Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)

[jumanggy]

Oh, Ce'nedra... I wish I could give you a pat on the back... The hot water in the custards was probably the killing stroke. Why are there so many? Did you serve a big batch to your family or friends? Do they at least taste good? Maybe they can still be unmolded, or scopped up and served as tiny bites.

Edited to say: I missed the part where you said they never solidified. D'oh!!! Maybe they can be frozen? (I have a feeling this was made a long time ago, though..)

Edited September 23, 2007 by jumanggy (log)

[David Ross]

Oh and just so everyone can have a good laugh at me -check out my failed green tea creme brulees 

Silly me and my sister made these in muffin paper cups for some diddlydoo-dumb reason...and you know how you're supposed to half-fill the baking dish or whatever with water? Well my sister thought you had to add water to the actual CREME BRULEE!! Sad to say, our creme brulees weren't quite creme brulee considering they never seemed to solidify

Oh and we don't even have a flaming torch to make the crisp sugary topping NOR does our grill work! 'Tis was a gloomy day 

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Actually, don't worry, you can still save your mistakes sometimes and make quite delicious desserts. Jumanggy is right, if you think the custard tastes good you could always scoop it out of the cups. Spoon some of the custard into say martini glasses and garnish with some crumbled sesame cookies and maybe a dollop of whipped cream and you would have a nice Green Tea Pudding with Sesame Cookies-a sort of Asian inspired dessert. It would be worth a try.

[Dianabanana]

Argghh! I'm so envious at all of you's! Do you know what I have for 'dessert' every night after dinner? FRUITS! Only!  It's rare for us to have an after-dinner treat -so sad so sad...

And OMG! dystopiandreamgirl...I am just lost for words at your shell cake...

Dianabanana: Your's makes me feel so homey and warm inside...it's the comfort kind of dessert that grandma makes! That's my mum's favourite sort of cake (ish). Can I have the recipe for it please? It looks just delish!

And David Ross: that is THE ultimate winter dessert 

Mmm...desserts...fats...cream...mmm...

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Thanks, Ce'nedra! It's just a bastardized version of Rose Levy Beranbaum's Plum Flame Tart from her Pie and Pastry Bible, but you don't need a recipe, as long as you know how to make pie crust. I just partially baked a tart shell (I had regular pie crust dough in the freezer so I used that), sprinkled a little cornstarch on the bottom, enough to lightly dust the whole bottom, then quartered the prune plums and arranged them. Then I sprinkled Johnnybird's Toast Dope on top and baked at 375 until done. How much would depend on how swet your prunes are. After it came out, I melted some apricot jam thinned with a little bit of water and used that to glaze it. It was really good!

[gfron1]

Or Ce'nedra...maybe they can become an ice cream!

[Pille]

I had a sea-buckthorn jelly with a mascarpone and kama mousse - healthy and beautiful:

You can read more here on my eG foodblog

[GTO]

Pille - I don't know what those things are, but I want them. I love the rich burnt orange colour of the jelly.

Inspired by Mark Bittman, I've gone all Minimalist with Apples in sweet-spiced apple syrup with black pepper.

(Bought Meringues, btw. My oven sucks.)

[Ce'nedra]

Oh, Ce'nedra... I wish I could give you a pat on the back... The hot water in the custards was probably the killing stroke. Why are there so many? Did you serve a big batch to your family or friends? Do they at least taste good? Maybe they can still be unmolded, or scopped up and served as tiny bites.

Edited to say: I missed the part where you said they never solidified. D'oh!!! Maybe they can be frozen? (I have a feeling this was made a long time ago, though..)

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I have no idea why there were so many to be honest. I think we just had no idea what would be an appropriate amount to make haha! There's only four people in our family after all

The flavour wasn't toooo bad I suppose...tasted kinda like a green tea smoothie (but with the wrong texture) lol! Well, actually, now that I think about it properly, it does taste fairly nice...just not AT all what we were expecting.

Oh and yes it was done awhile ago -early this year. It wasn't a happy day I'm afraid -though it does make a funny story now

Actually, don't worry, you can still save your mistakes sometimes and make quite delicious desserts.  Jumanggy is right, if you think the custard tastes good you could always scoop it out of the cups.  Spoon some of the custard into say martini glasses and garnish with some crumbled sesame cookies and maybe a dollop of whipped cream and you would have a nice Green Tea Pudding with Sesame Cookies-a sort of Asian inspired dessert.  It would be worth a try.

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Wow you are so creative David! I would NEVER have thought of that...once I see a ruined meal, I just weep and mope. I have tried saving a Mexican dinner before (turned out ok) but with desserts, I have no idea where to begin!

Well thank you for your inspiration. That really is a good idea -I'll keep that thought in mind

Thanks, Ce'nedra! It's just a bastardized version of Rose Levy Beranbaum's Plum Flame Tart from her Pie and Pastry Bible, but you don't need a recipe, as long as you know how to make pie crust. I just partially baked a tart shell (I had regular pie crust dough in the freezer so I used that), sprinkled a little cornstarch on the bottom, enough to lightly dust the whole bottom, then quartered the prune plums and arranged them. Then I sprinkled Johnnybird's Toast Dope on top and baked at 375 until done. How much would depend on how swet your prunes are. After it came out, I melted some apricot jam thinned with a little bit of water and used that to glaze it. It was really good!

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Mmm sweet and simple! I like it Thanks, I can impress my mum next time I make dessert now hehe

Or Ce'nedra...maybe they can become an ice cream!

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Ooo...sounds like a good idea How do I do that though? Add some cream and leave in freezer?

[Pam R]

I don't bake dessert at home very often. This wasn't an after dinner dessert, but it was dinner on Saturday night. Family tradition is fresh-baked sweet breads to break the Yom Kippur fast. I didn't use a recipe (unfortunately) and at the last minute added allspice and orange zest to the dough.

