Lemon Faux Pudding

I like the word faux.  There's not nearly enough moments in my life when I get to use it. 

Ahem, when I lived in the U.S. I’d occasionally buy packets of flavored powder that were mixed with firm, silken tofu to make a pudding of sorts. I’d find them in the health food section and they came in chocolate and vanilla flavor. Although the powder's distinct tang would inevitably impart a slightly awkward mouth feel, it took at least seven or eight (okay, many) bites of pudding for me to tire of it. More important is the smooth texture. When mixed into a creamy state, the velvety character of a pudding made with tofu is, dare I say, far superior to its milk-made cousin.

In Denmark I’ve never come across the powder, so this homemade lemon variety is perfect. I’d wager that making your own over buying the powder is a better bet anyway. The other reason I was quick to make this version is the delectable crumble topping. It’s akin to granola but with fewer chunky additions and the inclusion of thyme, which pairs stunningly with lemon.

If you think tofu is gross and wouldn’t dare let it pass your lips, fuhgeddaboudit. Its extra lemony flavor--not to mention the creamy texture--is reason enough to put any tofu bias aside. Don’t be a tofuist. It’s not like being ageist or sexist, it’s worse. If you already embrace the tofu, there’s nothing else to say, is there? 

Lemon Faux Pudding
Adapted from Joy the Baker

Pudding Ingredients:
1 block of firm silken tofu
2T fine cornmeal or semoule (I use the semoule I get in France)
pinch of sea salt
1/3 to 1/2c honey, depending on how sweet you want it
grated zest of one lemon
3T freshly squeezed lemon juice

Crumble Ingredients:
2T coconut oil, melted (can substitute with vegtable oil)
1/4t vanilla extract
2T granulated sugar
1/4t sea salt
3/4c rolled oats
1/4c unsweetened coconut (large flake or shredded)
1t fresh thyme leaves (I used dried)

For the pudding:
Wrap tofu between layers of paper towels and set aside for a few minutes to drain.

In a food processor (or using a strong hand in a mixing bowl) combine tofu, cornmeal, salt, honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Blend until completely smooth.

Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour.

For the crumble topping:
Set oven to 350F/180C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all dry ingredients.  Add melted coconut oil and vanilla and stir until mixture is thoroughly moistened. 

Spread the mixture in the pan and bake until golden and fragrant, 12-18 minutes, depending on your oven.

Panforte

Panforte, the traditional Tuscan Christmas confection, is not for the faint of heart.  Its flavors are bold.  So is its texture. That’s not surprising since the recipe includes 18 ingredients, most of which are nuts and dried fruits. But what would panforte be without its stars: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and coriander?  I am all about spicy tastes this time of year.  I love Danish pebernødder nearly as much as the traditional gingerbread cookies I grew up making in the U.S.  I also make a wonderful fig butter that consists of dried figs stewed in a vat of wine, port, sugar, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon until the mixture is soft, thick, and syrupy.  It makes a wonderful gift.

So does panforte.  Apart from the taste, smell, and dramatic look of this chewy, fruit- and nut-studded cake, it’s most special when shared.  I cut mine into large wedges and wrap in baking paper for a rustic look.  I tie each bundle with a piece of brown twine or red and white checkered ribbon and suggest recipients enjoy a small slice with a mug of hot tea or coffee.

The other reason that panforte is not to be taken lightly is that it takes some planning and time to pull it all together.  There is nothing particularly difficult about it, unless you find candying your own fruit peel difficult.  In that case, see if you can buy some.  I treated the recipe like a puzzle that I worked on over time--three days to be exact.  I find it much more manageable, not to mention enjoyable, if I break a recipe like this down into steps.  First, I candied the quince.  And please, do not let an  inaccessibility to quince stop you from making panforte.  Just up the candied orange peel or substitute another candied fruit.

