Braided Lemon Bread

 

Taken from King Arthur Baking

THIS MAKES TWO LOAVES!!!

Ingredients

Sponge

• 3/4 cup (170g) water, lukewarm
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1/2 cup (57g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Dough

• all of the sponge
• 3/4 cup (170g) plain or vanilla yogurt, at room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons (12g) salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 5 cups (600g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Filling

• 6 ounces (170g) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
• 1/4 cup (57g) sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup (28g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup (203g) prepared lemon curd*

*See "tips," below.

Topping

• 1 large egg beaten with 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt
• pearl sugar or coarse sparkling sugar

Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.

To make the sponge: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together the sponge ingredients. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof for 10 to 15 minutes.

To make the dough: In the same bowl, combine the sponge with the yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add 4 1/2 cups (540g) of the flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is a rough, shaggy mass.

Switch to the dough hook and knead on speed 2 until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add more flour, if necessary, to achieve the correct consistency.

Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to rise until it's quite puffy and nearly doubled, about 60 to 90 minutes. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.

To prepare the filling: Combine all the filling ingredients (except the lemon curd) in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and lump-free. Reserve the filling and lemon curd until ready to fill the braids.

Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Cover half with plastic wrap and set it aside as you roll the first piece into a 10" x 15" rectangle. Rolling on parchment paper makes moving the bread to the baking sheet much easier.

Lightly press two lines down the dough lengthwise, to visually divide it into three equal sections. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center section and top with half the lemon curd, leaving 1" bare of filling at each end of the dough.  

To shape the braid: Begin by using your bench knife, a pair of scissors, or a sharp knife to cut and remove a 1” rectangle from each of the dough's four corners. This “notching” will make the ends of the finished braid neater.  

Next, fold the resulting dough "tab" over the edge of the filling on one end. Starting at that same end, cut 1" crosswise strips down the length of the outside sections, making sure you have the same number of strips on each side.

Beginning on the left, lift the top dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf. When there are just two strips remaining (one on each side), fold the remaining "tab" over the filling, then crisscross the final two strips. 

Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling and lemon curd. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered, to rise until quite puffy, 45 to 50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the loaves with the beaten egg, and sprinkle with pearl sugar or coarse sparkling sugar.

To bake the braids: Uncover the braids and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Store any leftovers, well wrapped, in the refrigerator for a couple of days; freeze for longer storage. Reheat (or thaw and reheat) briefly before enjoying.

My Notes: I had to do the hard math to turn this into one loaf but it was very good. The braid is easy and looks impressive, but I had a little leakage on the sides so make sure the braids don't cut all the way to the filling. Also I added some passion fruit puree which was great but made the curd a bit runny. Would a 1/4 tsp of cornstarch help? MXF

Peach Buckle

From Martha Bakes

Ingredients 

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 3 medium ripe peaches, halved, pitted and sliced 1/4-inch-thick
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons fine sanding sugar
• Whipped cream, creme fraiche, or ice cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

                       

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

                        

Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, preferably enameled, over medium heat.

                        

Meanwhile, place peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

                        

In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add remaining 1 cup granulated sugar, milk, and vanilla; whisk until well combined. Whisk in melted butter. Pour mixture into skillet and top with peaches. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream, creme fraiche, or ice cream, if desired.

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with Caramel and Sea Salt

Adapted from Pinch My Yum

Prep Time: 15 min / Cook Time: 25 min
Yield: 8-12 huge slices, but appropriate servings would be more like 20+

Ingredients:

•     17 tablespoons butter
•     1 cup granulated sugar
•     1/2 cup packed brown sugar
•     2 teaspoons vanilla
•     2 tablespoons real maple syrup
•     2 eggs
•     2 3/4 cup flour
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     1 cup chocolate chunks (I chopped up a large piece of Scharffen Berger chocolate – yum)
•     1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
•     1/2 cup caramel pieces
•     3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
•     coarse sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Soften the 9 tablespoons butter in the microwave for 30 seconds or until partially melted. Soften the remaining 8 tablespoons for 10 seconds or until you can make an indent with your finger.

