This is one of my husband's favorite pudding flavors. Whisk together 2 Tbsp cornstarch, ½ cup light brown sugar, and a dash of salt in a small pot. Add 1 cup each milk and half and half, then cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until mixture thickens. When thickened, remove from heat and stir in 1… Continue reading Spicy butterscotch pudding
Tag: dessert
Grilled stone fruit skewers
Cut peaches and plums in half and remove pits. Alternately thread on metal skewers, with cut side facing up. Sprinkle white sugar on cut side and let sit for a few minutes. Coat a BBQ grill with cooking spray, then grill skewers (cut side down) on medium-high heat for about 5 mins. Serve immediately. This dish… Continue reading Grilled stone fruit skewers
Oven-roasted strawberries
Preheat oven to 375. Hull 1 pint strawberries and place, cut side down, in a baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Bake for 30 mins. This recipe is from Cooking Light. (July 2014)
Oven-roasted stone fruit with cherries
Preheat oven to 450. Cut 6 peaches (here, white nectarines) and 6 plums into quarters (removing pits), then place cut side up in a large baking dish. Sprinkle ½ cup sugar (here, I used homemade vanilla sugar) over the stone fruit. Garnish with 2 small containers of pitted cherries (or raspberries), then place in the… Continue reading Oven-roasted stone fruit with cherries
Cider-poached pears
Combine 2 ½ cups apple cider, ¾ cup white sugar (here, vanilla-infused sugar), ½ cup orange juice, the zest of one orange (here, a lemon), 3 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 vanilla pod (split lengthwise) in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, and then immediately reduce to a simmer. Separately,… Continue reading Cider-poached pears
Oven-roasted plums in spiced syrup
In a small sauce pan, mix ½ cup sugar (here, vanilla sugar), ¾ cup water, 1/8 tsp each nutmeg and allspice, and a small cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, then pour over 2 ½ lb red plums (stems removed, placed stem side down). Roast in… Continue reading Oven-roasted plums in spiced syrup
Vanilla meringues
After developing a meringue addiction while in Ixtapa, I decided to try my hand at making meringues at home. For this first try, I followed a simple recipe from the Azorean cookbook that involved whipping 3 eggs with 1 cup granulated sugar (here, vanilla-infused sugar) until stiff (about 9 mins on the hand mixer), then… Continue reading Vanilla meringues
Mother’s cookies
I learned this from my friend Mika, who shared this recipe from her sister’s school cookbook many years ago. Preheat oven to 350. Using a hand mixer, blend 1 cup shortening, 1 ½ cups sugar, and 2 eggs until well mixed. Add 1 tsp each baking soda and salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 ½… Continue reading Mother’s cookies
Thai coconut pudding with sweet potato and tapioca
Sweetened with palm sugar (jaggery), this dessert imparts a delicate, not too sweet flavor.First, cook the sweet potatoes or use already-cooked ones (see Note 1 below). For uncooked potatoes: bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add 3 large Japanese or Korean sweet potatoes (goguma), skin on and cut into thick rounds… Continue reading Thai coconut pudding with sweet potato and tapioca
Bananas Foster (without the booze)
This is an alcohol-free version. Using a large wok, heat ¼ cup unsalted butter. When melted, add 2/3 cup light brown sugar, 3 ½ Tbsp lemon juice, 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, and ½ tsp cinnamon. Once sauce starts bubbling, add 3 large or 4 medium bananas (sliced on a diagonal) and ¼ cup pecan… Continue reading Bananas Foster (without the booze)
Cooking Adventures 