Archive for the ‘Sweets’ Category

« Older Entries

TASTE TEST: A FRAPPE FACE-OFF AT GRIDDLER’S AND J.M. CURLEY’S

Posted by Fiona Coxe on 1/9/2012 at 2:13PM | No Comments

In Taste Test, Chowder contributor Fiona Coxe samples buzzy dishes around town — and finds out whether they are worth the hype.

shakes

The coconut and strawberry concrete from J.M. Curley’s, left, was much thicker than the Apple Pie shake from Griddler’s (right). Photos by Fiona Coxe.

Opening during the winter hasn’t stopped two new restaurants, Griddler’s Burgers and Dogs in Beacon Hill and J.M. Curley’s in Downtown Crossing, from incorporating frappe-style desserts in to their menus — the former boasts milkshakes while the latter offers the milkshake’s thicker brother, the concrete. I decided to see how the two stacked up. READ MORE

  • Share/Bookmark

FROM SCRATCH: NECTARINE SHORTCAKES

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 9/8/2011 at 1:03PM | 1 Comment

Photo by Maggie Brooks

Strawberries usually get all of the glory when it comes shortcakes, but I say equal opportunity for all fruits, especially stone fruits. While I have an affinity for peaches in a cobbler, my go-to fruit for shortcakes is a juicy nectarine. Once tossed in sugar, nectarines give off an incredible syrup that soaks into the shortcake and make the flavor out-of-this-world.

Treat shortcakes like pie dough; all of the ingredients need to be super-cold. Work the dough as little as possible.

Ingredients

2 c. all purpose flour
4 tbs. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
8 tbs. butter, cut into half inch pieces, very cold
1/2 c. milk, very cold
6 nectarines, pitted and sliced
1/3 c. sugar
pinch salt
pinch cinnamon
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla

For the shortcakes:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a food processor, combine the first five ingredients with a few short pulses. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of peas.  Add the milk all at once and process until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a well-floured surface and shape the dough into a rough circle. Slice into quarters, then shape into discs and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown on top. Set aside, and allow to cool.

READ MORE

  • Share/Bookmark

KICKASS CUPCAKES: NO FORK REQUIRED

Posted by admin on 8/18/2011 at 10:41AM | No Comments
kickass cupcakes

Photo courtesy of Kickass Cupcakes

It’s not uncommon to hear voices of seasoned cupcake patrons begin to plan their attack for which of the nearly 20 Kickass Cupcakes flavors they would try that day, whether or not they should buy one for their spouse, or whether or not they should take one for the road.

Fortunately for them, taking one for the road just got a lot easier than heading the whole way to Somerville. READ MORE

  • Share/Bookmark

FROM SCRATCH: BOURBON PRALINES

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 8/12/2011 at 8:06AM | 1 Comment

Photo by Maggie Brooks

Last weekend, my sister got married in Charleston, S.C., and gave pralines as her wedding favor. Pralines (soft caramel with pecans) are the quinesstenial Charleston candy. The smell of bubbling sugar wafting out of the candy stores on Market Street will cause unsuspecting tourists to be run over by the locals itching to get their praline fix.

To jazz up a traditional praline, I swapped the vanilla for a hit of bourbon, which gives a nice aromatic kick and just a tad deeper flavor. During the sugar dissolving phase its key to keep the sides of the pot clean from excess sugar. Simply dip a pastry brush into lukewarm water and wash away anything sticking to the sides. You will need a candy thermometer for this, and it’s very important not to stir the sugar while it’s boiling.

Ingredients

1 c light brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c half and half
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 tbs butter, cut into chunks
1 tsp bourbon (I use Southern Comfort)
1 c pecan halves

Line two cookie sheets with parchment and spray with cooking spray.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat, stir together the sugars, half and half, salt and cream of tartar until the sugar dissolves. Keep the sides of the pot clean by brushing off any sugar with a basting brush dipped in luke warm water. Once dissolved, attach a candy thermometer to the pan, turn the heat to high and boil the mixture to 238 degrees. Gently remove from the heat and allow to cool to 220 degrees. Whisk in the butter and bourbon until creamy then stir in the pecans.

Working quickly, drop the pralines by the tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheets. Allow to cool completely.  Store in an air tight container for up to two weeks.

*Adapted from a 1991 Gourmet recipe

  • Share/Bookmark

FROM SCRATCH: GRASSHOPPER ICE CREAM PIE

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 8/1/2011 at 10:00AM | 1 Comment

Chocolate with mint is one my favorite combos, so it’s no surprise that a velvety grasshopper pie is right up my alley. To put a hot weather twist on this classic, I went the frozen route and made a mint ice cream with a layer of dark chocolate ganache and a chocolate cookie crust.

Since it’s summer, I wanted to incorporate fresh mint flavor into the ice cream and not depend on creme de menthe or peppermint extract. By steeping mint leaves in the milk, you can get a refreshing herbal minty flavor that tastes brighter than what you could get from extract alone. To serve this pie, allow it to sit out for about five minutes, then use a sharp knife dipped in lukewarm water. Be sure to keep dipping the knife so the cuts will be clean.