The day after I conquered the quince, I moved on to the orange peel.  I find that putting the fruit to cook on a back burner while I make dinner or wash dishes is the best way to accomplish this task.  I stored both batches of candied fruit in my fridge for a day and worked on toasting the nuts.  Then came the assembly.  The prep time was key.  Had I attempted to complete the whole thing in one shot I would have been annoyed, tired, and hurrying to finish it.  Instead, the assembly was a breeze and I could relax while patiently awaiting the finished product.

Panforte
Adapted from Tartine Cookbook and The Wednesday Chef
Ingredients

8oz / 225g candied quince, strained and coarsely chopped
3oz / 100g candied orange peel, strained and coarsely chopped
1c / 225g dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
1c / 225g prunes, pitted and coarsely chopped
3/4c / 175g currants
2T / 30g grated orange zest
1T / 15g grated lemon zest
1c / 225g lightly toasted unsalted pistachios
2c / 450g well-toasted hazelnuts
2c / 450g well-toasted almonds
2/3c / 150g flour
1/2c / 115g cocoa powder
1T / 15g ground cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg from 1 1/2 nutmegs
3/4t / 7g ground coriander
3/4t / 7g freshly ground black pepper
3/4t / 7g ground cloves
3/4c / 175g honey
1 1/3c / 325g granulated sugar
1/4c / 60g powdered sugar


Directions

1. Heat the oven to 160 degrees. Butter a 26cm springform pan, line with parchment paper, and butter the parchment, making sure to butter the sides of the pan well.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the candied quince and orange zest, dates, currants, orange and lemon zest, and all of the nuts. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, pepper and cloves over the fruits and nuts. Mix well. Set aside.

3. In a deep, heavy saucepan, combine the honey and granulated sugar over medium-high heat. Stir gently with a wooden spoon from time to time to make sure that no sugar is sticking to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture registers 120 degrees on a thermometer, about 3 minutes. The mixture will be frothy and boiling rapidly.

4. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the fruit-and-flour mixture in the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate the syrup thoroughly with the other ingredients. Work quickly at this point; the longer the mixture sits, the firmer it becomes.

5. Transfer to the springform pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula dipped in water. Bake until the top is slightly puffed and looks like a brownie, about 1 hour. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and turn out of the pan and cool completely.

6. Sift powdered sugar over the top, bottom and sides of the panforte. Lightly tap it over the counter to shake off excess sugar. It will keep, well wrapped, in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks, or indefinitely in the refrigerator. 

Magic Homemade Ice Cream

Note:  This post appeared in last week's edition of The Copenhagen Post.

I just moved, and now I have a freezer. It sits nicely atop my fridge. Never mind that both are not much bigger than what you’d find in a child’s dollhouse. I’m just happy they’re there. After all a freezer is not necessarily a given in housing rentals here.

It would be fair to say that I’ve lowered my appliance standards considerably in the three years I’ve lived in Denmark. I remember the moment I walked into the kitchen of my first rental and spotted the place--not much larger than a shoebox--where I would be keeping my food cold. What folIowed was an endless rant about the restrictions that such a fridge represents. Unless you had a mini-fridge in your college dorm room, where I come from people are simply unaccustomed- and ill-equipped to dealing with the diminutive European refrigerators. Coping with one sheds a whole new light on grocery shopping, meal planning, and food storage. You mean I can’t fit two liter bottles of Pepsi and boxes of home delivery pizza in my fridge? I’m kidding. I know some of you think that’s all we Americans consume. But I have news for you. We eat hamburgers, too.

In the beginning a week wouldn’t go by that I didn’t whine about the lack of adequate fridge space. But fast forward three years, and I’ve made incredible strides. As least that’s what my therapist tells me. Through the years, I’ve gradually learned how to optimize my small fridge and--now that I’ve moved--freezer. I’ve adapted my food shopping, meal planning, and cooking in a way that fits my lifestyle and, as luck would have it, the inside of my fridge. Tall items such as milk, orange juice, and white wine are tucked into the door. Dairy, bacon, and lunch meat go on the top shelf. Alas, this kind of transformation does not happen overnight. Every couple of months things still get out of control in my fridge. That’s when I take a step back and say, Okay, you can either make a therapy appointment or organize this fridge. And you know what, a clean and tidy fridge is the best therapy.