Mix the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until creamed. Add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix again until smooth. Add the eggs; beat slowly until incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt (sometimes it helps to add the flour in batches). Mix until a smooth dough forms. The dough should feel dry to the touch – if it sticks to your hands, add a few more tablespoons of flour. I generally try to err on the side of more flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Melt the caramel pieces and heavy cream in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well until melted and smooth.

Press half of the dough mixture into a 9-inch or larger cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper. Pour the caramel over the dough and smooth with a spoon. Cover with another layer of cookie dough. Bake for 15-25 minutes (see notes). Remove from oven, sprinkle with sea salt, and allow to rest for at least one hour in order for the pieces to hold their shape when cut.

Notes: I baked mine uncovered for 15 minutes, but you could also cover with foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes to get the cookie center baked even further. If you only bake for 15 minutes total, like I did, the cookie WILL be underbaked. Cause that’s how we like it.

Serves 12
Calories Per Serving: 530 / Total Fat 27.6g / Sugars 43.4g

My Notes: This cake was amazing. By far the best cookie cake I've ever made. An UNGODLY amount of butter. I feel you could go down to 15 tbsp will no ill effect. Also I only used 1 cup chocolate total instead of 1.5. I would use even more caramel next time because that was a lovely addition and I would spread it all the way to the edge. When the caramel cooks against the skillet it gets burnt and chewy. MXF

Ricotta and Coffee Mousse

From Saveur

SERVES 6

• 2 cups store-bought ricotta
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. instant espresso
• 1 tbsp. powdered gelatin
• Shaved chocolate

  

Purée ricotta in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.

Whip together heavy cream and sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Bring ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Whisk 2 tbsp. of the water with espresso in a small bowl. Whisk remaining water with gelatin in another small bowl until dissolved.

Stir espresso mixture into ricotta, then gelatin mixture; fold in cream in 3 stages. Chill mixture for 1 hour, then transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe mixture into 6 sundae glasses; refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Garnish with shaved chocolate.

My Notes: This is super easy to make and tasty. It's rather heavy on its own, so some chopped up berries or other fruit really helps lighten it up. I used coffee instead of espresso and that made the coffee taste extremely faint. Next time, if I use coffee, I need to make it very concentrated--not at all like a cup I would drink.

MXF

Butterscotch Pudding

Saveur

Serves 8

FOR THE PUDDING:

• 2 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. powdered gelatin
• 10 oz. high-quality butterscotch chips, such as Guittard
• 2 tbsp. bourbon
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 3 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE:

• ⅔ cup sugar
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
• 3 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 2 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• Flaked sea salt, to taste

Make the pudding: Combine milk, gelatin, and 1 tbsp. water in a bowl; let sit to soften gelatin, about 5 minutes. Place butterscotch and bourbon in a blender; set aside. Boil cream, both sugars, salt, and vanilla seeds in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add gelatin mixture, and stir until gelatin dissolves. Pour into blender, let sit for 5 minutes, and purée until smooth. Divide among eight 6-oz. serving glasses. Chill until set, about 4 hours.

Make the caramel sauce: Heat sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; cook, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber. Meanwhile, boil cream and kosher salt in a 2-qt. saucepan. Pour into caramel; cook, stirring, until smooth. Let cool; divide sauce among set pudding cups. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt before serving.

Banana and Dark Rum Bread Pudding

Saveur

Serves 12

 
FOR THE PUDDING:

• 1 tbsp. butter, to grease the pan
• 12 Mexican sweet pan rolls, seedless hamburger buns, or potato rolls (about 28 ounces total), cut or torn into 1-inch cubes
• 4 very ripe bananas
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 3 eggs
• ¼ tsp. Kosher salt
• ¼ cup dark rum, like Myers
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cups whole milk

  FOR SAUCE:

• ¼ cup dark rum, like Myers
• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Make the bread pudding: Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a 9"x13" casserole dish with the butter; fill with the torn bread.  

In a large bowl, mash bananas until smooth. Add sugars, maple syrup, eggs, and salt and blend together. Add ¼ cup rum, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cream, and milk and whisk until incorporated. Pour the mixture over the bread and mix together gently. Refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes. If it starts to look dry, add a little milk to the bread. Bake for 30 minutes or until most of the custard is absorbed—the mixture shouldn't be too dry.

