Tiramisu

There are a few desserts that my husband and I typically like to always order whenever we dine out at restaurants. There's the sinfully gooey pizookie (giant cookie cooked in a mini pizza pan), a warm slice of apple pie (ala mode is a must for me), or the creamy and indulgent cheesecake (because making a regular size one at home would require fat buffet pants for the rest of the month). My personal favorite is the ever so decadent tiramisu, an Italian classic dessert that is a coffee lover's dream come true. However, Eric isn't a fan of chocolate desserts, so it's a rare occasion if I can indulge in tiramisu.

I had a sudden craving to make it myself when I saw that my food bloggy girlfriend, Eva, had Tiramisu on her baking bucket list. I don't have a cooking or baking bucket list written down but just a running backlog of recipes in my head that I always want to cook or bake up. It's the desire to complete food challenges to feel a sense of accomplishment and mainly to figure out if homemade desserts taste better at home versus the restaurants, too. And it's always fun to collaborate with my food bloggy community whenever I can especially before my hands will be busy with a newborn. (We have less than a month left until my due date!)

Espresso Creme Brulee

Creme brulee. It's a simple and fancy dessert that you can prepare with a day's notice. Plus, it's one of my favorite desserts to make and enjoy. It's rich and delicate custard dessert, and you can't help but smile when you say creme brulee. It's always a crowd-pleaser in my opinon and I love breaking into the caramelized sugary crust and the cracking sound of the crust....it's music to my ears.

I had made these creme brulees earlier this month to serve to my family. I'm ashamed to say it was from Good Friday dinner, which was almost 3 weeks ago. I'm a little bit behind in blogging, but it's because I've been busy finishing up cookie's nursery and nesting and resting while I can. (Pictures coming soon.) Right now, I'm at 38 weeks and I'm at that anxious stage where I'm constantly thinking "is this it?" or is this "labor pains or braxton-hicks?" Either way, cookie is still baking away and I'm still up and around in the kitchen and thankfully this is my last week of work before I start my maternity leave.

This dessert was simple enough to prepare the night before with a couple ingredients, and make sure you have enough butane in your blowtorch or use a broiler to caramelize the tops. I think everyone enjoys the little fire show from the blowtorch as a teaser of what's to come. One of the best parts about this dish, you can use all the leftover egg whites to make macarons. (Peanut butter & blueberry jelly and meyer lemon). Double win!

Indulgent and creamy!

Espresso Creme Brulee
Adapted from The Pastry Queen
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup whole milk
2 3/4 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 vanilla bean
7 large egg yolks
2/3 cup plus about 1/2 cup sugar
Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly coat six 6-ounce ramekins with cooking spray.

Prepare the custard, by adding the milk, cream, and espresso powder into a 1 1/2-quart, nonreactive heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm over medium-high heat. While the cream mixture is heating, use a sharp paring knife to slice the vanilla bean pod in half lengthwise. Separate the beans from the pod by scraping the inside of the pod with the edge of the knife. Add the beans and pod to the heating cream mixture. (Or substitute and use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.) Bring to a boil and immediately remove the saucepan from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and the 2/3 cup sugar until well combined. Continue to whisk while slowly pouring the hot cream into the egg mixture. Blend thoroughly. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla bean pod and any bits of overcooked egg.

Place the prepared ramekins in a baking pan with sides that are at least 2 inches high. Pour the custard into the ramekins, filling each halfway. Transfer the baking pan carefully to the oven and fill the ramekins as close to the top as possible without spilling. Fill a measuring cup with hot tap water.

Add enough water to the baking pan to reach three-quarters of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake the custards about 1 hour. Check periodically to make sure the custards are not browning or bubbling. If they are, decrease the temperature to 250 degrees. The custards are done when just set (they should tremble slightly when shaken). If they still looks liquidy, return to the oven for 5 minutes longer, or until set.

Remove the ramekins from the baking pan and cool for 30 to 40 minutes. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 3 to 4 hours. The custards will firm up in the fridge.

Just before serving, use about 1/2 cup sugar to top each custard with a thin layer of sugar. It is important to spread the sugar evenly and to make sure the sugar layer is thick enough. If you have a kitchen torch, use it to caramelize the sugar. If not, preheat the broiler. Place the ramekins 4 inches from the flame and broil, watching carefully, until the sugar is caramelized and lightly browned. Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans and serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

Review: Absolutely sinful and luscious. I loved this twist on the classic dessert, and it was a light enough dessert to have after the heaviest of meals. Thankfully, most of my guests were coffee lovers, and happily enjoyed their desserts.

