dessert – Page 7 – morestomach

cayenne chocolate ice cream

Published on June 10, 2015June 9, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach38 Comments

making ice cream at our house is a production
— a happy one
but a production nonetheless
i’ll ask dw to put our ice cream canister thing in the freezer
which means we play frozen food tetris
to make room for it.
we’ll return to whatever we were doing:
washing the dishes
playing crossword puzzles
5 minutes will pass,
sometimes hours.
then the question will come up:
what flavor are we making??
likely i don’t have a flavor in mind,
not exactly.
dw is always game for whatever i concoct,
as long as it’s not chocolate + fruit
i know, i know, I KNOW.
during a recent very quick skim of pantry items
we kept it simple.
kinda.

cayenne chocolate ice cream
makes about 3 1/2 cups

*note: the spicy kick creeps up on you. you’re busy savoring the creaminess and cold and chocolate and then there’s heat. it’s not unpleasant.

4 egg yolks, from large eggs
scant 1/2 cup coconut sugar
3 cups lactose free half/half (this was on hand, i’d make this with canned coconut milk, or any plant/nut based milk)
1/2 TBL cornstarch or potato starch
3-4 TBL good quality cocoa powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

in a saucepan gently heat the half/half with the sugar and cocoa powder, medium heat. whisk until warmed though and the sugar has incorporated. in a bowl have your egg yolks ready. ladle in a bit of the warmed milk, whisking the yolks all the while. add in another 2 ladle-fuls and whisk. the temp of the yolks should be warmed through. add the yolk mixture to the saucepan, but leave about a ladle-ful in the bowl, and continue whisking all the while. the mixture will thicken slightly.

for the remaining mixture in the bowl, add the cornstarch or potato starch and mix until incorporated. add to the saucepan. mix some more.

sprinkle a dash or two of cayenne pepper, i would say it was about 1 tsp, but use at your discretion to your liking.

pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. allow to cool completely, ideally overnight.

when ready, pour into ice cream maker and churn according to machine’s instructions.

BAM!

————-

1 year ago: diy sperm cornhole
2 years ago: vegan strawberry sweet biscuit

other ice cream concoctions:
coffee chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
peppermint chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
spiced coconut pecan ice cream – dairy free
strawberry ice cream + almond waffle cones – dairy free
tangerine ice cream – lactose free
not interested in ice cream, try the spicy pudding version

sương sáo (grass jelly) with chia seeds

Published on May 29, 2015May 28, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach9 Comments

we got new windows installed last week
i can’t tell you how incredibly excited
and grown up i feel saying that.
serendipitously the temps have been pleasant,
as only may should be.
the windows have been flung open,
letting the breeze in,
though, i realize that the windows
could also be enjoyed closed,
especially since the insulation is finally on point.
still.
sitting on our sagging red elephant patterned couch,
with some home improvement show on tv,
after being without
it’s a treat to feel Spring.
it’s also a treat to have a childhood dessert to tuck into,
a cooling dessert that i don’t make often enough.

sương sáo (grass jelly) with chia seeds

*note: this is canned, which is not something we partake in usually. this isn’t so much a recipe, but more of a “oh hey, lemme put this all together and call it a day”. i will say, dw is not the biggest fan, which basically means more for me, BUT! it doesn’t mean that this sucks.
**note: the chia seeds gives this dessert a pudding-like texture. you can add as much as you want, though the more you add the thicker it is. alternatively, if you add more liquid, it makes the dessert runnier and not so overridden by the seeds.
***note: prior to my current love affair with chia seeds, i made this dessert with basil seeds which has the added crunch and something something that chia seeds have, but minus the thickening texture.
****note: last, dw thinks this tastes kinda medicinal, whereas i don’t. it has an herby-tea flavor to me.

1 can of sương sáo (grass jelly), found in the canned fruit aisle of asian markets
4 TBL simple syrup, 1:1 bee free honee and water
juice of one lemon or lime
3 TBL chia seeds
water, amount up to you, i probably had about 1/2 cups worth

so, the canned grass jelly, when taken out of the can will be like canned cranberry sauce that you see during thanksgiving. don’t be turned off. cut into cubes. i normally cut them into 6 horizontal pieces, then with one layer in my left hand, cut strips and then cubes. like this.

add in desired amount of simple syrup and squeeze that citrus over top. sprinkle the chia seeds and gently mix.

leave in fridge for at least 1 hour, to chill the grass jelly and bloom the seeds.

serve chilled.

BAM!

use real butter made her version too
wandering chopsticks adds hers with fruit and almond jelly – tropical fruit cocktail delight

1 year ago – miso ramen
2 years ago – dutch oven bread

tangerine ice cream

Published on May 1, 2015June 3, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach13 Comments

because we are all hurting
and baltimore burned this week:
ice cream.
it’s the start of a new month,
new season,
and hopefully,
a new city.

————-

tangerine ice cream
makes about 3 1/2 cups

*note: use organic tangerines (or any citrus fruit) as you’ll be using the zest of the fruit.

4 egg yolks, from large eggs
scant 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups lactose free half/half (this was on hand, i’d make this with canned coconut milk, or any plant/nut based milk)
1/2 TBL cornstarch or potato starch
zest of 3-4 tangerines
juice of said tangerines, reduced down to 1/3 cup syrup

in a saucepan gently heat the half/half with the sugar, medium heat. whisk until warmed though and the sugar has incorporated. in a bowl have your egg yolks ready. ladle in a bit of the warmed milk, whisking the yolks all the while. add in another 2 ladle-fuls and whisk. the temp of the yolks should be warmed through. add the yolk mixture to the saucepan, but leave about a ladle-ful in the bowl, and continue whisking all the while. the mixture will thicken slightly.

for the remaining mixture in the bowl, add the cornstarch or potato starch and mix until incorporated. add to the saucepan. mix some more. throw in the zest and take off heat.

pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. allow to cool completely, ideally overnight.

when ready, combined the custard base with the reduced tangerine juice. pour into ice cream maker and churn according to machine’s instructions.