Make the sauce: Heat the rum and the condensed milk in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and darkens to a golden brown. Pour the sauce over cooked bread pudding in the casserole dish; serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Banana Caramel Ice Cream

Martha Stewart

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 quarts

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 2/3 cups sugar, divided
• 1 2/3 cups whole milk
• 1 2/3 cups plus 1/2 cup heavy cream, divided
• 3 to 4 very overripe bananas (skin should be more brown than yellow), mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Prep time: 20 mins / Total time: 5 hours 20 mins

Vigorously whisk together egg yolks and 2/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl until pale yellow and slightly fluffy, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, bring milk and 2/3 cup cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, and gradually whisk into egg mixture. Pour mixture into pan, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until thick enough to coat the spatula, about 1 minute (do not let boil). Pour custard into a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice water, and let cool, stirring occasionally. Puree bananas with half the custard in a blender until smooth, and transfer to bowl with remaining custard. Stir in vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup cream until combined, and pour through a fine sieve into another bowl. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

  

Place water, corn syrup, and remaining sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, swirling pan occasionally (do not stir). Raise heat to high, and continue to cook in same manner until mixture turns deep amber, about 9 minutes more. Remove from heat, and slowly pour in remaining cream. Add remaining salt, and simmer caramel 1 minute. Place pan in a bowl of ice water, and let cool until warm but not hot. Remove from ice bath, and whisk in butter, a few pieces at a time, until fully incorporated.

  

Place a 5-by-10-inch loaf pan (9 cups) in freezer at least 10 minutes. Freeze custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Spread one-third of ice cream in pan, and drizzle with one-third of caramel (it should be fluid but just barely warm; reheat slightly if necessary). Swirl caramel into ice cream with a wooden skewer. Repeat 2 more times until all the ice cream and caramel have been used. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

Pear and Hazelnut Muffins

Smitten Kitchen

Yield: Theoretically, 12 muffins, but I got 16.

• 2 small-medium firm pears
• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus more for cups)
• 2/3 cup (125 grams) natural cane sugar, such as Turbinado, light brown or granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (75 grams) rolled oats
• 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, which I replaced with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, which I replaced with 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (120 grams) toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chunks (optional)

This recipe, however, I tweaked it a bit, mostly because it used many bowls and I wanted it to use fewer. A bunch more notes: This calls for 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat (pastry flour was recommended) but I think it can be tweaked with any flour mix your prefer, be it mostly whole wheat or white whole wheat, or a gluten-free mix (Sprouted Kitchen smartly recommends 1/2 cup each of oat, almond and brown rice flour). I (always) think you could brown the butter. Yogurt thinned with a little milk could replace the buttermilk, as could coconut milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice added, and coconut oil or olive oil could replace the butter, just to give you a few ideas. The bittersweet chocolate chunks were not necessary, but they were not regretted either.

Heat oven to 425°F. Butter a standard 12-cup muffin tin or line it with papers.

Peel (if you so desire, can be skipped) pears, then halve and core them. Grate pears on the large holes of a boxed grater into a large bowl. You should have about 1 cup grated (although I ended up with 1 1/2, opting to meet the recipe halfway and used 1 1/4 cups). Stir in melted butter, sugar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until combined.

In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, flours, baking soda, baking powder, spices, salt, all but 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and chocolate chunks, if you’re feeling extra indulgent. Gently fold this dry ingredient mixture into the wet batter until just combined; do not overmix.

Fill muffin cups almost up to the top and sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup hazelnuts. Place muffins in oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out batter-free.

Cool muffins in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Muffins will keep for 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

Gruyere, Rosemary and Honey Monkey Bread

Saveur

Serves 8-10

• 18 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 4 cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 1½ cups grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 (¼-oz.) packages active dry yeast
• 1 cup honey

Grease a 10" bundt pan with butter and dust with flour; set aside. Whisk flour, cheese, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl; set aside. Heat 2 tbsp. butter with milk and ⅓ cup water in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 115°. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Stir in sugar and yeast; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. With the motor running, slowly add dry ingredients; beat until dough is smooth. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap; set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Melt remaining butter in a 2-qt. saucepan; whisk in honey and set aside.

