Desserts Sweets Archives | Page 12 of 15

Merry Christmas #6 and #26

December 24, 2009

Yes, I’m still making my way through that 30 Foods List. I may not have accomplished it all by my 31st birthday (this past Oct), but I’m determined to follow through and finish the list soon. I think my New Year’s resolution will be to finish it by June.

Yesterday I took on two of the Christmas recipes I listed – #6 Gingerbread men and #26 Stollen bread.

The Gingerbread men simply because I’ve never even made gingerbread of any kind. My mom doesn’t like gingerbread so it wasn’t part of our Christmas celebrations growing up.

The Stollen because I fell in love with this bread when I worked in a bakery. We would bake loaves and loaves of it during the month of December. I’m also drawn to it because of my German roots.

I chose some recipes I liked from the web, stocked up and got baking. Let’s start out by saying that it wasn’t exactly the most successful baking day.

The gingerbread men turned into round gingerbread cookies. I cut the recipe in half and I think I didn’t add enough flour. I couldn’t roll and cut them out, even after cooling the dough. However, the recipe I used from Good Things Catered is fantastic! I love the flavor and the gingerbread is nice and soft. I didn’t end up with what I intended, but the cookies were still tasty and festive.

Although, I think I’m the only one in the family who likes gingerbread. Therefore, I could be the only one eating them. Cut-outs or not, based on that little tid-bit of info. I’m glad I made a half batch and they freeze well!

I enjoyed every part of the process of making the Stollen – the sponge and dough, the kneading, the baking. Bread is just my thing. I only need to perfect my ability for making it. I can’t seem to align my love of baking it with truly great results.

I followed a recipe from In Mama’s Kitchen and instead of candied fruit I used dried cherries, dried pineapple and raisins. I was trying to get around products with high fructose corn syrup and most candied fruit has it. A friendly reader sent me a source for some without it last year, but I procrastinated and never got around to ordering any.

The bread has potential. The flavor of the fruit, spices and rum really come through. It was just a little denser than it should have been. I also tried to get away without adding the glaze which we used to put on top of the ones I made at the bakery, but in all honesty I really like that addition. Next time I will probably glaze them to add a little more sweetness.

So I’m not completely disappointed, but I will be attempting both again. Good, but not great, however, still worth the effort.

Did you try any new recipes this year? How did they turn out?

I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas! Whether you celebrate it or not, I hope you will feel all the warmth and happiness this holiday can bring. Thank you for reading Fake Food Free and for all your great comments. I’m looking forward to continuing this blog, and all the friendships I’ve found through it, into 2010.

Merry Christmas!!

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee: A Review and Recipe

December 22, 2009

I was a coffee lover, traveler to Jamaica and biscotti fan long before I first made this recipe in 2009. Today we still travel pretty regularly to the island and I always stock up on one of the best local delicacies, Blue Mountain Coffee. Whether I’m brewing a cup or grinding it for a baked good to dip in a warm drink on a crisp morning, it is still my favorite coffee in the world. This coffee and spice biscotti is a little treat that I like to bake up around the holidays.

When it comes to the islands of the Caribbean, I have two favorite things.

One is rum.
The other is coffee.

Both of my favorites come from the island of Jamaica. I did just get back Saturday from a wonderful week in the Caribbean, an annual trip for us. However, this year we spent our time enjoying Antigua. One trade off of seeing a new island paradise was that I didn’t get to bring home any of my favorite 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee.

Lucky for me, just a few days before we left I got an email from C & C Specialty Coffee asking me if I’d like to review their 100% Grade 1 Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. I don’t make a habit of doing too many reviews here, but as you can probably guess, my answer was a resounding YES to this request.

Great timing too. And here I was worried I’d be going through my fave coffee withdrawal this January.
I received a 1lb bag of whole beans. I wasn’t home when the box arrived so I went and picked it up from our apartment office. As soon as I got back in my car I had to use the key to open it up. I just couldn’t wait! The second I turned up the flap on the box the aroma filled my senses. There is nothing like it.

Just to share with you in a bit about this particular variety of coffee. It is grown in a specific region of the Blue Mountains of Jamaica and its cultivation is monitored by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica. A few years ago, my husband and I took a bike tour through the Blue Mountains and were able to see these coffee plants first hand. It is known for having a mild flavor and a lack of bitterness. It is pricey because of its quality and because the small area means less is produced, but in my opinion it is worth every penny.

I opened the coffee yesterday and brewed myself a couple cups. It was dark, rich and full of flavor. The quality was what I’ve come to expect for this special coffee that I consider the best in the world.

As good as it was, of course, I couldn’t just drink it. I had to make something with it. It took me a while to decide just what. Now, I’m not trying to bombard you with biscotti given that it is what I also posted about on Friday. However, when I came across Kathy and Matthew’s (A Good Appetite) Spicy Double Chocolate Biscotti, I was inspired.

I wanted to find a way to keep most of the flavors Jamaican in nature, but all I could think of was jerk chicken! Then it dawned on me – Jamaican Allspice. I used whole and ground it myself and then ground the coffee beans into a fine espresso powder. I had a lot of walnuts on hand so I decided to use those as the nuts.

The biscotti are rich and chocolaty and the second it touches your tongue you can taste that slightly spicy, cinnamon flavor of the allspice.

Jamaican Coffee and Spice Biscotti
Adapted from Spicy Double Chocolate Biscotti from A Good Appetite

3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee beans, finely ground (I used that from C&C Specialty Coffee)1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground allspice
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or pieces

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Whisk or beat the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, ground coffee, baking soda and allspice. Gradually incorporate this mixture into the eggs and vanilla. Finally stir in the nuts and chocolate.

Grease a baking sheet with butter and divide the dough in two. Using buttered or floured hands shape each half into a log or rectangle side by side (leaving an inch or two between for spreading during baking) on the cookie sheet about 1 ½ inches in thickness. Bake for 50 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into ½ to 1 inch wide slices using a serrated knife.

Place each piece back on the baking sheet with cut side up and bake 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the pieces and bake another 10 minutes. Allow to cool on a wire rack. (Note: The original recipe instructs to lower the oven to 275 degrees F before the second baking, however, I forgot. Oops! Mine turned out fine, though.)

About the source (please note that the information her is from when I originally wrote this post in 2009):
C&C Specialty Coffee sells 100% Grade 1 Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee and 100% Kona Coffee. They pride themselves on providing a quality product to their customers in a timely manner for competitive prices. So much so that they offer free shipping on all orders in the continental US. The coffee cost is $38 per pound with slight discounts for higher quantities. You may also choose medium or dark roast based on your preferences.

Once you get yours be sure to check out their recipes page. There are all kinds of interesting drink ideas including Coffee Eggnog.

A special thank you to C&C Specialty Coffee for providing the product for this review. As I’ve said before, Blue Mountain Coffee is worth the splurge. If you are a coffee lover, once you try it you will be hooked. And if you are not a coffee lover, it just might convince you to become one.

Have you tried 100% Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee?

Disclosure: This coffee was sent to me free of charge by C&C Specialty Coffee. I was not required to post about it and received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts and opinions are my own, as well as my love for Jamaica.

Whole Grain Biscotti

December 18, 2009

Do you have one of those foods or recipes that you are known for in your inner circle of friends and family?

For me, it is biscotti.

I started making it when I first began working in an office place out of grad school. I used the Banana Chocolate Chip Biscotti Recipe from the Betty Crocker’s Cookbook Bridal Edition and altered it over time to make it my own. My original version that became so popular with my coworkers included white chocolate chips, walnuts, almond extract instead of vanilla and no banana.

I still love that biscotti and will make it again, but I wanted to play with the recipe a bit and see if I could get buy using whole wheat flours and unrefined sugars. Like the Pecan Shortbread, I was so happy with how it turned out! Of course, it isn’t exactly like my old version, but it is every bit as good in its own unique way.

