8 posts tagged “dessert”

Rum Raisin Cinnamon Rolls

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Cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven are simply irresistible. Add some raisins spiked with dark rum and a rum glaze for an alcoholic twist. From good to great, right? Well in my dessert-minded imagination, I was smiling as my teeth were sinking into one of these yeasty rolls. A smile-bite. I had such high hopes for this recipe, but my tumultuous relationship with yeast quickly squelched those dreams. When the dough did not double in size after the first rise, I knew something had gone awry. It grew - just not enough. Just like a proud parent turns a blind eye to their child's faults, I just crossed my fingers in a state of denial and proceeded rolling and cutting and baking away. "They'll be fine after I bake them," I thought as I consoled myself. My biggest fear was realized once they came out of the oven. They were far from the Cinnabon wannabes that I had imagined... more dense like store bought cinnamon rolls. Arg... that darn yeast! I'll get you next time!

Rum Raisin Cinnamon Rolls

Narrow, cramped and void of any real counter space, my "so-called" kitchen is one single-purpose appliance away from imploding. And though the Hello Kitty waffle press is absolutely out of the question, the thing that I've really been jonesing for is an ice cream maker! Oh yes! What's Summer without homemade ice cream? In the mean time, while I pine away and contemplate swapping out my beloved dehydrator, I'll be making lots of semifreddos (frozen custards/mousses).

Lemon Semifreddo with Plum Compote & Strawberries

Tamarind Caramel Popcorn

As promised ladies & gents... tamarind gets a taste of the sweet life. For my overly ambitious attempt at French macarons, I had made tons of tamarind caramel for the filling. I should have known better is all I have to say about that. Bad baker plus finicky recipe equals one giant culinary disaster. Yikes.
Out of that nightmare, my batch of tamarind caramel was the only thing good that came out of it. I was ready to experiment. I liked the flavor combination. The tangy tamarind was toned down by the buttery caramel. I also added a good sprinkling of fleur de sel and five spice powder just to heighten the flavor of the tamarind. It's addicting, especially right when it comes out of the oven.
Sorry for the mini-post. Lunar new year is approaching quickly and according to Chinese tradition the house (bad luck) must be cleaned out to make room for the good luck. What can I say? I'm superstitious. I just cleaned off the steps and now it's time to replace the foil under the gas burners. How Chinese is that? :)

Tamarind Caramel Popcorn

Try this recipe. People will ask you if you put crack in it.
Tamarind Caramel Popcorn
The Caramel:
200 grams sugar
3 tablespoons butter
200 grams of heavy cream
1/4 cup of tamarind paste
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
pinch of five spice powder

6 to 8 cups of popped popcorn (I do mine in a wok with a few teaspoons of canola oil)

fleur de sel, to taste

Heat the sugar in a heavy bottomed pan on moderate heat. Have everything else on hand since this is all gonna happen really quick. You'll start to see the edges of the sugar begin to liquefy/color. At this point, begin slowly stirring the sugar so that it can melt evenly. Once it has turned a nice caramel brown add your butter and step back. Beware. Making caramel is dangerous. The boiling sugar is hotter than boiling water, so I'd wear long sleeves if I were you. After the butter is incorporated, add the cream. Scary. It'll seize up for a second. If you heat your cream up or bring it to room temperature beforehand, it won't be as scary. Add your tamarind paste and spices and you're all set to coat your popcorn. You can also jar up your caramel at this point and save it for later. Impatient eaters, should preheat their ovens to 250 degrees. Pour the  caramel over the popcorn and fold it until evenly coated (or not. Sometimes I like having pieces that are extra coated with caramel and some pieces that just have a hint of flavor. Up to you). Spread it evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment. This allows for easy clean-up. Give it a generous sprinkle of fleur de sel. Bake for about an hour, giving it a stir every 15 minutes. Allow it to cool, if you can stand it, and then break it apart and enjoy!

Now that I've had my blogging fun, I really must get back to those chores. I feel like Cinderella.

Plum Cobbler

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Every summer I look forward to plum season. Tart and sweet, but totally delicious. My parents have a tree in their yard that yields an incredible amount of fruit. This is the same tree that I had so many adventures climbing in search of the best plum in the tree. Very fond memories!

Due to a combination of the lack of rain and the hot, hot summer, this was the first time plum season at the L family house was short and lacking. :( Imagine my dismay when I went home in July only to find a handful of plums for the picking. There'd be no jamming this year. With my limited amount of plums, I decided to make one of my all-time favorite comfort desserts - cobbler with a nice shortbready/biscuity topping. 

Sweet, bubbly filling with a dense, buttery top... that's plum heaven.