Chocolate Pots de Creme

If you celebrate Valentine's Day, I hope it was a good one.  I view it as a commercial holiday, but always worthy of a good dessert. In years past I've made desserts that Joe would like, but they're usually flavors that don't appeal to me (like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate).  I did the same this year and will cover that in another post, but this year I also made something for me.  These are Chocolate Pots de Creme I've been eyeing ever since I saw them on Facebook around New Year's.  They are creamy, indulgent, and very chocolaty.  They're also gluten-free.  And they are the easiest thing in the world to make.

The only difficult part is chopping a block of chocolate.  I should stick to buying bars from now on.  You just toss the chopped-up chocolate in the food processor, pour in some hot milk and cream to blend, and you're almost done.  Blend in an egg, some vanilla, and allspice.  Pour into cups or ramekins, and chill for a few hours.  The recipe filled exactly two 6-ounce ramekins, perfect for a Valentine's Day dessert.  But I plan to treat myself to the recipe throughout the year.  Joe also got me flowers for the occasion -- I wonder if I can keep the cats from eating them?

Frozen Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie

Ladies, does this situation sound familiar to you?  You've baked something for an event, a potluck, or a friend or relative, and your fella asks you where that's going or says he would have liked some?  When Joe saw the heart-shaped cookie cutters and ate some of the chocolate cutouts from the Two-tone Linzer Hearts I made for my sister, he was a bit envious.  I had something different in mind for him though.  Since he liked the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups that I made for Valentine's Day last year so much, this Frozen Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie sounded like a winner.

People with Celiac will rejoice to hear this pie is gluten-free.  For the base, I used storebought gluten-free cookies that I had intended for a different purpose and recipient but never got around to.  But the Pamela's brand cookies were surprisingly delicious, so I used them.

I also made the recipe into four small pies, and you won't finish even one pie in a single sitting because they're so rich.  Two were made in 5-inch pie plates, and two in mini-springform pans that showcase the beautiful sides and base of the pies.

Joe was impressed with the beautiful pies, plus he went back for seconds.  I think I came out on top because my gift was a heart pendant, plus some of you might recall I'm no fan of mixing chocolate and PB.  And, I just might make those Linzer Hearts again.

This post was shared with:
Tea Party Tuesday
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Sweet Treats Thursday
Sweets for a Saturday
Themed Baker's Sunday

Gluten Freedom: Kiss Me, (Chocolate) Cake!

I'd like to welcome WASB's newest contributor, Shannon, who will write Gluten FREEDOM! on Fridays.
Without further ado...

Hello, and Welcome to the first edition of Gluten FREEDOM!, a new feature on the fabulous "What About..." blog ^_^

Why gluten free? Well, to begin with, 1 out of every 133 people have a gluten allergy or Celiac disease (or so my box of Potato Buds tells me). An even more truly disturbing statistic is that 1 in every two gluten free product tastes like... well, lets just say they aren't very good. If you have ever eaten these so called 'baked goods' then you know what I'm talking about: chalky or gritty texture, dry, crumbly body, and often it tastes nothing like the yumminess we're craving.

Well, I aim to change that. I say: take command of our culinary destinies! Rise up, my afflicted brethren and say "NO!" Say "I'll Pass, Thank you Very Much!", to heathen dishes and lackluster confections! With my spatula held high, I vow to lead the way and share with you my secrets for gluten free baking and cooking so delicious that your friends will never suspect a thing!

To that end, let us begin with this decadent chocolate cake. Rich, fudgey and moist, it tastes exactly like a traditional cake made with flour. I made this for my Mom's birthday and even my Dad, who is normally very leery of gluten free foods, DEVOURED it! It's just that good, I promise. It's based off of a cake from a Hershey's cookbook that my mother used to make years ago, however since that book is lost the recipe has been adapted from memory.