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Tart

Happy hump day Wednesday!

Today is a super special day....it's my birthday! I'm looking forward to a romantic and quiet dinner with my husband tonight. Eric usually treats me and prepares a fantastic homemade meal at home, but since my birthday falls in the middle of the work week - we're going out for dinner! Plus, I have a birthday dinner planned with the family later this week, and another birthday dinner celebration with my friends. I love celebrating my birthday over and over again - it brings the biggest smile to my face.

However, this gorgeous Meyer lemon blueberry tart is not my birthday cake, but something that I had made to bring over for dessert to a friend's house. I have been busy making my own birthday cake these past couple of days, and I can't wait to show you what I baked up. I already had a sample of it last night, and it tastes sensational. But back to this wonderful tart, it's a no-bake dessert and super simple to prepare. It's like a luscious lemon custard mixed with tart blueberries over a crunchy graham cracker crust.

Bake up this treat if you're feeling a little tangy and tart!

Meyer Lemon Blueberry Tart
Adapted from Prevention RD
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 package (9 sheets) graham crackers
10 tablespoons butter, divided
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons)
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and dried

Preparation:

Pulse the graham crackers in a small food processor to a fine crumb or place in a Ziploc bag and beat the crackers fine. (Great way to get your frustrations out!)

In a small saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter. Mix the graham crackers and melted butter together. Press the mixture into a 10-inch tart pan, patting it down evenly, and pinching the crumb about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate until needed.

Prepare the lemon filling by placing your double boiler over a pot of boiling water or use a stainless steel or glass bowl. In the double boiler, add the eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Whisk away until thick, about 10 minutes, make sure to switch hands whisking to distribute the work out evenly. Carefully remove from heat and add in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and lemon zest. Stir until combined. Let cool cool completely.

Spoon filling into the prepared graham cracker crust. Arrange blueberries over the filling. Refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Serve chilled.

Yield: 8 slices

Review: Simply scrumptious. Any recipes that feature citrus have caught my attention lately because I have Meyer lemons that are begging to be used. I have already made this tart twice because it was that yummy!

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Lime-Vanilla Crème Brulee

Jules: Ok, you’re Michael. You’re in a fancy French restaurant. You order…Crème Brulee for dessert. It’s beautiful, it’s sweet, it’s irritatingly perfect. Suddenly, Michael realizes he doesn’t want Crème Brulee. He wants something else.
Kimmy: What does he want?
Jules: Jell-O…
Kimmy: JELLLL-O? Why does he want JELL-O?
Jules: Because he’s comfortable with Jell-O. JELL-O makes him comfortable. I realize compared to Crème Brulee its Jell-O, but maybe that’s what he needs.
Kimmy: I could be Jell-O.
Jules: NOOO, Crème brulee can never be Jell-O. YOU can never be Jell-O.
Kimmy: I have to be Jell-O!
Jules: You’re never gonna be JELL-O!!!!

Remember this scene from one of my favorite romantic comedies, My Best Friend’s Wedding, where Julia Robert's character is trying to convince Cameron Diaz’s character that she can never be classified as Jell-O. Someone as classy like Kimmy could never be a perfect match for someone plain as Michael, played by Dermot Mulroney. Opposites do attract, and it’s this imperfect balance needed in a relationship to make those loving and unruly laws of attraction.

Crème Brulee has always been a dessert that I have loved and it was the ultimate dessert that I craved for our special anniversary dinner. There’s no discussion that I would love to be a compared to this perfect dessert like Crème Brulee. (I’m not going to deny it.) It’s one of the most splendid desserts ever created and I’m sorry Jell-O – I’m never going to want to be you. This delicious dessert is really just a simple custard garnished with a sugary crust, plus you have a little pyro-technics fun and caramelize the sugary tops with a blow torch or going safety-wise – under the broiler. (blah not as fun.)

Indulgent, and absolutely magnificent.

Lime-Vanilla Creme Brulee
Adapted from Mesa Grill CookbookPrintable Recipe
Ingredients:3 ½ cups heavy cream
½ cup half and half
Grated zest of three limes
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean (split lengthwise and seeds scraped)
7 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup turbinado sugar or other raw sugar

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the heavy cream, half and half, lime zest and vanilla bean paste and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Return the pan to the stove and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, and salt until pale yellow. Slowly temper the hot the cream mixture and egg mixture and mix until combined and strain into a large bowl.

