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Tag Archives: Dessert
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
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
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
WOW! Time flies when you are cooking, and stuffing your face. It is hard to believe that it has been 4 years, yes 4 years, and 697 posts since Chez Us was born. It is fun to look back, and see the baby steps we took, to get where we are now. We laugh, and smile over some of these silly posts, when we were shy, and not sure how much we should say. It has been a delicious journey.
We get asked all the time, why we do it, and why we keep doing it? Well, we have to eat, right? Honestly? We love it; it is a sweet labor of love, delicious love. Two passions rolled into one … food and photography. An outlet to be creative, to unwind, to think outside the box. And the relationships. Food just happens to bring people together. We have been so fortunate to have met some amazing people through the site; truly raw talent. Very lucky, the relationships that have been “baking” mean so much, we cannot ever imagine not meeting each of you.
What did we do to celebrate? Well, we ate, the same meal we have eaten every year on the blogiversary; vegetarian enchiladas, washed down with margaritas. This year we mixed it up a bit, by adding cake. A sultry, and creamy three milk cake. I have been dying to make one, ever since I read a recipe many years ago. I just have never gotten around to it. I was inspired by a recipe over at Lemon Pi recently, and used it as a guideline. Instead of regular milk, I used coconut milk, and added a heavy dose of fresh lime zest. It was amazing. Really amazing. Dense, moist, luscious, and flavorful. Melts on your tongue with every bite; I am serious here. This is going to be a new favorite, and I cannot wait to play with flavor combinations. Dreamy!
We want to say “thank you”. Not just a little thank you, but a heart-felt thank you to everyone who has ever read our site, glanced at it, recommends it to their dog, or keeps coming back for more. Without your loving, and sometimes not so loving comments, we would not be here. As long as you want us to feed you, we will keep doing so.
A celebration would not be a celebration without a couple gifts right? Instead of giving Chez Us a gift, as we have the gift of your readership, we want to pass along a gift to you; a couple of our favorite things. One lucky reader will get each of these sweet little tokens of Chez Us love.
1) Bill’s Open Kitchen by Bill Granger – LOVE this guy. He is a favorite Aussie chef of ours. Not only are his recipes fresh, and easy to make, but they all call for fresh ingredients, and are diet friendly. Love the simple but exotic flavors of chilies, lime, cilantro … mouth watering. This particular book has every meal covered from breakfast to afternoon tea. Wait until you try the passion fruit pancakes; oh yes! Or the citrus risotto; swoon!
2) Five Spoons Organizing Stickers – are your cookbooks dog-eared to mark recipes you must try? Or do you take a pen and make a little mark, indicating you like it? Not any more …. I discovered Anna’s lovely company Five Spoons, through my friend Tracy. Anna’s sells these cute little stickers that you can use to mark the recipes that you are dying to try, or you can use the little spoon stickers to rate each recipe in your books. I have so much fun, sitting down with a cup of jo, opening a book, and stickering away. And my books look so much more organized and “cute”. You are going to love these stickers! Anna was nice enough to contribute a set of each for one lucky reader.
What do you have to do? Easy. Peasy. Leave a comment below, telling us what you love most about Chez Us, or what you love least? What you would like to see us do, in the next year? More video? Bring back podcasts? More easy dinners? More sweets? Meal planning to help you save time? Please let us know …..
For additional entries, do one or all of the following. You will have to come back here after completing each task, and leave a separate comment indicating you have done so.
You have until midnight, May 22, 2010; we will use random.org to pick a winner, and will announce it May 23.
Now, let’s get baking; here is the recipe for this dreamy three milk cake.
Recipe: Three Milk Cake
* inspired by Lemon Pi
What you need:
Cake:
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 2 limes zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- juice from half a lime
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
Milk Glaze:
- 1 cup condensed milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
Whipping Topping:
- 1/2 pint whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream, thick part of a can of coconut milk
What you need to do:
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line round cake pan with parchment paper, and butter the sides of the pan. Using a mixer, whisk the eggs, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla until thick and pale. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then fold into the mixture. Add the milk, and thoroughly mix. Pour the batter into the baking tin, and level the top. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. A little extra browning adds depth to the flavor.
- While the cake is baking, make the milk glaze by combining the condensed milk, with the sour cream, mix thoroughly. Add the evaporated and coconut milk, mix; set aside.
