Your Daily Sweets (2005-2012)

[Gail CDM]

Today was cream puff stuffed with a wonderful mixture of heavy cream (whipped) amaretto and chopped pecans. Remember to soak you pecans for an our in the amaretto...then mix them in. I'm using amaretto more instead of vanilla... Tastes great.

Marinate your fresh strawberries for about an hour before topping you shortcake....wow!!

[ManhattanLawyer]

Here is an apple cobbler. After making dozens of cobbler toppings throughout the years, I now don't make anything other than this topping. They are cream biscuits and have the most amazing texture.

And here is vanilla bean panna cotta with balsamic macerated strawberries with a little black pepper. This is my go-to panna cotta recipe from Gale Gand. I rarely ever try any other panna cotta recipe, this one is so delicious.

[ManhattanLawyer]

cocoa ladyfingers filled with milk chocolate mousse, topped with marbled bittersweet glaze and a belgian white chocolate arrow...

Happy Valentine's Day everybody!

This looks incredible. So artistic!

[Darienne]

Here is an apple cobbler. After making dozens of cobbler toppings throughout the years, I now don't make anything other than this topping. They are cream biscuits and have the most amazing texture.

The biscuits I make are popular in our house, but I am always open to a new recipe...especially if the texture is 'amazing'. Thanks.

[ManhattanLawyer]

Here is an apple cobbler. After making dozens of cobbler toppings throughout the years, I now don't make anything other than this topping. They are cream biscuits and have the most amazing texture.

The biscuits I make are popular in our house, but I am always open to a new recipe...especially if the texture is 'amazing'. Thanks.

Here's the recipe I use. Would love to see yours too if you're willing to share.

Dough:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until fine crumbs form. Add cream, stir with fork, then gently mix with hand until dough holds together and cleans bowl. Gently form into a ball. On a floured surface, knead dough three times. With a floured hand, gently roll dough into a log approximately 6-inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.

I bake the filling (6 cups any fruit, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup sugar, and pieces of butter to dot on top) at 375 for about 20-30 minutes first, then while fruit is cooking, I cut the dough into 8 or so slices. Place cobbler dough onto fruit after 20-30 minutes, dab cream onto dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping. Bake approx. 25-35 minutes.

Hope you like it! A lot of people I know don't like biscuit-topped cobbler but it's my favorite!

[Darienne]

Thanks ManhattanLawyer.

Mine are nothing extraordinary. They come from an old cookbook...my first and that's 50 years now...which lost its cover years ago.

2 cups flour

1 T sugar

1/2 t salt (I use less)

4 t baking powder

4 T cold butter

1/2- 1/3 c milk

1 egg, well beaten

Melted butter, sugar

Sift dry ingredients and cut in butter. Add milk to egg, then add to flour mixture, adding more milk if necessary. Knead lightly on floured surface. Form as you wish. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle on sugar. 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

I never put sugar on them. I usually add orange zest. We often eat them cut open horizontally into two each, with mixed berries and whipped cream. Dessert as supper we call it. It's not dessert after supper...it is supper.

Or just plain with soup.

[Lior]

wow, everything looks so very delicious-YUM!!

The Panna Cotta dish-whew! Gorgeous!!

Jenc- I will try to make them with a melon scoop first. If they are as good as they look, I will find a mold somehow. I love the way they sound and look. And hopefully it is not too difficult.

Expect to see pictures soon!

[Dakki]

Two batches of carrot cupcakes, to compare what I suspect is cassia vs true cinnamon.

I'll serve them plain to some guests later, since I suspect any kind of frosting would muddle the issue.

[ManhattanLawyer]

Shortcake with chocolate ice cream and balsamic macerated strawberries

[meredithla]

Two recent desserts I've made...

PASSIONFRUIT MACARONS

MOMOFUKU CRACK PIE

[meredithla]

Had a craving for rice pudding today...

ARBORIO RICE PUDDING WITH BANANAS & PISTACHIOS

[Kim Shook]

jenc – those cookies are lovely. I tried to find them in Richmond, but no luck – tried what was called “Asian Bakery”, but it was all Bahn Mi and pho (really GOOD Bahn Mi, though, I’m glad we found it), so I will wait and see if Ilana has any luck with them and I might just try them myself, too!

Dakki – I’m so glad that your cheesecake worked out this time and even more glad that you persevered!

