Creamy

Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding

I know. I know. Rice pudding? It”s not really something that gets people clambering up walls and banging on doors. When I was growing up rice pudding was our go-to when we had leftover rice hanging around. We”d heat it up with some sugar, milk and raisins mixed in. I always looked forward to it. I realize that, that rice pudding, although good, is nothing to write home about. Let me reassure you, this is not that rice pudding – this is post-worthy rice pudding. If rice pudding could be considered gourmet, this would be it.

I always love little flecks of vanilla seeds in white desserts and they make this pudding look like something special (or like dirt if you”re unfamiliar with vanilla beans). Since vanilla beans are so expensive I like to use them in recipes where they really shine. And, that”s just what they do in this recipe. The cream and vanilla give this such a creamy-dreamy-vanilla flavour and consistency. I love it warm but you can also serve it cold with a little bit of extra milk mixed in to get the consistency you like. It”s hard to describe just how delicious and comforting rice pudding can be, I guess you”ll just have to try it out for yourself to know what I”m talking about. ;)

P.S. If you don”t access to vanilla beans you can substitute it with 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.


Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding

1 cup arborio rice (or other short grain rice)
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split open and seeded
1/2 cup sugar

Place rice in a medium-sized saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring just to a boil then strain in a fine mesh sieve, rinsing with cold water (this is to remove some of the starch). Place drained rice back in the saucepan along with milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until rice is cooked and mixture is thick and creamy (it will thicken more as it cools). Let cool slightly and serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold with a bit of milk stirred in to loosen the consistency.

Serves: 6


Adapted from Tartelette.

Mocha-Chip-Fudge Cheesecake

mocha chip cheesecake

In all my time in Norway not once did I see a block of cream cheese. Spreadable cream cheese was everywhere but the one time I tried to make a cheesecake with it (in my desperation) it did not end well. Three years is far too long to go without a slice of cheesecake!

So you can imagine that it was at the top of my list of things to make when we moved to New York. And, I can now say, it was worth the wait! It was pretty hard to decide which one to make first but I’ve been craving coffee lately (I credit that to the exhaustion of furnishing an entire house from scratch in one week. Whew.) so I decided to go with Mocha Chip. It was a great choice.

On a whim I added a mocha fudge topping because I thought it might pretty it up a bit. In the end I can’t imagine the cheesecake without it. It gave it a much more intense chocolate flavour that I think would have been lacking without it. I don’t think I need to go into much description about how good this tastes. Mocha. Fudge. Cheesecake. Enough said right?

In order to help myself have some self-restraint and not be wasteful (who wants to waste cheesecake?), I decided to slice these into individual servings and freeze them. That way if we’ve got company, or are craving an indulgent dessert, I can just pull out as many as we need, let them thaw and then serve. I love the idea of having something in my freezer to serve guests that doesn’t take any work but is more special than just cookies (although there’s nothing wrong with “just” cookies).

I was a little nervous about making cheesecake again. It had been such a long time that I’d built it up in my head as something difficult. But it couldn’t have been more easy. I hope you try it soon.


Mocha-Chip-Fudge Cheesecake

My springform pan is almost 10 inches and it worked fine for this recipe. I just didn’t press the crumbs as far up the sides of the pan.

Crust
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine cookie crumbs and sugar, stir in butter until evenly coated. Press into the bottom and approximately 2 inches up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan.

Mocha Chip Filling
  • 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in flour until well combined. At low-speed, beat in eggs just until combined.

Mix together cream and instant coffee. Let sit for 1 minute, stir to dissolve. Add to cream cheese mixture along with vanilla. Stir just until evenly distributed. Stir in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.

Pour cream cheese mixture into crust. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 325ºF for 50-60 minutes or until centre is almost set. Let cool completely at room temperature.

Mocha Fudge Topping
  • 6 oz. (1/2 of 12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Put all ingredients in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute at 50%. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Spread on top of cooled cheesecake.

Cover cheesecake with foil and refrigerate overnight.

