Delightful, Delicious, and Dairy-Free

When my daughter was about 3, she had a bumpy rash on her arms and legs that wouldn't go away. I decided to cut dairy from her diet to see if that would help and it was really difficult. Dairy is in everything!

I became obsessive about reading labels. Obviously pouring milk on the cereal was out, but a lot of products have milk lurking inside as an ingredient. Finding dairy-free products was my grocery store challenge.

We substituted soy and rice milk for liquid milk, but the hardest to find replacements for were cheese and ice cream. Sorry, but tofu cheese is just nasty. She got to the point of telling friends' parents, "I'm allergic to milk, but I can have pizza!" And dairy-free desserts weren't any easier.

After about 6 months of cutting out (most of the) dairy products her rash was much better, and when we gradually reintroduced dairy into her diet, she was fine. Although I no longer have to do the dairy-swap-tango, I learned that people with special needs diets have a tough time and whenever we can bring some joy into their life with a treat that's "allowed," it's a huge blessing to them.

If you know someone who's got issues with eggs or dairy, but loves chocolate, I've got just the thing. This pudding is so rich and creamy, you'd swear it was stuffed full of extra heavy whipping cream and egg yolks and that it took a long time over a hot stove and lots of stirring.

Nothing could be further from the truth. It goes together in a matter of minutes and is blended in a food processor. The secret ingredients? Cocoa, dates, and…..avocados! Really, avocados. The pudding tastes nothing like avocado, but the avocado gives it a rich, smooth, satisfying mouth feel. And I love that it has zero fake food ingredients in it. It's all 100% good and good for you. Finally, a dessert everyone can enjoy! Unless you hate chocolate, in which case I really can't do anything for you.

Delightfully Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding
- adapted from Raw Foods Made Easy

1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups peeled, pitted and mashed avocado (about three avocados)
3/4th cup cocoa powder


1- Place the dates in a small bowl and add the hot water. Allow to soak for about 15 minutes. Drain the dates, reserving the liquid.

2- Place the soaked dates, maple syrup and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the avocados and cocoa powder and process until creamy. Stop and scrap down sides of bowl with rubber spatula.

3- Add the water (from soaked dates) and process briefly. Add more water if needed. Serve chilled or at room temp.

Must....Have.....Chocolate!

Lately I've had a hankering for chocolate. Maybe it was knowing there were chocolate Easter treats hiding in my drawer, but my "gotta have chocolate" meter got cranked to a much higher notch, somewhere between "willing to graze on the chocolate chip stash" and "will make a special trip to the store to buy double chocolate chocolate chip anything with chocolate on top."

The problem with a hankering is that usually it's not patient. I have plenty of chocolate in my house, but it's all in ingredient form. For the most part, have no problem walking by the bags and bins (I kid you not) of chips, wafers, chunks and bars that make up my chocolate stash, because when I want chocolate, I want it in something. Preferably something warm, so the chocolate is melty and oozy, coating the tongue in a warm bath of chocolate bliss. But I didn't want to take the time to make something that would involve multiple steps, lots of waiting, and then cooling time before I could eat it.

Enter Nigella. I have had this recipe bookmarked since I won a copy of Nigella Express. I bought the canned pears just to make it. But for some reason, I never got around to it. But with my chocolate hankering reaching a fever pitch, I started thumbing through cookbooks and came upon this beauty.



Easy, easy, easy to throw together. Only half an hour to bake, and you can make the sauce while it's baking, so you don't burn your tongue licking the oven window while waiting. 5 minutes to cool, and then, ahhhhhhh, heavenly, chocolatey, oozy, delicious bliss! A crispy shell on top gives a texture contrast with the gooey filling. The sharp, almost bitter dark chocolate sauce contrasts with the sweet pear. Seriously, I had a hard time leaving it alone long enough to take pictures!

If you get regular (like monthly) chocolate cravings, go stock up on canned pears. Once you taste this cake, you'll want to make it again and again.

Chocolate Pear Pudding Cake
- adapted from Nigella Express

2-14 oz. cans pear halves in juice
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup cocoa
10 Tbsp (1-1/4 sticks) soft butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

1- Preheat the oven to 400 deg. F and grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter.

2- Drain the pears, discarding the juice, or setting it aside for another purpose, if you're super thrifty. Arrange the pear halves in the base of the dish.

3- Put all of the remaining ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and whir it till you get a smooth batter with a soft dropping consistency. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula, if you need to.

