The Dessert Blog

National Dessert Day

2008-10-01T09:44:00.004-04:00

No one seems to know why, but ~~today is apparently National Dessert Day~~ this month is National Dessert Month and the 14th is National Dessert Day. I guess this means I'll have to eat a different dessert each day for the whole month. Sigh. I hate when that happens.

In a nice display of fortuitous timing, my friend who works in the alumni office at Tufts invited me to an event tonight that will have desserts provided by the Danish Pastry House, which from my experience has delectable baked goods.

Blueberry muffins

2008-08-26T19:37:00.002-04:00

For a co-worker's birthday, I made the Cook's Illustrated blueberry muffin recipe. The muffins looked beautiful and were very good, though still not quite as good as a great bakery muffin. The batter was a little less sweet than I'm used to, and the texture a bit more fluffy/creamy. I also made a note to add a few more blueberries next time--maybe a full pint instead of 1.5 cups. Still, they were quite good for homemade, and they were a big hit at the office.

Botan Rice Candy

2008-08-14T19:22:00.004-04:00

I first discovered Botan Rice Candy at Epcot Center as a kid. I then didn't see it again for years, until I came across it in an Asian grocery store in Cambridge. I've since seen it off and on, and I usually buy a pack or two when I do see it, as I did at World Market in Evanston during my recent trip to Chicago.

Botan Rice Candy is a Japanese candy with a soft, chewy texture similar to that of kids' bubble gums like Bubbalicious or Hubba Bubba. Except, of course, it's not gum, so it melts in your mouth after a few chews. The flavor is citrusy and sweet, though not excessively. It also has the added fun of a rice paper wrapper that looks like plastic or cellophane but dissolves quickly in your mouth. (Note: This is inside the actual plastic wrapper on each piece.) And, it comes with a free children's sticker. Who could ask for more?

Oreo and peppermint frappe

2008-07-19T08:19:00.003-04:00

For those who aren't from the Boston area, I should mention that what the rest of the U.S. calls a milkshake, we call a frappe. (Here, a milkshake is milk and syrup, blended or shaken until frothy.)

Anyway, at the local ice cream shop, Colleen's, they have Brigham's ice cream (a local brand that's quite good for packaged ice cream). Two of my favorite flavors are Oreo and Peppermint Stick. Since chocolate and peppermint go together nicely, I decided one day to try the two flavors together in a frappe. Since then, if I'm at Colleen's and in the mood for a frappe, it's the one I always order. Rich, creamy, chocolaty-minty goodness that you can drink with a straw (though sometimes chunks of Oreo block it up). Summertime refreshment at its best.

Macapuno ensaymada

2008-07-13T19:48:00.003-04:00

Today, I had a chance to taste a dessert from the Philippines, a sweet roll with coconut filling called macapuno ensaymada. It's a little hard to describe, but basically, imagine a sweet challah or other egg bread filled with pieces of coconut in some sort of gelatinous suspension. It tasted better than it sounds, although not as good as I'd hoped. I found the treat in a Filipino grocery store next door to a Filipino restaurant down in Braintree or Quincy. A Filipino friend took us down there on our way to Ikea.

Although it was interesting to try the macapuno, I was happier with the other item I purchased, Yan Yan, which I've had many times before and never tire of. Insert crunchy stick in creamy chocolate, remove, insert into mouth, enjoy.

Fried Ice Cream from the supermarket

2008-07-10T17:49:00.002-04:00

Turkey Hill has another limited edition flavor to enjoy: Fried Ice Cream. It's cinnamon ice cream with a caramel-like swirl and pieces of "tostada." The tostada pieces are more chewy than crispy, but the overall effect works, creating something that both simulates the flavor of the Tex-Mex dessert and is just generally yummy.

