Desserts | MJ's Kitchen

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Meyer Lemon Sherbet and an Assortment of Meyer Lemon Recipes

by mj on March 19, 2013

The co-op had some beautiful Meyer lemons the other day and I couldn’t resist buying a few, especially since I had never bought them before. I never knew what to do with them thus I never bought them. Now I know! I used one of the lemons in place of preserved lemons in my Capellini with lemon, garlic and egg pasta dish. It was very good, better than regular lemons but not as good as using preserved lemons. So what do I do with the other lemons? The weather helped me answer that question. We have finally warmed up to near record highs and the spring winds have started to blow; therefore, something cool and refreshing sounded good, thus – a Meyer Lemon Sherbet.

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Orange Brown Butter Tart from a Sweet Heart

by mj on February 27, 2013

I wish I could say that I made this beautiful Orange Brown Butter Tart, but I can’t. Instead I’m thrilled to say that it was made by my dear friend Anne @ From My Sweet Heart who is sharing it with us today! In case you don’t know Anne, Anne makes some of the best desserts, sweets, treats, mouthwatering delights on the web. Every once in a while she’ll surprise us with something savory like her Black Bean Tart with a Chili Crust. Oh my!!! Anne has a passion for baking, and you can definitely see that when you visit her site. She’s fun, she’s creative, and she’s one hell of a baker! So let’s check out this wonderful tart. Thank you so much for sharing this with us Anne!

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Chocolate Pot with a Hint of Coffee

by mj on February 7, 2013

It’s February and what better month to post a chocolate recipe. As a huge chocolate lover, finding this chocolate pot recipe and then getting to test it out several times was heavenly. This chocolate pot is not as light, texturally, as a mousse or chocolate pot de creme which use egg or egg yolks, but it’s still smooth and creamy, rich and delicious and with less fuss.

A few months ago I was the lucky winner of the Green & Black’s Organic Chocolates giveaway from Vianney at Sweet Life. It was a wonderful package as you can see below that consisted of a logo tote bag, Green & Black’s Ultimate Chocolate Recipe cookbook, and 3 bars of chocolate. When going through the cookbook, I found it quite difficult to decide which recipe I wanted to make first. There were SO many that I marked. However, when I came upon the 5-minute Chocolate Pot, I knew that needed to be made as soon as possible. It’s simply a little pot of chocolate with cream and only takes 10 minute to make. The recipe says 5 minutes, but let’s be realistic. The hardest part of making this was waiting for it to cool off. It is meant to be served warm or at room temperature, so the recipe says to let it cool on the counter for an hour before serving. It actually took a couple of hours. You can serve each serving with a little cup of whipped cream or with nothing at all. Either way it’s a chocolate lover’s dream!
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Stewed Cushaw and Yummy Deliciousness Cushaw Coffee Cake

by mj on January 7, 2013

Two delicious recipes from my sister Nadalyn – Stewed Cushaw and Cushaw Cake
Thanks Nadalyn for putting this delicious post together!!!!

“Coo-what?” It always amazes me how many people have never heard of cushaw, much less tasted its rich deliciousness. The cushaw is one of the oldest varieties of pumpkin-like squash in the western hemisphere and was an important staple among ancient people. Today it is still important in traditional cooking in southern Louisiana and among Native Americans. It is technically a squash but has many of the characteristics of pumpkin. The most common is the green-striped cushaw which average 10 to 20 pounds, grow to be 12 to 18 inches long and roughly 10 inches in diameter at the bowl. They are mostly grown in the southern and southwestern United States. Cushaw is more resistant to many insect and weather conditions than most other squash or pumpkins and after harvesting, it can be stored for up to 4 months.

The flesh of the cushaw is yellow and buttery looking when cooked. In fact, in some areas it is called cushaw butter. There are infinite ways to cook it or cook with it. The most popular is to use it in pie just as you would pumpkin or sweet potato. Some like it best bake in the oven, still in the rind, with butter, sugar, and cinnamon sprinkled on top. To eat it this way, remove the seeds, quarter or cut into large chunks. Score the large pieces with a fork, sprinkle with a little sugar and cinnamon, top with a pat of butter, and bake in the oven until a fork pierces it easily.

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Sweet Kabocha Pudding

by mj on December 19, 2012

A few days ago I roasted a Kabocha squash with the intention of making a soup; however, when I tasted the pulp it was so sweet, I decided that I wanted to make a dessert. But what kind of dessert do you make with squash? As I was tasting the squash and thinking about how creamy it was, the squash spoke to me….pudding. Oh how I love pudding! So there you have it. Kabocha squash pudding was born.

The main ingredients for this pudding are squash pulp and almond milk. A little maple syrup is used as the sweetener and agar as the gelling agent. Because I used agar, the texture isn’t the same as pudding made with eggs and milk, but it is still very creamy and smooth. Bobby grabbed a pudding from the fridge thinking it was butterscotch. He took a couple of bites and then said “I have no idea what I’m eating, but it’s damn good!” Need I say more?

Because I only used 1 cup of pulp to make this pudding, I still had 2 cups left to make a small batch of Kabocha and Fennel Soup. A completely different use of the Kabocha and oh so good!

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Pinon Biscotti

by mj on November 11, 2012

I made cookies!! Biscotti no less – pinon biscotti to be exact. This may not seem like a big deal but for me, it is a big deal. I can count on one hand the number of times I have made cookies in the past 25 years!

I was inspired to not only make cookies, but to develop a cookie recipe when Anne of From My Sweet Heart invited me to take part in a very special event called Pass the Plate. Sharon & Denise of Be Betsy, were inspired by Kitchenaid’s Cook for the Cure^® to join the fight against breast cancer. They purchased a plate specially designed by Jacques Pepin. The plate is filled with cookies and literally passed from blogger to blogger. Each time the plate reaches a new destination, Kitchenaid donates $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure^®. Last week I became the proud recipient of these absolutely delicious Ginger Chili Caramel Cookies that Anne made just for me (although I did share a few with Bobby). Sweet and spicy – one of my favorite flavor combinations! Thank you Anne for the perfect cookie!
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Pear Apple Cobbler – A Twist on an Old Favorite

by mj on October 10, 2012

My absolutely favorite dessert is the classic southern fruit cobbler (see recipe below). It is SO easy to make and you can use any fruit that is in season or that you have in the freezer. I’m calling it “classic” because it is one of those recipes that goes back several generations. My southern grandmother made it and I’m sure she got the recipe from her mom. My mother made it all of the time and I am continuing with the tradition. I call it “southern” but a friend of mine that was born and raised in New Mexico by native New Mexican parents has used the same recipe all of her life as well. So go figure. It’s obviously made and loved by a lot of people.

The only problem with the recipe is that it makes enough for 6 people. Since it’s just the two of us, that means Bobby eats two servings and I eat the rest. I have no willpower when it comes to this cobbler. If it’s sitting on the counter, I’ll take a bite every single time I walk through the kitchen. Before you know it, it’s gone. In an effort to be good, I decided to experiment with the recipe, by cutting back on the quantity as well as the fat and sugar. The result was excellent! The first time I made these individual servings I used a Bosc pear. The next time, I added a small Winesap apple with the pear. Both versions were delicious and very easy to throw together. Bobby and I each got one serving with no tempting leftovers. It was perfect.

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Purple Yam Ice Cream by Wok With Ray

by mj on September 5, 2012

Due to a kitchen remodel I’ll be without a kitchen for a few weeks, so I’ve asked some friends to keep my virtual kitchen going with some of their fabulous recipes. This week Ray from Wok With Ray dropped by and brought me a unique and wonderful dessert.

If you have never been to Ray’s place, I’m sure you’ll be heading that way as soon as you read this post! You’ll love his Filipino-Asian dishes, and if you are like me, you’ll lust after everyone of his desserts. And that’s why sweet Ray brought us this recipe today; because he knows how much I love his desserts. Thank you SO MUCH my friend!