Dessert – Page 10 – Rosemary and the Goat

French Apple Tart

Délicieuse tarte aux pommes!

My tart and other pictures below from French class mingled with my experience of making it.

Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas will soon be here. Aren’t we all always looking for quick but beautiful desserts to make for the holidays?

What a delicious apple tart this is and one we learned to make in our cooking class in Arles, France last March. This is the perfect time of the year to be making anything with apples because they are the best of the year and the price is right.

What an experience making this apple tart for the first time (in France) was and one we will never forget. I absolutely love taking cooking classes. You would think at my age that I would know how to cook enough to get by but that’s not enough for me; I want the experience of going different places and cooking the local foods and it’s even more fun when doing it with husband, friends, or anyone who is going to enjoy it as much as I know I am.

For this apple tart, we shopped at the local market, (see pictures below) for the apples and all the other foods we were preparing for our fantastic meal. This is about the easiest tart you will ever make and I think after trying it a few times I will be able to make it as good as our teacher’s tart. One thing is his puffed pastry came in a considerably larger sheet than what we get from Pepperidge Farm frozen pastry. The next time, I’m putting two sheets together and roll them together giving more layers of the delicate pastry. Secondly, I will use a different apple, maybe a Braeburn instead of a Jazz, for more tartness.

I did add the cinnamon which Erick (our teacher) did not. To me, apples and cinnamon go together. I may try adding some golden raisins also the next time because I just happen to have some in my pantry.

November 30, 2012 By Sherry

Cake/ Dessert

Cafe Beaujolais Marble Cake — It’s a keeper!

Cat eye, steely, keepers, shooters?

I have to admit I was not born with a whisk in my hand nor did I teeth on a wooden spoon and I certainly did not carry a bento lunchbox packed full of gourmet treats to school.

I was one of those little kids down in the dirt after a circle was drawn, marbles thrown in, and my favorite beautiful swirled marble in hand ready to take all the other kid’s marbles. I really don’t remember if we player keepies or keepers but I’m sure I was upset if I lost any of my prized marbles that I kept in a little drawstring bag.

Anytime I see anything swirled whether it is a sauce on a dessert plate, a piece of fabric or even a swirled cloud in the sky it brings back thoughts of marble playing days, my favorite swirled marbles, and dirty hands and knees. What happened to all those games like marbles and jacks that got the kids outside and dirty.

This marble cake recipe is definite a keeper recipe and you don’t have to get too dirty making it. Thanks to Margaret Fox’s recipe from Cafe Beaujolais. I’m not keeping this to myself but sharing it with you so you can give it a try. I would call this more of a coffee cake (even though she doesn’t) than a dessert type cake. Very good with a cup of tea for brunch or anytime of the day.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Coconut Oatmeal Pie — One of my favorite fall type pies. I’m making this for a bake sale this month. Hope they like it.

November 5, 2012 By Sherry

Dessert/ Desserts

Almond Cherry Clafoutis

What’s a clafoutis anyway?

Do you love cherries as much as I do? If so, you will love this clafoutis.

So today when I did a routine clean-out of my refrigerator, and there is nothing routine about cleaning my refrigerator, I happened to notice two partial bags of cherries so I was motivated to find something to do with them. We can get fresh cherries year round here in Texas, just not at the summer prices.

Pronounced, kla-foo-TEE, a Cherry Clafoutis or Clafouti is a rustic French dessert made with cherries arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a flan-like batter then baked and dusted with powdered sugar and served warm. We had many rustic French desserts and pastries while in France this year but I never saw this one on a menu.

I’m serving my clafoutis with whipped cream flavored with almond extract. Some recipes call for not taking out the pits because they are suppose to release a wonderful almond flavor when the dessert is baked. The other member of my household does not like anything with a pit, so unless I want to sit and use a cherry pitter (I love my pitter) and pit him a bowlful, I’m the only one eating those cherries. After what he has done for me during both knee recoveries, I should be cutting his meat and spoon feeding him.

There are so many versions of this online, some are almost bread pudding like and some flan like. I think this is somewhere in between.

October 27, 2012 By Sherry

Dessert/ Ice Cream

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Peanut Butter and Chocolate, what a combination!

