Last spring my sister came out for a visit and we had a girls’ day of shopping and of course a dinner out together. We both like sushi and headed for a little Thai and sushi fusion restaurant nearby and ordered our favorites. We also noticed a card on the table advertising their Thai mango sticky rice, a classic dessert made with Thai sweet glutinous rice, and decided we would share some of that as well.

When the dessert showed up, we were a little surprised to see green rice on the plate, because it wasn’t green in the picture. We tasted it and tried to pinpoint the flavor, but it wasn’t immediately apparent. The flavor was mild and the color wasn’t very bright, but it was definitely green. We asked the waitress about the rice and how it had been prepared, but she simply smiled and said in her Thai accent that it was “difficult.” Now we didn’t know if that meant difficult to explain or difficult for the average home cook, but in any case she would not divulge the secret even though we asked again.

So after a bit of research and a return visit to the restaurant specifically to order this dessert and ask the chef about it, I’ve learned the secret is pandanus leaves or pandan extract. The leaves are a traditional ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, and the extract adds a slightly sweet flavor. Now that I knew what to look for, I set out on a search and I can tell you it was not easy to find. After visiting several international grocery stores, I finally found some canned pandan extract, which is not the same as the concentrated stuff. The canned extract is a green liquid but it does not impart the bright green color you see in desserts from the region, so to get the color you have to add a drop or two of green food coloring. I opted to not go for the food coloring, so the green color of my rice is muted. If you can find pandan leaves, either frozen or fresh, you can also make your own pandan extract.

With mango in season, this is an easy dessert that you can serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled depending on how hot the day is. I use an electric rice cooker to make the rice, but you can also make it using a traditional conical rice steamer, which is actually fun to learn. The rice should be soaked before cooking, at least 30 minutes if using an electric rice cooker, or overnight if using the rice steamer.

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THAI GREEN STICKY RICE WITH MANGO

Serves 4.

Equipment

electric rice cooker (or traditional rice steamer)
small saucepan

Ingredients

1 cup Thai sweet glutinous rice
1-1/4 cups (300 ml) water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons canned pandan extract (or 1/2 teaspoon pandan essence)
2 drops green food coloring (optional)
1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 mango, peeled and thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Pour the sweet rice in your rice cooker. Add the water and stir. Let the rice soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Add the salt, pandan extract, and green food coloring, then stir. Turn on the rice cooker.

2. While the rice cooks, warm the coconut milk with the sugar in the small saucepan. Remove from heat and allow too cool to room temperature.

3. After the rice cooker finishes the cooking cycle, allow the rice to stand 5 more minutes.

4. For each serving, place a scoop of the warm rice in a bowl or on a plate and drizzle with the coconut milk. Arrange slices of the mango with the rice, then serve.

More Mango Recipes

More Mango Recipes From Around the Blogs

Simply Recipes – Mango Chicken Curry

Cooking with Amy – Frozen Mango Lassi

TriniGourmet – Raw Green Mango Chow

Rasa Malaysia – Mango and Lobster Salad

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There’s a few things that you’ll always find in our refrigerator, things that fall into our Can’t Live Without category: salsa, lemons, limes, Greek yogurt, milk, half & half, cottage cheese, pickles, hot sauce, baby carrots, beer, and pomegranate juice. Actually I think the list is probably longer based on the amount of stuff that’s regularly in our frig, but those are the very first things that come to mind.

Yes, we fell under the spell of the POM Wonderful pomegranate juice last year and now regularly have a bottle in the frig for all sorts of purposes. My favorite is of course mixing drinks, but it also makes delicious icy desserts such as this cherry pomegranate sorbet. There’s just something about that gorgeous red color that grabs your attention and draws you to it, and though it’s simple to make it is a stunning treat for guests, just serve in cocktail glasses. The flavors meld together, neither overpowering the other, and a touch of lemon zest brightens it up and makes a very refreshing dessert to beat the heat.

When I make sorbet with cherries, I like to use the blended cherries without straining because I think it gives more flavor, plus we like to munch on the small cherry bits, but you can strain if you prefer.

[Disclosure: The POM Wonderful juice was provided by POM Wonderful.]

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CHERRY POMEGRANATE SORBET

Makes about 1 quart/liter.

Equipment

blender
small saucepan
2 quart glass or plastic bowl
ice cream maker (review)
plastic freezer container with lid

Ingredients

1/2 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
16 ounces (454 g)  black cherries, fresh or thawed from frozen, pits removed
16 ounces (240 ml) POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
1  lemon, finely zested

Preparation

1. In the saucepan combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until completely dissolved. Let cool for 15 minutes.

2. In the blender, purée the cherries, pomegranate juice, and lemon zest with the syrup until very smooth. Pour into the bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Churn in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s directions. Transfer the churned sorbet to the plastic container. Press a layer of plastic wrap against the sorbet and seal the lid on top. Freeze until fully hardened.

More Frozen Dessert Recipes

More Sorbet Recipes From Around the Blogs

Simply Recipes – Plum Sorbet

The Perfect Pantry – Espresso Sorbet

Cafe Lynnylu – Blackberry Lemon Verbena Sorbet

Ms. Adventures in Italy – Fresh Fig Sorbet

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This gelato has been months in the making, literally. I first thought of it during Mardi Gras season, then it came to me again several times during the spring, then again when the temperatures cranked up in June. I couldn’t get it out of my mind, and unbidden thoughts of sweet, rummy bananas swirled into a French vanilla gelato would come when I passed the bananas display in the grocery store. It was time to do something about this little obsession of mine, and oh it was worth it.

When making gelato at home with a standard ice cream freezer, it helps to prefreeze the gelato base about 30 minutes before churning. You don’t want it frozen, just really really cold so the churning time is reduced and less air gets whipped in, which will help render a rich, creamy gelato texture.

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BANANAS FOSTER GELATO

Adapted from Making Artisan Gelato, by Torrance Kopfer and Remembering Bill Neal, by Moreton Neal.

Makes about 1 quart/liter.

Equipment

medium saucepan with lid
instant-read thermometer
whisk
2 nonreactive 3-quart bowls
4 or 5–quart bowl
stick or immersion blender (optional, though helpful)
fine-mesh strainer
small sauté pan
ice cream maker (review)

Ingredients

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
3/4 cup (131 g) granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
1 banana, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
dash cinnamon
1 tablespoon banana liqueur (optional)
2 tablespoons dark rum

Preparation

1. GELATO BASE: Put the split vanilla bean and its seeds in the saucepan, then add the milk and 1/2 cup (100 g) of the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the thermometer registers 170° F/77° C. Remove from heat, cover, and allow to steep for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the vanilla bean pod and return the pot to the burner. Warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the thermometer registers 170° F/77° C.

3. In the other 3-quart bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar until the mixture is foamy and slightly thickened.

4. Temper the egg yolks by adding about half of the hot milk mixture one ladle at a time, whisking continuously. Whisk the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan and return to the burner. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until the thermometer registers 185° F/85° C. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Remove from heat and insert the immersion blender into the hot liquid. Blend until smooth. (Note: You can also use a whisk and vigorously whip the mixture, or use a blender.)

5. Make an ice bath in the large bowl and set the bowl with the heavy cream mixture on top. Place a fine-mesh strainer on the rim of the bowl and carefully pour the custard through the strainer. Stir the custard about every 5 minutes until the mixture is cooled, about 30 minutes. Remove the bowl from the ice bath, dry the bottom, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

6. BANANAS FOSTER: Melt the butter with the brown sugar and cinnamon in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the banana pieces and sauté until the banana is thoroughly heated, about 3 minutes. Pour in the liqueur and the dark rum and carefully light with a match. Baste the banana with the flaming liquid until the flame burns out and cook for about 2 more minutes to reduce the liquid. Allow to cool thoroughly.

7. CHURN: About 30 minutes before churning, set the bowl in the freezer to get the mixture as cold as possible without starting to freeze. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s directions for processing. Add the bananas foster during the final 2 minutes of churning.

8. Transfer the churned gelato to the plastic container. Press a layer of plastic wrap against the gelato and seal the lid on top. Freeze until fully hardened.

More Frozen Dessert Recipes

More Gelato Recipes From Around the Blogs

Seriously Good – Orange Gelato

Bell’alimento – Strawberry Balsamic and Basil Gelato

From Argentina with Love – Dulce de Leche Gelato

Food & Style – Rhubarb Gelato

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Michael’s mom always has a cookie tray ready when we come to visit, and it’s a special treat the boys look forward to. When she said she had some Joe Froggers for the tray, I thought, “What?” I’d never heard of them and didn’t have a clue what they were. After a few bites I was hooked and of course had to learn the family story behind them.

Both of Michael’s parents grew up with these cookies when food and materials were rationed during World War II, and the recipes their families used didn’t require many of those rationed ingredients. Unfortunately no one in the family has the original recipe, so with the help of one of Michael’s brothers, they began searching for a recipe that would come close to the cookies they remember. The ingredients that varied the most were the rum and molasses, mostly in quantity, though the molasses varied between blackstrap and dark unsulphured. After testing many, many Joe Froggers recipes, they decided this is the closest to the cookies of their childhood.

The story behind Joe Froggers is the subject of some debate as a few towns in New England claim ownership of the originals, but one thing is certain: the original cookies were huge, about 6 inches in diameter, and were made for sailors to take on ships and thus lasted a long time. You make large cookies by cutting with a coffee can, or use 2-inch cookie cutters for smaller treats.

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JOE FROGGERS (NEW ENGLAND MOLASSES COOKIES)

Adapted from Yankee Magazine.

Makes up to 96 small cookies or 60 large cookies, depending on size.

Equipment

stand mixer with paddle attachment
1 small bowl
1 medium bowl
1 large bowl
rolling pin
baking sheets, greased or lined with parchment
round cookie cutter, 2-inch for smaller cookies, 4-inch for larger cookies (or a coffee can)

Ingredients

3/4 cup (180 ml) hot water
5 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups (480 ml) molasses, dark unsulphured
6 cups (720 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375° F/190° C.

2. Combine the hot water and dark rum in a small bowl.

3. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the baking soda and molasses.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, ginger, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.

6. Add the rum mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Add 1/3 of the molasses and 1/2 the dry ingredients and mix well. Add another 1/3 of the molasses and the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well. Finally add the remaining molasses and mix until well blended. The dough should be stiff but not hard. If the dough is too stiff, add a little water; if not stiff enough, add more flour.

7. Divide the dough into three balls, cover with plastic wrap, and chill thoroughly.

8. Lightly sprinkle flour on a cutting board. Roll out each ball of dough to about 1/4-inch (1.25 mm) thick and cut with cookie cutter.

9. Bake on prepared cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 1 to 2 minutes on the sheet, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

More Family Cookie Recipes

More Molasses Cookie Recipes From Around the Blogs

Use Real Butter – Molasses Cookies

La Fuji Mama – Soft Molasses Cookies

Always Order Dessert – Salted Ginger Molasses Cookies

Kitchen Parade – Molasses Cookies

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My husband Michael, the engineer, is the designer for all our sons’ birthday cakes. He’s a big fan of Duff Goldman and watches Ace of Cakes often trying to pick up any tips he can. We only tackle cakes like this three times a year and we are definitely not pros. I bake the cakes and whip up the frosting and fondant and he does all the assembly and decorative work. Here’s our story on how we made the Lego Star Wars Stormtrooper birthday cake.

We always begin planning the birthday cakes months in advance because Michael likes to let the design percolate in his head for a while, so back in March we asked Top Gun what kind of cake he wanted for his next birthday, and for some reason he just couldn’t decide. He asked for a delta wing green airplane, Mater from the movie Cars, a dinosaur, Transformer (that would have been hard), and Yoda. He eventually settled on a dragon and we almost had it figured out, but then at the last minute he changed his mind and asked for a Lego Star Wars Stormtrooper cake. He was very specific and even picked out the stormtrooper model. We managed to dodge the Transformer cake for now, but Michael is pretty sure it’s in our future.

Because the heads on the Lego figures are a little oversized, Michael knew he would have to adjust for that by using something lightweight for the head, in this case rice crispies. As Michael took measurements on the figure and adjusted for scale, he realized he would have to make the legs and body a little wider to keep the cake vertical. As we stacked the cakes for the body it began to tip and we tried inserting a chopstick to stabilize it, but it wasn’t enough and we ended up using two half inch, 8-inch long dowel rods. Once the dowel rods were in the cake held up a little better, but it still leaned a bit.

Fortunately Top Gun didn’t care if the cake was leaning a bit or if the legs weren’t quite to scale, he was just one happy guy when he saw his birthday cake, and that’s good enough for us.

We do have some tips and thoughts to share on making the cake.

Frosting

Below are the frosting quantities, which may vary slightly depending on how thick you apply it. You can make extra frosting and have leftovers for other uses, or you can start with the quantities listed and make more if needed. If you make two full batches of vanilla buttercream you should have just enough. We find using Wilton frosting gel colors help keep the colors consistent if you have to make another batch. Colors do tend to darken after resting a day.

Plan Ahead

• Bake the cakes up to one day before and allow them to cool completely. Freezing them for about 30 minutes before assembly makes them easier to carve, although on this project the cake carving is minimal.
• Make the frosting up to three days before. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before frosting the cake.

Tips

• Because the frosting is white, the chocolate cake tends to show through the crumb layer. We recommend letting the crumb layer dry completely (we dried it overnight) before adding the outer layer. You can also use a yellow cake if you prefer, because the crumbs won’t show up quite as much.
• Make the arms days in advance and compress the rice crispies until they are almost rock hard. Let them air dry overnight or over several nights without frosting. Even rice crispies have some weight to them particularly once you add the frosting and the arms were starting to fall off by the time we sang the birthday song. If we were to make something like this again, we would embed a wire skeleton in the arms, using the coated wires that keep toys connected to the packaging. Or if you don’t mind going inedible, Styrofoam would be an easy solution for the arms, (see the train birthday cakes). Green florist foam you can find in any craft store could also be used.
• Hang the arms and add the head at the very last minute so it all stays together.
• Use the chopsticks to hold the arms in place; one in the upper arm and one under the hand hooks.
• Because the head is top heavy, we recommend doing the finally assembly in place. Don’t try to put it all together in the kitchen then carry it half way across the house with candles lit, because you’re just asking for disaster.

Our Thoughts on Fondant

You can use fondant for the cake rather than buttercream, either purchased or homemade. Zoe of Zoe Bakes (one of my favorite bakers) has a tried and true recipe for homemade fondant or you can purchase premade fondant. Michaels craft stores now sell a Duff branded fondant that we’ve heard is pretty good, even edible, though it’s rather pricey. Fondant gives the cake a professional-looking, sleek, smooth surface, but no one in our family will eat it and that’s why we skip it. Wet paper towel can also be used to smooth out the final coat of buttercream, though it probably won’t be as smooth as rolled fondant.

LEGO STAR WARS STORMTROOPER BIRTHDAY CAKE

Makes about 20 servings.

Equipment

Lego Star Wars stormtrooper toy or photo
2 (9×13) cake pans, greased with a layer of parchment in the bottom
stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer and large bowl)
wax paper
3-quart bowl, coating with nonstick spray (for modeling the rice crispies)
2 (8-inch long) dowel rods, 1/2 inch diameter
2 chopsticks, cut in half
1 large pizza pan or serving platter
1 #3 piping tip + coupler
1 quart-sized freezer bag (for piping frosting)
angled frosting spatula
toothpicks (for portioning gel colors)

Ingredients

2 (9×13) chocolate cakes, yellow cakes, or other cake of your choice
2 batches vanilla frosting, no shortening OR
2 batches vanilla frosting, with shortening (We only use shortening when the weather is really hot and humid.)
black frosting gel color
2 batches rice crispy treats

MAKE AHEAD

1. FROSTING: Make both batches of the vanilla buttercream, set aside 1-1/2 cups, and tint it black. The color improves while sitting, so you can make this a day or two ahead of time. Refrigerate if making ahead.

2. ARMS: Start by pressing rice crispies into three rectangles, about 3 in by 6 in by 2 in. Mini loaf pans are about the right size for this. Shape the two arms with your hands, compacting the rice crispies until they are almost rock hard. Set aside and allow to dry completely for a day a or two. Use the remaining rectangle for the helmet.

3. HEAD: Press rice crispies into the greased bowl, compacting the rice crispies as much as possible, until it is completely full. Turn the molded shape out onto a nonstick surface. Use your hands to press and mold the crispies into the shape of the helmet, using a small knife to shave where necessary. Shape the remaining “arm” of rice crispies into the shape for the top of the helmet and press it into place. Take the shaved extra bits and form into a 4 in by 1 in tall “cookie” that represents the neck. Allow to dry completely for a day or two.

ASSEMBLY

4. CAKES: Cut one sheet cake into thirds (about 4 inches) widthwise. Cut two pieces from the other sheet cake, one 6 inches wide and one 4 inches wide (there will be about a 2 in strip leftover). Place the 6 inch piece on a small piece of wax paper on the serving platter/pizza pan, then add a layer of frosting. Stack the three equal pieces of cake on top, adding frosting between the layers, then finally top with the single 4-inch wide layer. The layers should line up along the back of the cake with the bottom layer protruding on one side to form the feet. Cut some of the cake away in the middle of the feet section to define the feet. Take the two half-inch 8-inch long dowel rods and press them down through the layers, one in each leg. This will help stabilize the structure. (The chopstick in the photo didn’t work and was replaced with the dowels.)

5. Use a serrated knife to trim the cake edges to make them even, trim the sides a bit to shape the shoulders. Cut a notch through the front and back of the bottom two layers to define the legs. Use the angled spatula to apply a thin crumb layer of the white buttercream all over the cake, then allow it to set up, about 30 minutes or more, overnight is even better. Apply the final layer of white buttercream once the crumb layer is set. While the frosting is still wet, smooth it all over with a wet paper towel using a paper-mache technique and gently pulling, not sliding off, this will give you a more smooth, fondant-like finish. Allow the buttercream to set up, about 30 minutes. Pipe the black decorations on the chest and back.

6. Apply the white buttercream on the arms, then coat the hands in black. While it’s still wet, smooth it all over with a wet paper towel similar to above, then allow the buttercream to set up, about 30 minutes.

7. Apply the white buttercream all over the head, then smooth it all over with a wet paper towel and allow the buttercream to set up, about 30 minutes. Then pipe the black decorations on the helmet.

8. Attach the arms using the chopsticks. Put one through the upper arm and one underneath the hand hook.

9. Place the round rice crispy neck base on the stormtrooper shoulders, centering it. You may need to cut space for the dowels.

10. Gently place the head on top of the cookie, balancing it in place. (We usually put a dab of frosting on something like this to hold it in place, but it didn’t work with the rice crispies.) You’re done!

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More Kids Birthday Cakes

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Blueberry pudding cake is one of those desserts where you swear the first time you make it that the recipe is wrong. You may look at the pan after you pour in all that boiling water and say to yourself, “There’s no way this is going to work.” I thought exactly the same thing, but it does work. During the long stay in the oven, the boiling water combines with the thick batter, creating a kind of crunchy cake topping that floats on top of the juicy blueberry filling. It’s rustic and homey, almost like a cobbler, and tastes best served warm with some vanilla bean ice cream or gelato.

