Nubians on (doesn’t chocolate warrant sultry music), carefully (okay, I TORE) opened the chocolate, unwrapped some butter, and started mixing heaven with a little sugar and heavy cream. Fifteen minutes later, I was on the couch, filling that “missing you” void.
Lesson learned; don’t buy a squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce. Make a batch, eat a little, put the rest in the fridge, it will stay fresh for about 2 weeks; maybe. It is easy to make. You know what will be in it. You can put it on ice cream, pound cake with strawberries, mix a little with your milk for feed that childhood memory. Let your imagination run as wild as a jar of chocolate sauce is.
And you can get as creative as you want when making this recipe. Sometimes I add a little orange peel or lemon. Maybe a sprinkle of smoked cherry wood salt. Or a shot of bourbon. Or just as Grandma use to make it … pure.
Recipe type: Dessert
Author: Chez Us
- 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate – unsweetened
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- In a saucepan or a double boiler, over low heat, melt the chocolate with the butter.
- Stir very often to prevent sticking or burning.
- Add the sugar, stir, and stir, over low heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the cream, a little at a time, stirring until it is well-combined, and you have added all of it.
- Over low heat continue stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Remove from the heat.
- Serve.
- Eat.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups. A lot of chocolate fun. Pour over ice cream, fruit, or even pound cake.
2.2.6
It is hard to believe we have been living in our new home for almost 5 months. We have been busy painting, furniture shopping, decorating and trying to figure out our personal style, as well as our “couple” style. We have almost completely finished one floor, which is where our bedroom and office (s) are. It feels good to know we are almost 1/3 of the way done. But, the lingering paint brushes and gallons of paint are shouting out Lenny’s name; I am dying to get the rest of the house done, so we can really start having fun!!
While watching the paint dry, we have been enjoying citrus season. Seems like an odd thing to say in the same breathe, but it is true. Citrus season has been crazy around here, not only in the markets but in our new neighborhood. I found some neglected Meyer lemon trees and we are enjoying them. Often! Cocktails, baked goods, roasted meats, and even floating in tall glasses of water.
I have to admit we have been holding back on you, as well. It hasn’t been all painting and decorating we have been able to squeeze a couple little dinner parties in and they have been deliciously fun. The evenings have been lingering over glasses of wine, with good food, and wonderful company. But, the star guest has been this amazing Meyer Lemon Rosemary Tart. She is luscious…. a little bit sweet, a little bit sassy, and ever so creamy. Sure to please all of your dinner guests.
I have a few things to share before 2011; just not sure which one to share first. Then I remembered this sinful dessert we served a couple weeks ago. I just had to let the cat out of the bag, as you will definitely want to include it with your New Years Eve dinner menu. It is insane!
Flourless chocolate cake is always my go-to dessert when we have a dinner party for couple reasons: 1) all ingredients are staples in your house, 2) gluten-free so all guests are covered; and 3) easy to make. Usually when I make one I play with the ingredients, by changing chocolates, flavors, and amounts of ingredients. I have to say this version is IT! I will no longer be playing with the recipe. In our opinions it came out perfect. Dense. Rich. Sinful. Just the way dessert should be.
I wanted to lighten the chocolate a little so I served brown sugared creme fraiche and candied cranberries along side. Candied cranberries are really wonderful. Slightly tart, slightly sweet. You will need to start the candied cranberries a couple hours before serving, but the process is well worth the effort. If you do not have fresh cranberries, feel free to serve without or with another fruit you like.
Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Tart with Candied Cranberries
- 12 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
- 8 oz + 2 tablespoons good quality unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened coco powder, sifted
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 oz creme fraiche
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a tart pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler; set aside to cool. In a mixer bowl, using a whisk attachment, beat the butter until creamy; about 4 minutes. Add the sugar, continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Add the sifted coco powder, beat for 3 minutes. Drizzle the melted chocolate into the mixture, with the mixer running at a very low speed, I use a KitchenAid and keep the speed at 2. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Beat the mixture for 5 minutes, until very light and doubled in size. Pour into the buttered tart pan. Tap on the counter to release the air bubbles. Bake for 25 minutes. While the tart is baking stir together the creme fraiche and brown sugar; put in the fridge until time to serve. Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Let cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the tart pan. Let set at room temperature until ready to serve.
Recipe: Candied Cranberries
- 2 cups cranberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat bring the water and sugar to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat, and add the cranberries. Stir. Some of the berries will pop, this is okay. Let set at room temperature for 4 hours. Strain the cranberries before serving with the cake.
*Keep the sugary cranberry liquid as it will be lovely in a cocktail.