First up, the ingredients:

3 cups of TIGHTLY PACKED dark brown sugar

2 sticks of softened sweet (unsalted) butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 eggs (lightly beaten)

2 3/4 cups of a good, finely milled gluten free flour mix

• ( I prefer either "Gluten Free Pantry" or "Better Batter"'s blends, but you can always try something else or even make your own blend. Just make sure the flours you use are the finest texture you can possibly get -- this is crucial to the end texture of the cake.)

3/4 cup Dutch Processed Cocoa

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup sour cream (use the full fat kind - no one ever said this was gunna be dietetic guys)

1 cup boiling water

Okay now here's the part where I confess that I am an incredibly lazy baker. If there is a way for me to do less steps, I will take it. Fortunately, this turns out to be a blessing for gluten free baking, because if there is one thing you want to avoid it's over mixing. I think it has to do with the xanthan gum- that stuff can get reaaaaally gross.

Anyway, here's what you do. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take all the dry ingredients and put them in a bowl (sugar remember, counts as a wet ingredient in baking). If your cocoa looks like this:

Don't stress it. And sure, you COULD sift it, but why? It just adds another step! Go ahead, save time ad just dump it all an a bowl and whisk away until your mixture is mostly combined. The big clumps will break up and a few small ones are not the end of the world.

In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar as if you were making cookies. (After getting the butter in the bowl, use the papers from the butter to grease your cake pans - standard 9 inches work fine and deep walled ones are ideal. After buttering the pans, toss some cocoa in them and move the pans in a circular motion while tapping away at the sides and bottom of the pan to evenly distribute the cocoa. This will ensure a clean release after baking.) Add the vanilla and then add your already beaten eggs. To this mixture, add about half of the dry mixture (or a third if it seems easier for you). Mix until it's just coming together and then add some of the sour cream. Again, mix until just together and then add more of the dry. Keep alternating until all of the mix and sour cream are just combined into the batter. DO NOT OVER MIX!

Finally, CAREFULLY measure out one cup of boiling water. If you're mixing by hand, add the water slowly in two installments. If you're using a stand or hand mixer, just add it nice and easy on low. You want minimal air bubbles here. Gently pour the mixture into your prepared pans, using a spatula laid across the top if the pans to help eyeball even distribution and to make sure you don't overfill the pans.

Carefully put your pans in the oven and bake for around 45-55 minutes, but DO NOT OVER BAKE! If you know your oven tends to bake things more quickly, than start checking for doneness at 35 minutes. Use the standard toothpick or skewer method (insert into the center of cake and remove from oven when you see no uncooked batter left on the tester but ideally when the cake is still moist enough to leave crumbs on the probe of your choice.)

Ah... the smell alone will drive lesser mind wild! Cool on a wire rack for about ten minutes, then upend out of their pans to cool the rest of the way. They should slide right out, but if not take a skinny spatula and gently run it along the edge where cake meets pan.

If your cake has baked up too high and has formed a "lip", wait until it is completely cooled and remove the extra with a sharp, serrated knife. Eat this bit as your reward for a job well done :)

Now, you can frost this cake any way you want to with any kind of frosting - even one from a can if you must, but for the love of all things yummy why would you frost it with anything other than chocolate?? And frosting can be really easy to make! Here's a very simple butter frosting recipe:

Take two sticks of softened butter and beat until fluffy. Add one box of confectioners sugar. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Add as much dutch processed cocoa as you want until you reach your desired level of chocolatey-ness. If you really want to add some serious chocolate taste, go ahead and melt yourself a square of bakers chocolate and add that to the frosting (be careful not to add it when it's still too hot!) You might want to double this recipe if you like a lot of frosting on your cake.

Decorate your cake or leave it plain. A simple Hershey's kiss on the top is a charming touch. Serve any way you like, or just eat it with your bare hands! Either way, I hope you and your loved ones will enjoy this recipe as the first of many that will give us "Celiacies" and gluten free eaters back our Yumm!

