I didn’t intend to post two dessert recipes in a row. Normally, I try to keep things balanced and fairly nutritious around here (especially now that I’m in full-blown wedding planning mode and realllly starting to think about how that strapless dress is going to look). But, sometimes my recipe inspiration is for things like homemade spinach wraps… and sometimes it’s for Banoffee Eton Mess.

If “Banoffee Eton Mess” is meaningless to you, let me explain. This dessert mashes up two classic British desserts – banoffee pie and eton mess. We’ve been intermittently watching The Great British Bake-Off and it has substantially increased my desire to bake all sorts of British things. And to call them “bakes,” of course. I have also begun to fantasize about living in that magical baking tent filled with pleasant people and cakes, surround by green fields and flowers.

I digress. Banoffee Pie is a sticky sweet dessert that consists of dulce de leche, bananas, whipped cream, and a shortbread crust. It’s kind of childish and simple and a very fun thing to say out loud. Banoffee. I think the name may be the primary reason that Trevor requested it as his birthday dessert, given that he doesn’t like bananas. Not to worry, I didn’t leave it that simple anyways. First, I turned the “offee” into peanut butter dulce de leche. Yum. Next, I made these as layered parfaits, adding a layer of crumbled meringue to the party. Which meant I could also call it Eton Mess – a mixture of broken-up meringues, whipped cream, and fruit. Tah dah! Peanut Butter Banoffee Eton Mess.

The beauty of this dessert is that you can make it all homemade or store-bought, depending on how ambitious or lazy you are feeling. Unsurprisingly, I made everything except the shortbread myself. I suppose I also did not grow the bananas. But if you’re in a hurry, everything – whipped cream, meringues, dulce de leche – can be bought at the store and simply assembled. But if you are making your components, a note on the meringues: meringues are both incredibly simple and a little bit tricky. I always seem to both under-whip and under-bake them. So a note to you – as well as to future Katie – whip your egg whites until they are really stiff! And really shiny! Then bake them for at least an hour and leave that oven door closed.

If you’re not into bananas or meringue or cream or British things, then I have one favor to ask. If you do nothing else, please make a jar of peanut butter dulce de leche and eat a spoonful every night when you get home from work. This will not be good for your wedding photos but it will be good for your soul. Dulce de Leche for the Soon-to-be-Bride’s Soul, or something like that. And with that, enjoy your weekend, friends!

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Peanut Butter Banoffee Eton Mess

A mash-up of two classic British desserts – Eton Mess and Banoffee Pie – made a little bit American with the addition of peanut butter. Layers of sticky-sweet peanut butter dulche de leche, shortbread cookies, whipped cream, banana, and meringue make a delicious dessert.

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dulce de leche, store bought or homemade
• 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 8 oz. of shortbread cookies, crumbled
• 4 cups of whipped cream
• 3 ripe bananas
• 24 small vanilla meringues, store bought or homemade

Instructions

1. Heat the dulce de leche in a microwave for 30 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl, just to warm it up. Repeat with the peanut butter. Both the peanut butter and dulce de leche should be warm enough that they mix easily – if not, heat for a little longer. Stir together until evenly combined.
2. Take out 6 glasses – stemless wine glasses work well. Place a layer of crumbled shortbread cookie in the bottom of each one. Top with a large spoonful of whipped cream and a layer of sliced bananas. Drizzle a tablespoon of peanut butter dulce de leche on top. Gently crush a few of the meringues and sprinkle the crumbled bits over the top. Top with more cream, more dulce de leche, and another layer of crumbled shortbread. Finish with a final layer of cream, a few pieces of sliced banana, one whole meringue, and more dulce de leche. This is more of an art than a science, so layer the way you want to!

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It is well and truly summer in Boston, at least for now. Today it’s 91° and hazy hot (91! In May! My coworker in Madrid says its hotter here in Boston than in Spain, which almost never happens). The trees have gone from the pale green of spring to the deep green of mid-summer. The zucchini plants are growing by inches every day, and the tomatoes could not be happier (although the delicate foxgloves flop over in the midday sun). The other morning I walked out of the subway station to find a group of 3rd graders on a field trip and the smell of sunscreen hit me full force. It made me smile – the idea of being outside all day, hot and steamy, running through sprinklers and guzzling cold lemonade. The smells of summer are the best – freshly mowed grass, hot pavement, salty sea air. I get tired of summer fast, but for now, it’s a novelty, and I love it.

Last weekend, I was at a beach house on the Jersey Shore for my college roommate’s bachelorette party. Friday the weather was absolutely perfect, and we spent the morning and early afternoon sitting out in the sun, drinking shandies, walking on the beach, and playing cornhole. Around 2, someone had the idea of walking to the ice cream parlor about a mile away and my heart lit up. An ice cream cone with homemade ice cream, eaten on the boardwalk looking out at the beach? The definition of happiness.  The definition of summer. So we put on our shoes and walked the mile to the store – only to find that it wasn’t open until the next day! And of course Saturday was cold and rainy and no one wanted ice cream anymore (except secretly, I did). So I’ve spent all week thinking about that lost ice cream cone, and then it got hot and sunny in Boston and my ice cream fantasies morphed into ice cream float daydreams (inspired by last year’s Bon Appetit article), and here we are, Memorial Day Weekend, and I have boozy, dreamy, Tahini Caramel Ice Cream Floats for you.

This ice cream is an evolution of my favorite recipe, which started with the NY Times Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream, morphed into Blackberry Goat Cheese Ice Cream, and here takes the form of Tahini Caramel Date Ice Cream. The custard is almost as thick fridge-cold as it is frozen, which is just the way I like it. For the floats, pour a splash of bourbon in the glass, top with cream soda, add a scoop of ice cream, more cream soda, then finally top with whipped cream and a drizzle of extra caramel and you will be in instant ice cream heaven. For kids, just skip the bourbon. This combination of flavors – dates, tahini, caramel, cream soda, and bourbon – went above and beyond what I was dreaming of. Now I just have to make the ice cream last the whole weekend.

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Tahini Caramel Ice Cream Floats

Serves 2. Inspired by Bon Appetit.

