Recently in Dessert Category

It's no wonder that everyone's New Year resolution is to lose weight considering that one gorges themselves for a month straight starting with Thanksgiving through Christmas!

Of course, it's quite hard to resist all of the wonderful foods this time of year especially all of the sweets and baked goods.  Dancing in my head are pies, cakes, tarts, cookies and many other warm, feel good treats. One is not even safe at work. So without further ado, start the baking, grab the elastic waistband pants and let the feasting begin!

Pecan Pumpkin Butter Pie with Butterscotch Cream

Frozen Pumpkin Mousse w/ Walnut Toffee Crunch
"With no pastry crust to wrangle, these luscious parfaits of pumpkin mousse and cream are easier to make than pumpkin pie."

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
"I am a huge fan of trifles, and this is so easy and so delicious. It has the right ingredients for the holidays to bring in all the warm fuzzies of past years." - Linda, Food Network

Pumpkin Cake w/ Caramel-Cream Cheese Frosting
"In this fun variation on traditional pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves gets frosted with a slightly tangy, super-caramelly frosting. It's delicious served cold or at room temperature."

Olive Oil & Sauternes Cake w/ Roasted Pears
"Because Neil Perry has a passion for wine, he uses Sauternes in every component of this dessert, from the cake to the sauce. He also adds olive oil to the batter, which creates a delightfully moist crumb. Pair w/ Riesling."

Caramel Pecan Pie

Trick or Treat? Well, treats of course! Whether you have kids or your a kid at heart, we have some fun recipes for you! So, set aside that store bought candy and get ready to taste some really wicked treats! Just click below to get your spook-tacular Halloween underway!

Chocolate Candy Corn Truffles
"Dark chocolate and bitter orange offset the sweetness of candy corn in these fun but fancy truffles."

Double-Chocolate Caramel Apples
"Indulge in the ultimate chocoholic experience by dipping the caramel apples in both semisweet and bittersweet chocolate."

Pumpkin Patch Cakes
"Petite pumpkin-shaped cakes. Dust with confectioners' sugar, finish them with colorful frostings, or pipe on smiling or scary jack-o'-lantern faces."

Caramel-Dipped Apples
"Delicious caramel apples...decorate with toffee bits, mini M&Ms, candy sprinkles, etc."

What's your favorite treat to make for Halloween?

By Deirdre Bourdet

Salty-sweet desserts are catching on like they're going out of style and I couldn't be happier. Once limited to French fleur de sel caramels, this delightful taste sensation has now exploded into salted ice creams, truffle fillings, and chocolate desserts near you.

I adore Chocolatier Blue in Berkeley because Chris Blue puts tons of Camargue sea salt into every one of his creations. From pistachio to sweet corn to deep dark chocolate truffles, the flavors pop and send your salivary glands into overdrive. Needless to say, his peanut brittle is also beyond compare--ethereally crispy, buttery, salty, nutty, and completely addicting.

Summer is here and that can only mean one thing (okay, maybe a couple) . . .

First - Throw as much as you can on the grill because who wants to slave all day cooking and cleaning in the hot kitchen?! 

Second: Your kids will tire of hot dogs and hamburgers every night for lunch and dinner so why not try out some new things on the grill. The banana and nutella panini sounds delicious for a snack or dessert!

Third: There is more to life than just grilling meat!  Vegetables, fruits, bread and a slew of other things can be grilled too!

That being said - check out some of the recipes below. Let us know how they turn out and don't forget to pair them with wine!  White Wines for Summer or Best Wines for BBQ. Happy Grilling!

• Apple-Glazed Barbecued Baby Back Ribs
• Kansas City-Style Barbecued Chicken
• Peach-Mustard Pork Chops
• Moroccan Grilled Salmon
• Grilled Quick-Brined Jumbo Shrimp
• Grilled Corn w/ Seasoned Butters
• Grilled Zucchini/Summer Squash Salad w/ Citrus Splash Dressing
  
• Grilled Potato and Onion Salad w/ Blue Cheese and Bacon
• Grill Baked Brownies w/ Bing Cherry Ice Cream
• Grilled Banana and Nutella Panini
  

Submitted by Chef Kelly Wangard of Paso Robles Inn Steakhouse

A savory interpretation of a classically sweet pastry this version of Baklava combines the rich flavor of Blue Cheese with walnuts for an amazing, out of this world treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 box phyllo dough
• 3 pounds Hook's Paradise blue cheese, Gorgonzola, or blue cheese
• 1 pound butter
• 5 cups walnuts, toasted
• 1 cup sugar

Submitted by B.R. Cohn chef Sherri Hewitt

A simple, slightly crunchy cake recipe. With flavors of walnuts and orange this is a great Summertime or anytime desert. Enjoy!