Set your hot kettle of water to boil. Place your ramekins (eight 4 ounce containers or four 8 ounce containers) in a large Pyrex baking pan (9x13) and ladle the mixture into the ramekins. Pour hot water about halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake until the custard is set around the edges but still jiggly in the center, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from baking pan and let cool to room temperature, then cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until cold, about 4 hours and preferably 24 hours.

When ready to eat, preheat the broiler (or use a blow torch.)

Sprinkle an even coat of turbinado sugar over each brulee until covered, and shake off any excess. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and broil until the sugar is completely melted and dark golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove from oven, and serve immediately.

Review: My entire house smelled like a caramel candy store…it’s absolutely intoxicating. I loved the hint of lime zest combined with the sweet vanilla custard, soooo refreshing and light. I’m thankful that we split the portions into smaller ramekins, and I may have enjoyed crème brulee everyday this past week, too. This dessert is better than eating Jell-O, and using a blow torch is always fun in the kitchen, too.

Side Note: I was happy to use my FREE distressed wood pallet as a backdrop for this dish. I got some scrap wood from work, sanded it down to a fine grain, and painted it an off-cream color. I love the rustic-farm look that it gives. Plus, I practiced the art of the dollop for my food styling skills.

Sabayon with Fruit

This is an easy and simple dessert and a perfect way to use up any egg yolks. I have to really thank Big City Cooking for this recommendation. I had no idea that this existed until she suggested it to the ladies on the WC board. After our wonderful filet dinner, we needed the perfect little sweet treat. Eric used port for dinner, and I used it again for dessert. I served the Sabayon on top of a Sara Lee pound cake with strawberries & blueberries. Eric looked at me and asked "Is this Nutella?" I laughed because I had to explain it was a sweet port sauce using egg yolks.

Sabayon with Fruit
Adapted from Julia & Jaques Cooking at Home
Ingredients:
1 pint fresh ripe strawberries
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
For the saboyan:
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup port wine (or sherry, or Madeira)
1/4 cup sugar, plus more to taste
Drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation:
Preparing the strawberries:
About an hour before serving the dessert, rinse the blueberries and strawberries (stems on) and drain them on paper towels. Slice off the stems and halve or quarter the strawberries lengthwise, depending on size, into a bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar and the lemon juice; fold gently together to blend well. Taste a strawberry, add more sugar or lemon juice if needed, and set aside to macerate.

Whipping the sabayon:
If you want to serve the sabayon warm, make it at the last minute. If you want to glaze the sabayon under the broiler, or make it ahead of time to serve chilled, have ready a large bowl (larger than the one in which you whip the sauce) partly filled with ice cubes.

Whisk to blend the yolks, port, and sugar in the stainless-steel bowl. Rest the bowl in the saucepan over hot water. Whisk constantly for 4 to 5 minutes or more to cook the sauce, until it has the consistency of lightly whipped cream. Clear the bottom of the bowl constantly with the whisk so that the eggs do not scramble, and adjust the heat as needed. Taste the sauce — the sabayon should never get so hot that you can't stick your very clean finger in it — and whisk drops of lemon juice or more sugar if you want. When thick, foamy, and tripled in volume, remove from heat. It can be served hot as is, tepid, or cool.

Review: Simple, rich and beautiful...just how I love my desserts!

Creme Brulee for Monica

This past week was my best girlfriend's birthday, and her favorite dessert is creme brulee. I'll admit, I've been secretly wanting to make this dessert for a long time, and I couldn't wait to bake this for her and me. Besides, we got to buy a mini blow-torch, how cool is that! I did some research on the best recipe to use, and this was a tossup for me, I was torn between Alton Brown's recipe & Culinary of Institute of America. Whenever I do doubt a recipe, I always fall to Alton Brown, he makes everything sound like a science project...and all of his recipes are guaranteed for SUCCESS. My favorite part of creme brulee is the cracking noise of the top when you hit it with your spoon, for some reason..it's music to my ears!

Creme Brulee

Adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients:

1 quart heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 cup vanilla sugar, divided

6 large egg yolks

2 quarts hot water

Directions1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually.

4. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins.

5. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

6. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

7. Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top.

8. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Review: This dish was fairly easy to make, and I will make it again. The serving size is for about 6 dishes, I should have bought more ramekins. I didn't do the vanillar sugar, and just opted for regular sugar...it tasted perfect!

Enjoy!