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Make These Now

Written on June 28, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I’ll keep things short and sweet because that’s exactly what this recipe is: Short and sweet. And delicious. And addicting. And pretty fattening. But I can’t make a paragraph all those things.

I saw a recipe for something like this in the latest Food Network magazine and was dead set on making it myself. It has chocolate and fruit so it’s totally healthy and Summer appropriate. I used homemade cookies and chocolate mousse but store-bought would be great, too. However, if you do make your own chocolate mousse, adding a touch of liqueur takes this dessert over the top.

Chocolate, Raspberry, and Amaretti Parfaits

2 cups chocolate mousse
6 amaretti cookies
1 pint raspberries

Assemble by putting raspberries at the bottom of a parfait glass and layering on top a layer of mousse, 1 1/2 cookies crushed into pieces, more raspberries, and another dollop of mousse. Garnish with whip cream if desired. Serve at room temperature.

The best bites are always the one with a taste of each flavor in them. Rumor has it stores sell vodka-infused whipped cream now; if you want to spray that on top, I wouldn’t judge.

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4-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse With Kahlua

Written on June 21, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

How can you have thick and creamy chocolate mousse with just chocolate and water? It seems impossible. But as soon as I stumbled on this blog post making exactly that I had a hunch I would make it and love it. It’s a little difficult technically but completely worth the end result. Following through with all of the prep work makes the active part easier.

This is one of those recipes where you’ll want to use good chocolate. You know, the Ina-Garten-only-uses-good chocolate. Since the recipe is primarily chocolate and water, all the flavor comes from the chocolate. You certainly don’t want to make this with chocolate chips. I used Callebaut baking chocolate and it came out fine. If I were making this to really impress someone(say for a Valentine’s Day dessert) I would use Vahlrona.

Chocolate Mousse With Kahlua(a variation on this recipe)

Ingredients(Makes 3-4 servings):

265 grams good quality bittersweet chocolate
1 cup minus 2 Tablespoons warm water
2 Tablespoons Kahlua
3 Tablespoons cane sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder*

*I added this at the very end to help thicken the mousse up. I might have needed it because water from the ice bath slipped into the chocolate bowl. If as it’s cooled the chocolate mousse doesn’t seem thick enough, add this in. Otherwise the recipe is fine without it.

Additional notes:

Watch this video before starting for an actual portrayal of how the chocolate should look after each step.
Since the proportions are very important for this recipe, it’s best to weigh all the ingredients out on a kitchen scale before starting including the liquids.
Use a large plastic bowl with a wide bottom when whisking the emulsion so that the chocolate is shallow and will cool down faster.

Start by measuring out and mixing together the water, Kahlua, and sugar.

In a double-boiler or microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate down completely.

Prepare an ice bath in a larger bowl for the chocolate and move the melted chocolate to a bowl in the center of the ice bath.

In the ice bath, whisk together the chocolate and alcohol mixture. Continue mixing softly and smoothly for 5-10 minutes as the chocolate cools to keep the mousse emulsified as it cools.

If after a while the chocolate mixture is still rather thin, add in the 2 extra tablespoons of cocoa powder and whisk them in making sure not to leave any clumps.

Once the mousse has come together, spoon it in to servings bowls. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.

It’s hard to imagine something so creamy being made with only chocolate and water. This makes for an easy recipe to pull out and impress with on special occasions; I’ll definitely be committing it to memory.

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When In Providence…

Written on June 20, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Restaurant Review

Time has really flown by lately. Yesterday I went to spend the day in Providence with a friend leaving soon and realized it’s been about a month since I was on campus.

A month since I walked across the main green.

A month since I last drank a GTS Kombucha from the bookstore café.

And a month since I last made a trip to Wildflour Bakery.

I really can’t resist this place. There’s no where like it in New England. They have the greatest selection of raw and vegan food with a bakery selection equally as fantastic. My friend suggested we go there(probably because I went through a phase when that’s all I would suggest we do) and I was no one to say no.