Ingredients

Crust:
1 1/2 c chocolate wafers (about 40 cookies), processed until fine
6 tbs butter, melted

Ganache:
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/4 c half and half

Ice Cream:
1 c whole milk
1 c packed mint leaves
pinch salt
1/2 c sugar
5 egg yolks
8 oz white chocolate, roughly chopped
1 1/2 c half and half
1/4 c creme de ementhe
1/4 c light creme de cacao

Dark chocolate for garnish (optional)

To make the crust process the cookies in a food processor until fine.  Toss with the butter until well coated. Evenly press into a 9 in pie plate and bake in a 350 oven until set, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

READ MORE

  • Share/Bookmark

BEGINNER GOURMET: GRANOLA BARS

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 7/26/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments

I find that most store-bought granola bars are seriously lacking in everything from texture (why do the crunchy ones fall apart and the chewy ones weld my jaw together?) to flavor, so when a friend recently asked me what she should take on a camping trip, I jumped at the chance to teach her how to make homemade granola bars.

I love these for how quick and versatile they are (and you may have noticed, I like recipes with wiggle room). You could do an all-nut version with pistachios, walnuts, and almonds or drop the nuts and add more dried fruits like cranberries or figs.

READ MORE

  • Share/Bookmark

BEGINNER GOURMET: DRIED CRANBERRY, TOFFEE AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 7/5/2011 at 7:00AM | 1 Comment

While in culinary school, I moonlighted at a cookie bakery where we made special cut-out cookies meticulously decorated with sugar dots (placed by tweezers), plus a variety of regular cookies. It’s safe to say that I know cookies extremely well. When I first started baking, I found it necessary to sample each dough and several of each cookie. (It was all for the customer’s sake, I swear.) This recipe is the cookie I miss baking the most. They’re sweet with a crunch from the toffee bits but are soft and chewy when baked right. The most important thing to keep in mind with cookies is to not over bake them. If you wait until the entire cookie is golden brown, they’re over baked and you could break a tooth. As a rule of thumb I wait until the edges are golden but the center is still light brown, then they’re good to go. Oh, and FYI: This dough also doubles as an amazing snack (for the customer’s sake, I swear).

READ MORE

  • Share/Bookmark

FROM SCRATCH: PEACH & PROSECCO SORBET

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 6/28/2011 at 7:00AM | No Comments

If making ice cream from scratch sounds daunting, try starting with sorbets. There are no egg yolks to temper, no waiting for hours while flavors steep, and most of the time, no cooking whatsoever. For this recipe I took one of my favorite brunch drinks, a bellini, and worked the flavors into a nice, soft sorbet. Be sure to use a decent prosecco–one you would actually drink. (If you wouldn’t want an entire glass of it, you probably won’t enjoy it frozen, either.) READ MORE

  • Share/Bookmark

BEGINNER GOURMET: STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CROSTATA

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 5/31/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments

I’ve mentioned before that I love all things pie. And now that fresh rhubarb and berries are popping up at farmer’s markets, what better time to try one out. When starting out with doughs I think it’s best to start rustic, like this free-form crostata, before graduating to more formal pies with crimped edges. For C’s intro to dough making we started with the most basic of pie dough (my favorite from culinary school) which is made in the food processor. The most important thing to remember, and really the only thing that can ruin the dough, is to keep the butter and water as cold as possible. To create a flaky crust, you want the butter to evaporate in the oven, not start to melt while being worked. The colder the butter the better–which is why it’s the first thing I prep by sticking my butter in the freezer until I’m ready to use it. The water goes in next: Fill a glass with water, pop some ice into it, and put it in the freezer. Both will chill down quickly as you prep the other ingredients. The filling, adapted from an Epicurious recipe, is just as simple. Be sure to taste the juices before adding the cornstarch to check that it has enough sugar.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata

For the dough:
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks very cold butter, diced into 1/4 inch chunks
5 tbs ice water

For the filling:
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 tbs water
4 c. fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch chunks (half the stalks when necessary)
1/2 lb strawberries, thinly sliced
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs triple sec or orange juice
1 tbs lemon zest
1 egg, lightly beaten
raw sugar

To make the dough:

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add the very cold butter all at once and pulse the mixture 10 – 12 times until the butter is the size of peas and evenly distributed. With the processor running, add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time just until the dough comes together. On a floured surface form the dough into a disk (work quickly), wrap with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

READ MORE

  • Share/Bookmark

MOTHER’S DAY: TIME TO MAKE THOSE PLANS

Posted by Maggie Brooks on 5/4/2011 at 4:00PM | No Comments

Yes. It’s Mother’s Day. It comes around every year, but like snowfall does the MBTA, somehow the holiday always catches us by surprise. If you’re really on the ball, you already have your bouquet/chocolate/brunch combo lined up. If not, you’re probably starting to sweat. Not to worry: just click through our roundup of all things Mother’s Day: From brunch options to duckling parades, we’ve got you covered.

  • Share/Bookmark
« Older Entries