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Dessert

Breakfast, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Ina’s Lemon Yogurt Cake

March 7, 2017

Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake

Whenever I spot a recipe by Ina Garten (she hosted one of my favorite food shows) that sparks my interest, I know that I’m in for a treat.  You can always count on Ina for foolproof recipes that taste delicious.  I discovered her lemony infused cake right when our little tree was full of ripe lemons.  The timing was perfect.

Lactose Free Yogurt

Lucky for me and all of you who are lactose intolerant. There are really great products available to us in the markets these days.  Green Valley makes high quality yogurt, sour cream, butter and cream cheese that are lactose free.

Lemons from the Garden

Our little lemon tree produced so many large, juicy fruits this year.  It was a bit stressful to see so many lemons hanging from the tree’s lanky branches.  We removed some of the green fruit so that the tree wouldn’t topple over.

Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake

This is a moist, spongy, lemony cake. It’s delicious.  I was planning to freeze part of it for later, but I decided to take it to work where we all enjoyed it with our morning coffee.

Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake
 
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Adapted from Ina Garten's recipe
Author:
Serves: 1 loaf
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup lactose free plain whole milk yogurt (or regular yogurt)
  • 1⅓ cups sugar, divided
  • 3 extra-large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • For the glaze:
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the canola oil into the batter making sure it is well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 - 55 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the ⅓ cup of lemon juice and remaining ⅓ cup of sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
  4. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, slowly pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Let the cake cool on the rack.
  5. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake. Slice the cake and serve alone or with fresh berries on the side.

 

 

Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes

Lilikoi Cream Cheese Tart

January 26, 2017

Lilikoi Cream Cheese Tart

The lilikoi fruit is like no other…tart, sweet , aromatic, exotic, delicious, and the plants do very well in our tropical climate.  The lilikoi blossom is one of the most gorgeous of all flowers though the fruit on the other hand is nondescript, tucked between the plant’s vigorous vines.  As the fruits ripen, they drop to the ground.  The skins will begin to shrivel up and look quite homely, but the pulp inside will be at its peak flavor.  At this stage you might choose to eat the pulp and seeds alone or with yogurt, or strain the juice and use it to make a refreshing lilikoi margarita.  The vines are very productive, so I freeze the juice in small containers to use later for lilikoi jelly.  This recipe for lilikoi cream cheese tart is one of the most beautiful and delicious desserts. It is a terrific culmination to a fine dinner party.

Lilikoi Cream Cheese Tart

Lilikoi Flower

The most beautiful blossom!

Lilikoi

Most fruits when peeled or sliced are faintly aromatic.  The lilikoi on the other hand is exotically fragrant.  It’s hard to describe the scent but your entire home will smell wonderful.

Lilikoi Pulp

I use a food mill to process the lilikoi fruit.  The seeds and heavy pulp are left behind leaving you with the most fragrant lilikoi juice.

Lilikoi Glaze

The lilikoi cream cheese tart does not require a glaze however if you prefer to use one, there are a couple of options.  Sometimes I gently soften homemade lilikoi jelly in the microwave and brush it over the top of tart. Other times I will prepare a glaze made with lilikoi juice, sugar, and gelatin that I adapted from The Baking Wizard.  Either way, it’s best to do this the day you plan to serve it as the glaze has a tendency to soak into the cream cheese tart.  You may also add some of the lilikoi seeds to the glaze for a pop of color.

Lilikoi Cream Cheese Tart

 

