Come to the Table

SHF #17 Ice Cream Truffle Pie

The theme for Sugar High Friday 17 hosted by Spitton Extra is dairy.  This ice cream truffle pie has got to be one of the easiest ways to get that sugar high.  All you have to do is plan out the timing of this dessert and it practically makes itself.

I stumbled across the recipe for this pie in the fantastic cookbook Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin.  From the bottom of the pie, the layers include a chocolate cookie crust, chocolate ice cream, a chocolate truffle layer, vanilla ice cream, and raspberry sauce with a splash of Grand Marnier.  You can also top it off with chopped walnuts but I've never tried that.

The combination of dairy items is delicious.  For this time around, I used Lee's Ice Cream made here in Maryland and was pleased with the richness of both the chocolate and vanilla flavors.  The truffle layer is simply heated heavy cream with semi-sweet chocolate chips, although you could upgrade that with higher-quality semi- or bittersweet chocolate.  I recommend increasing the number of chocolate wafers that go into the crust so it will fill the edges of the pie plate more fully.

This ice cream truffle pie is a staple of our entertaining menu.  You can buy the ingredients well ahead of time and work in the ice cream softening, spreading, freezing, truffle-making, and sauce-producing tasks throughout the day while you're getting ready for your guests.  Plus, leftovers keep well in the freezer so you can even make it for a small number of guests and enjoy a slice or two the next day.

SHF #16: The Sugar Quest

This month's Sugar High Friday is all about romance.  My offering are these sweet and luscious Butterscotch Pots de Creme.

One of my friends recommended the recipe.  I have trusted her guidance in all things culinary ever since she made chocolate eclairs for a class project in middle school! 

These pots de creme are as amazing as she promised.  They include dark muscovado sugar and Demerara sugar. These sugars lift this dessert above the ordinary.  You cannot imagine until you take a bite just how pleasing butterscotch custard can be. 

This was my first experience making pots de creme.  It wasn't difficult once I completed a quest for the hard-to-find-but-worth-it sugars, learned how to prepare a water bath, and set aside the time for making, cooling, and indulging in this heavenly dessert.

SHF #15 Chipper Banana Muffins

The concept for Sugar High Friday #15 is to make something sweet without using sugar.  I admit that my entry does have a bit of white sugar, and, oh, some chocolate chips.  But I think it still qualifies as low on the sugar scale.

These "Chipper Banana Muffins" from the Weight Watchers cookbook Simply the Best include bananas, unsweetened applesauce, and skim buttermilk.  You could omit the chocolate chips to make them less sweet, but who would willingly omit chocolate?!

Meringue Jam Squares

I'm going to an "Is My Blog Burning - Sugar High Friday" Cookie Swap Party and I'm bringing...Meringue Jam Squares.

This is a recipe handed down from my Grandmother.  My Dad requests these for his birthday dessert instead of cake, and they are festive squares for birthdays or Christmastime. 

The cinnamon meringue is soft and fluffy with a bit of crunch on the browned top.  Next your teeth sink into a sweet jam layer (I used red raspberry preserves this time.)  The berry taste is followed by a satisfying shortbread cookie base.