Saturday, February 12, 2011

Rhubarb


Okay, so I know it is only February, but I am looking for rhubarb!  Anyone have any ideas?  I checked at a few local produce stores to no avail- but I think I will check the farmer's market today, and maybe check the frozen foods section at a few grocery stores.  If I can find some, I plan to make little rhubarb tarts for a Valentine's day dessert.  Wish me luck!

PS- I plan to cook a lovely little meal for Valentine's day dinner- will  post pictures after the fact!




UPDATE: Found it!!! Frozen, but good enough! :)

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Two desserts, ONE easy recipe!!

Its almost Valentines Day!!  Well, we still have a couple weeks, but its never too early to start planning some fun Valentines themed treats- even if you don't have any plans!  This past week I decided there were two desserts I absolutely had to try- Meringues Chantilly and Eaton Mess.  Both desserts include homemade meringues, fresh whipped cream, and stewed berries. So yummy!  Both desserts can be made EASILY and look SO elegant when finished! I used the recipe from Barefoot Contessa for both desserts, but I did some serious simplifying and made them my own.  She uses raspberry framboise (liquour) in her berries, and adds orange liqueur to her whipped cream- I did neither!  I kept it really simple, making a basic meringue, whipped cream, and stewed berry mixture.  I want to say this dessert is SO SO easy, and it really is, the only thing is that it is also SO SO messy!  The hardest part for me was piping the meringue into little discs for the meringues Chantilly.  Bear in mind my only piping bag is not at all big enough and on its last leg, which didn't help matters at all. By the time I was done piping them out onto the cookie sheet, I was covered up to my elbows in meringue! I wasn't complaining though!  Anyway, here are the recipes! They are delicious- enjoy!!!!




Meringues Chantilly





  • 6 extra - large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Pinch of Saltt
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided (You will want to fold in the last 1/2 c. at the very end)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Homemade Whipped Cream- feel free to make it as sweet as you like.  I found that adding a very small amount of sugar worked for me as it offset the sweetness of the meringue.  But its all up to you!
  • Stewed berries, (cook fresh or frozen berries of your choice on the stove with sugar.  Add water if it seems too thick)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small glass and a pencil, draw 6 (3 1/2-inch) circles on each piece of paper. Turn the paper face-down on the baking sheets.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and a large pinch of salt on medium speed until frothy. Add 1 cup of the sugar and raise the speed to high until the egg whites form very stiff peaks. Whisk in the vanilla. Carefully fold the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into the meringue. With a large star - shaped pastry tip, pipe a disc of meringue inside each circle. Pipe another layer around the edge to form the sides of the shells.
Bake for 2 hours, or until the meringues are dry and crisp but not browned. Turn off the heat and allow the meringues to sit in the oven for 4 hours or overnight.
Spread some of the sauce from the stewed berries on each plate. Place a meringue on top and fill with whipped cream. Top with berries and serve.



Eaton Mess
The only difference with this one is that you crumble up the meringues and layer them with whipped cream and berries for an elegant look!  This is a very traditional English summer dessert, and typically made with strawberries.  But like I said, feel free to experiment with your favorite berries!  I used a mixture of raspberries and strawberries for both of these desserts.


  • So fun for Valentines Day, right!? And believe me, they are so yummy! My mom declared both desserts her "new favorite dessert."  Thats gotta mean somethin', right!?

Hello World!!

Okay, I know I have been completely MIA for the last month or so- sorry!! To the two of you who actually follow me and care- thank you!! You probably already know that since December I started a new full time job, a new school, and an internship! whew! To be fair, the internship itself hasn't actually started yet, but between getting paperwork together, doctor appointments, orientations and registration days I feel like it already has!!  Needless to say, I have been busy and blogging was one of the first things to get the boot!  Most of my weekends have been consumed entirely with internship stuff and school work and sometimes being completely lazy and refusing to move from the couch.  But I was inspired again this week and decided to find some time to indulge in some delicious homemade desserts! I will post the recipes and pictures soon! But for now, I'm a busy, blessed girl.....


Taking care of this little punkin' all week:
interning here:






and going to school... whew!


What a blessed girl I am!