When I see the first pumpkin at the market, I know fall is just a twinkle away. Short days and crisp nights are just around the corner, which is also a sign to start making comfort food. Food to nourish our souls, and keep us warm during the long winter months. Most people think of comfort food as being savory, but, it can also be a sweet little bite of love.
Pot de cremes are exactly that; a little bite of love. They are so rich, and flavorful, that you only need a couple bites. Couple weeks ago, I made these pot de cremes with some roasted pumpkin puree. We were in the middle of a big move, somewhat homeless and found ourselves house-sitting for friends. Our lives felt a bit out of sorts, and we yearned for some comfort. While a big pot of soup came to mind, after roasting some pumpkins, we decided something sweet was in order. This pot de creme recipe is simple to make, and easier to eat; we could not stop at just one! It would be really lovely served alongside Thanksgiving giving.
Some of you may have seen some tweets that I am in Austin. I will be here for another week, and Lenny is back home taking care of business. This is the first time we have been apart for more than a few days; it is strange for me not to see him everyday, even though we talk. It is not uncomfortable, just a bit strange. I came down a few days ago to share some time with an old friend, before embarking on a project. Last night we realized we have known each other for 20 years; but, it feels like only yesterday. We have been sharing food, wine, and special time with her lovely teen-age girls (it is making us both relive our youth a bit). It has been really sweet, and comfortable, just as the pot de cremes were. Starting Sunday, I will be stepping out of my comfort zone, and submerging myself in some personal growth. I will be spending a week with some very talented photographers, Lynn, Penny, and Scott, during their Photographic Muse Austin Workshop. I am really excited to submerge myself, and to learn everything that I can in one short week. Hopefully, finding a little time to also share with y’all. In the meantime, make yourself a batch of these pot de cremes.
Pumpkin Recipes you should enjoy this fall:
Life. Love. Death. Birth. Life’s little quirks that keep us on our toes. Laughter. Joy. Tears. Smiles. All of these experiences are scary and can leave one feeling exhilarated. They are hard to explain and hard to express, the proper way, or I should say eloquently.
I have not stopped thinking about Jennie since August 7, at 610pm, when I saw her tweet that her heart was shattered. You know when that wave of “oh no” sways over you, that is exactly what happened. I mentioned to Lenny that something had happened to Jennie and I had a feeling it was bad. We talk about it every day. We talk about Jennie every day. We hold each other a little tighter in the mornings….. when saying “see you later”. It has affected us even if we are not closer.
I have been meaning to reach out to Jennie for months now. Time grabs me. I get busy. I don’t reach out. I feel terrible about that. I think about her everyday, this is the honest truth. We had the short but sweet pleasure to met in person a couple years. We shared smiles, joy, laughter, wine and stories of Mikey. She got to met my love in person, I got to met hers through her contagious smile and loving words. He was a kind man, a man of virtue, a man who loved his wife and children. A man who was just not into doing dishes when she was gone. Maybe he called to talk about dish soap because he really wanted to hear his wife’s voice. He probably did not care about soap or dishes. Lenny and I both remember that story; we both think of Jennie, Mikey and doing dishes, every time our hands are submerged in suds.
We were traveling for work and could not get to making A Pie for Mikey until this week. We invited a dear friend over who has been celebrating his partner’s tests coming back cancer free. That night we shared a meal, wine, laughter and we celebrated Mikey as well as Life. We had a pie for Mikey. I followed Jennie’s recipe as this was a pie for Mikey; I couldn’t change it. The only thing I did differently was half the recipe to make a smaller portion and I toasted the peanuts before laying them on the melted chocolate. Something about non-toasted peanuts freaks me out. I think I may have whipped the cream cheese and peanut butter too much as it had a mousse like texture and was very light. But, it was really good. I mean really good. The pie was nutty, creamy and luxurious. It didn’t last, we finished it all. Mikey would have been proud.
When I thought about this write-up, I tossed around all sorts of ways to express what we are feeling for Jennie; but, there really are no words. We have not walked in Jennie’s shoes, and we only dread feeling the pain and anger she is experiencing. What we can do is be there for her to listen, comfort and nourish.
Jennie – our hearts are with you and your girls not only today, but, every day.
Recipe: Peanut Butter Pie
Cherry season is in full force around the Bay Area and when our neighborhood market decided to put their organic cherries on sale at $2.99 a pound ….. I went crazy. As in 8 pounds of cherries sitting in our kitchen, crazy. One would think we had cherries for days; but, these gems were amazing and did not last long. Sweet. Juicy. Plump.
