A Custard Kind of Love

Creme Brulee

      A few days ago I was organizing my planner and I realized that Valentines Day is just three weeks away. For many women this is a special day to be shown by their special love how much they care with flowers, chocolate or a special novelty “item.”

    But for others who don’t have a special someone I was wondering what dessert would be best to fix to show themselves a special kind of love while giving their taste buds a wonderful gift. Then it came to me one of my favorite desserts – Crème Brulee.

   Crème Brulee is awesome. It’s custard with a sugary topping and it melts in your mouth and it’s something you can enjoy whether you want to share it or not. I enjoy this dessert because I enjoy how it melts in your mouth and its one of those pleasurable dessert that has a “sinful” amount of calories but well worth the eating.
    Now Crème Brulee is a very rich dessert created with egg yolks, whipping cream, sugar, vanilla and some recipes call for brown sugar or add white or dark chocolate. However you like to make it is an enjoyable desserts that is fun and sensual.
   Remember, everyone is special and you don’t need a special day to celebrate you, but it’s fun to celebrate Valentines Day even when it’s just you. Enjoy!

            Crème Brulee

            Ingredients

            6 Egg Yolks

            1/3-cup Sugar

            21/2-tablespoon Vanilla Extract

            ½-cup Dark Brown Sugar

            Directions

            Beat Eggs and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Set aside.

            Bring whipping cream to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually add to egg mixture, beating at a low speed until blended; stir in vanilla. Pour into 8 (5- x 1-inch) round baking dishes. Place baking dishes in a 15- x10-inch pan. Add hot water to depth of ½ inch.

            Bake at 275 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until almost set. Remove custard cups from pan, and cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

            Sprinkle each custard with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and place in a pan.

            Broil 51/2 inches from heat (with electric oven door partially open) until sugar melts (about 2 to 3 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes to allow sugar to harden. Garnish, if desired with strawberries or fresh mint or your favorite garnish for desserts.

Yield: 8 servings

                                                                        Coastal Living (March-April 1999)

Wedding Season!

It's wedding season and we're glad about it!  While planning your grande occasion, I suggest you think mini.  There are no rules here when mixing a little tradition (wedding cake) in addition to a dessert table.  Guests are always excited to see dessert tables that have a variety of bite size sweet treats with that gleam in their eye.  One they don't feel guilty eating little desserts and two it gives them variety.  What makes our selection so great is that we not only offer whats on our menu, but we can customize just about any dessert into a mini creation.  We also work with your budget to create the most spectacular, eye popping table imaginable.  One suggestion we are posting is a mini pie bar.  If you're a lover of pie then you know there are many pies that can be offered to your guests.  So think outside the box and if you need help with creativity give us a call and I know for sure we can put something wonderful together that represents you!  Turning visions into reality is what we're all about at Sweet Petit Desserts!

Feeling lucky …. Eat dessert



Ghirardelli Chocolate Cake

             Happy New Year! This is the best time of the year to close the door on the past and seek a fresh start with the ringing in of the New Year. If you aren’t comfortable leaving it up to fate, inspiration many seek a bit of luck by eating a meal filled with lucky items including dessert.

            Although it is significant to eat a lucky meal on New Years day I believe one can find a little bit of luck by eating lucky all week especially the dessert. Food items considered lucky an often part of the New Year’s Day meal are grapes, legumes (often black-eyed peas), cooked greens, noodles, pork, fish and cake and/or other baked round items.

            Cakes and other ringed shaped items are considered lucky because many cultures believe it symbolizes the “coming full circle,” which is part of completing a year’s cycle. Also, goodies and treats can be baked into a cake to bring extra luck to the person who finds them. If one finds a coin inside their piece of cake it will signify wealth or prosperity.

            In other countries, for example, the Dutch, believe eating donuts are New Year’s Day will bring the person good fortune.

            So ring in the New Year and remember if you’re feelin’ a bit lucky, eat cake.

 Ghirardelli Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

6 oz. Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate

½ cup Boiling Water

1 Cup Soft Butter

1 ½ cups Sugar

4 Egg Yolks

4 Egg Whites

1 Tsp. Vanilla

½ Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Baking Soda

2 ½ Cups Sifted Cake Flour

1 Cup Buttermilk

Frosting:

3 Tbs. Butter

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/8 Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Vanilla

4 Tbs. Hot Milk

½ Small Carton Whipping Cream

Directions:

Melt chocolate in boiling water. Cool. Cream Butter and sugar until light add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until very smooth. Add chocolate and vanilla. Sift flour, salt and soda. Add alternately with buttermilk to chocolate mixture, beating well after each addition. Beat egg whites stiff, then fold into batter. Pour batter into 3 greased 8- or 9-inch cake pans. Bake in 350-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. After cooling, frost.

Frosting: Melt chocolate over top of a double boiler. Cream butter and sugar together. Add chocolate, vanilla and salt. Add enough of the milk to make good spreading consistency. Spread frosting between the bottom and top 2 layers and sides of cake. Whip cream until stiff and spread on top layer. Garnish with shaved chocolate.

- Recipe courtesy of “A Collection of the Very Finest Recipes ever assembled into one Cookbook” by Becker Publications, Inc. (1979)