Fresh Berry Fool – It Would be a Pity Not to Make This for Labor Day

Fresh Berry Fool – It Would be a Pity Not to Make This for Labor Day

Dessert Fruit

There are like a thousand approved ways to combine sweet cream and fresh fruit, but this gorgeous fool may be my favorite. Of course, the easy-to-joke-about name helps, but what I really love is how surprisingly light this is. It's also very easy, which seems totally appropriate for a possible Labor Day dessert.

While certainly not light on the calorie counter, this stuff is shockingly airy on the palate. It’s that contrast between the rich, fluffy cream, and the syrupy, tangy fruit, which makes this so much greater than the sum of its parts. Fresh berries are a classic, but this would work with peeled, diced, ripe peaches.

By the way, contrary to what you heard in the introduction, this isn’t called a “fool” because it’s so ridiculously simple to make. Apparently, it comes from the French word, "fouler," which means "to mash." I guess we’ll let you decide which story to go with. I think you know which one I prefer. Either way, I really do hope you get this fool a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for four large portions:

3 cups fresh berries (raspberries, broken blackberries, quartered strawberries)

1/4 to 1/3 cup white sugar (more sugar you use the more syrup you get)

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1/4 cup crème fraiche (yogurt or sour cream maybe subbed - *if using yogurt or sour cream, stir into the cream once it’s almost fully whipped)

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup crumbled butter shortbread cookies, or vanilla wafers

Ditulis soni agus Pada 09.44 Komentar

Lemon Ice and Losing My Innocence in New York City

Lemon Ice and Losing My Innocence in New York City

Dessert Italian Cuisine

Whenever I make this refreshing lemon ice, I always think of a story my father told me many years ago, about the Italian ice vendors in New York, stirring a few lemon seeds into their tubs, so that people would think they were using real lemons.

They weren’t, which sort of disappointed me at the time, but eventually I came to appreciate the hustle. I loved the story, but it also had me facing the cold, hard truth that all is not what it seems. What else wasn’t real? Anyway, that’s about as heavy as I want to get on this pleasant summer evening.

This couldn’t be any easier to make, and you can really play around with the texture, depending on what you’re into. Some people will stop at the slushy stage, but I generally keep freezing and forking until I have shaved ice crystals. I love the contrast between that light texture; and bright, vibrant flavor. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

 Ingredients for 8 portions:

4 cups cold water

7/8 cup sugar (14 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons lemon zest

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 8 to 10 lemons)

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Ditulis soni agus Pada 21.44 Komentar

Cantaloupe Cayenne Sorbet – Hot and Cold

Cantaloupe Cayenne Sorbet – Hot and Cold

Dessert

I think this is the first video in the history of Food Wishes to contain the word “Cayenne” in the title, and we have Humphry Slocombeto thank for that.

Humphry Slocombe is one of San Francisco’s top ice cream makers, and certainly its most creative; so when I saw something called, “Cantaloupe Cayenne Sorbet,” on their menu board, I knew I had to get the recipe.

My plan was to find out where their employees drink after work, buy a few rounds of shots (Jagermeister, of course), and somehow get it out of one of them. Unfortunately, I discovered the recipe had been published all over the Internet, so I never did get to do the shots thing, but the point is I found the recipe.

The vodka in this is optional, but I think it makes for a better sorbet. As anyone who has a bottle in the freezer can tell you, vodka doesn’t freeze like water does, so it helps create a smoother texture, or so they say. And by “they,” I mean Alton Brown, who was first person I saw do this. Whether you use the booze or not, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes just over a quart of Cantaloupe Cayenne Sorbet:
*Recipe slightly adapted from one found in Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Book 

1 1/2 pounds peeled, seeded cantaloupe or any sweet, ripe melon (about 4 1/2 cups packed)

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons vodka

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (this was pretty spicy, so add less if you’re scared)

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Chocolate Energy Bars – Looking Good…Maybe Too Good

Chocolate Energy Bars – Looking Good…Maybe Too Good

Breakfast Cookies Dessert

If you compare these chocolate energy bars to similar fruit/nut bars sold at the store, I think they taste better, are nutritionally superior, and probably cheaper to make at home. The only problem is they look so good.

These look like fudge brownies, and so it does take a millisecond for the brain to process that they’re not going to taste like fudge brownies. Having said that, they really are delicious, and satisfying in a non-decadent, but still chocolaty way.

Try your hardest to find Medjool dates, but if you can’t, any dried date should work, as long as it’s soft and sticky enough. If the ones you’re using seem too hard and dry, simply soak them in water until they soften up a bit.

Beyond the advantages I’ve described already, you also have the freedom to use any combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you’d like. There’s about a million ways you can go, and I expect to hear about any particularly brilliant combinations. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 12 Chocolate Energy Bars:

2 cups chopped, pitted Medjool dates

2 cups raw cashews

1 cup raw or roasted unsalted almonds

3/4 cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Guittard Cocoa Rouge)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoon cold espresso coffee or water,

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon fine salt)

very small pinch cayenne

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Buttermilk Panna Cotta – The Magic of Barely Cooked Cream

Buttermilk Panna Cotta – The Magic of Barely Cooked Cream

Dessert Italian Cuisine

For something called “cooked cream,” there’s very little cooking involved here. Actually, there is very little anything involved here. If you can somehow manage to start your panna cotta the day before you want to eat it, this classic Italian recipe is about as simple as it gets.

As long as you keep the same basic gelatin to creamy liquid ratio, you can flavor this any way you want. I’ve had them scented with everything from Earl Grey tea to cardamom, so feel free to play around. Same goes for the proportion of buttermilk, which can be increased for a tangier version.

One thing I should have mentioned is not to put the plastic wrap on while they’re still warm. It looked like I wrapped mine immediately, but I actually let them cool before putting them in the fridge. It’s not a huge deal, but if you put the plastic on warm, you’ll get condensation, which will then drip, and wreck that perfectly pristine surface.

This is so perfect in the summer, and not just because it’s easy and refreshing. All that amazing seasonal fruit gives you the perfect reason…excuse…to make these easy treats. I hope you give this panna cotta recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 8 servings:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (just shy of 1 tablespoon) sprinkled over 3 tablespoons cold water

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

3 strips lemon peel

extremely tiny pinch salt

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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