Sweet Treats For A Sweet Mom

 Mother's are known for their yummy sweet treats whether it's a batch of our favorite cookies or a plate of rich fudge. why not treat her with some homemade treats that give back the love.

Mom may be the maker of homey cookies like chocolate chip and oatmeal but what about baking her something fancy? Think aqua faba meringues . These are not only light and delicate but also vegan. The recipe doesn't need the usual egg whites but chickpea water or brine. It has the same protein as the egg whites and whips up nicely. A fun  flavor is coffee which is a nice perk for an afternoon snack. You could also make vanilla and chocolate ones too for a colorful plate. Strawberry ones are also a tasty and pretty treat. They do  require freeze dried strawberries turned into a powder. with these you can create that classic English dessert, Eton mess. This is layering the meringues with whipped cream and all sorts of berries from raspberries to strawberries and blueberries.. You could also bake vanilla meringues in rounds to create a pavlova. This Australian dessert is an upscale version of Eton mess but it's done in layers of whipped cream, and a mix of strawberries and blueberries. You can top it with a spray of edible flowers for extra prettiness.

Everyone loves candy. why not treat Mom to some homemade truffles. These are rich and creamy and can have many variations. It starts with eight ounces of chocolate bars. Don't  use chocolate chips because they won;t melt into truffle consistency. It's mixed with either heavy whipping cream or just heavy cream.If you're using milk chocolate reduce the cream to half a cup less because milk chocolate is softer. Use a scan t cup of softened butter too for extra creaminess and dash of vanilla for extra flavor. It's then just cooking the ingredients in a saucepan until completely blended. it's then put into the fridge for two to three hours to set. Afterwards  form into balls. Roll them in cocoa powder for an extra chocolate-y kick or chopped nuts. even crushed edible flowers provide a colorful coating.For a more boozy gift add some kahlua or orange liqueur. If you;'re making the kahlua one add espresso powder to bring out the coffee flavor. You can also add ground walnuts or almonds to the recipe too.

Treat Mom to some special homemade treats for her special. She'll love the flavor but also the love that went into them. It's time to give her some straight from the heart sweets.

Easter Light Eating

 As with other holidays Easter brings about rich meals and even richer desserts. Yet it doesn't have to be this way. You can easily create lighter fare that's just as tasty and packed with flavor.

Many families have either ham and lamb. While these are traditional, they can be a bit too much in flavor. They 're geared more to Christmas or New Year's Think a lighter taste for Spring. Cornish hen fits the bill especially if it's just roasted with lemon and herbs. As with other poultry like turkey and chicken  you can put butter or a plant sub in like Melt under the skin.It not only imparts a lovely flavor but also gives the meat some moisture too. One is perfect for a small aster dinner for two. What would go with this? Think a side of herbed wild  rice and that Spring favorite asparagus. Herbed rice is made with the chewier, wild version along with a chopped yellow onion and such herbs as  dried, rosemary, thyme and basil. If you want something lighter then think of roasted carrots simply rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper. The asparagus can be made with butter and Parmesan  to emphasize the green's earthy flavor. If chicken isn't your thing, then think salmon. You can go the sheet pan way with a garlic butter sauce  along with roasting it with fingerling potatoes and asparagus.

Easter cakes are always pretty and cute but they are also overloaded with tons of buttercream icing. Family and friends may prefer a simple Bundt cake.  Think one made with Meyer lemons or Cara Cara oranges and a simple glaze. A slice of pound cake would also be a nice ending to the Easter meal. You could bake a chocolate one which is dense but think of a  chocolate chip or a marble one. One of the airiest desserts to make is meringue. These can be made vegan by using aquafaba or chickpea brine. Whipped up it creates the same foamy lightness as an egg white meringue. Coffee meringues are a nice touch or you can try fruity ones, perfect with tea. You will need dried berry powder or freeze dried fruit. These also impart a lovely pink color, perfect to match those Easter eggs. There are two great desserts made with this. One is the Pavlova, named in honor of the great ballerina Anna Pavlova, This is a layer of meringue, whipped cream and fresh fruit such as strawberries , blue berries and raspberries. The other dessert is an Eton Mess, a favorite of the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex. This is like a combination of a Pavlova and a parfait where the meringue is broken into pieces and layered with whipped. cream and berries.