• 2 oz. Bourbon
• 1 bottle cream soda
• 2 scoops Tahini Caramel Date Ice Cream, recipe below
• whipped cream
• Tahini Caramel Sauce, for drizzling

1. Add 1 oz. Bourbon to the bottom of two glasses or sundae dishes. Top each with a splash of cream soda and 1 scoop of ice cream. Pour remaining cream soda over ice cream until glass is almost full. Top floats with whipped cream and tahini caramel sauce.

Tahini Caramel Date Ice Cream

A Katie at the Kitchen Door original recipe, originally inspired by NY Times. Makes 1 1/2 quarts ice cream.

• 7 egg yolks
• 1 c. sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. whole milk
• 10 whole pitted dates
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 oz. neufchatel / low-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup of Tahini Caramel Sauce

1. Whisk the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar together in a large, heatproof bowl, until yolks are pale yellow. Set aside.
2. Add heavy cream, whole milk, dates, and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar to a large saucepan. Whisk briefly to combine, then heat over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally. When the cream mixture comes to a gentle simmer, remove from the heat and immediately transfer to a high-powered blender. Blend on high until dates are fully incorporated into the cream (always be extra careful when blending hot liquids!). Pour the hot cream mixture directly over the egg yolks, whisking the egg yolks vigorously as you do so to temper the yolks. Then return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until custard is thick, about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.
3. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, discarding any solids that are left behind. Stir the vanilla extract into the strained custard. Add the cream cheese to the custards in small pieces, and whisk until cream cheese is fully melted into the custard. Cover the custard tightly and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours but ideally overnight.
4. Freeze the ice cream according to the directions of your ice cream maker. Just before the ice cream is done churning, drizzle the caramel sauce into the top of the ice cream maker so it swirls into the ice cream. Alternatively, you can transfer the churned ice cream to a loaf pan, drizzle the caramel sauce on top, and use a spatula to swirl the caramel into the ice cream. Transfer the ice cream to a container, cover tightly, and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

The post Boozy Memorial Day Ice Cream Floats – Tahini Caramel Ice Cream, Cream Soda, and Bourbon appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

After dipping my toe back in the water last month, I am officially bringing back my monthly fitness goals series. Because boy do I need to get this body back into shape! A year of heavy travel and stressful life decisions apparently takes its toll. And since the approach of setting goals month by month (and holding myself accountable here) worked pretty well last time around, that’s where I’m starting again.

I’ve mentioned it in passing, but I’ll be spending most of this month in Hong Kong on an extended work trip. I’m getting more and more excited as it gets closer. I plan to have a regular exercise routine while I’m there, but more importantly, I want to make sure I am getting out and exploring as much as I can. And hiking! Hong Kong has incredible hiking all within easy commute of the downtown areas, and I plan on taking full advantage of the warm temperatures to make it a January full of long walks and the great outdoors. Offset, of course, by dim sum and roast pork but that’s a different conversation. Accordingly, my goal for this month is just about being out there, and steps is how I’m going to measure it. At a minimum, I want to hit 10K every day, and if that means that when I get home from work with 5,000 steps we have to venture out for a twilight walk to find the best dumplings in a new neighborhood? All the better. The only out I get are my two full plane days, and even then, I’ll do my best in the airport hallways. And come February, I’ll be reporting back here about the best hikes and long walks for exploring the city.

I’ve been making this oatmeal all year, but January seemed like a particularly good time to share it. This is super quick to make, and isn’t much of a stretch from a normal bowl of oatmeal – the only difference is that instead of adding brown sugar, banana, and nuts as toppings, you saute them in a bit of butter to start, then cook the oatmeal right on top of them, so you end up with a bowl of creamy oats deeply infused with sweet, buttery, banana-y goodness. Although I’m calling it bananas foster, I haven’t added any rum – that would definitely take it out of healthy breakfast territory – but I promise you it still tastes like bananas foster should. Only, in oatmeal form. For breakfast.

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Past Fitness Challenges

January ’14: 10 Visits to the YMCA; Recipe: Gluten-Free Olive-and-Feta Corn Muffins
February ’14: One vegan meal every day; Recipe: Pakistani Chickpea Pulao with Sweet-Hot Date-Onion Chutney
March ’14: Run 40  miles in 20 days; Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Almond Butter Cookie Bites
April ’14: Walk 8,000 steps a day; Recipe: Herb-Flecked Spring Couscous
May ’14: 180 minutes of Nike Training Club; Recipe: Warm Arugula Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
June ’14: Fresh fruit/veggies at every meal; Recipe: Chickpea Crepes with Grilled Curried Chicken and Mango Salsa
July ’14: 8 different types of exercise; Recipe: Homemade Spinach Wraps with Chopped Greek Salad Filling
August ’14: Relax; Recipe: Green Tea and Zucchini Noodles with Honey Ginger Sauce
September ’14: Average mile pace below 8’10″; Recipe: Potato, Poblano, and Chard Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
November ’14: Go to 6+ dance classes; Recipe: Crispy Brussels Sprout, Lemon Chicken, and Pomegranate Rice Bowl
December ’14: Hit my goal weight; Recipe: White Bean and Parsnip Soup with Guanciale
December ’15: Regular yoga practice; Recipe: Vegetarian Chili

Bananas Foster Oatmeal

My favorite oatmeal on a cold winter morning. Topped with caramelized bananas, nuts, and cinnamon.

• Author: Katie at the Kitchen Door
• Yield: 2
• Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

• 1 TBS butter
• 2 TBS brown sugar
• 1/3 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 ripe banana, sliced
• 2/3 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 c. whole milk

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until melted, about 1 minute. Add the pecans and sliced banana and stir to coat in the brown sugar mixture. Cook until bananas are soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Spoon half of the banana mixture into a bowl for topping your oatmeal.
2. Add the oats and cinnamon to the remaining half of the banana mixture still in the pan. Stir to coat the oats in the sauce. Toast the oats for 1 minute, then add the milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until oatmeal is thick and oats are soft, about 5-8 minutes, then remove from the heat. Divide oatmeal between two bowls and top with the reserved banana mixture. Serve immediately.

The post January Fitness Goal // Bananas Foster Oatmeal appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

It’s time for more pork and Pinot! If you remember, this summer I’m teaming up with La Crema wine to bring you a series of recipes pairing pork with their Pinot Noir. The first pairing was this Italian-inspired stuffed pork tenderloin – filled with mozzarella, prosciutto, and sage pesto. This time, we’re making a deliciously fatty, savory pork belly – the cut of meat used to make bacon. Pork belly is incredibly tasty (in small doses, only, please) and a bit of a food darling in a lot of major restaurants right now, especially given its importance in Asian and Latin cuisines. It takes a bit of time both to source and to cook at home, but the end result is completely worth it.

Sourcing pork belly can be a bit of a challenge, depending on where you live. I’m lucky to live in a part of the country where I can get almost anything within a half mile’s walk. Pig trotters? Around the corner. ‘Nduja? At the wine store across the street. Fresh morels? At the closest Wholefoods, if you’re willing to pay an arm and a leg for them. Dried chiles, palm sugar, and pretty much any spice you’ve ever heard of? All available at Christina’s. So for me, finding fresh, uncured pork belly was a matter of walking 45 steps around the corner to Savenor’s and handing over $12 for a gorgeous, 2 lb. slab of heritage pig. But I know it’s not that easy for everyone. Your local butcher or Wholefoods is a good place to start – if they don’t carry pork belly regularly, they may be able to special order some for you. You can also order it online and have it shipped to you, but it’s a bit pricier.

There are a lot of different ways to prepare pork belly, taking anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 days. There are also a lot of different ways it can turn out: roasted whole until it’s falling apart, sandwich-sized slabs with shatteringly crispy skin, small caramelized pieces with a candy-like coating… or as bacon, of course. I decided to take the longer route this time – although not the 5 day version, I’ll admit. To prepare the belly, I put together a rub of brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, and salt and let it marinate in the fridge overnight. Then, in the morning, I threw it in the oven for a few hours until the meat was completely tender and a lot of the fat had rendered out. After roasting, the belly sits in the fridge until firm again, and then gets used in the recipe of your choice. Although it requires advance planning for the chilling and roasting times, this method is not particularly labor intensive – I probably spent longer removing the skin from the belly than I did with all the other steps.

Post chilling, I divided my belly into two big pieces. Half was eventually destined for Banh Mi sandwiches, but for now, let’s talk about what I did with the other half – Red Wine Caramelized Pork Belly slices. I’ve had candied pork belly at bars before – the fatty, salty, sweet slices are highly craveable with just about anything you might want to drink. Since I was making these to pair with Pinot Noir, I decided to play up the pairing and candy the pork belly in a red wine caramel sauce. I served the sticky, delicious slices alone, as a simple and indulgent appetizer with a glass of La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir. All the flavors of the Pinot Noir are echoed in the pork belly, and amplified by the rich, umami flavors of the belly itself.

For full instructions and the recipe for Red Wine Caramelized Pork Belly, head over to the La Crema Blog!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

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The post La Crema Pork and Pinot #2: Caramelized Pork Belly appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Apologies for the radio silence around here the last few weeks! It’s been a busy month, and I seem to have inadvertently taken a 2-week break from blogging. This week in particular was a whirlwind – we spent last weekend away on our first official food-writing assignment (I can’t wait to share details with you this winter!), and then we dove head first into a long, rainy week piled with work-work, school-work, and freelance-work. I’m getting on a flight to Ireland today, too, so I’m still a bit in heads-down mode, but with a clear break in sight. Trevor and I did manage to spend some solid time in the kitchen yesterday, so we have several exciting recipes to share over the next few weeks (lots of pumpkin and caramel and cheese) to prevent another accidental hiatus.

I’ve been taking an economics course after work this semester, and I’ve learned that sitting through a two hour lecture after a full day of work is a lot harder than sitting through a two hour lecture when it’s the only thing you have to do that day (college students, take note!). Since I can’t drink coffee after 2pm if I want to have a shot at a good night’s sleep, I’ve taken to picking up a chai latte and a few chocolate-covered graham crackers as an incentive for sitting through class. It’s been a while since I drank chai regularly, and I forgot how much I love it’s spicy sweetness. Although a regular chai is a treat in itself, I decided that mixing in a healthy dose of salted caramel and topping it off with whipped cream and, yep, more caramel, would make it a real indulgence, worthy of sharing here. I took the approach of making a light syrup from brewed black tea, fresh ginger, whole spices, and salted caramel, then mixing that syrup with steamed milk. The benefit of this method is that you can store any leftover chai syrup in the fridge for the next time you need a quick pick-me-up, then just mix it with a fresh batch of milk. Hopefully we don’t have another week of weather like last week any time soon, but if we do, I’ll be prepared to curl up at home with one or two of these.

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Salted Caramel Chai Latte

Serves 4.

• 4 bags black tea
• 3 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and diced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 10 whole cloves
• 6 whole cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 1 whole star anise
• 1/3 c. salted caramel, plus more for drizzling (I used this recipe but added 1 cup heavy cream instead of 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 c. white sugar
• 2 cups whole milk
• whipped cream for serving

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Pour 1 1/4 cup of boiling water over tea bags in a heatproof bowl, then let tea steep for 10 minutes. Discard tea bags, squeezing out any extra liquid you can with a spoon.
2. Add brewed tea, fresh ginger, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, star anise, salted caramel, and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then simmer on low for 10 minutes. Mixture should have the consistency of a very thin syrup. Let steep 5 minutes longer, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a jar, discarding solids.
3. Heat milk until it is just barely bubbling over low heat or in a microwave, then use a milk frother to froth. Divide chai syrup between four glasses, then add 1/2 cup milk to each glass and stir to combine. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel, and serve immediately.