Chocolate Gelato, and Hold the Extras

I'm mostly an ice cream purist -- hold the nuts, chocolate chips, candy, and other bits.  Pure chocolate is my undisputed favorite, though maple ice cream is also up there.  With only four ingredients, this gelato has a deep and intense chocolate flavor.  That's owed in large part to the high quality of cocoa I used, Guittard.  I had my doubts because the unfrozen gelato tasted an awful lot like pudding, but once it was frozen and set up it was like rich chocolate ice cream.  Is it my favorite recipe?  No, that distinction still belongs to Ben & Jerry's, but this is still excellent and easier.

Like most gelato recipes, this one uses milk and not cream.  That's a plus in the health department, but it usually means a dessert that's icier and not satisfyingly rich, like the strawberry gelato I tried a couple months ago.  That wasn't a problem here.  Try this one when your next chocolate craving hits.

Blackberry Ice Cream

My friend Jacob recently wrote on my Facebook wall: "Less fruit, more chocolate."  He isn't so fond of fruit, and has a particular hate of apples.  I know -- I don't understand him, and I don't think I want to.  Sorry, Jacob, but it's summer!  Crops are ripening, farmers markets are bustling, and all that fruit looks and smells good.

I'm not even big on berry ice creams.  Pure chocolate is my favorite, or vanilla flavored with chocolate.  But this one was wonderfully creamy, and had that great blackberry taste without the pucker you can get from eating the fruit plain.  It even won over Joe, who prefers coffee or peanut butter cup ice creams.  Maybe you could drizzle some fudge sauce on top, Jacob?

This post was submitted to Sweets for a Saturday.

Chocolate Cream Pie

This Chocolate Cream Pie has the best of all worlds: a chocolate graham cracker crumb crust is filled with a rich chocolate pudding, and topped off with a vanilla whipped cream and chocolate curls.  While this crust was easy to make, I wouldn't fault anyone for buying those premade crusts in the heat of summer to make a no-bake version.  And for the gluten-free among us, simply swap in gluten-free chocolate wafers to enjoy this dessert.

The crust is nicely sandy and a bit crunchy, the pudding is one of the best I've ever had, and who doesn't like whipped cream?  You can simply spread on the cream, or pipe it in pretty stars like I did here for a fancier look.  I used Callebaut chocolate for the pudding once, and Ghirardelli another time.  You might be tempted to add more sugar if you taste the pudding when it's done and still hot, but keep in mind that puddings always taste sweeter after they chill.  But I decreased the confectioners' sugar in the whipped cream to a quarter-cup because I didn't feel it needed a half-cup.  And I was very, very pleased with all the results.

I've submitted this to Lisa's Sweets for a Saturday.

Lychee Sorbet

I may not have been crazy about my last few frozen dessert recipes, but I love this one!  It seems like lychee has become a trendy flavor over the past few years.  I've been eating lychees since childhood, but I've never had Lychee Sorbet.  It has all the wonderful flavor of the fruit in a slushy kind of texture.

The recipe calls for canned lychees and makes use of the syrup they're packed in.  The fresh fruit (in back) has a rough, thick skin you peel away with your fingers, and the juicy, white fruit has a pit inside.  I once offered a very similar fruit, the longan, to some friends in college, who found the texture too weird and said it was like an eyeball.  Which is funny, because the Mandarin long yan directly translates as "dragon's eye";  (the Mandarin for lychee is li zhi).

The sorbet is a cinch to whip up.  I'll be cooling off again with it on some hot summer days.

Strawberry Gelato

This recipe from The New York Times is actually called Winter Strawberry Gelato becauses it uses frozen strawberries when the fruits aren't in season.  I made it earlier this spring with fresh, fragrant strawberries, but I'm only getting around to posting it close to summer.  Call it the busiest May ever.  I got asked recently when I would be getting back to my blog, but I suffered from ugly photos or dishes that were eaten by guests before I got a chance to grab my camera.  This one looked all right.  And June is the month for strawberries.

Problem was, the taste wasn't that impressive.  It was OK, refreshing even, but it reminded me of diet ice cream.  The texture was more icy than creamy.  That shouldn't have surprised me since it came from the Recipes for Health column.  One rule I have in life: Eat ice cream right, or not at all.  Meaning none of that diet stuff; make it the real deal.  This version uses milk, but it could have benefited from the usual addition of some cream and/or eggs.  It wasn't awful, not by a long shot, but I wouldn't recommend it.

