I tried a new recipe for the classic chocolate chip cookie tonight. Turned out great. Too good really. I hate, um, too many. But I only baked a dozen and froze some for later. What’s better than a warm cookie right out of the oven…on demand!
Mmmmmm…
Next up on the docket: homemade oreos.
We just spent four days in Tahoe with five other couples. I made this for dessert on our last night there. I’d post a photo of the bread pudding (which we served with blood orange
1 lb loaf day-old challah*
8 large eggs
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cups sugar (white, brown, or a combination)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground nutmeg*
1 cup golden raisins*Butter a 13×9x2 dish.
In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients except bread and raisins/cherries. Mix until eggs are well incorporated. Refrigerate custard mixture for at least 2 hours, overnight is best.
Cut bread into cubes and place in a very large mixing bowl. Add raisins and custard and mix until combined. Pour all into baking dish. Refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Serve warm with sauce or sweetened whipped cream. Also great for breakfast the next day.
* We used cinnamon bread from a kosher bakery instead of challah, cinnamon instead of nutmeg, and dried cranberries instead of raisins. Because cranberries worked better with the blood orange sauce and because I don’t like raisins. It turned out wonderfully.
† per the Mr: We were short a couple of blood oranges for the sauce, but another couple had randomly brought up their organic veggie/fruit basket. They happened to have a few blood oranges they had no idea how they were going to use. God, I love the Bay Area.
Took this a while back, but I finally downloaded it from the camera last night and just had to share it.
The sorbet came out wonderfully. It took WAY more oranges than I expected because the oranges available were fairly small. We had to go back to Berkeley Bowl for a second round. I loved the mint and basil–they keep the citrus from being overwhelming. I might add a little less sugar next time, but overall we loved it.
The cold rain and hail don’t really make it seem like great weather for having icy desserts. However, I think the citrus and fresh herbs really make a rainy winter day seem a little brighter.
It’s blood orange season! I have had this recipe on my to-do list for the last couple of years, but I keep missing blood orange season — I don’t particularly think of any citrus as “winter fruit”. Now that I’ve remembered, I think it’s time for a trip to Berkeley Bowl for some so I can make this sorbet.
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 cups blood orange juice
1/2 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 cup packed mint leaves
3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur (such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier)Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add the blood orange juice, basil and mint. Let steep for about 5 minutes. Add the lemon/lime juice and strain into a bowl. Chill completely.
Stir in the liqueur and freeze mixture in your ice cream machine.
Once the sorbet is frozen, transfer to 1-quart container and store tightly sealed in the freezer for a few hours until firm.
My mouth is already watering.