November 27, 2009
Posted by cakespy, November 25, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Note: We love pie. And so does Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy). She will drop by with a delicious pie recipe every Wednesday in November. Check out more Cakespy recipes here.
[Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
Pumpkin pie and chocolate chip cookies are pretty much baked good soulmates. They're both considered all-American desserts, both are the result of bakers making do with ingredients available at the time, and both seem to inspire a primal instinct in bakers who are constantly seeking out the best recipe.
"Pumpkin pie getting punched in the face by a chocolate chip cookie."
But what happens when you bring these star-crossed sweets together? Set on finding out, I tried baking a batch pumpkin pie filling in a cookie dough crust, and found myself with an instant Thanksgiving masterpiece. The rich, buttery cookie taste infused the pumpkin filling while baking. One taster described is as "pumpkin pie getting punched in the face by a chocolate chip cookie—but you know, in a good way."
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Posted by cakespy, November 23, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
The Buche de Thanksgiving has some attitude. [Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
Nobody ever makes Thanksgiving cakes (or if they do, they've never invited me to dinner). So in an effort to right this grievous wrong, I have adapted a traditional Christmas cake—the Bûche de Noël, or the Yule Log—for Thanksgiving.
Do pumpkin pies have marzipan drumsticks? Yeah, didn't think so.
The November version starts with pumpkin cake rolled with rich cream cheese filling, and gets even better when liberally slathered with chocolate cream cheese frosting and finished off with sweet marzipan detailing. Perhaps this all sounds like a bit much, but I assure you, one bite of the Bûche de Thanksgiving will allay such fears. Consider it a sweet alternative to pumpkin pie, and a rich and tantalizing amuse-bouche before the more predictable Bûche de Noël in December.
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Posted by cakespy, November 18, 2009 at 2:15 PM
The holy trinity of Thanksgiving pies.
[Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
It happens every year: that delicious dilemma at the dessert table when you have to decide between the three titans of Thanksgiving treats: pumpkin, apple, or pecan pie? But what if they could be combined into one triple threat, a veritable Turducken of a Thanksgiving pie?
I was set on finding out so I recently prepared three pie shells and three respective batches of pumpkin, apple, and pecan pie filling, and experimented in various ways.
That would be Pie #3, or the Peace Sign Pie.
Pie #1: The filling contained three distinct layers (pecan, apple, and pumpkin) all on top of each other, so that when sliced, you could see a strip of each.
Pie #2: The filling contained a slurry of all three flavors in equal parts. They were mixed together, then poured into the shell.
Pie #3: A pie shell divided into sections, TV dinner tray-style, and filled with individual portions of the pie fillings in their pure, unmixed form.
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Posted by cakespy, November 16, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
[Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
Pies are certainly plentiful during the Thanksgiving season. But it can be a slightly less boutiful time of year for smaller, more immediate gratification-type treats: it's too late for Halloween candy, but (arguably) too early for Christmas cookies. So what to do if you find yourself craving a sweet little something before (or after) the pie?
The answer is clear: cookie turkeys. I discovered these cookie-and-candy confections via Taste of Home. Not only are they adorable to display, but they're incredibly quick and easy to make (even in a state of turkey-induced torpor).
The recipe is open-ended too. Though this version uses store-bought cookies, the confections could just as easily be made with your favorite homemade cookies instead of the Keebler Fudge Stripes, and a variety of chocolate truffle flavors could be used for the turkey body.
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Posted by cakespy, November 11, 2009 at 3:15 PM
Note: We love pie. And so does Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy). She will drop by with a delicious pie recipe every Wednesday in November.
[Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
The problem with sweet potato pie? While it's delicious, after consuming all of the mashed potatoes and stuffing at dinner, it often equals starch overload. Luckily, the Sweet Potato Tarte Tatin from the newly published cookbook DamGoodSweet: Desserts to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, New Orleans Style by David Guas and Raquel Pelzel provides the perfect solution.
It starts with delicately slivered sweet potatoes—just enough to provide flavor without becoming a starchy bulk—then pairs them with a thick, rich caramel sauce and buttery puff pastry, all of which is combined, baked upside down, then flipped post-baking for a sophisticated and (especially when topped with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream) supremely satisfying dessert.
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Posted by cakespy, November 9, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
[Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
Cliché as it may sound coming from a Seattleite, I must confess to feeling a small thrill around this time of year when Starbucks rolls out their holiday spread. Those cute red holiday cups are a harbinger of festive sugar bombs, including gingerbread and eggnog lattes, decorated cookies—but for me, the fondest memories are associated with the cranberry bliss bar.
In general I'm not a huge fan of mass-produced baked goods, but there is just something about this bar. And I'm not the only one: some online sleuthing revealed several odes of undying affection for the treat—as well as a bevy of copycat recipes.
I adapted this from one found on Mr. Breakfast. While they don't taste exactly like the ones at Starbucks, they are pretty excellent in their own right, with an extremely dense, moist cake studded with tart cranberries, spicy ginger and sweet white chocolate, all crowned with a winter wonderland of rich cream cheese frosting and white chocolate drizzle.
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Posted by cakespy, November 4, 2009 at 10:45 AM
Note: We love pie. And so does Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy). She will drop by with a delicious pie recipe every Wednesday in November.
[Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
First things first: what is Osgood Pie, anyway? Said to have taken its name from the phrase "Oh So Good Pie," it's an old-time recipe in the tradition of chess and vinegar pies, comprised of a thick, custardy filling made of eggs, vinegar, sugar, raisins and spices.
Though it enjoyed some popularity in the earlier half of the 1900s, it's virtually unseen today. I'd never even heard of it until it was on Not Martha, and quite frankly I'm not surprised. How delicious does raisin and vinegar pie sound, after all? So I set myself to modernizing the pie a bit, swapping the raisins for dried cherries and adding almonds.
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Posted by cakespy, November 2, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
[Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
Poor Halloween candy. Just a few days ago it was the star of the supermarket aisle, the festive treat on everyone's mind. But now, just two days later, these sweet treats are Halloween has-beens, relegated to sale bins, withering away in candy dishes.
If you have an oven with a window, it's fascinating to watch while it bakes.
But is there a way to breathe new life—to re-animate, if you will—this past its prime candy? I propose yes: by dumping it in a pie shell and melting it into one monstrous mash of a candy pie. It's not for the faint of heart, what with the alarming spread of candy viscera melted all over the top. I wouldn't even try to call it a sophisticated or refined dessert. But in an admittedly guilty pleasure sort of way, this pie is actually pretty tasty, and if you have an oven with a window, it's fascinating to watch while it bakes.
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Posted by cakespy, October 26, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
[Original artwork and photographs: Jessie Oleson]
The Nanaimo Bar is possibly Canada's crowning culinary achievement: a decadent no-bake bar composed of a dense chocolate and coconut base topped with a rich, custardy buttercream and then crowned with a firm chocolate topping.
But in this version, the classic puts on a Halloween costume, swapping the top chocolate layer for a layer of sweet and festive melted candy corn. The result is an unrelentingly sweet and unabashedly rich treat, certain to satisfy even the sweetest of teeth. Will they make you fat? Probably, but you can always blame Canada.
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Posted by cakespy, October 26, 2009 at 2:40 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
[Photographs and original art: Jessie Oleson]
The origins of the Nanaimo Bar are shrouded in mystery. Popular legend has it that these no-bake bars hit the mainstream when a housewife entered a batch named after her hometown into a magazine contest; however, some say it actually has its origins stateside as the "New York Slice."
Hazy origins aside, few will argue that Canada is where the bar came into its own, and even fewer will argue its deliciousness. A three-layered delight consisting of a coconut-chocolate base topped with a rich custardy buttercream and then finished off with a layer of bonus chocolate on top? Yes please.
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Posted by cakespy, October 19, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
[Photographs and original art: Jessie Oleson]
Have you ever looked at a Frida Kahlo's enigmatic self-portraits and wondered what secrets might lurk behind her signature (and very assertive) brow? Well, I can share at least one, discovered while leafing through Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Frida Kahlo's Pan de Muerto recipe. Pan de Muerto ("bread of the dead") is a traditional Day of the Dead treat. The dough of the rich, sweet bread is twisted into bone and skull motifs to pay homage to relatives and friends who have passed.
Don't forget the 'stache and unibrow when decorating!
While Frida's version lacks the traditional anise, it certainly does not lack in flavor. These mini loaves are surprisingly light for such an egg-rich dough, punctuated with cinnamon and sugar for a lightly sweet and delectably spicy treat. And if you choose (as I did) to add a sweet orange glaze on top, they easily transition from snack territory to that of decadent breakfast or light and sweet dessert. Of course, adding Frida-esque embellishments only heightens the experience—don't forget the 'stache and unibrow when decorating!
