Tri Color Dessert

This dessert is made of different colored tapioca.  First the Tapioca pearls or strands are boiled in water and then coconut cream and sugar as sweetner is added. I learned about this wonderfully refreshing dessert from my Hmong co-workers and wanted to try make it my self.  It can be made lighter as a beverage or thicker as a dessert.  I made it lighter and added crushed ice. It is an ideal and a refreshing beverage on a hot summer day.  Fruit can be added to this dessert to give it different flavors.  Following is the recipe for this wonderfully refreshing dessert.

Ingredients:

Ready to cook Tapioca in at least 3 different colors. (Many colors and shapes can be found at Asian grocery stores)
 2 cans of 14 oz coconut milk (not juice)
 4 c water and 2 c of sugar to make a sugar syrup(Hmong honey)
 Fresh or canned Jack fruit and Lychee cubed. Peaches can be a substitute for the other fruit

Boil tapioca per package directions, cool and set aside in a little water to keep from sticking together. Boil together water and sugar to make the honey syrup, be careful not to burn, set aside. Open and stir coconut milk, can be thinned a little with regular milk or half and half. Chop fruit and put in a bowl. Take a large beverage glass, put in about a 1/2 c of tapioca at the bottom of the glass, add 1/4 c fruit, add 1/2 c of coconut milk, add 2 tbsp of the honey, add ice and stir together. Serve with a spoon or a bubble tea size plastic straw. Can be made to be a thin drink or a thicker drink, based on your taste.

Bakewell Tart

 On Friday, my daughter's class is having a Victorian Party in honour of Charles Dickens' story "A Christmas Carol". The students will be dressing as characters of the story and will be going on with their daily routine. So during the discussion about the Victorian Era of England (me being a big fan of Charles Dickens stories) the topic of food came up. So I told her that she had already eaten one of their desserts, and it was the Bakewell Tart.


This is one of my favorite cakes baked in a shortcrust pastry with a layer of fruit preserves or jams baked in between the cake and the pastry. I usually make this Tart for evening tea.


The history of this dessert is that; in the mid nineteenth century, in Bakewell, a town in Derbyshire this tart made its first appearance as the Bakewell Pudding. The famous recipe writer Eliza Action made reference to it in her 'Modern Cookery' book in 1845. The idea of puddings with a jam layer topped with a butter and an egg mixture was part of early British cooking. However the pastry base, a feature of the Bakewell, was not common. Almond flavor was added, firstly with almond essence and later with ground almonds, which changed the texture.


In most recipes require cherry jam. But since I'm not much of a cherry fan, I use black currant, blackberry or raspberry jam. This tart has a sweet almond flavor incorporated with ground almonds in a sponge like cake.

Creme Brulee  (pronounced as krehm bru-lay)

This is an irresistably creamy dessert.  It is glistening gold custard topped with caramalized sugar.  In french it means "burnt cream". I first tasted this at a restaurant in the city of Chicago and fell in love with it. 

Yesterday my daughter and son were watching Anne Burrell of Food Network, making Creme Brulee.  While watching it, my daughter asked me if I could make it for her.  Well, I took the opportunity and told her she should make it since I already had the recipe, and the ingredients at home.  So she went ahead with it and made creme brulee. What a surprise.  Her first dessert, came out be the best I've ever tasted.  So I took a picture and told her that it will be in my blog as  a tribute to her.

Tiramisu

 This Italian dessert is so ethereal, soft and melts in the mouth. the luscious layers of whipped cream mixed with buttery mascarpone cheese, and lady fingers soaked in coffee makes it feel like a cloud melting in your mouth. If you are not up to making it, you can taste it at any Italian restaurant, Including Olive Garden.

 
This is one of the favorite desserts of my family. And I find it is absolutely delicious and easy to make. Today I will be sharing the recipe with you. Don't forget to make extra, cause I'm sure that you will regret not having seconds.

8 oz. Mascarpone cheese or Philadelphia cream cheese.

1/3 cup granulated sugar.

3 tablespoons coffee liqueur like Kahlua*

1 tablespoon pure vanilla.

1 1/2 cups heavy cream.

24 lady fingers cookies**

1 cup strong brewed coffee.

3 oz. grated chocolate or cocoa powder.

In a large bowl with an electric mixture, beat mascarpone or cream cheese with the granulated sugar. Beat in the coffee liqueur and vanilla until soft and sugar melted.

In a medium bowl with clean beaters, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream in the mascarpone/cream cheese mixture.

In a glass baking dish, just enough to hold half of the lady fingers in one layer, about 11 x 7 inches, arrange the lady fingers over bottom. Drizzle half the coffee on the lady fingers.

Spread half of the cream cheese mix over the lady fingers. Arrange another layer of ladyfinger over the mascarpone mix and top with the remaining mascarpone mix. Sprinkle the grated chocolate or use a small strainer to sprinkle the cocoa powder.

* I omit the liqueur when I make it for my family, since my children loves eating this dessert.

** you can buy soft variety of 'lady finger cookies' in the bakery section at any super market. If you cannot find it, check the cookie aisle for the hard variety. These need to be soaked extra in coffee. So make an additional 1/2 cup of coffee for that.
(this recipe will serve about 4-5 people)

Ice Kacang (pronounced as Kachang)

It’s a dessert that is almost like ice cream, but is made with shaved ice instead.  First I heard about this from my grandmother, who was from Malaysia.  She always talked about it as one of the best desserts she ever had.   It is not a dessert that you come across at any bakery, store or a restaurant.   I had the chance to taste it when I dined at “Peninsula” a Malaysian restaurant in Minneapolis.   Of all the great food they had this dessert stood out.  The shaved ice was sprinkled with sweet palm fruit, gigantic tapioca pearls that come in variety of colors, sweet corn, black beans, toasted chopped peanuts.  And it was drizzled with sweet coconut cream and rose syrup.  There is no trick to making it or a recipe for that matter.  So when my family was craving for some ice kacang one day, I made it just the way it’s explained above.  The best thing about making your own desserts is that you will have enough for seconds.  Try it, or make it.  Your taste buds will thank you.  I know mine did.