Whole Grain Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

1 cup demerara sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups white whole wheat pastry flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Extra sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together the butter and sugar. I give it a little extra time because the sugar is such a coarse granule. Next, blend in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually incorporate the flours, baking powder and salt. Finally stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Transfer the dough to an ungreased baking sheet. Separate it into two pieces and mold the dough into a rectangular shape about one inch thick. Sprinkle each with a bit of demerara sugar. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board and cut (I use a serrated bread knife) the biscotti into pieces about one inch wide. Place the pieces back on the baking sheet, cut side up. Bake 10 to 12 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and carefully flip each piece over so the other cut side is exposed. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy! Makes about 24 pieces of biscotti.

What food or special dish are you known for?

Pumpkin Curry Cookies

December 14, 2009

While we were visiting Vegas before Thanksgiving we once again stopped in my favorite chocolate shop, Vosges Haut-Chocolate. I have to stifle giggles of glee when I walk into this place. It is full of the most amazing chocolate combinations I’ve experienced. Just the smell gives you that feeling of comfort only a smooth, rich piece of chocolate can bring.

The concept of the company is based on the phrase Travel the World through Chocolate. The company’s mission is to:

Create a sustainable luxury chocolate experience, to bring about awareness of indigenous cultures through the exploration of spices, herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, nuts and the obscure.

We stocked up well this time and I’ll do more reviewing once we break into the bars we purchased. Today, though, I want to tell you a little about something else that caught my eye while in the store.

My favorite chocolate infusion is the Naga Bar, a chocolate of 45% cacao which is mixed with sweet Indian curry powder and coconut flakes. The combination is amazing – a quality chocolate that melts in your mouth, tiny bits of coconut to add a crunchy texture and a curry flavor that lingers in the back of your throat long after the last bite.

As I was walking around the store this time, I noticed cookies. I checked out the label and was both intrigued and excited by the fact that they turned the Naga Bar into a cookie. The ingredient list looked something like this:

Pumpkin, coconut, curry and chocolate chips. My first thought – I can do that.

So here you have my new creation for the cookie exchange I co-hosted last weekend. I stuck with my minimally processed ingredients as much as possible adding in plenty of pumpkin, coconut, curry powder and chocolate.

Personally, I was thrilled with the results. Pumpkin and chocolate chips are always a great combo, but a few seconds after you take a bite the curry gently hits your taste buds intensifying the flavor experience. The only thing I would like to change is the cakey texture of the cookies. Although, I’ve made pumpkin cookies before and this seems to be the influence the addition of fresh pumpkin has. If you have a tip for making them less cakey, please share.

My husband liked them too, although I will admit that only a select few really enjoyed them at the exchange. They were a hit, but only a mild hit. I’m judging by how many were left over. I even set out samples for people to try knowing it would be a different combination for some. I’m not sure if it was that perhaps people didn’t like one of the ingredients in them or the cookies as a whole.

I didn’t let it get me down though. I loved the combination and will be making them again soon. If you have a bit of a diverse flavor palate, give them a try. Maybe you can even help me improve the recipe.

Pumpkin Curry Cookies

2 ½ cups whole white wheat pastry flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp curry powder
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup demerara sugar (unrefined cane sugar)
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup pumpkin, pureed (mine was a thin consistency as it was fresh that had been frozen & thawed)
¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chips
¾ cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt and curry powder, set aside. With a mixer, cream the butter, sugar and maple syrup. Add the eggs one at a time and incorporate well. Next mix in vanilla and the pumpkin.

Gradually incorporate the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate and coconut. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen.

Sharing My Win: French Press Coffee

December 9, 2009

Way back in June I was fortunate enough to win a recipe challenge from Miranda who writes My Food and Life Encounters. This was actually a double contest entry for me and thanks to all your friendly votes my Café & Cream Shortbread was the winning recipe on Miranda’s blog.

The prize? A Bodum Chambord French Press!

At the time I was still living in Brazil so I had the prize shipped to my parent’s house since I knew I would be back in the US in a few short months. Well, when I traveled to my hometown for Thanksgiving I finally got my hands on my prize!