But back to the freezer. As a way to inaugurate mine, I made ice cream. For months I have been guarding this special ice cream recipe like a hawk protecting its young, in anticipation that I would one day have a freezer again. This is not your run-of-the mill frozen dessert. It’s magic. Truly. What gives it special properties? First and foremost, it requires no ice cream maker or throwing a coffee can back and forth until your arms ache. Better still, it’s comprised of basic kitchen staples and is, quite simply, extraordinary. The texture is sublime and the taste will leave reaching for “just one more spoonful.” Only make sure you have enough room in your freezer.
 
Magic Homemade Ice Cream

Recipe courtesy of Christopher Kimball

Note: You know that cherry sauce that is ubiquitous in Denmark this time of year? Sure, you can serve it over the traditional Danish ris a la mande, but why not heat some up and spoon it over your ice cream. I guarantee you’ll love it. Also, since the vanilla flavor tends to be sweeter than the chocolate variety, try serving it with a plain cake, such as pound cake, almond cake, or other lightly sweetened cake.

Ingredients (in U.S. and metric measurements)

1/2c...200g sweetened condensed milk
1 oz...30g white chocolate (if you are making chocolate ice cream use 20g white and 30g dark - 70% or higher - chocolate. The chocolate flavor requires more chocolate than he vanilla variety.
1T...1 soup spoon of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4c...60g sour cream (creme fraiche)
1 1/4c...300g cold heavy cream (38%)

Directions

1. Make base. Gently heat sweetened condensed milk and chocolate. Stir until chocolate melts, this should take less than a minute. Let cool. Stir in vanilla, salt, and sour cream. Set aside.

2. Whip heavy cream with electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form, about 2 minutes. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the chocolate mix until well incorporated. Fold remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mix until completely incorporated and smooth.

3. Scrape mixture into an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.

Amazing banana upside down tart

I have a little smile on my face as I write this.  If I hadn't been to England right before Easter then I wouldn't have been to the airport shop with all the magazines.  Magazines in English.  Well, it was England after all.  If I hadn't been in the shop then I wouldn't have seen a particular cooking magazine.  If I hadn't seen that magazine and brought it with me to the checkout counter then I would have never discovered this:

But I did. And halleluah.  I haven't been taken with a recipe like this in a looong time.  As soon as I saw the photo of the dish and read the ingredient list I said, Ok, I will be making that. And quick.  I continue on my bandwagon of desserts that are both super easy and totally divine.  And when fruit is a main ingredient the whole thing somehow seems virtuous.  As in, I'll have another piece.  And another.

You won't believe how easy this is.  If you are at all timid about making your own caramel on the stove, just buy a jar of dulce de leche in the store.  Or if you are in the U.S. buy a bag of Kraft caramels and get to melting.  But honestly, making caramel on the stove is ridiculously easy...and way tastier than anything you can buy.

Here is what you need to do to get started on the tart:  Make your go-to pie crust recipe.  Don't have one?  Surely you can ask your mother, aunt, or trusty neighbor for theirs.  If that isn't an option, look in a cookbook or on one of the gazillion cooking websites or blogs.  (I love cooking with a passion but even I get overwhelmed by all the sites.)  Whatever you do, keep it easy.

Then you are going to get a few bananas.  Maybe four, depending on their size.  You want firm, yellow bananas.  Not hard green ones or the super ripe spotted variety.  Slice into fat coins and set aside.

Have your salt and pepper at the ready.  I'll explain later.  Trust me on this one.

