Toasted Mochalaska

“EVERY GREAT ACHIEVEMENT IS THE VICTORY OF A FLAMING HEAT.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well I decided what to do with the leftover coffee ice cream from the Baked Sunday Mornings.  As you may recall, I felt that the ice cream had an unusual, but tasty, salty quality to it.  So I felt pairing it with something sweeter might help round it out a bit.  And what better sweet thing than chocolate!  The traditional baked alaska is such a ’50s dessert.  But sometimes nostalgia is a good thing if we can put a slightly new twist on it.  So I decided to use brownies studded with toffee bits in place of cake.  And coffee ice cream covered in sweet meringue that is not baked, but toasted with my kitchen blowtorch!  (I’ve been dying to pull that out again).  You know…this can be a quick weeknight dessert by using your favorite bakery or store bought brownie; and your favorite flavor of ice cream from your grocer’s freezer.  (I sound like a commercial here!)  And all you would have to do is whip up the meringue and torch it.  All in all….a pretty quick assembly.  But here’s what to do if you want to make this yummy treat from scratch….. [Read more...]

Spiked Peach Limeade Granita

“YOU ARE ICE AND FIRE; THE TOUCH OF YOU BURNS MY HANDS LIKE SNOW.”  Amy Lowell

This icy treat has a fire all it’s own!  Chilly to my tongue, but definitely warms my heart!  It is  hard to believe that something so ridiculously easy can taste so amazingly good!  Refreshing?  Yes!  A great combination of flavors, but the rum most definitely shines through! [Read more...]

Pistachio, Strawberry & Vanilla Semifreddo

“THEY SAY A PERSON NEEDS  JUST THREE THINGS TO BE TRULY HAPPY IN THIS WORLD:  SOMEONE TO LOVE, SOMETHING TO DO, AND SOMETHING TO HOPE FOR.”  Tom Bodett

 I just love this quote!  It rings so true for me.  But the other three things it takes for me to be happy are pistachio, vanilla and strawberry!  I know it’s not the classic trio of flavors, but I would gladly trade chocolate for pistachio anytime!  I think ice cream is easier to make than a semifreddo (of course….because my ice cream maker does all the work!)  But I must admit it is satisfying to make a frozen treat by hand.  And this is definitely a much lighter version of ice cream.  Not at all difficult to make.  Just need a little patience and waiting time between layers.  But what a pretty presentation….. [Read more...]