4- Spread the batter over the pears. Bake for 30 minutes.

5- While the cake is baking make the chocolate sauce (below).

6- Remove the cake from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes and then cut into 9 pieces. Serve with chocolate sauce.



Hot Chocolate Sauce
- adapted from Nigella Express

3 ox dark chocolate, 70 % cocoa solids, roughly chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp golden syrup (I used light corn syrup)

1- Place all of the ingredients in a heavy saucepan over gentle heat. Let everything melt together, stirring occasionally.

2- Once everything has melted, take it off the heat and pour into a jug for serving.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Sweet Dreams

After a tough day, when the kids have been arguing, dinner didn't turn out well, I've got deadlines hanging over my head, and a headache has been following me all day like an evil puppy, I can't wait to get to bed. Sleep is the ultimate escape.

When I switch off my conscious brain, I enter a wonderful world where anything is possible. Sometimes I can fly. Sometimes I can fit in my high school jeans. Sometimes Colin Firth has just emerged dripping wet from a brief dip in the lake and wants to show me his mansion. Sometimes all in the same dream. And it all makes sense.

This dessert is like a dream. Improbably easy, light as a feather, melts away on your tongue, and is lingeringly delicious. It won't help you fit in your high school jeans, make you fly, or give you that encounter with Colin Firth, but it will make a rough day a little sweeter. Go ahead and dream with your eyes wide open.



Lemon Cream Dreams
serves 6

3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Meyer lemon juice*
4 oz white chocolate, chopped

1- Place a mixing bowl and beaters into the freezer to chill. Heat water in a saucepan to boiling.

2- In a heatproof bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Stir in sugar and the lemon juice.

3- Place the bowl over the pan of boiling water and cook, stirring continuously with a wire whisk until the mixture thickens to a pudding consistency.

3- Remove the bowl from the heat and add the white chocolate, stirring until it's melted and completely incorporated. Set aside and cool to room temperature. When cool, cover and chill in the refrigerator for an hour or more.

4- Using the chilled bowl and beaters, whip the cream to firm peaks. Gently fold the lemon mixture into the whipped cream. Spoon into beautiful serving dishes. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Garnish, if desired with a twist of lemon peel, a candied violet, or a dollop of whipped cream.

* If Meyer lemons are unavailable, use regular lemons. It will just be a bit more tart.

Winter Baking Land

We've had a really weird winter, weatherwise, thus far. Last year we saw more snow than we had in decades and this year, nothing. Not a flake. We're coasting along in the balmy mid-50's (F). It makes me feel just a little guilty when I read about the poor people on the other side of the country who are getting beaten up by storm after storm, dumping tons of snow, to the point that people can't leave their houses. Yikes!

I wish I could send along some of our warmer weather. But since that's not really a feasible plan, I'll turn my oven on in solidarity with my fellow frozen citizens. Warm up the kitchen and bring on the comfort.

There is something immeasurably comforting about warm, messy food. It's not meant to be pretty (and as you can see from my pictures, it's not!), but it is certainly delicious. And just a bit will fend off the horrors of the day and give you hope that everything's going to be OK. Even if you can't dig down deep enough to get to the snow shovel.

Chocolate Cherry Bread Pudding
- adapted from Baking Kids Love

1/2 loaf bread (white, challah, or Italian), about 8.5 oz
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1-3/4 cups milk
1-3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried, sour cherries
Whipped cream, for topping

1- Preheat oven to 325 deg. F with a rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan or pie pan with cooking spray.

2- Cut the crusts off the bread (you can discard or save to feed the birds or make into bread crumbs). Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

3- Measure 4 cups of the bread cubes. The remainder can be saved in a plastic bag in the cupboard or freezer for future use.

4- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt until completely blended. Whisk in the milk, cream, and vanilla and blend well. Add the toasted bread cubes to the bowl and stir them into the custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes, then remove the bowl from the refrigerator and stir the mixture to make sure the bread soaks up the custard evenly. Return to the refrigerator for another 10 to 20 minutes, or until the bread has soaked up most of the custard and looks very soft. (If you turned off the oven after toasting the bread, turn it back on now.)

5- Stir the chopped chocolate and cherries into the mixture. Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and press it into an even layer. Bake for 50 to 70 minutes, or until slightly puffed, golden brown, and set in the center.

6- Transfer to the cooling rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream. Leftovers (as if!) should be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. REheat in a 325 deg. F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until warmed through.

Thinking of Dessert

Being a food blogger is terrific because it provides me with an excellent excuse to make tons of fabulous desserts. Any whim for cake, brownies, cookies, cupcakes can be indulged, because "I need something to post."

The drawback to this great system of rationale is that when I'm craving something I've already posted, I have no reason to make it again. It feels like a waste to make something that I can't blog.

So what was I to do when I started craving creme brulée? You know how it goes, you have a passing thought. "Hmm, Creme Brulée. I really like Creme Brulée." Then you move on. Then the thought comes back and gently nudges you. "Creme Brulée. Remember? Silky, creamy, sweet with the crunchy crust? Mmmm." But then rational part of the brain comes back and says, "You don't need it. It's not exactly diet food, plus, you've already made it before and (oh, no, trump card!) you've already blogged it, so there's no excuse to make it."

Defeated by my rational self the Thought limped into a corner. Defeated? Not at all. It just changed tactics and started a whisper campaign.

I look in the refrigerator to see what needs to go on my shopping list. "Oh, wow, I've got a lot of eggs." "Creme Brulée," whispers the Thought. "Hmm, I'd better use that heavy cream before it goes bad." Creme Brulée," murmurs the Thought. "Maybe I should make dessert tonight." "Creme Brulée," hints the Thought.

I slam the refrigerator door shut and shout, "Fine, I'll make Creme Brulée!" Startled, my husband looks up and says, "Uh, OK. I like Creme Brulée."



So I made the Creme Brulée, using a different recipe, although I knew I still wouldn't be able to blog it because it would look identical. Oh well, I'd be able to eat it and that's what counts.

But then, while the Creme Brulée was chilling, I leafed through a different cookbook and found, hold the horses, a double decker Creme Brulée! A regular layer and then a chocolate mousse layer. Holy moly - this was it! The pinnacle of creme brulée goodness. And bloggable, too.

It was amazing, of course. My family gobbled up their servings, licking the dishes for every last trace of creamy, dreamy custard. And you wouldn't believe how smug the Thought was. It was very annoying. So hopefully, by posting this, I've exorcised the Thought. But if it shows up in your head, don't blame me. Just make the creme brulée. Trust me, it's easier than listening to that nagging.


Twice As Nice Creme Brulée
- adapted from Baking and The Essence of Chocolate

Layer 1 (I liked that this recipe did away with the pesky water bath which gave me so much trouble last time)

1-1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1- Preheat the oven to 200 deg. F. with a rack in the center. Put six 4-inch gratin dishes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2- In a small saucepan, bring the cream and milk just to a boil.

3- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together until well blended but not airy. Still whisking, slowly pour about a quarter of the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture to temper it. Whisking the whole time, slowly pour in the rest of the hot cream and milk.

4- Give the bowl a good rap against the counter to pop any bubbles,, then strain the custard into the baking dishes. Bake the custards for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the centers are set (when you tap the sides of the dishes, the custards should be firm, not jiggly). Remove the dishes to a cooling rack and let them cool to room temperature.

5- Cover each custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, preferably longer.

Layer 2

2-1/2 oz. 70% bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup dried, ground turbinado or demerra sugar (see Note)

1- In a bowl set over gently simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from the heat and let sit in a warm spot until barely warm.

2- In a medium bowl, using a whisk, whisk the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of sugar until a ribbon forms when the whisk is lifted. Fold in the tepid chocolate.

3- In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp sugar and continue beating until barely stiff peaks form. Gently fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.

4- Spoon the chocolate mouse over the chilled custards, smoothing the tops with a small offset spatula. Wipe the rims of the dishes with a damp towel to remove any chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or, preferably, overnight.

5- Thirty minute before serving, remove the creme brulée from the refrigerator.

6- Just before serving, sprinkle the sugar in an even layer over the top of the mousse. Using a torch, work from one end of the dish to the other, adjusting the flame level as needed to caramelize the sugar. Serve immediately.

Note - The recipe calls for light brown sugar, baked in a 325 deg. F oven till dry, then ground until fine. I had a packet of Demerra sugar on my shelf (purchased a couple of years ago for a recipe I never made), which was quite hard. I ground it up in my mortar and pestle for the topping and it worked quite well.

Still Singing the Blues

After I did a whole week of blueberry posts, no doubt you thought I was tapped out, all done, and had scraped the bottom of the blueberry barrel. Oh, no, my friends. I've got another week's worth, but I think I'll ease them on you slowly and gently rather than bombing you with a whole week at once.