Heat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, pat dough out into an 8" square about 1" thick. Cut dough into 1-inch pieces and fit snugly into prepared bundt pan. Pour butter mixture evenly over dough; bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

My Notes: I have never had real success with monkey bread--it never cooks right. This may be because I use an angel food cake pan instead of a bundt, but that seems illogical. So this was no different--the inner parts never cooked while the outer ring basically burned. Still--the taste was great. We ate most of it even thought it was charred. If I make it again, I should just lay them out on a cookie sheet to speed the cooking process.

MXF 

Mixed Berry Grunt

Martha Stewart

Serves 6 to 8

2 pounds fresh mixed berries
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Coarse salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar

Prep Time:  10 minutes / Total Time:  45 minutes

Cook berries with 1/4 cup sugar, the water, and lemon juice in a cast-iron skillet set over a campfire or on a medium grill, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Add buttermilk and butter; stir until a moist dough forms.

Spoon 6 dollops of dough over fruit. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over dough.

Cover skillet tightly with parchment-lined foil. Cook until dumplings are set and tops are dry,
about 20 minutes.

My Notes: So simple to put together! I used cherries and strawberries, but you can use any firm fruit combo. Two pounds sounds like a lot of fruit, but it's necessary to balance the biscuit so don't skimp!

MXF

Roasted Banana and Macadamia Pudding Cake

Food & Wine

SERVINGS: Makes one 9-by-13-inch cake

CAKE:
2 large, ripe bananas, unpeeled
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups unsalted roasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

HONEY CREAM:
1/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons Amarula Cream liqueur or Kahlua
2/3 cup heavy cream

ACTIVE: 30 MIN TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 45 MIN 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Put the bananas on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until dark and soft. Let the bananas cool, then open the peel and scoop the roasted banana pulp into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ground cloves, freshly grated nutmeg and salt.

Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the roasted bananas with the sugar until a puree forms. Then beat in the eggs. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk and baking soda, then add to the banana mixture. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture. Gently beat in the melted butter, heavy cream and finely grated orange zest. Fold in the macadamia nuts. Spread the batter in the prepared dish and bake for about 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool to warm.

In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the honey, finely grated lime zest, finely grated orange zest and the liqueur. In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream until softly whipped. Gently fold in the honey-yogurt.

Cut the cake into squares and serve with dollops of the honey cream.

Make Ahead: The honey cream can be refrigerated overnight. Gently whip before serving.

Rhubarb Custard

Martha Stewart

 Makes 6

Unsalted butter, for dishes
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for dishes
12 ounces rhubarb, trimmed and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
Coarse salt


This dessert couldn't be simpler. Unlike many custards, it doesn't require a hot-water bath. Shallow gratin dishes, shown here, allow the rhubarb to spread out and cook evenly. You can also use 4-inch ramekins (2 inches deep). Simply give the rhubarb a stir halfway through step 1.

Heat oven to 350. Butter six 5 1/2-inch gratin dishes (1 inch deep), and dust with sugar; arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss rhubarb with cup sugar, and divide among dishes. Cover each first with parchment and then with foil, and bake until rhubarb is just beginning to release liquid and soften, about 30 minutes. Leave oven on.

Puree milk, cream, flour, eggs and yolk, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth. Divide mixture evenly among dishes. Bake, uncovered, until just set, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes.

Tropical Fruit Sundaes

Food & Wine / Daniel Boulud

SERVINGS: 12

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup finely grated peeled fresh ginger (3 ounces)
6 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin (from 2 envelopes)
9 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes
1 pineapple—peeled, cored and finely diced (4 cups)
2 large mangoes—peeled, pitted and finely diced (4 cups)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice
2 pints raspberries
2 pints vanilla ice cream 

ACTIVE: 45 MIN TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 30 MIN 

In a large saucepan, combine the cream and milk with the ginger and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Strain the cream into a bowl, pressing on the ginger. Wipe out the saucepan. Return the cream to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar and gelatin. Let the cream cool to lukewarm, then whisk in the mascarpone. Spoon the mousse into 12 glasses or bowls and refrigerate until set, 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the coconut flakes in a pie plate and toast until golden, 3 minutes. Let cool.

