Are we sick of winter squash yet? Too bad, because thick-skinned roots, tubers and squash are here for the long haul.
Apparently I am fond of butternut squash bakes and crumbles, as evidenced by the Figs in My Belly archives. To that I say, never enough! Continue reading
It can be tricky to keep chocolate around during the summer heat. It might melt and goop up, or it might bloom to an unappetizing texture and taste.
Cold, silky, frozen chocolate sorbet, on the other hand, is where the party’s at. This white chocolate sorbet is made with good-quality white chocolate, whole milk, just 1 tablespoon of sugar, a splash of vanilla, and a little shot of liqueur.
No egg yolks, no cream, and just a touch of sugar. After all, while we want to satisfy our sweet tooth, we don’t want to totally bust our belts…(never-mind that white chocolate is mostly made of cocoa fat).
I know there is a band of white-chocolate haters out there. If you’re not into it, maybe I can convince you to try this Bittersweet Chocolate Sorbet. It might just blow your mind.
Since the majority of the sorbet’s flavor will come from the white chocolate, I would splurge and buy a hunk of high quality stuff. Most gourmet markets will carry the good stuff. I purchased my chocolate at Westside Market in NYC, but I know that Whole Foods carries good brands, too. I used Callebaut chocolate (Valrhona is another popular brand). Oh, and maybe it is the professional/restaurant pastry-mind in me, but we always buy a hunk and chop the chocolate ourselves (…but hey,don’t sweat it, I won’t tell anyone if you buy chips, no big deal, it all gets melted anyway).
I added slightly less than a shot of amarula to the sorbet base. Amarula is a South African cream liqueur that (as per wikipedia, and I agree) tastes like a slightly fruity caramel. I love to drink amarula with (preferably crushed) ice and some coffee. Oh baby! You can recognize the bottle easily because of the big elephant on it.
In addition to the subtle flavor it lends to the sorbet, the alcohol is used for texture. Sorbet is not as rich as ice cream, and it can become quite firm after spending a night in the freezer. Alcohol does not freeze, so it will keep the texture of the sorbet nice and soft. David Lebovitz offers some helpful tips on his blog on how to keep homemade ice cream soft. And instead of amarula, you could use a light rum or a splash of amaretto…
from David Lebovitz, originally from Gale Gand
makes slightly less than 1 quart
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) whole milk
2/3 cup (160 ml) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons amarula liqueur (a little less than 1 shot)
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract)
8 ounces (225 gr) best-quality white chocolate (I used Callebaut brand), finely chopped
1. In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, water, sugar, vanilla, and amarula until it’s almost to a boil.
2. Remove from heat and add the pieces of white chocolate, whisking until they’re melted. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl set within a larger bowl of ice water. (If using a vanilla bean, rinse and air-dry it, and reserve it for another use.)
3. Stir the mixture until cool.
4. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
(Note: If you chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours, there’s likely to be a white chocolate disk hardened onto the surface of the mixture when you go to churn it, so it’s recommended to freeze it just after it’s been chilled over the ice bath.)
I absolutely love ginger molasses cookies with little bits of candied gummy ginger mixed into the batter. My favorite ginger cookie is from Bakesale Betty, an infamous bakery and sandwich shop in Oakland, CA.
I saw this recipe for nonfat gingersnaps in David Lebovitz’s newest cookbook and was curious to see if they were actually going to taste good without butter or egg yolks. Well, they definitely do not taste like the rich, melt-in-your-mouth cookies from Bakesale Betty. They are different, but I like that.
I made these cookies twice now. The first time I was a bit disappointed and so I made a lemon-creme filling (pretty much had butter, powdered sugar, and lemon juice + zest). I just craved the fat. But now, after making them a second time, I like the cookies the way they are. No fussing with lemon-creme filling. I made criss-cross patterns using a fork before baking the cookies, and I really like the way they came out.
And for all you health nuts out there, these cookies have no fat but they do offer tons of sass, or shall I say spice? And my favorite thing about them is the candied ginger bits. These cookies are real thick and chewy. I have been enjoying them with some ultra smooth, silky Straus yogurt (plain, non-fat yogurt) as a mid-afternoon and evening dessert.
Nonfat Gingersnaps
from David Lebovitz’s Ready for Dessert
makes about 20+ cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup mild molasses
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup finely chopped Candied Ginger (I purchased mine from Whole Foods)
1/2 cup granulated ginger
big pinch cinnamon
Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, the ginger, cloves, and pepper.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar, applesauce, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the egg whites and beat 1 minute. With the mixer running on the lowest speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until completely incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for 1 minute more. Stir in the candied ginger. Cover and refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and big pinch of cinnamon.
Using 2 spoons, a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop, or your hands, drop balls of dough a few at a time into the sugar-cinnamon mixture, coating heavily with the cinnamon sugar. They will be sticky, which is normal, and don’t worry if they are not perfectly round. Place the balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (I actually took a fork and flattened them criss-cross pattern like a peanut butter cookie).
Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until the cookies feel just barely set in the center, about 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
**STORAGE: The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or frozen for 2 months. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container for about 3 days.
Figsinmybelly 