And because I've been so absent, I'll share an "ugly" photo.  This recipe was David Lebovitz's Coconut Ice Cream with Saffron.  This was all I had left after serving the ice cream at a dinner for four.  The recipe was interesting because of the use of saffron, and because it called for palm sugar instead of cane sugar.  I liked it OK, though it wasn't what I expected.  I thought the flavor would be light, but it was kind of warm and rich (if that makes sense).

Stay tuned, because I'm looking to discover more flavors of ice cream and sorbet this summer!

Two Kinds of Chips with Caramelized Onion Dip

One day when Joe asked where the bag of potato chips had gone, I sheepishly said I had finished it.  Neither of us felt like going out in the rain for a replacement bag.  But I had a potato, oil, and salt, so why not make some?  It was the easiest thing and I didn't even use a recipe.  A single spud makes dozens of chips, which he devoured in one sitting.

This time I mixed it up a little, with the addition of sweet potato chips and a caramelized onion dip.  Sometimes Joe will mix a packet of powdered onion soup mix into some sour cream to make a dip.  Now I don't mind jarred dip, but I can't stand that soup mix with the dehydrated onion bits.  So I made my own caramelized onion dip, and it was way better.  The sweet potato chips are made the same way, and add a slightly sweet flavor to the mix.

Use a mandoline to create thin, uniform slices of potato.  It's hard to get them thin enough or uniform with just a knife.  You can even leave the skins on the potatoes.  Just slice, soak, dry, and fry -- that's it!

Some of the sour cream in the dip can probably be replaced with plain yogurt -- if you try that, let me know how it turns out.  Also, I know there are recipes out there for baked chips, but in my experience they haven't turned out very good.  They stuck to the pan, didn't brown evenly, and only some come out crispy.  Frying does a more even job; just make it an occasional treat.

Forgive me, but I had to:

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Gollum: What's taters, precious? What's taters, eh? 

Sam: *Po-tay-toes!* Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew... Lovely big golden chips with a nice piece of fried fish. 
[Gollum makes a noise of disgust while sticking his tongue out]
Sam: Even you couldn't say no to that.
Gollum: Oh yes we could. Spoilin' nice fish. Give it to us raw and w-r-r-riggling; you keep nasty chips.
Sam: You're hopeless.

Valentine's Peanut Butter Cups

Confession: I don't like chocolate with peanut butter.  To which my friend Jacob would always respond, "I don't understand you, and I don't think I want to."  I don't even like PB&Js.  Give me a PB or give me a J, but not together.

But these chocolate peanut butter cups aren't for me, they're my Valentine's treat to Joe.  He likes Reese's peanut butter cups, but he loved these far more.  (I promise not to make any sickening Valentine's lovey-dovey talk.)  They're hand-made with quality ingredients, see, not some cheap factory-plunked creation.  They'd also make a great gluten-free treat.

These confections are easy to make but require a bit of care.  I combined two recipes I had found.  Melted bittersweet chocolate is brushed on the inside of paper mini-muffin cups, refrigerated, a second layer is brushed on, and they are refrigerated again.  At this point one recipe says to peel off the paper, but this resulted in breakage because the unfilled cups are too fragile.  So I piped the peanut butter mixture into them and froze them briefly, and then removing the paper was easier.

Be quick (the chocolate melts on your fingers), but very gentle when removing the papers.  Expect some breakage and plan on making extras.  Normally I'd console myself over breakage by eating the pieces, but like I said this isn't my kind of treat.  Then hide the broken pieces somewhere and present the prettiest cups to your lucky Valentine.

Mascarpone Gelato

I had been looking forward to trying this gelato, and Sis had been nagging me to make it.  Would I make it again?  Probably not, because of how much it cost!  The recipe calls for two tubs of mascarpone, and I was shocked they cost $4.99 each.  That means you're making a $10+ quart of gelato!  So I wasn't even upset when Joe returned from the grocery store with just one tub, and I halved the recipe.