I realize it's the end of the blueberry season, but I face a dilemma here. Do I post the recipes, perhaps a bit out of season and let you bookmark them to make next year? Or do I save them in my files to post next year when the blueberries are ripe, hoping that I can remember which cookbook / magazine / scrap of paper the recipe was on? I think it's more prudent to opt for the former. I doubt I'll be able to remember next month, let alone next year. Plus, I saw blueberries at Costco on my last trip. So let the blueberries roll!

I found this recipe in a kids magazine. I love kid-friendly recipes that are easy, require only a few ingredients, and make children proud of what they've made. I know my kids would have been proud, except they were off doing other things, coming only to help eat up the results.

Easy Peasy Blueberry Fool
- adapted from Family Fun magazine

1 tbsp butter
2 cups blueberries, stemmed and rinsed
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream

1- Place a large mixing bowl and the beaters from a hand-held electric mixer in the freezer.

2- In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter, then stir in the blueberries and sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries release their juices, about 10 minutes. Set pan aside to cool.

3- Pour the cooled berries into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Refrigerate the sauce until it's completely cooled.

4- Pour the heavy cream into the mixing bowl from the freezer. Using the chilled beaters, beat the cream until soft peaks form.

5- Reserve 1/4 cup of the blueberry sauce, then use a spatula to fold the remaining sauce into the whipped cream until thoroughly combined.

6- Spoon the mixture into 6 small parfait glasses. Spoon some of the reserved blueberry sauce around the edges of each serving, then use a knife to swirl the sauce throughout the dessert. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes 6 servings

Summer Sun In a Bowl

As much as I love, love LOVE to bake, when summer starts to heat up, I start looking for different ways to put something sweet on the table without turning on the oven. My freezer is pretty well stocked with ice cream, so I was pleased to find a new, cool dessert in Ina Garten's new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

It's a lovely, tangy lemon mousse. Just a little time with the stove and then it's refrigerator time all the way! You can put it into a trifle dish, individual parfait glasses, or, like I did, my fabulous $10 at a garage sale crystal bowl. Isn't it nice? And if you look closely at the rim, you can see that I do live in the land of tall evergreens. Also, if you're not from the land of tall evergreens, you might not know that gorgeous flower is a rhododendron, the state flower of Washington.

There, don't you feel all educated? Now go whip up some mousse to enjoy when the sun's beating down on you.

(Note: I'm listening to the rain beating down on my deck as I type this. This is Washington, after all. But on the plus side, that means I can bake today!)

Fresh Lemon Mousse
- Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

3 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large eggs, separated
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 lemons)
kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup good bottled (or homemade) lemon curd, at room temperature
Sweetened Whipped cream
Sliced lemon for garnish

1- In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly witha wooden spoon for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the mixture is thick, like a pudding. Use a whisk when the mixture begins to thicken.

2- Take the bowl off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until compleltely chlled.

3- Place half the egg whites (discard the other half or save to stir into scrambled eggs or an omelet) and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed. Add the remaining f2 tbsp sugar and continue to beat until the whites are stiff and shiny. Carefully fold the beaten whites into the cold lemon mixture with a rubber spatula.

4- Place the cream in the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (no need to clean the bowl or whisk) and beat on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture. Fold in the lemon curd and pour into a souffle dish or your prettiest serving bowl. Decorate with sweetened whipped cream and lemon slices. Chill and serve cold.



Sweetened Whipped cream

1 cup cold heavy cream
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the shisk attachment. Whip on medium and then high speed untilt he cream just forms stiff peaks. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Has Anyone Seen My Brain?

My brain is officially MIA (missing in action). If anyone's seen a grey, squealchy thing, sulking in a corner and refusing to come out till the stress is over, please return it to me.

My son came home from college for a weekend to help us paint the deck. It's a 5 hour drive each way (although in his case it's probably more like 4). Such sacrifice is not to be sneezed at; it should have cookies made for it instead. When I offered fresh cookies to take back with him he was on that offer like a boy who hasn't had fresh cookies since the last time he was home.

He requested these cookies. No problem. I'd made them many times and they really are delicious. But he also wanted to catch an episode of a funny TV show he'd missed. No problem. We had it on the computer in the kitchen so together we watched and laughed as I baked. Then I pulled the first batch out of the oven. Problem. They were all flat and spread out.

