Sugar For Your Sugar

 Valentin'es Day is right around the corner.If you haven't found anything worthwhile and you're creative then think of homemade sweets.EVen a cake or trifle can be a lovely gift for after dinner.

This is the chocolate day. As I've written in past Valentine's Day posts you can make chocolate treats.One recipe I have't mentioned is homemade fudge. The easiest is the three ingredient one that involves microwaving dark chocolate chips, condensed milk and vanilla extract. A better version is one that has butter. This gives the candy a richer flavor and creamier texture. What's going around now is Dubai chocolate. This is a dreamy mix of pistachio  , shredded phyllo  and sweet syrupmarried to chocolate created by a Dubai housewife. Shew as looking for a new kind of candy to satisfy her sweet tooth and came up with . Now there are fudge recipes galore with it.It;sMilk chocolate layered with pistachio cream and there is a crunch supplied by Kadayif pastry. You could also make Dubai truffles too for a tasty treat for after dinner. If you're sugar isn;t a coca addict there is the CHinese rtnghulu recipe which has all sorts of fruits dipped in molten sugar syrup. This s hardens to a clear crackly coating, sort of like a candy apple. Two to three strawberries are stacked on a skewer and then dipped into the hot syrup.They're then plunged into a bowl if ice filled water.

Cakes and trifles make for a sweet treat after a romantic meal. Tiramisu is perfect after a dinner for risotto This is a layering of rum soaked ladyfingers with marscapone cheese. There is also zabaglione or sabayon between the layers.This so a boozy custard made with sugar, Marsala wine and egg yolks. Marscapone is whipped with whipped cream for another layer and then it;s all assembled, not unlike an icebox cake. Dust with cocoa powder and even chocolate shavings fro a really decadent treat.Another layered choco treat is Death By Chocolate ,You can make individual cups of it .Cube any chocolate cake and layer it with chocolate pudding and whipped cream. Both the cake and the pudding can be made from scratch but if you don;t have time then a store bought cake and Jello pudding will do nicely, Cool Whip can be subbed in for the real thing.Layer it this way- cake pudding and cream. Add some strawberries or raspberries on top for a tasty variation. 

Give your sugar some sugar this Valentine's Day. It could be homemade candy or a decadent trifle. Enjoy these sweets together.

A Dessert Party Yes

 The holidays give us all sorts of parties. Cocktail, tree trimming, even cookie exchange ones. However one that is always welcome and with out the "stuffedness" of a full dinner is a dessert one. Imagine a gathering of delicious sweets, coffee ro tea and great conversation.It can be had and done in a very easy way.

Regular contributor and baker extraordinary Genevieve Ko wrote about such a party in today s New York Times Wednesday Food section.She gives elegant recipes from such professional bakers as Nicola Lamb and Yossy Aref. These are cakes that look like they belong in a Seventeenth or Eighteenth Century oil painting. These are the cakes, according to Chef KO, that need elegant cake stands to show off their beauty (although decorative wood blocks or even a stick of classic leather bound books can do the trick too). There is a tiramisu pie instead of the usual espresso soaked block. The pie  crust is that crumbled classic Oreos mixed with melted salted butter. The layers are made with marsacapone whipped with separated egg whites and yolks. Around twenty lady fingers are used  along with a cup and a quarter of strongly brewed coffee (think espresso here).The marscapone filling acts as the topping and dark chocolate curls are scattered all over the top of the chilled pie.

The other recipes are the truly elegant pastis Gascon. apple pie's classy French cousin.It's also known as croustade aux pommes. The crust is a buttery flaky phyllo dough , lighter than the traditional recipe. Another Gascon staple Armagnac, one of Frances  oldest brandies is also added in to elevate the apples.It is rich in butter with ten tablespoons of butter added .Granulate sugar  and light brown sugar are also added as well as apple cider vinegar to give it some zing. There is not need for cinnamon here, The Armagnac and butter give it flavor. What apples should be used ? Chef Ko recommends Pink Lady. France is also fused with Japan with yuzu, a citrussy flavored berry in a buttery tart.It's mixed into an eggy curd  that's baked into a super buttery tart crust. Dubai chocolate is becoming so popular.It's no wonder that it's been made into a simple yet flavor rich cake. Youssy Aref creates a tender chocolate cake with a filling  of  the Arabic ingredient kataifi or shredded phylo dough separated and chopped. The top is a rich chocolate ganache that goes perfectly with the cake and pistachio filling.

These would be perfect during a dessert party. They cam also be stand alone desserts at any holiday feast. Make them all.Make one for a festive and sweet holiday.

A New Sweet Treat Tahini Bars

For years  Americans have only associated tahini with savory foods such as hummus and tzattziki sauce. Yet it can be made into a sweet gluten free treat that's the perfect sub in for energy bars and  candy.Absolutely Gluten Free has added three flavors of tahii based energy bars to their roster of gluten free savory and sweet products.

Absolutely Gluten Free is a familiar name for those who have celiac disease. The family owned company has produced such tasty dinners as gluten free and dairy free pizzas along with crackers and flavored flatbreads for snacking and parties. Their sweet products include coconut macaroons  along with brownie and blondie bites. They went all natural with raw coconut chews loaded either with cranberries or cocoa nibs. Now their latest venture includes a spin on the classic Middle Eastern candy halvah,Theirs is the version made with tahini and sugar as opposed to the kind made with semolina and some kind of nut butter.It is all natural  and comes in three flavors , vanilla, cocoa and pistachio . The cocoa has cocoa nibs which is more beneficial than chocolate chips since they  stimulate the brain's neurotransmitters to release euphoria, The pistachios also have health benefits. They 're good for digestion as well as help  in preventing macular degeneration. The bars are one hundred calories a serving

The big question is how do they taste.? First it does take some getting used to the texture. The bars have a very crumbly, sandy texture  that quickly melt into a cream.It's a very sweet treat but the added flavors dial that down. The vanilla isn't that strong. It's very delicate. The cocoa nibs balance out the tahini perfectly. without it being too overpowering. The pistachio is crunchy and creamy with a light , nutty flavor.