For the caramel:  put a 1/2 cup (100g) of white sugar in a saucepan and stir in 2T (2 soup spoons) of water.  Stir over low heat until the sugar is melted and the mixture starts to bubble.  Turn up the heat to medium and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until it turns a golden caramel color, swirling the pan gently from time to time to brown evenly.  Don't let it burn (although it might smell a bit "too done") but don't undercook either.  Remove from the heat, add 1T (1 soup spoon) of water (the sputtering and hardening is normal but will stop quickly), stir, then add 3.5T (50g) of butter.  Stir to a smooth sauce and set aside.

To assemble:  Pour the caramel in the bottom of a pie plate or tart pan (judge the size of the pan by how much caramel (and banana slices) you have).  I used a 9" pie plate and the caramel covered the entire bottom, which is what you want.

Take a couple of big pinches of sea salt and sprinkle all over the caramel. Then scatter over a few pinches of black pepper or grind right onto the bananas.  Leave to cool for a few minutes and then add the banana slices, pressing them into the caramel and pushing them together to fill the gaps.

Roll out your pie crust to the diameter of the pie plate, as thick or perhaps a little thicker than a coin (but not quite as thick as your banana slices).  Place the pastry on top of the bananas and press down; tuck in the edges so it forms a sort of upturned bowl over the bananas. Prick the pastry with a fork.

Bake at 375F or 200C for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge, place a large plate over the top and carefully invert the tart onto the plate.  You might need to reposition some banana slices.  Be careful of the hot caramel. Serve warm or cold.

I ate it plain but it would also be nice with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Adapted from Lucas Hollweg's Good Things to Eat.

Say it with me: Rød Grød Med Fløde

When I moved to Denmark three years ago I was horrified when a fellow Danish language student tried to get me to pronounce Rød Grød Med Fløde.  I beg your pardon?  If you've been in the country for any length of time then surely you've heard of this classic Danish dessert with the mumble jumble name.  Alas, ‘red porridge with cream’ just doesn't have the same ring to it.  Titles and translations aside, early summer is the perfect time to prepare this bright red, fruity concoction drizzled with cream.

I owe my encounter with it to my friend Gitte who--as a Dane living in the U.S. and a food blogger to boot--is my mirror opposite.  Gitte sold me on Rød Grød Med Fløde, and I'm forever grateful.  This dessert is as delicious as it is beautiful. It's simple enough to eat by the spoonful right out of the pan but elegant enough to serve at a fancy dinner party.

This time of year the markets are teeming with seasonal fruit, especially strawberries.  I even found a small basket of lovely Danish strawberries in among those from Spain and Belgium. The other seasonal fruit that is a splendid match for the berries in this dish is rhubarb.  I love the stringy tart stalks, but some don't.  If you are put off by it, either because of texture or taste, please don't be. All it takes is a little sugar, heat, and commingling with other fruit and you have a scrumptious treat. What's more, rhubarb adds a wonderful flavor boost to cobblers and pies.  Celebrate the underrated rhubarb.

The recipe for Rød Grød Med Fløde is relatively effortless and can be assembled in a matter of minutes.  The most difficult step is saying the name (see paragraph 1) and waiting for the mixture to cool in the refrigerator.  
Recipe adapted from My Danish Kitchen
Ingredients

2 medium stalks rhubarb, cut into small pieces
200g fresh raspberries (small basket, about 1.5c)
200g fresh strawberries (about 1.5c)
1/2c...125ml sugar
1c...250ml water
3T...3 soup spoons cornstarch
5T...5 soup spoons water

Directions

1.  Toss washed fruit together in a saucepan.  Add sugar and water and set saucepan over medium heat.  Stir occasionally until mixture just comes to a boil.
2.  Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until fruit has broken down.
3.  Meanwhile, mix together cornstarch and water in a small dish and set aside.
4.  Remove fruit mixture from heat and pour into a sieve which has been set over a bowl.
5.  Use a spoon to scrape the seeds and pulp against the sieve, catching the juice in the bowl. (it's okay if a little pulp gets into the juice).
6.  Set the pulp aside.  You can save it for later as a topping for yogurt or pancakes.
7.  Return saucepan to medium heat  and slowly add cornstarch mixture, spoon by spoon.
8.  Stir constantly until mixture thickens and can coat the back of a wooden spoon.
9.  Remove from heat and pour into individual serving dishes or a medium glass bowl.
10.  Let cool for 10 minutes and then refrigerate for at least one hour.  Serve with cream or milk.

