Custards and Puddings

Greek Yogurt Lemon and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Planning a menu for a pure white dessert can be a challenge. Having said that, I created a Greek Yogurt Lemon and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta for Canada Day. Panna Cotta is a natural choice for its purity of white colour and its simplicity to make. I love the fresh look of panna cotta, a gelatine set custard made from dairy products which often include cream and/or milk. In this recipe, Greek yogurt is used because of its tangy taste.

Creating a pure white dessert requires eliminating vanilla bean paste because it would tint the custard to an ivory colour. To solve this problem, I added just a smidgeon of vanilla bean powder, which will show only the tiny specks of the vanilla bean seeds in the dessert while retaining the purity of the white colour. As well, I used lemon in two ways (juice and zest) as a flavouring ingredient, which compliments the tangy Greek yogurt.

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Canada Day Inspiration – Strawberry Creams

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Inspiration of Urbnspice Series #Canada150

Our Canada 150 is such a special day and deserves a very special dessert. This year, I want to create a dessert that features our Canadian colours with its vivid red and white colours, so Strawberry Creams Custard is the dessert that I am excited to share with you. This Pannacotta-like custard is a light and flavourful dessert that is wonderful for all occasions.

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I had the privilege of working for the Canadian Citizenship Office in Victoria, BC for a time. I have to say that it was very rewarding and an honour to be able to help people through the Canadian citizenship process. I often compare it to the flower delivery person. They put smiles on peoples’ faces all day long.

I am proud to be a Canadian and love our country with a passion. I have lived and visited many of its provinces and look forward to visiting all of them in the not too distant future. I hope you all take the time to enjoy celebrating with your fellow Canadians on Canada Day – make it a memorable one. I am going to start celebration preparations by making these Strawberry Creams Custard Pots.

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Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla

By Denise Pare-Watson

What do you think of when Cinnamon Rolls are mentioned? Does it create food memories of cinnamon-spice gooey sticky buns or cinnamon pinwheels with a cream cheese glaze? Does it make your mouth water when the fragrance of cinnamon buns are wafting through the kitchen while they are baking in the oven? Can you wait even five minutes before you twist off a bit off of one corner of a freshly baked hot-out-of-the-oven cinnamon roll? That is familiar to me on all accounts.

And, if you are anything like me, a cinnamon roll feast is something that we seldom make now at home unless there is a special function where a large quantity is required. Then, I remember why I loved making cinnamon rolls so much. There is just something about working with a really nice dough that is just so satisfying.

Cinnamon Rolls with Vanilla

Do you know the difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns? I wonder about things like that. Actually, there really is no difference at all. The terms cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns are often used interchangeably. There are certainly many different ways of making cinnamon rolls. Do you prefer the buns baked tightly together on one tray or individually baked in muffin tins? Do you like the cinnamon rolls individually baked free form or each contained in a pretty pan? Do you go off the beaten path and create something a little unconventional like a twisted cinnamon ring or chop the cinnamon roll dough to create an interesting effect?

Cinnamon Ring for special occasions

It does not really matter how you decide to bake them – what really matters is the quality of the ingredients that you use. I am quite fussy about the butter and eggs, of course, but what is really important for this baked good is the quality of the cinnamon. The cinnamon that I prefer is either Ceylon or Korintje variety from The Vanilla Food Company – the quality of their cinnamon is unsurpassed.

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White Chocolate and Lemon Curd Tart

By Denise Pare-Watson

White Chocolate and citrus is something most people have not considered when looking for something a little different using chocolate as an ingredient. Presenting White Chocolate and Lemon Curd Tart – the combination of sweet white chocolate and lemon is a combination that pairs so beautifully together in perfect harmony. This is a decadent and impressive dessert. The curd is so silky and smooth and can be used on its own in a parfait or swirled lightly into Greek yogurt. The tart shells are pre-baked, so it really is a convenient make-ahead dessert.

White Chocolate and Lemon Curd Tart | urbnspice.com

White Chocolate Lemon Curd Tart

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How to Make a Meringue Nest

By Denise Pare-Watson

I learned how to make a meringue nest early in my pastry chef career. It is an excellent idea in the pastry kitchen to have a repertoire of recipes that use an abundance of egg whites. The reason for that is because there are so many egg yolks utilized in the kitchen for crème brûlée, custards, sauces, Hollandaise and Béarnaise sauce, to name a few. We often had buckets of egg whites within a day or two of kitchen activities. Since there are only so many egg white omelettes you can make for the spa menu, using egg whites in cookies or desserts was popular – and fun! I had quite a repertoire of recipes available to use these extra egg whites and I will share some ideas with you to use in your own kitchen.

