Tartine's Pastry Cream

Recently, I took someone dinner and dessert.
Unbaked frozen tart dough sure comes in handy.

Last time I made mini tarts, I actually made the full amount of tart dough (Here is a great tutorial on making the tart dough) and pressed the dough that I didn't use into my large tart pan and put it into the freezer. When I needed it, all I had to do was pop it in the oven and bake it.

Since there are so many fruits that are in season right now, I decided that I would make a basic pastry cream and top the tart with fruit.
I remembered that Bridget mentioned Tartine's recipe for pastry cream, which uses whole eggs instead of just egg yolks and I wanted to try it.
I found the recipe here and gave it a try.
This pastry cream was so silky and smooth. Using whole eggs in the pastry cream lightened up the texture. It was still thick, but just lighter than pastry creams made with only egg yolks.

Plus, I didn't have to add to the 13 egg whites I already have in the freezer.

I decorated the tart with kiwis, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
I glazed it with this peach spreadable fruit, which I warmed for a few seconds in the microwave with a splash of water.

Tartine's Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, cut open down the middle, seeded
1/4 tsp of salt
4 Tbls cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
4 Tbls butter, cut in small cubes

Heat the milk, vanilla seeds and salt in a pan and put over medium heat, and bring to a boil.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch and eggs until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 of the milk mixture into the egg and whisk constantly to temper them. Add the remaining milk and return the whole thing to the saucepan.
Cook until you get a thick consistency, whisking non-stop.
Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes and then incorporate the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until smooth .
Cover the surface with plastic wrap, directly touching the cream, let cool completely in the refrigerator.

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

I just can't seem to throw away leftover frosting.
And in my house, there is always leftover frosting after we have made cookies or cupcakes or whatever. Always.
Not a lot of frosting, but a couple of tablespoons or 1/2 cup, just enough to warrant a little plastic container, a lid, and a nice stay in the refrigerator.

Such was the case with this Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese frosting that I made a couple of weeks ago to be sandwiched between some of these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies.
This frosting was the more popular one between the 2 we had that day and it is one of the best frostings I have made recently. It has just a enough cream cheese flavor, but not overpowering and the vanilla bean is magical, somehow intensifying the flavor.
I absolutely love those little black flecks the vanilla bean leaves behind.

I decided to make some mini cupcakes, a recipe I have made before- Martha Stewarts One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes. I made a 1/2 batch of the cupcakes and had just enough frosting to give each mini cupcakes a cute little dollop of frosting.
The combination of this cupcake recipe and the frosting was really good. Plus, when treats are this small you can get away with eating 2 or 3 and not feeling very guilty since they are so small and cute.


Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting from The Food Network Magazine
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped

Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla seeds.

Recipe for One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

The Battle of the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

I haven't felt compelled to compare recipes for a dessert for a long time.
After I made those red velvet cupcakes last month, I couldn't help wanting to make these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies that I saw in the Food Network Magazine.

I remembered seeing other recipes for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies and decided it was time for a taste test.
Luckily, we had another family dinner that I was bringing dessert to, so I had enough people to actually taste these little guys.
There were more than 2 recipes that I found for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, but these 2 were the ones that had me most interested.

I liked that the Food Network's recipe actually had vinegar in it, since I think that is one of the key components in red velvet cake.

The Cream Cheese-Vanilla Bean filling/frosting was definitely the favorite of the frostings.
And these Whoopie Pies turned out to be the winners in the flavor department. They may not have been the prettiest of the Pies, but the cake was moist and tender and had the perfect flavor, as well as texture.
The Cream Cheese-Marshmallow Creme filling/frosting was not as popular. There were a few people who preferred this filling, but the overall consensus was that the other filling tasted better.
These BH&G cakes looked better, but didn't taste as good.
Don't get me wrong- they were still yummy, but when compared head on to the Food Network's version, they were not as tasty.
So, which ones will you make for your Valentine's Day treat?? Or, do you want to make both and come to your own conclusion about which ones deserve the title of Best Red Velvet Whoopie Pie?

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Recipe for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from The Food Network Magazine

Recipe for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Cranberry and Vanilla Bean Sorbet

This is my last recommendation for your Thanksgiving meal. I saw this recipe in a recent issue of Bon Appetit Magazine and the picture left me with no excuse not to make this sorbet.

I love cranberries. I started hoarding bags of them weeks ago, as soon as they appeared in my local Publix. I love how tart they are and their bright red color. They are so beautiful and good for you. I really don't think that cranberries get the attention that they deserve.
Anyway, I thought that the combination of cranberries and vanilla was very interesting and definitely something I would never have thought to combine.

The great thing about sorbets is that they are quick and easy to make. This one basically just combines all the ingredients and cooks them over the stove and then when the mixture has cooled you puree it in the food processor and then churn it in your ice cream maker. I reduced the sugar by about 1/4 cup.

I love what Bon Appetit had to say about this sorbet- "Here's a clean, bright dessert that makes a great finish to any meal and can be prepared days ahead. Plus, who knew that mellow vanilla would go so beautifully with tangy cranberries?"
I really think the words clean and bright are great ways to describe this sorbet. It would be the perfect ending to a Thanksgiving meal. Light and delicious. Tangy and sweet.

My girls, who are 5 and almost 3, loved, loved, loved this sorbet.

*note- the recipe says to strain out the cranberry-vanilla bean mixture before you churn it, but I opted not to do this. I like seeds and skins and they really were not that noticeable in this sorbet.
Recipe for Cranberry and Vanilla Bean Sorbet


Happy Thanksgiving!

Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

I found this really cute plate the other day for 2 dollars! I love finding cute plates for cheap prices.

I was thinking of a cupcake that I could make to round out my other treats and I remembered this picture.
Doesn't that frosting look perfect? I was so curious about these cupcakes that I had to throw them into the mix.
The secret ingredient here is reduced coconut milk. You bring coconut milk to a boil and then let it reduce on the stove until it becomes thick and syrup-like.
The reduced coconut milk is added to the cupcake batter and also the frosting.
I don't usually sample things when I am baking, as strange as that may sound, but I did take a little nibble of this cupcake and it was really good. Very moist.
I also tasted a little bit of the cupcake with the frosting- I think they went together well and complimented each other, but the frosting was a tad bit on the sweet side.

I was a little bit disappointed because the frosting didn't look as good as in the picture. I think the butter for the frosting was too soft which led to a very soft frosting that was difficult to pipe and keep its shape. A few hours in the fridge helped, but they didn't turn out looking as good as I wanted them too.

The cupcakes and frosting also had those fun little flecks that you get when you use a vanilla bean. I just love how that looks and the flavor it adds is amazing.

These were also well liked as I had no leftovers to bring home. If you like coconut-you should try these!

Recipe for Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting


One Year Ago- "A Lot Like Love" Pie- Fresh Peach and Raspberry Pie with White Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Coulis and Fresh Peach Sorbet

Rainier Cherry Crumble and Vanilla Ice Cream- Philadelphia Style

My daughter loves fruit.
Recently, she has been begging for these beauties- Rainier Cherries.
They are a little expensive, but I like it that she wants healthy foods, and I saw a buy 1, get 1 free sale, so we got 2 containers.

There was a recipe in the July issue of Cooking Light for Rainier Cherry Crumble. In the back of the magazine, at the bottom of the index, there is a little section where the magazine lists the "Greatest Hits" of that particular issue. The Rainier Cherry Crumble was a greatest hit, so I went for it.

I decided that since there are just 2 adults and 3 kids at our house, we really didn't need the full crumble, so I made 1/4 of the recipe. I also had these really cute mini dishes I wanted to use, so making a smaller amount worked perfectly.

Well, if you are having a warm fruit dessert in the summer- you have to have vanilla ice cream, right? (I love my vanilla beans)
I unpacked my ice cream maker, and remembered a great post by Nancy about David Lebovitz's Vanilla Ice Cream-Philadelphia Style- which means, no egg yolks involved. You steep the vanilla bean in the cream, meanwhile dissolving the sugar, and then it cools in the fridge for awhile. 30 minutes later, you have this stuff.

One of the other great things about this recipe, is that you don't add any sugar to the filling- just a little cornstarch and fresh lemon juice.

Sometimes warm fruit desserts, like crisps, cobblers and crumbles are too sweet for me. This one was perfect. The cherry filling was slightly tart, with the topping adding the perfect amount of sweet and crunch. The ice cream was fabulous. I used some of the leftover ice cream to make root beer floats- Yum!

The ice cream recipe says that you can use either all cream or a mixture of cream and whole milk, which is what I used.

I highly recommend both the crumble and the ice cream.

My husband ate an entire little pink dish full, so the kids and I split the other one 4 ways.
I figure eating 1/16th of a Cooking Light recipe really can't do that much damage. I hope.
And if it does, it was worth it.




Nancy's post about this ice cream

Recipe for Rainier Cherry Crumble

Please locate the recipe for David Lebovitz's Vanilla Ice Cream-Philadelphia Style here

TWD- Vanilla Ice Cream

Tuesday's with Dorie- it has been awhile. I haven't participated yet in July but I did make the Vanilla Ice Cream that Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu, chose for this week- last year.
And now that we are all settled in our house and I feel close to organized, I will be able to get back on track with baking and posting for TWD.
I made this ice cream last year when we made Dorie's Chocolate Chunkers for TWD, because Dorie suggested churning the cookies into her Cinnamon Ice Cream, which is a variation of her vanilla ice cream. And I had 6 egg yolks hanging out in the fridge, leftover from making a meringue of some type.
My sister loves all things cinnamon and I remember her really, really loving this cinnamon ice cream. In fact, everyone who ate it loved it. It was very, very good.
You can get the recipe from my post mentioned above or go to Lynne's blog and you will be able to find it.
Please check out the TWD Blogroll to see what other flavors and variations people made out of this week's recipe!
I also included a couple of pictures from my Perfect Party Cake back in June since I finally downloaded all my photos. That is a good cake.