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A little while ago, Graeter’s reached out to me I’d asked if I was interested in trying out their new ice cream flavors – three new “A Little Less Indulgent” varieties, and four new gelatos. To be perfectly honest, I’d never heard of Graeter’s – they’re more of a midwestern brand and we have plenty of great creameries in New England – but I said yes anyways, because, well, I really love ice cream. Like, more than most people, I think. I didn’t make any commitment to writing about the new flavors, but after my first few bites, I knew I would have to share, because it would have been a crime not to. It’s really good stuff. I’m a particular fan of the Salted Caramel Truffle Gelato, which I savored two spoonfuls at a time, straight out of the pint, every night for a good two weeks. It’s fabulously soft and creamy and richly flavored, and although I’m not sure I could swallow the $10/pint cost of ordering it online, if I ever see some in a store near me, I’m stocking up immediately.

I decided to share this delicious new discovery with you in the form of a sundae. I mean, if the ice cream is “A Little Less Indulgent,” that just means you have an excuse to douse it in caramel sauce, right? This sauce is inspired by a dinner we had recently at Oleana, a Middle Eastern mezze restaurant in Cambridge that’s nearly impossible to get a reservation at (at least by Boston standards). We had a lot of delicious dishes that night, but the most memorable one for me was the dessert: Turkish-style Profiteroles with Sesame Cashew Caramel and Sesame Halva. It was amazing, and I couldn’t get over how addictive the sesame caramel sauce was, so I wanted to try making it at home. It ended up coming out just how I wanted to, so now I might have to make caramel this way all the time. Adding tahini to the caramel makes it that much more unctuous and satisfying, and it cuts the sweetness with its deep savory flavor. But as much as I love the sauce, I think the real star of the show might have been the Salted Sesame Butter Brittle, which I decided to make at the last minute to add crunch, and more sesame flavor. It’s a Ming Tsai recipe, and Ming Tsai is pretty much infallible in my eyes – this recipe was no exception. I was a little concerned by how opaque and soft the caramel mixture looked at first, and how long it took to color, but as soon as I bit into the hardened candy I knew I never should have doubted. It’s more like sesame toffee, really, and I made myself a little bit sick I ate so much of it. Lesson learned. Maybe. All together – the ice cream, the tahini caramel, the sesame butter brittle – it was a solidly delicious dessert.

In other news, my blog is going through some growing pains this week – I’m finally biting the bullet and switching over to WordPress.org – so bear with me as I make some changes. Hopefully I’ll be able to unveil a flashy new custom design in a few weeks, but until then be warned that it might be a bit messy. And, as I think through how my content might evolve, I would love to hear if there are recipes or post types that you’ve enjoyed more than others! Shoot me an email or leave a note in the comments and I’ll be super grateful.

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Disclaimer: I received a sample of Graeter’s ice cream free of charge, but I was not otherwise compensated and all thought and opinions are my own.

Tahini Caramel and Sesame Brittle Sundae

• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 2 TBS crumbled Salted Sesame Butter Brittle (recipe below)
• 2 TBS Tahini Caramel Sauce (recipe below)

1. Assemble. Serve.

Salted Sesame Butter Brittle

Recipe from Ming Tsai. Makes 3 cups of brittle pieces.

• 3/4 c. white sesame seeds
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup sugar
• sea salt

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Add the butter and the sugar to a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Melt over medium heat. Stir just to combine once melted, then stop stirring, and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in toasted sesame seeds until well mixed, then pour caramel out onto lined baking sheet. Spread the caramel to 1/8 – 1/4 inch thickness using the back of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle a little bit of sea salt over the top of the hot brittle. Let cool completely, then break into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Tahini Caramel Sauce

Inspired by Oleana. Makes 1 cup.

• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. heavy cream
• 2 TBS tahini

1. Pour the sugar into an even layer in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar begins to melt and turn amber. At this point, gently stir the melted parts into the un-melted sugar a little bit at a time. If the sugar clumps, stop stirring for a minute to let it melt.
2. As soon as all the sugar is melted and amber brown, carefully add a little bit of the heavy cream, stirring as you do so – the cream will make the caramel bubble up violently. One bubbling subsides, add the rest of the cream in a slow stream, stirring as you do, and stopping if it bubbles up too high. Stir until caramel and cream are fully mixed, then remove from heat. Add tahini and stir until it is melted. Let cool slightly, then serve.

The post Graeter’s New Flavors // Tahini Caramel and Sesame Brittle Sundae appeared first on Katie at the Kitchen Door.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope that none of you have had any major kitchen or travel mishaps, and that you’re all getting ready/happily in the midst of/recovering from a relaxing day of family, friends, and delicious eating. We’re in the car on our way up to Maine to see Trevor’s family, but before we sit down to overindulge, I wanted to share our Thanksgiving submission to the Captain’s Table Challenge.

As I mentioned Monday, we’re part of a group of 15 bloggers that are teaming up with Captain Morgan to create delicious rum-based food and drink recipes for the holiday season. There’s a bit of a contest aspect to it as well, so I’m extra motivated to make these recipes top notch (there’s nothing like a little competition to get me going). For the Thanksgiving edition of the challenge, we decided to work with two classic November ingredients, sweet potatoes and cranberries, turning each into a rum-infused masterpiece. After a bit of group brainstorming at the wedding we were at last weekend, we decided that the only thing for the sweet potatoes was a souffle, and not just any souffle, but a light, fluffy, rum-scented souffle drizzled with a rum-raisin caramel sauce. There are a surprising number of sweet potato souffle recipes out there, but you’ll quickly notice that most of them are not actually souffles, but instead just mashed sweet potatoes buried under some form of sweet goo (I so enjoyed Sommer’s rant on this topic). What we were going for was a real souffle, with a classic roux-base, a bit of rum, and a hint of sweet potato flavor.

Creating our own recipe for souffles was a bit of a risky move, and it was a tense 30 minutes in the kitchen as we waited to take them out of the oven. We’ve made souffles before, but tweaking any baking recipe can be hit or miss, plus souffles are notoriously challenging and we did significantly more than tweak a base recipe. We did our research, though, and what came out of the oven was far more perfect than we expected – puffed up gracefully over the top of the ramekins, cooked through yet still creamy, light and sweet and everything you want a souffle to be. With the thick, syrupy-sweet rum raisin caramel drizzled on top, I am not ashamed to admit that we each had two of these, one after the other. And then we skipped dinner.