The gelato recipe also didn't get a thumbs-up.  I thought it was all right, but both Joe and Sis complained the lemon flavor was too aggressive, and lemon aside, it just failed to wow them.  I found that funny, since I used only the zest of one lemon.  And I left the pine nuts out, since no one wanted them.  The Mascarpone Gelato recipe is on this page.  If you know of a better one -- and if it doesn't cost over $10 to make -- let me know!  I've got another ice cream post on the way, a winner that I make over and over again.  Stay tuned!

And some gratuitous photos of a tomato tart with roasted garlic and fontina I made, just because the colors look cool.

The colors got very muted after baking.  Plus, I didn't have time to snap a photo before it got eaten at a potluck.

Gianduja (Chocolate-Hazelnut) Gelato

I've been planning to make this for two years, and having tasted it I wonder what the holdup was.  I think it's technically an ice cream instead of gelato, since someone once told me that gelato has less air beaten into it and needs to be made specifically in a gelato machine.  But who needs technicalities?

Gianduja is a chocolate containing hazelnut paste.  If you're a fan of Nutella or just the combination of chocolate and hazelnut, you need to try this.  The nuts also lend an almost sandy texture to the ice cream.  I like my ice cream smooth, so I might run it through some cheesecloth next time.  I'd also sub in some bittersweet chocolate for the milk chocolate for a deeper flavor.

Tastes Like Summer: Mango Sorbet

I make this every summer.  I know summer's not quite here yet, but it sure feels like it.  Sorbets are easier to make than ice creams (no tempering!) and also usually fat free, since they lack cream.  This sorbet has only four ingredients: mangoes, sugar, water, and lime juice.  Cool off after a scorcher with this one.

To cube a mango, run your knife along the pit to make two halves.  Then make crisscross cuts on each half, turn them inside-out, and remove the fruit.  Cut the remaining fruit along the stone as best you can.  Puree it in a food processor, and add the sugar-water and lime juice.  I love this ice cream machine.  It's big and heavy, since it's got a built-in compressor, which means no advance chilling of bowls necessary.

Lick the beater, anyone?  I made a double batch and put it through the machine in two runs.  The finished product is ready to eat but should go in the freezer for another two hours.  I should note to the uninitiated that ice creams and sorbets are not an instant gratification thing.  You prepare all the ingredients, and that usually requires some level of cooking to dissolve the sugar and slightly cook any eggs in the recipe.  Then the mixture must chill in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, and overnight is better.  For a quick fix, 7-Eleven is still the way to go.

And those strawberries from my last post?  I was excited to find they're blushing a slight red and will soon be ready for the pickin'.

Caramel Custards

This is the easiest custard.  Thirty minutes to bake, at least another 20 minutes to chill, but only about 10 minutes to whip up.  And there's only four servings so you're not left eating dessert all week (bad for the body, if good for the soul).  The taste is admittedly more vanilla than caramel, and I was hoping for the caramel.  I wonder if a good brulee-ing would solve that.  Next-day perspective tip: Let them chill for several hours if you have the time and patience.  They're more delicious when very cold.

Potato Crust Quiche

I thought this was the coolest idea for a quiche. A hash-brown-like crust of potatoes encases an egg filling. I chose this for New Year's brunch because my friend has wheat/gluten allergies, and the usual flaky butter crust would have been out of the question. I used a simple cheese and scallion filling instead of the mushrooms and leeks in the original, since we hate mushrooms and my friend doesn't eat ham, bacon, or asparagus (the other things I had on hand). Will I make this again? The crust was a bit time-consuming for my tastes, and I needed more in the filling for my own personal tastes, but it was fun to try it once.  I might play around with it in the future.

Update: In the process of editing, I think I deleted the recipe!  You can find it on King Arthur Flour's website at: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/potato-crust-quiche-recipe.

Got Leftovers? Make Fried Rice!