Think Spring when you're cooking and baking for Easter. The lighter flavors are like the season itself - delicate and fresh. It's a nice way to celebrate the day.

Kitchen Wants And Needs

Every home chef wants the perfect kitchen. It has to be perfect for cooking and baking, outfitted with the best equipment and appliances. Yet is all of it worth it?Or will it just be a room full of unused junk? What makes a kitchen want and kitchen need?

Writing about food makes one want every gadget and appliance under the sun. That's what happened to me. I read and saw what professional and home chefs have and instantly craved their gadgets and gewgaws. I still have a madeleine pan from four or five years ago. I really wanted to make them but never got around to making them. The recipe is very labor intensive, involving melting butter and high speed beating. Now I recently bought two doughnut pans, one for plain baked ones and the other for fancier ones. Will I use them? Hopefully.  Should home bakers have all these fancy pans? Yes, if you're really into baking. The pans and the molds are not that expensive and if you have the room go for them. What home bakers really need is two cookie sheets, especially around the holidays and for bake sales.Also a roll or two of parchment paper will always be needed, especially if you make a lot of meringues or meringue based desserts such as pavlovas and Eton mess.Do you need icing and cookie guns? Again if you do a lot of baking. Cookie guns are great for making those buttery bakery style cookies and they can create a variety of pretty shapes. Sturdy , long lasting loaf and cake pans are a must. One loaf pan will suffice while two or three simple cake pans are all you need.

What about those gadgets that are more or less like appliances? All home chefs should have a crock pot. That's a given.It's wonderful in making homemade tomato sauce and slow cooked chili.It's also good for making homemade soups and chowders like minestrone and corn chowder. Many have embraced the all encompassing Insta-Pot which is like a crock pot on steroids. Using it a lot will pay off the price which can range anywhere from $59.00 to $99.00, depending on the make and the store selling it. They can cook everything from pasta to pot roast. Some can even be used for baking  - a boon for those who have participate in bake sales and cookie exchanges. Assess your needs before springing for one. If you feel you need something that can do a lot freeing you from the kitchen , then buy one. However if it's just one or two people or you need slow cooking once or twice a month then opt for the crock pot. Air fryers are another popular kitchen must have. I'm a big fan of them , using mine at least three or four times a week. Air frying is a lot easier than oven roasting and stove top frying. My favorite part is the beeping timer , letting you know  when the food is done. Another plus is that air fryers cook in half the time of a regular oven.Get one. You won't regret adding it to your arsenal of gadgets. Now there are smaller versions of these pods , and they 're selling for only $29.99 at Target.

It's up to you to decide what you want and need for your kitchen. As with any purchase think about if it's a need or a want. If you can use it buy it. Make that your rule for future kitchen buys.

Mixer Time

It's amazing what a fridge,, freezer and pantry can yield up. A home chef can whip up anything , from meals to snacks to desserts.It's just being knowledgeable and creative along with being fearless.Let the spirit move you.

One of the best mix in's is cheese, especially Sargento's.Their bags of shredded cheddar, mozzarella and Mexican blends are perfect for adding creaminess and flavor to omelets and salads. For a fun and tasty brunch or lunch idea, combine chorizo with Sargento's Mexican shreds and beaten eggs.It makes for a delicious and spicy omelet which can even be turned into filler for a sandwich. One tasty idea is a "cold' pizza. Stir Sargento's mozzarella shreds with sun dried tomatoes and olive oil. Add a dash of oregano and spoon over slices of Italian bread. It's the perfect Friday or Saturday night supper on a hot August day. The dried tomatoes with olive oil is also great mixed with finely chopped yellow onion. Add cubes of Italian bread for a take on the classic Neopolitan bread salad.Any color of chopped pepper is a great mixer. Cook it up with sausage or even serve it cold with salami.Another versatile mixer is canned corn, either plain or fiesta style. It can be added to instant potato soup for more color or flavor or fried with onions and turmeric to create a tasty side dish or snack.

Sweet odds and ends can also be combined to form a treat.One of my favorites involves broken Nabisco chocolate wafers, strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.It's layering  the wafer bits with the fruit and topping with aerosol whipped cream for my take on Eton Mess (which I have made too with the wafers, my aquafaba meringue disaster and whipped cream) The same principle can apply to Nabisco's Nilla wafers and blueberries for a different blend of sweet and fruity. Clever home chefs can create their own personal trifles by filling a sundae dish or with layers of leftover pound cake and whatever ice cream is in the freezer.It's a great  way of getting rid of those last scoops.You can also do the same with Eggo waffles and ice cream.Blitz any M&M's or Juniors Mints in  a mini chopper and mix into the ice cream  for a true treat. Want something a bit more healthier? Then chop up strawberries and bananas and layer them with ice cream for a yummy parfait. Toss in some granola for  crunch and texture for an entirely different spin.

Mixing allows home chefs to test their creativity - along with getting rid of those edible odds and ends. It's amazing what a cup of this married to a teaspoon of that will yield. Try your own variations and have fun doing so,

Grab Cooking

What happens when you're just too wilted to make a meal?Or if you don't want to trek through a heat wave to the grocery store? You grab cook. Look through your fridge, freezer and pantry and pluck out anything you can use to create a dish. It's a challenge but a fun one using whatever's on hand..

The ingredients to make a good grab dish should be veggies and meat. However cans of beans and sauce can also be included in the recipe.I tried this when I just did not feel like heading out in sweltering temps  just to get lunch. There was a can of chickpeas which was only bought for aqua faba (see yesterday's post), peppers and half an onion. Grape tomatoes,always a must have, looked appealing. Perfect to create a fun and colorful salad. The onion was finely chopped as was the pepper. The chickpeas  and tomatoes were added next as was the fresh parsley I had around.A simple vinaigrette dressing was all it needed and    voila  a refreshing , yet substantial lunch for a ninety degree day.Salads are one of the easiest grab meals because you can grab this and that to create a surprisingly hearty , yet ;light dish Vary the veggies.You can even use canned or steamed ones.Left over meats are great in grab salads. You could even make a chef's salad using last night's barbecue . Try ham in a broccoli and string bean salad. Grilled steak is good with just lettuce and tomatoes. Have ice berg lettuce? Grab it and turn it into a tasty wedge with bacon, tomatoes slices, and a home made dressing using mayo, oil, vinegar and anything else you find.

Grab meals can also extend to cooking too.Eggs make the best grab cuisine ingredient, Add three or four to chopped spinach leaves, tossed in some minced garlic and fry. It becomes a tasty omelet, easy  to make and easy to eat.Turn it into a sandwich by placing quarters on toasted bread. Sub in chopped green peppers and it becomes the filling for the classic Sicilian sub sandwich. Add a can of tomatoes  or fresh ones , some chopped garlic and you have the classic Piedmontese uovi e pomodori, a warm weather favorite.Make sure there's plenty of Italian bread for the last. If it's a cooler day you can combine whatever you can get your hands on for a tasty hodgepodge soup. Start with bouillon cubes and add  odds and ends in the soup pot.This is also a good time to use up those little scoops of rice or pasta.Desserts can also be part of grab cuisine. One of the most fun is the take on Eton mess. This classic British dessert  and a favorite of the brothers Windsor, is made with broken meringues, fruit and whipped. cream. I had leftover Nabisco chocolate wafers, a ton of strawberries and blueberries and whipped cream in a canister. Lsyer the cookies  even the broken ones with the fruit (you don;t have to have berries, bananas and pineapple work just as well),and top with a generous squirt of whipped cream. Sub in ice cream for whipped cream if you have any handy.

