Just Desserts

[seela]

Instead of birthday cake, I opted for an Oreo-white chocolate brownie. J had a toffee-hazelnut brownie. Both were yummy, but so, so rich. I don't think I've ever not finished something sweet, but there's a first for everything. Ok, the slices were big.

I had ginger&grapefruit tea and J had a latte to go with the brownies. The latte was bad, as they usually are here, tea was good.

 

[Niam1985]

Instead of birthday cake, I opted for an Oreo-white chocolate brownie. J had a toffee-hazelnut brownie. Both were yummy, but so, so rich. I don't think I've ever not finished something sweet, but there's a first for everything. Ok, the slices were big.

I had ginger&grapefruit tea and J had a latte to go with the brownies. The latte was bad, as they usually are here, tea was good.

those look amazing.i <3 sugar.

 

[seela]

I had this:

here:

The interior looks like this:

so there's plenty to see, even if you want to stay indoors. I didn't, it was too lovely a day. It's close to where I live, so I usually go there about once a week. It's a perfect place to hang out, especially in summer, with the rocking chairs and swings. And if you want a refill on your coffee, they pay you for it!

 

[midwestyankee]

so there's plenty to see, even if you want to stay indoors. I didn't, it was too lovely a day. It's close to where I live, so I usually go there about once a week. It's a perfect place to hang out, especially in summer, with the rocking chairs and swings. And if you want a refill on your coffee, they pay you for it!

Where can I get a job drinking coffee? I would like that sort of work and I think I could excel at it.

 

[seela]

I decided to dig up this thread, because for the first time in ages and ages I made pavlova today, and it was awesome. I filled in with cranberries and a little drizzle of Russian candy. I was supposed to take a picture, but it was too good to waste time on photos.

 

[Curious_in_Cali]

I had a pie themed dream last night. One was an eggnog cheesecake with a brownie crust... Maybe?

What about the pumpkin peanut butter pie smothered with ganache?

There was a baked cinnamon sugar crusted apple chip topped pecan pie too that I really should have asked for the recipie for before I woke up, because that one was really pretty and yum looking.

 

[IrisAlthea]

I was at a conferece and had the most wonderful dessert - almond cake with rose hip ice cream, rosehip puree and white chocolate snow.

 

[seela]

I was at a conferece and had the most wonderful dessert - almond cake with rose hip ice cream, rosehip puree and white chocolate snow.

That sounds amazing. I've recently rediscovered my fondness for almonds, so I'd definitely enjoy that! Rosehiå puree sounds interesting, too.

I baked a chocolate cake with half a bottle of red wine in it today. Because I could.

 

[midwestyankee]

Costco has brought back their Eli's Pumpkin Cheesecake. That is all.

 

[Ahlam]

I am planning out our menu for Thanksgiving. There are too many delicious varieties of pie. It's difficult for me to decide which ones should make the cut. Any recommendations?

 

[d_shane]

Mmmm. Delish

 

[midwestyankee]

I am planning out our menu for Thanksgiving. There are too many delicious varieties of pie. It's difficult for me to decide which ones should make the cut. Any recommendations?

I'm told that forgoing pumpkin pie on this holiday is akin to announcing that you really are from another planet. So, yes, pumpkin. However, my mother, who is apparently not from another planet, has never served pumpkin pie. Her preference has always been to make a squash pie, though it tastes and looks almost exactly like a pumpkin pie. This may be due to the fact that the vast majority of the cans of "pumpkin pie filling' on your grocer's shelves are actually filled with pureed squash.

Beyond this almost-required-by-federal-statute staple, here are a few others that always make my belt groan:

Apple plus some dark fruit (blackberry, raspberry)
Banana cream
Chocolate cream
Cocunut cream (sensing a pattern yet?)
Mincemeat
Rutabaga

 

[midwestyankee]

Also on the pie front, one could do worse than take advice from the two sisters who run the Four & Twenty Blackbirds all-pie shop in Brooklyn. From their Fall Pie Menu, I am especially intrigued by the Salted Caramel Apple and Bourbon Pear Crumble.

I suppose that a 1700-mile round trip is a bit much to run out for a holiday pie, isn't it?

 

[Ahlam]

Rutabaga pie? How interesting!
Thanks for the suggestions. My mouth is now watering.

 

[midwestyankee]

Rutabaga pie? How interesting!
Thanks for the suggestions. My mouth is now watering.

I was hoping someone would catch that. It was most definitely a tongue-in-cheek item.

Now, these are for real:

Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Walnut Streusel

Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake

 

[Curious_in_Cali]

I was hoping someone would catch that. It was most definitely a tongue-in-cheek item.