To serve: Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Warm a sharp knife under hot tap water, wipe it dry with a clean kitchen towel and cut one slice. Rinse it clean under hot tap water and repeat.

Makes: 14 servings


Adapted from TasteofHome.

White Chocolate Eggnog Cheesecake Pots

White Chocolate Eggnog Cheesecake Pots

You know what Christmas treat I”ve missed most since moving to Norway? Eggnog. I”ve made my own, but so far I just haven”t found that perfect recipe. I used to practically live off the stuff when I was younger. That”s when you really knew that Christmas was on its way – when you saw cartons of Eggnog appearing beside the milk.

Since moving here I”ve become obsessed with eggnog flavoured things. I have to get my fix somehow! Hence the Eggnog Sugar Cookies and now these silky smooth White Chocolate Eggnog Cheesecake Pots.

Yes, it”s still Sugar Cookie Week but I thought for this post I”d share a dessert that”s great accompanied with some sugar cookies dippers. A little crunch with a smooth and creamy treat turns an already tasty dessert into perfection.

These cheesecake pots can be made in ramekins, mugs or small bowls and could alternatively be topped with the Lattice “Pie Crust” Sugar Cookies from yesterday”s post.

When I make sugar cookies as dippers I like to make them a little smaller than usual, so you can use them as a garnish or throw a handful beside. Use them beside any kind of creamy and smooth dessert and you”ve got yourself a perfect pairing.


White Chocolate Eggnog Cheesecake Pots

Make sure that the cream cheese and melted chocolate are as close to the same temperature as possible. If the cream cheese is too cold or the chocolate too hot, the chocolate will seize as you beat them together.

  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 (8oz/250g) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon rum extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup cold whipping cream

Beat cream cheese into white chocolate until smooth. Beat in rum extract and nutmeg. Add cream and beat, just until peaks form and hold their shape when beaters are lifted. Spoon into serving dishes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Top with additional nutmeg before serving, if desired.

Serves: 6-8


Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse Towers

Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse Towers

About a month ago I received an email that got me very excited. It was from Aimee, asking me to consider becoming a contributor for a new site called Simple Bites. I headed over to check it out and knew that I just had to be a part of it.

Simple Bites is a collaboration of mommy food bloggers who are passionate about simple, real food and are dedicated to “real food for the family table”. Although I”m ecstatic and extremely honoured to have been asked to be a contributor, I”m even more excited about what the others have to offer and learning tips and tricks to simplify family mealtimes.

Everyone has a different take on what works for them and the more inspiration you get, the more you can find what works for you. That”s why I”m so pumped about this site. It”s not just one person giving their viewpoint, but seven!

Another point of excitement is that Aimee, our lovely editor who was once a professional chef, will be sharing tips from her culinary training that we can apply at home through her posts on cooking school. A few other categories that may pique your interest are: quick bites, preserving, menu planning & batch cooking, kids in the kitchen, and what”s for dinner? Recipes and knowledgeable tips and tricks will abound.

The site is officially launching on Monday. I hope you will join me over there and show your support. Every new site needs a little loven”. If you wish, you can become a fan on Facebook or follow Simple Bites on Twitter. And, make sure to familiarize yourself with the other lovely contributors. There will be a huge giveaway that first week so please come and show your shining faces. I will be happy to see you there.

Now on to these valentine treats! Although this recipe may appear complicated, it”s not. The only way it could be made simpler is to purchase the wafers, cool whip, and chocolate sauce from the store and only make the mousse from scratch. There is no single mousse recipe that is simpler than this. You throw all the ingredients in a bowl and whip away. Done.

The taste and texture of these wafer cookies are identical to the ones you buy in the store. But, they really are not difficult to make from scratch. You beat it all together in one bowl, refrigerate, roll out the silky smooth dough and cut it into any shape and size you want. That is why you should make these at home. They are a lot more versatile but still have a long shelf life.

A simple recipe with super cute results.

Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse Towers

  • 12 round chocolate wafer cookies
  • 4 heart chocolate wafer cookies
  • strawberry cheesecake mousse
  • 1/2 cup chantilly cream
  • dark chocolate sauce

  1. Place one wafer on serving plate. Pipe strawberry mousse  on top leaving half an inch gap from the edge of the wafer. Place another wafer on top and repeat process until there are 3 cookies and 3 layers of mousse. Repeat with remaining wafers and mousse to make 4 servings. Refrigerate until serving.
  2. To serve: garnish with a dollop of chantilly cream and a heart wafer. Decorate plate with dark chocolate sauce.

Serves: 4

* You can serve these right away but then you will have to pick up the cookies to eat them because they will be too firm. If you refrigerate them for a couple of hours first the mousse will soften up the cookie just enough to stick a fork through without it becoming a sloppy mess.

*To amp up the chocolate factor you could always add a layer of chocolate sauce to the cookie before topping it with mousse.

Chocolate Wafer Cookies

adapted from Sugar

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp. milk
  • 1.5 cups flour
  • dash salt
  • dash baking powder
  • additional icing sugar, for rolling out

  1. Beat butter until creamy. Sift in icing sugar and cocoa powder. Beat until incorporated.
  2. Add vanilla, egg yolk and milk. Stir well.
  3. Mix in flour, salt and baking powder. Beat until mixture is very well incorporated.
  4. Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 min.
  5. Dust work surface with icing sugar. Roll out dough until 1/8 inch thick. Cut out circles with 2.5 inch round cutters (or a cup) and hearts with 1.5 inch heart cutters.
  6. Transfer with a large spatula to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Gather scraps into a ball and repeat the process.
  7. Bake for 12-15 min at 325ºF until cookies lift easily off of the parchment paper. Remove parchment from baking sheet and allow cookies to cool on the parchment.

*It”s important to roll the dough out in icing sugar as flour will absorb into the dough and dry it out.

*Cookies will store for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container at room temp.

Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse

  • 1/2 cup (4oz) cream cheese, room temp.
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 strawberry puree
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  1. Beat cream cheese to soften. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Add strawberry puree and heavy cream. Beat until peaks just hold their shape when beaters are lifted.
  2. Place in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate until using.

*When ready to use simply cut off one corner and use as a piping bag.

Dark Chocolate Sauce

  • 2 oz. dark chocolate
  • 3 Tbsp. heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla

  1. Place all ingredients in a bowl set over simmering water (but not touching the water), making sure to stir the cornstarch with the cream first to ensure that there will be no lumps. Stir occasionally until chocolate has melted. Remove from pot and allow to cool. The cooler it gets the thicker it will be.

*This thick chocolate sauce is perfect for decorating because it stays put with no spreading.

*Once refrigerated this becomes firm like ganache, so it will need to be reheated to become a pourable consistency.

*You could also do this in the microwave but keep a close eye or the chocolate may burn.

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Cannoli Christmas Trees

Cannoli Christmas Trees

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

If you know me well, then it is no secret that I am a bit of a Christmas fanatic.  I know it may seem strange for someone my age to get so excited about Christmas, but who can resist all those warm and fuzzy feelings that are invoked at Christmas time? I feel like a child again when the first snow falls,  reminding me of the love and warmth that  surrounds you when  you spend time with the ones you love.  It is irresistible to me and I can”t help but get excited. A holiday dedicated to peace, joy and love. What could be better?

This year I get to go home for Christmas. In fact, I am already here. I was not able to bring my camera equipment  with me so things are going to be looking a little different around here over the Christmas Holidays. But, not to worry, there will be lot”s of goodies to go around with the “Dear Mrs. Claus” post sshowing up on Mondays, featuring all of your wonderful Christmas recipes. (If you are interested in submitting your Christmas photos visit this post) And, I will be doing Christmas interviews with some of my favorite bloggers.  In the New Year I will be up and running again with my photos and recipes, but for now I thought it quite fitting to share the love and goodies from other bloggers. That”s what the season is all about right?