- Turn the baked cake out onto a cooling rack and immediately cover the bottom and sides with tinfoil. Re-invert into the baking tin so that the tinfoil lines the tin, and the edges overlap the sides of the pan. Prick several holes in the cake with a skewer, be generous with your poking. Slowly pour the milk glaze mixture over the warm cake, from the centre outwards. Do this in batches, allowing the previous additions to be absorbed. It will look like too much liquid, don’t be alarmed, the cake will soak it all up. Leave to cool.
- Whip the whipping cream, until soft peaks form. Add the coconut cream – the thick creamy part of a can of coconut milk; skim from the top before using the milk in the glaze. Before serving gently cover the top of the cake with the whipped cream mixture. Serve. Eat.
How do we pick a winner, by using Random.Org. We could from the bottom up (first comment for the post). For this post there were 17 comments, we did not count our ping which is the first comment. DRUM ROLL!!!! The WINNER is: # 15 – Danielle. Danielle, ping us, and we will get you your lovely prize!
We love quinoa. It is kind of like the “wonder grain”. It is somewhat like a grain, but not really. In fact, it is not even related to a grain. I should not even be putting it in the same family, to be honest. Rather, it is related to the species of beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds. The Incas held the quinoa sacred, and it was the emperor who would sow the first planting. The history is fascinating; but, the nutritional values, are amazing.
Quinoa has an amazing amount of protein; 12% – 18% of it is protein. Unlike traditional grains, that we are use to eating, such as wheat or rice, quinoa has a balanced amount of amino acids, a huge amount of fiber, and it is high in iron. If, I had picky eaters at home, I would definitely incorporate it into their diets.
Working with quinoa is very easy. Simply rinse, cover with cold water or stock, and then cook for 15 minutes. I love watching it grow as it cooks, from small little pebbles, to little sprouts popping out. The texture is really great as well; with each little bite, there is a sort of “pop” between your teeth. Reminds me of Pop-Rocks. I usually use quinoa as a side dish, simply by itself, or seasoned with shallots, spices, pieces of nuts or dried fruit; it goes nicely with roasted meat. It also makes a wonderful vegetarian dish, when made into a salad, with fresh cherry tomatoes, chicken peas, silvers of green onion, and a tahini dressing.
I have never thought of using it as a dessert. Flipping through the February issue of Gourmet Traveller I saw a lovely dessert, the colors really caught my eye. As I read it, I thought, “genius idea, it is like tapioca; but healthier”. I used the same ingredients (almost) as the recipe lists, but I did cut back on the sugar amounts. It came out creamy, crunchy, and very tropical; thanks to mango, coconut, and lime flavors. This little pudding is not only pretty to look at, but it is refreshing, and perfect as a light sweet after dinner, or even as breakfast; don’t judge, after all, it is loaded with protein!
my food stylist: Maggie
What is your favorite way to eat Quinoa? Do you feed it to your picky-eaters?
Recipe: Quinoa Pudding with Mango
What you need:
*serves 6
- 200 grams black quinoa
- 50 grams sugar
- 300 ml coconut milk
- 1 mango, diced
Recipe: Lime Syrup
- 100 grams sugar
- 200 ml water
- 2 limes, zested
What you need to do:
Rinse quinoa under cold running water, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook until tender; about 15 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and let set in a colander until well drained. While the quinoa is cooking make the lime syrup. In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, and lime zest. Over medium low heat, simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and let cool. Once the quinoa is drained well, put it back into a saucepan with the sugar, and coconut milk; over medium low heat, cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool. To serve, put some quinoa into a bowl, top with pieces of mango, and drizzle with some of the lime syrup. Serve. Eat.
If you like this recipe, check these out:
Quinoa with Rose and Pomegrante
Quinoa Pudding
Quinoa Pudding
I have been keeping this bread a secret, the past two months, while I perfected it. *smirk across my face* I have not even let a drop of the secret out. *shame* This banana bread is the …….. BEST. MOISTEST. MOST DELICIOUS. I have ever eaten. Really! Honest!! Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but, it is even almost better than our banana chocolate chip banana bread.
Where did it start? Well, pull up a chair, and let me tell ya. I read an article in the New York times about coconut oil. As well, our friend Darya, was chatting about it on her online show, Summer Tomato Live. I am always looking for good, healthy, alternatives when baking. Don’t get me wrong, I am the original butter girl, and love the stuff; but, it might be nice to cut back a little. In moderation, virgin coconut oil is good for us. As well it is really versatile for cooking. You can use it with baking, sauteing vegetables, popping pop corn, your mind is what will limit your uses with it. I was very intrigued, and decided to play around with it.