In a bowl, toss the pineapple and mangoes with the brown sugar, lime zest and juice. Spoon the pineapple and mangoes over the ginger mousse and top with the raspberries. Scoop the ice cream into the bowls, garnish with the toasted coconut and serve.

Serve With Shortbread cookies.

Roasted Pear and Chocolate Chunk Scones

Smitten Kitchen

Makes 6 generous scones; you can absolutely make these a bit smaller and reduce their baking time accordingly

3 firmish pears (about 1 pound or 255 grams)
1 1/2 cups (190 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated for sprinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) table salt plus additional for egg wash
6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup (3 ounces or 85 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or chips)
2 large eggs, 1 for dough, 1 for glaze

Heat oven to 375°F. Peel and core pears. Cut into 1-inch chunks. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange pear chunks on parchment and roast until they feel dry to the touch and look a little browned underneath, about 20 minutes. Slide parchment paper with pear chunks onto a cooling rack (or onto a plate in the fridge or freezer to speed this up) and cool to lukewarm. Leave oven on. Line baking sheet with another piece of parchment.

Whisk flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup sugar and salt together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Toss in cooled pear chunks, bits of butter, heavy cream and 1 egg. With the paddle attachment, mix the dough on low speed until it just comes together. Don’t overmix. Add the chocolate chunks and mix for 5 seconds more.

On a very well floured counter, pat out dough into a 6-inch round. Cut into 6 generous wedges and transfer to baking sheet at least two inches apart (do as I say, not as I did here!). Whisk remaining egg in a small dish with 1 teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt. Brush each scone with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar.

Bake scones until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve, and pat yourself on the back for your excellent host skills.

Do ahead: You can get this recipe all the way to the point where you’d bake them, and instead cover the pan with foil or plastic wrap and freeze them overnight. Bake them directly from the freezer in the morning; they should only take a few minutes longer. For longer than overnight, transfer frozen, already shaped, scones to a freezer bag until needed. In both cases, brush the egg wash/sprinkle the sugar on while still frozen, before baking the scones.

Rock Candy

Southern Living, 2006

Makes 4 servings

    4 12-ounce jars (glass canning)                                
    4 7-in pieces of kitchen string                                
    4 wooden skewers or pencils                                    
    4 1/2 cups sugar                                               
    2 cups water                                                   
    10 drops red food coloring (or other color)                    
    1/8 teaspoon cinnamon extract (or other extract)               
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract                                    

Prep: 15 min/Cook: 20 min/Stand: 14 days.
Crystals will form on the surface of the liquid. This is not a problem. Simply break them up, and scoop them out to enjoy.

Arrange jars in bottom of a large Dutch oven, and fill with enough water to cover jars by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil 2 minutes (this is to sterilize). Carefully remove jars with kitchen tongs to a wire rack; cool completely, and dry.

Tie strings around centers of wooden skewers or pencils. Place one string in each jar, resting skewer or pencil across rim of jar, and making sure strings do not touch bottoms of jars. Set aside.

Bring sugar and 2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; boil, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring, cinnamon oil, and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes.

Pour about 1 cup syrup mixture carefully around skewer into each jar. Loosely cover with aluminum foil (including skewer); pierce aluminum foil several times with a skewer or knife. Let stand 10 to 14 days or until crystals form on strings. (Occasionally break up hard sugar layer on surface using a wooden skewer.) Remove strings from jars, and suspend strings between jars until crystals are dry (about 1 hour). Remove strings from skewers or pencils.

Peanut Butter Turtle Torte

Southern Living, 2005

Makes 12-16 servings

    18 chocolate wafers fine crush                                 
    2 tablespoons butter melt                                      
    16 chocolate wafers                                            
    1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips                           
    2 cups whipping cream                                          
    2 tablespoons butter                                           
    1 cup halved pecans toasted                                    
    1/2 cup butterscotch caramel topping                           
    8 ounces softened cream cheese                                 
    1 cup creamy peanut butter                                     
    1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar                                

PREP: 40 MIN/BAKE: 5 MIN/COOK: 5 MIN/CHILL: 8 HRS. 35 MIN.

Combine crushed chocolate cookies and melted butter. Press mixture on bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Stand 16 cookies around edge of pan, slightly overlapping and pressing into crumb mixture on bottom ol pan.