Being that I will not be able to post all the Christmas recipes that are spinning around in my head, I could not resist squeezing one in before I left for home and the Daring Bakers Challenge provided the perfect opportunity. Therefore, traditional Cannoli became Cannoli Christmas Trees. They are layered with raspberry, white chocolate and pistachio ricotta fillings and spruced up (ha) with icing sugar snow and pomegranate lights. I think they”re pretty cute. And, tasty too. :)

I made my own ricotta for this challenge and have linked to the recipe below. I use this recipe often as it is so simple to make and I find it cheaper and fresher then store bought. It is also helpful because you can make the amount needed so there is no waste.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas Season and are able to sit back, relax, and enjoy time with ones you love.

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Cannoli Christmas Trees

  • cannoli stars (large and small)
  • raspberry ricotta filling
  • white chocolate ricotta filling
  • pistachio ricotta filling
  • pistachios, chopped
  • icing sugar
  • pomegranates

  1. Place one large cannoli star onto serving plate. Top with raspberry ricotta. Top with another large star and add a dollop of white chocolate ricotta. Top with one more large star and top that with  pistachio ricotta. Sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios and stick a small cannoli star into the ricotta point side down.
  2. Sprinkle with icing sugar and pomegranates if desired. Serve immediately.

Cannoli Stars

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. white wine vinegar*
  • 1/2 cup wine (Marsala is what is traditional used)*
  • Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying (2 inches deep)

  1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.
  2. Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour work surface and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 4 inch star shapes as well as 2 inch star shapes. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for several minutes to help keep the dough from shrinking.
  3. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C), or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels.
  4. Dock the cannoli with a fork, making sure to go all the way through. This is to avoid the cannoli from puffing up in the centre. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli stars into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry until lightly golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly. Remove to paper towel lined tray to cool.

* I substituted the wine with apple juice and upped the vinegar to 1 Tbsp to make up for the lost acidity.

Raspberry, White Chocolate & Pistachio Fillings

  • 1 cup dry ricotta (or half this recipe)
  • 2/3 cup icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. lemon zest
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2 Tbsp. each, chopped pistachios, chopped white chocolate, crushed raspberries

  1. Cream together ricotta, sugar, cinnamon and zest until smooth.
  2. Whip cream to soft peaks and fold into ricotta.
  3. Divide into 3 bowls. In one bowl fold in pistachios, in another fold in white chocolate, and in last fold in raspberries.

* If you want more vibrant colors feel free to add some food coloring.

* You can use fresh or frozen (and thawed) raspberries for this filling.

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Vols au Vent – Daring Bakers

Vols au Vent – Daring Bakers

The September 2009 Daring Bakers” challenge was hosted by Steph of A Whisk and a Spoon. She chose the French treat, Vols-au-Vent based on the Puff Pastry recipe by Michel Richard from the cookbook Baking With Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

I must admit that I was petrified going into this challenge. My first year of marriage I tried to make croissants from scratch for my parents who were coming to visit. After hours and hours (probably more like days back then) of slaving away at it, they turned out to be hard, tooth breaking, croissant shaped, lumps. I was devastated. Since then I have found a new and easier croissant recipe that does not require all the rolling and folding, which made me quite happy, but now I had to face my fears straight on.

Although, I know that I have a lot more to improve on with my puff pastry making skills, I am proud to say that I have no broken teeth and that they were even a little flaky. Gasp! I will be posting the full story of all my trials and tribulations with the puff pastry recipe tomorrow. But, for now I am going to enjoy the rest of my weekend.

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I filled my Vols-au-Vent with Vanilla Bean Cranberry Sauce and Rum Pastry Cream. There were some major faults in the recipe I was making, which became quite apparent when my pastry cream turned out like scrambled eggs. I promptly whisked in an extra cup of milk which brought it back to the proper consistency. I also found the cranberries had a little too much rum for my liking, so I would cut it down by half.

This is a perfect dessert for my mother and all of those who prefer tart or bitter over sweet, because there is really nothing sweet about this dessert. Although, it still makes a wonderful ending to a warm meal.