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• Nonstick olive oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
• 1/2 cup B.R. Cohn Mandarin Orange Olive Oil
• Powdered sugar

If you've ever been to Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery in Napa Valley Wine Country, then most likely you have tried their signature chocolate treat called "Bouchon".  It is chocolaty, brownie, cake-like goodness that no person should be without! If you have yet to go, definitely make this as a must visit, see, and taste for yourself stop next time you are in town*.  But what will you do until then???

Apparently, Bouchon Bakery has partnered  exclusively with Williams-Sonoma who are now selling the Chocolate Bouchon Mix directly to consumers.  "The mix combines Guittard cocoa powder, Nielsen-Massey pure vanilla and a generous helping of Callebaut chocolate chips".

It's only $18.00 and yields 18 bouchons.  Of course, you also have to buy the "bouchon mold pan".  Sigh...just looking at the picture is making me salivate all over again. I may have to order my mix tonight or since I live local, maybe just pop over to the bakery itself.

If there are any readers out there that have already tried the mix and have tasted the original, let us know if it tastes the same!

*Note: Bouchon Bakery is also located in New York and Las Vegas.

Chef: Sharon Campbell
Executive Pastry Chef, Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

Prepared for Pairings at the Plaza during the 9th Annual Great Wine Escape in Monterey, CA

Voges Haut-Chocolate
Ordinarily, you might think of chocolate for the holidays as a stocking stuffer or just a candy dish treat. Don't get stuck in boring traditions. Chocolate should be on your list for a friend, workmate, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin...you get the point.

Voges Haut-Chocolat offers decadently, rich chocolates, truffles, caramels, toffee, and even brownies, ice cream and cake for the sophisticated "I love chocolate" palate. But now that you've scampered across the website, in this menu and the the other, salivating at all this chocolaty goodness, what to get is the now burning question.

From April through June is the best time to get ripe, delicious strawberries from California. Though most of us are still peeling off winter parkas and drying out from the rains, it's the height of the season for strawberries. This tasty recipe pairs the classic shortcake with fresh berries and whipped cream for a slice of heaven.

 

Filberts, also known as hazelnuts are what make these brownies so uniquely Oregonian. They're perfect for an after school treat or with fresh raspberries for a decadent evening dessert.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Dark Chocolate Buttons
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped filberts (hazelnuts)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup white sugar

In a heavy saucepan or microwave oven, melt chocolate with shortening. Remove from heat. With wire whip, blend in sugars. Beat eggs lightly with vanilla and salt and stir into chocolate mixture. Mix flour with baking powder. Add, all at once, beating until smooth.

Spread into greased 9-inch square pan. Sprinkle filberts over top and pat down with a spatula. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars. Makes 36 1 1/2" square bars.

Wine Pairing:

2003 Late Harvest Viognier, $25

Ingredients - Candied Walnuts

• 1 cup Walnut halves
  
• 1 cup Water
  
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 + tsp. Togarashi - Japanese chile mix
  
• Salt 

Ingredients - Pears

• 3 ea. Bartlett pears, cut into 1/8ths, Cores removed
• Sugar to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1 Tbsp. Canola oil
  
• 1 lb. Point Reyes Blue Cheese
• 3 Tbsp. Honey

Hurley's general manager, Jerry Lampe, created this delight with exquisite Callebaut milk chocolate, melted to a smooth drizzle, for a favorite customer. 1 ounce Ketel One Vodka 1 ounce dark crème de cacao Splash of Bailey's Irish Cream 2 teaspoons Callebaut milk chocolate, melted Shake all ingredients except chocolate over ice and strain. Drizzle in melted chocolate.   Hurley's Restaurant & Bar 6518 Washington Street Yountville, CA (707) 944.2345

Be adventurous and prepare a dessert outside of the usual pumpkin and sweet potato pie fare typically eaten at this time of year. Domaine Chandon recommends the Cranberry Cornmeal Torte along with any of their sparkling wines. Sparkling wine has an amazing ability to enhance a broad range of foods by refreshing and enlivening the palate. Follow this tasty recipe paired with sparkling wine and see how delicious this marriage can be.

 

Submitted By François de Mélogue
Brewery Gulch Inn

Mendocino's Brewery Gulch Inn Executive Chef François de Mélogue takes advantage of Anderson Valley's bounty of Granny Smith apples for his special Tarte Tatin served warm with caramel ice cream. Join Chef de Mélogue for the Apple Harvest Dinner on September 23, 2006 when he displays the talents which make the Inn's breakfasts and lavish wine hour hors d'oeuvres so memorable. He also offers extraordinary in-room dinners by advance reservation. Visit www.brewerygulchinn.com for more information.

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Submitted by Glen Ellen Inn

A delicious story, read the new novel by Michele Scott "Murder by the Glass" that is full of wine country romance, mystery and RECIPES! This wine lover's mystery takes place in Napa and Sonoma Wine Country and includes several recipes and wine pairings from premier restaurants, wineries, and accomodations in these wine regions. Below is just one of the many wine pairing recipes you will find in Murder by the Glass.