Three Cakes and a Party Part II

So the last time you heard from me I was preparing cakes for the birthday/anniversary party of my good friends, Liz and Ole (you can see their lovely faces near the bottom of this post).

Question: What happens when you drink one too many Cape Cods, dance like a crazy woman, and get caught up in all the merriment?  You forget to take pictures of your three cakes after they've been cut!  "Before" photos you will find, but any revealing the inner deliciousness are unfortunately absent.  Bummer.  I'm especially annoyed because the red velvet cake was just so...red...and dramatic...and lovely.  It completely negated the fact that I nicknamed it Pisa because of a certain similarity it shared with the famous Italian landmark.

The Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Torte was the first of my three cakes to disappear.  I didn't even get to try it.  It's the one recipe that I used from a cookbook; the others were borrowed from food blogs.  Therefore, I will share it with you while directing you here for the Chocolate Sheet Cake and here for the Red Velvet Cake. Do yourself a favor and make this frosting for the chocolate sheet cake.  It is incredible!

If, like me, you would like to write a message on the top of your sheet cake, remember to practice.  Some of my letters are hideous.  Edible hideousness.

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Torte/Torta Alla Gianduia

From How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

for the cake:
6 large eggs, separated
pinch of salt
1/2c unsalted butter, soft
1 regular sized jar of Nutella (14 oz.)
1T Frangelico, rum, or water (I used rum)
scant 1/2c ground hazelnuts
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted ( I used 70%)

9" springform pan, greased and lined with parchment or wax paper (I used a 9" cake pan with great results.)

for the icing:
4 oz. hazelnuts, skins removed
1/2c heavy cream
1T Frangelico, rum, or water (again, rum)
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70%)

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350F

2.  In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry.

3.  In a separate bowl, beat the butter and Nutella, and then add the rum, egg yolks, and ground hazelnuts.

4.  Fold in the cooled, melted chocolate, then lighten the mixture with a large dollop of egg whites, which you can beat in as roughly as you want, before gently folding the rest of them in a third at a time.

5.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is beginning to come away at the sides, then let cool on a rack.

6.  Toast the peeled hazelnuts in a dry frying pan.  Shake every other minute or so to get a nice even color.  Transfer to a plate and cool.

7.  In a saucepan, add the cream, rum, and chopped chocolate.  Once the chocolate is melted, take the pan off the heat and whisk until it reaches the right consistency to ice the top of the cake.  (I let mine cool for 5 minutes before applying it to the cooled cake.)

8.  Unmold the cake carefully and set on a serving plate.  Ice the top with the ganache, and dot thickly with the whole, toasted hazelnuts.

If you read Part I of this post you will remember that it wasn't only me who contributed to the dessert buffet.  Below are pictures of a number of beautiful and delicious desserts, along with some highlights of the celebration.

And now for what you're really after:

Banoffee Pie

You know what sucks? Middle Eastern dictators.

What sucks in my own tiny corner of the universe are recipes for whole pies. Obviously this is not a problem even approaching the magnitude of what people in places such as Libya and Oman are experiencing...but then I write a food blog...and try to stay as far away from politics as possible.  Ahem, whole pies.  Unless I'm having a dinner party or it's Thanksgiving, I know good and well that it is love-handle suicide to make a whole pie. Self control, you say.  Sure, I have that.  Once a year. If I'm lucky.

So, I came up with what I think it a brilliant idea for all you like minded friends:  a mini version.  Okay, to be fair, it's not my idea.  Mini desserts abound.  But it is genius nonetheless.  You still get to enjoy an amazing treat without eating huge quantities of it nor, speaking from personal experience, increasing the size of aforementioned love handles.  And yes, it makes me feel better to say love handles instead of fat.  But forget that. On with the caramel, whipped cream, bananas, and chocolate!