Blackberry Lime Curd in Crispy Meringue Nests

In this article, I will give you some ideas how you can use extra egg whites as well giving you as a recipe for meringue nests. On this blog, you will find recipes for Italian Almond Macaroons, Rice Flour Tuile Cookies, Earl Grey Chiffon Mini Cakes, Colourful Meringue Cookies, Chocolate Financier Cookies and many more. Making meringues are another way to use egg whites to create all kinds of excellent dessert options.

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Blackberry Lime Curd

By Denise Pare-Watson

Did you know that you can make curd out of virtually any juice or purée? In this post, I will explain how to do just that by explaining how to make a Blackberry Lime Curd. A curd is essentially a stirred custard, similar to crème anglaise or pastry cream. Most folks have heard about lemon curd. I do love a well-prepared lemon curd. It is the perfect balance of sweet, sour and tangy. You can use it in so many ways: as a cake filling; in a crème brûlée recipe; in lemon curd ice cream; on top of plain Greek yogurt for a refreshing dessert – the list goes on.

Blackberry Lime Curd in Crispy Meringue Nests

That said, I want to encourage you to try to make a curd using a fruit juice or fruit puree. In the past, I have made crimson coloured raspberry curd, fresh looking orange curd, and even a coral coloured rhubarb curd. Try making a new variation, too, thinking outside of the realm of luscious lemon curd for a change. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

White Chocolate Lemon Curd Tart

In this post, I am going to explain how to make blackberry puree, and then, using the prepared puree, I will illustrate through my recipe how to make a luscious blackberry lime curd. It is a gorgeous sauce, not only in its rich burgundy colour but also its flavour.

I lived for many years on Vancouver Island, British Columbia where blackberries were plentiful, so it was wonderful to make good use of this bounty from our berry picking adventures. We always had a lovely feast of the freshly picked berries in our usual style of serving them simply with a light sprinkle of sugar, lime zest and vanilla bean paste. I typically use the remainder of the berry pickings for puree, jams and compotes.

Blackberry Lime Curd served with Langues de Chat cookies

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National Caramel Custard Day

By Denise Pare-Watson

Did you know that there is such a holiday called National Caramel Custard Day?

There is an unofficial holiday celebrated annually on October 3rd. It is also called National Crème Caramel Day. This sweet traditional treat is also known as flan or creme caramel custard.

Creme Brulee

Crème caramel was a menu item in my previous workplace that never lost status. When the menu went through its typical seasonal changeover, crème caramel remained a constant favourite. It is surprisingly easy to make with simple ingredients. My preference is to make individual crème caramel portions and serve them with a crisp tuile cookie garnish.

There are many desserts that fall into the category of custards. To name a few: crème brulée; pot de crème; pannacotta; Spanish flans; Italian Budino; pastry cream; Sabayon, English pouring custard or Crème Anglaise. English Pouring custard has many names: vanilla sauce, creme anglaise, pouring sauce, and custard sauce.

Technically speaking, other types of desserts fall into the custard category, such as pecan pie; cheesecake; pumpkin pie, and rice puddings are all types of custards.

Traditional Baked Rice Pudding with Fresh Fruit and Stewed Fruit Garnish

Apple Crisp and Star Apple Creme Anglaise

Enjoy National Caramel Custard Day by making, buying or sharing a sweet treat with someone you care about.

More like this:

Sabayon

Baked Rice Pudding

Creme Anglaise

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

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Trinidad Sweet Rice

By Denise Pare-Watson

As a chef, it is always interesting to try the foods of other cultures. I enjoy the more unconventional methods of experiencing the cuisine of other countries and by participating in Habitat for Humanity projects around the world, I have an opportunity to live and eat with the local community rather than the conventional resort or restaurant offerings. One of the Habitat for Humanity trips that my husband and I volunteered in was a project in Trinidad. Trinidad Sweet Rice is one of the dishes that we tried during our time there.

Trinidad Sweet Rice Pudding

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