3 Quick Dessert Ideas

About a week or two before Labor Day, I received an email from 34 Degrees informing me that something new was coming to their line of crisps and that I would be receiving the new products shortly.  Let me just say that I was beyond flattered and appreciative to have been included in their initial launch of this new mystery product and also super excited to see what the heck they had come up with!  The box arrived a couple days before my recent mountain vacation and when I opened the package I couldn't help it, I screamed with delight!  34-Degrees has created a line of sweet crisps!  Chocolate and Vanilla to be exact with an official release next month, but of course I wanted to give you all the same sneak peek I had been privy to.  

I am such a big fan of these delicious crackers and was absolutely thrilled to find out that they are expanding their current savory product line to now include sweet crisps as well! The ideas and pairing possibilities immediately started rushing to my head, so I decided to pack up my new crackers and do a little taste testing while on my vacation in North Carolina.  After taste testing an array of pairings there were four stand-out recipe/pairing creations that I just had to share with you all.  Three of those recipes fell under the dessert category and the fourth was a breakfast idea.  Today I am going to share the three dessert pairings and next week I will be unveiling the details on my breakfast parfait bites (which you may have seen on my instagram feed), so stay tuned!

Banana Cream Pie Bites 

• 34 Degrees Vanilla Crisps
• 2 Ripe Bananas (sliced thin on the diagonal)
• Instant Vanilla, Banana or Coconut Pudding
• Whipped Cream 
• Mini Nilla Wafers
• Walnuts (toasted and chopped)

Instructions: Place one to two slices of banana on top of a 34 Degrees Vanilla Crisp.  Top with a small dollop of pudding, followed by a slightly smaller dollop of whipped cream.  Finish by placing a mini nilla wafer on top of the whipped cream and lightly sprinkling each bite with a few pieces of chopped walnuts.  

Chocolate Candied Bacon Bites

• 34 Degrees Chocolate Crisps
• Candied Brown Sugar Bacon (roughly chopped)
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Maldon Sea Salt 

Instructions: Place a few chopped pieces of candied bacon on top of a chocolate 34 Degrees crisp.  Melt about a cup of semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave (heat for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until chocolate is melted and smooth).  Drizzle a small dollop of melted chocolate over the candied bacon and finish with a sprinkle of Maldon Flaked Sea Salt.  

Ice Cream Sandwiches

• 34 Degrees Crisps, Chocolate or Vanilla
• Edy's Slow Churned Mini Ice Cream Cup (I used vanilla, but any flavor can work)
• Topping of your choice: Heath Bits, Mini Chocolate Chips, Chopped Nuts, Coconut, etc.

Instructions: Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut the ice-cream cup into 1/2inch thick medallions.  Carefully remove the paper from the perimeter of the ice-cream and sandwich the ice-cream medallion between two 34 Degrees Chocolate or Vanilla crisps.  Roll the perimeter of your sandwich in any topping of your choice (I opted for Heath bits) and then return the sandwich to the freezer to firm up before serving.  

Summer Poached Pear Recipe

Fourth of July is without a doubt one of my favorite holidays for picnicking.  Warmer weather, a long holiday weekend and enjoying a spectacular fireworks show on the national mall are just a few of the many reasons why I find picnicking to be an absolute must!  When trying to come up with a delicious menu that suits the time of year and is easy to transport, the one go-to that always makes the cut is my summer poached pear recipe.

My summer poached pear recipe is a fabulous addition to any picnic and/or summer meal.  It's easy to create, has a wonderful flavor profile and serving it cold makes for an absolutely refreshing and delicious conclusion to any summer meal.  Here is how I went about creating this recipe.  

Ingredients

• 4 - 6 D'Anjou Pears
• 1 Bottle Sauvignon Blanc (ex. Napa Cellars Sauvignon Blanc)
• Juice of 5 Lemons
• Peel of Half of a Lemon
• 1 Vanilla Bean (cut in half)
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2c Water
• 1 Star of Anise
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 Tbs Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Fresh Summer Berries

Instructions

1. In a medium sized dutch oven, combine the juice of a lemon, bottle of wine, sugar, vanilla bean, lemon peel, water and anise.  
2. Cover with a lid and begin to heat on a medium/high setting 
3. Meanwhile, pour the juice of remaining lemons into a large bowl
4. Peel pears and place in the bowl with lemon juice making sure to thoroughly coat each pear to prevent browning
5. When the liquid in the dutch oven reaches a boil, gently place the pears in the boiling liquid, cover and allow contents to boil for 25 minutes. *Note- When the pear is cooked, you should be able to pierce through the pear without any resistance. 
6. While the pears are cooking, in a separate bowl combine 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar
7. Use a hand mixer on a high setting to whip the cream until semi stiff peaks are achieved
8. When pears are finished cooking, gently remove them from the boiling liquid and set aside on a plate to cool.  
9. Continue cooking the liquid for another 45 minutes (roughly) until the liquid reduces down into a syrup that can coat the back of a spoon.  
10. Serve pears with a mix of seasonal fresh berries, a dollop of whipped cream, sprig of fresh mint and drizzle of the poaching syrup.  