I can't remember when I first heard of the English dessert, Banoffee Pie. There are as many varieties of this classic British pie as there are black tea.  I like it because the ingredients are basic and the taste is out of this world.  I almost made one version, which includes a great how-to video. Not having the energy to fight with hot-caramel-made-on-the-stove meets coldish-liquid though (the video calls for banana puree to be mixed into the caramel), I opted for my own adaptation. Have you seen what happens when you add anything to hot hot caramel?  You have to work lightning speed fast because it hardens instantaneously.  It's messy stuff.

The primary reason I wanted to make Banoffee Pie is because I needed an excuse to make my own dulce de Leche, or caramel.  All you do is take a 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk, place it in a deep pot that you've lined with a wash cloth (to keep the can from rattling around), cover with lots of water (and a lid), and boil away...for hours.  Ample water is key because if the can at any point becomes unsubmerged, it will explode.  Boil on medium heat and set your timer to check on it every 20 or 30 minutes to make sure there is enough water.  I cooked mine for just over two hours, and you can see the beautiful color. However, cook an additional hour and you will get an even darker caramel.  Isn't it marvelous to have choices in life.

Banoffee Pie
Ingredients and instructions for one mini-tart  (it's really easy to increase the quantities and make additional tarts or one whole pie)

10 digestive biscuits (or graham cracker crumbs)
2T butter, melted
2T dark chocolate, melted
1/2 medium banana, sliced on the diagonal
2T dulce de Leche (made from sweetened condensed milk)
1/4c heavy whipping cream, whipped until soft peaks form
chocolate shavings for top of pie

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C

1.  Crush biscuits until they form a fine powder.

2.  Combine melted butter and dark chocolate and stir biscuit crumbs into the wet mix.  Stir well.

3.  Place enough crumb mix into your small tart pan (you might have some extra left over) and shape into the pan.

4.  Bake tart crust for 6-8 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Using the back of a soup spoon, press the crust down into the pan (it will have risen during baking) so that you have a nice sunken bottom and high sides.  It might look sort of wet, but don't worry, that is the melted chocolate.

5.  Refrigerate crust for 10-15 minutes.

6.  Remove crust from refrigerator. Add the caramel to the bottom of the crust, smoothing it out.

7.  Place sliced bananas over the caramel layer.

8.  Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings/pieces.

Blueberry Clafoutis

We're far from blueberry season, but when I saw a lovely jar of organic, wild blueberries, I immediately added it to the shopping cart.  I drained the berries and used them in one of my family's favorite desserts: the French Clafoutis.

Clafoutis is a cross between a custard and a cake.  It's not overly sweet and makes the perfect ending to a rich lunch or dinner.  Some also eat it as a snack or for breakfast.  An 8" pan feeds 4-6.

Blueberry Clafoutis
Inspired by Chocolate and Zucchini

1/4c /55g butter
2-3c fresh or canned blueberries (350 - 500g)
1/2c /60g flour
1/3c /50g almond flour (or whole blanched almonds)
1/2c /100g sugar
1T cornstarch
3 large eggs
pinch salt
3/4c /185ml milk

Preheat oven to 350F /180C

Directions

1.  Grease a square 8" glass or ceramic baking dish with 1T of the butter.

2.  Melt the rest of the butter and set aside to cool.

3.  In a food processor mix the almond and regular flour until well combined.

4.  Add sugar, cornstarch, salt, and mix again.

5.  Crack the eggs in one by one, mixing well after each.

6.  Pour in butter and milk.

7.  Pour half of the fruit in the bottom of the baking dish.  Gently fold the rest of the fruit into the batter.  Carefully pour batter into the baking dish.

8.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.  Be careful not to overbake.

