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Desserts and Sweets
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GLUTEN FOR PUNISHMENT, TOO
This post is a sequel to Gluten for Punishment, which is why I called it Gluten for Punishment, Too. What do you do when you have the challenge of multiple dietary restrictions to consider?
I have been experimenting at home and in my workplace featuring gluten-free, grain-free, and sometimes dairy-free recipes. This week, the recipe testing happened to include all three restrictions!
This would make most chefs shake their heads, shiver in their toques, or briskly march their chef-clogs out of the kitchen. Not this chef, since I have a virtuous reason why I am persisting in this culinary undertaking. I need to provide my daughter with ideas regarding a very special 1st birthday cake. Why, you ask? The one-year-old has an Auntie who has a gluten-free, grain-free restriction and follows a Paleo Diet. As well, our tiny guest of honour is lactose intolerant.
- Gluten Free Cake with Dairy Free Ganache
If this happened to you, what would you do? You may not necessarily be facing the restrictions listed above; however, most gatherings have guests with some type of restriction that you have to consider when planning your menu. This does not necessarily mean that you have to serve sorbet for dessert, although it certainly provides an alternative.
My suggestion is to list the restrictions of your guests and make sure you review the ingredients that you will be using in your recipes carefully and methodically. Eliminate or modify any recipe that will be problematic for allergies, sensitivities or intolerances (these reactions are all different).
In many cases, you can exclude or substitute an ingredient in certain recipes and they will not affect the end result. For example, the addition of heavy cream or butter to your pan when making a sauce for chicken breasts or other meats can be omitted for your dairy sensitive guests without adversely affecting the sauce. In this situation, you can use the reduction method by simmering the liquid in the pan until it thickens.
Taking the concept of substitution into consideration, my challenge was to develop a birthday cake or dessert recipe that is gluten-free; grain-free and dairy free.
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cakes with Dairy Free Ganache variations
The birthday cake recipe that I developed is a flourless chocolate cake, using a nut meal (if tolerable), coconut flour or sunflower seed flour as a flour substitute. Typically, I would cover this type of rustic cake with a ganache made of heavy cream and chocolate. Since dairy ingredients are an issue, I made a ganache from fruit puree – in this case, raspberry puree. Raspberry puree is easily made by pressing fresh or thawed berries through a sieve to remove seeds and sweetened to taste. You can find out How to Make Raspberry Coulis post here.
- Gluten Free Chocolate Cakes with Dairy Free Ganache variations
Another dessert option for this type of dietary restriction (if a cake is not required), is a sabayon (the French culinary term) or zabaglione (Italian culinary term). A sabayon is a sweet sauce produced by a similar technique used in the popular savoury hollandaise sauce (Eggs Benedict). There are only three ingredients in a sabayon: Egg Yolks, Sugar, a speciality wine blend. Marsala is typically used, although an Ice Wine is also brilliant (although very expensive).
Another dietary restriction challenge has been unravelled. There are others to be solved! Stay tuned.
Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:
- Gluten-Free Flour Blends
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Urb’n’Spice Books:
Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – The Cookbook Series from Pastry Chef Denise Paré-Watson of Urb’n’Spice
If you enjoyed reading this post, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.
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 Urb’n’Spice Chef
Follow me on Social Media
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SABAYON
Sabayon is an elegant French dessert that anyone can make. It is easy to do and it only requires a few ingredients: egg yolks, fine sugar and typically, a wine like Sweet Marsala, Madeira, Icewine or Port. recently, I taught a class at a specialty vinegar and spice store and made Quince Balsamic Vanilla Bean Sabayon with Seasonal Fruit and Berries for the class using one of their exquisite line of balsamic vinegars.
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Chocolate quotes
Chocolate Quotes
Everyone knows that the UrbnSpice Chef loves chocolate –
so, this post is dedicated entirely to just chocolate quotes.
I will revisit this page from time to time and add a few more chocolate quotes.
It is surprising how many quotes pertain to chocolate – one of my favourite subjects.
Let’s have some fun with this!