Now, these are for real:

Bourbon Pumpkin Tart with Walnut Streusel

Chocolate-Swirled Pumpkin Cheesecake

* foodie swoon*

 

[seela]

Banana and lime cupcakes.

Actually the rutabaga pie MWY said was a tongue in cheek thing sounds pretty good. I'm gonna give it a try soon.

 

[midwestyankee]

Banana and lime cupcakes.

Actually the rutabaga pie MWY said was a tongue in cheek thing sounds pretty good. I'm gonna give it a try soon.

I hope you'll take pictures and provide the recipe.

 

[seela]

I hope you'll take pictures and provide the recipe.

Well, it's in the oven now.

Poor friend. He took his sister to the ER and called that he's coming over because the hospital's right around the corner. Now he gets to be the guinea pig for rutabaga pie.

Ok, here it is. Rutabaga pie served with with yoghurt:

It wasn't the best pie ever, but it was pretty good. 2/3 people liked it, but then again the same 2/3 people like the traditional (in here) Christmas rutabaga dish too. The 1/3 who doesn't like the traditional Christmas rutabaga dish said the taste reminded him too much of it, so he didn't like the pie either. So if you don't like rutabaga, you probably won't like the pie.

If anyone wants the recipe, PM me. I actually scribbled it down while I was making it.

 

[IrisAlthea]

Well, it's in the oven now.

Poor friend. He took his sister to the ER and called that he's coming over because the hospital's right around the corner. Now he gets to be the guinea pig for rutabaga pie.

Ok, here it is. Rutabaga pie served with with yoghurt:

It wasn't the best pie ever, but it was pretty good. 2/3 people liked it, but then again the same 2/3 people like the traditional (in here) Christmas rutabaga dish too. The 1/3 who doesn't like the traditional Christmas rutabaga dish said the taste reminded him too much of it, so he didn't like the pie either. So if you don't like rutabaga, you probably won't like the pie.

If anyone wants the recipe, PM me. I actually scribbled it down while I was making it.

Hm, it looks yummy and I do like the traditional christmas dish I think.

 

[midwestyankee]

That looks like a very hearty pie. I'm just grinning my ass off here that the notion of a rutabaga pie, which I'd tossed off as a joke, turned out to be workable after all.

Can you describe the taste? I can't recall if I've ever had a rutabaga, though I think I've had some of its relatives, at least.

 

[BiBunny]

Can you describe the taste? I can't recall if I've ever had a rutabaga, though I think I've had some of its relatives, at least.

I love rutabagas. I have no idea how to describe the taste, though, because they seem to vary widely, depending on what you get. Some are awfully bitter, and some are kinda sweetish. The best ones to me kinda straddle the line.

 

[seela]

Can you describe the taste? I can't recall if I've ever had a rutabaga, though I think I've had some of its relatives, at least.

Rutabaga is pretty sweet and somehow earthy, but the big ones can be woody and tough in texture. If you cook it and mash it like I did in the pie, the texture doesn't really matter. It tastes a bit like turnip, but it's sweeter and more "mellow".

J was the one who said he didn't like the pie because it reminded him of the Christmas dish, but I caught him having seconds!

 

[midwestyankee]

I love rutabagas. I have no idea how to describe the taste, though, because they seem to vary widely, depending on what you get. Some are awfully bitter, and some are kinda sweetish. The best ones to me kinda straddle the line.

How would you say that it compares to the typical canned pumpkin pie filling we get here in the States?

Rutabaga is pretty sweet and somehow earthy, but the big ones can be woody and tough in texture. If you cook it and mash it like I did in the pie, the texture doesn't really matter. It tastes a bit like turnip, but it's sweeter and more "mellow".

J was the one who said he didn't like the pie because it reminded him of the Christmas dish, but I caught him having seconds!

Seems like the go for seconds thing is a recommendation despite any protestations to the contrary. Good for you!

 

[BiBunny]

How would you say that it compares to the typical canned pumpkin pie filling we get here in the States?

Well, I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin. I haven't had any in a long time, so I couldn't tell you how it compares.

I've always just eaten rutabagas boiled, so I suppose my experience here is limited. But, oh, I love them so much.

Sorry I'm useless here.

ETA: Just saw where Seela compared them to a turnip. I was actually going to ask you if you'd ever had turnip greens because the flavor "bite" you get is similar, at least to me. But, of course, the texture's totally different, and like Seela said, they are sweeter than turnips (or their greens).

I always loved having rutabagas along with the traditional turnip greens and black-eyed peas for New Year's Day.