I’ve heard a lot about Wildflour’s raw lasagna and even though it was mid afternoon a filling, savory meal sounded great to me.

This reminded me how much I love raw food when it’s well prepared. Their lasagna is made up with layers of zucchini, tomato paste, and a herbed nut cheese. Even though none of it’s cooked, the flavors are complex and developed and the whole dish was rather filling.

To wash it down I grabbed one of their seasonal juices.

This was refreshing, but had a little too much lime juice for me. I would have liked a softer lime flavor and a touch of salt. I could never get enough of watermelon and salt.

Of course no trip to Wildflour is complete without grabbing something from their bakery. They have a huge selection of vegan baked goods. They have a good selection of gluten-free things, too, though I can’t say I’m not jealous of the chocolate peanut butter cup cupcakes and peanut butter brownies.

Since I’m probably not going to be back for at least another month, I got a trio of desserts: Chocolate coconut rum ball, raw coconut macaroon, and raw chocolate ganache(aka the best dessert money can buy). So far I’ve only had half of the raw chocolate ganache; it’s as good as I remember and blows the pants off of my version. But I think I’m one step closer to figuring out the recipe.

So when in Rome, do as the Romans do, minus the public urination and slave-driven gladiatorial games because they don’t like those so much anymore. And when in Providence, go to Wildflour Bakery. They won’t do you wrong.

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London: Desserts Edition

Written on June 17, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous, Restaurant Review

Whereas the food in London wasn’t so great, at the end of the day there was always something sweet and delicious offered up, from meringues the size of my head to vegan, gluten-free banoffee trifles from Manna.

This wasn’t the best dessert I had(that’s a little lower down) but it was definitely the prettiest. Layers of gluten-free chocolate cake, caramel sauce, soy pudding, and banana slices. I felt compelled to order this after another restaurant had banoffee pie on their dessert menu that same day and everyone in my party had to ask me what that was. It was also dessert on one of the flights; who knew it was that popular? The chocolate cake in the trifle was delicious, rich, and moist. The pudding, although it had good flavor, also had a strong soy aftertaste. If I tried to recreate this vegan I’d probably use something neutral in flavor for the custard base like cashews.

One thing that was everywhere in England was fudge. It must be the national dessert, because you could get it on any street corner. This brand apparently won awards so I just had to try it, and a chocolate fudge by the same manufacturers. The chocolate fudge wasn’t very chocolaty—I prefer my microwave chocolate fudge—, but the manuka honey fudge was excellent. It had a strong amber flavor to it that made it taste like a soft, butter toffee.

The best dessert I had was from a vegetarian restaurant called saf located at the Kensington Whole Foods. We didn’t eat at the actual restaurant but I grabbed a raw pudding cup from their to-go section. It wasn’t very pretty, but what it lacked in looks it made up for I flavor.

Mmm, doesn’t that look appealing, especially when you know that spirulina and moss are what make that bright green color? As off-putting as it was, I just had to lick the sides of the container clean. It was that good. I will definitely try to make something like this at home, perhaps without the moss.

Even though it wasn’t English, I’d give honorable mention to the chocolate covered vanilla-infused ganache from La Maison Du Chocolat. This came from the confections room at Harrods, which was quite literally a room full of gourmet chocolate stands. I was in heaven. It was hard to choose just one thing but I think I made the right choice with this; the inside was impressively soft and a nice contrast to the chocolate shell. I wanted to stay in that room all day.

Isn’t dessert grand?

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Raw Mini Ganache Tortes

Written on June 2, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Remember the best dessert money can buy? I can’t forget. Ever. One thing I miss horribly about Providence is being a short bus ride away from Wildflour bakery. That’s probably a good thing for my wallet and health but hard on the heart. Since I’m obsessed with their raw ganache dessert it was the first one I wanted to try and recreate. Smooth, rich chocolate that I could call healthy and make any time? How could I say no.