Vanilla Bean Shortbread

I threw these shortbread cookies together one day right after dinner because everyone was begging for some dessert and I knew they would be ready fast. After I started mixing the ingredients together, I realized that I was out of canola oil and all I had was olive oil. I figured it wouldn't matter and went ahead and finished the cookies.
I have decided that I really like baking shortbread cookies in a 9x13-inch pan and then cutting them after they are done baking. They look better and it makes the process really easy.
I wasn't expecting anything great from these because they seemed so simple, but they were really good! My kids loved them. I think I will probably make them again when I need a quick and simple treat.

Hopefully I will be near a computer soon and I can tell you if we made it to our new living destination!

Vanilla Bean Shortbread from Cooking Light

"This half-oil, half-butter version yields a crisper, more delicate cookie," says Cooking Light Advisory Panelist Greg Drescher of the Culinary Institute of America.

Make up to five days in advance, and store in an airtight container.

Cooking spray

9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup canola oil (I used olive oil)

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line bottom and sides of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray, and set aside.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
4. Place butter in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add oil; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds to butter mixture; discard bean. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Spoon dough into prepared pan. Place a sheet of heavy-duty plastic wrap over dough; press to an even thickness. Discard plastic wrap. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; cut into 32 pieces. Carefully lift foil from pan; cool squares completely on a wire rack.

Coming Tomorrow- Brownies with Mint Buttercream and Chocolate Glaze

2 more Rice Puddings- Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding and Ellie Kriegers Rice Pudding

We have a rice pudding problem around here. We love it. My younger brother requests it daily. When I find a new recipe and try it, the stuff just doesn't last very long. I found the Vanilla Bean recipe in a recent issue of Bon Appetit. It is actually from a section of the magazine that is written by a food blogger, Molly Wizenberg- her blog is Orangette (I am sure most of you already knew that). She recounts her fathers love for this pudding. Just one look at the recipe and I was in.
This is a delicious rice pudding. Plus, don't all those little vanilla bean flecks look cool? This recipe is going in the remake pile.
The second recipe is from Ellie Krieger and it is a lighter version of rice pudding that gets some vanilla flavor from soy milk. It was good too, considering it was lightened up, but if you put these two head to head- the vanilla bean recipe wins out.
Now, I just need to make Dorie's rice pudding again and see who the real winner is.
Not a problem. I know the stuff will be devoured.

Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding Bon Appétit March 2009
by Molly Wizenberg
This rich, creamy pudding is delicious served warm or cold. If you feel like dressing up the dessert a bit, add a cinnamon stick while the rice is cooking, or top the finished pudding with a sprinkling of raisins and a little freshly grated nutmeg just before serving.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup basmati rice

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Bring 1 1/2 cups water, rice, and salt to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add milk, cream, and sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Increase heat to medium; cook uncovered until rice is tender and mixture thickens slightly to a soft, creamy texture, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.
Remove pudding from heat and discard vanilla bean. Divide pudding evenly among small bowls. Serve warm or press plastic wrap directly onto surface of each pudding and chill thoroughly.

DO AHEAD: Pudding can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated

Rice Pudding 2006, Ellie Krieger
2 cups water
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized, heavy, ovenproof saucepan. Add the rice, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is nearly cooked. In a large bowl, whisk the soymilk, sugar, and salt. When the rice is cooked and still hot, add the soy milk mixture and cinnamon stick. Cover, place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven, uncover, and remove the cinnamon stick. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pudding will be slightly liquidy; the liquid will continue to absorb into the rice and thicken as the pudding cools. Dust with cinnamon and nutmeg, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.



Coming for Easter- Asparagus Salad

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Vanilla Bean

Need a Valentine's Day dessert?? This Panna Cotta would be a great choice. I saw it in a recent issue of Health magazine and thought that it would be a nice, creamy dessert, that would be a little bit lighter on the calories. Plus I have tons of vanilla beans and low-fat buttermilk is always in my fridge.
I whipped it up quickly the night before and stuck it in the fridge to hang out over night.
I served it with some blackberries and the adults loved it. The kids really didn't care for the texture, which made for some very funny expressions as they tasted it. I thought that the addition of berries really added something to this grown-up dessert, but it was delicious plain as well. I love it when you can eat a great tasting dessert that really doesn't seem to be missing any flavor or creaminess just because it is a little bit lower in fat and calories~
Buttermilk Panna Cotta With Vanilla Bean from Health Magazine

Prep: 40 minutes; Chill: 3 hours or overnight.

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups low-fat buttermilk

1. Place the heavy cream and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into the heavy cream. Add the cut vanilla bean to the cream. Bring the mixture to just a boil, and turn off heat. Cover pot, and let steep for 30 minutes.
2. Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a small bowl. Let the gelatin bloom while the heavy cream mixture is steeping.
3. Bring heavy cream mixture back to a simmer, and slowly whisk in melted gelatin mixture. Add buttermilk, and whisk until combined.
4. Pour into individual glasses or bowls, and gently cover with plastic wrap. Chill for about 3 hours or overnight; serve.

Coming Tomorrow for Valentine's Day- Blushing Grapefruit Cupcakes