Sour Cherry and White Chocolate Ice Cream

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Que faire avec des griottes? Fanny was just asking.
I have here a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy sour cherries. Try this sweet and delicious white chocolate ice cream. Yes! I know. For the chocolate purists, white chocolate has been stripped off all cocoa powder and, therefore is not “real chocolate”. However, I do not think that anyone who could possibly say no to a scoop of this unctuous, sweet-and-sour treat to keep cool these days! If you prefer dark chocolate, you could always substitute the nuts and white chocolate chunks for cherries in this chocolate sorbet.
Using sweet warm milk and egg yolks, I first prepared custard which I poured hot over white chocolate chunks. Once the chocolate melted, I stirred in heavy cream and chilled the mixture in the fridge overnight. The next morning, I froze the mixture in the ice cream maker and folded the drained sour cherries into the freshly churned ice cream. I saved then reduced the syrup to drizzle on the scoops.

Adapted from the Perfect Scoop

Ingredients for 1½ liters:
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks (you can freeze the egg whites or use them for meringue cookies, another great accompaniment for ice cream)
8 ounces white chocolate chunks (I used Callebaut white chocolate)
2 cups heavy cream
1 16-ounce pitted sour cherries in light syrup (unless you can find fresh sour cherries to poach)

1. In a saucepan, warm the milk, sugar and salt over medium-high heat.

2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks while slowly pouring the sweet warm milk.

3. Transfer the mixture into the saucepan.

4. Constantly stir using a wooden spoon over medium high heat until the mixture thickens to coat the spoon.

5. Pass the custard through a sieve onto the chocolate chunks.

6. Whisk until the chocolate has melted and stir in the cream.

7. Let cool to room temperature and chill overnight.

8. Vigorously whisk the chilled mixture and freeze in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

9. Drain then fold the sour cherries into the white chocolate ice cream, saving the syrup in a small saucepan.

10. Transfer into a plastic container and store in the freezer.

11. To make the sour cherry drizzle, add one to two tablespoons of sugar to the syrup and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

12. Reduce by half and let cool to room temperature.

13. Transfer into a jar and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Strawberry Ricotta Charlotte

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Strawberry fields forever.

I don’t know why, but whenever I see this many strawberries I cannot help but think about the song. As I hear Lennon’s dreamy voice, I can see myself walking down fields of strawberries, stretching to infinity. Picking as many strawberries as my basket can hold, tasting the juiciest and sweetest along the way.

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Well, not quite there yet with my hanging baskets! But our real, sun-bathed berries taste just like in my strawberry field dream, as sweet as candy and no trace of red 40. Just like the traditional shortcake, strawberry charlotte makes a perfect dessert on a warm summery evening. I lined a springform pan with ladyfingers moistened with kirsch-flavoured syrup, added a layer of sliced strawberries and cream, repeated with another ladyfinger-strawberries-cream layer to finish with ladyfingers. For a lighter dessert, I decided to use ricotta cheese sweetened with honey instead of making the rich, traditional custard filling. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did!!!

Ingredients for 6-8 servings:

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup honey

1 pound strawberries

24 (2 packages) large ladyfingers (Pick the largest ladyfingers!!!)

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

¼ cup kirsch

1. Rinse and slice the strawberries.

2. In a bowl mix the ricotta with honey using a fork.

3. In a small saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil over medium heat.

4. Remove from heat and add the liqueur.

5. Dip the ladyfingers in the warm syrup to moisten.

6. Line the bottom and the sides of a springform pan with one layer of ladyfingers.

7. Layer half of the cheese mixture on the ladyfingers.

8. Layer half of the strawberries on the cheese.

9. Add a second layer of moistened ladyfingers.

10. Layer with the rest of the cheese and the strawberries.

11. Cover with the last layer of moistened ladyfingers, making sure that the sugared side faces up.

12. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hrs.

Buttermilk Rice Pudding with Strawberries, Chocolate and Black Muscat

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Rice pudding, riz au lait in French, is one of my childhood favourites – just enough rice, milk, sugar and vanilla and you get a creamy dessert. Very easy. To offset the richness of the pudding, I substituted the milk with buttermilk and used my star ingredients in compote and a sauce.

We finally opened the Black Muscat we brought back from our spring 2006 road trip to Vancouver and Salt Spring Islands! Not that we forgot about it. Far from it, we just wanted to save it for the right time: with Tuscan melon and Bresaola, or, for dessert, in the Strawberry Rhubarb Compote or in the Dark Chocolate Sauce.

BC Wines from the warm and dry Okanagan Valley were familiar to us, but we had never heard of any from the Islands. A few stops along the wine trail, quite pleasantly surprised by these exceptional yet unknown vineyards! Nothing to do with the Napa Valley I visited as a teenager, simple and familial just like in Sideways.

So impressed after our first taste at Blue Grouse, that we stocked the car with 2 cases of Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Ortega. A little tipsy after the generous servings – I must admit- but sober enough to drive on. Just in time for lunch we reached the Zanatta winery: delicious homemade food to savour with a glass of their Glenora Fantasia or Pinot Nero in the sun-bathed bucolic patio. Another case of Pinot Nero and Spumante and more in the trunk and off we went! With enough bottles to open a shop and plans for another trip to the Islands!

Two years later, we managed to save the Muscat and the Devinette – going online soon to order. The Black Muscat is not as sweet as Port and makes a perfect addition for the strawberry rhubarb compote or in the dark chocolate sauce which accompany the rice pudding.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 cup round rice

2 cups water

3 cups buttermilk

1/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean

¼ cup unsalted butter

For the strawberry rhubarb compote:

2 cups rhubarb

1 cup strawberries

¼ cup sugar

½ cup Black Muscat (substitute with Port)

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For the chocolate sauce:

½ cup dark chocolate

¼ cup Black Muscat

Strawberries to garnish

1. In a medium saucepan heat buttermilk, sugar, salt and split vanilla bean to a gentle simmer.

2. Bring the water to a boil in a medium another saucepan.

3. Cook the rice for 2 mins in the boiling water, strain using a sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

4. Stir the rice into the buttermilk and let simmer for 20 mins, until soft.

5. Stir in the butter.

6. Enjoy warm or chilled.

7. To prepare the strawberry rhubarb compote filling, place rhubarb, sugar, and Black Muscat in a saucepan.

8. Bring to a gentle simmer while stirring and cover until the fruit is tender.

9. Add the strawberries and let simmer for 5 mins.

10. To prepare the chocolate sauce, place chocolate and Black Muscat in a small bowl.

11. Stir over a double-boiler until the chocolate is melted.

Strawberry Mascarpone Spice Sandwiches

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Spring is definitely here! At the grocery store, the fresh strawberry baskets are expanding from week to week! I cannot wait until they reach the flat size to make jam, of course, but also quick-and-easy desserts like this sandwich. I would have made oversized cookies for strawberry shortcakes, but I already made pain d’épices so that what I used instead.

Ingredients for 4 dozen cookies:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

1½ cup flour

1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup Thompson raisins

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars using an electric mixer, until fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

4. Incorporate the flour mixture to the buttercream.

5. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and raisins.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

7. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. Drop the cookie dough using a teaspoon onto the lined sheets. Make sure to leave 2 inches in between the mounds, because the cookies will flatten and spread upon baking.

9. Bake for 10 mins.

10. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 mins then on a wire rack.

Crême Brûlée A Ma Façon

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What is so special about this traditional French dessert?!

I love crême brûlée, I especially love to crack the warm caramel crust and dive into the cool custard. I also love to top my brûlée with a handful of raspberries and blackberries, and let the tartness of the fruit balance the sweetness of the cream.

The star ingredient of my crème brûlée is honey and this honey from my great uncle’s beehives makes this dessert even more special to me! Not only it is sweet and thick, but it has also captured the smokiness of the charcoal-burning braziers, which the main source of heat in the remote village of A. I recognize that a beekeeping great uncle, living in the Highlands of Madagascar is unique, but the rich flavours of any organic honey from your local farmer’s market or a visit to a beekeeper in the nearby countryside will make your dessert just as tasty and memorable as mine!

Ingredients for 6 servings:

2 cups whipping cream

5 large egg yolks (Tip: The whites can be saved in the freezer for a few weeks, I used mine for meringue cookies!)

1 large egg

2/3 cup honey

1 vanilla bean

1 cup fresh fruit like orange, raspberries, and blackberries

1 ounce triple sec

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and the vanilla bean cut lengthwise.

2. Let simmer for 5 mns and remove from the heat.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the honey using a whisk until creamy.

4. Slowly stir the warm cream into the egg mixture, until homogenous.

5. Pass through a fine mesh sieve, into a large measuring cup.

6. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

7. Equally distribute into ramequins.

8. Transfer the ramequins into a large baking dish.

9. Fill ¾ of the baking dish with cold water and bake until almost set (about 45 mns).

10. Let cool on a rack to room temperature and chill for at least 4 hrs.

11. To make a quick fruit salad, cut the fruit into bite-size pieces and add to a small bowl.

12. Mix in the orange zest and the triple sec.

13. Before serving, sprinkle with a thin layer of sugar and brown using a torch or under the broiler.

14. Top with fresh fruit salad.

Crêpes with Blueberry Orange Sauce

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Originally from Brittany, crêpes are one of my favourite French foods. Simple and versatile, they can be enjoyed sweet or savoury. Whenever I make them, I fondly remember my crêpe parties with my roommates and friends during my undergraduate years. Everyone would make their own, and picked their own filling. I preferred them lined with a slice of ham and generously sprinkled with grated gruyère, and for dessert, I would indulge with Nutella spread and banana slices. Our movie nights at the theatre in Montparnasse would usually end at the bustling Crêperie de Josselin with a rustic, gargantuan meal with the typical bolée

– literally, apple cider served in a huge bowl.

Sunday brunch is also a great, leisurely time to enjoy crêpes. They are as easy to make as the traditional pancakes but they are also lighter. Feel free to douse them with the yummy blueberry orange sauce. Bon appétit!

Ingredients for about 12 crepes:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 cups milk, preferably homo milk

1-2 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch of salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 orange

1½ cup frozen blueberry

3 tablespoons icing sugar

1 splash triple sec

1. In a large bowl, make a well with the flour.

2. Add in the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt.

3. Stir until smooth using a whisk and let rest for 1 hour.

4. After one hour, preheat a non-stick frying pan under high heat.

5. To cook each crêpe, pour approx. ½ ladle of batter into the hot pan and swirl it around to cover the bottom with a thin, uniform layer.

6. Let one side of the crêpe cook for 1 min, until the edge browns.

7. Flip the crêpe to cook the other side for another min, and transfer into a plate. (Note: avoid stacking the crêpes to prevent them from becoming soggy. They can be kept warm in the oven)

8. To prepare the sauce, zest and press the orange into a small saucepan.

9. Add the blueberries to the saucepan.

10. Heat the fruit to medium-high and let simmer for 5 min.

11. Add 2/3 of the icing sugar and triple sec.

12. Sprinkle each crêpe with chocolate chips before folding.

13. Pour the warm blueberry sauce over the crêpes, dust with icing sugar and dig in!

Our Garden’s Rose Hip Jelly

After 3 years of caring, our old dying rosebush was finally brought back to life. Dozens of flowers this summer! Enough to give bright orange berries last week… Just enough for rose hip tea or jelly. I just clipped them off and voila!

The best of summer in a jar.

Ingredients (2 jars):

2 cups rose hip berries

1½ cups water

1 cup apple juice

2 cups castor (berry) sugar

1 lemon

1. Wash the berries, cut off the tops and ends.
2. Place the berries in a small saucepan.
3. Add 1 cup of water.
   
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Let simmer for 1 hr, stirring and adding water to prevent the berries from sticking to the pan.
6. Once the berries are soft, strain the seeds out.
7. Add the apple juice to the seeds in three portions and stir the pulp through the sieve using a spatula.
8. For the last portion of juice, cover the seeds with plastic wrap and press the juice through with extra weight. (I used a mortar and a bottle of wine to get about 1 ½ cup of juice)
9. Transfer the juice into a clean saucepan.
10. Stir in the castor sugar.
11. Heat to medium high for 15 mins. The jelly will be ready when it sets on a cold metal spoon.
12. Add the lemon zest and juice into the jelly.
13. Pour into jars and let the jelly set overnight.

Hot Chilli Chocolate Cheesecakes

These individual cheesecakes are to die for! Once you have tasted the heat of the chillies against the creamy chocolate, we won’t be able to settle for vanilla or cinnamon anymore.

Ingredients (12 to 16 servings):

For the crust:

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

½ cup walnuts

¼ cup butter

For the filling:

1 pound cream cheese

2/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs

¾ cup yogurt

¾ cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

8 ounces dark chocolate

1/3 cup hot water

½ teaspoon crushed hot chillies

For the coulis:

½ cup frozen raspberries

½ cup simple syrup

1. Melt the butter in a small bowl. 2. Chop the walnuts and stir into the butter, along with the cookie crumbs.

3. Mix well with a spatula and evenly transfer into the muffin tins. 4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar until creamy. 5. Beat in one egg at a time to give smooth mixture.

6. Add the yogurt, whipping cream and cocoa powder.

7. In a small bowl, mix the chocolate and the hot water using a whisk until the chocolate is all melted.

8. Pour the chocolate into the cheese mixture and lightly beat until just blended.9. Stir in the hot chillies.

10. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

11. Place a bread pan full of water in the oven to keep the air moist.

12. Pour the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 40 mins.

13. Let cool on a rack and chill in the fridge at least 6 hrs.

14. Serve with the raspberry coulis.

All Strawberry Panna Cotta

Ingredients (5-6 ramequins or glasses):

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup milk

½ cup sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 package gelatine

3 tablespoon water

1½ pint strawberry

¼ simple syrup

½ lime juice

1. Add cream and milk to a saucepan, and stir in the sugar.
2. Slice the vanilla bean and add to the saucepan.
3. While stirring, warm the cream mixture over medium-high heat, until almost boiling.
4. Mix the gelatine with the cold water, and wait 1-2 mins.
5. Remove the hot cream mixture from the heat, take the vanilla bean out, and stir in the gelatine until dissolved. Let it cool.
6. Slice ½ pint of strawberries, lay them at the bottom of the ramequins.
7. Pour the lukewarm cream mixture on top of the strawberries.
8. Chill for 3-4 hours until set.
   
9. Before serving, puree the rest of the strawberries with the syrup and lime juice to make the coulis.