I looked up a bit of the history on the French Press and learned that like most inventions it was discovered by accident. Much like the artisanal coffee I made in Brazil, traditional coffee was made by boiling the water and coffee together and letting the grounds settle.

In the 1800s a Frenchman made the mistake of forgetting to add his coffee to the boiling water. He decided to pour the boiling water over the grounds instead, and when the grounds floated, he used a screen to press down the grounds and separate the liquid. From that point the development and use of the French Press coffee maker was born and the modern variety is attributed to an Italian designer named Calimani.

Although I’d been served French Press coffee before, I’d never made it myself so there was a bit of a learning curve. First, I couldn’t use the fine ground Brazilian coffee I brought back with me as there were multiple warnings throughout the instructions about using only course ground to avoid clogging the screen. I ended up pulling out the Breville whole bean coffee I received in my goodie bag from the 2009 Foodbuzz Blogger Fest. I ground it myself to a course texture.

I added four scoops of coffee per the instructions. It suggested one scoop for each four ounce cup of coffee. Considering I’m a 8 to 12 ounce per cup girl I thought this amount would work well. The instructions lacked details for the amount of water though so I just filled the pot half way with boiling water.

It sat to brew for four minutes and then down went the plunger. Success! I enjoyed a strong, rich cup of French Press coffee this morning. I really enjoy switching up my coffee making methods especially after living in a coffee-centric culture for two years.

Thanks to Miranda and Bodum for the giveaway! If you are looking for a Christmas gift for a coffee lover I did notice there is a festive red French Press on the Bodum web-site. If you need another cookie idea I’ve reposted my Café & Cream Shortbread below. I think I might make it again this week for a Christmas luncheon I’m attending.

Café & Cream Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
½ cup mascavo sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2 cups flour (I used white, but others may work well too)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground coffee (espresso powder would work too)

Cream butter and sugar. Add in vanilla. Slowly mix in flour. Dough will be crumbly. Press dough together and split into two equal parts.

Transfer one half to a sheet of plastic wrap. Press together to form the dough more and wrap in plastic as you shape it into a square log. Refrigerate for about 20 to 30 minutes.

To the remaining dough, mix in cocoa powder and coffee. Repeat the same process forming it into a square log shape. Refrigerate for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove dough from fridge. If it is too hard to work with allow to sit at room temp for a bit to soften. Cut each log into four equal strips. Arrange the dark and light strips so that they alternate, make two stacked rows. Wrap in plastic and from into a square log, pressing the dough together slightly. Unwrap and cut cookies about ¼ inch wide.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 1 to 2 minutes and carefully transfer from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Makes 12 to 15 cookies.

My Pecan Shortbread

December 2, 2009

I’ve mentioned that I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting lately. I haven’t even purchased white sugar and flour since we’ve been back in the U.S. I’m on the search for alternative sugars and flours to use in my baking to mix things up a bit and improve nutritional value. Right now I’m using demerara sugar (unrefined cane sugar) and whole soft white wheat pastry flour.

I’m co-hosting a cookie exchange this weekend so that is giving me plenty of opportunity to play around in the kitchen using my new ingredients. Last night as I was flipping through recipes I came across one my mom gave me a few years back. It is for a homemade version of the pecan shortbread cookies made by that popular cookie company with elves. You know, those packaged cookies that remain in the aisle I no longer go down at the supermarket.

Those cookies are darn good though and I have made the original recipe before, but of course this time I wanted to try out my new choices of sugar and flour. I tried making a cake last week and it didn’t turn out so well hence it wasn’t blog material. I was anxious to see how it would do in the cookies.

They turned out great! So close to the original version that I would not even be tempted to switch back. The cookie is soft and tender just the way I like my shortbread and I upped the pecans a bit so that you get at least one piece in each bite.

I’m sure this week I’ll end up buy the white flour and sugar for the party because there are a few things I want to make without experimenting, but these cookies are a great start for treats with fewer processed ingredients.

