desserts

Desserts

My Grandma Bessie's Bundt Kuchen

I enjoy baking with mostly organic ingredients; lately I’ve been using organic Einkorn wheat flour (an heirloom, non-hybridized variety with less gluten than regular flour quite a bit. If you cannot find Einkorn wheat flour (I like the Jovial brand), use unbleached, all-purpose flour. I haven’t tried it yet, but I believe you could make a gluten-free version of this cake with almond flour; chopped apples would be a nice addition if you plan to make the cake in the fall.

Desserts

Torrone Sardo

The most traditional recipe uses just almonds and Sardinian honey, which is gathered from the Mediterranean scrub that surrounds the island. Try a small portion of pistachio, pine nuts or hazelnuts too. Try dried figs or other dried fruit in it too, just be mindful of the proportions. You can peel your almonds, but I like the contrast of the skins on, either way, an even toasting in the oven is a must to bring out the flavour. If you wanted to add some further aromatics to the batch, try some grated fresh orange or lemon peel or a freshly scraped vanilla bean pod. Typically, it's set between two special wafers known as ostia in Italian. If you can't get these easily, line your pan with parchment as described below. The result is a soft, chewy nougat - a torrone morbido

Desserts

Hostess Cupcakes

This recipe is close to any standard cupcake version you may have on hand, but it is infused with cream and then dipped in chocolate, which sounds like a lot of work, but it all goes pretty quickly.

Desserts

Maple Walnut Cream Tart

A tart of maple-kissed whipped cream with a meringue crust, topped with candied walnuts.

Desserts

Honey Balsamic Sauce

Save your pricey fine balsamic vinegar for another day. Here is a grand and recession-proof sauce for strawberries and ice cream that wants only ordinary grocery store balsamic and a little honey.

Desserts

Cinnamon and Rye Shortbread

What a delicious treat! The rye flour and healthy dose of cinnamon take a traditional shortbread to the next level, making it perfect for a gift. I love the idea of giving these to someone along with a complementary tea, and I am looking forward to playing with flour and spice combinations. They also hold up well, tasting just as good on day 4 as they did on day 1, which is important when gifting baked goods. And finally, that scoring before baking and cutting while hot tip? Genius.

Desserts

Sweet and Salty Herbed Shortbread

Below is an adapted recipe that calls for the addition of any fresh herb of your choosing. I'd probably recommend using hardier varieties like sage, rosemary and thyme over herbs like tarragon or basil that bruise easily. But why not experiment?

Desserts

Vegan Chocolate Milkshake

You'll never believe that this shake is made with as few ingredients as it is, or that they're all so ridiculously wholesome. Feel free to experiment a little with the non-dairy milk base you use, as well as the nut butter (cashew, coconut, and sunflower seed butter will all work; so will peanut butter, though the taste will be strong). This is a good recipe to treat more as a template than a prescription.

Desserts

Strawberry Crème Fraîche Soft Serve

A delicate, not-too-sweet ice cream that's (almost) instant gratification.

Desserts

Citrus Tarragon Sorbet

This is a recipe from Diana Yen of The Jewels of New York. She created a dinner party for us for eight people, but the catch was that she could only spent $100 on ingredients. This is an impressive dessert that anyone can make and it's great this time of year.

desserts

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