We have been enjoying them by the handfuls as well as in a few sweet dishes and even cocktails. A favorite summertime dessert that we enjoy is the Clafoutis. Last week I made a Clafouti out of fresh berries. Now you may be wondering what is the difference between a Clafoutis and a Clafouti; nothing. In Anglo countries the traditional French dessert Clafoutis is referred to as a Claufouti. Since posting my berry Clafouti, I have learned that I was wrong in my writing, as it is properly called a Flaugnarde when one uses berries – I must change that. Anyhow, since my Clafouti really wasn’t a Clafouti, I decided to make another one. This time a traditional Limousin Clafoutis to be exact. Have I lost you yet? Wondering what all this Clafoutis vs Claouti is all about?
A traditional Limousin Clafoutis is a baked dessert made out of black cherries and a thick custard batter. The Limousin style Clafoutis leaves the pits in the cherries as it is suppose to give the sweet dessert an intense flavor. If you remove the pits, the flavor of you Clafoutis is supposedly more mild. Realistically ……. we could not tell the difference. To keep with tradition and because we are Francophiles, I kept the pits in. As well, it is kind of fun, to nosh on ones dessert and spit out pits at the table. How often did your mother allow that when you were growing up?
I have been wanting to play around with some coconut flour as I am really enjoying the use of coconut oil in my baking; so I figured now was as good a time as ever. Coconut flour is gluten free as well as high in protein. It is made from the coconut fiber once the oil has been completely extracted in order to make virgin coconut oil. The texture is a bit heavier than regular AP flour, as well as a little grainy. The dense texture required me to bump up the liquids in my recipe as the first batch came out dry. I loved the slightly tropical scent to the flour, which only intensified when baking, as well as the slightly sweet taste. Definitely added more depth and experience to my otherwise not traditional Clafouti.
Recipe: Gluten Free Cherry Clafoutis
- 3 cups whole cherries, you decide if you want to pit
- 3/4 cup whole-milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 5 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon almond flour
- 4 eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- powdered sugar for garnish
Wash fruit and let dry; about 20 minutes. If still damp, I pat them dry with a paper towel if there is any moisture left. Melt the butter and set a side to cool. Heat oven to 350. Butter a swallow glass baking dish or individual ones and scatter the cherries over the bottom of the baking dish. In a blender combine rest of the ingredients and blend until mixed; about 3 minutes. Pour over the fruit. Set the dish on a cookie sheet, just in-case it spills over a bit; this will keep your clean oven clean. Bake for 45 – 60 minutes. The top will be golden and center will only be slightly jiggly. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve. Eat.
** Chez Us is participating in Food Network’s Summer Fest 2011 where we will be sharing great recipes using seasonal produce. You can find other delicious dishes using cherries at Food Network and these sites:
Don’t you love saying “Clafouti” I love saying it … clafouti, clafouti, clafouti. Not only is it fun to say but it is fun to make as well as eat. I cannot remember the first time I had it. I do remember loving the warm custard base and jammy fresh summer fruit. I was hooked.
Clafouti as well as galettes are a staple summertime dessert in our house. I tend to whip one up whenever I have some overripe stone fruit laying around. I particularly love late summer apricots with an almond flavoring. Bliss. I have never considered adding berries. Don’t ask me why; because, I cannot even begin to answer that question. Then my friend Tracy whipped up a strawberry claufouti and provoked the baking goddess in me.
The other evening I had some leftover blueberries and a near overripe basket of strawberries sitting on the counter, just begging to be eaten. Instead, I pulled out my trusty clafouti recipe and went to work. Don’t be scared to tackle what looks like a complicated recipe. A clafouti is really easy to make. Just put all of the ingredients, except for the fruit, into a blender. Give a couple whirls and you are set. I like to put it into the oven about 30 minutes before serving, then you will have a lovely warm dessert to serve your guests, or to just enjoy yourself. Makes a wonderful breakfast companion with a cup of hot coffee as well. That is if you even have leftovers.
Happy Clafouti’n!
Recipe: Blueberry Strawberry Clafouti
- 1/2 pint strawberries, washed and cut in half
- 1 pint blueberries, washed
- 1/2 cup whole-milk
- 1/2 cup cream
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
- powdered sugar for garnish
Wash fruit and let dry for about 20 minutes. Melt the butter and set a side to cool. Heat oven to 350. Butter a swallow glass baking dish or individual ones. After cutting the strawberries in half, scatter them over the bottom of the buttered dish. Do the same with the blueberries. Set aside. In a blender mix rest of the ingredients and blend until combined; about 3 minutes. Pour over the fruit. Set the dish on a cookie sheet, just in-case it spills over a bit; this will keep your clean oven clean. Bake for 45 – 60 minutes. The top will be golden and center will only be slightly jiggly. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve. Eat.
If you like this recipe, check these out:
Apple and Hazelnut Clafouti
Peach Raspberry Clafouti
Sweet Potato and Crabapple Clafouti
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