Raw Mini Ganache Tortes

Ingredients for the crust:

1 1/4 cups cashews*
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup(or agave)
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

Ingredients for the filling:

6oz cacao butter**, melted
1 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup maple syrup(or agave)
2 Tablespoon coconut oil

*You can use any nuts; these are what I had on hand

**cacao butter is a specialty food product available online and in some grocery stores such as Whole Foods.

For the crust, pulse the cashews in a food processor until they’re finely ground. Add in the cocoa powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup and continue to blend until it forms a dough.

Flatten about a tablespoon of dough into the bottom of regular sized muffin wells.

To make the filling, gently melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil until they’re completely liquid(be careful that the cocoa butter doesn’t boil on you). Mix in the cocoa powder and maple syrup until completely smooth.

Scoop about 1/4 cup of ganache over each crust. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set.

To release them, gently run a sharp knife around the edges of the well until the torte pops out. For the best texture, keep refrigerate until 20 minutes before serving.

These are good. Like, really good. If I weren’t up against the best dessert money can buy they’d probably be my favorite. But I have to admit that Wildflour’s raw ganache is still the best I’ve ever had. It’s also probably cheaper to buy it than to make it with the raw ingredients since cacao butter is a pricey ingredient(although I plan on seeing if unsweetened baker’s chocolate will work in this recipe as well for a cheaper, less-raw alternative). Until I have theirs again I’ll have no problem settling with these.

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Alton Brown’s Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge

Written on May 17, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

This recipe is a life-changer.

I’ve long been obsessed with microwave chocolate fudge. I’ve tried making my own peanut butter fudge in the microwave in the past but the texture was never as good as the chocolate version. Finally, when I saw that Alton Brown had a recipe for microwave peanut butter fudge I knew I had to make it.

Alton Brown has to be my favorite Food Network chef, and not just for this recipe. Don’t get me wrong—I love watching Ina and Paula and Giada so that I can make fun of how ridiculous and fattening their “basic” recipes are. But Alton actually writes recipes like he knows what he’s doing, and that’s what makes him fun to cook from.

Overall I stuck to the recipe pretty well. I halved the recipe and the only change that I made was melting the butter only and stirring in the peanut butter until it melted, too.

The fudge came out as an odd, doughy texture that was delicious but not really “fudgy.” I pressed it into a pan and let it sit in the refrigerator until it hardened up a bit and it came to the right consistency.

I wouldn’t leave this at room temperature since it got soft pretty fast. But other than that it was perfect; the taste was very rich and very sweet.

In other words, I need someone to take the rest of this off my hands right away

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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Filled Strawberries

Written on May 9, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Sometimes covering things in chocolate just isn’t enough.

That’s when you add peanut butter.

I made these on Mother’s Day, even though I had seen my mom Saturday and wasn’t going to see her Sunday. What can I say? I’m not going for son of the year award. Since there’s nothing with chocolate that can’t be better with peanut butter, I figured these would work, and they did! And they’re just as simple to make as the original, too.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Filled Strawberries

Ingredients:

Strawberries
No-stir peanut butter
Chocolate

Cut the strawberries in half.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or double-boiler.

Put about a teaspoon on one side of each strawberry and sandwich it lightly with the other.

Gently roll the strawberry in chocolate, being sure to cover it all around about 3/4 of the way up.

Put the strawberries on a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened. Serve at room temperature.

These are a little messy, but oh-so worth it. The peanut butter adds just enough flavor to pair well with the chocolate. This will teach fruit to ever try and be healthy again.

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The Best Dessert Money Can Buy

Written on April 19, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Restaurant Review

I’m actually really hard to please when it comes to store-bought desserts. I often think “I could make that” or “I’ve had better” whenever I get a pastry from a bakery—or worse—a prepackaged dessert(Trust me, I know I’m impossible to shop for). But this dessert I would buy and buy again. It’s just that good.