Grab cuisine is the way to cook during these impossibly hot days. Check your fridge, kitchen and pantry, grab what you can and create. You'd be surprised what you can make with whatever's around.

When Life Gives You Aquafaba

Aquafaba is one of the newest darlings on the food scene. It is the siren for foodies like myself and I was over eager to bake aquafaba meringues.How hard could it be? It seemed everyone who ever made the little puffs of sweetness had success. I knew I would too.

I was wrong.

I started with the right ingredients.

Bean water from Rienzi chickpeas.

Sugar

Salt  and cream of tartar

Flavoring - peppermint

Even chocolate chips.Everything was whipped up, in first my standing mixer

I thought it was going well, although the liquid refused to get thick with stiff peaks.I then tried a balloon whisk on my hand mixer. Nothing happened.I added the peppermint extract and chocolate chips.Bad, bad ,bad idea. The fluff turned to liquid right quick.

I had to pour it on this.

covered in parchment paper.

It came out like this

A giant flat crisp. Yes,I was gutted.I wanted , cute puffy meringue kisses. What I got instead was a layer of gook.,Being thrifty.I decided to bake it as required, in a 250 degree F oven for an hour and a half. Surprisingly, the meringue pizza came out OK, with one side,perfectly crispy while the other was gooey and chewy..

What did I do with this mess? Put Eton in front of it and came up with a spin on the classic English dessert. I broke off pieces of meringue and layered it with whipped cream. Chocolate chips were tossed over it all for more flavor. It went from a disaster to a delicious and fun dessert.

I think my chickpeas and myself are better suited to this.

A tasty grab anything salad(More on that tomorrow)

Easy Spring Desserts

Believe it or not , the blustery ,cold Spring weather will give way to warm days and high temps. That means easy desserts , perfect for barbecue and picnics. Good-bye to elaborate winter sweets, it's time to create effortless afters.

One of the easiest desserts is pudding pies and tarts. Jello has recently come out with a line of all natural puddings, made without any preservatives and dyes. They're call Simply Good and that's an apt description of them. They'd make perfect fillings for any pie or ice box cake,Pudding pies are a snap to make. Buy an already made crust (you can make them yourself if you're that ambitious) and fill with one of the Simply Good packets. These usually take two cups of milk but for a thicker , more set filling using only a cup and a half. Then it's just placing it in the fridge to set. One tasty combination is banana pudding in an Oreo crust .For a fancier take , decorate with puffs of Reddi-Whip and shaved chocolate. The last is an easy embellishment.Use a micro grater and dark chocolate  and grate a dusting over the pie's surface. You can do the same with a chocolate filling too. Another easy idea is individual tarts .Use the small sponge cakes , usually found in your grocery's fruit section. Fill first with an even layer of chocolate or vanilla pudding then add a second layer of sliced strawberries or peaches. If you;re using vanilla  pudding, lace it with brandy for a fun kick.

Another spring dessert idea is trifle. True , this treat is often associated with Christmas or New Year's but it can easily made for warmer days.Use fresh fruits such as strawberries and blueberries, layered with vanilla pudding or for a fruitier fix, use the banana flavor. An even cooler and tastier treat is an ice cream trifle, perfect after the first barbecue of the season. Take store bought cake, whether a sponge or pound cake tear into pieces and place in the bottom of a trifle bowl, Lberally sprinkle with brandy or sherry . Fill with French vanilla ice cream and cut seasonal fruit.,Top with berries and serve right away. Want something more decadent to chase those burgers and ribs? The try an ice cream version of Death By Chocolate.Use store bought chocolate pound cake, add a sprinkle of chocolate liqueur  such as Godiva and then a layer of chocolate ice cream. It can either be topped with more liqueur or syrup and Cool Whip. You can add either a layer of strawberries or cherries. For a simple and elegant English  dessert, think the inelegantly named Eton Mess. A favorite of William and Harry (and possibly Kate and Meghan). it's a simple mash up  of crumbled store bought meringues, any kind of whipped cream and fruit. It can be made as a trifle or as individual parfaits.