As for the cranberries, I knew I wanted to do a festive riff on Dark and Stormy’s, the classic ginger and dark rum cocktail that’s pretty much perfect any time of year. I wanted to incorporate cranberries, but I didn’t want the drink to be too sweet or cloying, so instead of using cranberry juice, I made a thick, almost jam-like cranberry-ginger syrup for the base of the drink. After reading an article in Bon Appetit about how we should be celebrating Thanksgiving with the new crop of artisanal hard ciders that wouldn’t have been out of place at early colonial celebrations, I decided to replace the traditional ginger beer with one of my favorite sparkling ciders, Bantam’s Wunderkind. The resulting drink was strong and slightly sweet, with hints of spice, cranberry and apple.

So, if you’re looking for something to do with your leftover mashed sweet potatoes or that bag of cranberries you didn’t end up using? Try a souffle, or a cranberry-ginger cocktail, or maybe even both. And let me know what you think! Also, if there’s any flavor combinations or recipe types you’d like to see for our Christmas Captain Morgan challenge, leave a note in the comments – we’re looking for inspiration anywhere we can get it. Have a wonderful holiday!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Captain Morgan, who provided me with product samples and monetary compensation in exchange for my participation in this program. All opinions are honest and my own, as always.

Sweet Potato Souffles with Rum Raisin Sauce

Serves 5.

For the souffles:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 3 TBS butter plus extra for greasing the ramekins
• 3 TBS flour
• 3/4 c. warm milk
• 1/4 c. Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 c. sugar plus extra for preparing the ramekins
• 6 egg whites
• pinch cream of tartar

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Toss the sweet potato cubes with the olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until very tender and almost falling apart. Stir the sweet potatoes once after 20 minutes. While still warm, add the sweet potato cubes to a blender and puree until smooth. Scrape the puree out of the blender and set aside.
2. Adjust the oven temperature to 350F. Butter five 6-oz. souffle dishes or ramekins, then sprinkle a bit of sugar into each. Tap the sugar around the edges of the dish, tapping out any excess. Set the prepared dishes aside.
3. In a wide frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is a pale yellow and smells nutty. Add 1/4 c. of the warm milk to the roux and whisk until smooth, then slowly whisk in the remaining warm milk. Cook over medium-low heat until thick and smooth, about 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Whisk in the rum, and let cool slightly.
4. Beat the egg yolks and the sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Quickly whisk into the roux, taking care that the roux is not hot enough to scramble the eggs. Then, whisk in 3/4 c. of the sweet potato puree, adding 1/4 c. at a time. When the mixture is smooth and evenly colored, set aside.
5. In a large, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar over the top, and then beat until the egg whites are shiny and hold a stiff peak. Fold the sweet potato mixture gently into the egg whites until they are just combined. Spoon the souffle mixture carefully into the prepared dishes, filling them just shy of the brim. Place the ramekins in a larger baking dish, and fill the baking dish with hot water so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the souffle dishes. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until souffles are puffed up and set in the middle. Remove and serve immediately with the warm rum raisin sauce.

For the sauce:

• 1/2 c. Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. cream

1. Place the rum and the raisins in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the rum just begins to steam, then immediately remove from heat and set aside. Let sit for at least 10 minutes to allow the raisins to plump up.
2. Pour the sugar into the bottom of a heavy-bottomed saucepan in an even layer. Place over medium heat, and melt sugar, whisking frequently. As you whisk, the sugar will clump up, but once melted, all the clumps should dissolve. As soon as all the sugar is melted, stop whisking but swirl slightly. Watch the sugar closely as it begins to darken. As soon as it reaches a golden caramel color, add the heavy cream all at once. Be careful, the caramel will bubble violently when you do this. Whisk until the mixture is even. Now add the rum and raisins all at once, again, being careful to avoid the bubbling up, and whisking until the mixture is even. As soon as the mixture is smooth and consistent. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Sauce should be served warm.

Cranberry-Ginger Sparkling Rum Cider

Serves 4.

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. water
• 1 1/2 c. fresh cranberries, rinsed (remove any squished/deflated berries)
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
• 6 oz. Captain Morgan Black Spiced rum
• ice cubes
• 2 c. sparkling cider (alcoholic)
• sugared cranberries, for garnish

1. Add the sugar and water to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the cranberries and ginger. Simmer the mixture until thick and syrupy, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the cranberries from foaming up, pressing the cranberries against the side of the pan to pop them.
2. Pour the cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and strain the liquid into a medium bowl. Press gently on the cranberries to extract more juice, but be warned that if you press too hard you may end up with more of a jelly than a syrup (still delicious!). Refrigerate the syrup until cold; save the berries for another use.
3. Add 1 to 2 TBS of the cranberry syrup to each of 4 glasses, then add 1 1/2 oz. (1 shot) of rum to each glass. Stir vigorously to mix. Add a few ice cubes to each glass, then top off with 1/2 c. of sparkling cider. Garnish with sugared cranberries and serve immediately.

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I love a hot drink in the winter. Not just the drink itself, but the anticipation of it as you trudge home in the cold, that first sip sending warmth flooding through your chest. Breathing in the steam, letting the spices and alcohol tickle your nose, even as your fingers are still stiff with cold. When I lived in Prague, a plastic cup filled to the brim with sweet mulled wine from the closest street vendor was a much-anticipated afternoon ritual, with a sleeve full of candied almonds in the other hand when I was feeling indulgent. As we get into the holiday season, with Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas following close behind, I want to share a few of my favorite seasonal drinks to help you get in the spirit, whether you’re cozying up to the fire with a good book or throwing the season’s best party.

A little while back I reviewed a cookbook called Winter Cocktails, and I mentioned that the recipe we’ve been enjoying the most is Burnt-Sugar Hot Buttered Rum. We tried it a day or two after we received the book, and liked it so much that we whipped up a few big batches for our Halloween party a few weeks later. So far, everyone who has tried it has wanted seconds. It’s made by creating a dark amber caramel, adding a few cups of water to make a thin syrup, and then serving the hot, sweet syrup with an equal part rum and a pat of vanilla-butter melting into the top. It’s rich and over the top and a surefire way to get toasty fast, in both senses of the word. Give it a try the next time you’re feeling chilled.

