dessert Archives - domenica dreams of calamari

October 7, 2018October 7, 2018

Almost Vegan Pumpkin Cookies

I made this original pumpkin cookie recipe in college and today is really feelin like Fall so of course, I wanted to make something pumpkin-y, cus ’tis the season. However I wanted to make these a little healthier so I made some substitutions et voila. I still used an egg but if you really want these to actually be vegan you can try a flax egg instead!

{makes 10 cookies}

- - 1 cup pumpkin puree
  - 1 cup coconut sugar +a little extra for sprinkling
  - 1/3 cup coconut oil
  - 1 tsp vanilla extract
  - 1 large egg (or flax egg)
  - 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  - 1 tsp baking soda
  - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  - 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  - 1/2 tsp salt

spiced cashew cream frosting:
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp pumpkin puree
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp each cardamom and cinnamon
- a couple splashes almond milk
- pepitas or another nut of your choice for the topping

pre-heat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet (or 2, mine are pretty small) with parchment
in a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, sugar and spices
add egg, vanilla, pumpkin puree and melted coconut oil, stir until combined
spoon cookies onto baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
remove from oven and let cool
meanwhile soak cashews in hot water until the start to get soft
in a small food processor blend all frosting ingredients, adding more almond milk as needed
once the cookies have cooled slightly spread frosting over and decorate with pepitas and a little sugar (optional)
great with chai tea. or red wine, as is everything

May 13, 2018

Banana Ice Cream with Date Coconut Caramel

I’d been wary of banana “nice cream” for a while but I decided to give it a try the other night when I had an ice cream hankering but no ice cream. It turned out pretty good! It’s all about the toppings though.

{serves 1}

1 banana, sliced and frozen
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp date coconut caramel
dark chocolate chunks

take bananas out of the freezer and give them a quick minute to soften slightly
in a small food processor blend bananas and vanilla extract
blend until they reach a smooth soft serve kind of consistency but not too much, you don’t want it to turn into a smoothie!
then scoop out and top with your favorite toppings! mine are date caramel and chocolate chunks ATM

October 11, 2014October 14, 2014

Plum Goat Cheese Tart

A couple of weeks ago we went to the swap meet and thought it was a good idea to buy five pounds of plums before trying them. They were chalky and gross and never ripened. Luckily, I am quite the problem solver especially when it comes to all things food related. In one of the most magical transformations I’ve ever participated in, plum jam was created.

plum jam:

10 plums (don’t worry if they’re unripe and tasteless, it’ll be better if they are tasty but it’s not absolutely necessary as evidenced by the swap meet fiasco)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon

Slice plums and heat, covered, on medium-low heat with lemon juice.
Let cook undisturbed for 10 minutes, then stir in honey and cinnamon
tilt lid up to let out some moisture and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until desired consistency is reached

This jam is great on toast, yogurt or cottage cheese as well. I think I am going to make baked brie w/ it tomorrow night. This tart was a wonderful and easy dinner/dessert. Puff pastry is a great pantry (er freezer) staple to have on hand because of its’ versatility and scrumptious-ness.

plum jam, goat cheese tart:

1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup plum jam (link)
1/2 cup goat cheese

pre-heat oven to 400°F, thaw puff pastry and roll out on lined baking sheet
poke middle with a fork, leaving a 1 inch border, sprinkle with 1/2 the goat cheese and bake at 400° F for 10 minutes or until it starts to turn gold
remove and spread the jam in an even layer over the middle part then sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese on top, continue baking, about 1o minutes, or until cheese melts and crust turns golden

September 19, 2014September 24, 2014

Ricotta

I was shocked by how easy it was to make this delicious cheese at home in less that 24 hours. Ricotta is great because of its versatility; we used it for a great dinner on fresh pasta and also had it for dessert on top of cake. We got inspiration and the recipe from Bon Appétit.

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice or distilled white vinegar

Bring milk, cream, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice; stir gently until mixture starts to curdle. Let stand 5 minutes.
Pour mixture into a fine-mesh sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth set over a medium bowl. Chill until cheese is spreadable, at least 20 minutes and up to 12 hours (the longer it strains, the thicker it will be).

Original recipe: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/fresh-ricotta

After making the cheese, you’ll have quite a bit of whey leftover but don’t toss it! There are lots of interesting and useful ways to utilize it. This article explains all you ever wanted to know about curds versus whey: http://www.farmcurious.com/cheesemaking-what-to-do-with-all-that-whey/

September 10, 2014August 1, 2016

No-Bake Peanut Butter Sesame Balls

When my mom got a vitamix we went into a crazed vitamixin’ phase. One sunday when my dad was making breakfast we realized we’d finished the peanut butter. After breakfast he likes to have some peanut butter. Not one to just spoon it out of the jar, he artfully modifies his spoonfuls with honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, sometimes some nuts or seeds. Anyways I decided I would whip up (or grind up) some peanut butter in the new handy contraption. The peanut butter was great but it only lasts up to a week and I guess I got a bit overzealous because I made a bit more than we really needed. So, towards the end of the week I solved that problem and turned the leftover peanut butter into these no-bake dessert/energy snacks.

Peanut Butter: (I used my vitamix but it would probably work in a food processor)

1/2 cup peanuts
a splash H2O
dash vanilla extract
dash cinnamon

blend peanuts w/ a little water until it turns into a paste. eat peanut butter

Aforementioned Dessert/Snacks:

peanut butter (you can use store bought if you don’t have home-ground)
2 tbsp sesame seeds
a few more dashes on cinnamon
a dash of salt

spread sesame seeds on a mini baking sheet and toast them for a couple of minutes. not long.
mix the cinnamon with the hot seeds (to bring out the aroma)
add salt to the mix
roll peanut butter into balls then roll in the mixture
keep in fridge