It's Spring. That means easy meals followed by easy desserts. They're a snap to make, and fun to eat.

Easy Summer Desserts

The last thing any home chef wants to do during hot weather is bake. Yet there's something about homemade desserts that finishes a meal . what to do. Have a no bake treat.   . They easy to assemble  and even easier to eat.

The thought occurred when reading about Eton Mess, that quintessential English dessert the other day in David Tanis' A City Kitchen in the New York Times Food section on Wednesday. This is a fun and easy make, taking store bought meringues and breaking them  and then mixing then with freshly whipped cream and another mix or mess of  strawberries and rhubarb. The only effort is prepping the berries and stalks, marinating them in lemon juice , sugar and water to get rid of the rhubarb's bitter taste. They can be layered with the meringue , cream and fruit to make the Aussie favorite Pavlova, named for the great Russian prima ballerina Anna Pavlova. Eton Mess can be varied, Try blueberries or more more tartness blackberries. Take advantage of the season and add a cup or two of chopped peaches or even better - pitted and sliced cherries. Many home chefs have paired the last with chocolate chunks for an even decadent dessert. Use chocolate meringues too, if you can find them. If you can;t find meringues, make them yourself using egg white or aquafaba - bean water.

Trifles are also easy desserts that can be made in an elegant deep dish bowl or even in a dessert dish.it's kind of like an ordered Eton Mess with layers. Start with a bought angel food cake and then cut it into chunks, Layer with cream and then a layer of strawberries or blueberries. Repeat a second time and chill. A colorful one is a blend of different berries ,using raspberries and blackberries. A fun decadent one is a blackberry trifle with blackberry brandy soaked pound cake, layered with freshly whipped cream and crushed blackberries.The all time favorite, tirimisu, is really a trifle of sorts. An easy one involves layering coffee soaked  lady fingers with sweetened marscapone cheese and topped with a dusting of cocoa powder. Truly easy desserts are American at heart. Think of the chocolate logs, a marriage of chocolate wafers and Cool Whip (or fresh whipped cream if you want to put more effort into it. ) Vanilla wafers can be layered with canned pineapple chunks and cream for a tasty, tropical treat. Vanilla ice cream can be subbed in for the cream for an even cooler treat.

Desserts can still be made in the heat of summer. Just go the easy no-bake route and create tasty treats and decadent desserts. All without the fuss or muss of a hot oven or kitchen.

A Fool For April's Fool

What better dessert for today and for the rest of Spring than a fool.This traditionally English dessert is easy to make and a great way for both kids and adults to eat fruit.As the season progresses you can have fresh strawberry, peach or blueberry fool.This is a treat that can also be varied and amped up. Fools have been around since the time of the Plantagenets and got into full gear during Elizabeth I's reign.It's an easy dessert (and I'm surprised it's not common here in the States, given its' easiness). The name possibly could come from the Old French word fouler to crush ,but it's not certain.It's is the perfect dessert for a neophyte cook who is trying to impress. Slice any kind of fruit into small pieces and cook with sugar until semi soft.Fold into already whipped cream ,swirling the fruit mixture into pretty whorls.The English still use currants and gooseberries which tints the cream a lovely deep purple with strands of lavender.The original recipe also says you can use apples but berries work the best.Strawberries are good as are blueberries however you can also try blackberries for more bite or raspberries for a more mellow flavor.Peaches are also good too. You may want to spike them with some sweet white wine when cooking them.Rhubarb is also puller although it does require a lot of cooking and sugar Fools can also be varied in ingredients. a traditional fool may have just custard or a blend of custard and cream well mixed so it's light and airy.What I would do is make zabaglione and stir in fresh cut strawberries or blackberries ,letting these cook as the custard cooks.Don't add overly sweet fruit to this Italian classic.It's already sweet from the sugar and Marsala already added.One of the best British dessert is Eton mess.It originally served at Eton during the summer cricket games, this is mix of meringues,broken into a strawberry fool.You can try this too with chocolate snaps( those one you use for that easy refrigerator log) .For the cream.whip in shaved dark chocolate to the cream.You can also add a surprise layer of homemade fudge sauce too.Again,if you're making this ,stick with cherries,strawberries or raspberries. Make a yummy fool. Not just for today but for the days ahead.Spring will give us some of the best fruit.Use it in a light and airy dessert , perfect for the warm days ahead.