Look over your shoulder. What do you see? I see summer gone in a flash. Where did it go? My knee rehab took most of my summer hours. I really missed getting in the pool for about 8 weeks and by the time I could get in the pool I was doing knee exercises. Now, I have to say that is not the way I want to enjoy the summer and the pool.

My idea of pool time is floating on a noodle or chair with a glass of wine in hand. Except what I was actually drinking when I did finally get in the pool was glass after glass of Pau d’arco tea that was suppose to be cleansing glands etc. and reducing swelling in the knee. I don’t know how anything made from the inner bark of a tree from South America could be the least bit refreshing. Well, I can just dream of next summer, a float, some wine or margaritas and maybe on a beach instead of a pool.

I seem to post most of my ice cream recipes in the summer and since I did make this a few weeks ago I want to post it even though fall is here and everyone is probably thinking of apple and pumpkin pie. It’s never the wrong time of the year to make ice cream.

September 11, 2012 By Sherry

Dessert/ Desserts/ Pies/Tarts

Strawberry Shortcakes

You’re going to say “do what with the egg yolks”.

Summer is slipping away and you will want to try this dessert before those just picked strawberries are no longer available.

My daughter first tried this recipe after seeing it on a blog and I remember her telling me the shortcakes had BOILED EGG YOLKS in them. When I was in culinary school I NEVER heard of using boiled egg yolks in a pastry. According to a La Times article, a trick from chef Larry Forgione is to add a couple of hard boiled egg yolks to his shortcake because the yolks are high in fat and low in moisture and they add richness without toughening the dough. Go figure. Well, I guess he knows what he’s talking about because these are delicious.

I’m sure I have said before that my mother use to make strawberry shortcake by first making homemade pie crust (she always made homemade). She then cut it into strips and baked it until lightly brown and crunchy and then we would crumble it up in our bowls, top with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream. I know, I know, sounds like a lot of trouble but well worth the effort.

Others, I’m sure still buy those little round shortbread cakes that get soggy after you put on your strawberries and get that first bite into your mouth. That’s ok too. But this little shortbread cake seems to be the perfect platform for those strawberries or any other sweetened fruit you may want to try.

August 15, 2012 By Sherry

Dessert/ Fruit Dishes

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Fruit explosion!

Who doesn’t love chips and salsa at a party? I think it is kind of un-American to turn up your nose at probably one of our first appetizers we ever learned to make whether it is guacamole, onion dip (even the packaged type) or anything you throw together with a sour cream or mayonnaise base. And this little fruit salsa just explodes in your mouth with taste; kind of like the best bite of fruit cobbler you put in your mouth and you don’t even need a recipe.

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN; The time when I drag myself to the blueberry and blackberry patch with the possibility of snake bite, mosquito bites, sunburn, pricked fingers from the throned berries, heat stroke, and dehydration and force myself to pick berries so I can make some preserves and then put the remainder of the berries in the freezer (it better not go out again and spoil my fruit).

I was ready this year and decided to drag myself off the couch and quit complaining about my knees (by this time I should be two days into one new knee) and get out and do something. The first trip was to the blackberry patch. So, I took a tumbler of water (that dumped before I picked a half a pail of berries), hung my iPhone around my neck, put on earphones, set it to play my favorite soundtrack from the movie French Kiss, and donned my big floppy hat and set out down the patch with two buckets in hand. So the first hour I picked 10 lbs and went back for two more buckets which I filled in 45 minutes. $65 later, I have enough berries to last awhile.

My second trip was to the blueberry fields of Moorhead Blueberry Farm. They were the first blueberry farm in Texas according to their website. I did not beat everyone there the day I went even though I was there at 7:00 a.m. By the time I left, there were at least 100 berry picker’s cars along the road and more coming in. This was a fun morning. I was by myself and as I picked berries (there were gazillions) I could hear cries from all over the fields from parents who had taken their children — “watch out for the poison ivy”, “only pick the dark blue ones”, “don’t throw them in the bucket”, “WHERE ARE YOU”, and AWWWWWWW from the ones that were probably too little to take on this outing. I was glad to be in my own little world with my headphones and music.

June 29, 2012 By Sherry

Cake/ Coffee Cakes/ Dessert

Fresh Peach and Raspberry Cake

Why can’t I leave a recipe alone?