To start here is one of my own quotes:
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“Never, ever refuse homemade Brownies”
UrbnSpice
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“What is life without chocolate”
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“When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.”
Regina Brett, 90 years old
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Double Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake | urbnspice.com
“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”
Charles M. Schulz
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“I’ve always got a sweet tooth. I have chocolate hidden in places that nobody knows about.”
Tony McCoy
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“Every meal should end with something sweet.
Maybe it’s jelly on toast at breakfast or a small piece of chocolate at dinner
– but it always helps my brain bring a close to the meal.”
Robert Irvine
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“Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.”
Audrey Hepburn
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“After about 20 years of marriage, I’m finally starting to scratch the surface of what women want.
And I think the answer lies somewhere between conversation and chocolate.”
Mel Gibson
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Chocolate Intelligence
“Your hand and your mouth agreed
many years ago that,
as far as chocolate is concerned,
there is no need to involve your brain.”
Dave Barry
Dave Barry is a humour columnist.
He also loves chocolate!
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“Did you hear that Chocoholics Anonymous has been disbanded?
No one wanted to quit!”
Anonymous Chocoholic
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Chocolate and First Dates
“Why is Chocolate like a first date?
The quality of the end result has everything to do with the product going in!”
Anonymous Chocoholic
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“The bank of friendship cannot exist for long without deposits of chocolate.”
Anonymous
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“I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process….
It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?”
— Author Unknown
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“We are indeed much more than what we eat,
but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.”
—-Adelle Davis
Author and nutritionist
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Vince Lombardi said,
“Winning isn’t everything – it is the ONLY thing.”
Chocoholics say,
“Chocolate isn’t everything – it IS the only thing.”
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Chocoholics and Stock Investors
“Why are Chocoholics like Stock Investors?
They keep coming back for more!”
Anonymous Chocoholic
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Other Urb’n’Spice Posts that you might enjoy:
Rainy Days and Sunshine (And Chocolate Covered Strawberries)
More about UrbnSpice and Chocolate:
Urbnspice Chocolate Desserts Cookbook Series
An Ode to Tasty Men
Written by ‘Kid of a Chef”
I like Men.
Lots of them.
Some days I just want one man; others days, I want to be pleased many times a day by many different men.
Specifically, I like a Man who has a golden tan and smooth body clothed with adornments so fine that it makes my mouth drool and eyes widen at the very site.
I want my Man to be warm, comforting and have a scent that is unlike any other.
And I want him to taste like Ginger.
He may be a mere cookie, but my Man made of Gingerbread makes me feel as if I am being rescued from a world of flavourless food by a succulent saviour. My senses fill with his aroma, my body tingles at the thought of having one little taste, and my mind lingers on thoughts of the satisfaction he will bring me when we meet. He is the hero of my taste buds; the dessert and main course all-in-one.
Although my Gingerbread Man does not come with a noble steed (unless I find a cookie cutter in that shape…) or rescue Damsel’s in distress, I feel as if I could love him forever; or at least until I lick the last delectable crumbs from my lips and I cozy up to his friend who is lounging supine on the cookie sheet.
I am not the only one who lusts after cookies. I share my love of Gingerbread with many other people (although I admit that I am hesitant to literally SHARE my cookies with them…we are all selfish in our own ways), and I have a good idea why: Gingerbread People are a perfect synonym for creating our ideal mate or ultimate self. Each little cookie starts out looking the same: two arms, two legs, one head and endless possibilities.
Annual Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Day Fun with Family
I always decorate my Cookie-Men to be handsome and brilliantly clothed in the finest icing money can buy, with flowing locks of liquorice hair and bright jujube eyes. My Cookie-Women wear M&M jewels and model the latest in designer gum-drop shoes. Through my cookies, I create my Utopia. In a perfect world, I too would emit the scent of freshly baked cookies and would be adorned with extravagant fashions and edible jewellery…and my real-life man would always wear what I tell him to (plaid-shirts and faded jeans are out of the question!).