Tailgating Downton Style

The Super Bowl has a formidable rival: Downton Abbey.Yet we can look to this new English classic for inspiration for a better sort of tailgating nibble. Instead of the usual messy, sauce laden grub we can dine finely. The foods aren't that complicated.They're actually just perfect for the big game. For true Downton Abbey style you may want to serve with actual silverware,plates and linens.Paper plates and plastic sporks can be seen as déclassé and not worthy of the upper crust(although if you have a sizeable crowd ,forget all the conventions and go with the easiest - the disposables). English picnics start with a cold roast chicken, ham and roast beef.You can easily get a whole roasted bird at your grocery and leave it in the fridge until serving time.Get fresh sliced London Broil and ham at the same store deli counter and serve on the smaller slices of what's known as party bread.If you want to add a touch of tea party, then add egg salad and watercress.A nice side is sliced cucumbers dressed with a dill infused sour cream. For appetizers ,think prawn cocktails with a spicy horseradish based sauce.This is just simple chilled glass rimmed with shrimp with the sauce in the middle. For sheer whimsy you can serve both angels on horseback or devils on horseback.These are strangely British and may take some getting used to.Angels on horseback are bacon wrapped around oysters while devils are bacon slices wrapped around figs or dates.Make it more palatable by subbing in hot dogs for the oysters and figs.You can also have a tray of good cheeses such as Stilton and cheddar with crackers and port. to finish up think about an easy to make trifle using any kind of cake and pudding or better yet, Eton mess.This is a fun jumble of fruit, pudding and cake or cookies mashed together with a topping of whipped cream. Try a civilized tailgate party tomorrow by drawing from Downton Abbey.This Super Bowl rival can give you some great nibbles.What a perfect way to celebrate with class!

Healthy Hot Weather Snacks

It's summer and that means days packed with fun and activity.It also means hungry kids.After all that swimming ,and paying ball ,they're going to be hungry.It's easy to just open up bag of chips and cookies.Yet you can go another easy route.Give them healthy veggie and fruit snacks.Th ey 're just as easy to serve during these sweltering days. Nothing beats a platter of crudités for any pool party or even summer back yard camp out.make a fun and colorful platter of grape and cherry tomatoes ,sliced bell peppers and broccoli florets.Add rinsed and scrubbed mushrooms and snap pea pods too for some variety.Instead of sour cream ,try plain Greek yogurt with some olive oil and lemon as a healthier dip.You can also turn these into fun kabobs to eat too ,whether they be cold or grilled.Hommade hummus is another easy snack to make, especially if you mix up the recipe with cannelloni or pinto beans.You can also bake the garbanzo beans with olive oil and Rosemary for crunchy snacks. Fruit is another tasty natural snack.Instead of popsicles ,try freezing bananas and grapes.Kids will love these ,especially after a hot day at camp or sultry evening playing ball.For a fun ,and posh treat try a healthier version of Eton Mess.This traditional English dessert has a bed of merengue with fruits and whipped cream piled up,Refashion it with a bed of plain Greek yogurt and a lighter non dairy topping such as Cool Whip.Grilled pineapple kabobs are another fun treat instead of s'mores . Alternative with mangoes for color and more flavor. The summer is here and with it increased appetites.Satisfy them with healthy snacks fresh from the garden.The kids will benefit from taste and nutrition.