[Ce'nedra]

Pam R: Your fresh baked bread looks really hearty

Mum taught me how to make Sweet tea-soaked eggs today -really simple and good stuff (though maybe a bit on the weird side for others)

[GTO]

Looks great, Ce'nedra - Looks a bit like a Kinder Surprise, lol.

[Jmahl]

Torta de Santiago

Almond sponge cake

This cake is a traditional specialty of Galicia, Spain. The top of the cake is traditionally decorated with a cross in confectioner’s sugar, in honor of Saint James, Spain’s patron saint.

Recipe by Chef Joyce Goldstein

Wonderful flavorful cake - all almond flour, sugar, lemon and lots of eggs.

Jmahl

[Ce'nedra]

Looks great, Ce'nedra - Looks a bit like a Kinder Surprise, lol.

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Hahaha! You're right

It looks very plain but it truly is quite delicious

[jumanggy]

Jmahl, the torta looks nice (it's even on a map!). I didn't know that almond flour figured in Spanish cuisine. Almonds are available everywhere here, but the price is prohibitive... I guess I will have to go to Galicia (or the Tex-Mex border) to taste it.

My first attempt at cheesecake (another prohibitively expensive ingredient: cream cheese). No crust, and no real toppings, but real decadent. I'm glad Rob was asking about cheesecakes as I don't think I would have been able to tell that this was done.

[GTO]

Awesome cheesecake, Mark. It looks exactly like the inside of what we call a 'Vanilla slice' - ie. Semi-set pastry cream between two layers of iced puff pastry.

I love the design on the top and the cherry is just painfully Chic.

[LittleChef22]

I'm determined to make these this weekend- they look AMAZING!!!!!!

They'd be fabulous with coffee ice cream and toffee chocolate chip cookies! Other combos?

[Ling]

Tonight I served a foie gras tarte tatin with bottles of Chateau Rieussec '03. The sauce is orange blossom honey, white truffle honey, reduced veal stock, and sherry vinegar.

[Jmahl]

Jmahl, the torta looks nice (it's even on a map!). I didn't know that almond flour figured in Spanish cuisine. Almonds are available everywhere here, but the price is prohibitive... I guess I will have to go to Galicia (or the Tex-Mex border) to taste it.

My first attempt at cheesecake (another prohibitively expensive ingredient: cream cheese). No crust, and no real toppings, but real decadent. I'm glad Rob was asking about cheesecakes as I don't think I would have been able to tell that this was done.

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Dear Jumanggy:

I made the almond flour by blanching and peeling almonds - slightly toasting and then grinding in my mini food processor. The almonds come from the Arab influence during the 400 year Moorish period I would venture to guess.

Ling: You continue to amaze.

Jmahl

[sazji]

I did a personal twist on a fairly run-of-the-mill Turkish dessert: Semolina halvah with pinenuts is a traditional version. I added orange zest, dark chocolate and just before it got too cool to melt it, half a cup of chopped white chocolate. It won't win any prizes for beauty (especially served alongside a computer keyboard...hey, it's honest) but I was pretty happy with the flavor, and coming upon a piece of white chocolate is especially nice. The dark chocolate was a little wimpy though; I should have added more.

Ling - I'm trying to imagine a foie gras tarte tatin. What did you serve it as - dessert, appetizer...? Is that a big hunk of foie gras in the picture?

Jmahl - the almond cake is beautiful, it must have been delicious!

[eskay]

That looks like something I'd really enjoy. I've never heard of halvah, what is the texture like? Is it grainy, or more chewy?

[zpzjessica]

Now that autumn is rolling around, it's time for me to make my delicious (if I do say so myself!) apple spice crisp!

Such a great recipe, minimal preparation, and YUMMY results

I'll pass the recipe on to whoever's interested...

[Dianabanana]

Jmahl--That almond cake looks really good. I'm starting a quest for my perfect almond cake. I just ordered two cans of almond paste made by American Almond Products--$9.50 each! They'd better be good. The first cake I'm going to try is the Chez Panisse one.

I've been seeing almond flour in stores more lately but I haven't bought it because I'm always afraid it will be rancid. Seems like it would turn really fast, all ground up, sitting at room temp, and exposed to the light in its clear plastic bag. Am I needlessly worrying?

I love your map backdrop!

[Dianabanana]

More from the prune-plum files . . . this weekend I made the Original Plum Torte, from a recipe that, according Marian Burros, has been reprinted in the New York Times at reader request nearly every year since 1981. I don't know why--it wasn't that great. It was certainly easy but beyond that it was just your basic quick coffee cake with plums on top. I even forgot to take a picture.

I needed consolation after that, so I made World Peace Cookies. Much more rewarding!

[sazji]

That looks like something I'd really enjoy.  I've never heard of halvah, what is the texture like?  Is it grainy, or more chewy?

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Not chewy - it can be either firm or seperate/grainy depending on how you add the sugar, but the grains are tender. I've posted a recipe in RecipeGullet.

Now imagining it with almond flour...actually there was a ground almond halvah made in the Ottoman palace, but I don't know exactly how it was made.

[sazji]

I'm determined to make these this weekend- they look AMAZING!!!!!!

They'd be fabulous with coffee ice cream and toffee chocolate chip cookies!  Other combos?

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The first thing that comes to mind is dark chocolate ice cream between peanut butter cookies. Or (different from theirs but) a batch of chewy brownies made in a pan the same size as the ice cream, take the brownie out in one piece and cut in two crosswise, then spread the ice cream and refreeze, then cut.

[jumanggy]

Dimply Plum Cake, from Baking: MHTY