Lilikoi Cream Cheese Tart
 
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Inspired by Little Ferraro Kitchen blog
Author:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • Special Equipment - 10" tart pan with removable bottom
  • For the crust
  • 13 full sheets Honey Maid honey graham crackers
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or butter), melted
  • For the Cream Cheese Tart
  • 1 8 ounce container + 9 level tablespoons (1½ c + 1 tablespoon total) of Green Valley lactose free cream cheese at room temperature (or regular cream cheese)
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon fresh lilikoi juice
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • For the glaze
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
  • 5 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons fresh lilikoi juice
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons sugar
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add sugar and pulse a few times to combine with the graham cracker crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in melted Buttery Sticks. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. I find that using a small pyrex custard cup helps with forming the crust perfectly around the edges. Disposable gloves come in handy as well when pressing the crust into the pan. Bake the crust on a baking sheet for 13-15 minutes until lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack while you prepare the filling.
  3. Using an electric hand held mixer on medium speed, mix together the room temperature cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add lilikoi juice and mix until combined. With a rubber spatula, stir in the beaten egg. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust. Bake on a cookie sheet for 40 minutes. The cream cheese tart is done when the cake's center has a slight jiggle when you gently shake the pan. It will firm up as it cools. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before adding your glaze.
  4. Once the tart is cool, prepare the glaze. Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let this sit undisturbed for a few minutes. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine the lilikoi juice and sugar over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture feels hot to your fingertip. The mixture should not boil or the gelatin may not set properly. Remove the pan from the heat and pour half of the hot liquid into the gelatin mixture. Stir quickly to dissolve the gelatin making sure the mixture is smooth. Transfer the gelatin mixture back to the pan, stirring to combine with the remaining juice. Prepare an ice water bath in a medium bowl that will comfortably fit the saucepan. Place the saucepan in the ice water bath and with a spatula stir the lilikoi mixture constantly until it is cold and becomes syrupy. Pour some of the glaze over the cooled cream cheese tart spreading it evenly. You may not need all of the glaze. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours. Another option for a light glaze is to soften lilikoi jelly in the microwave and brush it over the top of the tart.

 

 

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 4, 2017

Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

My late aunty Ruby was an outstanding cook and baker.  Both she and my mom who were sisters, had a passion for cooking which meant the rest of the family shared many enjoyable meals together.  We were always thrilled to be invited to aunty Ruby’s home for dinner, knowing that something good was going on in her kitchen.  Luckily, I have aunty Ruby’s somen salad recipe, one of my all time favorite meals.  But I regret that I never did not ask for her chocolate chip cookie recipe.  This recipe comes from Canal House Cooks Every Day.  The cookies are ultra thin, crisp, and full of chocolate chips, just the way I remember aunty Ruby’s cookies were.

Chocolate Chips

As you may notice below, there’s no shortage of chocolate chips in these cookies.

Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

The cookie batter is very soft and light.  Be sure to leave lots of space (4 inches) between each cookie when baking them so they don’t fuse together.  Dairy products don’t seem to agree with me anymore so I substituted Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in place of butter.  This makes the cookies lactose free for those of you with the same unfortunate problem.  I cut the recipe in half but feel free to double the recipe below which will make about 4 dozen delightful cookies.

Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
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Author:
Serves: 2 dozen
Ingredients
  • 5 ounces Buttery Sticks at room temperature (or regular butter)
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (149g) light brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 scant teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ c + 3 tablespoons (133g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute.
  3. Whisk the flour and baking soda together, then add to the dough, continuing to mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  4. Using a spatula, quickly mix the dough, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Drop the batter by the well-rounded tablespoon, about 4 inches apart. Don't be tempted to leave less space between the batter, the cookies spread a lot!
  5. Bake until golden brown, about 9 - 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes

Mango Cream Popsicles

October 5, 2016

Mango Cream Popsicles

Though I look forward to cooler weather that slowly appears in November, at the same time, I will miss our extended mango season that is with us from May through October.  Images of sweet Pirie and Rapoza mangos that cover our dining room table and sometimes overflow into boxes stored on the living room floor, will soon be gone.  This year I decided to freeze containers of mango purée so that I will be able to make popsicles throughout the year.  It will be such a treat to sit on the porch in December or January with a refreshing mango cream popsicle. After all, the weather is warm all year-long in Hawaii.  I adapted this recipe from Sarah & Jessica at Pretty Providence. These popsicles remind me of a Creamsicle, one of my favorite childhood desserts.

Rapoza Mango

Our two mango trees are heavy producers delivering the sweetest mangos imaginable.  The Rapoza is creamy and fiberless with very large fruit and small seeds. The White Pirie mango is a small-medium sized mango with a golden hue.  I have never tasted a mango sweeter than this one.

Diced Pirie Mango

Good news for those of us who are lactose intolerant.  There are excellent products these days that are made just for us.  Green Valley and Organic Valley offer delicious, real dairy products that are lactose free.

Lactose Free Yogurt and Half & Half

Popsicle Mold

The Norpro popsicle mold is inexpensive, simple to use, and makes 10 perfectly sized popsicles.