BAM!

————-

other ice cream concoctions:
coffee chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
peppermint chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
spiced coconut pecan ice cream – dairy free, gluten free
strawberry ice cream + almond waffle cones – gluten free, dairy free

roasted banana bread

Published on February 23, 2015June 14, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach20 Comments

we’re back to feeling human again.
well, almost human.
i’m not quite 100%
but we’ll get there.

lately it’s been a fallback
on all things comfort
the comfort foods of my childhood
soups
dw’s old high school sweatshirt
tom selleck on netflix
and this bread.
it’s a little pedestrian,
banana bread,
and that’s what i needed,
something familiar
with ingredients already on hand.
the roasting is optional
but it perfumes the whole abode
beautifully,
and when sick,
i’m not in the habit of
denying myself such comfort.

Roasted Banana Bread
loosely adapted from terri wu

*note: i’ve been making this bread for a few years now, i cheat and use other recipes but i find myself falling back to this one. like all sweet breads this is flexible, you can add nuts or dried fruit, chocolate chips, whatever is available in your pantry. i like that. also, the liquid can be anything – water, coffee and admittedly, this past week i forgot to brew fresh and just added water to my already used up coffee grounds. obviously, the most flavorable loaf was the one with the super strong brewed coffee but you won’t die if you use weak coffee or just plain water.
**note: you don’t have to roast the bananas, especially if they’re super ripe. i just like the flavor it imparts, and it makes to mashing them up so nicely. this recipe doesn’t use eggs so i’m not worried about cooking the eggs in the batter before they even make it to the oven. should you decide to roast your bananas for your go-to banana bread recipe that uses eggs, be sure to cool them sufficiently before adding to the batter.

1/4 cup flaxseeds
1/4 cup + 2 TBL hot coffee (or hot water)
1/2 cup apple sauce (or neutral oil, like grapeseed or sunflower)
1 2/3 cups einkorn flour (or AP)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 large ripe bananas
2 TBL vegan mayonnaise (or vegan yogurt)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBL brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup cranberries, optional

preheat oven to 350F.

in a oven safe pan, or pie pan, lay the bananas down. sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon over top. optional: slice the bananas length-wise first. the flavor difference is negligible. put in oven as it heats up. you’re aiming for anywhere from 15-30 minutes, however long it takes for the oven to warm up fully and/or do up the batter.

in grinder, grind up the flaxseed. add to hot coffee (or water). mix, and ignore, 15 minutes.

in a mixing bowl add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and ground cinnamon.

in the flaxseed container add the sugar and apple sauce (or oil). mix it up. fold this mixture into the flour mixing bowl until few dry streaks remain.

remove pie pan of banana goodness from the oven. use your best judgement: there have been times when it got quite mushy & liquidy and it strained it, and other times the moisture level wasn’t alarming. it’s up to you. to the pie pan add the vegan mayo (or yogurt), along with the salt, and stir to mix through. fold the mixture into the mixing bowl. add in the cranberries if using, combine completely.

transfer batter to greased loaf pan.

bake for 1 hour.

allow to cool completely in pan, invert onto wire rack.

to serve, i like to slice 1 thick piece and toast it, until the edges are nice and crunchy and dark.

BAM!

update:
my blog friend dixya made some banana bread today too, though hers is more like a bananas foster! her recipe.

chocolate meringue kisses

Published on February 16, 2015February 15, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach23 Comments

there’s been no kissing for us lately:
dw was sick last week
and i’m fighting UFC-style
to not get what he had.
it’s too soon to determine
who the winner is.
in the meantime,
i managed to whip up this treat
for our valentine’s day/
4 year anniversary of our first date.
it’s just one egg
a whole lot of mixer action
and the end result is
the perfect sub
for kisses,
but without the germs.
stay warm and healthy friends.

chocolate meringue kisses
adapted from movita beaucoup
makes 40

*note: movita’s bossy, and in this case, correct: don’t be lazy and do your mise en place.
**note: if you’re like me, and forget to leave your egg out to reach room temp, put your egg in some hot TAP water for about 5 minutes. you should be good. scientifically speaking i might be off a few degrees but whatever.

1 large egg white, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp chocolate extract
2 TBL boiling water

preheat oven to 225F.

in a stand mixer bowl, add your egg white with sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, chocolate extract, and vinegar and with your whisk attachment, mix on low. it’s going to look like a hot mess, just keep at it. at some point that tickles your fancy use a spatula and scrape the bottom of the bowl. you want the cocoa powder to be fully incorporated. keeping the mixer on low speed, add in the 2 TBL of boiling water.

incrementally pump up the speed until medium-high and let it go. you’re aiming for glossy stiff peaks, about 15 minutes.

pipe meringue on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. i used a Wilton 1M tip, cus it was the first one i grabbed and let’s be honest, the easiest tip to wash. i came up with exactly 40.

bake for an hour. movita says to check around 45 minutes. i live on the edge. and i was too lazy to get off the couch and i let it go the full hour. turn off oven, ignore for an hour to allow to cool and dry completely.

serve with whipped cream + berries, like a fancy pavlova or an eton mess, or just on its own.

BAM!