Tag: dessert

Food + Drink

Delectable Desserts

There are desserts and then there are DESSERTS; know what I’m talking about?

A friend introduced me to a new not-your-run-of-the-mill bakery.  Definitely not!  I was really impressed by the quantity and quality of specialty treats found at Forêt Noire – a high end French patisserie located in Vancouver in an offbeat area considering the kind of establishment.  You would be more likely to expect running across something like this on South Granville or maybe Yaletown.

They say simplicity is their touch.  Maybe so; if fancy upscale works of art in the shape of tasty treats are your thing.  

We went in for the best double baked almond croissant in the city, but once there we also tried the cheese (filled with feta + riccotta) which was also excellent.  Then we left with 3 pastries (one hazelnut filled, a pistachio cake and a vanilla with fresh mango pudding).  All outstanding.

Packaged in a pink take-out box.

Think I’m in trouble.

Know what I’m talking about?

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Food + Drink, Girl Who Would be King

Holiday Dessert – Pumpkin Ice Cream

Do you remember my homemade coffee and chocolate ice cream made easy recipes?  pumpkinicecream3Since then I’ve made homemade French vanilla which turned out very tasty and a great base to making lavender/honey, green tea and cinnamon – all delicious!  I decided not to post those recipes just yet – they are a bit more involved.  However…

Thanksgiving in America in this Thursday November 26th, so if you want to switch up your pumpkin pie at a late notice (assuming that is what you are planning to serve for dessert – many people do) then I have the most perfect, light, easy and presentable after dinner treat. And you don’t have the time to make a homemade vanilla ice cream on top of it right now.

I love pumpkin pie but this is a welcome change and has been tested (by some impatient people):

Recipe:

Dad’s Secret (& Most Yummy) Pumpkin Ice Cream

– Serves 10-

Ingredients 

2 TABLESPOONS NUTMEG

2, 15 OZ. CANS CANNED PUMPKIN (PREFERABLY ORGANIC)

½ GALLON HAAGEN-DAZS, or other high-quality vanilla ice cream (1.89 liter, or 4 of the normal-size H-D containers).

1 PUMPKIN. This is optional, because you can just use a bowl to serve the dessert. But the pumpkin makes for a nice serving dish, and reinforces the “home-made” fallacy. See picture below for an idea of pumpkin scale.pumpkinicecream2

Instructions

1) You will need some space in the freezer for the pumpkin, so make room in your freezer.

2) Clean the pumpkin out like you would a Halloween pumpkin: cut off the top, and clean the insides out. The seeds are fun to roast with salt and a little olive oil, while you make the rest of the ice-cream. If you don’t want a pumpkin as a serving dish, you can skip this step and it all becomes even easier.

3) Place the pumpkin in the freezer so it starts getting cold.

4) In a large mixing bowl, mix: the ice-cream, 1 ½ cans of pumpkin, and 2 Tablespoons nutmeg. Mix it around good until it is a uniform pumpkin color.

5) Taste it  – add more pumpkin and/or nutmeg if you want.

6) Take the pumpkin out of the freezer, and spoon the now semi-melted pumpkin ice-cream into the pumpkin

7) Place the top on the pumpkin, and put in the freezer. It takes a while for it to get to a normal consistency. I like making this ice-cream the day before any event so you don’t worry about it being too soupy.

8) Bring to the party and relish all the compliments/Enjoy.

Source (recipe & photos): impatientfoodie.com

If you make it I would appreciate your comments.