May Favorite Finds

This past monday I celebrated my 31st birthday.  For many reasons (ex. 31 is a non-milestone year and the fact that my birthday fell on a Monday) this year should have been a quieter celebration.  However, to my surprise and delight it was anything but that!  

The morning started off with my favorite tradition of birthday breakfast in bed (see this post), followed by a great day at the office and then coming home to find that my husband had organized a surprise birthday party at our house with all of my friends in on the surprise!  If that wasn't enough my husband even made a recipe from Redefining Domestics for the party! I was completely blown away by the entire evening and touched that everyone would make the effort to come and help me celebrate my not so significant birthday on a school night.  This birthday really couldn't have been any more perfect and I am still smiling as I sit here typing this recap to you all.

Now, onto my recap of this month's favorite finds.  I am absolutely loving this new monthly series because it's providing me with the perfect vehicle for bringing you all my list of latest favorite things.  This month's list is a collection of finds that are great for enjoying during any time of year, but especially during the warmer months.

Spindrift Seltzer

Flavored carbonated water is a hot trend at the moment.  La Croix and Vintage Seltzer have been two personal favorites, until recently when I discovered Spindrift Seltzer.  Why is Spindrift so great?  Well, in addition to have a lovely fizz and great flavor variety, the biggest reason for it's jump to the top of my seltzer list is the fact that it is made with real juice and not synthetic substitutes.  Nothing beats the taste of real fruit flavor in my opinion and for an additional 10-15 calories per can and 0-2grams of sugar, it is totally worth it! My favorite flavors at the moment include: Lemon, Raspberry-Lime and Grapefruit.  I really cannot get enough of these delicious and refreshing flavored seltzers and definitely recommend trying Spindrift ASAP if you haven't already.  Here is a link to Spindrift's Product Locator. 

Mini Citrus Juicer

I have my fair share of citrus juicing tools, however over this past weekend I came across this mini citrus juicer and had to have it!  Why? Not only is it small enough to easily fit in a kitchen drawer, it can juice and/or store both lemons and limes, is dishwasher safe and cost less than $10!  Citrus juicing made even easier and most definitely a new favorite tool in my kitchen.

Microplane Garlic Mincer

We all know my love of kitchen tools and especially my obsession with all things Microplane (see here, here and here).  While perusing my favorite kitchen stores a few weeks ago, I came across the latest in microplane technology...the Microplane Garlic Mincer!  This tool minces garlic with ease, comes in a small compact case for easy storage and is completely dishwasher safe!  Microplane's new garlic mincer is an item that I would highly recommend adding to your kitchen tool collection. 

Martha Stewart's Cowboy Coconut Bar Recipe 

Lately I have been turning to baking as a way to destress.  It's a great way for me to break away from my computer at night, try a new recipe and earn immediate satisfaction with a delicious finished product.  I came across this recipe while perusing the May Issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine and was immediately intrigued.  I've made endless cookie and brownie recipes, but very few cookie bar recipes over the years, so the thought of a chocolate coconut and toasted pecan cookie bar really caught my eye.  Martha Stewart's recipe for Cowboy Coconut Bars is an absolute MUST TRY!

Woodberry Kitchen

I attended a bridal shower in Baltimore this past month to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of a family member from my husband's side.  All of my husband's extended family drove to Baltimore for the shower which took place in the afternoon.  Since it isn't every day that we can get the entire family together, we all planned to go out for an early dinner before everyone headed home.  

I had heard about Woodberry Kitchen from my foodie friend at work, who raved about it and said it was a must try and boy was she right!  This restaurant is absolutely FABULOUS!!  Woodberry Kitchen focuses on supporting the local agriculture of the Chesapeake by creating a menu based on ingredients that are both seasonal and local to the area. In addition to the fabulous food, the ambiance is to die for!  The main dining room has massive vaulted ceilings with a rustic chic decor vibe throughout and the most picturesque outdoor garden area seating where I enjoyed the most delicious whiskey smash cocktail (pictured above).  And how could I forget to talk about dessert!?  I ordered the S'more Kit for one which was served in the most adorable packaging with a roasting skewer so that I could roast the homemade marshmallow (included in the kit) myself in their fire pit located on the back patio of the restaurant.  Talk about an experience!  If ever in Baltimore, a visit to Woodberry Kitchen need to be on your list!