ManhattanLawyer – I love the look of your cobbler and like the idea of cream biscuits as a topping. And that is an amazing looking shortbread – where in the world did you get such gorgeous strawberries in February???

A couple of recent cakes that I made for co-workers’ birthdays:

A jumbo red velvet cupcake:

And a carrot cake:

[Darienne]

You certainly have lucky co-workers with a lot of birthdays. Do you suppose some co-workers have more than one birthday a year because you keep on making them such beautiful cakes and things?

Does someone make you a cake on your birthday?

[Kim Shook]

You certainly have lucky co-workers with a lot of birthdays. Do you suppose some co-workers have more than one birthday a year because you keep on making them such beautiful cakes and things?

Does someone make you a cake on your birthday?

No repeats that I know of, but I started out making them just for the few girls that I work with, but now I am expected to make them for the whole office (about 15 people). They really appreciate it, though, make a big deal of it, and I love to cook, so I don't mind. On my birthday they got me a grocery store cake - dry, tasteless and tooth-achingly sweet. I guess it would be rude to suggest I'd rather just have a Cadbury bar, huh?

[Darienne]

On my birthday they got me a grocery store cake - dry, tasteless and tooth-achingly sweet. I guess it would be rude to suggest I'd rather just have a Cadbury bar, huh?

For my birthday party with friends a couple of years ago, I made MY OWN cake. Chocolate cake bombe, filled with two chocolate mousses: milk and dark, covered with 70% ganache, with white chocolate shavings on top.

'Partway through the massacre'

ps. Kim, I hope someone is reimbursing you for all the expenses....

Edited March 1, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[oli]

On my birthday they got me a grocery store cake - dry, tasteless and tooth-achingly sweet. I guess it would be rude to suggest I'd rather just have a Cadbury bar, huh?

For my birthday party with friends a couple of years ago, I made MY OWN cake. Chocolate cake bombe, filled with two chocolate mousses: milk and dark, covered with 70% ganache, with white chocolate shavings on top.

That's how its done in the old country. When you have a birthday, you make a cake, and then invite guests and friends to celebrate your day.

Edited March 1, 2010 by heidih
fix quote tags (log)

[Kim Shook]

On my birthday they got me a grocery store cake - dry, tasteless and tooth-achingly sweet. I guess it would be rude to suggest I'd rather just have a Cadbury bar, huh?

For my birthday party with friends a couple of years ago, I made MY OWN cake. Chocolate cake bombe, filled with two chocolate mousses: milk and dark, covered with 70% ganache, with white chocolate shavings on top.

'Partway through the massacre'

ps. Kim, I hope someone is reimbursing you for all the expenses....

Darienne - that is gorgeous and EXACTLY what I'd love for my own birthday. No, they don't reimburse, but that's my choice - it was offered, but I refused. It gets me out of contributing to a gift and I would be cooking and taking stuff in anyway. Mr. Kim and I are always trying to eat better, so 'goodies' go to our offices once we have a taste. I love to cook and experiment and if we ate it all, we'd be rolling around the house like Tweedledee and Tweedledum!

[meredithla]

After years, I finally got around to trying the Todd English White Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding recipe. Topped with raspberry sauce and berries.

P.S. Anyone know how to resize a photo so it doesn't look like the bread pudding that swallowed the world?

[emmalish]

P.S. Anyone know how to resize a photo so it doesn't look like the bread pudding that swallowed the world?

Why would you want to?!

Looks fantastic.

[Darienne]

It looks so good I immediately went online and got the recipe.

[Sweet Morsels Toffee]

Girl Scout cookies for us tonight

[Darienne]

Not exciting, but a favorite dessert: Poppy Seed Coffee Cake with Lemon Curd filling and topping.

And I remembered to photograph it before we tore into it. I've got to get a new camera with a macro lens!!!

Edited March 8, 2010 by Darienne (log)

[Chris Hennes]

How do you get the filling in there? Just basically layer it?

[Darienne]

You put in 2/3 of the batter. Then 1/2 the curd. Then the rest of the batter, topped by the rest of the curd. Then take a knife and insert it half way down the batter and draw it around a couple of times. It is so good.

I make the curd extra tart and the contrast between the poppy cake and the tart curd was wonderful. Oh, it's all gone...

[fairfranco]

David Lobovitz banana and chocolate upside down pudding.

I should have had smaller chocolate pieces but pretty tasty.