Salted-Chocolate Hot Fudge Sundaes

I absolutely love baking and creating desserts with my two baking groups…it has become a passion and wonderful hobby…but anyone who TRULY knows me, knows my favorite dessert is ice cream…specifically ice cream with chocolate of some sort haha. So this recipe was screaming my name.

Dories shares with us that this sundae has everything needed for perfection…good ice cream, hot fudge sauce, and crunch…and that we will experience the childish joy of a sundae with a touch of grand sophistication. Sounds great to me! 😍

Although this seems more like a put together recipe, there are homemade steps which really amp up this sundae…and make me wonder why I haven’t done this before!

It is suggested we use coffee and vanilla flavored ice cream…not my favorites but I went with it to see what all this “perfection” was about before I messed with the design. We make our own salted chocolate bits, which were utterly amazing and I will continue to make, and also a hot fudge sauce, which also was incredible and not that difficult.

I feel like the picture does not fully capture the layers of goodness in this dessert. We are told to start with some chocolate bits and almonds, then a scoop of coffee ice cream. Pour over some hot fudge, chocolate bits, and almonds and then layer again with the vanilla…repeat the toppings again finishing with whipped cream if you like. We went with one scoop of each but we are encouraged to use as many as you would like 😍

This sundae was absolutely fantastic!

My husband said I can make this anytime I would like. 😂. He loved it…we both did. The addition of the salted chocolate bits took this sundae to a whole new level…I guess that is the grand sophistication! We also loved the vanilla and coffee combo..it was the perfect pairing to the rich chocolate fudge and bits. I wouldn’t change a thing the next time I make this…I wouldn’t want to mess with perfection. Dorie was right!

This one is a keeper!

*update: I have now made this twice and it was a hit the second time around…with different people. This one is a winner.

Blueberry-Buttermilk Bundt Cake

This summer-time delight we are told is simple and not too sweet…allowing the blueberries to be the star of the show…and that is the point.

The oil and buttermilk make this cake very moist and tender…very similar to a “Nothing Bundt Cake” if you are familiar with the chain. I didn’t think anything was particularly hard with this cake but we are cautioned it can be a sticker…to make sure you are oiled and floured.

It is so funny when you get to that moment of truth. I had flipped the pan over and was waiting a minute…then you hear the “thump”…on one hand you are YAY…the other, you are thinking…oh gosh was that the whole thing or just a portion haha! Thankfully, mine was a full thump and I was very pleased. 😂

Everyone loved this cake…especially for breakfast. Since it isn’t too sweet, it lent itself beautifully to accompany a cup of coffee. Personally, I really enjoyed the cake but it would have been EVEN better with some icing drizzled on top.

This one’s a keeper!

Speaking of being a keeper…the good news keeps coming in our house…which is a really weird thing to say with all the craziness going on in the world. Our son got engaged last week to his long time girlfriend. We couldn’t be happier for them, and for us! ❤️❤️ What a glimmer of hope and respite from all the uncertainty we are all feeling these days!

Canistrelli

These little bits of goodness are a dessert made without butter or eggs, and are to be homey and rustic in every way.

The little bit of fat that is used, comes from olive oil…the flavoring from white wine and Pastis, anise, or licorice flavored liqueur…in my case Limoncello since fellow baker Diane suggested it and that is what I had and thought my family would enjoy. 😃

Super easy to make…basically mix it all up, cut into random shapes/sizes, dip in sugar and bake until golden. It really doesn’t get much easier than that!

These cookies are both crunchy and cakey and also, thick and chunky…and yet light.

They are meant to be more of a savory cookie with a touch of sweetness. The limoncello was just a hint…really good but I probably could have bumped that up a little more.

These really surprised us…so simple, but flavorful and interesting at the same time. They were a hit with everyone.

I have more uplifting, good news to share…our son and his long time girlfriend got engaged last week! 🎉🎉. We couldn’t be happier! ❤️❤️

Double-Mint Milk Chocolate Mousse and Gelée

Dorie tells us this recipe has its origin in Paris…a mousse with a secret only revealed when you push your spoon to the bottom. Beneath the layers of foamy mousse, you have a layer of jiggly mint gelée. A dessert with texture and a pop. None of my tasters had ever had a dessert like this which makes for a great adventure.

I did have some issues heading into this one. I do not like using eggs that aren’t cooked and this one has egg whites whipped to a merengue and then folded into the chocolate. I reached out to my fellow bakers to see what my options are to use eggs so they are safe. Diane was so helpful steering me to a site that explains how to pasteurize your own eggs to make them “safe” but not hard boil them. Worked like a charm. Thank you Diane!!

This one did have a number of steps that were deceivingly time consuming. Nothing hard, but you don’t just throw this one together. I think it seems very elegant, something you would have at a restaurant.

So, when you use the herb, mint…which apparently I have not…it is spearmint rather than peppermint. I think we all expected peppermint so were a little thrown off. Kind of like that rare occurrence when you have chocolate mint ice cream at an ice cream parlor and it is spearmint 😳.

Just doesn’t go.

I mean why mess with the perfect combo of chocolate and peppermint right?!! I feel like all of my tasters would have loved this dessert if I had swapped the mint out for peppermint extract.

As strange as the gelatin and mousse combo sounded…that actually worked. It was oddly addictive haha.

All in all, a fun one to try but I guess we learned collectively we are a peppermint group. 😂😂. Easy fix moving forward if we wanted this one again.

On a side note, our daughter got married 2 weeks ago. 🎉🎉. What a journey it has been these last few months with the ever changing restrictions we have had here in California. Their wedding didn’t look much like what had been planned for almost a year but you know what, there is beauty and blessing to be found in any circumstance. They had held firm they wanted to be married on the date they had chosen a year ago, regardless of what it ended up looking like, which was inspiring and so mature. Our son used a line from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in his Best Man speech:

Love wins! It was the perfect day…and almost makes you wonder why we didn’t plan it the way it ended up, in the first place. #microwedding #partyof15

Ricotta Spoonable

Intriguing.

That is how my husband described this dish. I was like, I need more of a reaction so I can write something. 😂. He kept eating it, but was at a loss for words. I don’t eat ricotta so I needed to rely on my son and husband for their feedback.

Then together…intriguing.

They both said it was unlike anything they had had before and that they liked it, but did not love it. The funny part was they kept eating it.

This recipe is summer friendly as you just mix it up…no oven time so that is a plus. The dish is made up of ricotta, lots of chopped herbs, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, fleur de sel, and pepper….eaten with crackers or crusty bread. Sits in the fridge to chill a bit, but super easy. Didn’t get the feeling this will be a repeat at our house, but that is ok. We love the adventure so onto the next one.

There will be some overlap with my TWD baking group…so I am sorry…but wanted to share with my Cook the Book Friday group as well 😃…I think we can all use some good news these days!

Our daughter got married 2 weeks ago. What a journey it has been these last few months with the ever changing restrictions we have had here in California. Their wedding didn’t look much like what had been planned for almost a year but you know what, there is beauty and blessing to be found in any circumstance. They had held firm they wanted to be married on the date they had chosen a year ago, regardless of what it ended up looking like, which was inspiring and so mature. Our son used a line from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in his Best Man speech:

Love wins! It was the perfect day…and almost makes you wonder why we didn’t plan it the way it ended up, in the first place. #microwedding #partyof15