Lemon Yogurt Cake with Raspberry Creme Fraiche Frosting

We are heading to my in-laws this weekend to celebrate Easter and I have been asked to bring a cake to serve at brunch on Sunday.  While going through recipes I stumbled across an old favorite of mine that I instantly thought would be perfect to bring this weekend.  This cake is actually a marriage of two recipes - Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Loaf and Giada De Laurentiis' Raspberry and Orange Cake.  Lemon combined with any type of berry always makes for a fabulous flavor profile, so combining Ina's Cake Recipe with Giada's Frosting Recipe was an instant winner!!!   The bright flavors and colors of this cake make it the perfect addition to any Spring menu.  Whether you are serving this cake for brunch or dessert, it is a definite crowd-pleaser and sings Spring time!

Cake Ingredients

• Double the recipe (minus glaze) for Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake

Frosting Ingredients

• Giada de Laurentiis' Frosting Recipe from Todd's Orange and Raspberry Cake

Decorations

• 1/2 pint of Fresh Raspberries
• Ina Garten's Lemon Glaze from her Lemon Yogurt Cake Recipe

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a tube/angel food cake pan and set aside
3. Make the cake batter according to the recipe
4. Pour batter into the greased cake pan and bake for 1 hr and 5 minutes, positioning the cake on the lower third tier of the oven (until a cake tester comes out clean).  **Note- During the last 15 minutes of baking, cover the top of the cake loosely with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent the cake from burning
5. During the last 5 minutes of baking, combine 2/3c Granulated Sugar and 2/3c Fresh Lemon Juice in a small sauce pan and heat until it begins to boil and sugar is completely dissolved
6. When the cake comes out of the oven, pour the lemon syrup over the cake and allow it to soak for at least 3 minutes before removing the cake from the pan
7. Meanwhile, make Giada's frosting recipe adding an extra tablespoon or two of milk to ever so slightly thin out the frosting
8. When the cake is cooled, pour the frosting over the cake and allow it to set
9. Once the frosting is dry, garnish the base of the cake with fresh raspberries and drizzle Ina Garten's Lemon Glaze on top of the cake

Love You S'more

The first year my husband and I were dating, I knew I didn't want to go overboard with gifts for Valentine's Day since our relationship was still fairly new.  Instead, I wanted to put together a fun and delicious dessert activity for us post dinner.  While on Pinterest, I came across the idea of "Love You S'more," a DIY Valentine's Day S'more bar.  I absolutely loved this concept and immediately got to work prepping this sweet Valentine's day surprise.  The end result was a rather large cellophane bag filled with marshmallows, graham crackers and Hershey chocolate bars, tied up with cute ribbon and 2 roasting sticks attached to the bow.  My husband absolutely loved the gift and we had a great time making s'mores on our first Valentine's Day together (complete with roasting marshmallows over a hot coil stove….it's all we had at the time and all I can say is that it definitely worked!).

In an effort to be thoughtful and romantic this year, I have decided to recreate the dessert from our first Valentine's Day together.  However, this year I am putting a little spin on my "Love You S'more."  Instead of sharing a romantic moment roasting marshmallows over a coil stove, I have decided to create a s'more dip to be served with a side of graham crackers.   This is super easy to make, absolutely delicious and perfect for sharing.   Here is how I went about making this delicious treat: 

Ingredients

• 1 Jar of Coops Hot Fudge
• Jet Puffed Marshmallows
• Graham Crackers
• Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Turn your oven on to "Broil"
2. In a 6.5 inch skillet, heat 1 jar of Coop's Hot Fudge over medium-low heat stirring intermittently (approx 3-5 min)
3. Once hot fudge is heated throughout, remove from stove and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the hot fudge
4. Then stand jet-puffed marshmallows on top of hot fudge mixture, making sure to cover the entire surface (about 21 marshmallows)
5. To achieve the charred look, I used a kitchen torch to lightly singe the tops
6. Once tops are slightly singed, place skillet under the broiler for approximately 2-4 minutes, until marshmallows are puffed and tops are golden brown
7. Remove from oven and serve along side a dish of graham crackers

**Note- To take this dessert to the next level, I recommend pairing this "Love You S'more" skillet with a bottle of Napa Cellars V Collection Carneros Pinot Noir.  Red wine is notorious for pairing beautifully with chocolate and the lighter fruit of this Pinot Noir grape will accentuate the chocolate flavors, but won't overpower the other s'more flavors. 

A few other accessories to consider when serving this spread: 

• CB2 Cheval Clear Wine Glasses
• Caspari Zebra Placemats
• CB2 Bento Matte Black Appetizer Plates
• World Market Heart Chalkboards, Set of 2
• Caspari Jute Charcoal Cocktail Napkins
• An abundance of red roses makes for a great finishing touch

Happy Valentine's Day!