Fancy Food Show: Top 10 Sweets

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. I was there to present Cissé Trading Co. for the first time. Good news–we were a big hit! Everyone loved our products and said we had the BEST brownie at the entire show. I really couldn't ask for more. The icing on the cake was getting to check out everyone else's sweet treats. Here's a gallery of my top 10 favorites:

That Indian Drink's Mango Lassi

Steve's Ice Cream- Banana Pudding Flavor

Flavored syrups from Morris Kitchen

Bonnie's Jams–Black & Blue flavor

Veggie Mama's Sweet Potato Pie Pop

Luna Pops–Rhubarb Lime!

Lark Fine Foods–Black Olive Shortbread

Madyson's Marshmallows

Sarabeth's Strawberry Syrup

Big Picture Farm–Goat's Milk and Chai Caramels

And a savory bonus:

Average Joe Artisan Bread Kit

What's In Season: Cherries

June marks the beginning of fresh fruit heaven. And if you're like me, the dizzying array of berries and stone fruit–in season at the same time!–is cause for celebration. I wait all year long for this. But for cherries, I slow down and take pause. Could there be a more perfect fruit? Plump, ripe cherries eaten fresh out of the bowl need no adornment. And when baked, cherries go to even sweeter heights. Classic sweet cherry varieties such as the Bing and the golden Rainer are in season now. Sour cherries, ideal for pies, come into season later in the month.

Pairs well with:

• Almonds
• Black Pepper
• Chocolate
• Vanilla

What to make/eat:

1. Rinse, pile high in your prettiest bowl, and eat!
2. Bake a pie. Second only to apple, cherry pie is a classic American dessert.
3. Make brandied cherries. Macerate cherries in brandy, sugar, and a bit of lemon juice. Use the fruit to embellish cocktails or to top an ice cream sundae.
4. Go French and make Clafoutis, a simple baked custard studded with cherries.
5. Mix cherries into your favorite bundt cake or muffin recipe.

What's your favorite way to eat cherries?

Baking with Herbs

Summer is not just ideal for baking with fruit, it's the perfect time to experiment with fresh herbs. Visit any farmer's market and you'll see the selection is bountiful–and cheap! I love using herbs in my desserts–they are the perfect floral or spicy counterpart to something sweet. Run your hand through the woody stalks of a rosemary plant, pinch a plump basil leaf between your fingers. Let the unique fragrance of each herb open your mind to the creative possibilities!

Some pairings to get you started:

Basil: apricots, blueberries, citrus, honey, nectarines, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, vanilla, watermelon
Lavender: almonds, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, citrus, honey, peaches, pistachios, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, vanilla, walnuts
Mint: blackberries, chocolate, citrus, mango, raspberries, strawberries
Rosemary: apricots, citrus, figs, grapefruit, honey
Sage: blueberries, cherries, citrus, pears, pumpkin, walnuts

Some ideas to get you started:

• Macerate blackberries with fresh mint
• Steep whipping cream with dried lavender
• Infuse cherry compote with sage
• Roast apricots with rosemary and honey
• Grind dried lavender with sugar
• Top your strawberry shortcake with thinly sliced basil

What's your favorite herb? What dessert does it inspire you to make?

Pie Season

Are you ready for pie season? Because it's just around the corner.... Yes, I love autumn pies–apple, pumpkin, and pear. But really, I'm obsessed with spring and summer fruit pies. The minute strawberries and rhubarb start hitting the farmer's market, I know that cherries, blackberries, and raspberries aren't far behind. And don't get me started on stone fruit!

