dessert Archives - Page 5 of 8 -

January 23, 2015

Meyer Lemon Graham Parfaits

It’s often difficult to find Meyer lemons around here even during the right season, so I am always glad when I stumble upon them unexpectedly. Meyer lemons are still tart, but are also sweeter than regular lemons and have a slight hint of orange. Lemon desserts are always so bright and refreshing, but are also usually loaded with lots of sugar to balance the tartness. Because Meyer lemons are naturally sweeter, I’ve found that it’s possible to use less added sweetener and the dessert will still be well-balanced and delicious. Last year I made this Meyer Lemon Cream with Graham Crackers and Sea Salt from Bon Appetit and decided I wanted to make a healthier lightened up version this year. I started by swapping out the sugar for honey and also decreased the amount of honey to achieve the right consistency in the lemon curd base. This honey lemon curd is still very sweet and is wonderful on its own. Lemon and honey must be one of the most marvelous combinations ever.

Then I swapped out the heavy whipping cream for plain greek yogurt. I used 1/2 cup of lemon curd for every 1 1/2 cups of yogurt, but increase the lemon curd if you’d like a stronger lemon flavor and a more decadent treat. The parfaits are topped off with a sprinkle of crushed grahams, lemon zest, and flaky sea salt. Sweet enough for a dessert, but healthy enough for breakfast.

Meyer Lemon Graham Parfaits

Ingredients

Lemon Curd

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons meyer lemon juice, from about 3 lemons
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Assembly

1½ cups whole milk or 2% greek yogurt
½ cup crushed graham crackers
flaky sea salt
lemon rind from 1 Meyer lemon

Instructions

Lemon Curd

In a small saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, and eggs over medium heat. Whisk continuously until mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Turn off heat and add butter. Whisk until butter is melted and fully incorporated.
Transfer to a glass jar, cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Assembly

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 1½ cups greek yogurt with ½ cup lemon curd. If desired, adjust to taste and add more lemon curd a couple tablespoons at a time.
Add a couple tablespoons of yogurt to 4 small glass jars. Sprinkle with crushed grahams. Layer remaining yogurt over the crushed grahams. Top off with a sprinkle of crushed grahams, lemon zest, and flaky sea salt. These are best served immediately as graham crackers will become soft after sitting in the yogurt.

Notes

adapted from Bon Appetit

November 13, 2014

Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars

I would consider myself a fairly disciplined person when it comes to eating, but my one can’t-say-no-to type of dessert is anything with almonds. Lucky for me that Ryan loves almond desserts too. Some of our favorites are this raspberry frangipane tart, the almond cake from The Art of Simple Food, these almond cloud cookies, and of course, these Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars. I usually vary the cookies that I make each holiday season, but I almost always try to include these because I never get tired of them. With the holidays approaching, I was thinking about putting these cookies on my Christmas baking list and then I remembered I had actually made these for my son’s cello recital a few months ago and never posted the photos and recipe. I am actually thinking about making these twice in one year so considering that I hardly ever make the same dessert twice ever, that says a lot! What sets these bar cookies apart from other cookies that may look similar is the almond paste, which contributes to the splendid almond flavor and incredible chewy texture. Apricot preserves complement the almond flavor nicely although I imagine raspberry preserves would also be lovely. These are delicious slightly warm, at room temperature, and also cold. They freeze well so they can be made in advance and thawed when ready to serve.

Apricot Almond Shortbread Bars

Ingredients

¾ cup apricot preserves
1-2 tablespoons rum
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup natural cane sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup packed almond paste, crumbled (about 2.5 ounces)
½ cup sliced almonds, divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 9x9-inch or 7x11-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, stir together the almond preserves and rum. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on high speed. Beat in the almond extract. Add the flour and salt and mix together on medium speed until flour is just incorporated. Transfer 1 cup of dough to another small bowl and add the crumbled almond paste. Use fingers to mix together until small clumps begin to form. Mix in ¼ cup sliced almonds. Put mixture in refrigerator to chill for a few minutes.
Use hands to press the remaining dough in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Spread preserves evenly over the dough. Crumble the slightly chilled almond paste mixture over the preserves and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup almonds on top. Press the topping lightly into the preserves.
Bake until shortbread bars start to brown and become golden, about 50 minutes. Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Notes

slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

link

October 20, 2014

Pistachio Almond Baked Donuts

How did it take me so long to buy a donut pan?! For a long time I kept convincing myself that I did not need another specialty baking pan, but after seeing this recipe, I finally decided that I could go no longer without a donut pan. Now I wish someone had convinced me that I needed a donut pan a long time ago. In terms of cookware, donut pans are relatively inexpensive and they take up very little space. I think this could possibly be my best purchase of 2014.

Baked donuts have brought such a welcome change from the usual muffins and quick breads that I often bake. Shape indeed does make a difference. Since I have been making them mostly for breakfast, I wanted to create a recipe that was whole-grain and refined sugar-free. These Pistachio Almond Baked Donuts are a combination of some of my favorite flavors. They are made with whole wheat pastry flour and ground pistachios, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and honey, and finished with a dark chocolate glaze. I like these best served warm out of the oven.

Pistachio Almond Baked Donuts

Serves: 6 donuts

Ingredients

Donuts

¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
⅓ cup finely ground pistachios, plus extra for sprinkling on top
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg
⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1½ teaspoon almond extract

Glaze

1.5 ounces dark chocolate
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

Donuts

Preheat the oven to 400.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ground pistachios, baking powder, and salt.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, coconut sugar, honey, and almond extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined. Do not over mix.
Pipe the mixture evenly into the donut pan. (I use a small ziploc bag and cut the tip off one corner for piping.)
Bake for 10 minutes, until donuts are light golden brown. Let cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Dip donuts in chocolate glaze and sprinkle with additional ground pistachios. Donuts are best served slightly warm.

Glaze

Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in a double boiler or in a microwave. If using a microwave, heat for 15 second intervals and stir after each interval. When chocolate is almost completely melted, remove from heat and stir until smooth. Stir in almond extract.