Author: chefalice
Cheesecake is just as delicious in bar form as it is in cake form there’s still a substantial graham cracker crust and a tangy, cooling, custardy cake layer. But cheesecake bars are much easier to make no water bath or leaky springform pan required. For a supercreamy cheesecake filling, we thoroughly beat softened cream cheese in a stand mixer, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed; this ensured a light, lump-free filling and avoided overmixing later, a problem which can result in a collapsed cheesecake. We wanted more tang than cream cheese alone could provide, so we bolstered it…
Apple cobbler combines a homey, crowd-pleasing mixture of apples, cinnamon, and sugar with a lightly sweetened, biscuit-like topping. It’s one of our favorite desserts, but it’s a plated affair; we wanted to bring its flavors together in a treat we could eat anytime or anywhere. Enter: cobbler bars. Instead of using fresh apples which would undoubtedly make for a soggy cookie no matter how much we cooked them we turned to both apple butter and dried apples, which we added to the buttery cake-like base of our bars. The apple butter gave the bar good apple flavor without making it…
Fruit salad is theoretically a healthful alternative to other desserts but don’t expect that from the canned variety, which typically comes heavily processed, packaged in a sugar-laden syrup, and barely recognizable. Fresh fruit makes a much better starting point and just a few simple tweaks dress it up. We chose a combination of peaches, blackberries, and strawberries, which looked beautiful and provided a range of complementary flavors as well as fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K. A small amount of sugar encouraged the fruit to release its juices, creating a more cohesive salad. For complexity, we mashed the sugar with…
We wanted a homey apple dessert that didn’t rely on buttery pastry or loads of sugar for flavor. So we turned to roasted apples, which would allow the fruit to shine. Skillet-roasting seemed like the perfect method to get perfectly tender, bronzed apples. Since they contain a lot of liquid, we needed to drive off some moisture before we could achieve any caramelization, so we started the apples on the stovetop to jump-start their cooking. Transferring the skillet to the oven ensured even and consistent browning and fork-tender flesh. To dress up the apples, we took advantage of the flavorful…
This is such an elegant dish for a special occasion when you have the fabulous colours of blood oranges and pink grapefruit to work with. The terrine is infused with the unique flavour of passionfruit as the jelly is made with its juice, then extra pulp spooned on top for texture. Working with gelatine becomes second nature after a bit of practice, enabling seasonal fruit to present so beautifully. Segmenting the citrus fruit will take some time so this is one to keep for a quiet day or enlist willing helpers!
In Valaisan cabins, half cheese wheels are placed on a stone slab at the edge of a hot wood fire. The cut side melts in seconds and the edges brown. Right before the cheese starts to flow, it is transferred to a plate (with gloves!) and served immediately with sides. Not all of the guests can eat this Raclette at the same time because the cheese would get cold.