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Posted by cakespy, October 12, 2009 at 9:00 AM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
[Photographs and art: Jessie Oleson]
Ever wondered how candy corn is made? Well, to give you the short answer, with lots of equipment, over a four to five day period. But don't let the process daunt you, because it is possible to make your own micro-batches of the classic Halloween candy at home.
This surprisingly simple recipe yields large, plump candy kernels infused with a sweet vanilla flavor. I found that using salted butter adds a nice, rich finish. Conclusion? These homespun tricolor treats are definitely worth the time and effort. Once you've tasted them, you may never buy candy corn by the bag again.
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Posted by cakespy, October 5, 2009 at 2:45 PM
A form of candy corn that even candy corn haters might enjoy.
[Photographs: Jessie Oleson]
I tend to think of candy corn in the same way I think of other seasonal treats like Necco wafers and jelly beans. They're instantly recognizable and lovely to display, but not so delicious to eat.
But is it possible to create a version of candy corn that maintains the iconic look while still tasting delicious? (Note: I am mostly asking the candy corn haters.) Yes, by combining it with another famous triple-hued treat, the tri-color cookie. These white, yellow, and orange tri-color cookies take the best of both worlds, with the cakey, almond-kissed and chocolate-coated taste of a confection found in Italian bakeries, but the unmistakable look of candy corn. Kind of like a trick and a treat, all at once.
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Posted by cakespy, September 28, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) drops by every Monday to share a delicious dessert recipe.
[Photographs and art: Jessie Oleson]
When I was in college, I waited tables at a Middle Eastern restaurant on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. While the restaurant specialized in homemade falafel and pita bread pizzas, our secret weapon was really a simple semolina cake called basbousa.
Basbousa was basically our quick fix for any situation. Complaining customers received it as a pacifier. Friendly guests received it as a reward. Homeless people who were denied the use of our bathroom received a slice as consolation.
The cake's virtue is its simplicity: it's sort of like cornbread, only made with semolina. What really makes it shine, though, is that it's topped while still hot with a sweet glaze which oozes into every little nook and cranny of the porous cake. Finished off with a sprinkling of almonds on top, it makes the perfect complement to a strong Turkish coffee. This recipe tastes very similar to the Brooklyn version I remember.
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Posted by cakespy, September 21, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) chimes in every week with a delicious dessert recipe.
[Art and photograph: Jessie Oleson]
To me, the American Midwest is a magical land where bars reign supreme. I'm not talking about places where people meet and drink, although there are plenty of those too. I'm talking about bar cookies. Bakeries in the Midwest seem to devote prime bakery case real estate to the decadent treats in a way I've seen in no other part of the country--it's a truly beautiful thing.
And while recently taking a road trip through this veritable bar country, I came across an especially fascinating specimen at several different bakeries: the Special K Bar. These no-bake bars, which generally resemble bricks in both size and weight, were comprised of a dense, crunchy-chewy mixture of corn syrup, sugar, peanut butter, and Special K cereal, all topped with about a half-inch of fudgy chocolate topping.
They're almost indescribably rich, but completely addictive--so bad, but so good. Needless to say, upon returning home I immediately set out to recreate this magic in my own kitchen. My version is just as decadent as the ones I found in bakeries, but they seem slightly more virtuous when served in small, truffle-sized portions.
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Posted by cakespy, September 14, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) is a good pal of Serious Eats and an all-around super cool gal. Every Monday she will be chiming in with a delicious dessert recipe.
[Photographs: Jessie Oleson]
I had always kind of credited Vosges with kicking off the bacon-and-sweets trend that has pervaded the nation in recent years: after all, it was their bacon-infused chocolates that first alerted me to the phenomenon.
However, when I recently found myself leafing through Cookies by Natalie Hartanov Haughton, published in 1987, I found an intriguing entry for "Get Up and Go Breakfast Cookies," which are described as being "highlighted with bacon, cereal and orange peel--great for breakfast on-the-run." These are basically a breakfast trifecta, with Grape Nuts, bacon, and orange juice all combined into one supercharged cookie.