Burnt-Sugar Hot Buttered Rum

Recipe adapted slightly from Winter Cocktails. Serves 6.

Note: We like to make these strong, with almost equal volumes of syrup and rum. Start with 1.5 oz of rum per glass, and taste as you go to find the ratio that works for you.

• 2 TBS softened salted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. + 3 c. water, divided
• 9 to 12 oz. dark rum

1. Stir together the softened butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. Set aside
2. Stir together the sugar and 1/4 c. water in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until mixture turns dark amber and just begins to smoke. Carefully add the 3 cups of water – the caramel will bubble violently and seize, so be prepared to stand back. Reduce heat to medium and stir until mixture is smooth. Add 1/2 c. of the hot syrup to each of 6 heatproof glasses, along with 1.5 to 2 oz. dark rum. Add 1 tsp of the vanilla butter to the top of each drink. Serve hot.

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I’ve been thinking about this recipe for over a year now. The phrase “pumpkin ice cream sundae” popped into my head one day, and since then, I’ve been considering how to get this just right. I knew it had to have all of the components of a brownie sundae, but tweaked for fall. Some sort of gingerbready brownie. Super creamy pumpkin ice cream. Caramel sauce and whipped cream. I tinkered with the brownie base last year, but never hit on the right combination of brownie consistency and gingerbread taste, so I put it to rest until this fall. And now, I think I have it.

The key to getting the gingerbread base right was making the mental switch from “brownie” to “blondie.” A quick google search revealed that someone else had already perfected the recipe for me, so I made Pink Parsley’s White Chocolate and Gingerbread Blondies pretty much as written. For the ice cream, I used the Pumpkin-Maple Ice Cream from the new book Jenny McCoy’s Desserts for Every Season (I just reviewed it a few weeks ago, if you want to know more). It has 7 egg yolks in it, so I knew there wasn’t going to be a problem with creaminess. Topped off with a caramel sauce runny enough to drizzle and some fresh whipped cream, it was just what I was imagining – spicy, chewy blondie, sweet pumpkin ice cream, and rich and salty caramel sauce blending together in every bite.

But, as I was finally assembling this perfect fall dessert, I knocked my camera off the chair. Total klutz. Several minutes of panic ensued as I tried to get my relatively new, fairly expensive camera to turn back on while simultaneously wanting to smack myself repeatedly in the forehead. Thankfully, I switched out the lenses and realized that the camera works fine but the front of the lens had popped apart on impact. I still feel like an idiot, but it’s one of my cheaper lenses, so if I can’t get it repaired it won’t devastate my bank account to replace it. Speaking of, does anyone know of any good camera repair shops in Boston? Or should I just send it straight to Canon? Anyway, if this sundae looks a little melty/panic-tinged, that’s the reason. On the other hand, I really needed an ice cream sundae after all that camera-stress, and a perfect one was sitting right in front of me.

Pumpkin and Gingerbread Ice Cream Sundaes

Serves 1.

• 1 gingerbread blondie, recipe below
• 2 scoops pumpkin-maple ice cream, recipe below
• 3 TBS caramel sauce, recipe below
• 1/4 c. heavy cream, beat into soft peaks, OR canned whipped cream
• chopped nuts for topping

1. Assemble, serve, be happy.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

Recipe adapted slightly from Pink Parsley. Makes one 9×13 inch pan.

• cooking spray
• 2 3/4 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 sticks salted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 c. molasses
• 12 oz. (1 bag) high-quality white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, until evenly mixed. In a separate, large bowl, beat the softened butter until light and creamy. Add the sugars and beat to incorporate fully. Add the eggs/egg yolk one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the molasses and vanilla, then add the flour mixture 1/3 at a time, incorporating fully between additions.
3. The batter will be very thick at this point. Stir the white chocolate chips in to the batter to distribute evenly throughout. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan, and smooth the top with the back of a wooden spoon. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick poked into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.

Pumpkin-Maple Ice Cream

Recipe from Jenny McCoy’s Desserts for Every Season. Makes 1 quart.

• 7 large egg yolks
• 1 cup grade B maple syrup
• 1 1/2 c. whole milk
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• generous pinch ground ginger
• generous pinch ground nutmeg
• 3/4 c. roasted sugar pumpkin and kabocha squash

1. Prepare a large bowl of ice water and set aside. In a separate, large bowl, whisk the egg yolks together, then set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, simmer the maple syrup over medium heat until the volume is reduced by half. Add the milk, cream, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pumpkin puree, and bring to a boil. Slowly pour the hot cream over the egg yolks, whisking the eggs vigorously as you do so, until the mixture is fully combined.
3. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large, heatproof bowl. Place this bowl over the ice water and stir until cool. Refrigerate the ice cream base until thoroughly chilled, then churn according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. It will have a soft-serve like consistency when done – freeze for 4 hours to set before serving.

Caramel Sauce

Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

• 1 c. sugar
• 4 TBS butter
• 1 c. heavy cream

1. Pour the sugar into the bottom of a heavy-bottomed saucepan in an even layer. Place over medium heat, and melt sugar, whisking frequently. As you whisk, the sugar will clump up, but once melted, all the clumps should dissolve. As soon as all the sugar is melted, stop whisking but swirl slightly. Watch the sugar closely as it begins to darken. As soon as it reaches a golden caramel color, add the butter all at once. Be careful, the caramel will bubble violently when you do this. Whisk the butter in until melted.
2. Once the butter is melted, add the heavy cream. Again, be careful. The caramel may seize up in the middle, but keep whisking it and it will dissolve into the heavy cream eventually. Once dissolved, let bubble gently, still whisking, for about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve warm.

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I’m writing this to you from way up over Canada, en route to Seattle for the 2013 International Food Blogger Conference, better known as IFBC. I’m pretty excited – four days of wining and dining, schmoozing with other bloggers and food professionals, and hopefully learning a ton from the speakers and break-out sessions. Not to mention, I’ll get to explore Seattle and hang out with my baby brother, who just moved here last month. It’s gonna be good.

I’ll be tweeting and instagramming from all the events (take that as an invitation or a warning, whichever you prefer), and when I get back I’ll be sure to write a few posts to share what we learned (and ate) at the conference. In the meantime, I want to direct your attention over to Cake Journal, where I’m sharing these sinful chocolate-toffee cookies with caramel centers. They’re a riff on my favorite double-chocolate cookie, amped up with toffee bits and homemade caramel. They’ll pretty much satisfy any chocolate craving. I may be contributing more original dessert recipes to Cake Journal in the future, so keep your eyes peeled!

Oh, and if any of you will be attending IFBC, shoot me a note! I’d love to say hi. Also, I’ll have some time to explore (and eat!) on my own – any recommendations for Seattle favorites would be welcome. And if you’re not going to be in Seattle, I hope you have a fantastic weekend. Talk to you soon!

Click here for the cookie recipe.

Note: In order to received the discounted active blogger rate at IFBC, all participating bloggers were required to write three posts about their experience at the conference.

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As promised, I’m back with the amazing cajeta-banana bread pudding recipe from Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales. While the duck tacos we made from the book last weekend were a great treat for a special dinner (duck is expensive!), this bread pudding is the kind of thing I want to make on a weekly basis. I won’t, because I value my ability to support my own body weight, but know that I want to. Why? Because caramel, cinnamon, custard, challah bread, and banana, baked up all warm and soft and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a little extra caramel sauce for good measure is about as close to the perfect comfort dessert as you can get.

This recipe is also pretty easy for such a crowd-pleaser. If you choose to go the fully homemade route, making the cajeta – Mexican goat’s milk caramel – takes a bit of effort, but once you have it on hand, making the rest of this recipe is a breeze. It’s also a new and different way to use up overripe bananas. Or challah that’s going stale. Or milk that’s going to expire. And even if you don’t have anything stale or overripe or expiring, it’s worth rushing to the store to get all new stuff to make this recipe. I think you probably get the picture, so I’ll stop gushing (side-effect of midnight blogging?) and let you get cooking!

Cajeta-Banana Bread Pudding

Recipe from Tacos, Tortas, and Tamales. Serves 8-10.

Note: I only made 1/4 batch of the cajeta recipe, which yielded 1 c., but immediately wished I had made a full batch so I had some leftovers. Making the cajeta from scratch takes 45 minutes to an hour.

• 1 lb. brioche or challah, torn into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 c. whole milk
• 1 c. cajeta (homemade is best)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• 3 ripe bananas, peeled and thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a shallow baking dish (a 9 inch pie pan would work well) and set aside.
2. Place the torn bread pieces in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until dry on the outside but not colored. Let them cool.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, cajeta, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking, until cajeta is completely melted, then remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and heavy cream until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the hot milk mixture, whisking the eggs the whole time to keep from scrambling.
4. Toss the bread and the banana slices together in a large bowl. Add half of the custard to the bowl, stir to coat the bread, and let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the liquid. Add the remaining half of the custard and let sit for another 15 minutes. Pour the bread pudding into the buttered baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes – the top should be browned slightly and a knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream and leftover cajeta or butterscotch sauce (see recipe below).

Butterscotch Sauce

Recipe from the Food Network. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

• 1/2 c. salted butter
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. light brown sugar

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan or saute pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil gently until mixture has thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over bread pudding – refrigerate leftovers.

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This post is a result of the confluence of several forces.  Number one, Baked Explorations was going to be September’s cookbook of the month, until it was this weekend and I realized that I was going to be spending all my time taking my mom to tea at the Taj/ buying most of the stock at the Ann Taylor outlet/ eating homemade duck confit/ snuggled up in bed… not having a baking extravaganza like I had planned.  I’m not complaining, though, it was a great weekend.  Number two, as every food blogger and their mother has mentioned several times since the first chilly day in September, it’s fall, and fall makes us all want to eat lots of apples and stews and pumpkin-flavored things and caramel.  Number three, Trevor and I have gone to the movies every Friday for the past 3 weeks, and each time I got popcorn for dinner.  So it’s been on my mind.

The summer movie season was kind of disappointing.  I mean, Avengers was awesome, and OK, so was Prometheus, but other than that?  Not much doing.  The fall movie season though is looking pretty exciting.  The Hobbit on December 14th.  Les Mis (with Hugh Jackman!) on Christmas Day.  Cloud Atlas on October 26th.  Anna Karenina on November 16th.  Life of Pi on November 23rd. I could go on, but suffice it to say, I might be eating a lot more popcorn before Christmas.  And this particular popcorn – mixed with homemade caramel sauce, salty peanuts, and a drizzle of melted chocolate – will definitely be sneaking into the theater in my purse more than once.  The guys at Baked have gotten it right again with this recipe.  Maybe it’s hard to go wrong with caramel and chocolate and popcorn, but this recipe is addictive, and also super easy to make.  It’s a great addition to any baker’s repertoire!

I have to tell you two more things about this popcorn.  One, it would make a great holiday gift as part of a food package, especially tied up in cute little plastic bags.  I haven’t found a single reliable source for food safety information on caramel corn, but internet consensus says homemade caramel corn should last about two weeks in an airtight container.  If it’s in your house, I promise you it won’t last that long before you devour it, but I think you could get away with making it a few days before giving/serving it (and hiding it from your sight!).  If in doubt, wrap it up and freeze it until you’re ready to give it away.  Two, while straight-up air-popped popcorn is a great healthy snack, this recipe is a fat/sugar/calorie bomb.  Be careful with it.  Treat each cup of popcorn like you would a chocolate chip cookie – they have basically the same ingredients.  Now with that warning – go try it!

Caramel Corn with Peanuts and Chocolate

Adapted slightly from Baked Explorations.  Makes 10 cups.