Black-and-whites at Lyndell's

2008-07-02T14:12:00.002-04:00

Lyndell's Bakery, a rare local "standard" bakery in nearby Somerville, has some of the best cupcakes and black-and-whites around. Their version of the black-and-white is basically a flattened cupcake with yellow cake and half white frosting, half chocolate. I actually prefer the variety that is all white, as I've always objected to mixing non-chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and vice versa. In any case, though, Lyndell's products are excellent. The frosting is satisfyingly sweet, without the over-rich fattiness found at some bakeries. The cake is moist but not too dense. And, unlike the cupcakes, the black-and-whites (and all-whites) are flat enough to fit in your mouth. :)

Southern Lemon Pie Ice Cream

2008-06-08T11:14:00.006-04:00

Turkey Hill has a limited edition (unfortunately) flavor called Southern Lemon Pie Ice Cream: lemon ice cream plus shortbread pieces and marshmallow swirl (resembles meringue). I think lemon ice cream is an underrepresented flavor in the marketplace. Turkey Hill's lemon flavor is really tasty, and the other goodies add to the experience.

Banana nut bread

2008-04-21T09:48:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, I made banana nut bread, following the recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I actually followed a variation for chocolate banana nut bread, with about 2.5 ounces of chocolate shavings in the batter and a bit less sugar to compensate, but I really didn't feel it added much. That said, it was a delicious banana bread. Moist and chewy, with a slightly crisp (but not dried-out) crust and lots of flavor.

My only gripe is that, once I let it cool all day and wrapped it in plastic wrap, the crust lost its crispness. Maybe if I had wrapped it in aluminum foil or put it in a paper bag like a bakery bread, it would have maintained the consistency. It still tasted great this morning, though, and I think most people expect the outside of a banana bread to be soft, anyway.

Molten Chocolate at Finale

2008-04-19T15:45:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe I've had The Dessert Blog for so long and haven't yet mentioned Finale. For those not in the Boston area, Finale is a dessert restaurant with a few locations in and around the city. It's very high end, with $10 "plated desserts" and a large selection of dessert wines, dessert martinis, etc. There are also a few appetizers and such, in case you're too hungry for just a dessert, but really the focus is on the sweets.

Last night, I went there with my wife and a couple friends, and I ordered one of my favorites: Molten Chocolate. I've seen (and tasted) this basic idea of a chocolate cake with a warm liquid/gooey chocolate center in many restaurants, but this is by far the best version I've had. High quality chocolate, exactly the right consistency inside and out, a Valhrona chocolate sauce, and a small but high-quality scoop of gelato (coffee by default, but I substituted vanilla). Combine that with a nice glass of sherry, and you really have yourself a treat. A treat that costs $20+, mind you, but a treat nonetheless.

Cookies with creamy milk chocolate filling

2008-03-30T18:38:00.002-04:00

A friend gave my wife a recipe that used to be printed on the back of Ghiradelli milk chocolate chip bags. My wife made the cookies with Nestle milk chocolate chips (the only milk chocolate ones we could find at the store), and we thought they were fabulous. Perhaps a little on the sweet side, so next time we might try semi-sweet chips for the cookies themselves and milk chocolate for the filling. We also thought about variations, like adding some peppermint extract or caramel to the filling.

Anyway, here's the recipe:

Five Star Ghiradelli Cookies With Creamy Milk Chocolate Filling

1 cup oats
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 bag (11.5 oz.) Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips

Filling:

1 cup Ghiradelli Milk Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugars until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing on low speed until well combined. Mix dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by slightly rounded teaspoons onto lightly greased baking sheet. [Editor's note: I recommend parchment paper instead of greasing.] Flatten slightly. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to wire racks.

Filling: Place one cup chocolate chips in a small bowl and microwave on HIGH power for 1 minute. Remove and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. If not melted, microwave on HIGH power for additional 30-second increments until smooth. Place 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream in small bowl and microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Gradually stir heavy whipping cream into chocolate until smooth. Spread filling on flat sides of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat sides against filling. Let cookies stand for 1-2 hours before eating. [Editor's note: If you can wait that long!] Makes about 24 filled cookies.

Snowflake pretzels

2007-12-21T13:26:00.000-05:00

Someone at work brought in "Snowflake Pretzels" from Crate and Barrel. I can't find them on their website, but maybe they're available (probably only during the holidays) at stores.

They're white chocolate covered pretzels with white nonpareils on them. The pretzels are shaped like snowflakes. Yummy and festive!

Chocolate chessecake

2007-12-01T08:07:00.001-05:00

During my work retreat at the Essex Conference Center, they served chocolate cheesecake. I'm not always a fan of mixing media, as this did with a chocolate mousse and frosting layer on top and plain cheesecake underneath. This particular one, though, really worked. It was so good, in fact, that it overshadowed the s'mores at the campfire later in the evening.