Mango Cream Popsicles

Mango Cream Popsicles
 
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Author:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 3 medium mangos
  • ¼ cup cream of coconut (such as Coco Real brand)
  • ¾ cup lactose free half and half
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup Green Valley lactose free plain yogurt (2% or whole milk)
Preparation
  1. Peel and dice mangos discarding seeds. Puree in a food processor or blender until completely smooth. Whisk in cream of coconut. Pour puree into a 2-cup measuring cup. You want to have a minimum of 1¼ cups of mango puree.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the half and half and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in vanilla extract. Whisk in yogurt until mixture is smooth. Pour into a 2-cup measuring cup. You want to end up with a total of 3 cups of filling including the mango puree. This amount will fill the Norpro 10 piece popsicle maker perfectly.
  3. Layer cream & yogurt mixture into popsicle molds, alternating with mango puree. Use a wooden chopstick to create a marbled effect. Leave a little space to allow for expansion when frozen.
  4. Place lid over popsicle mold, add popsicle sticks and freeze overnight. Remove popsicles by running warm water around the outside of the mold. Gently squeeze the bottom of the popsicle mold while lifting each popsicle stick from the mold. Try your best not to use too much warm water which may cause the popsicles to melt. Quickly wrap a small piece of waxed paper around each popsicle and store in an airtight container or freezer bag until ready to eat.

 

 

Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes

Blueberry Crumb Cake

March 17, 2016

 

blueberry cake - 1 (4)

Like many others, I am a fan of Ina Garten’s recipes.  I miss her Barefoot Contessa cooking show on Food Network.  The cooking channels seem to have cancelled their actual cooking shows such as Ina’s.  These days, you’re hard pressed to find such a show though there is no shortage of reality/competitive cooking shows. Now on to Ina’s blueberry crumb cake!  Blueberries are plentiful and so now is a great time to make this cake.  My version uses lactose free ingredients but go ahead and use regular sour cream and butter if you get along with them just fine.

blueberry cake - 1 (5)

The recipe calls for a stand mixer but I’m sure you could use a hand mixer as well.  The batter is quite thick, which makes for a beautiful cake.

blueberry cake - 1 (6)

blueberry cake - 1 (7)

I kept sprinkling the streusel over the batter as instructed.  I thought I had way too much, but I kept going until I used it up.  All that streusel (see top photo) makes this the crumb cake of your dreams!

blueberry cake - 1 (8)

 

Blueberry Crumb Cake
 
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Lactose free, adapted from Ina Garten's Blueberry Crumb Cake Recipe
Author:
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • For the streusel:
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ pound (1 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or unsalted butter), melted
  • 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
  • For the cake:
  • 6 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or unsalted butter), at room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • ⅔ cup Green Valley lactose free sour cream (or regular sour cream)
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • confectioners sugar for sprinkling
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.
  2. For the streusel:
  3. Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.
  4. For the cake:
  5. Cream Buttery Sticks or butter with the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 minutes, until light. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream.
  6. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
  7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and speed it out with a spatula. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. It may seem as though there is too much streusel, but keep sprinkling until you use it up!
  8. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean, Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners sugar if desired.
  9. This cake freezes beautifully.

 

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

March 7, 2016

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

I tend to favor crispy cookies rather than those that are soft and billowy. Knowing these were on the soft side of the cookie spectrum, I left this recipe on the back burner along with other recipes I haven’t’ gotten around to trying yet.  On a lark, I took a chance on these peanut butter cookies.  It doesn’t matter in the slightest that they are not crispy. These cookies are just pure peanut butter goodness with just a hint of salt.  Divine.

Peanut Butter

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen posted the recipe last October.  I truly regret not making these sooner.  All my friends love them and they are a breeze to make.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

I used beautiful flaky Maldon sea salt but any coarse salt such as fleur de sel works well.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 26 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cups (335 grams) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 16.3 ounce jar Skippy creamy peanut butter
  • Flaky sea salt such as Maldon or coarse grained sea salt, to finish
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together light brown sugar and eggs until smooth. With a firm spatula, stir in vanilla extract, then the peanut butter. Stir well making sure the peanut butter is completely incorporated. Chill dough in freezer for 15 minutes, stirring once.
  3. Scoop dough (I used a #40 scoop) onto prepared pan. Deb says for achieving the tallest final shape it is best to set the pan in your freezer for 15 minutes before baking. My pan won't fit in my freezer so I set the pan in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle dough balls very lightly with sea salt just before baking. Bake for 14 or 15 minutes. The cookies will be golden at the edges. Let cookies cool on pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely before devouring.

 

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