My Pecan Shortbread

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup demerara sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole soft white wheat pastry flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
¾ cup pecans, chopped

Cream the butter and sugar. I give this a little extra time because the sugar has a much larger grain than refined white sugar. I want to make sure it is incorporated as much as possible. Add in the vanilla. Mix in the flour and blend well. Finally mix in the chopped pecans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. The dough will be slightly dry and crumbly. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap or place in a container and chill for 30 minutes. Grease your cookie sheet lightly with butter and remove the dough from the fridge. Roll pieces of the dough into 1-inch balls and flatten slightly. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Mine came out in 12 because I don’t like them too done. Makes about one dozen with a couple to spare.
*If you want to try the original use white sugar and cake flour.

I’m submitting these cookies to Food Blogga’s Eat Christmas Cookies Season 3. Check out the blog to submit your own. Then head over to the ongoing round-up post for all the the cookie recipes you could possibly need this holiday season.

Searching for Mango Sticky Rice

November 13, 2009

“You have to try the mango sticky rice.”

We heard this numerous times before traveling to Thailand. I knew right away that I would like. Rice turned into a dessert with fresh mangoes. What’s not to like?

What I didn’t know was how different it would be than my expectations, nor just how much I would love it. Add to that just how much we would eat of it during our time in Thailand.

Our first night in Chiang Mai, Thailand we made our way to the Sunday Night Bazaar. It was an outdoor market filled with handmade goods from the people who traveled in from surrounding villages. Along with all the incredible arts and crafts were plenty of foods.

Here are a few shots of table after table filled with noodles, dumplings and other Asian creations. They all smelled amazing!

Despite how good all this looks we didn’t eat much that night. We ended up finding a restaurant a few hours earlier for our first Thai meal of Spicy Green Papaya Salad and Green Curry which I will talk about more when I tell you about my cooking course.

Yes, I know we should have waited for the street food, but we were still very much getting our bearings for Thailand and weren’t sure what to expect at this particular market.

As we walked through the rows of food vendors it took a while to spot the Mango Sticky Rice, Kao Niow Ma-muang (I’ve seen it spelled several ways), but finally all the fresh mangos on the front of one cart gave it away.

We ordered one and the flavor experience began.

It was nothing like what I expected. Firstly, I had never had sticky rice before. My goodness I have been missing out for the past 31 years! Secondly, because the dish is often described as sticky rice pudding, I was expecting something much more like a sweet rice pudding such as what I tasted and made in Brazil.

Well, the sticky rice is just that – sticky. Yet, it remains firm and is somewhat dry, meaning it isn’t wet or pudding-like. It has the most wonderful sweet and nutty flavor. Next to it is a ripe, sweet, fresh mango cut into slices.

These are a different variety than the Palmer and Tommy mangoes I was getting in Brazil. The mangoes in Thailand are all yellow and not the red blending into green colors I was familiar with. I also thought they were a lot less fibrous. I’ve learned they are called Naam Dok Maai which means flower nectar mango.

To top off an already delicious combination, coconut milk is drizzled over the top. Then there is a sprinkle with these sweet, crunchy bits that I have recently learned are stir-fried mung beans. I noticed in the cookbook we received from our cooking course that they substituted sesame seeds. They wouldn’t be quite the same. I’d probably just leave them off all together.

We ate A LOT of mango sticky rice!

We later learned that mangoes weren’t actually in season while we were there. This didn’t surprise me because they have a very distinct season in Brazil as well. In fact, there is a huge mango tree near where we lived there. I passed it just a few days before we left and the mangoes were all over it, but still very tiny and very green. Perhaps they have similar seasons with Thailand.

Some vendors and restaurants still managed to provide it though and the mangoes were still delicious. Much better than any mango you could get in the central U.S. any time of year.

I haven’t made it myself yet, but once I get my hands on some sticky rice I will be giving it a try. Maybe even withough mango until the summer. Did I mention I love sticky rice?