The best peanut butter cookies

2007-11-29T15:07:00.001-05:00

Cook's Illustrated does it again with another superb recipe. Their peanut butter cookies have tons of peanut flavor and offer just the right balance of crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle. I brought them into work on Tuesday, and by Wednesday people were asking me if I was going to make more.

Unfortunately, access to the recipes on their site requires a paid subscription, and it would be a copyright violation for me to post the recipe. I suggest, though, either getting the online subscription or picking up a copy of The New Best Recipe, which is the updated version of their original cookbook. (The magazine subscription and some of their other books are worthwhile, too, with the web site probably the best value.)

Linda's fudge cake @ The Cheesecake Factory

2007-05-25T21:10:00.000-04:00

The Cheesecake Factory is a chain restaurant known for (what else?) its dozens of varieties of cheesecake. Some may not know, however, that their best dessert (imho) is not, in fact, a cheesecake, but rather Linda's Fudge Cake. The enormous slab of chocolate layer cake is dense and moist, with plenty of fudge frosting and chocolate sprinkles (or "jimmies" here in Boston) along the outside. Served with a serious helping of whipped cream, even this dessert fanatic can't usually finish it in one sitting. (Fortunately, it travels well.)

For the person who envies the cake eater but is trying to watch his/her weight, the Goblet of Strawberries is a nice (if a bit pricey) lower-calorie dessert. Lots of giant strawberries in a goblet served with whipped cream for dipping.

Chex Mix for the sweet tooth

2007-05-24T19:59:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, I was introduced to Honey Nut Chex Mix. Ever since, I've tried to avoid the sweet salty temptation, as I have a hard time stopping once I start chowing down. When my coworker discovered Chocolate Chex Mix - Turtle, I was really in trouble, as it is even sweeter and yummier than the Honey Nut flavor. There's just something about that sweet-n-salty, crisp-n-crunchy combination that I can't resist.

Ultra-decadent ice cream

2007-05-21T17:41:00.000-04:00

Speaking of Haagen-Dazs, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle, a flavor in their new, ultra-high-fat, ultra-expensive Reserve line. Ginger-infused sesame brittle, cream-soaked toasted coconut... how could it be bad? I found this was a good flavor for a one-bite-at-a-time snack. (I also had some Brigham's Peppermint Stick on hand for when I wanted more than a bite.)

A tale of two puddings

2007-05-21T17:35:00.001-04:00

Yesterday at the supermarket, I saw a new product, Kozy Shack banana pudding in small, snack size containers. I was a bit skeptical about it, as it was made with 1% milk, but I love banana pudding, so I figured I'd try it. Big mistake. With a flavor like banana Runts and a gelatinous consistency, it didn't even make it from the grocery bag to the fridge (I had to taste test it right away, naturally).

In contrast, the recently re-released Haagen-Dazs flavor, Sticky Toffee Pudding, which I also picked up, is a winner. If you like bread pudding, and you don't mind a particularly sweet ice cream, I certainly recommend checking it out.

Edwards Turtle Pie

2006-10-01T20:04:00.000-04:00

I brought my brownies to a party the other night and, as usual, they were a big hit. Less of a hit, but still delicious (much to my surprise) was a supermarket-bought pie. Edwards Turtle Pie comes frozen and is as simple as thaw and eat. I've always been a sucker for the original chocolate-caramel-pecan Turtles, but I've often found pies and other desserts based upon them to be a bit disappointing. So, when I saw the pre-fab pie coming out of the box, I was pretty skeptical. Boy was I surprised by the intense caramel flavor, the decent chocolate cookie crust, and the overall yumalicious flavor. This would be a great thing to just throw in the freezer and keep there for unexpected company.

Dessert sushi

2006-06-06T17:36:00.000-04:00

It's been a pretty slow dessert week, but I did get to enjoy a couple tasty desserts at our neighbors' housewarming party. Someone provided decent homemade sugar cookies, and someone else brought whoopie pies from Arthur's Pastry Shop, a local bakery. The visual highlight (though I must admit I didn't taste it) was the dessert sushi (follow the link for pictures and description). I figure anything made with watermelon-flavored fruit roll-up is best left for children to taste, but it sure looked cool!

Chocolate madness

2006-05-29T13:35:00.000-04:00

Last month, my wife and I attended (for the third or fourth time), the Chocolate Madness fundraiser held by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts. For a dessert lover who happens to be pro-choice, this event is a dream come true. Many of the best restaurants and bakeries from the Boston area provide samples of their chocolate confections buffet-style around a large room with live jazz music being played. For the modest ticket price (a.k.a., donation), the selection is well worth it. Some of my favorites from this year included a chocolate flan with coconut whipped cream, a chocolate praline mousse, some super-creamy caramel ice cream, and some excellent brownies.

Homemade cookies

2006-01-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

Homemade cookies have the potential to be near the top of the dessert pantheon, but they also can be a small step above Chips Ahoy, depending upon the baker and the recipe. We recently made two great recipes for our New Year's Day party: benne (sesame) wafers from the All-American Cookie Book and chocolate-chocolate-chip cookies from The Best Recipe. The sesame wafers, which are super-thin, crisp bits of sugary-sesame goodness, were easy to make (especially when we realized it was easier to spoon-drop them than to roll them into balls with our hands) and beautiful to look at. The chocolate cookies (we substituted chocolate chunks for chocolate chips) were rich and chewy, and they stayed soft even after a few days of storage. Speaking of the party, I have to give a mention to our neighbor, Tom, who used to own a bakery here in Medford and brought us (for the second consecutive year) fabulous home-baked cinnamon twists that cannot be described other than with a giant YUMMMMMMMMMMM.

Chocolate mousse at Raso's Grille

2005-12-20T20:03:00.000-05:00

I've now been to Raso's Grille here in Medford twice. Both times, I ordered the chocolate mousse. This should tell you that it was pretty good, especially given a pretty nice selection of other desserts on the menu. Really, it was excellent both times, nice and light and with a rich chocolatey taste. My wife had the pumpkin ice cream pie (basically, a large amount of very good pumpkin ice cream with a minimal amount of a simple crust). The dinners were good, too.

Light ice cream that actually tastes good

2005-12-12T20:15:00.000-05:00

Until recently, I was a firm believer that low fat ice creams were inherently inferior to their totally-bad-for-you siblings. Recently, though, both Breyer's and Edy's have proven me wrong with their new slow- or extra-churned low-fat ice cream flavors. These are full-taste, premium ice creams that pretty much taste just like the full-fat versions. I've had the Breyer's vanilla, the Edy's peppermint stick, and the Edy's cookies 'n' cream, and all are excellent. While these are still not low-cal treats (around 110-120 calories per 1/2 cup serving), they are quite a bit less than the 180-220 calories per serving of the regular versions.

Thanksgiving pies

2005-11-28T08:29:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving in the U.S., of course, is defined by its food. Although the details tend to vary from region to region (e.g., cranberry sauce in New England, collard greens in the south), one thing that seems pretty consistent is that dessert consists of pies. In our case on Thursday, it was pumpkin pie made by my wife and apple and pecan pies baked by my aunt.

I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie. I think it's something about the spices, which probably explains why I don't like gingerbread, spice cake, and other similar desserts, too. However, by all accounts, my wife's pumpkin pie, based on her grandmother's recipe, was excellent.

The apple pie had a lightly-baked, doughy crust. Pie purists would say that this is an affront, as pie crust is supposed to be flaky, not doughy. I, however, love anything doughy, and the filling (made with the last New England apples of the season) was great, so I thought it was terrific.

My aunt substituted maple syrup for Karo corn syrup in the pecan pie, and it turned out great. Evidently, this is a fairly common practice in Vermont, which makes sense considering all the maple syrup produced there.

The day after Thanksgiving, we went up to our friends' house in New Hampshire and had another round of pie. I had another decent slice of apple pie (made by my friend's mom), some chocolate pie that looked like it was store/bakery-bought (pretty good, nothing special), and some ricotta pie that we brought from Arthur's Pastry Shop. The latter isn't really a Thanksgiving kind of pie in my mind, but it's good, so who cares?

All in all, a successful dessert weekend. And, with Christmas approaching, visions of sugar plums (well, sugar cookies, anyway) are dancing in my head.