If you want to discover the creamy richness of tahini or just need a gluten free energy bar then Absolutely Gluten Free Tahini bars are for you.They're so flavorful yet healthy. Try them and become addicted.

A "Sweet" Taste of Cake

If you want a perfectly made cake look no further than Yotam  Ottolenghi. This famed British chef and baker can create the ideal one, rich with flavor and moist with texture. Now fans and home bakers can whip up exact copies, thanks to his and Helen Goh's new recipe book, Sweet  based solely on treats from the oven.

Chef Ottolenghi and fellow baker, Australian , Helen Goh, give the world their best recipes. Chef Ottolenghi wrote about  two of them in yesterday's New York Times Food section. He and Ms. Goh have been together as fellow bakers and partners since 2006. She started in the savory side of Ottolenghi's vast food empire and later graduated to the sweet side.It was at this point that he recognized that saw his own restlessness and insatiable drive for perfection. They made the perfect team.  They share a passion for precise measuring and timing along with weighing the right amounts to create the perfect sweet. She also brings her Australian and Malaysian heritage to the table as well. The site sells the famed Aussie cookie yo-yos, a crunchy sandwich cookie filled with  passion fruit buttercream while the pastry shop offers  billowy powder puff cakes and her famed chocolate one that an Australian newspaper once called the "world' best" Her Malaysian influence is seen in Chef Ottolenghi's bakery , especially in her chiffon cakes and pandain infused pineapple tarts. She has also brought her cupcakes, scones madeleines and cheesecakes too, that also features cakes from his childhood..

Chef Ottolenghi and Ms. Goh gave two of their recipes from the new book. One is that famous chocolate cake, the other is a pistachio and rose water semolina one.The chocolate one is deep in flavor and rich,It is also a buttery one, using a cup plus one and a half tablespoons of the unsalted kind.To offset the cocoa's intensity,  a teaspoon and a half of instant coffee granules.As for the chocolate itself, both dark chocolate pieces and a half cup of Dutch processed cocoa. The flavor is magnified by the addition of a choice of icings. -a rich  chocolate ganache or an espresso cinnamon marscapone topping. If this is too intense there is pistachio and rose water semolina cake, This relies on pistachio and cardamon for a mellow blend of taste along with almond meal. There is a lot of butter needed too, namely a cup of it plus one tablespoon. That and four large eggs create the golden crumb.It can be served plain with just rose water syrup drizzled on top but it can be made lusher with a rose cream made with both creme fraiche and Greek yogurt. More rose water and confectioners sugar sweeten it. The cake is decorated with candied rose petals,easy to make just pesticide free rose petals, egg whites and granulated sugar.

Chef Ottolenghi and Ms Goh have created the ultimate baking  cookbook. The recipes are richly satisfying. Get it and bake!

Any Time Is Pie Time

Everyone thinks pies should be baked and eaten in the fall. After all it's a perfect time to use up the apple and pumpkin harvests. They go well with the heavy feasts. Then they disappear after Christmas. That should not be.Pie should be made all year round.

For those who don't want a labor intensive kind, think a premade crust and instant pudding. Both Keebler and Nabisco sell a graham cracker and Oreo crumb premade ones. You can even buy a box of crumbs. enables home chefs to make their own crusts. Then fill with any pudding. One of the best is the Jello brands. Chocolate cream pie can be jazzed up with a few drops of mint extract for a cool chocolate mint flavor. Top  a chocolate cream pie with mini marshmallows and put under the broiler for a s'more's pie. A vanilla cream pie is another sweet treat that 's easy to make for a dinner party or a Sunday dinner.  Experiment with different   pudding flavors such as butterscotch and pistachio.  These can even be made into tartlets too. If there's more time , then make a homemade graham cracker crust.You can use any flavor, from plain to cinnamon to chocolate. It takes about twenty-four squares ,a quarter cup of granulated sugar and one-third melted butter or margarine. You can crush extra crackers more crumbs to sprinkle on top of the pie.

Homemade custards are the next step. Lemon meringue and Key Lime pies are sunny treats for a gloomy winter's day. If the lemon meringue is too daunting, then just try a  lemon pie. It's basically a custard, thanks to the addition of four egg yolks. Flour and cornstarch act as thickening agentson. There is a  good dose of lemon zest and lemon juice in it. It's not topped with meringue but whipped cream.The classic lemon meringue is not as lemony, only employing just two. It's the topping that makes it so special. It's a classic meringue with just egg whites and sugar and baked for only ten minutes. Key Lime is sort of similar. and easier to execute. It's not as citrusy, with only having a little more than half a cup of lime juice. There's no zest added and condensed milk is the binder here. The topping is simply whipped cream while the crust is graham crackers. A really elegant pie is one  with a mousse filling It's not as complex as it sounds.It's simply a mix of any pudding with Cool Whip or if you want a more homemade one ,use cream and gelatin along with chocolate chips or cocoa powder.


Pies shouldn't just be a fall treat. Think a mousse one for an elegant dinner party or a Key Lime for a SuperBowl party. Make a chocolate creme decorated with whipped cream and strawberries for Valntine's Day. They can be enjoyed now in the heart of winter.