My cookie baking experience told me that this was a case of not enough flour. But I'd made this recipe before and didn't have to add extra flour. I double checked the amount in the recipe and on my blog - same amount both places, just the amount I remembered carefully measuring out.

I sent my son home with a bag of cookies and apologies that they didn't turn out better. My mind still churning over why they didn't turn out, I set to cleaning up the kitchen. And I discovered the bowl with the carefully measured out flour, baking powder, and salt sitting behind the mixer. Aaaaahhhhhhh!

So, what's a girl to do with a batch of huge, flat, slightly greasy cookies that no one really wants to eat? The obvious answer, scrape them into the bin, is beyond me. I simply cannot throw away perfectly good perfectly adequate food.

I had recently made this luscious pudding from Nigella Express and the thought of the pudding arced and sparked with the conundrum of the crumb puddle cookies - Pie!

I crumbled up the cookies, pressed them into a pie pan, baked at 425 deg. for about 10 minutes, then let it cool completely. Then I made the pudding. When it was cool, I whipped about 2 cups of whipping cream and carefully folded in the pudding, then poured the mousse into the pie crust and chilled it.

Why do I not have pictures of the pie to show you? Well, we ate it all. Yes, every last gluten-free crumb. It was creamy, smooth, sweet, and delicious. The chocolate nuggets in the "pie crust" were a taste and texture surprise in every bite.

So, like a 19th century children's book, I close with a moral. At the first sign of failure in the kitchen, don't give up. The only sure sign of failure is a smoke alarm. Most other disasters can in some way be saved or given new life in another form. Oh, and don't watch distracting television shows while you're baking.

Fabulous Chocolate Pudding
- adapted from Nigella Express

1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup cocoa ( Dutch will give a darker color, but regular is fine)
2 Tbsp boiling water
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz dark chocolate, finely chopped

1- Either in a saucepan or in the microwave, warm the milk and cream together.

2- In another saucepan mix the sugar and cornstarch. Sift in the cocoa. Add the 2 Tbsp of boiling water and whisk to a paste.

3- Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, followed by the warmed milk and cream, and then the vanilla extract.

4- Scrape down the sides of your pan and put it on the heat, cooking and whisking for about 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture thickens to about the consistency of mayonnaise.

5- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the finely chopped chocolate. Pour the chocolate into 4 small cups or glasses, or if you're going to make a mousse with it, into a bowl.

6- Cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate till cooled. To serve in the cups, bring to room temperature and garnish with a blob of cream. To make the mousse, fold the pudding gently into whipped cream.

As you can tell, the pie recipe is not one that you have to follow to the letter. If you want to play with it, have fun!

Anti-Diet Food

With the wedding fast approaching, I've been asked to cut back on butter, lighten up on the cream, and take it easy with the sugar. Everybody, including me, needs to fit into their nice clothes and try to look good for the pictures, so when the baking urge struck again, I turned to my trusty Cooking Light cookbook for baking ideas that were tasty yet wouldn't decimate a bride's diet.

What snagged my attention was the banana pudding. I may possibly be the last person on the planet who's never tried banana pudding. I don't remember ever having it as a child and I'd never attempted it as an adult. But this recipe, combines with the fact that I had a fat bunch of bananas sitting on the counter convinced me to give it a whirl.

Let me warn you. This is no diet dish. Oh, yes, the good folk at Cooking Light reduced fat, calories and cholesterol, but they made it deadly delicious. It begs to be snacked on. It calls seductively when you walk by. I could actually hear it from inside the fridge. It's so good that I've made it twice. The second time 4 of us polished it off in 2 days. Oh, what little piggies we are!

So, you are warned. Don't make this dish unless you have a large family, have company coming over, or have neighbors who are happy to take your leftovers off your hands. If it's just two of you, you'll regret it!

Can't Keep My Spoon Out Of It Banana Pudding
adapted from All New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook

pudding:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups 2% milk
1 (4-inch) vanilla bean, split lengthwise (1/2 a bean if you're using one of these beans)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

meringue:

4 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar

80 vanilla wafers (about 1 box)*
5 cups sliced banana (about 6 bananas)

1- Preheat oven to 325 deg. F.

2- Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1-1/4 cups sugar, and salt in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into milk mixture, and drop in the pod, too. Cook over medium heat 12 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.

3- Place eggs in a large bowl; gradually add hot milk mixture, stirring constantly. Pour mixture in pan; cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Discard vanilla bean.