 

That's what I did after two days of eating Christmas ham. You can only eat so much leftover ham! After all, fried rice is a dish of leftovers -- throw in whatever meat and vegetables you have in the fridge. The rice, in fact, must be at least a day old or you get gluey fried rice. So save the white rice from your takeout order, or make a pot of rice the night before.  Then throw it all together, and you've got yourself a new meal.  If you don't have or don't eat ham (or shrimp), try chicken, roast pork, or your favorite vegetables.  I was also only too eager to break in the new wok I got for Christmas, and I've been wanting to cook more Chinese food (you know, heritage and all).

Potato Gratin

This is a great dish for just a regular steak night, like we had tonight, but fancy enough to be a holiday dinner side dish with guests.  I was excited when I saw it in the newest issue of Martha Stewart Living, since I just got a mandoline as an early Christmas gift.  We already own a standard one -- it wasn't sharp enough to slice vegetables properly but it was sharp enough to slash our fingers.  It's collecting dust.  This ceramic blade mandoline is less fancy and doesn't come with a standing end and all sorts of blades, but it does exactly what I want it to.  The potatoes slice up just thin enough to layer in a creamy sauce topped with a cheesy crust.  And it's very possible that for the first time mashed potatoes might take a hiatus from my Christmas table in favor of another potato dish!

Potato Gratin
From Martha Stewart Living January 2010 Issue

Serves 6

2½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (I had Russets, which worked fine)
1 garlic clove, halved
1½ cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated, about 1 cup (I had white cheddar on hand)

Preheat oven to 375°.  Peel potatoes, and place in a bowl of water to prevent discolorng.  Rub inside of a 9-by-12-inch oval baking dish with cut sides of garlic.  Heat cream, milk, nutmeg, and 1½ teaspoons salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around edge.  Season with pepper.  Remove from heat.

Meanwhile slice potatoes ⅛ inch thick; transfer to a bowl.  Pour warm cream mixture over top.  Mix well, using your hands to separate and coat potatoes, then transfer to prepared dish.  Gently push potatoes down, and pour cream mixture from bowl over top.  Sprinkle with Gruyere.  Bake (with a baking sheet placed on the rack below to catch drips) until potatoes are fork tender and top is bubbling and brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

A mandoline helps you create thin, uniform slices.

In dish before cream is poured on top.

Cheesy and crunchy on top.

Greek Lamb & Tzatziki

I was telling my friend Aisha that I had seen a Barefoot Contessa episode on Greek food where she made lamb, and that I was going to make it this week. She asked if I would be blogging the dish, and I said, "Nah, I won't be doing anything different or putting a twist on it, and the recipe's on the Internet." But it was really good!

I won't bother going about the recipe, but you can find it here. I followed it most of the way, but I added smashed cloves of garlic to the marinade, and used 0% Greek yogurt where the "Contessa" called for full-fat. Partly because that's what the store had available, partly because the fat-free stuff is so rich anyway, and partly out of consideration for my arteries. I also added the last of my homegrown grape tomatoes to the skewers, made her recipe for Tzatziki, and broiled a side of eggplant slices brushed with olive oil. The grill wouldn't light up and I'm too afraid of the propane tank to replace it or otherwise fuss with it, but the broiler worked fine. The texture of the eggplant becomes almost creamy (I loathe spongy eggplant), and the lamb was delicious with flavors of rosemary, garlic, and lemon.

This tzatziki was a cinch to throw together, and I made it the night before while creating the marinade.

I also threw in some lemon thyme, since the recipes had lemon zest and juice.

I used a boneless, butterflied leg of lamb that weighed just over a pound and a half, but it made enough for 2 nights of dinner! That sure made Joe happy. Here, on the second night, I served it over roasted potatoes.

On a side note, I grew zucchini plants for the first time this year. Except there were never any zucchini! The leaves on trees have started to change color and fall, but last week I discovered there were zucchini a few inches long on the plants! I wonder if the delay was due to the wet (more like drenched) and cool summer we've had. Better late than never, huh?