an elegant dessert

Want a fancy dessert that can be made in advance, isn't a cake, but will serve a large crowd? Sounds like a tall order but it's as easy as making these delicious meringues. Twelve individual meringues are laid on a puddle of raspberry sauce and then topped with fluffy whip cream, some fresh raspberries and the prettiest sprinkling of chocolate shavings.

I served these on Easter and made all the components the night before (I love desserts that can be made in advance!). When it was time for dessert, I laid out all the plates and started assembling (see the pictures below). This is a great opportunity for your guests to help you; assign someone to be in charge of each element of the dessert and then it will be interactive and less stressful for you. Although truthfully, once everything is made, assembling is the easiest part.

I loved all the texture and flavor combinations with this dessert: the sweet tartness of the raspberry sauce, the crunchy meringue, the hint of chocolate and the soft whip cream to meld it all together. I'll definitely be making this one again!

stayin' put

Have you ever read Cook's Illustrated? It's a wonderful magazine that also has a cooking show on PBS, along with Cook's Country... aka America's Test Kitchen. Years ago, my wonderful grandmother-in-law gave me a subscription to Cook's Illustrated and I've never gone back. I think the magazines and shows are brilliant because they don't give you a recipe until it has been tweaked to perfection. Honestly, I trust everything they print because every recipe I've tried has been flawless.

             

that falling drip stayed put for hours

With that said, I was making the Chocolate Ganache Pie on a particularly humid day and needed to transport it for a 45-minute drive. I could've made the whip cream right before serving the pie, but I needed to take pictures of it before I brought it to my mother-in-laws house. I've seen how whip cream separates and it isn't pretty. Then I remembered reading a snippet about how to stabilize whip cream in Cook's Illustrated Magazine and I knew that would be my answer. They recommend unflavored gelatin because it leaves no flavor and doesn't effect the texture (unlike cream of tartar, which leaves a funny taste).

The gelatin worked marvelously and I was so impressed with how the whip cream held up on each individual slice! I've seen whip cream completely dislodge itself from a bottom layer before, but that didn't happen here. I may not add gelatin every time I make whip cream, but I most certainly will in the summer months, and if I need it to sit out for a time.


Stabilized Whipped Cream
Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine

Makes 3 Cups of whipped cream (which is the perfect amount for the Chocolate Ganache Pie)

Ingredients:

½ tsp. Unflavored gelatin

1 ½ Tbs. water

1 ½ Cups Heavy cream

2 tsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the water and gelatin. Then, put the mixture in the microwave and microwave for 5-second increments, or until the gelatin is dissolved and clear (this took my microwave a total of 15 seconds- just watch it carefully). Put the bowl aside to cool.

2. Pour the cold cream in a large bowl, or stand mixer, and turn the mixer on low, whipping until small bubbles begin to form, then increase the speed to medium. Add the sugar and vanilla. When the beaters leave a trail in the cream, slowly pour in the gelatin mixture and then increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form. The whip cream shouldn’t separate for 24 hours.

just dreamy

Not long ago I Instagramed a picture of The Mast Brothers Chocolate Cookbook that I received as a birthday present and I have been drooling over it. Seriously, when I was analyzing each recipe, my mouth literally salivated and I had to get into my chocolate stash immediately. This book is for die-hard choco-holics.

Mast Brothers Chocolate is a New York based company that makes high-quality chocolates and personally partners with the cocoa farmers. I've seen their chocolate sold at various boutiques and the packaging alone has lured me in. I've only had the pleasure of sampling their chocolate but alas, have not purchased any for myself yet. It can be pricey, so I used my favorite standby for this recipe.  

I made this for a dinner party and everyone loved it. The soft, lightness of the whipped cream complimented the silky, rich ganache. The crust was good, but I think you could make your life easier and buy a pre-made cookie crust (or make your own with crushed up chocolate wafers) and then then you'd have a nice crunch to compliment the rest of the pie. I'll probably do that the next time I make this.

the crowd pleaser

Last week when I talked about strawberry picking, making this cake with fresh-picked strawberries was at the top of my to-do list. And yes, there are more strawberry recipes to come (I picked a lot of strawberries, what can I say?). 

I'm apart of the ABC challenge again (remember last month I made these scones for the challenge) and, once again, this recipe was chosen from the King Arthur Flour site. I was excited to make this cake because I loved this twist on a strawberry shortcake. 

no bake = cool kitchen

With the weather heating up, I crave cold foods. I know I'm not alone in this and I definitely know I'm not the only one who hates turning their oven on in the Summer. This is where the genius of no-bake desserts really shine and take center stage. 

In all honesty, I actually prefer a no-bake cheesecake to the original baked cheesecake. While I like regular cheesecake, it's very dense and rich and makes me feel a little heavier after I eat it. On the other hand, this no-bake cheesecake is literally whipped into a lightness and there's the smallest hint of that cream cheese tang.