The first time I saw the raw chocolate ganache at Wildflour, I wasn’t even that interested in it; the raw cheesecake was what I was actually there for. But after talking to the friendly staff, one woman said this was “heavenly” and another her “vice”. I was intrigued so I went for it.

I’ve never looked back.

Simply put, this is the greatest. It’s soft and smooth yet firm at the same time. It just melts in your mouth and has just the right balance of sweetness and bitterness for a chocolate dessert. It’s not really a “ganache” but there’s no other words to describe this except for amazing.

As for the recipe… I have no clue. I assume I would have to kill somebody who works there to get it(and even that’s barely stopping me from trying). My guess is that the ingredients and preparation are very similar to my raw vegan truffles except with a slightly different proportion and poured into a torte mold. There’s also a slight crunch to the bottom of this which makes me think coconut palm sugar is used as a sweetener. The top is finished off with a dusting of cocoa powder.

If you live near Providence I would recommend coming to try this. Also, if you live near Manhattan or Kennebunkport I would recommend coming to try this. It’s the best dessert money can buy and probably will be until I can figure out that damn recipe.

Oh, and don’t think that you’ll have the willpower to just eat half. You won’t.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

Written on March 18, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Chocolate + Peanut butter

Milk + Cookies

Ross + Rachel

Everyone knows these things just go together, right? Right. I’d been wanting to make a mousse with tofu since I saw a chocolate one on Jenna’s blog. When I saw a peanut butter version in this month’s Food Network magazine, I knew it was a sign.

These were shockingly easy to make and as delicious to eat as you’d imagine. Now, I’m not going to lie: These do have a slight soy flavor to them, so if you have one of those picky eaters who points out any and every funny flavor, it’s not for them. But overall I loved them and didn’t mind the taste at all. The only question was what to put on top?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 pack of silken tofu
6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, separated

To make the chocolate layer, start by melting the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler. When the chocolate is hot, stir in 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and 1/2 of the silken tofu. Continue stirring until the mousse is smooth and uniform.

To make the peanut butter layer, take the other half of the tofu and mix it with the peanut butter and remaining sugar. Continue mixing until there are no lumps.

To assemble, scoop a later of chocolate mousse in the bottom of a parfait glass. Do this for 4 glasses and evenly portion them out. Make sure the top of the layer is flat.

Next, scoop on the peanut butter mousse over the chocolate layer. Again, take care to portion them evenly and flatten out the top.

Then you just have to choose your garnish, like chocolate chips:

Or whipped non-dairy cream:

Or fudge sauce, peanuts, peanut butter chips—whatever your heart desires! Serve these at room temperature for the best flavor but store in the refrigerator if there’s any leftover(there won’t be any leftover).

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Microwave Fudge

Written on February 28, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Fudge is the perfect dessert. It’s rich; it’s chocolate; everybody loves it. I also believe fudge is what makes a house a home. All that being true, I’ve never made fudge over the stovetop. Why bother when you can make it in a microwave? It’s so simple, too. This recipe has never failed me. You’re only ever 4 ingredients away from homey fudge.

Microwave Fudge

Ingredients(Makes 16 servings):

1 cup(8.5oz) of chocolate chips
1 stick(4oz) of butter(or Earth Balance)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream(or non-dairy substitute)
handful of chocolate chips(optional)
1/4 cup crushed walnuts(optional)

Melt together the chocolate chips and butter. Sift in the powdered sugar and pour in the cream. Mix until completely homogenized.

If you want to include any toppings, drop them on top and push them in gently.

Put this in the refrigerator for a few hours to harden. Cut cold and serve at room temperature.

I had never tried this recipe with chocolate chips before. “What’s the point?” I thought. But the whole chocolate chips add a great crunch in the fudge that really stands out. Dare I say it’s my favorite batch ever? Yeah, it’s that good.

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