To add a touch of fancy, sift powdered sugar over the top.  Or enjoy as is.  May also be served with a dollop of whipped cream or sweetened sour cream.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough on a Stick

I wonder if the Queen of Denmark likes cookie dough.  Maybe she has the royal chef make it for her on the sly and then sneaks some when no one's looking.  And then there's Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, who just gave birth to twins and welcomed her fourth and fifth children. I wish for Mary's sake that she's lying in bed resting and enjoying a nice big spoonful of chocolate chip cookie dough.  Danish royals and cookie dough?  I say why not.

For as long as I can remember I have had a weakness for dough in various forms.  Cake batter, pastry dough, play-doh (well, that was many many years ago), and, naturally, cookie dough.  Love it with all my heart.  To my traditional mind, the best is chocolate chip, but I would never turn up my nose at peanut butter, oatmeal, sugar or virtually any other kind of cookie dough, either.  As George Bush senior used to say, It wouldn't be prudent.  Did I just quote George Bush?

What you really want to hear about is cookie dough.  It all went down some time last week when I discovered Joy the Baker, my new favorite blog.  If you like to create delicious things to eat, please do yourself a favor and check it out.  And even if you are not so into sharing time in the kitchen with measuring cups and bowls, check it out anyway for the gorgeous photography and food styling.  Joy Wilson is my newfound food idol.  I'm delighted by the fact that she, one, has an English degree just like yours truly, two, whips up spectacular stuff without having had any formal training (i.e. no culinary degree), and three, seems like an ultra cool lady.

I have Joy to um, credit, for the cookie dough on a stick.  I hesitate in giving her too much credit because this stuff is addicting.  And let's face it, we're not talking health food here.  On the other hand, everything in moderation is okay.  Unfortunately, I highly doubt that moderation is defined as inhaling half a bowl of cookie dough.  Maybe in some universe far far away...

Ahem, another fantastic part of this recipe is that you can consume as little or as much dough as you wish without worrying about salmonella.  Ta da, it's egg free.  Joy's recipe uses Greek yogurt, but she also suggests apple sauce and peanut butter as other suitable egg-substitutes.  I went with the Greek yogurt and achieved splendid results.

If you are a fellow cookie dough lover, you must try this!  I'm talking to you, Queen Margrethe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough on a Stick
Source:  Joy the Baker

1/2c unsalted butter at room temperature
1c. plus 2T flour
1/2t baking soda
3/4t salt
1/2c brown sugar
1/3c granulated sugar
1t vanilla
1/3c Greek yogurt, applesauce or peanut butter
1c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2c chopped walnuts
1c. semi sweet chocolate chips for melting

Directions

1.  Combine flour, soda and salt and set aside.

2.  With a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat the butter and sugars together.  Add vanilla and Greek yogurt and mix again.

3.  Add flour mix to sugar-butter mix and combine thoroughly.

4.  Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

5.  Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, place mounds of dough on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper.  Insert a plastic fork, light-weight metal fork (it won't stand up if it's too heavy), or popsicle stick in the middle of each mound.  Place in freezer 3-4 hours, until hard, or overnight.

6.  Remove from freezer, dip mounds into melted, slightly cooled chocolate.  Return to the baking sheet and freeze until chocolate is hard.

7.  Serve cold straight from the freezer (store extras, if you have any left, in the freezer).

Raspberry Mousse

Has the grey of winter got you down?  I am so over the leafless tress, frozen earth, and washed out surroundings.  I need color!  I have just the thing to bring a smile to your face and leave you feeling like you have just tasted a little bit of summer.  Although there are several steps involved in this raspberry mousse recipe, it's rather simple to whip up and unbelievably refreshing and delicious.  I found some sweet, diminutive chocolate coated waffle cups in the grocery store that were the perfect vessel for the mousse.  Little chocolate cups also would be terrific.  And naturally, you can skip the edible cups all together and simply dig into the bowl with a spoon.  Just saying.