4- Place egg whites in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until egg whites are foamy. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.

5 - Arrange 33 vanilla wafers in bottom of a 3-quart round baking dish (I used an oven-safe large mixing bowl). Arrange half of banana over wafers. Pour half of custard over banana. Repeat with 33 vanilla wafers, banana, and custard. Top with meringue. Arrange remaining vanilla wafers around edge of meringue.

6- Bake at 325 deg. F for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve pudding warm or chilled. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store refrigerated. Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup).

*Note: you can buy a box of vanilla wafers, or it you'd like to add a peanut butter flavor to your pudding make your own wafers using this recipe.



In case that kind of thing matters to you, one serving has 289 calories, 5.1 g. fat, gets 16% of the calories from fat, has 6.1 g. protein, 33 mg cholesterol, and 94 mg calcium.

Nothing says "I Love You" like the gift of a cookbook

OK, I'll admit it. I have a problem. I'm sure there are normal people out there who can pick up a cookbook, thumb through it, say, "Nice pictures" or "that looks tasty" and put it down and walk away. I'm just not one of them. To me a cookbook is the Rosetta Stone of the kitchen, promising to unlock the secrets of flaky pie crusts, hearty breads, and succulent roasts (and I don't even make roasts!). I own an embarrassing amount of cookbooks, some of which have never even been used. But I can't seem to part with any of them.

So, obviously the last thing I need is another cookbook. I've got enough recipes at hand that I could cook for my family for the next 5 years without repeating a meal. And that's without surfing the net for recipes. So I decided - Enough! No more cookbooks. I don't need them. I was firm in my resolve. Until....until IT came into my life. Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. Recommended online, checked out from the library, IT snuck into my kitchen and nestled it's way into my heart. Filled with beautiful pictures, wonderful anecdotes, and mouthwatering recipes, this one was a keeper. Well, for the 30 day loan period. And then for the two week extension period. During that time I made cookies for our annual cookie exchange from this book and our Happy Birthday, Jesus cake for Christmas day. And I took it to bed with me at night for a little light reading. Ah, sigh, the sorrow of having to turn it back into the library.

But here's where marrying a wonderful man pays off. My sweet husband gave it to me for Christmas so barely any time elapsed between turning in the book and having it back in my kitchen! Yeah!

My most recent effort from Baking was the wonderful Split-Level Pudding. What a delicious way to use up egg yolks. A dark chocolate base paired perfectly with smooth, full vanilla pudding. I'd never made a pudding using my Cuisinart, and it behaved differently but in the end yielded a lovely silken pudding that firmed up beautifully as it chilled.

I had no whole milk so I used 1/2 1% milk and 1/2 half and half. Also, I used a heavenly vanilla extract my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. This is a recipe where good vanilla really shines.

Split Level Pudding

Chocolate Layer:
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream

Vanilla Layer:
2-1/4 cups whole milk
6 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
2-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate shavings for decoration (optional)

Have six ramekins or dessert cups ( holding 4 to 6 oz. each) at hand

Put the chocolate in a 1 or 2 cup glass measuring cup. Bring the heavy cream to a boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 30 seconds, then gently stir to blend. Divide the chocolate ganache among the cups and set aside.

Bring 2 cups of the milk and 3 Tbsp of the sugar to a boil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.

While the milk is heating, put the cornstarch and salt into a food processor and whir to blend. Turn them out onto a piece of wax paper, put the remaining 3 Tbsp sugar and the egg yolks into the processor and blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup milk and pulse just to mix, then add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to blend.

With the machine running, very slowly pour in the hot milk mixture. Process for a few seconds, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Whisk without stopping over medium heat- making sure to get into the edges of the pan - until the pudding thickens and a couple of bubbles burble up to the surface and pop (about 2 minutes). You don't want the pudding to boil, but you do want it to thicken, so lower the heat, if necessary.

Scrape the puddding back into the processor (if there's a scorched spot, avoid it as you scrape) and pulse a couple of times. Add the butter and vanilla and pulse until everything is evenly blended. The pudding might look a bit runny at this stage, but don't worry, it will firm up as it chills.

Pour the pudding into the cups over the chocolate. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of each pudding to create and airtight seal and prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the puddings for at least 4 hours. You can serve it chilled and you will have a nice texture contrast between the silken pudding and the firm ganache. I liked it at room temperature so the ganache was soft and blended with the pudding. To dress up your pudding you can scatter chocolate shavings on the top of it just before serving.