But don't for one moment confuse these with a savory breakfast biscuit--they very much maintain the structure, taste, and crumb of a cookie. These simultaneously sweet, salty, and citrusy cookies won't be for everyone, but they certainly are an intriguing link in the bacon-baked good puzzle.
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Posted by cakespy, September 7, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) is a good pal of Serious Eats and an all-around super cool gal. Every Monday she will be chiming in with a delicious dessert recipe.
Ah, Labor Day, that last hurrah of the outdoor eating season. As I see it, there's only one major problem with this grill-friendly holiday: a severe lack of cakes. And so, in an effort to discover cakes that might lend themselves to outdoor preparation, I consulted the most knowledgeable experts I could think of: The Boy Scouts.
According to a vintage Boy Scouts camping recipe pamphlet I found at a local thrift store, these crafty boys have a sweet campfire trick up their sleeves that's easily translated to grilling: they bake their cakes over the fire in hollowed-out oranges. Strange as it may sound, it actually works.
The result is a very moist cake with a whisper of infused orange flavor. Apparently the Scouts don't have qualms about using cake mix. Just about every recipe I found called for it, so that's what I used, in the darkest chocolate variation I could find. However, I see no reason why the recipe wouldn't work with a batch of the homemade cake batter. If you do use a cake mix, though, it's OK: you can make up for this culinary sin by making the frosting yourself.
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Posted by cakespy, August 31, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) is a good pal of Serious Eats and an all-around super cool gal. Every Monday she will be chiming in with a delicious dessert recipe.
[Photographs: Jessie Oleson]
Cupcakes and ice cream--those twin quasars of deliciousness, those icons of dessert. Is there any way they could possibly get any better?
Yes. By combining and blending them into a buttercreamy dream of a milkshake. At least that's the idea behind CupShakes, a beautiful new collaboration between Utah's The Sweet Tooth Fairy and Sammy's Cafe (an establishment already known for their pie milkshakes).
Now, the official CupShake is comprised of soft serve ice cream and a cupcake mixed with an Electro Freeze machine. Lacking these resources, my homemade version was made by combining a cupcake and an entire ice cream cone in a blender, which seemed to work out just fine. As for flavors, choose your own adventure: carrot cake with caramel ice cream? Funfetti with vanilla? The possibilities are endless.
One thing's for sure: this shake is so rich, so thick, so decadent, it would bring a tear to Paula Deen's eye.
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Posted by cakespy, August 24, 2009 at 3:45 PM
Note: Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy) is a good pal of Serious Eats and all-around super cool gal. Every Monday she will be chiming in with a delicious dessert recipe.
When I ponder the long and arduous journey the pilgrims made from Europe to the New World, one question rises in my mind above all others: what did they eat for dessert? Jumbles, of course.
Jumbles are cookies originally documented as early as the late 1500s in Europe. Since they fared well on long sea voyages, they were one of the first cookies brought over to the colonies. Strictly speaking, they aren't really a remarkable cookie. Made with a basic mix of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, they're more of an empty canvas, taking their personality from various mix-ins.
Early versions were either baked or boiled, often in figure eight shapes. Some say this made them easier to eat, as they tended to become dense and hard (incidentally, this also may explain the name jumble, which is derived from gemel, meaning "twin" in Latin). Rock-like or not, they were undoubtedly a step up away from hardtack.
Jumbles have come a long way since the Mayflower.
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Posted by cakespy, August 17, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Note: Give a warm welcome to Jessie Oleson (aka Cakespy), a good pal of Serious Eats and all-around super cool human being. She will be chiming in with a delicious dessert recipe every Monday. Take it away, Miss Cakespy!
Dessert pizza is a sector of confectionery that is hard to take seriously. Just consider the campy Domino's Oreo Dessert Pizza campaign, the candy-coated versions relegated to "kid-friendly" sections of cookbooks, and the chocolate-chip cookie pizzas that are most readily available at mall food courts. It's cheesy all right, but not in a good way.
But finally, there is a solution to propel the sweet slice into respectable dessert territory: the Pizza Pie. This confection may look like a pizza but has the soul (and ingredients) of a delicious dessert, comprised of pie crust heaped with sweet preserves, rounds of cheesecake filling and little marzipan "leaves" to mimic the look of a Neapolitan pie. The final result is pleasingly substantial, with a nice mix of textures and sweet and tart flavors--not to mention extremely fun to serve to unsuspecting guests.
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