Cherry Berry Ice Cream Loaf

July 3, 2016 By Becky 4 Comments

This show-stopping ice cream loaf is easy to put together with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and cherries and store-bought ice cream.

Happy Fourth of July! I realize I’m getting this dessert idea out to you at the very last possible minute, but this is so easy and elegant that I just had to share. Plus, it doesn’t have to be patriotic. You can swap in whatever fruits and whatever flavors your prefer and enjoy this ice cream loaf technique all summer long.

Here I used vanilla bean and lemon ice creams. The lemon ice cream is super refreshing, and plays really well with the fresh summer fruit. The blueberries, strawberries, and cherries were so beautiful that I couldn’t bring myself to cook them as I had originally planned, but using raw fruit makes this ice cream cake taste fresh and almost light, plus it cuts down on the prep time.

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Pie Bars

October 31, 2015 By Becky 32 Comments

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These grain-free pumpkin crème brûlée pie bars combine the best elements of crème brûlée and pumpkin pie, and are made with an easy press-in cocoa crust.

Guess what? I finally got a kitchen torch. I say finally because–as I tend to do lately when considering buying new kitchen gadgets–I went back and forth about it for several months.

My friend Andrea is a great baker and a fabulous cake decorator, and she’s had a kitchen torch for a long time. After interrogating her about where she got it, how much it cost, how hard it was to use, and how often she used it (yes, my friends ARE extremely patient–why do you ask? 😉 ), my friend Lucy and I went over to her place and tried it. Andrea had custards all ready to go, and we each torched our own right before we ate them.

You probably guessed this already, but they were outstanding.

The kitchen torch was much easier to use and much more fun than I had expected. Of course you need to be careful, but it’s not scary at all to torch desserts, and the actual fire-blasting part takes less than two minutes. (In case you’re wondering about all the questions I mentioned above, Andrea found her torch at a yard sale a couple years ago and got it for about ten bucks. I got mine on Amazon for $28, but it’s on sale for $25 right now.) Read More…

Cherry Clafoutis (Gluten free, Grain free)

February 1, 2014 By Becky 6 Comments

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Cherry Clafoutis (Gluten free, Grain free)

This gluten free, grain free cherry clafoutis is as easy as pancake batter to whip up, and bakes into a fluffy cake that’s as wonderful for breakfast as dessert.

I really missed baking during my Whole30. As soon as my 30 days were up, I wanted to bake something with dairy (the first food I’m reintroducing) that was still gluten-free and on the lighter side. I’ve found that it’s much easier to make gluten-free versions of baked goods that call for a relatively small amount of flour as compared to the other ingredients. So when I came across this classic cherry clafoutis from Saveur, which only calls for 3/4 cup flour, plus 6 eggs and over a cup of milk, I figured it would be a good candidate. Guess what? I was right.

Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

June 25, 2013 By Becky 24 Comments

This dairy-free lemon curd is a lighter version of the classic. It’s still packed with irresistible sweet citrus flavor!

My dad and sister came over for dinner this weekend. It was so much fun–my sister just turned 15, and she had never been to my apartment before! I cooked them a belated birthday/father’s day celebratory dinner.

We had thai shrimp curry with vegetables and coconut milk (so good–recipe coming soon), a salad my dad brought with a delicious dressing (I’ll try to score the recipe and post it–it involves hazelnut oil!) and a berry tart with coconut cream and dairy-free lemon curd. My sister can’t eat any dairy, so I had to make lemon curd without the butter. Good news–it’s just as delicious as the original, and even more lemony.

I wanted to share the whole tart recipe with you, but the crust still needs some work. Anyone have a good dairy-free tart crust recipe? I’m going to work on getting one ready for the Fourth, because this tart happens to be very patriotic. For the topping, we just whipped up some coconut cream with powdered sugar and vanilla, then folded it in to the lemon curd.

Anyway, I couldn’t wait to share this delicious lightened-up lemon curd with you. It’s a healthier way to enjoy my favorite spread! Try it on pancakes or a dutch baby, swirl it with some greek yogurt, or pipe it inside some cupcakes.

If you’re looking for the original buttery version, it’s here.

Dairy-Free Lemon Curd

Name: Dairy-Free Lemon Curd
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 4-6 organic lemons; 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, to taste; Pinch of salt; 2 eggs; 1 egg yolk; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This dairy-free lemon curd is a lighter version of the classic. It's still packed with irresistible sweet citrus flavor!

Ingredients

4-6 organic lemons
 1/2-3/4 cup sugar, to taste
Pinch of salt
 2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

Wash your lemons really well, and zest two of them. Mix the zest with the sugar in a small bowl, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to bring out the flavors of the zest (use 1/2 cup of sugar for a very puckery curd, and more if you want things a little sweeter). Set the lemon sugar aside (if you want to make extra lemon sugar, it's also delicious as a topping for muffins or cookies).
Roll the lemons firmly under the palm of your hand to prime them to release the most juice. Juice lemons until you have 3/4 cup of lemon juice. Strain out any seeds. Add the juice, lemon sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all the sugar is dissolved.
Beat the eggs and egg yolk together in a medium bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly pour the warm lemon mixture into the eggs. Continue to beat for a minute or so.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla (the vanilla is optional--you won't really taste it, but it rounds out the flavor).
Let the curd cool to room temperature, then transfer to a glass jar or another airtight container. Store in the refrigerator. Lemon curd will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen