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Simple Cherry Sorbet

8 Aug

Recipe courtesy of Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz 

Ingredients 
4 cups (1 1/2 lb.) sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
1 cup water 
1 tblsp lemon juice 
1/2 tsp almond extract 

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cherries, sugar, water, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cherries have softened and released their juices, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract. Let the mixture cool completely. 
2. Transfer the cherries and their syrup to a shallow container, cover, and freeze until firm, at least two hours. Once the cherry mixture has frozen completely, remove it from the freezer, break it up, and process it in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until completely smooth. Serve right away. 

For someone who doesn’t own an ice cream maker, frozen desserts are a category I rarely venture into. So when I discovered this recipe for cherry sorbet only requiring a freezer, I knew I must make it right away. I mixed up the ingredients in a matter of minutes, popped the mixture into the freezer for a few hours, and puréed it until smooth. Voilà! This dessert is simple, delicious, and can be endlessly adapted. You could use yellow peaches instead of sweet cherries and replace the almond extract with vanilla; pineapples and coconut extract would make for a lovely tropical combination. You could purée the fruit syrup before freezing, pour it into popsicle molds with a couple fresh cherry halves, and make homemade fruit pops. For a granita: freeze the sorbet as directed, crush it up with some shaved ice, add a splash of pure cherry juice, and top with a few sprigs of mint. Or grind two parts ice with one part sorbet for a refreshing slushy. No matter how you choose to prepare this quintessential summer dessert, I can guarantee that it will be a success. 

Double Chocolate Pudding

18 Jun

Recipe slightly adapted from Lauren’s Latest


Ingredients 
1/4 cup granulated sugar 
3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted 
1/4 cup good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 
1/8 teaspoon salt 
1 cup fat free half & half 
1 cup milk
2 oz. good quality, chopped semisweet dark chocolate, such as scharffen berger  
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
Freshly whipped cream, for serving 
Milk chocolate shavings, for serving 


Makes 6, half-cup servings


1. In a small saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt together until combined. Slowly stream in the half & half and milk, whisking to prevent lumps. Place the pan over medium high heat and whisk until the mixture starts to steam. Sprinkle in chopped dark chocolate and continue stirring until it has melted and the pudding has bubbled and thickened.
2. Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean extract. Pour the pudding evenly into serving cups of your choice. Place plastic wrap directly onto the pudding and refrigerate it until completely chilled, approximately two hours. Remove the plastic wrap and top the pudding with whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings. 


Light and airy, filled with tones of decadent dark chocolate, and topped with freshly whipped cream and milk chocolate shavings, this pudding is the chocolate lover’s dream. It is the ideal item to satisfy your sweet craving and can be thrown together in less than 15 minutes. Unlike the store-bought puddings that are packed with sugar and artificial flavorings, every bite of this homemade snack tastes like pure, unmasked chocolate. This would be a wonderful dessert to prepare for a summer barbecue, placed in vodka glasses and served with colorful, mini plastic spoons. For a bit of added crunch, sprinkle cocoa nibs or mini semisweet chocolate chips into the warm pudding while pouring the pudding in the cups. 

Harvest Apple Crumb Cake

30 Nov
Since I began blogging a little over a year ago, I have grown passionate about homemade, delicious food and baked goods made from scratch with fresh, high quality ingredients. Now, I carefully assess everything I eat, paying attention to even the most minute details. Having visited several outstanding restaurants and bakeries throughout my travels, I sometimes find it difficult to compare my at-home creations to those made by experienced professionals. Doing so is especially challenging when my recipes do not turn out as well as expected. But, recognizing one’s failures is equally important as recognizing the successes, especially when it comes to food. With that in mind, I have recently embarked upon replicating some of my favorite items from outside in my own kitchen. Which leads me to this cake.
Moist, flavorful, speckled with soft diced apples, and topped with crunchy pecan crumb topping, this homemade harvest apple coffee cake blows any store-bought version out of the water. On a brisk autumn afternoon, the cake can be optimally enjoyed with a mug of pungent, hot coffee in front of the fireplace. I can identify no better way to celebrate fall’s delicious apples and its mild weather than with this quintessential item. So, for those of you who have been demoralized by recent failed baking ventures, this recipe is for you. Stop what you are doing, take out the measuring cups, get to work, and you will realize that sometimes the best baked goods can come from one’s own kitchen.

Recipe slightly adapted from A Sweet Spoonful

For the cake:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup regular or low-fat buttermilk
  • 2 cups diced, peeled yellow apple, such as Honeycrisp (about 2-3 large apples)
  • Butter for greasing

For the crumb topping:

  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup pecan pieces

Serves 12-16 slices.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13″ pan with butter. In the bowl of an electric mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Add the eggs to the creamed butter one at a time, beating after each addition to incorporate. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold the apples into the batter, ensuring that they are distributed evenly throughout. Do not overmix. Spread the batter evenly onto the prepared pan.
3. For the crumb topping: In a small bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together with a fork. Pour in the butter and work it in with your hands to form pebbles. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake. Bake for 50 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature before serving.

Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

18 Oct

Recipe slightly adapted from Saveur


Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2/3 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 large, very ripe bananas, mashed
Non-stick baking spray or butter


Serves 10-12 slices.


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9″ * 5″ * 2 3/4″ loaf pan with baking spray or grease with butter and set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Add the mashed bananas, pecans, and chocolate chips and whisk gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is golden brown, 60-65 minutes. Let the bread cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.


This banana bread developed out of necessity. During a weekend packed with non-stop studying, my mind and body needed a break. In a sheer impulse, I stopped what I was doing and determinedly headed down the stairs to the kitchen. This simple recipe required 20 minutes to prepare and spread a fragrant, enticing aroma throughout the house. I tried my first slice with a friend and the two of us single-handedly devoured half the loaf. The bread combines two of my favorite snacks: bananas and chocolate, into a single moist, nutty treat. My piece was slightly warm when I bit into it; the semi-sweet chocolate chips melting on my tongue. Best of all, the baking process provided relaxation and enjoyment during a dull Sunday afternoon and allowed me to look forward to a delicious homemade good as a reward for my hard work.

Pumpkin Pleaser

23 Nov



Ingredients 
5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking soda
3 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 large can pumpkin puree
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
6 eggs
6 oz chocolate chips

Makes four loaves.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, water, and eggs. Stir well. Add the chocolate chips.
5. Pour the mix into loaf tins, leaving a fourth of each tin open. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about one hour.

This moist pumpkin bread caters to a wide range of palettes and maintains its flavor for weeks after initially baking. Package each slice individually in plastic wrap, and you have an instant Thanksgiving goodie that will surely be appreciated. Served with a steaming mug of apple cider, the bread is a satisfying breakfast treat. No matter how you decide to enjoy this delectable baked good, I guarantee it will truly be a success!

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