Thanks Ina (Garten) for this recipe; and I decided to add in some raspberries, hope you don’t mind.

We got home from a weekend trip to Austin of seeing the kids and grandkids and as always the first thing I do is to flip on the computer. I don’t know what I was looking for but, there staring me in the face is Ina Garten’s Fresh Peach Cake.

I don’t know if I have mentioned this before and I will probably mention it at least a gazillion times before I can let it go, but while we were in France our freezer shut off for no apparent reason and one of the things I lost was all the summer fruit I had picked (or bought) last summer and put up for future use.

If riding three hours back from Austin wasn’t enough work for the day, I decided to clean out the bottom freezer of my inside refrigerator. Lo and behold I found a package of my peaches and raspberries that were saved from that ghastly day everything decided to die in my outside freezer.

So, recipe – fruit — MAKE CAKE. I did Ina’s recipe exactly (I guess not exactly) but decided to use the raspberries along with the peaches; I do love the combination of those two fruits and it was delicious and beautiful.

I’m serving this tonight for dessert with a soup that I threw together with a bunch of other stuff I cleaned out of the freezer. The soup may not be worth keeping around for leftovers, but I know the cake will be delicious and hey, I still have some of that Blue Bell Homade vanilla ice cream that is waiting around for someone to eat it.

June 1, 2012 By Sherry

Dessert/ Ice Cream

Ginger Cantaloupe Ice Cream

My first ice cream recipe for the summer and it won’t be the last.

So we are strolling through one of the markets in Provence and a lady tells my friend about her “ginger beer”. My friend loved the taste and then came and found me and convinced me to buy some also. My first thought was “now I can make that green apple ginger martini that I had once in Austin”. So I bought it and I have used it on a few things and plan on freezing the remaining liquid before it goes bad.

My friend has used the ginger juice on fish with great results. I sprinkled some on some grilled steelhead trout the other night and thought it was pretty darn good.

To me there’s nothing better in the summer than a ripe cantaloupe sprinkled with a little salt. I started thinking about cantaloupe ice cream and sprinkling the top with a little of my fleur de sel (sea salt) I brought back, and why not add some of the ginger juice to the mix as well. Well, why not make it, I have all the time in the world so why not mess up my spotless kitchen that it took me all morning to get clean.

So this is my first ice cream post for the summer months. I will probably have many more to come. There’s nothing better on a hot sweltering day than a cup (or bowl) of some kind of creamy ice cream or sherbet. And, if you make it yourself, it’s even better.

May 23, 2012 By Sherry

Dessert/ Desserts

Floating Island (Eggs in Snow)

Something I definitely wanted to try in France.

So, before heading off for France I found a “must try” food list while in France. Below was my list I was working from and if I managed to try them.

Baguettes (tried many times), croissants (almost daily), cheeses (many different kinds were eaten), charcuterie (had it), foie gras (yes), steak frites (yes), croque monsieur (twice), crepes (suzette of course), fleur de del caramels (yes), and quiche lorraine (twice) were a few of the “must try” things and we made it through the list. We can’t forget macarons (made them twice, had them from Laudree), pates (definitely), rilletes (didn’t, but have made one), duck confit (yes, twice).

Ok, so I have either made a lot of these things or have had them before, but it was so much more fun sitting in some little French bistro or brasierres, trying to translate a menu, watching the people go by and toasting our time in France.

The desserts were beautiful (see some of the window shots I got of bakeries). I knew I wanted to try Floating Island and sure enough it showed up on a menu our second night in Paris. A guy next to me ordered it and I looked at it and said “floating island”??? and he said yes. I knew I had to order it. Their meringue was done differently and was baked and then cut into large wedges.

Floating island is a French dessert (they call it Eggs in Snow) consisting of meringue puffs floating on a pool of crème anglaise. The meringues are made of whipped egg whites, sugar and vanilla extract that are quickly poached in water or milk. (I did these in water, but will use milk the next time.)

I don’t know about you but I never like my refrigerators (I have three) to be without milk, cream, butter or my pantry to be without flour, yeast, sugar or vanilla. You can make almost any dessert or breads from those ingredients; so I don’t think we will ever starve in this house.

This dessert is such a recipe. A little egg, cream, sugar and you have a wonderful little dessert which looks so elegant served in a martini glass.

May 14, 2012 By Sherry

Cake/ Dessert

Sugar Plum Cake

Visions of sugar plums dancing in my head over this cake.

Our two weeks in France went by so fast. And I was right about all the pastries we ate. There are a couple of things we had while there that I want to try and recreate. Like the cream puffs that the little bakeries in the town we stayed in made. They had a chunky sugar (sucre pearl) sprinkled on top with powdered sugar on top of that.We had those several times in Provence. I loved the large sugar palmiers that we bought each morning for breakfast, and the Macarons that we had from Laduree were wonderful.

Before leaving on our trip I made this Sugar Plum Cake for a group of friends one night. I didn’t want to tell them that it was made from prunes because I was afraid that the cake would be shunned. So I simply said it was a sugar plum cake made with plums. Everyone enjoyed the cake and I finally fessed up to the fact that it was indeed made from prunes. Maybe most people don’t like prunes but I love them. Can’t stand the juice because it looks and taste like it is made for someone 90 years old with a problem. I do love having the individually wrapped prunes on hand for snacks.

This is a recipe my sister gave me and another one of her recipes she has been trying to get me try for quite some time. So, I decided one day to make it and I was very happy with the results.

What is your favorite bunt cake? Leave comment below if you have one you would like to share.

April 25, 2012 By Sherry

Dessert

Chambord Ganache Raspberries

These are to die for and you will want more than three.

We served these three little chocolate filled raspberries after the cheese course of our French dinner a few weeks ago.

NOTES FROM FRANCE: Left Paris today and arrived in Elygaliers in Provence. Now this is France. Feel like we are in another world. Had one fantastic meal at Sous les micocouliers. Bought some great things from bakery for breakfast tomorrow before heading to markets at Isle sur la Sorgue.

I first saw a filled raspberry on the Pinterest site but they were only filled with a white or chocolate chip inserted in the end. My first thought was – “I can improve on that”. I think I did.

I love raspberries in just about anything and to pair it with chocolate and a raspberry liqueur makes the end results worth all the fuss.

Chambord is a black raspberry liqueur modeled after a raspberry liqueur produced in the Loire Valley of France in the late 17th Century and is made from red and black raspberries, Madagascar vanilla and Moroccan citrus peel, honey and cognac. Now how could anything made with this delicious liqueur not be wonderful.

March 24, 2012 By Sherry

Beverages/ Dessert

Chocolate Martini Blox

Who didn’t grow up loving Jello and Jello Knox Blox?

Remember the song from the Jello commercial —

♫ Watch it wiggle, see it jiggle. Cool and smoothy, Jello brand gelatin. Of all desserts you’ll love the one that tastes so light and makes such fun. Make Jello gelatin and make some fun. J-e-l-l-o!♫

It’s hard to imagine a life without Jello as a kid. My favorite was strawberry with bananas. My grandmother had a particular refrigerator tray that was a light blue aluminum pan, and that was what she made her strawberry jello in and then she added bananas to the chilling mixture. We couldn’t wait for it to set up so we could dig in. My mother came up with all kinds of desserts using Jello over the years; but it seems like you just don’t see it used in recipes as often now. I don’t even make the Jello salads anymore like I did back in the 70’s and 80’s. No one in my family ever ate them but me. I have an appetizer that has been a catering favorite for years — Garden Vegetable Terrine that has Lemon Jello in it and it’s delicious — kind of sweet, kind of hot and spicy recipe.

These days it seems like if we eat Jello we are sick or getting ready for some kind of medical test.

Well this particular gelatin recipe is made with Knox gelatin. End results I guess would be like Jello Knox Blox that we use to make for our kids. They really loved being able to pick up Jello and eat it with their hands; but these Jello Blox are for adults only. My sister tore this recipe from one of her magazine and put it in “to make” notebook so I copied it while visiting and thought why not try them out for my bunco group at my house last week. I’m sure this recipe was a Knox advertisement because it specified Knox unflavored gelatin.

♫”It wiggles, it jiggles, it’s fun for everyone”.♫

January 12, 2012 By Sherry

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