By Liz Berg on Oct 08, 2015 01:00 am
I made a lemon cake for a 90th birthday party last month. Knowing that my friend, the hostess, would much rather eat chocolate, I also baked this decadent, intensely rich Dark Chocolate Tart.
Always Balance the Menu with Chocolate
Living in a house of chocoholics, I am well aware a non-chocolate dessert might not be the best way to cap off a celebratory meal. If I’m making coconut bars for a gathering, I’ll bring some brownies, too. The plates of Christmas goodies I pass along to my friends and neighbors includes nut, caramel and ginger treats, but also plenty of fudge or chocolate truffles. My friend, Gini, was hosting a party for her mom and requested a lemon cake. But, like my family, Gini loves chocolate. She’ll come over and watch me bake just so she can lick the bowls. One of her sisters put a bug in her ear as she queried, “Why can’t we have a chocolate cake??” Well, her mom didn’t want chocolate. But I made sure those chocoholics weren’t neglected by baking up this luscious dark chocolate tart.
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By Liz Berg on Oct 07, 2015 01:00 am
I fell madly in love with French Silk Pie as a teen. But until I made my own from scratch, I didn’t realize how truly exquisite it truly was.
Family Trips to Des Moines
My mom loved to shop. It must be genetic. A few weekends a year, the family would pile in our Plymouth Sattelite station wagon, without a radio or even seatbelts, and drive the 30+ miles to the big metropolis of Des Moines, Iowa for a little retail therapy. My parents would often arrange a detour through the art museum in hopes some culture would rub off, then trek to Pier One along with whatever else my mom had on her shopping list. Occasionally we’d return home with a massive box of Sara Lee danish or new tops from the sale racks of the downtown Younkers, but our favorite stop was for a slice of pie before we set out for home. I used to gravitate towards Dutch apple, until I had my first bite of French silk pie. That chocolate number topped them all.
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By Liz Berg on Oct 05, 2015 01:00 am
It’s pretty much a given that I package up a batch of sweets with Nick when he returns to college. As a caramel fan like his mother, I knew these Ganache Topped Caramel Bars would put a smile on his face.
Caramel Fiasco
The shortbread crust was a piece of cake, but the first caramel attempt was a bit of a disaster. I have made desserts with homemade caramel from scratch as well as those using melted pre-made caramel candies. This caramel called for sweetened condensed milk and I thought it would be a no-brainer. I cooked the mixture and watched it boil and eventually grow a little darker to an amber shade. But when I removed the molten sugar mixture from the stovetop, the butter had separated and the caramel was far from a smooth consistency. Flop. So I tried again, reducing the amount of butter and using a candy thermometer so I could pull the caramel off the heat at the perfect time. Success. Whew.
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By Liz Berg on Oct 04, 2015 01:00 am
Did you know October is National Pizza Month??? A whole 31 days to indulge! But today, I’m shaking things up by baking an Apple Pie Pizza instead of the usual savory cheese topped variety. This post is sponsored by Gallo Family Vineyards. See below for details.
Dessert Pizza
Dessert pizzas are nothing new, from the fruit numbers made with a cookie dough crust, cream cheese filling and fruit topping to those pizzeria offerings with a bread base and canned pie filling. My kids loved the latter, a frequent treat at their grade school parties. Me? I’d rather make mine at home with a real, buttery pastry crust, sliced apples tossed in warm autumn spices and a streusel topping. You’re drooling, right? The picky hubby has eschewed any oatmeal topping for all the decades I’ve known him. But the cinnamony, apple aroma wafting through my kitchen somehow changed his tune. He even had a before-dinner slice. Well, it is pizza, isn’t it??? And not everyone drinks beer with their pizza. I happen to prefer wine. And Gallo Family Vineyards has you covered
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