Raspberry Mousse
Adapted from Food and Wine

2 sheets husblas (Danish gelatin) or 2t unflavored powdered gelatin

400g frozen raspberries or 2 10oz. bags, thawed

150g sugar or 3/4c

2 large egg whites (pasteurized)

1/4 liter (2 1/2dl) or 1/2c heavy cream

Directions

1.  Place husblas in a dish of cold water and let sit 5 minutes until soft and pliable.  Remove from water, add to a saucepan with 2T warm water.  Heat over medium-low heat 2-3 minutes until gelatin has dissolved.

2.  Place all but 1/2c of thawed berries and 1/2c sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined.  Reserve 1/2c berries for later.

3.  Strain berries through a sieve, discard seeds.  Whisk in the dissolved gelatin. Set aside

4.  In a bowl over a pot of simmering water, whisk the egg whites and remaining 1/4c sugar.  Whisk until mixture is warm to the touch.  Remove from heat and, using a hand mixer, beat on medium-high until mixture is glossy and still peaks form.

5.  Fold the egg whites into the berry puree.

6.  In the same bowl that you mixed the egg whites, add the heavy cream and mix until firm.

7.  Incorporate the cream into the raspberry mixture.

8.  Using a spoon or potato masher, crush the 1/2 reserved berries.  Carefully fold into the mousse.

9.  Refrigerate until set, minimum 1 hour or overnight.

10.  If desired, decorate with chocolate ganache swirls.

Buckwheat Galettes

When my father-in-law arrived two days before Christmas, he did not come empty handed.  Far from it. It took him two full days of driving to get from France to here, but loaded carefully in his car was precious cargo indeed:  boxes of oysters, jars of foie gras, little cans of seafood mousse, tumblers of homemade jam, boxes of Lindt Pyrenees (the best chocolates. ever), blocks of pungent cheeses, saucisson, and so much wine I lost count.

Talk about being spoiled...and, for our part, tremendously grateful. There was one other special item tucked in among the treasure trove: buckwheat flour.  So to top it all off, my father-in-law prepared a beautiful stack of  buckwheat galettes, the crepe's sister pancake.  His recipe is as simple as it gets:

Buckwheat Galettes
Makes 10-12 pancakes depending on pan size

500g/4c buckwheat flour
2 eggs
3/4 liter/generous 3c water
1/2t sea salt (a pinch more if you like)
1/2c salted butter (for Step 3 of my father-in-law's tricks)
oil for pan
a small cloth

1.  Combine all ingredients and mix well with a whisk, 3-5 minutes.  Set aside for up to 6 hours at room temperature or cover and refrigerate overnight.

2.  Heat a crepe pan or large skillet over medium-high heat.  Grease well with oil but remove any excess.

3.  Pour a large spoon of batter into the pan (a soup ladle works perfectly) and swirl to distribute batter evenly.  Cook until tiny bubbles appear all over the surface of the pancake.  Flip and cook briefly on the other side.  Remove from pan and place on plate.

My father-in-law's tricks:

• oiled cloth for the pan
• aerate batter and repeatedly mix with wooden spoon or soup ladle thereby increasing the air in the batter (for light pancakes)
• If your galettes are too thick, simply thin down your batter (little by little) with more water.
• Step 1:  cook and stack galettes, set aside
• Step 2:  Clean up kitchen, sit down for an aperitif (also known as happy hour), and relax.
• Step 3:  Heat pan and add 1-2 teaspoons of salted butter.  Reheat galette, add filling, if desired, and before you know it you have a soft-in-the-middle, crispy-around-the-edges little piece of heaven. Add more butter with the reheating of each additional galette.

While many recipes call for melted butter in the batter, my father-in-law makes his sans extra fat.  Besides, the oil in the pan in Step 1 and the butter in Step 3 are sufficient to achieve the perfect galette.

You can make savory and/or sweet galettes.  Filling options include cheese, cured meats, eggs, jam, chocolate, or whatever else sounds good to you.  If possible, serve with a good French cider.