I feel as if I journey with my Gingerbread Cookies from conception to consumption, and the personal attachment I feel for my creations makes their taste all-the-more sweet. Oh sure, I have tried to make Men-Cookies out of peanut butter or chocolate-chip dough, but it is just not the same. The marriage between the fragrance of Gingerbread and the perfection of the dough that can be formed into shapes is a beautiful union indeed. Just as beautiful as that first bite of Gingerbread heaven.
Gingerbread Cookie Fun with Family
Perhaps I will never be a faithful consort in my love affair with the Gingerbread Man, for I will always be searching for yet another Man to satisfy my desires, but my love will never diminish. I will remember each-and-every Man I consume, I will savour every moment we spend in each other’s company, and I will never stop craving his sweet flavour.
A simple Gingerbread House made by grandchildren
More Cookies:
Vanilla Bean Poppers – Holiday Variation
You can find me on social media (see links below) – be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!
Denise Paré-Watson
The Urb’n’Spice Chef
Follow me on Social Media
Cupcakes – love ’em? or not!
Cupcakes – Do you Love Them? Or not?
I have a confession to make. I.Really.Do.Not.Like.Making.Cupcakes.For.A.Wedding.
Don’t get me wrong. I love being a pastry chef. I love meeting with prospective clients to help plan their wedding cake displays. I am a happy kitchen dweller. My collection of recipe books gives me such pleasure as I “read” through old favourites or the latest cookbooks that have come on the market and mysteriously appear in my collection. I do eat, live and breathe the life of a pastry chef, and cannot imagine that this will ever change. But cupcakes……well, cupcakes are somewhat problematic, and here is why:
Wedding display of cupcakes
For the individual who is eating the cupcake, they can present some interesting challenges.
- Cupcakes are typically top-heavy due to their heavy rosette of buttercream frosting and topple over easily.
- Cupcakes are designed to be eaten out-of-hand. This can create some challenges when you are dressed in formal attire.
- Cupcakes are not unlike tacos or hotdogs – in order to eat them effectively, you really have to tilt your head slightly sideways. This is not pretty in most cases.
For the pastry chef, the challenges are as daunting.
- Due to the tipsy nature of a cupcake, they are not easily transported, especially when dealing with large numbers.
- Typically, there is an additional charge for set-up since the cupcakes will often need to be frosted and finished at the wedding site to prevent significant damage.
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Traditional Baked Rice Pudding
One of the most comforting desserts I can remember as a child is Traditional Baked Rice Pudding. There are so many versions of a good rice pudding, and this recipe, in particular, is one of my favourites. The recipe uses sweet rice (Arborio) and a few ingredients mixed all together in a snap, and then simply placed in a slow oven for an hour or so. It is perhaps a more familiar version than my post for Trinidad’s version of rice pudding, called “Sweet Rice”. This traditional rice pudding is loved by everyone, from toddlers to the elders. Give it a try – I am sure that you will love it as much as we do.
Traditional Baked Rice Pudding with Fresh Fruit and Stewed Fruit Garnish
Traditional Baked Rice Pudding
CHEF TALK: Serve the rice pudding with a drizzle of maple syrup for a simple dessert. To embellish the rice pudding, add fresh berries or stewed fruit, caramelized sliced almonds or toasted pecans. A little extra pouring cream doesn’t hurt, either.
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 oz. Rice, Arborio
- 3 oz. Sugar
- 1 pod Vanilla Bean
- 30 oz. Milk, 2 % or whole
- 3 oz. Butter
- 2 oz. Raisins, optional
METHOD:
- Combine all of the ingredients in an ovenproof casserole dish.
- Place in a 300°F oven and bake for 1 hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally or until rice is cooked and mixture has thickened. Add raisins, if desired.
- Serve warm or cold.
Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:
- Oven Temperature Accuracy
- Vanilla Extract
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You Might Also Like:
Coconut Orange Pudding – A Gluten Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Nut Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free Dessert
As always, if you give this recipe for Traditional Baked Rice Pudding a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.
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
Follow me on Social Media:
Urbnspice Facebook Page – If you like what you see here, please LIKE my page. I would love that – thank you!
Urbnspice is on Twitter
You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest
I am also on Instagram
Trinidad Sweet Rice
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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