Because the seasons can be short for each fruit, it's good to know when to get your bake on. Here's a sense of what's in season and when:

May/June- Rhubarb, strawberries, cherries
June/July- Apricots, plums, blueberries
July/August- Blackberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines

Until my cookbook arrives on book shop shelves, here are some of my favorite pie and tart cookbooks to get you inspired (most of which are recommended by Junita at Stack of Cookbooks):

Essential Baker's Pantry

What kind of baker are you? Do you plan weeks in advance, or do you only bake when the spirit moves you? As gratifying as it can be to make a complicated dessert, I love spontaneous, simple baking. Friday night fruit crisp. Sunday morning muffins. Random weeknight crepes... for dinner. Sometimes the best treats are the ones that come together with little or no planning. With a well-stocked pantry, you can pull off almost anything. Here's what I recommend:

Dry Ingredients

Flour: all-purpose, cake

Sugar: granulated, light brown, confectioner's

Baking soda

Baking powder

Salt

Chocolate Chips

Cocoa Powder

Dried Fruit

Nuts

Perishable Ingredients

Butter 

Eggs 

Milk

Heavy cream

Sour cream

Lemons (or some other citrus, for the zest)

Spices etc.

Vanilla extract

Vanilla beans

Ground cinnamon

Bonus Ingredients

Dark brown sugar

Turbinado sugar

Fresh ginger

Jam

Greek Yogurt
Corn syrup
Molasses


What are your favorite recipes for spontaneous sweets?

Almond Board Media Tour

Image courtesy of the Almond Board of California

Go ahead. Ask me about my favorite nut. Since last week I've been on the road praising the delicious virtues of almonds. On April 17, the Almond Board of California kicked off a multi-city media tour at The Drake Hotel in Toronto's Queens West neighborhood. Joined by fellow Almond Innovators, Chef Anthony Rose, formerly of The Drake, and Mixologist Matthew Biancaniello, of The Library Bar in Los Angeles, we demonstrated just how versatile almonds can be.

Anthony started the event with a tasty spin on the classic pot sticker. His version featured almond butter, giving the appetizer a subtle nuttiness to compliment the mushrooms inside. He followed that up with a halibut dish that sung the flavors of spring, adorned with toasted chopped almonds. Matthew mixed up two innovative almond cocktails: Lost in Laos, a kaffir lime-infused gin drink with almond milk, and the Nutty Monk, perfect proportions of Benedictine, almond oil and lemon juice, topped with cocoa nibs.

Image courtesy of the Almond Board of California

I made almond milk panna cotta with almond brittle and strawberry-rhubarb preserves. I demonstrated just how easy it is to make brittle. Panna cotta is one of my all-time favorite desserts and it's equally simple. Steeping almond milk with a combination of roasted almonds, almond paste and almond extract enhanced the rich almond flavor. I chose to pair my panna cotta with a strawberry-rhubarb preserves, but you could swap that out for any other seasonal fruit you prefer.

Image courtesy of the Almond Board of California

You can find the recipe for my almond milk panna cotta here. 

What's In Season: Rhubarb

The days are longer and the air is getting warmer. As of late March, spring has definitely sprung! That means gardens across the country are sprouting the leafy green beginnings of rhubarb. Though technically a vegetable, rhubarb is so often used in desserts that it's like an honorary fruit. Rhubarb's pucker tart flavor is often tamed by strawberry (not to mention a load of sugar), but don't let that classic pairing limit you.

Using one simple compote recipe, you can make a variety of rhubarb-flavored treats. Use the compote to fill tarts, fold into sweetened whipped cream to make a Rhubarb Fool, or mix into your favorite muffin recipe. Gild the lily of a pound cake, panna cotta or ice cream by dolloping the rhubarb compote on top. You can also strain the compote and drizzle the rhubarb syrup on Greek yogurt. Or mix the syrup with some gin, club soda and a twist of lime for a killer cocktail.

Experiment with your favorite flavor combination and find out how versatile rhubarb can be!


Basic Rhubarb Compote:

Wash and trim 2 pounds of rhubarb, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a heavy saucepan, combine with:

1.5 cups sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
Pinch of salt
For additional flavor, add any of the following:

• Fresh grated ginger
• Lemon zest
• Orange zest
• Hulled, chopped strawberries
• Vanilla bean
• Rosewater (use sparingly)
• Mint
• Basil
• Rosemary

Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rhubarb is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Remove herbs, if necessary. Cover and chill the compote. Keep refrigerated.