Bake chocolate cookie crust at 350" for 5 minutes; cool.

Stir together morsels, 1/2 cup whipping cream, and 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove 2 tablespoons chocolate mixture, and place in a small zip-top plastic bag (or squeeze bottle). Pour remaining chocolate mixture evenly over cookie crust in pan, and chill 30 minutes or until chocolate layer is firm.

Arrange pecans in an even layer on chocolate layer in pan. Spread butterscotch-caramel topping evenly over pecans, starting from center, leaving a 1-inch border around outer edge of crust. (Be sure to leave this border; if not, the caramel will ooze out of the torte.)

Beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectioners sugar at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Increase speed to high, and gradually add remaining 1 1/2 cups cream, beating 1 1/2 minutes or until mixture is thick and creamy,

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over butterscotch-caramel layer. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of chocolate-filled zip-top plastic bag, and drizzle chocolate over mixture in pan. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.

Remove sides of pan just before serving; serve immediately.

Pecan Squares

Southern Living, 2004

MAKES ABOUT 28 SQUARES

    2 cups flour                                                   
    2/3 cup powdered sugar                                         
    3/4 cup butter                                                 
    1/2 cup firm pack brown sugar                                  
    1/2 cup honey                                                  
    2/3 cup butter                                                 
    3 tablespoons whipping cream                                   
    3 1/2 cups coarse chop pecans                                  

PREP: 20 MIN.. BAKE: 50 MIN

Judy Russell always brings this recipe, adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook (Workman, $15.95). She uses salted butter and brings the filling to a rolling boil before pouring it over the crust.

Sift together 2 cups flour and 2/3 cup powdered sugar. Cut in 3/4 cup softened butter using a pastry blender or fork just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pat mixture on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool.

BRING brown sugar, honey. 2/3 cup butter, and whipping cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in pecans, and pour hot filling into prepared crust.

BAKE at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool completely before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Fruit Danish

Real Simple, 2006

Makes 4 servings

    1 8-ct. tube crescent roll dough                               
    Flour for work surface                                         
    4 tablespoons cream cheese                                     
    4 tablespoons strawberry jam (or any kind of jam)              

Heat oven to 400F.  Carefully unroll the dough on a lightly flowered surface.  Divide along the dotted lines into 4 equal rectangles.  Working with 1 rectangle at a time, gently pinch and smooth the dough to eliminate the diagonal dotted lines.  Trim the dough along one side to approximate a square.  Place 1 tbsp of cream cheese and 1 tbsp of jam in the center of each square.  Fold each corner to the center of the square, pinching them together.  Transfer to baking sheet.  Bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes.

MY NOTE: I bet this could work like hamentaschen too.  Instead of bring the corners to the center, you could just fold them back on themselves so the center is exposed.  Might make for a chewy fruity center.

Caramel Glaze

Real Simple, 2005

    4 tablespoons unsalted butter                                  
    1/4 cup sugar                                                  
    1/4 cup light brown sugar                                      
    1/8 teaspoon salt                                              
    1/2 cup heavy cream                                            

In a saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the granulated and brown sugars and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

CALORIES 75.81(66% from fat); FAT 5.59g (sat 3.51g); PROTEIN 0.18mg; CHOLESTEROL 17.71mg; CALCIUM 8.63mg; SODIUM 13.3mg; FIBER 0g; CARBOHYDRATE 6.68g; IRON 0.07mg

Sugar Plums

Real Simple, 2004

MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN
    1/2 cup slivered almonds                                       
    4 ounces dried figs                                            
    2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa                                
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon                                   
    3 tablespoons honey                                            
    1 orange zest (ab. 1 tbsp)                                     
    1/2 teaspoon almond extract                                    
    3/4 cup granulated sugar       
                               
HANDS-ON TIME: 15 MINUTES / TOTAL TIME: 15 MINUTES

Tightly covered, these keep for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

In a. small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds to bring out their flavor. Remove from heat; cool. Combine the figs, cocoa, cinnamon, and almonds in a food processor, pulsing until peppercorn-size balls form. Add the honey, orange zest, and almond extract. Pulse 3 or 4 times more until well mixed.
Spread the sugar in a shallow dish. Form the sugarplums into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar.