Dessert

Lemon bars

I choose salty over sweet most of the times, but I love a not overly sweet dessert. And these lemon bars are just that! They are zesty, slightly sweet, and so easy to make that even a non-baker like me can handle it.

But before I jump into the recipe let me tell you that the crust is like a buttery shortbread cookie that made me think twice about dumping the lemon filling over it! It looked perfectly fine as it was—I’m a sucker for shortbread!

The lemon filling is everything I love in a dessert. It’s tart, creamy, and has the right balance of sweet. And it was made with fresher than fresh lemons from our tree. It doesn’t get better than that!

Now, there’s a couple of things I’ve learned while making this lemon bar recipe. Don’t over bake the crust. Make sure it’s baked just enough to hold the filling without becoming a mess. Also, the bars need to cool completely and then chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before you cut into them.  This is to ensure that they won’t go all over the place—resist the urge to spoon a corner “just to try it”. It’s not worthy of the filling leakage and the tongue burn.

Categories

Pear Mint Chardonnay Sorbet

Need I say more? It’s my favorite fruit paired with wine in a dessert form. It’s delicate, refreshing and a little boozy!

It was my first time making this so I based my proportions on basic sorbet recipes. I think I could’ve used one more pear–but who knows? Maybe it’s just my pear obsession talking! I went with organic green anjou pears but any pear will do.

I kept the skin on to get the most flavor and some color out of the pears. They were so ripe that it took less than 5 minutes for them to cook.

The most labored part of this recipe was straining the ingredients. I used a super fine mesh strainer–not the best choice. It took a while and the idea of throwing it all in the blender crossed my mind. Note to self and to you: use a strainer with larger perforation.

I used a buttery and slightly citrus Chardonnay to balance the sweet–Slow Press Chardonnay 2014 found at Costco for under 12 dollars.

 When using a ice-cream maker is important to let the mixture cool down–about 45 minutes in the fridge. If you don’t have a ice-cream machine you still can make this by placing it in the freezer and steering it every so often until it’s smooth–about every 15 minutes for hours and hours and hours. You can either go get a ice-cream machine (trust me, it’s worth it!) or you can sip on the leftover wine to help you cope with the the 132 trips you’re about to make to the fridge!

Categories

Peppermint Oreo Truffles AND Bourbon Pecan Balls. NO baking required!

If you landed here before you already know that baking is just not my thing.  It should be no surprise that I’m so frigging happy about these two ‘dealicious’ (hah I can’t help it) treats that I’ll be eating and sharing with much love and joy this holiday season.  Absolutely NO baking required! Nuff said.

PEPPERMINT OREO TRUFFLES

Peppermint Oreo Truffles

Use TJs Candy Cane Joe-Joes for these truffles, but it works equally good with regular oreos. You can also throw a couple of candy canes in the food processor and use regular Oreos if you can’t find Peppermint Oreos.

You’ll need:

  • crushed to dust peppermint candy OR peppermint candy dust (@WorldMarket or Sprouts)
  • 1 package of Ghirardelli (or whatever maker you prefer)semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 8oz. package cream cheese (room temp)
  • 1 package Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Joe Joe’s (or 1 package of regular Oreos and 2 candy canes)

Make it:

Peppermint Oreo Truffles

In a food processor, pulse cookies until they’re finely ground. Transfer them to a small bowl, add the softened cream cheese and fully combine (I used my hands for that.)

Mixture should be sticky. Roll it into little 1″ balls. Place the rolled balls onto a piece of parchment paper and place it in the freezer for 20 minutes (just enough to harden the outside of the balls)

Melt the chocolate according to the package directions.

Remove balls from freezer and dip them in the chocolate. Transfer them back to the parchment paper. Sprinkle the candy cane dust on top to garnish and then let the chocolate set and dry. Once dry, refrigerate the truffles and serve as needed.

BURBON PECAN BALLS

Bourbon Pecan Balls

I made them for the first time yesterday and they are just heavenly. Boozy, sweet and powerful! The better the Bourbon, the better the punch!

Simply combine all ingredients and shape into 1-inch balls; roll in additional powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

You’ll need:

Bourbon Pecan Balls

  • 1 box vanilla wafers crushed to dust in the food processor
  • 2 tbsp of cocoa powder (I used 100% unsweetened Ghirardelli cocoa)
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • Extra powdered sugar to roll the balls