• 10 cups popped popcorn (about 1 regular sized bag)
• 1 stick butter
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. light corn syrup
• 1 TBS molasses
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 c. roasted, salted peanuts
• 6 oz. dark chocolate, melted (1/2 regular sized bag)

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.  Line a large roasting pan with parchment paper, and set aside.  Place popped popcorn in a large bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter.  Once melted, stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and molasses.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to bubble.  Then, stir constantly until it reaches 240°F, also known as “soft-ball stage.”  To see how to test for this stage without a thermometer, see this article (basically, when a drop of syrup on a cold plate or in cold water forms a sticky “soft” ball – not immediately hard and not still fluid.)  Immediately remove from heat, and stir in salt, baking soda, and vanilla.  Careful – the baking soda will make it foam up slightly, so keep stirring and don’t let it spill over the edges.
3. Pour caramel over popcorn and stir to coat evenly.  Sprinkle with peanuts, then spread in lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, remove and stir, then bake for another 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Drizzle cooled caramel corn with melted chocolate.  Once the chocolate has hardened, break the caramel corn up into pieces and enjoy!

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Monday (yes, I know, today is Saturday, it’s been a long, long 4 day week), was our anniversary.  Our second anniversary to be exact.  Except it’s not very exact really, as we sort of picked it arbitrarily.  What with today’s dating ambiguities, does anyone have a real anniversary?  Probably lots of people, but shhh.

For our anniversary we cooked and ate and drank, duh.  That’s what we do best.  Dinner was just a simple tomato sauce and linguini, but dessert, dessert was special.  It was so special in fact that we ate it before dinner, then again for breakfast the next morning, and then again for dinner the next night, reaping many, many health benefits along the way.

Do you recognize that floaty, creamy, caramel-y vision?  No?  Well, it’s île flottante, it’s trés parisienne, and it’s heaven.

The reason île flottante was the dessert of choice, besides that it’s incredibly delicious, is maybe a little bit cutesy and nostalgic, but I decided that that was OK because anniversaries are supposed to be just a little bit cutesy and nostalgic.  See, last May, Trevor and I spent two wonderful weeks in France.  (In hindsight, it was perhaps not the wisest financial choice for two 20 year old college students, but you’ve gotta do stuff like that when you’re young, right?)  And, one night, we ate at a tiny restaurant down the street from our apartment, and we sat outside on the street and basked in the warm night air and drank red wine out of a carafe and our waiter was even very patient and spoke French to us the whole time. (I’m convinced he thought we were cute and naive, and also our French is not that bad…) and it was as romantic as they say it is.  When dessert rolled around, I ordered île flottante, and upon hearing that Trevor did not want anything, our waiter winked at us and said “Ah, avec deux cuillères.”  And so we happily sat on the streetside in Paris, eating our floating meringue with two spoons.  D’aw.

Île flottante has three main components – crème anglaise, meringue, and caramel sauce.  I usually play with my recipes, perhaps a bit too much sometimes, but this recipe, which comes from David Leibovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris, was a teeny bit intimidating, and I really wanted it to be perfect, so I followed it exactly.  And perfect it was.  If you will, let me wax poetic about it, just for a minute: imagine, cold, thick, custardy crème anglaise, with a heady vanilla scent and just a little bit of sweetness.  Now add the best meringue you’ve ever had, poached, rather than baked, eggy and a bit salty, and so tender that it literally dissolves in your mouth.  Finish with a deeply burnt caramel sauce, thin and the tiniest bit smoky.  So, so good.

The only artistic license I took with it was actually not my doing, but Trevor’s.  See those incredible spun sugar toppings?  Aren’t they awesome?  Trevor rules.  Also they added the perfect burnt sugar crunch to the end product.  Just a note – if you decide to use them, which you should, especially if you want to impress someone – add them just before serving, as they begin to dissolve when they come into contact with moisture.

If I haven’t convinced you to try this yet, let me add one last comment – it wasn’t that hard.  Especially given how beautiful and delicious the final product was.  Plus, you can make all of the components ahead and the presentation won’t suffer a bit.  So, really, please, try this.  And also read The Sweet Life in Paris if you like either food or chocolate or France at all.  And now I’ll stop bossing you around and let you go on your way.

Île Flottante

from David Leibovitz’s “The Sweet Life in Paris”

(serves 4)

For the caramel:

• 1 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. water

Evenly spread sugar in a heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until sugar begins to liquefy.  Begin to stir gently to keep from burning.  Cook until all sugar has melted and turned a deep brown.  When it has begun to smoke slightly, remove from heat and carefully add the water, stirring.  Be warned: the water will make the hot sugar bubble fairly violently.  Return the pan to the heat and stir, breaking up any caramelized chunks, until caramel is smooth.  Cool completely, and refrigerate.  Lasts for a week.

For the crème anglaise:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 c. whole milk*
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise*

*Note:  I used 3/4 c. skim milk and 3/4 c. heavy cream because that’s what I had.  I also used 1 1/2 TBS of vanilla extract rather than a vanilla bean.  Results were very good.

1. Prepare an ice bath: place a medium-large metal bowl or pot in a large bowl filled with ice-water.  Place a strainer over the top of the pot.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks.
3. Heat the milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until very warm.  Remove just before it begins to simmer.
4. Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, stirring constantly to prevent egg from scrambling.  Return egg and milk mixture to pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the edges, until custard begins to thicken.
5. Remove from heat and pour immediately through strainer into chilled bowl/pot.  Let cool completely, and then refrigerate, covered, for up to three days.

For the meringue:

• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 TBS sugar
• pinch cream of tartar, optional

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.  Very lightly oil a 2-quart loaf pan.  Set loaf pan inside a shallow roasting pan.
2. Beat egg whites with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy.  Add salt and cream of tartar and continue beating, on high, until the whites start to hold their shape.  Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating meringue until it is stiff and shiny.
3. Spread meringue into prepared loaf pan.  Use a damp spatula to smooth the top and press out any air pockets.
4. Fill the roasting pan about halfway full with warm water.  Bake for 20-25 minutes [Book says 25, I had great results at 20], or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  When cool, carefully turn out onto a large plate or platter.  Keeps in fridge for a day or two.

To assemble:

Ladle chilled crème anglaise into bowls.  Using a damp knife, carefully slice meringue loaf into rectangles and float on top of crème anglaise.  Drizzle with room temperature caramel sauce.  Top with spun sugar, or toasted almonds.

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