I took my original banana bread recipe, the one with chocolate, and decided to change it around. The first couple times, I made the recipe, I added half butter, and half virgin coconut oil, along with the sour cream, and cream cheese, as I was not sure how it would work out. It was good, but still not what I was hoping for. The next couple times, I left the butter out, as well as the sour cream; it was really amazing. In fact, perfect. But, I decided to play with it again. The last time I eliminated the cream cheese, and used Saint Benoit Yogurt Cheese. Yogurt cheese has the same texture as cream cheese, and less fat; it is a healthy alternative. This time around, the banana bread, was incredibly moist, light, cake like in texture, and had a faint taste of coconut. Like when you are in the tropics, laying on the beach, and you can smell that faint smell of coconut in the distance. We had a couple loaves laying around for three days, and each one was perfectly moist the entire time. So, what are you waiting for? Add virgin coconut oil to your shopping list, and get baking. This would be perfect as a snack or even to serve with breakfast.
*yes, that would be some butter being served with that bread
Have you tried baking or cooking with virgin coconut oil? If so, what did you make?
Recipe: Super Moist Banana Bread
What you need:
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil; you can use butter
- 1 cup yogurt cheese, or cream cheese
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 bananas, medium sized one
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 t soda
- 1 t baking powder
- pinch of salt
What you need to do:
Heat oven to 350. Line a loaf pan, with parchment paper. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the coconut oil or butter on medium speed, until soft; about 7 minutes. Add the yogurt cheese, and continue beating on medium speed, for 3 minutes. Add the sugar, and beat on medium speed, until fluffy; 5 minutes. Add the egg and bananas, mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients, mix on medium speed, until combined; about 3 minutes. Pour into the loaf pan. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes. Each oven is different, start checking at 45 minutes. You want the bread to be golden brown, and a knive will come out clean, when you slide stick it into the middle of the loaf. Serve. Eat.
If you like this recipe, check these out:
Organic Banana Bread
Banana Nut Bread
Avocado Banana Bread
Some very close friends of ours, just brought a bundle of joy home. We decided to surprise them with a “baby dinner.” Now that most of us are well into our 40′s, the stork does not visit very often, so these surprise dinners are far and few in between. By now, you may be crinkling your nose, and wondering what a “baby dinner” is. A baby dinner, is a homemade meal, that the happy family can enjoy. Very little time in the kitchen, to prepare; more time to enjoy baby. Now, it is nice to bring baby something, but, the parents really enjoy this meal more then the little guy, will be enjoying, another blankie.
I normally make up a big batch of pesto and give two big containers to the parents. Enough, to use throughout the week, and another container for the freezer. I also include some great pasta, salad fixings (complete with homemade vinaigrette), fresh bread, a bottle of wine as well as bubbly water, and a home-baked treat. Since, I knew mama bear, liked our spicy tomato sauce, I made a bit batch of this. Enough for dinner that night, and an extra for the freezer. Instead of the usual chocolaty brownies, or grapefruit bars that I normally add to the baby dinners; I decided to try something new. We have a big bowl of blood oranges on the counter. We have been using them, mostly for cocktails, throughout the winter. I thought they work out nicely in place of lemon, in a bar recipe. I made a basic sweet dough, for the base of the bar. Then I made a dreamy, and creamy blood orange filling. It reminded me of a creamsicle. I thought about tossing in a shot of rye; but, they also have teenagers, so I kept the recipe “family friendly”. Next time. I don’t dust my citrus bars with powdered sugar, as I find they are sweet enough. These blood orange bars are perfect; slightly crunchy and melt in your mouth creamy.
Do you have a favorite citrus bar, that you like to make?
Recipe: Blood Orange Bars
*makes one dozen
Crust
What you need:
- 2 cups ap flour
- 16 oz butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- salt, pinch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste, I use paste
What you need to do:
Line a 8″ x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper; butter, the other sides of the baking pan. In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt; give a whirl. Add the butter, and vanilla flavoring; process, until it comes together; about 5 minutes. Pat the dough onto the bottom, and up the sides about 1/4″. Put into the fridge for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool.
Filling
- 1 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice, I use the pulp as well
- zest from one blood orange
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 5 eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Heat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, with a paddle attachment, add the juice, zest, sugar, and flour; mix until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly, after each egg. Add the butter, mix for 1 minute. Pour into the baked crust. Bake for 45 – 55 minutes; depending on oven temperature. The middle will be slightly jiggly. Some ovens are hotter than others. Let cool. Slice into squares. Serve. Eat.
If you liked this post, check these out:
Blood Orange Bars
Blood Orange (Lemon Bars)
Blood Orange Bars
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