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Vols-au-Vent with Vanilla Bean Cranberry Sauce and Rum Pastry Cream

  • 1 pckg. Puff Pastry (or 1/3 recipe puff pastry)
  • Vanilla Bean Cranberry Sauce
  • Rum Pastry Cream
  • Egg wash (1 egg yolk + 1 Tbsp water)

  1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry dough into a rectangle about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Transfer it to a baking sheet and refrigerate for about 10 minutes before proceeding with the cutting.
  2. For smaller, hors d”oeuvre sized vols-au-vent, use a 1.5” round cutter and for larger sized vols-au-vent, fit for a main course or dessert, use a 4” cutter. Make clean, sharp cuts and try not to twist your cutters back and forth or drag your knife through the dough. Half of these rounds will be for the bases, and the other half will be for the sides.
  3. Using a ¾-inch cutter for small vols-au-vent, or a 2 to 2.5 inch round cutter for large, cut centers from half of the rounds to make rings. These rings will become the sides of the vols-au-vent, while the solid disks will be the bottoms. You can either save the center cut-outs to bake off as little “caps” for you vols-au-vent, or put them in the scrap pile.
  4. Dock the solid bottom rounds with a fork (prick them lightly, making sure not to go all the way through the pastry) and lightly brush them with egg wash. Place the rings directly on top of the bottom rounds and very lightly press them to adhere. Brush the top rings lightly with egg wash, trying not to drip any down the sides (which may inhibit rise). If you are using the little “caps,” dock and egg wash them as well.
  5. Refrigerate the assembled vols-au-vent on the parchment lined baking sheet while you pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). (You could also cover and refrigerate them for a few hours at this point.)
  6. Once the oven is heated, remove the sheet from the refrigerator and place another sheet of parchment over top of the shells. This will help them rise evenly. Bake the shells until they have risen and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes depending on their size. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF (180ºC), and remove the parchment sheet from the top of the vols-au-vent. If the centers have risen up inside the vols-au-vent, you can gently press them down. Continue baking (without parchment) until the layers are golden, about 15-20 minutes more. (If you are baking the center “caps” they will likely be finished well ahead of the shells, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven when browned.)
  7. Remove to a rack to cool.
  8. Put a small amount of Vanilla Bean Cranberry Sauce into the Vois-au-Vent and top with Rum Pastry Cream.

*For additional rise on the larger-sized vols-au-vents, you can stack one or two additional ring layers on top of each other (using egg wash to “glue”). This will give higher sides to larger vols-au-vents, but is not advisable for the smaller ones, whose bases may not be large enough to support the extra weight.

*Although they are at their best filled and eaten soon after baking, baked vols-au-vent shells can be stored airtight for a day.

*Shaped, unbaked vols-au-vent can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month (bake from frozen, egg-washing them first).

Vanilla Bean Cranberry Sauce

adapted from Sugar

  • 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 6 Tbsp. water
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp. extract)
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp. rum, optional (I would do 1 Tbsp)

  1. Place cranberries, water, sugar and cinnamon in a small sauce pan. Split vanilla bean in half and scrape seeds into cranberries, add the scraped out vanilla pod. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally, until most of the  cranberries have burst (about 15-20 min.). Scrape into a clean bowl, removing vanilla bean, and stir in rum. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cranberries to prevent a film forming on top. Refrigerate until serving.

Rum Pastry Cream

adapted from Sugar

  • 2 cups milk (the original called for 1 cup)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 2.5 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • dash salt
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 Tbsp. rum, optional
  • 2 Tbsp. whipping cream

  1. Place milk and vanilla in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add milk to egg mixture, whisking constantly until all is incorporated. Pour mixture back into the pot and bring back up to a simmer, whisking constantly. Once thickened, remove from heat and whisk in butter and rum. Pour into a clean bowl and cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap directly on the surface. Chill completely. Whip cream to medium firm peaks and fold into pastry cream. Refrigerate until serving.

* I just whip the cream by hand. It is such a small amount it does not take long, as long as the whisk, bowl and whipping cream are all very cold.

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