Michael’s mom made this for us last summer, and we all liked it so much we couldn’t wait to make it when blueberry season came around again. The preparation is very easy and it only takes a few minutes to put this luscious dessert together, then the oven does all the real work.

[Updated August 11, 2010.]

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BLUEBERRY PUDDING CAKE

Adapted from Ann Meyers (from an old magazine).

Serves 8.

Equipment

8-inch square baking pan, greased
2 medium mixing bowls

Ingredients

2 cups (282 g) blueberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup (120 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups (263 g) granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (120 ml) lowfat milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup (240 ml) boiling water

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

2. In one of the bowls, toss the blueberries with the cinnamon and lemon juice. Pour into the prepared baking pan.

3. In the other bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and baking powder. Stir in the milk and melted butter. The batter will be very thick. Spoon over the blueberries.

4. In the same bowl, stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch and sprinkle over the batter. Slowly pour the boiling water all over the pan. The water will rise up and pool, but it will combine with the batter as it cooks.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cake tests done and is golden and a little crunchy on top. Serve warm with ice cream.

More Blueberry Recipes

More Blueberry Recipes From Around the Blogs

Farmgirl Fare – Apple Blueberry Crumble Bars

Morsels & Musings – Sweet Blueberry Focaccia

Karina’s Kitchen – Summer Blueberry Crisp

Sunday Nite Dinner – Blueberry Kuchen

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In 2007 we bought two blueberry bushes, the low bush variety that produces small berries like our favorite wild blueberries from Maine. We almost lost them due to flooding both the first and second year, but somehow they managed to survive, though they haven’t produced berries yet. It takes a few years for blueberry bushes to begin producing, and when they do it’s often small amounts at first, but growing as the bush matures. (The photo is a little off because I was trying to shoot through the protective netting.)

We now have seven blueberry bushes, and we deliberately chose a mix of low and high bush as well as a range of production times, so in the future we hope to have early, mid, and late season blueberries harvests. This morning we gathered the first blueberries of the season, though there weren’t as many as I had hoped. We had a little storm come through yesterday which knocked our blueberry cages about, and the birds found an opening and took advantage of it. We were happy to have enough for the salad, but now I have some work ahead to set the cages back in place. The birds and squirrels like ripe blueberries as much as we do, and hopefully we’ll beat them to the next round.

Fruit salads find their way onto our menus frequently during the summer, and we have a lot of fun mixing flavors and trying different combinations. Mangos are also in season and we tossed them with our fresh homegrown blueberries and a ginger syrup with rice vinegar. The boys really liked the sweet and slightly sour combination and devoured it with their afternoon snack. I wrote the recipe with a full batch of simple syrup because I like to keep it on hand, but you can also reduce it by a quarter to make the precise amount for this salad.

This is my post for Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. I hope you will join us! I am hosting the June event and you can send your post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page. The deadline for sending posts is June 30.

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MANGO BLUEBERRY SALAD WITH GINGER VINAIGRETTE

Serves 4.

Equipment

small saucepan
small heat proof bowl
serving bowl

Ingredients

1/2 inch ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 mango, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 cup fresh blueberries

SIMPLE SYRUP (Makes about 12 ounces.)
1 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) water

Preparation

1. SIMPLE SYRUP: Mix the sugar and water in the sauce pan and bring to a boil. The sugar should dissolve completely. Transfer 1/4 cup of the hot syrup to a heat proof bowl and allow the remaining syrup to cool in the saucepan. (Makes about 12 ounces and will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. I have some in the refrigerator all the time for cocktails.)

2. Add the sliced ginger root to the hot 1/4 cup of syrup, allow it to steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the ginger slices. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then chill.

3. Add the rice vinegar to the syrup and stir well. Toss the mango chunks and blueberries together in the serving bowl, then drizzle the ginger vinaigrette over the fruit. Gently toss again and put in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. Serve.

More Summer Fruit Recipes

More Blueberry Recipes From Around the Blogs

Use Real Butter – Blueberry Peach Crisp

FatFree Vegan Kitchen – Strawberry-Blueberry Tapioca Parfaits

eCurry – Blueberry Gelato

Kitchen Parade – Blueberry Salsa

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Cajeta is a Mexican sweet treat like dulce de leche (or arequipe in Colombia), but it’s made from goat milk rather than cow milk, and that one little ingredient change makes it very rich in flavor. Back in April as we planned our Cinco de Mayo meal, I had a craving for cajeta and decided to make this simple dessert for my family so they could enjoy the experience of grilled plantains as I have in the past, but my search for cajeta became a grail quest as I hit store after store in our area and just couldn’t find it. After seven stores I finally found it at Global Food, so if you live in the DC area and like me can’t find cajeta at your usual stores, check one of the Global Food locations. Or if you can get your hands on some goat milk, you can make your own using the recipe in the links below.

There are a few different brands of cajeta on the market and the one I’ve used over the years is Coronado, which comes in squeeze bottles with a goat on the label. Coronado brand has two kinds of cajeta, including one with white wine (cajeta envinada). Of course Michael and I kept the one with wine for ourselves and let the boys have the non-alcoholic version (cajeta quemada). Cajeta can be used in place of dulce de leche in just about any dessert.

Plantains are related to bananas, but more starchy and are used in both savory and sweet dishes, and they take much longer to fully ripen. I purchased the plantains for this dessert at the end of April when they were still yellow with some small black patches along the edges, and it took two weeks for them to reach the fully ripe black stage. Stay close by the grill when cooking so you can turn them frequently. The skin will blister and the flesh will expand, and you will need to turn them over and rotate to cook them evenly, but it doesn’t take long and the taste will remind you of banana boats cooked in the hot coals of a campfire.

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GRILLED PLANTAINS WITH CAJETA

Adapted from Mexican Everyday, by Rick Bayless.

Serves 4.

Equipment

grill
small heavy skillet
small saucepan (or glass bowl and microwave)

Ingredients

4 small black-ripe plantains
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup cajeta quemada or cajeta envinada

Preparation

1. Preheat the grill.

2. Cut the ends off each plantain so that a small amount of the flesh is exposed. Make a shallow slit the length of the plantain on the inner curve. This will allow the flesh to expand as it cooks and prevent an explosion.

3. Will the grill at medium-hot, lay the plantains on the grill and cook until thoroughly soft and dark brown, turning and rotating occasionally so the plantains cook evenly on both sides and ends, about 5 to 8 minutes.

4. While the plantains cook, dry roast the almond slices for a few minutes in the small skillet over medium heat. Watch carefully and do not allow them to burn. Warm the cajeta over low heat or heat in the microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds.

5. Remove the plantains from the grill and let them cool a few minutes before handling them. Gently peel back the skin and slice each plantain into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the pieces on plates and drizzle on the cajeta and sprinkle on the nuts.

Variations

Oven method: Roast the plantains in a 450° F/230° C oven for about 20 minutes.

More Recipes with Cajeta or Dulce de Leche

More Cajeta Recipes from Around the Blogs

Homesick Texan – Cajeta

Delicious Days – Helado de Cajeta (Cajeta Ice Cream)

Sass & Veracity – Mexican Bread Pudding with Berries

Salty Seattle – Chocolate-Drenched Salted Peanut Cajeta Cups

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I can’t think of Mother’s Day without also musing on strawberries, probably because the beautiful red fruits come into season around this time and they seem like such a wonderful treat after cold winters. Strawberry season is also one of my children’s favorite food times of the year and we can’t resist celebrating with luscious strawberry desserts, though we are also happy simply biting into a sweet juicy strawberry.

Though our strawberries aren’t ripe yet, we have a bunch of green berries in our garden that should be ready in a couple weeks and more blossoms and sprouts coming. Last year we added about a dozen plants to the garden and we plan to expand, hoping to have enough strawberries for jams, pies, ice cream, other desserts, dipping in chocolate, macerating in wine, and many other things I’m sure we’ll think of.

Zabaglione (also zabaione and sabayon), a simple custard dessert served with fresh fruit, is a wonderful way to showcase delicious seasonal fruits, and I like to macerate the fruit in wine before serving, in this case a sweet California Moscato. Since a typical zabaglione recipe has wine in it, I use the leftover wine from macerating the strawberries to carry the fresh strawberry flavor throughout the dish. You can mix up the zabaglione with a wire whisk, but I think the hand mixer works better. Of course if your arms are up to the task, by all means go for the whisk.

If you grow your own produce, raise animals on a farm, or hunt or forage for food, then I invite you to join us for Grow Your Own. My good friends Nate and Annie at House of Annie hosted Grow Your Own this winter while we tended to family matters, and they will forever have my thanks for all their help. I am jumping back into it and will host this month, so please send your post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. Posts are due on May 31 and I will post a roundup a few days after. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating and find the links to previous events at the Grow Your Own page. We also invite participants to sign up to host a Grow Your Own event, just send me an email for more information.

Happy growing and eating!

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ZABAGLIONE WITH STRAWBERRIES AND MOSCATO

Serves 4.

Equipment

medium glass bowl
double boiler (or tall sided metal bowl and a medium saucepan)
hand mixer
long stemmed glasses or glass dessert bowls

Ingredients

1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 cup (240 ml) Moscato wine
8 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup (88 g) granulated sugar

Preparation

1. Put the sliced strawberries into the glass bowl and pour the wine over them. Allow to rest at room temperature for a couple hours, then remove the strawberries and divide them between the 4 serving glasses. Reserve the remaining wine, about 3/4 cup (180 ml).

2. Add about 1-inch of water to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Put the egg yolks in the double boiler or metal bowl, then add the sugar and finally the Moscato leftover from the strawberries. Place the bowl over the pan and mix on low or whisk until the mixture forms a ribbon when you lift the mixer out of the pan, about 8 minutes.

3. Spoon the zabaglione over the fresh berries and serve immediately.

More Strawberry Desserts

More Strawberry Recipes From Around the Blogs

Simply Recipes – Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Laylita’s Recipes – Rhubarb and Strawberry Empanadas

White on Rice Couple – Strawberry Crossover Puff Pastries

Use Real Butter – Strawberry Chiffon and Buttercream Cake

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It’s that time of year, time for me to dust off my Irish genes—which are mingled with Scottish, a bit of Cherokee Indian, as well as a few others that I’m not sure about—and enjoy a bit of my family heritage. We’ll have some Irish stew, Irish soda bread, and at least one dessert with some of our favorite Irish flavors: Irish cream and Guinness.

I was in my 30s when I had my first taste of Irish cream, and since then it has become a staple in our bar. I’ve tried just about every brand of Irish cream I’ve come across, and my personal favorite is Carolans. Though Baileys still holds the number one spot in terms of worldwide sales, Carolans is the number two seller and costs substantially less. The texture is a little lighter than Baileys, but still very smooth and creamy, and I like the honey flavor in it.

The flavor of the Irish cream is subtle in the cake and a little more pronounced in the glaze, just enough to let you know it’s there but not overwhelming. The pistachios are optional, but I like the spark of green color they add.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

More Recipes to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

More Recipes with Irish Cream From Around the Blogs

Cocktail Hacker – Homemade Irish Cream

Nook & Pantry – Guinness Chocolate Cupcake with Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting

Bake or Break – Irish Cream Brownies

The Hungry Mouse – Oreo & Irish Cream Milkshake

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Thanks for reading this blog through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2010 Andrea Meyers: cooking, gardening & four hungry guys.

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