I searched around for a few recipes and found some that appeared more authentic. I like to put twists on things, but for this dish I want it in the original form.

Real Thai Recipes Mango with Sticky Rice
Thai Food & Travel Coconut-Flavored Sticky Rice with Mangoes
Zoe Bakes Mango with Sticky Rice

Gifts from Argentina

September 28, 2009

I have likely alluded to it before, but the next best thing to traveling with my husband when he goes away on business is being on the receiving end of gifts when he returns. This time he went to Argentina and the gifts were plenty; delicious gifts of the food variety.

First, a bottle of Malbec which was wonderful despite the fact that we had to drink it out of plastic cups. I know this can be considered a good-wine sin, but the glasses are all packed away and I assure I enjoyed no less than if it had come from the most expensive wine glasses.

Along with wine, most foodies know all about chimichurri, the popular condiment of Argentina made of parsley, oregano and paprika along with many other ingredients depending on the recipe you follow. My husband received a packet of the dried mix as a gift and we’ve been instructed to reconstitute the herbs in a bit of water, and then add some oil and vinegar. So you can expect a post about this tasty stuff when I’m back to cooking again.

Finally, I saved the best for last. By far one the best sweets I have had in South America are alfajores from Argentina. I never knew cookies, dulce de leche (doce de leite in Portuguese) and chocolate could be so good.

This dessert takes two light and tender cookies and secures them together with a generous helping of caramel goodness. Then, as if that wasn’t good enough, they are covered in chocolate. They crumble and melt in your mouth with each bite. What I find especially interesting is that the cookie has a very slight citrus flavor. At least that is what it tastes like to me.

According to my sources, which happen to be the boxes the alfajores came in; the dessert is an Arabic invention and comes from the word “al-hasu” which means filling. In Argentina they can be traced back to the Spanish city of Córdoba.

The kind we are familiar with are from Havanna a chain of coffee and sweets shops which you can find in the Sao Paulo airports and in some malls in Curitiba. Most often you can find the original flavor, but there are plenty of variations as well. You can find some filled with fruit spread and covered in white chocolate or some with chocolate inside and out, or with a hint of hazelnut flavor. Some lack the chocolate coating and are rolled in powdered sugar.

In Argentina, my husband found the Havanna variety, but he decided to take a chance on some different brands. These were actually less expensive so we were a little nervous that they may not be as good. We’ve purchased some generic brands here in Brazil and didn’t turn out to be very exciting.

Well, we had nothing to worry about. All have been amazing! He picked up a box of the original with chocolate outside and dulce de leche inside.

Next was a specialty box with fruit filling and white chocolate. There is raspberry, wild berry, strawberry and the one I’m most interested to try, but saving for last, wild rose hip. The jams are sweet with a mild tart flavor that goes so well with the white chocolate. And the cookie is that same tender, crumbly goodness.

I’ve not tried to make my own yet, but you can check out this post from Sweets Foods to find a list of all kinds of Alfajores recipes to try.

So as you can see I’m filling up this week on foods from all over South America, not only those from Brazil. Speaking of that, I need to figure out which of my suitcases is going to transport all the coffee I want to take back with me. Alfajores from Argentina and coffee from Brazil, now that is one match up worthy of lugging an extra suitcase!

Kilos of Ice Cream

September 25, 2009

Imagine a self-serve, cafeteria-style ice cream shop.

First you must carefully select one of about seven types of bowls. (Better to go a little bigger than usual because you aren’t sure exactly what you will find.) As you make your way along the freezer case you see tubs filled to the brim with ice creams such as passion fruit, banana, chocolate, toasted coconut and doce de leite.

You use the scoops provided to create your bowl and then proceed to the toppings -sweet sauces, candies, fruits and nuts. Next, it is to the counter where your creation is weighed and you pay per kilogram. Each time you return for a visit you get to try a new creation made especially for you, by you.

Welcome to my ice cream experience in Brazil. Awesome, right? I know!

Visiting the ice cream shop is always an adventure. We usually end up with several bowls so we can separate flavors and toppings accordingly. It is way too difficult to pick a single dip, thus we had to start carefully selecting our walking route when out so we weren’t tempted to stop each time. Too much of a good thing and all that.

Although, given are soon approaching departure, I was determined to try some flavors I had passed up on previous visits. You know how you get stuck in a rut and always get the same kind for fear your new pick will only disappoint. My favorites always included coffee, doce de leite and coconut.

The topping of choice – farofa doce.

A play on words from the farofa that goes with beef served here which is toasted mandioca (cassava, yucca) flour, farofa doce is made to look just like it. It’s a sweet peanut concoction that is crumbled into a fine powder. Something similar to crumbled peanut butter fudge mixed with ground peanuts. Yeah, that’s close. Sweet and salty, and ice cream will never be the same again without it.

One flavor that I had routinely passed up, but just had to try, was corn (milho) ice cream. This flavor is popular in other countries as well, but I had never tried it before. If you’ve never had it, first, you have to erase any thought of what you might think the corn ice cream would taste like. I had those visions, too.

Now think about the sweetest corn bread you’ve had minus the grainy texture. Picture instead a creamy, smooth spoonful. That’s corn ice cream and I have to tell you it is amazing!

Actually, now that I think about it, it reminds me a bit of my mom’s corn pudding in ice cream form, however, no grains or pieces of corn. Promise. It’s interesting because you can identify it as corn flavor, but it is very appealing despite what the thought of corn made into ice cream may first bring to mind. I’d get it again without a doubt.

So when in Brazil, seek out some sorvete por kilo, try the corn flavor and always, always, get extra farofa doce. You won’t regret it. My waistline will likely not miss it, but my taste buds surely will!

Apple, Carrot and Pear Crisp

September 2, 2009

Some vegetables go surprisingly well with desserts. Of course, this isn’t anything new with all the zucchini breads and carrot cakes out there. So when I wanted to put together an apple crisp and had an extra couple carrots hanging out in the fridge, I thought, why not?

I’ve been trying to decide if adding veggies to desserts makes me feel better about eating them. Actually, I don’t think it does, but I am in agreement that an extra serving of vegetables here or there, whether sweet or not, can’t hurt.

Aside from their beautiful orange color, carrots are of course known for their vitamin A content which has long been associated with healthy vision. In addition, the antioxidant activity of the carotenoids protects the heart and may reduce the risk of cancer.

I always remember a conversation I had once with my grandma. She developed macular degeneration which caused her to lose much of her vision late in her life. When discussing dinner once, carrots came up. She said, “Oh yes, carrots are great for your eyes. I’ve eaten them all my life!” And then she burst out with laughter at her own joke. Ah, as Grandparent’s Day approaches I’m reminded of how much I miss her.

The carrots turned out to be a great addition to the crumble. I sautéed them in a little butter to soften them just a bit and added cinnamon to flavor them even more. They added a slightly crunchy texture and a mildly sweet flavor that complimented the apples and pears well.

I used mascavo sugar (unrefined cane sugar) for this dessert; however, I did use a table spoon of white flour for thickening. Anyone have any suggestions for a thickening agent that isn’t refined? The whole wheat flour I use isn’t so great at thickening, but perhaps something else would work.

Apple, Carrot and Pear Crisp

1 tsp. butter
¾ cup carrot, shredded
2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
2 pears, sliced
2 apples, sliced
½ cup mascavo sugar
1 tbsp. flour

Topping:
½ cup oats
¾ cup mascavo sugar
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
¼ tsp baking soda
½ cup butter

Heat the butter in a skillet and add the shredded carrot. Stir in 1 tsp. of cinnamon and cook the carrots for about five minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the pears, apples, sugar, flour and the remaining 1 tsp. of cinnamon. Mix well to coat the fruit. Into a greased baking dish, layer the apples and pears with the carrots, filling the dish.

In a smaller bowl mix the topping ingredients except for the butter. Cut the butter into the mixture and combine with a with a fork or pastry blender until the butter is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until crisp on top and bubbly.